Posted to this blog.
The Debt Ceiling is simply a tool for extortion. It's a time bomb planted in some central square set to go off at noon someday in the future, UNLESS the party that controls Congress gets whatever they want, which may well be more tax cuts which make the debt picture worse. And the agreement between Congress and Executive needs to be reached somewhat ahead of time (but not clear how much) to allow time for someone to go out and reset the clock before all the businesses there go bankrupt, let alone blown to smithereens.
It ought to be obviously unconstitutional, while Congress controls spending it cannot and should not constrain the executive from rolling over the debt for previously authorized spending. Faced with similar craziness after the Civil War, such devices were explicitly made unconstitutional.
When relatively sane people are in control, it's merely a backdrop for posturing. Now we see what happens when crazy people (and manchurian executive) are in control.
Brad's argument in this specific case, with spending recently reauthorized a few months ago, but the last Debt Ceiling set by earlier congress, is incontrovertible. But I vote for the general unconstitutionality.
I wonder what Obama's lawyers did. Call Judge Roberts, advocate of the Unitary Executive (unless it's the wrong party) ?
