it last year? i will not play that game. because we ve got we ve got to break that habit before it starts. so that s where all the debt court of appealing is playing outside the negotiations. inside the negotiations the debt ceiling is also emerging as a, and maybe even the key difference between the two sides. the white house wants to solve it forever. they ve proposed congress simply gives them authority to raise it on their own. republicans not so into that idea. the problem now is one democrat told me it s kind of hard to compromise between on the one hand nothing, which is pretty much the republican offer on raising the debt ceiling, and infinity, which is pretty much the white house s current position. but the white house sees it as a matter of grave responsibility. they are not going to accept some kind of short-term debt ceiling fix. five years, ten years, maybe that they ll talk about. a year? they say they re not doing that. they figure that if there needs to be a final s
five years, ten years, maybe that they ll talk about. a year? they say they re not doing that. they figure that if there needs to be a final showdown over the debt ceiling, a once and for all boss level battle, bowser style, it s better to do it now when they re at peak strength than to delay it until 2014 or 2015 when republicans might have more leverage. so yeah, the two sides, they re talking. but they re not close to a deal, not yet. joining us is jared bernstein, former economic policy adviser to vice president joe biden, an msnbc and cnbc contributor, and a man who is very good at finding the deal. jared, it s good to see you. good to see you, ezra. so let me start with the news of the day here. what do you think of the somewhat vague reports we re hearing about offers flying back and forth? i think a little bit of it, and not a lot. when i read in the paper as i did this morning that there is some sunlight breaking out, i m ready for tomorrow saying no. in fact, it s all d
ceiling is also emerging as a, and maybe even the key difference between the two sides. the white house wants to solve it forever. they ve proposed congress simply gives them authority to raise it on their own. republicans not so into that idea. the problem now is one democrat told me it s kind of hard to compromise between on the one hand nothing, which is pretty much the republican offer on raising the debt ceiling, and infinity, which is pretty much the white house s current position. but the white house sees it as a matter of grave responsibility. they are not going to accept some kind of short-term debt ceiling fix. five years, ten years, maybe that they ll talk about. a year? they say they re not doing that. they figure that if there needs to be a final showdown over the debt ceiling, a once and for all boss level battle, bowser style, it s better to do it now when they re at peak strength than to delay it until 2014 or 2015 when republicans might have more leverage. so yeah, the