I think that already happened, as soon as Obama became president.

“If Obama wanted to guarantee enormous amounts of political heat and absolutely no meaningful legislation getting passed for the remainder of his first term in office, he could hardly go about it a better way.”

As opposed to what, handing the government over to the Republicans? They don’t want the government to work.

Switching the budget battles from the debt ceiling to appropriations is not a problem.

1) That’s where these fights are SUPPOSED to occur. If the Tea Party wants to pass a budget that decimates entitlement programs while preserving tax breaks for the wealthy, let them. Let them run on that record. By waging this battle as part of the debt ceiling, they are trying to achieve a policy victory without paying the political price for it, and advance the notion that “we can’t afford these”. We can afford these things if we choose to.

2) If the debt ceiling is not raised (or ignored) and the US defaults on its obligations–what happens? Well, we’ve never been there before, but most experts say “major financial catastrophe”. If, on the other hand, Congress refuses to pass a budget and the government shuts down–well, we’ve been THERE before, and while it isn’t desirable, the Republic has survived.

The problem isn’t that the GOP and the administration are having a budget showdown. The problem is that by doing it in the context of the debt ceiling, one side has brought a loaded gun to the table. If it is done in the context of an appropriations debate, as it ought to be, the playing field is level, and the sort of political brinksmanship that we see today simply isn’t available.

In fact, I can’t see that you are contributing anything to this story at all. You would done better just to refer us all to the Capital Gains and Games blog.

You mean the Republicans *didn’t know* when they came up with the budget that it would increase the debt? They already approved the extra debt.

Look, as long as Obama’s in the Whitehouse, the Republicans are going to use every lever they can to wreck the economy and kick him out next year. They’re not concerned about the national interest or governing effectively.

I wonder how the financial community would like that – no more riskless treasuries to earn interest on.

Who is she? Where are the grownups?

Boehner is no great shakes, but we didn’t elect him to be our negotiator in chief, to knock heads together and make deals happen. I see no leadership skills in this man. And so the pygmies run riot. Well, what did you expect?