With Social Security and interest payments about to come due at the end of December, President Obama has already used up the $900 billion debt limit increase he won in August and will ask Congress to raise the debt limit by another $1.2 trillion this Friday.

When Congress raised the debt limit earlier this year, a provision was included for a second near-automatic raise at a time of Obama’s choosing. Congress can stop Obama’s second debt limit hike by passing a “resolution of disapproval” with in 15 days of his request, but the House is out of session until January 17th and the Senate is out till the 23rd. Does anybody doubt that Obama’s timing of the latest request assures no such resolution will be approved?