If the ONLY real compromise has now been rejected, then there should be NO debt ceiling increase, Speaker Boehner. Instead, we should use 15% of the tax revenues already being collected to pay towards the interest on the debt (avoiding a default, but not necessarily a downgrade), make promised payments to current entitlement beneficiaries (SS, Medicare/Medicaid), then slash the budget on everything else, including federal wages, with the exception of military pay (one of the lowest, as is), and disperse the remainder of revenues to pay towards the basic functions of government. But that would be the responsible thing to do.
Instead, look for a Boehner-Obama deal to hit the presses next...you know, the one that supposedly doesn't exist and none of the parties seem to know anything about. Can you smell it? Backroom deals, folks. Watching these guys, particularly their inability to allow Big Government to feel the pain of the People, much less listen to our desire for responsible governance, I'm predicting that they'll raise the debt ceiling, growing our national debt even more, along with continued spending, and we'll be downgraded regardless, so it will be all for naught. I hope I'm wrong, but it feels like we've got eunuchs running Washington instead of Statesmen. Greece, here we come...
UPDATES: Looks like there will be NO Boehner-Obama deal afterall. CBS reports that Boehner has walked away from debt limit negotiations with Obama...the smartest thing that you've done, Mr. Speaker...thank you!
House Speaker John Boehner has walked away from negotiations with President Obama over a deal to raise the debt limit.
"In the end, we couldn't connect. Not because of different personalities, but because of different visions for our country," Boehner said in a letter to colleagues. He said Mr. Obama " is emphatic that taxes have to be raised" and "adamant that we cannot make fundamental changes to our entitlement programs."
"For these reasons, I have decided to end discussions with the White House and begin conversations with the leaders of the Senate in an effort to find a path forward," he said.
You can find Boehner's entire letter to his Republican colleagues here.
As one can imagine, Obama came out before the press corps, frustrated, ticked, shaken, and of course, blaming Republicans...
...which was followed by (surprise) a Boehner press conference. Here's an interesting exchange/commentary as the coverage broke in on Lou Dobbs. Apparently, Obama was attempting to once again throw in last minute tax hikes (the man can't help himself)...
Obama has now summoned the Senate Leaders, as well as Speaker Boehner, to the White House for a Saturday morning meeting at 11am. Should be interesting to see what comes out of that. You can bet Obama is feeling the heat from today's fast-paced exchanges, all the while trying to figure out how to blame an impending downgrade on Republicans.
Meanwhile, Sen. Jim DeMint released a statement on his Senate website saying, “I will work to force another vote on Cut, Cap & Balance next week because the President and Democrats have not offered the American people any other viable solution." On behalf of We the People, we thank you, pray for your success and wish you all the luck, Sen. DeMint!
Meanwhile, Sen. Jim DeMint released a statement on his Senate website saying, “I will work to force another vote on Cut, Cap & Balance next week because the President and Democrats have not offered the American people any other viable solution." On behalf of We the People, we thank you, pray for your success and wish you all the luck, Sen. DeMint!
