January 12, 2013
NYC Letter: The Greats Of Political Whoredom -- Nancy Pelosi V AND Harry Reid VII!
Day 1,448 of CHOPE
D-minus 1,471 Days
Another two-fer! The dynamic duo of political whoring are back!
First, the table-setter.
Mr. Obama,The fact that we’re here today to debate raising America’s debt is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.
then-senator and then-fiscal conservative
SENATE FLOOR SPEECH ON PUBLIC DEBT
WASHINGTON March 16, 2006
(Congressional Record, S.2237-8, 3/16/06)
Today Democrats cheer on leadership failure! Because, well, because it's a Democrat leadership failure!
PELOSI ON RAISING DEBT CEILING
UNILATERALLY: 'I WOULD DO IT
IN A SECOND'
January 4, 2013 (CNS News) - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA, 8th) said Friday that she would raise the debt limit unilaterally "in a second" if she were president of the United States. Ms. Pelosi:Q: Will you urge the president on the constitutional obligation to pay [the debt]?I don’t know, I think I’ve made my -- in speaking to all of you, I’ve made my view very clear on that subject. I would do it in a second. But I’m not the president of the United States.
So in this frightful political season, there is at least that to be thankful for.
Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, have proposed that the president could administratively raise the debt ceiling by invoking the fourth section of the [XIV] amendment, which states:The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.
Yes, but that is not all the XIV Amendment states. The Democrats have read down as far as §4. Had they but read a little further to §5 of the same amendment, they would have discovered the explicit enforcement authority provisioned:
§5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Clearly the president was never conceived as the enforcement authority in the XVI Amendment. Nowhere is he granted an equivalent power or any extraordinary powers beyond the plainly stipulated Congressional authority. Democrats understanding of the Constitution proves deficient, opportunistic, and partisan.
Under current law, the Congress -- House and Senate -- must pass legislation to approve a raise in the debt ceiling, and the president can then sign it into law. As the Treasury Department explains, "The Debt Subject to Limit is the maximum amount of money the Government is allowed to borrow without receiving additional authority from Congress."
Two days later Ms. Pelosi was back urging the president to ignore standing law and the 113th Congress. Three days later House Democrats huddled behind their fearless leader and also urged Mr. Obama to selectively misread the Constitution.
Not to be outdone in partisan surrender of the powers of Congress, the Senate Democrat leadership penned their own letter to Mr. Obama urging on him misrule.
TOP DEMS URGING OBAMA
TO RAISE DEBT CEILING ALL VOTED
AGAINST INCREASE IN ’06
By Byron York
January 12, 2013 (WaEx) - On Friday the Democratic leadership of the Senate -- Majority Leader Harry Reid, Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin, Conference Chair Charles Schumer, and Conference Secretary Patty Murray -- wrote to President Obama urging him to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling in the event that Republicans either block such an increase or attempt to pass one "as part of unbalanced or unreasonable legislation"."We believe that you must make clear that you will never allow our nation’s economy and reputation to be held hostage," the Democrats wrote. "We believe you must be willing to take any lawful steps to ensure that America does not break its promises and trigger a global economic crisis -- without congressional approval, if necessary."
Put aside the picture of leading lawmakers, usually so jealous of their constitutional prerogatives, asking the president to ignore Congress. What is striking about the letter is that every one of its signers -- Reid, Durbin, Schumer, and Murray -- voted against raising the nation’s debt ceiling just seven years ago.
On March 16, 2006, the Senate held a vote on a measure to raise the debt ceiling by $781 billion -- the fourth such vote of George W. Bush’s presidency. ... Declaring themselves outraged by such spending, Reid, Durbin, Schumer, and Murray all voted against raising the debt limit. So did every other Democrat -- including Sen. Barack Obama. But on Friday, the four lawmakers urged now-President Obama not only to raise the ceiling but to do it in a constitutionally risky fashion by going over the head of Congress.
Mr. Obama, who fancies himself a Constitutional authority, appears to recognize what Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid and their Democrat huddles now urge on him is unconstitutional.
Jay Carney,I can say this administration does not believe that the 14th Amendment gives the President the power to ignore the debt ceiling. Congress has the authorities necessary to ensure that we meet our obligations -- obligations that Congress created.
WH press secretary and frontline excuser
WASHINGTON July 29, 2011 (White House)
Let's see how long that sticks.
CHOPE.
The living Democrat Constitution. Amazingly congruent with Democrat whims.
Posted by Damian at January 12, 2013 05:15 PM
