Barack Obama (Jimmy Carter Jr.)

"I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven't resolved this issue. Because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it."

- "those checks" are checks to 70 million Social Security recipients.

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies...Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that '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.” - Sen. Barack Obama (2006)

It's too bad Sen. Barack Obama became President Barack Obama, because Sen. Barack Obama had a little bit of common sense...Well, the words he used on this matter made sense.  We all know he didn't mean them.  He just used them to bash 'W' over the head with.

Because he's nothing but a political hack...A good one, but a hack, nonetheless.

And, President Barack Obama knows very well he can walk away from the 'can't pay granny' ledge any time he wants to cut spending.  The Republicans will raise the debt ceiling, but they need assurances there will be some cuts so they don't have to come back again in a year-or-so to give him another increase...President Obama knows this; he also knows he holds the keys to this problem.  Unfortunately, he's choosing to use the keys to drive us off the ledge.

He also knows he and the 2008-2010 Congress (dominated by the Democrats) raced the nation to the debt ceiling as fast as they could, with the intent of getting to and past it...Which is exactly what he'll do if/when he is given another increase.