Even when it was probably the best route to take?

Am I wrong to say never?

(I absolutely agree with you on this one.)

the way it's supposed to. I would be surprised if he did this.

of course, he governed in a political environment that was rather sane compared to ours, so he'd never have needed to. But I think he'd be the type to go for it.

all obama needs to do is have a few subordinates drop a few hints that they are looking at the idea.

this effectively undermines the republican negotiating position and prevents them from being inflexibly impossible about the debt ceiling.

assuming the negotiations then proceed in a fashion that passes for civil these days, then that's that.

most presidents would prefer this sort of approach in part because it keeps the coin threat in his back pocket, as it were, untested and therefore available for future use.


as with any negotiating weapon, you usually want to see if the threat alone does the job, before you actually use it.

with Reagan's pic on the front. And when they get to the sequester, get the corporations to pay taxes by closing all their loopholes (deductions) and taxing foreign companies that do business here the same way domestic businesses are done, but step up enforcement to eventually bring them back to the US. Oh, and have James Bond type spies and hackers steal all American money in Swiss and Cayman type bank accounts.

Enough bullshit. Everyone pays taxes. If 5 percent own 90 percent of the economy, then they pay 90 percent of the taxes and the other 95 percent pay only 10 percent.