Mitch McConnell Predicts Debt Ceiling Won't Be Raised Without A Hostage

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Huffington Post

Mitch McConnell Predicts Debt Ceiling Won't Be Raised Without A Hostage
Posted: 12/17/2013 4:09 pm EST | Updated: 12/17/2013 4:19 pm EST

WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that the nation's debt limit won't be raised unless Republicans can extract concessions from Democrats and President Barack Obama.

The borrowing limit, which was suspended until Feb. 7, 2014, as part of the deal to end the government shutdown in the fall, stands at about $17.2 trillion. The Treasury Department estimates that without a hike, it can keep paying the nation's bills only until sometime in March.

The budget agreement that passed the House overwhelmingly last week and is set for passage in the Senate -- likely on Wednesday -- would also require a boost in the debt ceiling in order to carry out the spending that it mandates. But McConnell said Republicans would not allow that.

"I doubt if the House or, for that matter, the Senate is willing to give the president a clean debt ceiling increase," McConnell told reporters on Capitol Hill. "Every time the president asks us to raise the debt ceiling is a good time to try to achieve something important for the country."


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/17/mitch-mcconnell-debt-ceiling_n_4461484.html

[Jackpine Radical]

1. It would be nice if someone would take Mitch hostage

and threaten to give him back if the debt ceiling is not raised, Social Security is not doubled, and Unemployment benefits are not restored.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Like a new dam for Kentucky

[davidpdx]

25. Dammit

There, someone had to say it.

[mike_c]

3. because they didn't shoot off all of their toes the last time, LOL....

Every time the republicans do this they look worse and worse. The party of "No," a one trick pony.

[Politicalboi]

4. 24 BILLION!

For the last temper tantrum. If these assholes win ANY election come 2014, perhaps those states should secede. If the Dems don't pick up on this and get the people to back them we will be paying BILLIONS for another temper tantrum.

Mitch McTurtle should choke on these words:

"Every time the president asks us to raise the debt ceiling is a good time to try to achieve something important for the country."

Yes, BILLIONS added to debt.

[bpositive]

5. Reminds me of this quote from the joker in

The dark night

You know… You know what I’ve noticed? Nobody panics when things go “according to plan.” Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all “part of the plan.”

[eggplant]

6. Is it too much to ask...

...to simply tie the debt ceiling to the budget? If congress is going to agree to a budget, then shouldn't that just imply that they would be willing to pay for it? WTF?

[Swede Atlanta]

7. I think the President and the Democrats have shown now....

they are prepared to do whatever it takes to move things forward.

It wouldn't surprise me if it was clear the pukes would take us over the cliff unless their ransom is paid, he would resort to an extraordinary measure whether that is minting a coin or exercising what may well be a constitutional power/duty.

[Gothmog]

8. You can not give into hostage takers

President Obama and the Democrats need to stand firm on this issue

[rgbecker]

9. Republican want to make sure the economy is in the tank for the 2014 and 2016 elections.

Low information voters simply vote against the president and party in power if they are hurting because of the economy.

As Clinton said so clearly: It's the economy stupid.

Mitch knows a debt ceiling fight will send the stock market into a tail spin and he will wait the results come November 2014.

[DeSwiss]

10. How bout:

[center]
''That's a nice shell you've got there Mitch. Be a shame if anything.... happened to it.''[/center]

- K&R

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

11. We could re-title the headline

"GOP to commit suicide on Feb 8, 2014"
edited to get dates right!

[1StrongBlackMan]

12. I won't Democrats ...

and their surrogates, get out in front of this ... like in every interview from now until Feb 7th ... by saying, "the republican leadership said: 'Every time the president asks us to raise the debt ceiling is a good time to try to achieve something important for the country.' Well the last time they took that position, it cost the people in this country something like $24 billion and counting. Is that the 'important something' the republican leadership is trying to achieve?"

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. want, perhaps?

[1StrongBlackMan]

20. Actually, I meant to type ...

"Why won't ..." But "I want ..." works, too!

[okaawhatever]

17. {art pf the problem is that most Americans don't understand the debt ceiling. They think it's

the budget. The media is complicit is this misunderstanding. Also, the Democrats have a reputation for bigger government expenses. We know the reality is different and that Republicans are the ones who have really blown up the budget, but any time a Democrat asks the country for something involving the budget the right wing media and their co-conspirors scream we're fighting to make the debt bigger, give more to takers, etc. If the American people knew the debt ceiling was just agreeing to pay the bills that were already agreed to by the Republicans we'd be in better shape.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. No negotiation with hostage takers. Clean resolutions only. nt

[underpants]

15. Mitch, you are clearly scared about your upcoming primary

Good, you should be

[Triana]

16. "Every time the president asks us to raise the debt ceiling is a good time..."

"...to hold the country and it's good name and the President hostage in order to exact our idiotic teabagger demands and to hurt the nation and its people and for that matter its economy EVEN MORE. It's a good time to commit TREASON once again against the nation and to keep the entire country in the shitter so we can punish the people who voted for Black President and make him look bad too! Yeehaaa!"

Asshole.

[Liberalynn]

21. Agreed. That is their stragtegy to a T.

[okaawhatever]

18. COUNTERPUNCH; A continuous loop of Reagan, Bush Sr., Bush Jr., Ford etc. saying "America does

not negotiate with hostage takers" "America will not be compromised by hostage takers" and every other quote out there. I'm sure there's some good ones from Reagan.

[indepat]

19. Republicans doing what they do best other than the bidding of special interests: obstructing

the routine functioning of government.

[Nika]

22. If this escalates to another debt ceiling showdown,

I hope the public sits up and takes notice next November which party does not need to control any of the government and returns control of the House to Democrats.

[El Shaman]

23. Granny McConnell predicted this too:

[ReRe]

24. Wouldn't it be a coincidence if...

... PO did NOT ask for the debt ceiling to be raised? I heard something here on DU a few weeks ago that the deficit is in a free-fall downward and might not need to be lifted in Feb 2014. Does anyone remember seeing that?

If there are any hostages, I hope the TP ditches Mitch.