President Obama spoke to the country last night and while hoping to reach everyone, he preached to his choir.  Then House Speaker John Boehner had a retort and he also just spoke to his partisans.

There’s a few things people need to understand about the debt ceiling.  There’s a lot of misinformation, and even ignorance exhibited by a lot of commentary out there.  Raising the debt ceiling doesn’t authorize Congress to spend more, it allows Congress to pay for the spending they’ve already authorized.  It’s like making spending committments and then not paying for them.  Congress has never fought to raise the debt ceiling.  Democratic Congresses never used it against Reagan or either of the Bushes and Republicans never used it against Clinton.  These current Republicans are using it against Obama to cut spending on programs they hate.  It’s kinda like having a job to do and you agreed to do that job when you were hired, but after you get the job you say you want more conditions to do your job.

It’s laughable that Obama created this problem.  That’s like your kid agreeing to cut the grass for $20, then later says he won’t do it unless you also by him an Xbox 360.  Later when the grass is covering the house he blames his father for creating the high grass problem.

As both messages are thrown back and forth a lot of Americans aren’t listening to the details, they’re just seeing two parties squabble.  They see two devils and there aren’t any good guys in Washington anymore.

Here’s the rough.