Debt Ceiling Debate Enters The Twilight Zone

With the competing plans by House Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Reid heading for a stalemate, it is worth noting that if either somehow passed it would not only fail to create jobs, it would actually increase unemployment.  This is insane!

What used to be considered a "housekeeping matter" should never have been allowed to fester into a vehicle for cutting spending that will undermine the economic recovery.  Thankfully, many House Democrats are now pushing for a clean debt limit vote -- as was done seven times for President George W. Bush, and should be done again.  This is the obvious way out of this absurd Republican-generated crisis.

If this fails, the only other reasonable choice is one that Obama seems reluctant to take:  To unilaterally raise the debt ceiling without congressional consent.  Several House Democrats agree.  As Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Cal) put it:  "The Republicans have taken us into the twilight zone."  He and fellow Democrats are urging Obama to use this option as a fall-back:  "What we're saying to the president is... 'The Republicans, through their failure, have given you license to do whatever it takes to not let the American family go down into that abyss'."