This whole debate over whether or not the debt ceiling debate and subsequent collision should be averted with the use of a workaround requires context to demonstrate how profoundly bad this debate could be without one.

As of today — Thursday, January 10, 2013 — we are just over five weeks to Friday, February 15.

Speaker of the House John Boehner refuses to negotiate directly with the President, and President Obama has indicated that he doesn't even have the intention to negotiate with the GOP over raising the debt ceiling at all.