Debt Ceiling Debacle

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is at it again. He has proved the partisan politics is more important than the financial health of our nation. First, we have been hearing the debt ceiling deadline is August 2; but now it looks like it may be a little later, like a week later. President Obama stood in front of the American people and blamed the republicans (nothing new) for refusing to sit down and talk. The republicans are holding this negotiation up? Seriously, Mr. President, the republican led house passed the Cut, Cap and Balance bill, the bill that Senator Reid voted to table instead of bringing it to the floor for a vote; the motion passed straight along party lines. While Cut, Cap and Balance may not be the perfect solution, it does not cut spending on entitlements, it allows for the raising of the debt ceiling and it only makes a promise to send a balanced budget amendment to the states for ratification, it is the best solution we have right now. It’s not only the best solution available; it’s the only one on the table. Harry Reid called the Cut, Cap and Balance bill one of the worst pieces of legislation in the history of the country, I guess he missed a couple of bills that passed over the last three years.
Senator Harry Reid and President have no plan for the debt ceiling deadline, well they have the same old plan that all democrats have, tax and spend, or as Obama likes to call it (because it polls better) revenues and investment. The only idea the President presented was that for an increase in the debt ceiling, he was willing to raise taxes in exchange for a promise that he would make future cuts in spending. The President even had the audacity to stand in front of the American people and scare with the thought of not paying social security or providing pay for the military families and veterans. What is left out is the fact that the US brings in enough money to cover our obligations. We do not have enough to cover all of our spending. What does that tell the average person, living in this economy? Tighten the belt, stop spending money on nonessential items. The executive branch decides what gets paid, so if social security, military pay or even interest on the debt does not get paid, the President has no one to blame but himself.
This debt ceiling debate is what is needed, what is not needed is the childish name calling, scare tactics and blatant non-truths. The truth of the matter is the United States is in serious financial trouble and drastic measures need to be taken, we cannot continue to borrow money from foreign countries, we cannot continue to devalue our currency and we cannot continue to spend recklessly. Serious reform is needed in discretionary spending and even more serious is the reform needed in non-discretionary spending. If we continue to kick the can down the road, we will continue on the road to ruin and soon wake up in a third world recreation of our great nation.