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Sen. Harkin: Nothing prevents Obama from using 14th Amendment
The Hill ^ | July 29, 2011 | Alicia M. Cohn

Posted on 07/29/2011 7:37:04 AM PDT by maggief

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) on Friday ramped up growing Democratic pressure on the White House to consider invoking the Fourteenth Amendment to raise the debt ceiling.

"Is there anything that prohibits him from doing that? The answer is no," Harkin said. The White House has been going about the idea the wrong way by asking whether the amendment legally gives the president the power to raise the debt ceiling without Congressional authority, according to Harkin.

Although President Obama indicated last week that his lawyers had looked into the legality of the so-called “Fourteenth Amendment solution,” he said they were “not persuaded that that is a winning argument.”

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also made it clear in a briefing on Tuesday that the option was not on the table. “The Constitution makes clear that Congress has the authority -- not the president -- to borrow money,” Carney said. “And only Congress can increase the statutory debt ceiling. That’s just a reality.”

But Harkin called it “nuts” for the White House to indicate they would not consider the option. “It should be on the table," he said on the liberal Bill Press’s radio show.

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 14thamendment; debtceiling
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To: marktwain
So did Obama and everyone in D.C. Using the 14th is a dangerous ploy, Congress's only recourse is the courts and Obama like Linchon could arrest the court. Or Rats in the Senate might prevent that. What then? Yall are backing yourselves into a corner against a much stronger opponent. Not smart.
41 posted on 07/29/2011 8:05:53 AM PDT by jpsb
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To: maggief

Here’s what’s going to happen. The gop elites will get with the dems and pass a “bi-partisan” bill. All the tea partiers will vote against it so they’ll be covered.

It will be kicked down the road and they’ll have their retirements funded for a few more years.

Obama gets re-elected in 2012 and then the destruction of America will almost be complete.


42 posted on 07/29/2011 8:06:46 AM PDT by Terry Mross (I will only vote for a SECOND party.)
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To: All

b


43 posted on 07/29/2011 8:07:05 AM PDT by Maverick68
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To: maggief

“Is there anything that prohibits him from doing that? The answer is no,”
##

Wrong answer, s##t for brains. The Constitution prevents it and you can bet the court will prevent it.


44 posted on 07/29/2011 8:07:56 AM PDT by SUSSA
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To: GWB00

“The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, ...”

Debt above the legal debt limit is not authorized by law.

The argument that he can unilaterally issue illegal debt is bunk.


45 posted on 07/29/2011 8:08:50 AM PDT by patton (I am sure that I have done dumber things in my life, but at the moment, I am unable to recall them.)
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To: Howie66

divisions yes as in more then one large militray unit .... division.


46 posted on 07/29/2011 8:09:38 AM PDT by jpsb
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To: Keith in Iowa
RE :"I don’t need to be pinged to your every utterance here.... thank you very much."

I actually forgot a few pings, not sure how you got on that list

47 posted on 07/29/2011 8:10:10 AM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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To: EQAndyBuzz

He didn’t screw anything up. He wanted to take the “real” oath on the Koran.


48 posted on 07/29/2011 8:10:19 AM PDT by Terry Mross (I will only vote for a SECOND party.)
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To: maggief

Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article

Where does this happa get off talking about using the 14th?


49 posted on 07/29/2011 8:10:29 AM PDT by wxgesr (I want to be the first person to surf on another planet.)
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To: maggief
None dare call it TREASON............BUT I WILL!..........................
50 posted on 07/29/2011 8:11:50 AM PDT by Red Badger (PEAS in our time? Obama cries PEAS! PEAS! when there is no PEAS!..........................)
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To: jpsb

The last I saw, Congress is supposed to control the purse strings and have the ability to declare war.


51 posted on 07/29/2011 8:12:28 AM PDT by Ingtar (Together we go broke (from a Pookie18 post))
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To: maggief
"Sen. Harkin: Nothing prevents Obama from using 14th Amendment"

As someone once said, "Go ahead. Make my day!"

52 posted on 07/29/2011 8:13:26 AM PDT by Carl Vehse
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To: sickoflibs

Yep. There is no chance of obama doing this. He would much rather have a phony “default” crisis. The economy is in the tank and it’s staying there. Obama’s best chance in 2012, as I see it, is to have an immediate crash and transfer blame to the Republicans, especially the Tea Party. The MSM is right there to see that the tranfer of blame happens. “Never let a crisis go to waste.”


53 posted on 07/29/2011 8:13:48 AM PDT by San Jacinto
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To: ILS21R

Harkin’s oath of office means as much to him as Clinton’s marriage vows mean to him.


54 posted on 07/29/2011 8:14:49 AM PDT by SUSSA
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To: maggief
Senator Dungheap lives up to his name.
55 posted on 07/29/2011 8:15:25 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." - Bertrand de Jouvenel des Ursins)
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To: sickoflibs
Obama has a MUCH better plan: Get Republicans blamed for both the bad economy

I see you have bought into the Democrat Media's proapganda whole hog. This is utter nonsense.

The big lie in all this is the GOP needs a bill. No they do not. The 0 Democrats do.

The 0 Democrats need a bill. They are the party of spend. They are the ones who have to go to the voters in 2012 and defend their total mishandling of the economy for the last 4 years.

The GOP candidate in 2012 is going to be running against DC both the current House GOP leaders and the Democrats. The 2012 election will be a referendum on 0’s Presidency.

Time for people to quit buying the propaganda fed them by the DNC Media-Political machine, the 0 Dems, not the GOP, will be hurt the worst by a failure to strike a deal.

Here what you do GOP, you tell the Senate and 0 "CCB was the compromise, if you want a bill, there it is.

56 posted on 07/29/2011 8:16:06 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Giving politicians more tax money is like giving addicts free drugs to cure their addiction)
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To: jpsb; All
So did Obama and everyone in D.C. Using the 14th is a dangerous ploy, Congress's only recourse is the courts and Obama like Linchon could arrest the court. Or Rats in the Senate might prevent that. What then? Yall are backing yourselves into a corner against a much stronger opponent. Not smart.

We live in dangerous times. I disagree that Obama is a much stronger opponent. He is not popular with the military. He is not doing it because it is very high risk for him as well.

57 posted on 07/29/2011 8:17:40 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: MNJohnnie
RE :”Obama has a MUCH better plan: Get Republicans blamed for both the bad economy.......I see you have bought into the Democrat Media's proapganda whole hog. This is utter nonsense.

Really? Obama doesnt want to get Republicans to get blamed for both those things? He is too honest for that ?? LOL

If you were serious you would have thought out my question from a prior comment:

“When you say ‘needs’, what is your objective wrt above? Reid and Obama cave and sign CCB? And when is this likely to happen wrt the so called deadline Tuesday? And what will motivate them to do this?”

58 posted on 07/29/2011 8:23:11 AM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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To: RedEyeJack

What threat of impeachment?

America does not remove Presidents for high crimes and misdemeanors. We are to weak, Clinton proved that once and for all.

The democrat senate would never remove him if the house impeached him. Never.

As for the courts, that’s this idiot’s point. By the time the courts smacked Obama down the treasuries will have been sold and the debt limit increased.

He would just say “Well i did what i had to to save the economy and I thought the 14th amendment allowed for it”.


59 posted on 07/29/2011 8:25:12 AM PDT by free me (Sarah Palin 2012 - GAME ON!!)
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To: MNJohnnie
RE :"Time for people to quit buying the propaganda fed them by the DNC Media-Political machine, the 0 Dems, not the GOP, will be hurt the worst by a failure to strike a deal."

This comment I like. But then how will we know when this has happened? Polls? CCB signed?? Democrats get slaughtered in 2012 election?

60 posted on 07/29/2011 8:29:45 AM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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