I have this alien eye in my head. It interferes with my ability to accept and ignore some human behaviors. It insists on highlighting the bizarre, the corrupt, and the stupid. Annoying beyond belief. So instead of being silent in my suffering, I inflict the eye's observations upon you.
Like this debt limit nonsense. Congress has no authority to restrict it, raise it, or do anything with it. The debt limit is illegal. It's blatantly unconstitutional. So why hasn't anyone challenged it before now? Because until now no one has seriously entertained the likelihood of NOT increasing the debt limit. It's political theater in which everyone, until now, got some good out of. Like all play-acting, though, it's only fun until somebody gets an eye put out. Time to kill it off. Here's the text of the relevant part of the 14th Amendment. See for yourself, it's plain language, no argument or interpretation needed.
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Now me, not being a lawyer, and only knowing that amendments trump the original language of the Constitution, the language seems indisputable. I'd think that all those US bond holders would have the standing to bring such a challenge to the debt limit. Some of them have very deep pockets. I'd imagine that if they wanted to, they could bring the entire law faculty from Yale to back them up on the hit.
So I say to these rich farts, do it. Just do it. Do it. Put an end to this silly political play-time. For the rest of us, aren't you sick of political play-time, which of course is meant to distract us from more important matters and from misdeeds and betrayals. Hell, I'll bet that even poor people who own a few bonds have enough standing to proceed on this matter. But I'm not a lawyer. Any lawyers around here? Anybody? Let's stop playing their games and play for real. Come on, lawyers, this would make your bones forever if you could beat the crap out of the prez and the Congress in this matter. Think of it, no more talk of grand bargains or hostage taking. Force a little reality back into the process.
So would somebody with a law degree launch a constitutional cruise missile into this mess? Please?