Reply #16: As the law sits today, following the Constitution would require paying the obligations of the U.S. [View All]

[No Elephants]

if Congress refuses so to do.

If there is the least bit of uncertainty in the law, lawyers will give their clients the legal opinions their clients want them to give, esp. when the client is the POTUS. For example, a lawyer could, but need not, assume that the SCOTUS today would overrule the 1935 case that applies.

Yoo and Bybee twisted themselves into pretzels to give Bushco legal opinions for political cover and have done well ever since..

And that's even assuming Obama even asked for a legal opinion. If he did, he should publish it, so Constitutional scholars could weigh in.