The 14th Amendment Approach

Andrew favors this approach, and so do I:

Prominent members of the House Democratic Caucus emerged on Wednesday to express their support for executive action. Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn of South Carolina, the highest-ranking African American in Congress; and Rep. John Larson of Connecticut, the House Democratic Caucus chairman, both said that the president should invoke the 14th Amendment if given no other options. The idea initially gained popularity weeks earlier when former President Bill Clinton said that he would use presidential authority under the Constitution "without hesitation, and force the courts to stop me."

...Initial reports from White Press Secretary Jay Carney suggest that this is not a choice Obama prefers -- partly because of potential legal challenges and the fact that bonds issued after an executive order may remain subject to higher interest rates or ratings downgrades by Moody's and Standard & Poor's.

...It's time to try a different approach. How can Obama end the stalemate? By calling the Republicans' bluff. Our nation is bitterly divided over questions about its political and economic future. In times of crisis like this, only brave, defiant leadership can serve as a sufficient answer to self-righteous cowardice.