Stocks rally on news of Republican proposal to put off debt ceiling deadline for 6 weeks

U.S. stocks have rallied hard today on hopes that the Republican House and the Democratic White House are moving toward ending the stalemate that threatens to push the U.S. into default on its debt and that has kept the government shut down. The plan floated today by the Republican leadership in the House would include a short-term increase in the U.S. debt ceiling for six weeks—until November 22—in exchange for negotiations with President Barack Obama over the government shut down.

Could a “solution” in Washington raise the debt ceiling but keep the government shut down?

The good news today for those of us who think risking a U.S. default on government debt is bad news comes in signs of cracks in the united front against raising the debt ceiling unless the Obama administration agrees to defund the Affordable Care Act, “reform” Social Security, rewrite the tax code and more. But I still think we need more panic on Wall Street to push Congress to an agreement