Obama is off the chain

From Dec. 19th.

http://jaredbernsteinblog.com/debt-ceiling-strategies/

Transcript from presser earlier today: 

QUESTION: If you don’t get it done, Republicans say they would try to use the debt limit as the next pressure point. Will you negotiate with them in that context? 

OBAMA: No. And, I’ve been very clear about this. 

…the idea that we lurch from crisis to crisis, and every six months, or every nine months that we threaten not to pay our bills on stuff we’ve already bought, and default and ruin the full faith and credit of the United States of America, that’s not how you run a great country. 

So I’ve put forward a very clear principle. I will not negotiate around the debt ceiling. You know, we’re not going to play the same game that we saw happen — saw happen in 2011, which was hugely destructive. It hurt our economy. It provided more uncertainty to the business community than anything else that happened. And, you know, I’m not alone in this. You know, if you go to Wall Street, including talking to a whole bunch of folks who spent a lot of money trying to beat me, they would say it would be disastrous for us to use the debt ceiling as a cudgel to try to win political points on Capitol Hill. 

So we’re not going to do that. And — and — which is why I think that, you know, part of what I hope over the next couple of days we see is a recognition that there is a way to go ahead and get what it is you’ve been fighting for, these guys have been fighting for spending cuts. They can get some very meaningful spending cuts. This would amount to $2 trillion, $2 trillion spending cuts over the last couple of years. 

And in exchange, they’re getting a little over a trillion dollars in revenue. And that meets the pledge that I made during the campaign, which was two to — two dollars and fifty cents of spending cuts for every revenue increase. And that’s an approach that I think most Americans think is appropriate. But I will not negotiate around the debt ceiling. We’re not going to do that again.

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Greg Sargent:

This also seems to deliberately keep it vague on whether the White House could ultimately support a clean three month extension. And it keeps the drumbeat going that Republicans are continuing to retreat.

Ultimately the game plan here is all about forcing Boehner to show that he can come up with 218 Republican votes for his three month extension, or whether he risks another conservative revolt and a “Plan B” fiasco, in which he ultimately can’t get the votes himself and again reveals his lack of control over the Tea Party caucus.

As I keep saying: The correct position for Democrats is that if Republicans won’t drop the threat of default, it’s their problem. Lather, rinse, repeat. Dems seem to be sticking to this hard line posture.

How long does Boehner last?