Boehner Abandons Call For An "Adult Moment"

Boehner Abandons Call For An “Adult Moment”

The comments seem to have been largely forgotten, but five months ago, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) took a fairly responsible line when it came to the debt ceiling. If only he’d kept it.

Two weeks after the massive Republican gains in the midterms, Boehner said he’s well aware of the fact that his chamber would to have to extend the federal debt limit. He noted that he’d already “made it pretty clear” to his own caucus that Republicans are “going to have to deal with it as adults.” Boehner added, “Whether we like it or not, the federal government has obligations and we have obligations on our part.”

In December, he was equally sensible. Boehner said at the time, in reference to his own party, “We’ll have to find a way to help educate members and help people understand the serious problem that would exist if we didn’t do it.”

All of that appears to have gone out the window.

Emboldened by the budget skirmish, Boehner has changed his tune, signaling over the weekend that the debt limit vote the nation needs will be freighted with an array of concessions. “The president says, ‘I want you to send me a clean bill.; Well guess what, Mr. President: Not a chance you’re going to get a clean bill,” Boehner said at a fundraiser in Connecticut Saturday night. “There will not be an increase in the debt limit without something really, really big attached to it.”

In other words, Boehner’s first hostage strategy worked pretty well, so he’s decided to try it again. The first time, the risk was a government shutdown. This time, the Speaker is risking a global economic crisis.

This is nothing short of madness.. Dealing with this as “adults” is, by GOP design, no longer an option.

(Source: washingtonmonthly.com)

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