The latest on the debt ceiling fight
Biden may have to give in, if only a little bit:
After weeks of saying he would never meet with House Republicans to raise the debt limit, Joe Biden was forced to cave to the Republicans after his Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen gave Washington a drop dead date for raising the debt ceiling — June 1.
The date was at least a month earlier than most experts were predicting. And with Republicans already having a debt limit bill in hand, Biden reluctantly agreed to drop his demand for a “clean” debt limit bill with no negotiations.
Biden’s position was never viable. So the president must now talk about budget cuts with the GOP or find a way to avoid the blame if the whole kit and kaboodle goes south.
Democrats have one bullet they can use. Because they control the Senate, they can bring a “clean” debt limit bill to the floor and dare the GOP House to defeat it. But it’s not even clear that Democrats can pass a clean bill in the Senate, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer may not risk it.
The GOP is unusually united in backing Kevin McCarthy on this, which is a feat in itself.
When is a debt limit not a debt limit? When they keep raising it, of course.
Apparently we have a “debt limit” for no other reason but political manipulation and negotiation.
According to the Washington Examiner, the White House is still insisting on a “clean” debt increase bill in spite of the meeting. The games continue.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/up-to-mccarthy-to-raise-debt-ceiling
The GOP must adopt a phalanx mentality, in imitation of the Roman soldiers, who conquered Western Europe and even invaded England.
The Democrats have done this; they always vote uniformly. GOP quibbling at the edges will only hasten America’s collapse. Defeat the Enemy!
On Fox News this afternoon, Charlie Gasparino said that June 1 is not a drop-dead date. In fact, there will be an influx of federal income on June 15 that will cover costs at least through the end of June. It looks to me like Janet Yellen is putting her thumb on the scales. Not surprising, of course — she works for Biden.
This country has not had a budget in many years. The reason is obvious. Everybody spends like it will never have to be repaid. And they’re right. As Hemingway said about bankruptcy, It comes slowly, then suddenly. We are very close to the suddenly part.
I’m willing to admit I underestimated McCarthy. He’s doing as well as could be expected with a slim majority and an entirely hostile MSM. Nevertheless, I do think some of his cajones is due to Gaetz, Boebert and all those recalcitrant congressman who forced 15 ballots.
On a scale of 1 (pure GOP propaganda) to 100 (pure Democrat propaganda), with 50 being pure objectivity, the MSM was about a 75 in Newt Gingrich’s day; and I’d say about an 85 when Boehner took the gavel. Today it’s approximately at 97.5. With that in mind, I’d say McCarthy is meeting or exceeding the accomplishments of his predecessors so far.
“…The games continue. “
Indeed they do:
Extreme CHICKEN…a la [nekkid] king.
“Biden may have to give in…”
Think I’ll try a little of the old “bait ‘n switch” here…
“Judge Orders Hunter Biden To Provide Details On Income From Artwork, Investments, Gifts”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/judge-orders-hunter-biden-provide-details-income-artwork-investments-gifts
Opening grafs:
“…Hunter Biden may have paid the mother of his 4-year-old daughter up to $750,000 in child support since March 2020, said one of his attorneys at a hearing.
” Hunter Biden appeared in Independence County Circuit Court in Batesville, Arkansas, on May 1 as ordered by [Judge Holly Meyer] overseeing the child support dispute between the president’s 53-year-old son and Lunden Roberts,…the Arkansas woman who…had a relationship with Hunter…, gave birth to a baby girl in August 2018… [and] sued for support in 2019.
” At first Hunter Biden denied that the child was his, but a DNA test confirmed he is the father…. [Emphasis mine; Barry M.—Wow! seems to be a genuine HB pattern here (just substitute “laptop” for “child”); as they say: ‘Character will out’…]
” On March 12, 2020, [Hunter Biden] and Roberts agreed to an undisclosed amount in monthly child support to begin on April 1, 2020….
‘ …Biden asked the court to review the child support arrangement the following September because his financial status had changed….
‘ …Biden’s attorney, Abbe David Lowell, said his client has been paying $20,000 monthly, more than $700,000 since the support order was signed.
‘ Judge Holly Meyer clarified during the May 1 hearing that any information discussed in open court was a matter of public record….’
Hmm. THAT should be rather interesting. Stay tuned… (and let’s see if the judge will be able to see this case through to the bitter end….)
E.g.,
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-impeachment-prosecutor-excl-idUSKBN1XE20C
Related (peripherally?…OTOH, EVERYTHING is related in this never-ending, never-yielding Democratic Party’s version of “The Hunger Games”…)
“DEMOCRATS’ ATTACK ON SUPREME COURT INTENSIFIES”—
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/05/democrats-attack-on-supreme-court-intensifies.php
Key graf:
“…The purpose of the Democrats’ attacks, obviously, is to smear conservative justices in the eyes of the ignorant and ill-informed–i.e., those who rely on the New York Times, the Washington Post, and CNN for their news….”
“…Hunger Games…” (continued):
“Closing Young Minds;
“Will our elite universities and K-12 schools ever emerge from their self-imposed ideological traps?”—
https://www.city-journal.org/article/closing-young-minds
Opening graf:
‘ Roger Brooks describes himself as a “loyal supporter” of Durham Academy. A member of the class of 1980, he has donated money every year to support the 1,200-student North Carolina private school. His father was chairman of the board of trustees in the 1970s. When he left New York to move back to his hometown six years ago, he enrolled his two youngest children and joined the board. So it came as a surprise when Brooks was fired from the board earlier this year in the middle of his second term—because his presence made some faculty members feel “less safe.”…’ [Emphasis mine; Barry M.]
Hmmm, wondering whether this piece should be titled, “Closing Young Minds”? or “Damaging Young Minds”?…
I guess the author is still trying—hard—to keep the door open here…
“Extreme chicken” (continued):
“Biden: No Debt Ceiling Negotiation at May 9 Congress Meeting”—
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/budget-debt-biden/2023/05/02/id/1118319/
+ Bonus:
“Watchdog: IRS Spent $10M on Weapons, Ammo Since 2020”—
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/irs-inflation-reduction-act-spending/2023/05/02/id/1118351/
+ Related:
‘ They’re Taking A Wrecking Ball To The “American Reality” ‘—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/theyre-taking-wrecking-ball-american-reality
File under: By hook or by crook.
The Republican House majority has an absolute veto on this. The Senate cannot make them agree to anything. If the Republican House does agree to concessions, that’s their free and unforced choice. Let’s see if they use this leverage for meaningful change, instead of for cronyism.
In the meantime there is no point in believing anything you read in the news about it. The media has an agenda, and they select the facts to fit the narrative they want you to take away. The PJ Media article referenced here is using the Washington Post as a source, which of course is always the best choice when looking for an unbiased account of what’s going on in Washington, LOL.
Yes, the media is always going to blame Republicans and create negative coverage of them until they cave. That is no excuse. That’s how the game is played and we need to be smarter than that. The Republicans need to do the right thing or they’re not fit to represent the Right.
Ah yes, Hunter Biden.
The gift that never stops giving…
(Or should that be “grift”…)
Bonus!
Here’s MSG (or whatever they call her), doing what she does best:
“Hunter Biden in the White Trash Hall of Fame”—
https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/05/03/howie-carr-hunter-biden-in-the-white-trash-hall-of-fame/
+ Bonus
“Puffball Press Corps Ignores Hunter Biden in Court”—
(But of COURSE they do… No doubt, they MUST respect the man’s privacy…just as they respect everyone’s…)
https://jewishworldreview.com/0523/graham050323.php3
H/T Powerline blog (for both links).
Well let’s hope McCarthy does not buckle.
The dumbpublicans do not exactly have a stellar record of standing up for their putative principles.
Even Trump did not hold back spending like crazy, which he should have not done.
The Fed is in a bind. Partly of its own making. But higher rates are causing cracks in the banking system and inflation remains too high.
Inflation was initially caused by too much spending. The fiscal side matters. Monetary policy cannot do it all.
The tighter the bind on the Fed. the greater the pressure to reduce spending.
Barry Meislin, thanks for that link about the Durham Academy trustee. As the trustee who was fired says, the school always leaned left; large numbers of families are Duke University employees. But it is sad to see the total closing of minds and severe intolerance there.
Probably the whole school, and Duke University, will be in mourning once the law prohibiting “gender transition” medications and surgeries for otherwise healthy minors passes the legislature and the governor’s veto is overridden. Duke Medical has a lucrative “gender transition” clinic, as do UNC Hospitals and ECU.
A bit OT but worth reading.
“Talking to Tucker Carlson.”