[Hoodat]

I am so sick of hearing that Boehner’s in a hard place, or he doesn’t have much leverage.

Same here. Boehner has the only leverage that counts - raising the debt ceiling. It is the only thing - I meant the ONLY thing - that matters to Obama. Yet Boehner surrenders it first.

I still cringe when I think back sixteen months ago. Boehner caved then as well by raising the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion. And he got zero in return. ZERO! The best thing Boehner can do at this point for the sake of the country is to hold the debt ceiling where it is and let Obama fend for every single dollar he wants to spend. Only then will America wake up to what is going on.

[9YearLurker]

Even the debt ceiling debate is one step removed from the core issue, which is spending.

The GOP House has complete control over that—and yet they originate and pass massive spending bill after massive spending bill.

I’m not sure that the debt ceiling is great leverage for getting the Bush tax cuts continued, because Obama is fully aware of how feckless Boehner and his crew are, and how they would never stand their ground on it anyway. And if Boehner actually grew a pair on the issue, the GOP’s messaging is so bad that they would indeed get blamed for it through the press and in public opinion. IMO it is better, if you’re going to fight the good fight, to do so at the core issue, which is spending.

Finally, there’d be no need for the debt ceiling to keep getting raised if Boehner and crew didn’t keep originating and passing spending bills that make it necessary.

[skinkinthegrass]

The best thing Boehner can do at this point for the
sake of the country is to hold the debt ceiling where
it is and let Obama fend for every single dollar he
wants to spend.
to what is going on.highly unlikely...pass the Klintoon Era budgets amts...
and Boehmer must be forced to resign then just go home.