Barky: "I'll sign a short-term debt extension." Two days later: "No, I won't. But I'm the reasonable one."

You know your opponent isn't serious about negotiating if he takes one fundamental position one day and says the opposite two days later.

Background:  With the government slated to reach the legally agreed spending "ceiling" in a few days, House Republicans offered a six-week increase in the debt limit, to allow time for further negotiations without having to rush things.

The first reaction of Team Obama was to accept the House offer.

The blog "Politico44" bills itself as "A living diary of the Obama presidency," and so far as can be determined, publishes everything the administration suggests it publish.  Thus last Thursday, when it published the article "Obama would sign short-term debt increase, one assumes that was the Official Party Line of the day.

So what does it mean when just two days later the equally Obama-loving blog "The Hill" ran a piece titled "Obama rules out short-term debt hike" ?

Why, citizen, it means you're just not nuanced enough to understand the amazing complexities of the Democrat leadership, as epitomized in the Chicago community organizer.

See, Obama's experience has always been that he can squeeze concessions from his opponents by using the threat of an approaching deadline--beyond which surely lies catastrophe, certain disaster!!!!  So while the initial reaction to the House offer was "Wow, we got an extension," a few hours later the more experienced hands said "Don't be silly--with our media portraying the whole shutdown and debt fiasco as Republicans' fault, we've got 'em on the run.  Keep rejecting their offers--always for wunnerful reason, of course--and they'll totally surrender to us."

So let's review:  Obama says he'll sign a short-term increase in the debt limit.  The House gives him one.  Whereupon he says signing such a bill would be unwise.  But even though he is the one refusing to sign an extension, any consequences of the U.S. reaching the debt limit with no action in place is entirely the Repubs' fault, eh?  I constantaly amazed that they get away with this bulshit.

According to The Hill, here's what Obama said:

"It wouldn’t be wise, as some suggest, to just kick the debt ceiling can down the road for a couple months, and flirt with a first-ever intentional default right in the middle of the holiday shopping season," Obama said in his weekly address.

"Because damage to America’s sterling credit rating wouldn’t just cause global markets to go haywire; it would become more expensive for everyone in America to borrow money. Students paying for college. Newlyweds buying a home," he said.

How many of the propaganda bombs did you catch? 

1. "First-ever intentional default...
2. ...in the middle of the holiday shopping season."
3. "Damage to America's sterling credit rating...
4. Students paying for college would be hurt...as would
5. newlyweds buying a home (sniff...that's just awful!  Heartless!  All GOP fault!)

It's not an "intentional default," but a negotiation to reign in the government from spending more than it takes in.  And OMG, not in the middle of the holiday shopping season!  Cuz, y'know, that'd just ruin Christmas...oops, can't say that anymore.  It'd ruin *someone's* holiday.  Fer sure.

Damage our sterling credit rating?  You mean the one that the rating agencies downgraded a year or so ago because Obama was running such huge deficits?  That credit rating?  Where was your concern back then?

And it's all gonna hurt students, newlyweds, puppies and kitties.  Man, what a play on the heartstrings.  Too bad you showed your true colors by ordering the National Park Service to go to the *extra expense* of closing damn near every open-air attraction in the country, deliberately to "make it painful" to the public.

Didn't see any compassion for vacationing families or honeymooning newlyweds then, eh Barky?

Your compassion is as fake as your resume.  And the people who support you are morons.