President Obama has managed to claim the moral high ground in his battle with Republicans over raising the debt ceiling by appearing to put good fiscal policy ahead of short-term political considerations. By putting a bigger …
debt ceiling
Obama vs. Cantor: Tempers Flare as Debt-Ceiling Negotiations Take a Dramatic Turn
President Obama and House majority leader Eric Cantor engaged in a high-stakes test of wills during Wednesday’s debt-ceiling negotiations at the White House, trading dramatic ultimatums in the most intense round of talks yet. …
Obama Mobilizes Big Business in Debt Talks
This letter from Big Business to all of Washington’s political leaders urging a speedy resolution to the debt limit debate was partly in response to a push by the Obama administration to up pressure for a deal. In recent days …
Q&A: Paul Ryan on the Debt Ceiling Debate and Medicare
On Tuesday, as congressional leaders and President Obama fought a public battle over cutting spending and increasing revenue, Rep. Paul Ryan was elsewhere, leading a discussion over an issue that just happens to be at the center …
Debt-Limit Divide Deepens as Talks Approach the Brink
As the U.S. hurtles toward a potential debt-limit default that would shake the fragile economy, the chasm between the two parties widened on Tuesday, as Republican opposition to tax increases calcified and Democrats bristled at …
In the ArenaViewpoint
Accept McConnell’s Debt Ceiling Deal
Mitch McConnell proposes simply raising the debt ceiling. This is supposed to be some sort of brilliant political move. Obama will be blamed for the ever-increasing debt ceiling. The Republicans will be able to hammer him with it …
In the ArenaViewpoint
Eat Your Creamed Spinach
The President was masterful, and prohibitively Cheshire catty, in his debt-ceiling press conference Monday morning. He was in the position he likes best: way above both parties, asking sacrifices from all, the grownup in a roomful of Congressional infants. He almost seemed to be enjoying himself, which is nice–he deserves a little …
In Debt Press Conference, Obama Enjoys the Upper-Hand
At a press conference on Monday, President Obama rebuffed congressional leaders for their recalcitrance to make concessions in the ongoing debt ceiling negotiations, and continued to make his case for an ambitious, all-inclusive …
No Grand Bargain: Boehner Walks Away From Big Deficit Deal
After days of hype in Washington, House Speaker John Boehner threw cold water on the prospect of a grand bargain on deficit reduction Saturday night, effectively scaling back negotiations on a deal tied to the effort to raise the …
Has Nancy Pelosi Been Marginalized in the Debt Debate?
At Thursday’s White House meeting between President Obama and congressional leaders, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner laid out in stark terms the awful economic repercussions of allowing the debt ceiling to lapse. Everyone in …
There’s Big Talk in Washington of a Deficit Deal. Can the Center Hold?
Though President Obama and House Speaker Boehner have yet to outline a single idea or, so far as we know, commit to anything, both Democrats and Republicans have begun attacking a so-called “grand bargain” for deficit …
Nancy Pelosi Wants a Little Respect (But That’s Not All She Wants)
The protagonists in the debt-limit dealing are obviously President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, the golfing buddies and party leaders. The Senate’s 60-vote threshold for legislation—and the potential for random …
Democrats, in the Dark, Dig in Their Heels
Forgive House Democrats if they’re fuming a bit about the hairpin turn in the debt-limit negotiations. Reports that the White House is willing to consider cuts to entitlement programs as part of a grand bargain that far exceeds prior proposals caught them by surprise. At a briefing with reporters Thursday afternoon, House Minority Leader …