Avoiding Responsibility ?

(Avoiding Responsibility ?)

Pontios Pilate washed his hands over something. But President Biden cannot wash his hands of the Debt Ceiling. Nor, can he pretend that the House, filled with MAGA Republicans as is Biden's constant complaint, did not fulfill its legislative function and produced a Bill. As mentioned before, once the legislation was drafted, all movement would have to come from Biden. A "refusal to move," as the President has indicated, is not an option, if avoiding a debt default is still the goal.

So, if the first of June passes without some accord, and the technical definition for default is met, there will consequences, at least in the short term. But to concede at this point would prove as political suicide but that being said, the one who will receive the blame will be the President. House Republicans, MAGA or not, have set forth a blue-print for restoring fiscal sanity with the government and now, because the President finds some of the House terms onerous, he seems willing to allow default if the gap cannot be bridged.

In all the accompanying rhetoric, one hears words like "good faith" or "bi-partisan." It like "can't we all get along ?" The answer is no. The House had been working and had its own and if one can recall, sufficient progress seemed to have been made to the point where some frame-work could be worked out by the next week. Then Biden, either lost his nerve or someone got to him, Senator Sanders for one.

If a default takes place, there will have been no doubt on who gets the blame. There will be a crisis on Wall Street, at least initially, but the President will be getting no concessions from the House. As time passes without an agreement, someone will have to be dragged back to the table, kicking and screaming as necessary.