FOLLOWING GOP LOGIC, McCONNELL NOW ADMITS HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

Wait -- this is sufficient for Republicans, or at for least Mitch McConnell and his allies? Just let the debt ceiling rise, as long as Republicans don't get blamed?

Desperate to get out of the political box they helped to create, Senate Republicans are actively pursuing a new plan under which the debt ceiling would grow in three increments over the remainder of this Congress unless lawmakers approve a veto-proof resolution of disapproval.

In effect lawmakers would be surrendering the very power of approval that the GOP has used to force the debt crisis now. But by taking the disapproval route, Republicans can shift the onus more onto the White House and Democrats since a two-thirds majority would be needed to stop any increase that President Barack Obama requests.

"It gives the president 100 percent of the responsibility for increasing the debt limit if he chooses not to have any spending reductions," Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Republican Conference chairman, told reporters Tuesday....

This sounds too easy -- they're going to let the debt ceiling rise and just give Obama a stern talking-to every so often? (Presumably they won't ever be able to do more -- they won't ever be able to reach those two-thirds supermajorities.)

But, see, here's what I don't get: Republicans have been telling us for months that if we don't do exactly as they say, it will be an unqualified economic disaster for the American people. Obviously I don't agree that their ideas are the people's only hope -- far from it -- but they do.

Or at least they did. And now they're willing to just give up? If they really believe their ideas are so great, they're agreeing to do something horrible to the American people! Right?

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Seriously, though, I'm scratching my head over this one. Regarding increases in the debt ceiling, the public has expressed some disapproval in polls -- but only because the question is being asked. I'm, not sure Americans have a visceral distaste for raising the debt ceiling because they don't feel it directly one way or another. They just want a recovery -- and they'll be disgruntled if (when?) one doesn't come no matter where we are on the debt ceiling; whereas they'll be happy if the economy starts to pick up no matter where we are on debt. I think McConnell may have fallen into the trap of believing everyone in America is a Fox/talk radio/tea party wingnut. I just don't think he's going to get much mileage out of this if it happens.