GOPers Can't Even Decide What They Want For Christmas Debt Limit Increase

Sahil Kapur of TPM:

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told reporters on Tuesday morning that the GOP conference still hasn't settled on what they'll demand from the White House in order to raise the debt ceiling.

He said GOP leaders have spoken to members and while there are "a lot of opinions about how to deal with the debt limit, no decisions have been made."

Republicans are considering options such as repealing the "risk corridors" in Obamacare and forcing President Barack Obama to approve the Keystone pipeline. But they're struggling to get the necessary votes for any approach.

...

The robber on the street walks up to you, puts his gun to your head and shouts, "Gimme something, uh, I don't know what! C'mon, give it to me! NOW!"

Awright, mothersticker...
this is a fuckup!

As for me, standing in amaze as once again the House GOP are about to make damned fools of themselves, I know what I say: "Go ahead. Make. My. Day!"

Fitch, Fitch, Fitch...

TPM's Igor Bobic:

Credit rating agency Fitch placed U.S. holdings, which remain AAA, on negative watch Tuesday, as Congressional negotiations over the federal debt ceiling stalled just two days before a Thursday deadline.

"Fitch continues to believe that an agreement will be reached to end the current political impasse and raise the U.S. debt ceiling," the agency said in a press release. "Even if the debt limit is not raised before or shortly after 17 October, we assume there is sufficient political will and capacity to ensure that Treasury securities will continue to be honoured in full and on time."

...

It's good of them to cut the US some slack. But I don't like the sound of this...

Default And Prioritizing: The Horrifying Reality

So what's wrong with the course of action many Republicans seem unable to stop babbling about, namely, defaulting, then prioritizing the government's payments (according to what political scheme I wouldn't hazard a guess)? According to Krugman, there are four reasons not to do that; please read and think about them... especially if you are a GOPer facilely advocating this catastrophic strategy. You say you don't want to read Krugman? That's just too bad; you really need to. Stop wasting your time on this blog and go read his reasoning.

Is It Time To Mint The INFINITY Trillion Dollar Platinum Coin?

Josh Bivens of Economic Policy Institute discusses the possibility, which is exactly equivalent, he notes, to abolishing the debt ceiling altogether. The other thing it would abolish is the currently fashionable blackmail opportunity used by the House Teabaggers. High time, as far as I'm concerned.

Big Surprise: GOP Breaks Its Bargains

Sahil Kapur of TPM tells us: a PowerPoint presentation by the Orange Tan Man himself has surfaced, one which makes it clear that Boehner intended to sell his GOP caucus on voting for the sequester by promising to blame it on Obama. Well, BOHICA. Republicans break their word; what else is new?