The Debt Ceiling, &: Alternate Brads, & more; including Damned if I can understand why anyone looks at Hakeem Jeffries and Kevin McCarthy and has any problem figuring out who would be a better Speaker

I am tired of this game. It is not a good game. Republican Michael Strain writes:

The meta-game here is:

1. Republicans demand that Democrats be “responsible” with respect to the debt-ceiling.
2. Democrats offer policy concessions.
3. In exchange, the Republicans allow a debt-ceiling increase to pass with only a few Republican votes attached to it.
4. Republicans point to the debt-ceiling increase as evidence Democrats are always borrow-and-spend
5. The press repeats the Republican talking point.
6. Republicans solidify their base, attract a few low-information undecideds, and win a few more elections

This does not seem to me to be a very good game for the country.

<braddelong.substack.com/p/republi…>