Boehner and GOP House plan Feb. 2014 government shutdown/debt default

[NewsCenter28]

I get newsletters for all of MSNBC's programming. This just came in my inbox from Morning Joe:

JACK LEW TO CONGRESS: DEBT LIMIT DEADLINE IS END OF FEBRUARY
Congress will likely need to raise the debt limit by late February to avoid a missed payment, according to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. In a letter sent to lawmakers Wednesday, Lew said the timeline for a borrowing boost has moved up slightly. When he first pressed Congress to increase the debt cap in December, he estimated a default could occur as late as early March. But based on “our best and most recent information,” Lew now pegged the default deadline as sometime in late February, calling on Congress to boost it as soon as possible. “I respectfully urge Congress to provide certainty and stability to the economy and financial markets by acting to raise the debt limit before February 7, 2014, and certainly before late February,” he wrote. Speaker John Boehner's office said that any debt ceiling increase needs to include concessions from President Obama. "The Speaker has said that we should not default on our debt, or even get close to it, but a 'clean' debt limit increase simply won't pass in the House. We hope and expect the White House will work with us on a timely, fiscally-responsible solution," spokesman Michael Steel said. Read more..

Boehner says no clean debt limit increase. President Obama says there will be no negotiations with hostage-takers. Ergo, a debt default with a 2nd government shutdown appears all but inevitable now.

Boehner: This is what they call "overplaying your hand."

[gordianot]

1. The only person this would benefit is Chris Christie as the entire country joins him in the toilet.

Really Boehner, over playing your hand is all Republicans have left?

[Berlum]

11. "Extremism in defense of idiocy is a Republicon tradition." - Teh Boehner (R)

"We must do what we must muddily muddily do to protect the elite rich from you smelly American proles."

- Teh Boehner (R)

[Cha]

2. STFU.. you lying asshole. Yeah, you do it again in

2014.

[Nika]

3. We should not give in to this blackmail.

Last edited Thu Jan 23, 2014, 11:21 AM - Edit history (1)

Let them remind the electorate why they need to keep the ReThugs from taking the Senate, and why they need to lose the House.

[NewsCenter28]

4. Exactly

GWU/Battleground and Quinnipiac have us trailing by 2 and 1 point respectively in their congressional generic ballots today. This would regain us the lead overnight and save the senate/secure the house! Bring it on!

[Atman]

5. They NEED this to get Christie & McDonald off the front page

C'mon, Boehner could give a crap about the debt ceiling. His party is taking a beating and this will force a change of focus for the media and a new shiny object.

[Adrahil]

8. Yeah, a debt default oughta help 'me out.

BTW, I don't think you're wrong, I just think those tools can't think their way out of a wet paper bag.

[riversedge]

6. So, seems that Bone man has give the Cruz crazies permission

to do their hostage attacks once more. I fear for the USA.

[Mass]

7. They wont default. They are just playing to their base but at the last minute, they will

pass a bill. Their link to the financial establishment is too deep.

[Adrahil]

9. Maybe, but the Cruz Crazies don't have as many of those ties...

... And the ties they do have tend to be to the types who think we need an Ayn Rand-inspired melt down of the economy, so the Capitalist Heroes can ride in and save us.

[Mass]

10. True, which is why they play with these things but

if Dems hold firm, Boehner will put a clean bill on the floor and find enough votes for it, and 5 GOPers in the Senate will vote for it as well.

[Le Taz Hot]

12. As a "gummit" employee, may I just say,

"Fuck you!" to the GOP? We've JUST climbed out of the hole from the last time they did this. In my work, we weren't just shut down for 17 days, we shut down for the entire month of October. We're living on the financial edge as it is and between the shut down and having to buy insurance I didn't want, will never be able to use and couldn't afford, this will push us over the edge if they do this again.