This diary is being typed up on my Evo Shift, and while it's an awesome phone that I got for free, it's hard to type as much out when you're doing it with two thumbs (how Blackberry people do it is beyond me, that keyboard is tiny!).
Anyways, it's time to lay down an ultimatum. 48 hours. That's all Congress gets. 48 hours to accept existing proposals negotiated with the president or present a clean debt ceiling bill commensurate with all prior debt ceiling raises. If not, then by executive order, the President should raise the debt ceiling through 2012 and dare the Republicans to do something about it. He should address the nation and explain that the debt ceiling is a national security interest bigger than most terrorist attacks, that our financial stability depends on us paying our bills and he will not let one-third of the government, less that 300 people, hold 300 MILLION people hostage to protect a few thousand rich people from paying higher taxes, that the United States must lead by example, and that means we aren't going to choose between paying our debts and throwing Grandma on the streets because we aren't going to cut Social Security checks.
My mom and youngest brother get Social Security. This hostage-taking is very fucking personal to me, and I hope that the President has the cojones to take this drastic step. Quite frankly, he is no longer dealing with rational people. Their idea of compromise is forcing a balanced budget amendment that will not pass both house of Congress, let alone 3/4 of the states, in return for a small, temporary debt ceiling increase. Their demands have grown wilder by the day, and if a real, fair increase doesn't pass, then it's time to bring out the belt and whip some spoiled Republican ass with an executive order, and when the Republicans cry, say to them sweetly, "Try and stop me."
Sometimes, you have to bully the bullies to do the right thing. We are rapidly approaching that point with the debt ceiling.