A Hole in the Argument for an Extension of Debt Using the 14th Amendment

The Democrats may now make an argument, based upon the 14th amendment to the US Constitution, that the president does not have to abide by the debt ceiling limitations that are passed by Congress. The 14th amendment to the US Constitution as ratified in 1868 as a post civil war reconstruction amendment seeks, as its primary function, to reinforce the abolition of slavery and to ensure the rights of all those emancipated. However, section 4 of this amendment pertains to the public debt and reads as follows:

Section. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Just because they have the option to force us into excessive debt does not make the Democrats Liberals globalists socialists commies right. How can increasing our credit limit be good when we are barely making our payments as it is? I believe that the only practical option at this point would be to decrease government spending and taxes to levels a generation or two back. When the DoD consumes such a vast amount of our funds, how can we survive and maintain those agencies and practical necessities that will help rather than hurt us? It's time to cut federal funding drastically. It's time to lay off a majority of federal employees, not just educators, but those suckling at the entitlement teet for entirely too long.

The Democrats may now try to parse this section in an attempt to give it a meaning that will allow the president to override the debt ceiling that congress has legislated into place. Unfortunately, upon reading the full text of this amendment, one can clearly see that the first sentence includes the clause authorized by law. Since the US House of Representatives holds the power of the purse and since only the entire US Congress has the power to pass laws, it should be obvious (even to the most power-hungry politician) that the president has to abide by the debt-ceiling imposed by Congress. All the president has the power to do is to trim his over-priced staff of excessive use of high-priced consultants and to trim the salaries or numbers of political appointees within the executive branch.

http://patriotpost.us/commentary/2011/07/09/a-hole-in-the-argument-for-an-extension-of-debt-using-the-14th-amendment/