In an interview with CBS News set to air this evening, an increasingly desperate Barack Obama threatens to withhold Social Security checks from senior citizens if the debt ceiling negotiations don’t go his way.
The President is acting here as if his hands are tied – but make no mistake, he absolutely does have it within his power to guarantee that current Social Security recipients will continue receiving checks beyond August 2nd – regardless of whether the debt ceiling is raised or not. He could prioritize entitlement checks over any number of non-essential outlays. Instead, he is choosing to scare seniors to try and get Republicans to buckle at the negotiating table.
Boehner, McConnell, et al need to stand firm now more than ever. They are holding a royal flush, both politically and substantively – and Obama’s bluffing with a throwaway hand. All they have to do is not fold.
Hat tip: Drudge Report.
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