President Barack Obama warned Congress against using the debt ceiling as leverage in the spending debate, saying “markets could go haywire” and government payments, from Social Security checks to military salaries, will be held up if the limit isn’t raised. Republican lawmakers “will not collect a ransom” if they delay increasing federal borrowing authority, Obama said today at a White House news conference. “There are no magic tricks here. There are no loopholes. There are no easy outs.” Obama is seeking to head off a fight with Congress in the coming weeks over raising the $16.4 trillion U.S. debt ceiling as ... (full story)