Boehner Tells Republicans He Won’t Let Country Default

“With a budget deal still elusive and a deadline approaching on raising the debt ceiling, Speaker John A. Boehner has told colleagues that he is determined to prevent a federal default and is willing to pass a measure through a combination of Republican and Democratic votes,” the New York Times reports.

One GOP lawmaker said Boehner “had said he would be willing to violate the so-called Hastert Rule if necessary to pass a debt-limit increase… Other Republicans also said Thursday that they got the sense that Mr. Boehner would do whatever was necessary to ensure that the country did not default on its debt.”

Matthew Yglesias: “It is, in other words, the classic suicide hostage strategy: Do what I want or I’ll detonate the bomb strapped to my chest. This has always been Boehner’s position. Is it credible? I don’t think so, but my confidence level is relatively low. Is it a morally acceptable way for a statesman to conduct himself? Absolutely not. Is it different from what he’s been saying all along? Nope.”