Obama's Mistake

++President Obama's approval rating has dipped to a new two year low at 43%. Of course, the GOP who has been saying this is the the time to strike is at 9%.

++Nancy Pelosi yesterday said that on the debt ceiling, she would invoke the 14th Amendment about the faith and credit of the United States. 189 Democratic representatives have signed onto this notion as of yesterday. But what I was most disturbed by was that Jay Carney reiterated President Obama's reluctance to raise the debt ceiling unilaterally. He referred to last year's statement by the President, where he ruled this action out. At that time, President Clinton urged President Obama to raise it and let the courts decide. 

++President Obama said this year he would not negotiate on the debt ceiling. He said it several times and often. Today,the GOP leaked their demands on raising the debt ceiling, which resembled the Romney-Ryan platform with everything from repealing Dodd-Frank,Obamacare, approving the Keystone Pipeline,banning late term abortions,and ending EPA's attempt at regulating carbon emissions. These demands should be saved for people who want to know the essence of the New Republican Party. Basically,total capitulation to corporate interests, the thorough gutting of the safety net,the privatizing of Social Security and the elimination of Medicare. 

++But President Obama by negotiating in the past blundered and letting Carney tip his mitt this time weakens him. Jason Linkins, who is a must read every Sunday if you want a hilarious synopsis of the Sunday news shows,today has an excellent article on the whole debt ceiling fiasco. Very few times was there are any negotiations over it. It was raised constantly under President Reagan and under W. But Jason is right that President Obama blundered by negotiating in 2011.