Mitch McConnell Just Proposed the “Pontius Pilate Pass the Buck Act of 2011″  —  Editor's note: I decided to make the title less incendiary.  —  Consider the Associated Press's headline right now: “GOP Leader McConnell proposes giving Obama new power for automatic debt limit increase”

Obama says he cannot guarantee Social Security checks will go out on August 3  —  President Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.

U.S. Debt Ceiling Increase Remains Unpopular With Americans  —  More are concerned about higher level of spending than risk of economic crisis  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Despite agreement among leaders of both sides of the political aisle in Washington that raising the U.S. debt ceiling is necessary …

McConnell outlines new proposal on debt ceiling  —  McConnell was quickly excoriated online by tea party bloggers, with Erick Erickson of the Web site RedState.com blasting the plan as “the Pontius Pilate Pass the Buck Act of 2011.”  —  Still, with less than three weeks left until …

The Big Blink?  McConnell Proposes Giving Obama Authority To Raise Debt Limit Alone  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has proposed creating an escape hatch for Congressional Republicans, who have put themselves in a box by threatening not to raise the national debt limit …

Another mortifying McConnell head-banging-against-the-wall moment  —  Longtime readers are familiar with our time-honored tradition of marking inevitable Senate GOP sellout moments with the head-banging-against-the-wall animated gif.  —  Well, it is time to resurrect it again …

Senate GOP mulls new debt strategy  —  Trying to get out of the political box which they have helped to create, Senate Republicans are actively discussing a new plan under which the debt ceiling would grow in three increments over the remainder of this Congress unless lawmakers approve a veto proof resolution of disapproval.

Obama is winning on debt debate, but there's no room for moral victories  —  Talking to senior administration officials these days is like talking to a basketball player who's in the zone in the playoffs.  —  They know they're playing well, but they also know that without a win, it's meaningless.