Obama Calls GOP Debt Ceiling Demands an Assault on US 'Constitutional Structure'

[Zorro]

Source: ABC News

On the eve of another fiscal showdown with congressional Republicans, President Obama is outright refusing to negotiate over an increase to the nation's debt limit, saying doing so would alter "the constitutional structure of this government entirely."

"What I haven't been willing to negotiate, and I will not negotiate, is on the debt ceiling," Obama told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview on "This Week."

"If we continue to set a precedent in which a president … is in a situation in which each time the United States is called upon to pay its bills, the other party can simply sit there and say, 'Well, we're not going to put - pay the bills unless you give us … what we want,' that changes the constitutional structure of this government entirely," Obama said.

House Republicans, seeking to defund and delay implementation of the president's signature health care law, have sought to use the upcoming debt ceiling and government funding fights to extract concessions from the White House.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-calls-gop-debt-ceiling-demands-assault-us-130332194--abc-news-topstories.html

[leftyohiolib]

1. call their bluff

[BadGimp]

2. the proper response would also include.. (graphic content warning)

Start with one of these..


and finish with one of these..

[libdem4life]

3. Call me crazy but maybe he's listening a bit more to his left flank? Let's keep the noise machine

going. Just as the Tea Party is losing prominence for the Republicans...we've had Hope, now it's time for Change.

[awoke_in_2003]

28. We have seen a few flickers of hope. nt

[Myrina]

37. He loves to talk to the left-flank but then on the field, he plays to the right.

Seen it too many times, sadly.

[libdem4life]

38. True. But we won on Summers and Syria...and he's at least talking tougher on the debt ceiling

small glimmers are better than no glimmers. And this in a week. Still Hoping for some Change.

[Cryptoad]

4. The kinda changes needed

can not be achieved until we Democrats have control of Congress and SCOTUS!


Know your Enemy!

[TygrBright]

5. "Go ahead. I triple-dog dare ya!"

Question is, are the GOPpies stupid enough to stick their tongues on the light pole?

AGAIN?

I'm betting "yes." This is a setup for the 2014 election.

Nothing will say "vote Democratic" quite as powerfully as, "Those other fuckers made my Social Security check late, furloughed my brother-in-law, closed the park so we couldn't have our vacation, AND fucked up the scheduled repair on the Interstate."

mm-hmmm....

Pleasure to watch you in action, Mister President.

anticipatorially,
Bright

[factsarenotfair]

6. It's an assault on the human race,

just like everything the Republicans have been doing for the past few decades, the last few years on steroids.

[gopiscrap]

7. I agreee with the Prsident, fucking repukes would walk us all over a cliff

just try to make the President look bad.

[tjl148]

8. Question

Is my memory going? Didn't he negotiate when the debt ceiling issue came up before?

[jeff47]

10. Yep

The Republicans have passed small increases multiple times during the Obama presidency.

[Blanks]

9. You'd think they'd learn...

From a PR point of view - the republicans in congress took a pummeling during the shutdown during the Clinton administration.

I don't know what they think has changed.

[jeff47]

11. What's changed is the GOP has thrown out the sane members. (nt)

[Blanks]

12. True. Of course their intense aversion to learning history probably doesn't help. eom

[ChazInAz]

26. Hell of a note.

You KNOW it's bad when Newt Gingrich seems sane by comparison.

[pam4water]

13. It doesn't matter what he called it. It matters what he does about it.

[freshwest]

14. He's right. They want to bring down the government. By starvation or by guns. They aren't kidding.

We must unite at all levels to stop them overthrowing the government. They have people ready take over in the states to control us with religious dogma and corporate rulers. The RW has been working on this a long time.

[Bluenorthwest]

15. Nice when he talks like that.

Fuck being nice to the Republicans, they are a threat to the nation's good with their obstruction.

[99th_Monkey]

16. Extortion <-- it has a name Mr. President. I support you 100% on calling the GOP out on this. ~nt

[Dustlawyer]

17. I am one of the guys hat believes the real power is with the big donors who are Wall Street, the

MIC, the corporate media owners (see Wall Street and the MIC previous), oil companies... Even they realize we have to keep our credit rating and a lot of that money the Government owes is to them! The Republicans will cave in the end, Boner will do what he is told.

[blkmusclmachine]

18. And ...

[soryang]

19. Reform of entitlement programs "common ground?"

Here we go again with Wall Street's representative trying to undermine social security and medicare.

Oh, and "elimination of corporate tax loopholes" is white house code for reducing the corporate income tax.

The Reaganite/Clintonite "third way," is finished politically. His congressional support is going to further erode. His no compromise statement is pure bs.

[Koko Ware]

20. Order the Republicans under arrest, and thrown into the nearest institution for psychlogical testing

All will fail, and then will not be competent to remain a Congressperson or Senator.

If they are found to be competent, then re-arrest them again and charge them with RICO and bribery.

[Shrike47]

23. Let's not leave reality behind, now.

[Katashi_itto]

35. First declare an "Economic Emergency" under the Patriot Act. THEN arrest the Republicans.

Don't put the cart before the horse.

Once "Economic Emergency" is declared you could always declare them "Enemy Combatants" and ship them off to Gitmo for a trial in 10 or so years maybe. No hurry.



Ahh one can dream....

[Jackpine Radical]

21. I stand with Obama unreservedly on this one.

[Cha]

22. Thanks you, President Obama!

thanks Zorro!

[valerief]

24. Yes, because it's lobbyists's role to make the demands, not Congress. That's how govt works. nt

[MichiganVote]

25. Right and then we turn the page and fine out he's negotiated away the whole thing.

[snot]

27. Catch the line at the end – ?

"The White House cancellation of the annual congressional picnic this month will likely not help bolster positive relations heading into the fall."

They're threatening to trash the credit of the US in order to cancel healthcare for millions of people, and they're going to pout over a cancelled picnic?

[Bette]

31. Yep.

They've been pouting over everything and some things we never heard of....like made-up crisis, one each week. Remember how they were all screaming about closing the white house tours? You'd think the world was ending right there. These people are the lowest forms of life, they sink to infinite levels. I'd like to know what drugs they are on, to even think this way? This is so beyond crazy!

[JDPriestly]

29. Just think. Military contractors would have to accept IOUs.

[Sunlei]

30. GOP are economic terrorists. deadbeat dads of America.

[Bette]

32. Deadbeat dads

Joe Walsh comes to mind....glad he's out. However, he's not gone. He held a town meeting last weekend! Wish I had the time to go and heckle him.
GOP are anti-american and pro-fascists. They are, state by state, taking away our rights. Taking away our means of survival, our food, our water, our land, our health, our jobs, our education, our OPPORTUNITIES. All the while blaming everything on Obama. And their sheeple eat it up!

[fredamae]

33. Dem's may not hold the House

and the Dems/Reid may Not control the Senate due to His refusal to act on the Filibuster---BUT--What the Dems Could have done--and Still Could do (if they are willing to buck their corporate donors For us) Is Make the GOP's Lives So Politically Miserable WE could make Progress, but Our Elected Reps/Officials Still are NOT listening and working With us!
This statement is at a Minimum 4.5 years late, based upon public/electorate feedback.

So, let's see what happens next---maybe the Dems are finally paying attention to Rahm Emanuals "Effing Retarded Left&quot aka: the Dem Wing of the Dem Party)

[One_Life_To_Give]

34. Isn't Congress responsible for authorizing borrowing?

Doesn't Article 1, Section 8 give Congress the power to;
Levy Taxes,
Authorize Borrowing,
Print Money,

Or in essence say all sources of possible revenue must come thru Congress?

[Igel]

39. The claim is that every budget constitutes a spending bill and borrowing authorization.

Tradition doesn't count in this--(D) and (R) have both blocked debt ceiling increases and separated out authorization to spend from authorization to borrow in their day.

They rely on an amendment passed to guarantee the payment of all bond debt issued during the Civil War and extend that to all kinds of things. So if an agency owes $300 for toner that's the same as duly issued federal bonds. If an agency has a contract to pay for certain services, that's the same as federal notes. If there's an entitlement program, that's also the same. Even just having an agency setting aside funds for a Xmas party constitutes "debt".

It's a new interpretation. It'll be interesting to see if judges want to tacitly rewrite that amendment, pouring new meanings into old words.

[LongTomH]

36. Can you say "Coup d'etat?"

Classic way of taking over a government.

Part of the plan is to control all of the nation's media: Done

Then hold the government hostage: In progress