A Face-Saving Exit for Republicans

Republicans who feel trapped by commitments to vote against an increase in the debt ceiling may want to consider a less-damaging way out.

Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard tweeted this morning:

Hearing lots of buzz about GOP linking votes on raising the debt ceiling to a balanced budget amendment. Very smart.

Yes, that would be a serviceable exit for those Republicans who feel trapped by commitments to vote against an increase in the debt ceiling.

A symbolic vote that could have done real harm will be swapped for a symbolic vote that will fizzle out harmlessly.

A commitment to hold a vote in the House at some future time - with the Senate doing nothing much - and the states of course ignoring it as the same stupid idea that they ignored back in the 1980s - could give cover to Republicans who said foolish things when they were in the minority to do the sensible thing now.

Of course, it would have been better still if Republicans didn't say those foolish things in the first place, but that's a problem for another day.