Jan 17 2011
no deal on debt ceiling!
Congressional Republicans are off to a good start to poke the electorate in both eyes this week. They have 2 choices: 1-raise the debt ceiling for a promise of spending cuts, major reforms, and a balanced budget amendment or 2-Refuse to raise the debt ceiling and guarantee immediate spending cuts, major reforms, and a balanced budget amendment.
Am I missing something here? Did we elected conservatives to give us promises of sweeping reform and sweeping spending cuts, or did we elect conservatives to get the job done? As an old friend of mine often says “I’ve seen this movie before”! What’s not to get?
JANUARY 15, 2011 4:00 A.M., Down for a Deal , Republicans signal they’re willing to compromise on the federal debt ceiling. from National Review
The 2010 midterms were a windfall for Republican candidates stressing the need to seriously tackle runaway federal spending and debt. In the coming months they will face their first significant test, when they are asked to raise the national debt ceiling, currently set at $14.3 trillion. One might expect that most Republicans, and especially the freshman members, would be lining up in firm opposition. Far from it.
In fact, the loudest (and, of late, the only) voices of opposition to a debt increase belong to old hands like Reps. Ron Paul (R., Texas) and Michele Bachmann (R., Minn.). Both have vigorously argued their case in the media — Bachmann is asking people to sign an online petition to urge their representatives not to increase the debt limit. Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) has also weighed in, calling on Republicans to “resist” raising the debt ceiling but stopping short of outright opposition.
Of course, it’s not as if Republicans intended to hand President Obama a free pass on raising the debt. The growing consensus within the GOP is to seek a trade-off — increasing the debt ceiling in exchange for significant spending cuts. Some have pressed for structural reforms such as a balanced-budget amendment or far-reaching entitlement reform, but few have been willing to suggest that refusing a debt increase is a viable option. As Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) told a forum at the National Press Club: “You can’t not raise the debt ceiling. . . . Just refusing to vote for it is not a strategy.” …
Jan 19, 2011 @ 08:38:35
I’d support that bill as long as it contained the elimination of the Departments of Education and Energy…for openers.
Jan 18, 2011 @ 23:23:07
We should indeed spend less. The first place that needs cutting is ending our dual wars and loads of military spending…
Jan 18, 2011 @ 11:30:12
Here’s a solution: spend less–a lot less.
Jan 17, 2011 @ 21:14:13
It’s just more misinformation being used by the GOP, no one is going to refuse to raise the debt ceiling, because economic logic says you have to raise it, doesn’t matter if you like it or not. The GOP doesn’t have a leg to stand on because they won’t actually refuse to raise it. Paul Ryan is right “Just refusing to vote for it is not a strategy.”
Instead of fighting over this, which you can’t win, how about coming up with some solutions that actually move the country forward?
Jan 17, 2011 @ 11:03:24
I am and have been for balancing our budgets and reducing the overall deficit (not just reducing the amount we overspend by each year and calling it “reducing” ). However, failing to raise the debt ceiling would also result in an economic crisis like we have never seen. Our debt would be due and the government, in essence, shut down. I do not think we can afford this catastrophe.
Jan 17, 2011 @ 09:41:14
Door number two please.