The idea of having the U.S. Treasury mint a couple of trillion-dollar platinum coins to get around the limit of the debt ceiling just won’t go away. The idea has been floating around for months and has gained enough momentum (much of it through a #mintthecoin hashtag) for reporters to ask White House Press Secretary Jay Carney if the administration is considering the idea. Carney referred reporters to the Treasury but didn’t rule out the idea. And why would he? The debt ceiling is the House’s leverage in any fiscal cliff negotiations with the president, and the trillion-dollar coin would render that bargaining chip meaningless.
Q: Yes or no, would Obama use the coin? Carney: "I would refer you to Treasury." http://t.co/EaNfPbi3
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) January 9, 2013
By my count, Carney was asked about the $1 trillion platinum coin today 12 times
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 9, 2013
.@chucktodd has asked Jay Carney about 6 times about the coin. Great work.
— Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) January 9, 2013
Chuck Todd asks about the coin! Carney: "Uh, I would simply go back to what I said" about Congress needing "to pay its bills."
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) January 9, 2013
Carney on trillion dollar coin: "I would simply go back to what I said: the option here is for Congress to do its job and pay its bills."
— Eamon Javers (@EamonJavers) January 9, 2013
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/289096662104813568
With Carney opening the door to the coin, Repubs will now go nuclear, I predict. #mintthecoin
— Matthew Cooper (@mattizcoop) January 9, 2013
Carney refusing to rule out the $1T coin. MINTTHECOIN LIVES
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 9, 2013
Wiggle room Carney left on platinum coin says nothing about whether we'll ultimately mint one, but that WH happy to dangle it as a threat.
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) January 9, 2013
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman hops on the #mintthecoin bandwagon, says alternative would be "vile and disastrous."
— jimlaubach (@jimlaubach) January 8, 2013
Supporters of #mintthecoin include congressman, a Nobel winner, a former head of the Mint & a former CBO director
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) January 9, 2013
As enticing as the trillion-dollar coin may be to some, not everyone’s a fan. These people can often be identified by the #SpendingIsTheProblem hashtag, which is still chugging along.
Rather than get serious about spending, @PressSec said White House won’t rule out trillion dollar coin. Embarrassing.
— Reince Priebus (@Reince) January 9, 2013
The WH won't rule out printing a trillion-dollar coin to "solve" the debt. Tell Obama #SpendingIsTheProblem here –> http://t.co/9885PGts
— NRCC (@NRCC) January 9, 2013
https://twitter.com/kesgardner/status/289109035540688896
RT @nrcc: A $1 Trillion coin? Really? Sign the petition to tell Obama #SpendingIsTheProblem:http://t.co/6p3XiJIF pic.twitter.com/Mos7U7bt
— Stacy Washington (@StacyOnTheRight) January 8, 2013
https://twitter.com/SkepticLiberty/status/289129486467866624
We’re not counting on hearing that from Carney, and it looks like the Treasury isn’t willing to take the coin off the table either.
http://twitter.com/AnnieLowrey/statuses/289139383813144577
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