The American Spectator : Don't Blame the House

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Don’t Blame the House

By Peter Ferrara on 7.27.11 @ 6:09AM

Congressional Republicans have done their deficit duty.

(Page 2 of 3)

Barack Obama revels in the glory of the presidency, but refuses to take any of its responsibility.

This is the man who, in open debate with the hapless John McCain, promised the nation’s voters that his budget plans involved a “net spending cut.” Federal spending for the year at the time totaled $2.983 trillion. Federal spending today: $3.819 trillion, according to President Obama’s own 2012 budget. For Democrats, who by definition lack numerical literacy, that is a net spending increase of $836 billion.

This is the man who argued vociferously on national television in 2009 that there was no way the Obamacare individual mandate — the one forcing citizens to buy the health insurance the government specifies they must have — could be considered a tax. After it was enacted into law, President Obama then sent his government lawyers into court to argue that the individual mandate is constitutional because it is only a tax.

President Obama has already increased federal spending by nearly one-third in his first three years in office. In February of this year, he submitted his 2012 budget to Congress proposing to increase spending by nearly another two-thirds by 2021. That finally roused the Senate to action. In a rare, thoroughly bipartisan response, they voted down Obama’s proposed 2012 budget 97-0.

Realizing that he was falling behind the political curve, President Obama gave a speech on federal spending, deficits and debt on April 13, which was another exercise in calculated deception. When House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan asked CBO Director Doug Elmendorf if he had scored the President’s April 13 budget proposals, Elmendorf responded by saying that the CBO doesn’t score speeches.

Since then we have gotten even less from our pretend President. As the Wall Street Journal explained on Monday:

In June, the President dispatched Joe Biden to negotiate spending cuts, only to have the White House insist at the last minute that modest trims be accompanied by significant new taxes. Mr. Boehner and the Senate’s bipartisan Gang of Six produced plans that would have acceded to the White House demands in return for substantive tax reform that would have lowered individual and corporate tax rates. Yet last week the White House backtracked on its agreement for the lower tax rates and demanded another $400 billion in tax revenues above the $800 billion the Speaker had already conceded.

Most importantly, the Journal added, “Here’s a number for the debt history books: Mr. Obama’s final offer in the Biden talks was a $2 billion cut in 2012 non-defense discretionary spending.” With Obama having budgeted $3,819 billion in federal spending for this year, his offer would provide a heroic spending cut of 1 penny for every $20 Obama’s federal government spends.

Calculated Deception

President Obama’s address to the nation Monday night was a supreme performance of calculated deception. After administering to America the greatest fiscal blowout in world history, he opened the speech posing as a President gravely concerned about federal spending, deficits and debt. Manfully, he blamed our problems on George W. Bush, who was last seen as President nearly three years ago.

Note for the record: in the last year with a budget adopted by a Republican-controlled Congress (2007), the federal deficit came in at $161 billion. The current federal deficit is roughly 10 times that. So Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) was close to the truth when he told Obama to his face that the annual deficits under the Republicans had become the monthly deficits under the Democrats.

President Obama then exercised his national leadership by telling America that it is a nation “with a system in which the deck seems stacked against middle-class Americans in favor of the wealthiest few.” It is a disgrace for a man who is supposed to be serving as President of these United States to make such a fundamentally false, defamatory assertion about his own country.

As I explain in my new book, America’s Ticking Bankruptcy Bomb, before President Obama was even elected, official IRS data showed that for 2007 the top 1% of income earners paid more in federal income taxes than the bottom 95% combined. The top 1% paid 40.4% of all federal income taxes that year, almost twice their share of income. The middle fifth of income earners (the actual middle class) paid 4.7% of federal income taxes. The bottom 40% of income earners as a group paid no federal income taxes that year. They instead received net payments from the IRS equal to 4% of total federal tax revenues — the result of nearly 30 years of Reaganomics.

In California, the top 1% pay 48% of all state income taxes. In New York, the top 1% pay 41% of all state income taxes. In New Jersey, until recently the top 1% paid 46% of state income taxes, and Castroite government employee unions want to bring those policies back.

Moreover, America’s corporate income tax rate is virtually the highest in the industrialized world at nearly 40% on average, counting state corporate rates. As I have noted previously, even Communist China has a 25% corporate rate, with the average in the mostly-socialist European Union below that. In left-wing Canada, the corporate rate today is 16.5%, scheduled to fall to 15% next year.

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About the Author

Peter Ferrara is Director of Entitlement and Budget Policy at the Heartland Institute, General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, and Senior Policy Advisor on Entitlements and Budget Policy at the National Tax Limitation Foundation. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan, and as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States under President George H.W. Bush.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (263) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 7.27.11 @ 6:26AM

You state he is a pretend President. One thing Obama is not, is a pretend liar.

USSAlabama| 7.27.11 @ 10:20AM

Let us not forget his own words . . . "We're gonna [sic] punish our enemies..."

Him, his ilk in the Senate, and the rest of the House.

fred filopek| 7.28.11 @ 10:43AM

i will remember sen. mcconnell saying that his goal is to make obama a one term president. no wonder republicans want default to tank the economy

hmrhonda| 7.28.11 @ 11:00AM

Anyway we can get rid of him will save the country in the long run.

Jon B| 7.28.11 @ 7:33PM

Ryan's "bold plan" is the same kind of wealth redistribution from the low and middle classes to the top that Reagan an "W" passed, which has utterly destroyed the buying power of the consumer classes, and allowed for shipping jobs over seas instead. Every study shows a massive wealth redistribution away from 80% of working Americans to the top. It doesn't help that both parties are dependent on the same corporate donations that allow this raping of America to continue. Unfortunately, too many people are blaming each other instead of the actual problem of socializing corporate debts to the taxpayers, and then reducing what minimal pay they already have. You saw the corporate boondoggle in the health care bill. You see it in Boehner and Obama's budgets. And you see how neocon controlled states are raping what's left of the middle classes via destroying public sector unions to take away from already underpaid city employees by comparing jobs that require a college education to jobs at McDonalds and Burger King. Pretty easy stuff, but you have to escape MSM media bullshit like the Spectator

Buck Ofama| 7.28.11 @ 11:29AM

You're full of sh|t, you silly Ovomit voter.

Jim| 7.28.11 @ 6:59PM

Absurd statement fred! Even as the Republicans control the House, they still have too little power to affect anything. The only thing they can do is to try to prevent a catastrophe caused almost entirely by Democrats.

Alan Brooks| 7.27.11 @ 5:57PM

Reuters:
'Clint Arrested Attempting To Enter Israel Illegally'
Tel Aviv.
"Clint, the AS blogger, was arrested trying to enter Israel by hiking through the desert", said IDF spokesman Hyman Jacobs.
"Clint was caught evading customs with a valise filled with,
8 pounds of Gefilte fish
.5 pounds of kosher horseradish
1.7 gallons of matzoh ball soup
and
a half dozen 16 ounce bars of chocolate covered halvah"
Charges are pending.

Alan Brooks| 7.27.11 @ 6:01PM

... the spokesman continued, "Clint appeared to be intoxicated on Manichewitz wine".
But Jacobs added that Clint's breathalizer test cannot be made public.

Alan Brooks| 7.27.11 @ 8:17PM

from NRO:
"By Arthur Herman
On a chilly morning in March 1788, Louis XVI’s finance minister sat down and drew up what was the first entirely truthful budget of the French monarchy — which almost turned out to be its last. It revealed that some 500 millions of revenue were offset by 629 millions in expenses, of which more than 50 percent went for service on the royal debt — a debt largely racked up, ironically enough, by Louis’s support for the American war for independence. For the first time, it was apparent that the system created to rule France since the days of Louis XIV could no longer continue. It was on that day, not the fall of the Bastille more than a year later, that the ancien régime ended.
Something similar is happening with the current debt-limit imbroglio. Some people compare our current political turn, including the growth of the Tea Party, to the American Revolution. A far better comparison is with the French Revolution."

Hear that, Tea Party?

Roy N.| 7.28.11 @ 10:07AM

You are pretty well summed up in Proverbs 6: 16-19

16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

A lying tongue, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a liar, and one who spreads discord. Yep. It looks like old Soloman had you in mind when he penned the above. BTW, in case you start sending anti-Christian slurs, this is a Jewish quote.

Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 6:37AM

I listened to Krauthammer on the Spin last night and he went on, and on, and on, about how the Republicans only control one part of the legislative branch and do not have the WH, it simply was not “fair” that they should be able to stifle the progressive agenda until they actually controlled all the legislative branches. He was almost as petulant as the man-child. He sufferers from the same affliction; the incredible egocentric world view that “this cannot be happening to me, I know better, events must follow my master plan.” O’Reilly is so astounded by the Tea PARTY he refuses to “weigh in” instead relying on the Factor standby of “Monday morning quarterbacking and throwing “I told you so’s” that he never actually alluded to.
What is lost here is that the pundits and the MSM are just that, pundits paid by someone to carry water for a “cause” or whore mongers looking for ratings. Those Tea PARTY freshman, and the few of the “two year wonders” (very few) are in the forefront and carrying the weight of the Nation (and the world).

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 7:13AM

All this talk of budget and debt ... while important, the crisis is unemployment and jobs, jobs, jobs. the Republicans campaigned on job creation, and after 10 years of the Bush tax cuts that didn't happen. So, what is the "Kids in the House" solution? Slash the budget to 15% of GDP, which is way lower than historical levels, as the author states. Slashing spending at this point simply eliminates more jobs. In the public AND the private sector. The government is not all bad and the private sector is not all good. Remember if your corporate or small business employer lays you off or the bank forecloses on your mortgage - you have the private sector to thank for that. They cut you loose and good luck and good bowling - they don't give a d*. Oh, and keep in mind that 2 Trillion dollars sitting overseas uninvested and not creating jobs by the "job creators" even with their Bush tax cuts extended. When are the Republicans going to get serious about job creation and get off the ideological train to "starve the beast" and blackmailing the President in wartime? Shame on them for playing politics while the country's finances and indeed the world's is teetering on the brink of disaster. Whether they have some money to pay bills, they don't have enough - where should they not pay the bills? All Republican districts? You want that? Really? Virginia, Tennessee, New Mexico, Maryland and South Carolina are all on notice by the Moody's and Standard & Poors that as the U.S. rating goes, so goes theirs - right over the cliff.

Clint| 7.27.11 @ 7:20AM

Now, The Rest Of The Story, Purple PropagandaGuy.

"Major ratings firms -- namely Standard & Poor's and Moody's -- have said even if the country raises the debt ceiling and doesn't default, there's a strong likelihood that the triple-A bond rating will be cut to double-A unless a budget can be crafted that results in $4 trillion in savings, the result of the massive debt load the country has accumulated in recent years. The nation's outstanding debt is more than $14 trillion.

A senior banking official told FOX Business that administration officials have provided guidance to them that even though a default is off the table, a downgrade "is a real possibility for no other reason than S&P and Moody's have to cover (themselves) since they've been speaking out on the debt cap so much."

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:02AM

And, what branch of government (the House) started this crap and creating a false crisis so they can blackmail America and her President? Whatever happens will be laid at the House door ... and you will get what you deserve. 10 Trillion in national debt incurred by Reagan and the 2 Bushes - you think the American people don't know this and that Republicans don't want to be responsible or accountable for their own President's bills? Blame it all on Obama? oh, please - polls say something very different ppl.

JP| 7.27.11 @ 8:15AM

Get you facts straight. The August 2nd deadline is a Treasury deadline (ie WH deadline). That is the supposed date in which Geitner says the US will default on its obligations. In reality, Geitner assured foreign banks just this past Monday that the Fed and Treausury have enough tools to use to keep obligations up to date through the end of October.

And finally, the total debt the President
inherited was $9 trillion. And as the author of this post stated, the debt for 2006-2007 was $161 billion. The Dems ran Congress from 2007-2010. They've failed to do a budget since 2008. You've bandied about the $10 trillion before. Obama, thus far, has created $5 trillion in new debt in just 32 months.

CrackerHound| 7.27.11 @ 1:55PM

[[[And, what branch of government (the House) started this crap and creating a false crisis]]

He goes by the name of Barack Obama and it started with ramming through a costly health care bill in the middle of a deep recession. Before that, Barney Frank led dems with fannie and freddie.

[[[Whatever happens will be laid at the House door ]]]

By the state media for sure.

[[oh, please - polls say something very different ppl.]]]

The polls? Is that how we determine who is responsible for this economic collapse? John Stossel did a "man in the street" interview and most of them didn't even know what debt was or know that a debt limit was being discussed in Washington....or cared.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 2:51PM

Seriously, purpleguy, I enjoy your posts and your willingness to engage with the unengageable. But Clint is clearly impaired at least grammatically and your time is wasted in responding to his screeds.

Alan Brooks| 7.27.11 @ 9:48PM

"But Clint is clearly impaired at least grammatically and your time is wasted in responding to his screeds."

Clint has merely been drinking too much Manichewitz wine, that's all. Just wait 'til he sobers-up.

Buck Ofama| 7.28.11 @ 11:36AM

Don't forget that insignificant near-forgotten agenda pushed by Clinton: the community reinvestment act.
And don't forget it's eventual result.

BayouBabe| 7.28.11 @ 1:23PM

The CRA originated with Jimmy Carter. Clinton put it on steroids.

chuck| 7.27.11 @ 8:11AM

Please don't confuse Purpleguy with facts. He is of very limited intelligence, and it simply confuses him to the point of regurgitating his Soros' provided talking points. Heck, he still believes that Keynesian economics really works! How stupid is that?

W| 7.27.11 @ 1:49PM

Purp is still trying to figure out that complicated 7th grade algebra question of: if Obama raised the deficity by 3 trillion in 2 years, and continues on same pattern, how many trillion in 8 years. Let's give the Purp the answer:12 trillion. Purp for several days went on and on that Bush raised it by 5 trillion and 5 is more thatn 3, ignoring it took Bush 8 years.
In other words, ignore the Purp, he is an economic idiot.

canuckistani| 7.27.11 @ 3:32PM

He is guilty on one thing: overstating the obvious.

The GOP has total amnesia about their skills at governing. The mess we are in, while preciptated by the dot-com bust and now the housing bust, is angled back to two failed wars, an ill-advised tax cut and an unpaid drug entitlement. All done on the GOP tri-cameral watch. He should have gassed the tax cuts when he had the chance and BHO blew it. Now we have baggers going for a pyrrhic victory at the expense of the nation.

The Bush tax cuts were debated seriously within the GOP caucus. Hastert and Lott had to do parliamentary gymnastics then, because the adults in the GOP knew it was folly to cut revenues without structural cuts to spending and adolescent forays into Iraq without economic sacrifice. Those were the days when McCain had a spine and lacked the dimentia he has today.

Greenspan also played huckster when he intimated that the continued surpluses of the government were bad for the fed, because the issuing of paper was what the fed did. No need for the paper, no fed.

Wake up and realize a disappointing Obama is far less of a threat to the country than the deadly enemies in the GOP today.

The entire world is a mixed economy and we are self-immolating for nothing.

TrueBlue| 7.27.11 @ 4:27PM

You mean the RINOs that got outed in 2010? And the ones that will be outed in years to come if they don't get their act together?

Don't confuse the conservate GOP with the RINOs. The Left is responsible, regardless of the letter next to their name. Did you know that Reagan was actually flawed? **gasp** I know, it's true! You know what his flaw was? He was too trusting!! He agreed to tax hikes with the understanding that there would be tax cuts in the future to deal with unnecessary spending. That didn't happen, because the liberals LIED.

Yes, he spent a ton of money on Defense, money that was necessary to avoid a full on war with the Soviets, but don't fool yourself, if we hadn't kept a large military with increasingly powerful weapons the USSR would have marched over the rest of Europe to cover its bills and keep from falling. Europe sure as heck couldn't (and still can't) defend itself.

Look at facts, as taxes go up, companies leave the country for countries with lower tax rates... that'd be your clue that it might possibly have something to do with taxes!! The House has passed several budget bills; whether you like them, or the Senate/President liked them the fact still remains that when dems had total control they did NOTHING. And when faced with an actual bill, what do they do? NOTHING! They don't discuss, and they don't counter-propose with anything other than vague promises the likes of which Reagan fell for decades ago.

You Lefties can keep pointing at Bush all you want, and saying, "But he did it too!!" That doesn't make it right! Jr was a RINO too.

I still have a very hard time believing that the Left is evil. I think they (most of them at least) really DO want to help out the poor and downtrodden in this country. But they refuse to see reality while they do it, "it looks good on paper so it must be true!" Sadly, in their attempt to help people, they're going to put everyone on the same level, and it sure as heck isn't a good one.

W| 7.27.11 @ 4:35PM

The Dems voted in favor of the two wars, and the drug bill. The housing bust is the direct result of the Dems policy on the easy mortgages. That has been discussed ad nauseam. Ok, so both parties overspent. How do you fix it now? Obama has not written plan, or plan at all except to tax hedge fund managers and eliminate the depreciation for corporate jets. The Dems have no written plan. O and the Dems just wait for a Repub plan and then say it is dead on arrival. The only real debate is the Republicans arguing among themselves.
Get rid of Obama, and the weasel Reid, and get real conservatives in the senate, and this problem will be solved. We have to replace the Democrat majority in congress with real conservatives.

Buck Ofama| 7.28.11 @ 11:39AM

"...now the housing bust, is angled back to two failed wars..."

Voted for, and funding approved by WHO?
Now, be honest, fair & balanced in your answer.

Mimi| 7.27.11 @ 7:53AM

Why do you think their SPENDING to OBLIVION....should not be honestly confronted ?
Thats not politics, sir it is ones DUTY !!!

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:02AM

Confronted, yes, but knocking down the economy in the process - no.

Southern_Comment| 7.27.11 @ 8:51AM

Ahhhh he mentioned the poll - so here's your front page for the polls today
Rasmussen -
•63% Oppose Giving Women, Minorities Special Treatment When It Comes to Hiring
(guess which party would be pushing for that crap?)
•56% Favor A Congressional Candidate Who Endorses Balanced Approach to Debt Debate
(notice no Dems endorse a budget let alone a balanced one)
•57% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law (who passed Health Care Law)
•75% Support Tough Penalties Against Employers Who Hire Illegal Immigrants
•66% Put Border Control Ahead of Legalizing Status of Those Here Illegally
•68% Say School Discipline Is Too Easy These Days
•Generic Republican Candidate 48%, Obama 42%
•Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 44%, Democrats 38%
Daily Presidential Poll has Obama at -19 (unchanged from yesterday btw)
Gallup -
Obama's Weekly Job Approval Ties Term Low of 43%
Concerns About Economy, Jobs Outweigh Worries About Deficit
July 20, 2011
Americans name the economy and unemployment/jobs as the most important problems facing the nation, as they have all year. The deficit comes in third as the top problem, followed by dissatisfaction with government in general, healthcare, and ...

Now show me what made up poll you're looking at - because everyone that I look at has America overwhelmingly rejecting Obama and the flying monkey progressives.
Btw - cutting spending is the only way to get back on track fiscally. Raising taxes (your guy's solution) would only hurt the economy - unless you have some amt of wisdom and can explain how that would help the economy (I have yet to hear a legit excuse for that pile of bull). No, it would be more like what we've watched with businesses over the past two and a half years - it's the same result as if you were to stick your male member in a freezing pool - idiot THERE"S BEEN NOTHING BUT SHRINKAGE.

PolishKnight| 7.27.11 @ 1:21PM

I'm reminded of those TV commercials where the toothpaste company proclaims: "2 out of 3 dentists use X!"

What about the 1/3d who don't? Maybe they're onto something?

I thought of that when I read: "63% Oppose Giving Women, Minorities Special Treatment When It Comes to Hiring"

That means that 37% want the favorable treatment to continue. I betcha they are disproportionately comprised of women and minorities!

I wouldn't be surprised if a poll of southerners back in the 1950's also had a similar percentage of people who favored Jim Crow.

The Democrats are the party of racists and anti-heterosexual gays. You heard me. Why else would someone favor discriminating against men in the workplace knowing that the vast majority of heterosexual women still require men to be breadwinners?

Guy| 7.27.11 @ 10:40AM

Liberating the economy and returning to a competitive position. Keynesian and Planned Economies have been tried the world over and FAILED everytime. When will the intellectually lazy liberal retards ever learn? Apparently never.

chuck| 7.27.11 @ 8:12AM

Have you considered| 7.27.11 @ 8:24AM

Purpleguy, I have never before responded to one of your posts, but I do have a couple questions for you, to establish the baseline of friendly debate.

1) Do you think borrowing money to finance government operations is good?
2) Are you familiar with the US Constitution?
3) Have you ever read any of the Federalist Papers?
4) Have you ever considered starting a business?
5) Are you invested in any stocks or bonds?
6) Do you understand the difference between a publicly traded business like G.E. (NYSE) verses a small private business like the corner florist?
7) Do you prepare a personal budget?

I would be very curious to see your answers.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:59AM

So would I. I'd hold my breath waiting but I'm afraid I'd turn purple. (Couldn't help myself... sorry.)

Have you considered| 7.27.11 @ 12:05PM

Gary, you funny.

Yes, I was very curious to see if Purpleguy answered, which would indicate to me that he was interested in debate, and fleshing out his assertions and proposals, or if he was just interested in posting talking points.

You never know, maybe he is considering his answers.

I often find that considering questions posed to be an intellectual exercise that may lead you to consider the basic premises of your opinions.

It is healthy to do on occasion, even for conservatives.

Warrior | 7.27.11 @ 2:35PM

If I may answer for the liberal:

1. Only when Republicans do it.
2. It's living and breathing and only applies when I can use it to my liberal advantage.
3. I prefer Big Bambu.
4. Not while there are food stamps and section 8 monies available.
5. Do they redistribute those?
6. Of course I know the difference between a light bulb and a flower.
7. Living in my parents basement has afforded me the opportunity to spend my time in more productive online endeavors.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 4:29PM

Wow. A seven-part trap.
There's nothing close to establishng the baseline of friendly debate in these "questions."

All of them are the equivalent of "When did you stop beating your wife?"

Which, btw, Haveyouconsidered, brings up: when did you stop beating your wife?

W| 7.27.11 @ 4:37PM

David/Right, our SEIU friend, I thought you were leaving us, why the return?

irish19| 7.27.11 @ 7:58PM

Nice catch!

Redstateboy| 7.27.11 @ 9:30AM

" senseless Democratic rhetoric to the contrary notwithstanding. The Democrats just don't like it because by reducing government dependency it threatens their political machine."

Perp? I've always been curious.. How can Liber-uls (such as yourself) look yourselves in the mirror when you believe - as in the Truth of the above quote reveals - in a philosophy that enslaves people.

W| 7.27.11 @ 2:04PM

Purp, on monday you posted:
"an airhead might be a good f*, but not for running the country"
You did not clarify if you were talking about Obama, or Clinton, or whomever.
With this as an example of you "thinking," why should anyone here take you seriously?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 7:21AM

This is 100% correct. The country owes a lot to the Tea Partiers, who suffer daily slanderous tirades, even from pundits whom we used to trust.

Cutting off the free ride (taxpayer shakedown) is upsetting a lot of people in DC and with good reason. They will not admit it but it's all over but the shouting. And, there is plenty of that.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:04AM

We pay less tax now than in the '50's .. so get off the erroneous we're overtaxed mantra ... especially the wealthy have gotten off great in the last 30 yrs. Google it if you don't believe me. But stop believing the right-wing echo chamber - Fixed "Hackers R' Us" News and Rush "where's my pills" Loudmouth.

JP| 7.27.11 @ 8:21AM

The top 1% of income earners pay 46% of all income taxes. The top 10% of income earners pay 60% of all income taxes; the top 20% of earners pay 75% of all income taxes.

If the federal government were to confiscate all of Warren Buffet's assets ($80 billion), that would be enough to pay for 1 week of government. Ditto for Bill Gates. The total market capitalization of Apple Computers, if confiscated< is enough to pay for the federal government for less than 2 weeks.

Kurt in S.L.C.| 7.27.11 @ 1:16PM

JP, You could have added that the top40% of earners pay 99% of all income taxes.Why the hell should the other 60% even be allowed to vote?

Ore Gone| 7.27.11 @ 4:34PM

Originally you couldn't vote unless you were a landowner. It is called having skin in the game. Our fore fathers knew that if you give the sloths a vote they just keep voting themselves more money. I would like to see the vote restricted to the people who pay taxes and "have skin in the game".

jpusc| 7.28.11 @ 2:42PM

I agree, if you don't buy into the "shared sacrifice" and you pay nothing, why should you be able to vote on how this money is to be spent?

MWK| 7.28.11 @ 11:55AM

Be careful with your statistics on income. Here is bone from the other side - the top 400 wealthest people in the US have more than than the bottom 250 Million

W| 7.27.11 @ 1:51PM

Purp, if you and your lefty friends want to pay more to the government, then send them a check, or don't itemize, take the standard deduction. If your really believe what you say, then lead by example. otherwise you are a bloviating windbag hypocrite.

Oldefarte| 7.27.11 @ 10:28AM

It's the DEMOCRATS, stupids!!!!!!

CrackerHound| 7.27.11 @ 12:11PM

[[[I listened to Krauthammer on the Spin last night and he went on, and on, and on, about how the Republicans only control one part of the legislative branch and do not have the WH, it simply was not “fair” that they should be able to stifle the progressive agenda until they actually controlled all the legislative branches]]]]

That was not what he said. He said they CANNOT implement their agenda until they control at least one house of Congress and the Whitehouse and that they need to remember that during these negotiations. If it won't pass the senate or it will receive a veto from the president, it is doomed.
Cut, Cap & Balance has passed the House, now they need to come up with a bill that gets us past the gridlock (Boener's plan) and doesn't raise taxes but cuts spending. If not, Republicans will be blamed for every bad thing that happens.

Just clarifying what Krauthammer said.

Margie| 7.27.11 @ 12:18PM

Hauschild's a liar.

Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 1:11PM

I did not say (read it again) that the Republicans could or could not impliment their agenda. What I said was that they could stifle the progressive agenda. There is a big difference.

Margie| 7.27.11 @ 1:33PM

You mischaracterized what he said. Just like you mischaracterize other good conservatives.
You're a fraud.

Alan Brooks| 7.27.11 @ 8:15PM

this from NRO:
"By Arthur Herman
On a chilly morning in March 1788, Louis XVI’s finance minister sat down and drew up what was the first entirely truthful budget of the French monarchy — which almost turned out to be its last. It revealed that some 500 millions of revenue were offset by 629 millions in expenses, of which more than 50 percent went for service on the royal debt — a debt largely racked up, ironically enough, by Louis’s support for the American war for independence. For the first time, it was apparent that the system created to rule France since the days of Louis XIV could no longer continue. It was on that day, not the fall of the Bastille more than a year later, that the ancien régime ended.
Something similar is happening with the current debt-limit imbroglio. Some people compare our current political turn, including the growth of the Tea Party, to the American Revolution. A far better comparison is with the French Revolution."

Hear that, Tea Party?

oldfart| 7.27.11 @ 6:58AM

The past and current actions of Barry O., Harry R, Nancy P. Chris D and Barney F. (et. al.) are those of people who are totally and completely incompetent or they are addicted to spending public funds for personal gain. I would really like to see their personal balance sheets. What is the percentage of precious metals in their portfolios? Perhaps they are buying from one of the gold companies as advertised on TV? Perhaps they are hedging that the US dollar will collapse and make them a bundle? They have forgotten the lessons of the French Revolution - When kingdoms fall, principalities fall as well.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 7:17AM

"Deficits don't matter" - Dick Cheney
"We cannot default on our debt" - Ronald Reagan
and?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 7:24AM

Purpleguy,

We cannot default on our debt. But, we can sure as hell can default on the Dept. of Education, the Dept. of Energy, the EPA and many other useless black holes.

Mimi| 7.27.11 @ 7:55AM

BRAVO !

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:06AM

THAT is not your choice, now is it? You put the President in a bind, blackmail him during wartime (which is treason, btw) and you think nothing you 0wn, need or want will be touched? You're an idiot if you believe that. We all go down with the ship .... You know what bankruptcy does to your OWN credit? That's what will happen, wake up people ...

JP| 7.27.11 @ 8:24AM

Legislative disagreement is Blackmail? Here's a hint Purple Guy: Congress is a co-equal branch of government. It doesn't answer to the President. The President's authroity is limited by our Constitution. You confuse Obama with Chavez. Despite what Obama wishes, he does not have dictatorial powers. BTW, Congress has the legal authority to kick the President to the streets if it so chooses.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:54AM

Hey, JP... Excellent comment. I think Purpleguy is bringing out the best in us, don't you?

Southern_Comment| 7.27.11 @ 8:54AM

Apparently Purpleguy has confused the United States of America with North Korea.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 9:03AM

He sure is trying hard though, isn't he? I think he's living a self-inflicted life. Perhaps we should pray for him. Oops... that's a Christian concept. Sorry about that.

chuck| 7.27.11 @ 8:15PM

Purpleguy is the kind of person who goes to religious websites just to argue that there is no God.

I guess we really should pray for him.

Dave Williams| 7.27.11 @ 12:27PM

Notice that he's STILL dodging the very pointed questions asked above. Since he's a libtard, dealing with actual facts and reality makes his "brain" lock up and start spewing smoke. "What a maroon!"

oldfart| 7.27.11 @ 8:21PM

I think purpleguy has been drinking the koolaid

Teaghan| 7.27.11 @ 11:26AM

Since when did democrats give a damn about treason?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 11:28AM

Or following the law...

W| 7.27.11 @ 1:53PM

Purp. according to you Obama committed treason i 2006 when he refused to vote to increase the debt limit. So, you agree to impeach O?

Oldefarte| 7.27.11 @ 10:28AM

It's the DEMOCRATS, stupids!!!!!

Trinacria| 7.27.11 @ 3:43PM

"The fact that we're standing here today debating the need to raise the debt ceiling is a clear sign of failed leadership on the part of the President."

-Senator Barack H. Obama, 2008
(from the Senate floor)

Clint| 7.27.11 @ 6:58AM

"In a series of phone calls, administration officials have told bankers that the administration will not allow a default to happen even if the debt cap isn't raised by the August 2 date..."

Don't Cut & Run For The Tall Grass, Girls

You Make The Democrat Sons Of Bitches Die On This Debt Ceiling Hill.

The Tea Party Rebellion Stands Here.

Stand & Fight.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 7:19AM

The Tea Party will go down with the "Ship of State" if we default - so let's default - Tea Party will be blamed.

Clint| 7.27.11 @ 7:22AM

That's Bold Talk For A One Eyed Fat Man, ObamaBoy Purple PropagandaGuy.

The Tea Party Steps On Purple PropagandaGuy's Face.

Wipe Your Feet.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:07AM

Wow! That was so profound of you - are you in high school?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 9:16AM

I don't care if he is. I'd vote for him.

Conrad Spiracy| 7.27.11 @ 11:28AM

Touche' !!!!!

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 7:26AM

Purpleguy,

It's the Tea Party's duty to sink the "Ship of State." That's what they were elected to do.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:07AM

Thank you for confirming what America already knew - and goodbye to the Tea Party extremists.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:50AM

Let's see, everyone in DC is terrified of the Tea Party, including the Republican establishment and the press has failed to intimidate them, even after crawling though Sarah Palin's trash bin.

I think it's a little premature to say goodbye to the Tea Party that has tapped into decades of pent up anger, don't you?

Calling them extreme is technically correct. To an establishment hack, it may seem quite extreme to advocate cutting government in half.

Warrior | 7.27.11 @ 4:17PM

You haven't given them to chance to interrogate 20 or so of Bachmann's foster children. There's a story somewhere because a Conservative woman seems to scare the liberals and MSM to death. By the way, aren't you tired of waiting for Us or People to do another campaign fluff piece on Barry and Michelle?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 7:34AM

Does "Purpleguy" mean you're a squishy independent, who wouldn't recognize a principle if it walked up and kicked you in the shins?

Kicking the can down the road was a strategy tailor-made for putting independents back to sleep.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:10AM

When my family is at stake, f* principles. I will defend my family, my community and my country and principles can go to h*. I don't know about you all - but defaulting on the government's debt - which is our debt, like it or not is going to hurt us all.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:27AM

"Our debt, like it or not?" I think not.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:29AM

Also, if it were not for those silly principles embodied in the Constitution, your family would would be neck deep in socialism, that master killer of the human spirit.

skip| 7.27.11 @ 11:27AM

Pimplepus

We will not default on our debt. No semi-literate biped with a modicum of intelligence and honesty is remotely concerned this will happen.

Federal revenues are 57% of spending. That 57% is more than adequate to service the debt, and cut checks for social security, with room to spare.

Idiot.

RaginCajun| 7.28.11 @ 4:51PM

"No semi-literate biped with a modicum of intelligence and honesty is remotely concerned this will happen."

soo...everybody in washington?

skip| 7.28.11 @ 8:31PM

So...you saying liberals in D.C. have a modicum of intelligence and honesty?

Conrad Spiracy| 7.27.11 @ 11:30AM

This creature finally admits it has no principles.

Who'dathought that libs have no principles? Hmmmmm?

Teaghan| 7.27.11 @ 11:33AM

Washington, BOTH sides Purple Guy, said screw principals a long time ago. Don't fall for it. We won't default unless barry wants us to.

CrackerHound| 7.27.11 @ 2:11PM

I guess you don't adhere to quintessential American phrase "Give me liberty or give me death"

and...Ben Franklin "He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither"

Trinacria| 7.27.11 @ 4:03PM

"When my family is at stake, f* principles."

And there it is, ladies and gentlemen, the fundamental doctrine of the left - "F*** principles!" Stated differently (though clearly not with the same eloquence)- I'm not going to burden myself with the silly notion that my actions must be guided by principles.

Thank you, P-guy, for this rare insight into the liberal mind. It makes it all rather clear, for once one's actions are untethered from principals, one is freed from pesky impediments like truth and fact. Any means necessary - as long as I gets mines!

irish19| 7.27.11 @ 8:04PM

"When my family is at stake, f* principles."
I'm afraid we can't fault him for that, much as we might like to. After all, isn't that close to what we've been telling the Rs to do insofar as we want them to stop making nice.

Nick| 7.27.11 @ 7:27PM

"I don't know about you all - but defaulting on the government's debt - which is our debt, like it or not is going to hurt us all."

Yes, but I hope it hurts you most of all, PurpleJackass!

Deborah D | 7.27.11 @ 8:18AM

Or maybe "Purpleguy" means SEIU...he writes like a union thug IMHO.

Mimi| 7.27.11 @ 8:02AM

The TEA-PARTY is the people....SIR....Did you forget 2010 and all those DEM house members brought to defeat due to their going against the PEOPLE, by voting for OBAMACARE ? Never disregard the AMERICAN PEOPLE ! ! ! !

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:09AM

Mimi,

Not only has Purpleguy conveniently forgotten, but so has Boehner and his ilk, who are desperately attempting to hang on to the way things used to be. Their main tactic? Voter deception. It's about all they know how to do.

The proof? Observe how Boehner's spending "cuts" are actually calculated.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:11AM

We'll see in 2012, M'am. Recent events are pointing decidedly blue ... elections that is - not the news propaganda machine.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:26AM

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, which is worth about what they think it is.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 2:57PM

Did YOU forget the two Congressional elections - one in NY and one in CA - along with the Democrat resoundingly thrashing (granted, a very flawed) Conservative in Wisconsin in 2011?

The public is a very fickle thing and what happened in 2010 may or may not be happening now.

Oldefarte| 7.27.11 @ 10:29AM

http://youtu.be/Z30qbv5BWks

Timothy L. Pennell| 7.27.11 @ 7:06AM

I have a Plan. No more Plans.
I put out my FINAL PROPOSAL, and I tell the world: THAT'S IT. The President has NO PLAN. The President has put NOTHING on paper.
His "Plan" is, obviously, to attack My Plans. He wants another "BIG DEAL" because we're facing another "CRISIS" and he wants it done "YESTERDAY".
That's how we got a $900 Billion SLUSH FUND, for his Union pals. Oh, it was SUPPOSED to be for "Shovel Ready Infrastructure Jobs", but that was a LIE. Shovel Ready is really just a PUNCH LINE in a JOKE, told at Democrat Fund Raisers.
We needed a "BIG DEAL" to save Health Care. Health Care was a "CRISIS" and we needed to get it done "YESTERDAY".
"But nobody's even READ IT yet."
NO TIME! We gotta get it done. You can read it AFTER it's passed. Trust me. It saves you money, you can keep your own Doctor, and you'll never see any of my supporters, lining up for WAIVERS, because it's THAT GOOD.
Of course, that was a LIE.
And, now we need to get on the stick, because, the world as we know it, will END, come August 2.
And, of course, that, too, is a LIE.
It's not smart,, except his WORD.
It's not SMART, to 'Negotiate' with a guy who has NOTHING to negotiate WITH, except his word.
But, to do so when YOU KNOW, that everything out of his mouth, is a LIE?
That's insane.
Give him what you've got, and if he wants to VETO it? Let him. If he THREATENS to VETO it?
Call his BLUFF, Eric.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 7:22AM

Republican budget? DOA or Kill Medicare and have deficits until 2080 or CBO scores it as too little or Speaker cannot get his caucus to support him and vote for any compromise. Yeppers, greatest show on earth by the "Kids in the House" ...

Teaghan| 7.27.11 @ 11:36AM

obama is shovel ready.

MacDaddy| 7.28.11 @ 4:58PM

Not yet. But I'd like him to be...

Porcus Quondam| 7.27.11 @ 7:06AM

Obama wants to provoke a crisis. His hope is that he will be able to temporarily cut off Social Security benefits. Should a bill be passed, he'll have to sign it, as he doesn't want the public to blame him for the crisis.

oldfart| 7.27.11 @ 7:12AM

Right on target.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 7:29AM

Let's see - Who said they wouldn't raise the debt ceiling when under GW Bush Congress raised it 7 times? Who said "That is just not going to happen" referring to revenue increases? The American people know and won't forget.
This is simply a Republican ruse to bankrupt the government and try and stop the President from being re-elected. It has backfired and will really backfire if they let the country default. They took an oath to the Constitution, not the Republican Party or the Conservative Principles. You think the Founders want a "Super Congress" - the Founders warned of political parties and so here we are .... Why don't you follow their principles Mr. Boehner - no beholding to political parties? Whether you like the compromises or not, at least the Democrats are willing to put America first by giving 2.7 Trillion in spending cuts and no revenue increases - not their own ideological vision of America. Tell your Republican House "Kids" to grow up and pass the damn debt ceiling increase so we can pay the bills. FAA is shutting down as of today. Careful if you're flying this week. What's next?

Clint| 7.27.11 @ 7:45AM

Let's See....
Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Tuesday, July 26, 2011:
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 24% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19

The Tea Party Rebellion Steps On Purple PropagandaGuy's Face.

Wipe Your Feet.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:13AM

Hmmm, 24 % strongly approve, 43% strongly disapprove - that means that 57% strongly or somewhat approve ... thank you.
Take a look at who gets blamed for the economy - Bush; who gets blamed for the debt ceiling crisis - the Republicans ...
I'm okay with all of that ... are you?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 9:08AM

Yup, I'm okay with that. Know why? Because the Tea Partiers aren't the type of Republicans you're referring to. They're actual conservatives. As they say, "What a concept!"

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 9:53AM

And Reagan - 1.8 Trillion in debt and Papa Bush - 2.8 Trillion in debt ... yeah, Republicans are oh so fiscally responsible ... NOT.

skip| 7.27.11 @ 11:35AM

They both agreed to deals with liberals, who promised spending cuts 'down the road', whether 2 for 1 or 3 for 1, which never materialized, as overall spending actually increased during the timespans of their 'deals'.

Sound familiar? The difference now is that bit of history is remembered, and the tea partiers will keep republicans from falling for it again, or vote them out.

Idiot.

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 2:58PM

Good Luck Skip. I have pointed that out to Purp many times but he just doesn't hear it.

George True| 7.27.11 @ 11:38AM

Obama - Five trillion dollars of new debt in his first 28 months in office. It simply dwarfs everything that came before.

Why come here and spout your nonsense, PurplePropagandaGuy? Nobody here is stupid enough to believe that up is down and black is white. You demonstrate continuously that facts, you know things that are actually known to be true, have no meaning to you. I don't know if you come here knowingly spouting childish and fantastic lies, or if you yourself are so incredibly self-deluded that in your own Bizarro World you actually believe them to be so. But it doesn't really matter. You are a laughingstock here. Nobody takes you seriously, because of your known aversion to facts and actual evidence, and because of your propensity to go right on spouting nonsense even right after your argument has been taken apart piece by piece.

Yep, facts don't matter, do they Perp? Especially if they contradict the narrative, right? I feel sorry for you.

Ore Gone| 7.27.11 @ 4:44PM

My wife and children are an endangered species called conservative Democrats. We back the Tea Party all the way and there are a lot more where we come from. Unless they rig the polls the game is over for the progressives. They will have to re-brand themselves just like Acorn.

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 5:03PM

Now there is a depressing thought. Worked for ACORN, would probably work for them as well.

Clint| 7.27.11 @ 3:56PM

Bush Ain't Running Asshat.

Aaaaaand ,
RealClear Politics Poll:

Obama's Job Approval:

RCP Average 7/14 - 7/26
-
-Approve:45.5
Disapprove:49.3

The Tea Party Rebellion Steps On Purple PropagandaGuy's Face, Again.

Wipe Your Feet.

Trinacria| 7.27.11 @ 4:12PM

Check your math, sport.

27% strongly approve
43% strongly dissapprove
30% left (100% - 43% - 27%), with no reference as to how these individuals voted (approve, disapprove, or no opinion).

How, then, do you conclude that 57% either approve or strongly approve? If your math skills are representative of the typical liberal, is it any wonder that this country's finances have gone teets-up?

irish19| 7.27.11 @ 8:08PM

Liberal math.

Shamus| 7.27.11 @ 7:50AM

No ruse is needed to bankrupt the government.

Continued spending at current levels will do that.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:14AM

Yes, but you don't throw yourself over the cliff to solve it - you have to plan a soft landing. I can't believe you all are so ignorant to believe this is a good thing for America.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:33AM

Purpleguy,

You're making the mistake of equating the govenment with the people. It is not equal to the people. The government exploits the people of behalf of its current cronies and, more broadly, the International Left.

The people just want to live quietly in their pursuit of happiness. The government (the Left) has an agenda to "correct" that silly notion.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 9:54AM

The government IS the people or did you forget the preamble to the Constitution - "We the people ..." You may not like the majority government's policies, but is IS the people.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:41AM

So, the 2010 election landslide represents a whole bunch of ignorant people who are incapable of governing themselves?

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 9:55AM

And the 2008 landslide represented a whole bunch of ignorant people who are incapable of governing themselves? Tit for Tat ...

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 10:29AM

Here's the difference. In 2008 the people rejected a hopeless, reach-across-the-aisle RINO (McCain) and, instead, bought into a slick sales pitch. In 2010 the people reacted to the reality of Obama.

Teaghan| 7.27.11 @ 11:38AM

We can't believe you think obama is good for America.

Shamus| 7.27.11 @ 12:15PM

If appropriations went back to 2001 levels then there would be no need to raise the debt ceiling. This hardly seems drastic. Greece tried spending more than they could afford and it didn't work out for them. I agree with you about finding an appropriate method for cutting spending, but our legislators are having great difficulty doing this. If spending is not cut the government will go bankrupt.

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 2:17PM

"Who said they wouldn't raise the debt ceiling when under GW "

That would have been Obama that said that.
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
Barrack Obama-2006

POST American| 7.27.11 @ 7:24AM

---------------CUT TO THE CHASE!-----------------

-that 1.5 QUADRILLION in FAKE derivatives
debt

-the BILLIONS?----TRILLIONS? of US taxpayer
funds, and American economic infra-structure
handed to the most awesomely genocidal regime
history has ever seen ---in broad daylight

-the deadly sinister shadows of our 'shadow
government' which lurk within the TAX FREE,
ultra-rich, 'benny violent', EUGENICS driving
capstone foundations

-the debt-serf generating, utterly ILLEGAL, Constitution
violating, USURY mongers and actuarial
psychopaths of the PRIVATE 'Federal' Reserve

-------Everything else is chicken feed DIS-tractions-------

Intelligent Design| 7.27.11 @ 7:26AM

The House is on track to save our government from the Demo-Socialists. But the real solutions will come after November 2012, when voters toss Obama and more of his Demo-Sociaist allies in the U.S. Senate into the garbage disposal. About 60% of the voters can hardly wait to throw them out.

Now some liberal will read the above and spend a half hour composing a rebuttal which makes no sense at all. This is fun :)

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 7:31AM

You're dreaming ... the American people know who created this mess ... 3 Republican presidents racked up 10 Trillion in debt. That's a fact - didn't you know that?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 7:41AM

Not many disagree previous Republican behavior was right ouf ot the typical DC playbook. But you're giving Obama credit for tripling down on a Republican mess. How does that compute?

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:15AM

Hmmm, he offers 4 Trillion in deficit reduction - and your Kids in the House reject it because 1/4 of it is raising revenue - not tax rates, revenue. Now, who's the fair and balanced one here? America knows - the polls show it.

JP| 7.27.11 @ 8:30AM

Actually, the President hasn't offered any plan on paper. And Reid's Plan assumes we will be out of both Iraq and Afghanistan by the end 2012 and extrapolates those "savings" over 10 years. That's not a plan either. Stop while your ahead.

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 8:32AM

You are right, the polls do show it - 24% approval rate. Way to go 'Bama.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 9:56AM

Convenient poll - look at the others that are more specific .. they are what matters.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 10:30AM

The only poll that matters will take place in 2012. The last one that mattered was in 2010.

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 2:18PM

You mean like the Battle ground state polls where Obama is consistently losing to Romney?

Clint| 7.27.11 @ 4:07PM

You're An Imbecile, Purple PropagandaGuy.

Rasmussen Tied For First In The Fordham University Study For The 2008 Presidential Elections of 26 Public Polling Groups.

Strong Approval/Disapproval Weighing Accounts For Rasmussen Accuracy.

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 8:28AM

Simply not true.

In 1980's, the debt increased by 610 billion.

In the 1990's, the debt increased by 2,353 billion (I forgot who was President then, wanna remind me?)

From 2001-2006, the debt increased by 2,822 billion (George W.).

From 2007-2010, the debt increased by 5,078 billion (I forget who was in control of Congress, care to elucidate?)

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 8:30AM

Figures, by the way, come from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.....ublic_debt

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 10:02AM

Congress can't do a thing without Presidential signatures - unless they are able to override a veto in both Houses of Congresses, which they don't ... so who is President over the last 30 years matters most - and your numbers are way wrong - by a bout 1/2 ... here I'll give you a website to stuff in your pipe and smoke it...
Read it and weep - http://zfacts.com/p/318.html

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 4:16PM

Well you got it exactly backwards - which is par for the (your) course. The President can't spend one nickel without congressional approval - but thanks for playing. In many ways it is unfair to blame the President, but since you insist ...

Under Barry, the National Debt climbed from 10.105 Trillion to 13.529 Trillion in just TWO years - 2009 and 2010. Now who was it that controlled congress during those two years? Who was in the White House? Who are you trying to kid?

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 5:09PM

Now, as to your agenda-driven and misleading web reference ...

I get a real kick out of the claim the Clinton would have paid off the WWII debt beginning in 1981. Wanna try to explain that one?

But better yet, that same silly chart attempts to show the debt exploding under George W. Bush and slowing down under Obama - simply not true! The chart is misleading, intentionally so, in that it changes scales as it goes from left to right, drawing a sharply uptrending line for the Bush years and a slower rate of increase for Obama. Real data does NOT support that:

National Debt by year in billions:
2000 7,117
2001 7097 - down 20
2002 7503 - up 406
2003 7999 - up 496
2004 8475 - up 476
2005 8809 - up 334
2006 9125 - up 316
2007 9402 - up 277
2008 10105 - up 703
2009 12066 - up 1961
2010 13529 - up 1463

Note that the increase in the National Debt was SLOWING DOWN until there was a watershed congressional election in 2008. I forget, what is it exactly that happened then?

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 5:10PM

Op[e. meant watershed election of 2006 - fat fingers.

Lawrence Boccardi| 7.27.11 @ 7:27AM

In reading the above comments, I find a lot of rehash of the last month's events, and not much more. The thing that struck me most, there are those that are stupid enough to still defend Obama, and stupider still, to display it.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 7:31AM

Your opinion - which is worth what you think it is.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 7:38AM

Yup, and it's worth what I think it is, too. And, I think it's worth a lot.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 7:57AM

Another party opines ... you told me. hahaha

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:04AM

Yup, I did.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 8:16AM

And IT is worth as much as any opinion and smells the same.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 8:36AM

For once, you're 100% correct.

RustyG| 7.27.11 @ 8:40AM

Your tag "purpleguy" implies you're both red and blue but all you ever spout are liberal talking points. Maybe you should consider "blueguy".

As an obvious BHO supporter I can understand your frustration with the fact that the ship you are in gets a lot emptier everyday. It begs the question... are you defending the indefensible in an attempt to prove to yourself that your point of view is still relevant and factual...OR... are you just that stupid.

Pecos Pete| 7.27.11 @ 8:51AM

Every time I see purpleguy making a comment I think, nope, not purple but RED guy/girl. He/she is a communist agitator and all here would do well to simply ignore him/her/it. On the other hand, he/she/it is worth a gigle now and then.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 9:10AM

He provides light entertainment... always a good thing.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 3:00PM

Oh, wow. Someone disagrees with you and we finally get to that final tar brush of the Right - a "communist agitator."

And I thought Joe McCarthy was dead. Unfortunately, at least his spiritual and ideological descendants are alive and well.

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 1:37PM

Yes, Purple - an Obama supporter - and Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan and Papa Bush, and Clinton - NOT GW Bush.
Ship emptier? You mean the Big Tent Party? Well that would be the Democratic Party, but I am Independent - Trouble for your side is the further right you go, the more left I seem. I call it like I see it and the fact that no Republican is interested in paying any bills they racked up in deficit spending by raising taxes on their wealthy buddies just irritates me to no end.
But it does interest me that you have to end with ad hominem attacks ...

Mimi| 7.27.11 @ 8:23AM

Again Peter...GOOD WORK ! How you can assemble all the facts and figures and present them in a SIMPLE, understandable fashion is beyond me. I do know this, me and many others are truly GRATEFUL for your work...THANK-YOU !
Your last two sentences were an eye-opener, for it has been on many minds, those thoughts , and maybe not SPOKEN by some!

" NOT PAYING THOSE BENEFITS ( social security) WOULD BE AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE"
" AND THERIN MAY LIE THE ONLY TIMELY SOLUTION TO OUR NATIONAL PROBLEMS"

tsd| 7.27.11 @ 9:01AM

Ryan provided the most sane budget anyone has come up with...send it back and stick to it...period, end of story. Cut, cut, cut the spending, it is the only sane thing to do, it fits the math, it makes sense, it is logical. Cut the BS and lets get the US back on track. Throw out anyone that stands in the way...it is long past the time WE THE PEOPLE take back out country!!

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 9:12AM

tsd,

I can't wait for the primary season. How 'bout you?

George S| 7.27.11 @ 9:16AM

If the Ryan budget is forgotten about in 3 months, how will it be adhered to for 30 years?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 10:34AM

George S,

Unfortunately, like any hopeless addict, the federal government will probably have to hit rock bottom before any improvement is made. In the meantime the states seem to be on an upward path. God bless the wise and intelligent governors who are willing to risk it all.

Indiana Alex| 7.27.11 @ 9:34AM

I wish these libs would defend their position rather than change the meaning of words (taxes/revenue) to disguise their true intentions.

Any discussion about raising taxes should start with the increases that will either come due to expiration of previous legislation, or the BIG taxes for Obamacare.

Next when we talk about "taxing the rich" it should be clear to thoughtful people that "the rich" are the only group that will not be hurt by this policy. Warren Buffett doesn't have over $250,000 in income, so "taxing the billionaires" doesn't help much in this case.

"The rich" by definition don't need income, and have the means at their disposal to avoid taxation through trust funds, foreign tax shelters, and probably a lot more that we and the brain donors at treasury don't even know of yet.

All the "tax the rich" approach does is move capital investment out of the productive economy in the US. This is especially true now when businesses and investors have no idea what the effective tax rate will be even out two years, so there is no way to accurately determine return on investment or return on capital.

The ultimate result is high unemployment and lower living standards. The only demographic that doesn't feel the pain in this environment are the actual rich who don't need income.

It's difficult for liberals to understand, but small businesses will have a much harder time finding seed captial where the risk to the investor is always very high, and the returns are subject to confiscatory tax rates.

Further, small businesses will either not expand, or contract sufficiently to avoid the penalties associated with Obamacare.

It's easy for liberals to repeat nonsense about past presidents, invent new economic terms (jobs saved?????), use poll tested euphemisms, and one word answers to complex economic issues (speculators!!!).

The bottom line for this Administration in terms of re-election are the results of economic policy. After three years likely voters will not continue to buy the "things would have been worse" line, and the results of Obama's economic policy are highly predictable.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 3:06PM

Okay, I get your points.

But, as I understand it, there are something like $2 trillion on the sidelines - not being spent on jobs, well, just basically not being spent. One of the constant drumbeats from the Right/Tea Party/Republicans is that business needs certainty - in no small part reliant on consistent and predictable federal taxation. I agree.
How can any business plan or take an appropriate risk in this climate? WHY would any business take a risk in this climate?
The Tea Party adherents in the House have done a masterful job as a minority bringing the entire process to its knees. Deserved or not, when it hits the fan, the majority of the blame is going to fall on the Tea Party adherents.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 3:49PM

Why would they get the blame? They haven't taken away any of our liberties and they haven't stolen and squandered decades of tax money. All they've done is said, "Stop this madness!"

Of course, if you're the one who's been stealing the money, you are going to blame everyone but yourself.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 4:37PM

First off, GaryB, I haven't stolen anyone's money.

And I know how this site's posters love to bash your 2008 standardbearer but apparently John McCain isn't impressed with the Tea Partiers' shenanigans either:
"What is really amazing about this is that some members are believing that we can pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in this body with its present representation -- and that is foolish,” said McCain on the Senate floor, according to The Hill. "That is worse than foolish. That is deceiving many of our constituents.”

"The Arizona senator regarded the situation unfolding as 'unfair' and 'bizarre.'

"In an interview with National Review Online earlier this month, McCain singled out Bachmann over her unwavering opposition to raising the debt ceiling.

"There are Republicans who are committed, like Michele Bachmann, to vote against raising the debt ceiling under any circumstances," he explained, suggesting that Bachmann is acting 'sort of like Senator Obama did.'

W| 7.27.11 @ 8:50PM

Did you vote for McCain, David/Right?

Anthony| 7.27.11 @ 10:00AM

Obozo is the consumate Alinskyite Marxist. He has learned well how the manipulation of the language can continue to fool the morons who refuse to fulfill their civic responsibility and get engaged.
No matter, the die is cast. The hapless Rs have attempted to avoid Armageddon, but they are hopeless outmatched by the amoral lefty bastards in the D party, the LSM, and their own timidity.
When the collapse comes, things will get real ugly, real quick, and no amount of "just words" from Obozo's mouth will prevent what is to come.

George S| 7.27.11 @ 10:00AM

Don't Blame the House.

2011. The government borrows a trillion this year and cuts a trillion over 10 years... aka 100 billion a year.

2012. The government borrows a trillion and a half more this year (to cover the interest) and cuts a trillion and a half over 10 years... aka 250 billion a year for nine years plus 100 billion on the 10th. However, the 100 billion savings from 2011 was eaten up by the 400 billion debt interest.

2013. The government borrows a two trillion more this year and cuts two trillion over 10 years... aka 450 billion a year for eight years plus 200 billion for two years plus 100 billion on the 10th. However, the 200 billion savings from 2011 and 2012 was eaten up by the now 500 billion debt interest.

2014... I'm sorry but just how did the House do its job?

Isn't this like telling your credit card company that you need an increase in your line of credit to pay your debt interest by buying things that are on sale? You'll pay them back with the money you "saved" off the regular price.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 10:37AM

The members' main goal is to decieve the public and remain as blameless as possible. Their favorite tool is a committee, a key element in the game called, kick the can.

JP| 7.27.11 @ 11:00AM

Boehnner knows the Senate will never sign off on any real cuts for 2012. And he knows that the President will have to sign something if the House and the Senate come up with a compromise in the 11th hour. In order to that, Boehnner is playing thier game on his own terms, He knows if he is too passive, Obama and Reid could successfully tie not only the debt, but the entire economic mess on his lap. Hence, the fake"cuts".

In truth, I don't think the people really understand the road Obama has put us on. He successfully created a new spending baseline 35% above Bush's 2007 budget (the last budget before the recession hit).

Many moons ago, the GOP flirted with reducing discretionary spendings to 2007 levels. If the GOP is to attempt that they will need the WH (with a real conservative) and the Senate (with at least a sizable block of conservative Senators). A lot of ifs. The alternative is to have the bond market dictate our budget.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 11:34AM

JP,

You said, "The alternative is to have the bond market dictate our budget." As someone who supports deferring to the free market as much as possible, what's wrong with that? What's the downside?

JP| 7.27.11 @ 12:07PM

GaryB,
The downside of that would be AA or A rating and annual interest payments that would be larger than defense spending.

And think of all of those IRAs, 401ks, etc... that have anchored thier funds on AAA T-Notes that would fall to AA or A rating. The SEC has rules for these public institutions and banks (as well as insurance companies). They're only allowed to carry so much high risk investments in thier portfolio (A and AA bonds). These funds managers would have to sell off thier government bonds (if they could find buyers) or make up for the risk by either holding more cash or less risky slow growth investments. Either way, it would be shock to the financial world.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 3:57PM

JP,

Yes, but how about all of those short term bond holders who have taken a huge hit on their income as they're rolled over their investments. The government is keeping rates artificially low for its own purposes. Like it or not, the market will determine rates again.

This is another case of the government screwing up the free market. As you said, there will be disrpution as it returns to a market pricing mechanism. What a mess, eh?

Jack London| 7.27.11 @ 2:11PM

Tell me this George - how many jobs will be created by the spending cuts?

George S| 7.27.11 @ 3:58PM

Why, then, increase taxes if all it takes is to keep borrowing?

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 4:00PM

Jack London,

How many jobs will lost if spending is not cut. As Steve Wynn (Las Vegas hotel owner) said, Obama is a web blanket over business investment in this country. Until he goes, business owners will only be playing defense. Not good for job creation.

Jack London| 7.27.11 @ 4:39PM

I'm genuinely at a loss here - so I hope you economic geniuses can help. How does taking billions out of a very weak economy and throwing a few million more out of work boost demand for companies to invest? As you know, I'm a very simple person so please explain it properly.

skip| 7.27.11 @ 9:15PM

Equus Asinus Enthalpy London | 7.22.11 @ 4:18PM:

"FACT: Every dollar spent on unemployment benefits creates $1.61 in economic growth."

Why are you asking such a stupid question as "how many jobs will be created by the spending cuts?"

We are investing in unemployment. Unemployment yields economic growth exceeding any other return on investment. We can't turn down 61% on the dollar.

It's a FACT. You said so just five days ago.

How come you never provide what business education and experience you have? We're genuinely at a loss why you won't tell us. As you know, we are all but simple people so please explain it properly.

Or are you just an idiot.

irish19| 7.27.11 @ 11:22PM

Beautifully done!

skip| 7.28.11 @ 12:53PM

I will be content if I exhibit intelligence and honesty in my posts as consistently as you do.

Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 10:49AM

George,
You know this, I know this, and all those Tea PARTY Freshman know this. Given the utter incompetance of Podium Jestor we (well, a few friends) should be enough to carry the day in 2012. Look for a "landslide" involving Republicans; all thase beltway "caractures of fiscal responsibility" you allude to are going to be part of a "landslide" alright, "landslide"of resignations in the face of primary Tea Party conservatives.

Oldefarte| 7.27.11 @ 11:46AM

There ain't gonna be no 'landslide', fool. The Rs will be lucky to obtain control of either the Senate or the WH, and it'll be a shazam moment if they get both. Cut the trainler park insulting crap and try persuasion, unless you want to continue turning off independent conversions from same, okay Floyd??????????

Margie| 7.27.11 @ 12:28PM

Maybe he thinks his self righteous alone will be enough to elect a Republican majority without his actual having to cast a vote.

Oldefarte| 7.27.11 @ 2:18PM

No, Margie, your profound word 'thinks' is key here, which is something that he/they CAN'T/WON'T do!!!!!!!

Oldefarte| 7.27.11 @ 2:23PM

PS, Margie: The Donald claiming the the Republicans are boxing the Democrats into the ropes and will win if they hold firm on Boehner's plan. DeMint says the Ds set the debt limit, and spent up to its current level; and refuse to accept a CCB idea. I think these Rs are doing a great job [course I'm prejudiced], but we've got to give them substantial reinforcements next year. We've previously screwed up by allowing these socialists to sneek back in, and now we've got to do our part by voting the R ticket exclusively next year+!!!!

Margie| 7.27.11 @ 2:44PM

Olde,

I've vote straight R my entire voting life, and am proud of it. In fact as a Christian and American, it's my patriotic duty!

Why would I ever allow my vote to be thrown away, to a stinking Leftist socialist Democrat.

Heh, did you see Hauschild's hypocritical post today where he said he'd vote for any primary challenger to Boehner in order to get him ousted?

It's ok for this accuser of other conservatives to do, but not us.

Somehow he "gets it" for himself, but when we vote 'R' in order to oust Obama, it's somehow being a traitor to conservatism, and a phony.

Perhaps it's being a traitor to HIS type of conservatism.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 4:07PM

Margie,

Here's the problem with Bohner. He's part of the establishment. He's torn between doing what he's always done (reach across the *&$# aisle and cave in) and the Tea Party that is holding he feet to the fire. There are others who would be much better House leaders. I'm am sick and tired of holding my breath every time there is an opportunity for Republicans to sell us out. So I, too, will vote for any primary challenger to Boehner if he or she is an actual conservative.

Margie| 7.27.11 @ 5:00PM

The issue isn't about Boehner, really.
You don't understand.
What I'm dealing with here is the self righteous nasty individuals who attack anyone who votes Republican.

Turns out Hauschild confessed he voted for McCain himself! LOL.

It's a separate issue.

Some do not want a Republican party at all, and want a third party~ so they castigate us for voting 'R'.

So, it isn't a matter of whether or not I agree with him on Boehner specifically~ I will also vote for a more conservative rep if there is one.
I root for the 'R's because they're my party and trying to do the right thing.
If they cave, I don't appreciate it. But all the asinine, "You're a traitor to conservatism" if you vote 'R' is stupid, and harmful.

The issue is his (and some others) character assassinations.
Got it?

Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 9:18PM

Here is my post and I quote, "I vote(d) the Palin ticket." I did that hoping that McCain would have expired soon due to extreme RINOism. He did not, of course, and he stabbed us in that back, like all of your heros do, again today.

Margie| 7.28.11 @ 11:58AM

You just can't help your self, can you, Micheal, with your lying, petulant arrogance?

You say, "like all of your heros",

You're nothing but a two-bit nasty punk.
Like I said before, your nothing but a bullying two-bit lying, immature child punk in a sixty-some-odd year old's body.

God's gonna cut you down, you punk.

RINO's aren't my heros as much as they aren't yours you two-bit low life loser.

Now grow the H!@#$ up~ get a life~ and quit bullying women.
And men.
Loser.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 11:50PM

I got it, but some of us are exhausted having nothing but lesser-of-evils choices. I voted for McCain because he was the lesser evil. He would have been far superior to the creep we have now, but he's no conservative. He loves the press way too much.

Margie| 7.28.11 @ 11:59AM

Gary B,

Thanks for an honest reply.

And all I can say to it is~ NO KIDDING!!! So are we ALL!!!
Thanks again, sir.

Who Knows?| 7.27.11 @ 11:32AM

I had an acquaintance who worked for the local water waste treatment plant, and when he finished work, boy, did he stink!

Lawmakers, sausage makers, urine and excrement purifiers?

What’s the difference?

Probably the key cause of so many deaths in the Middle Ages was the lack of an adequate water system---people just dumping their waste in the street, so that they were surrounded, physically, with deadly self-exhausted chemicals.

They made THEMSELVES sick, unconsciously, to be sure.

These days, the political-economical dimension of understanding is essentially in the same state of DARKNESS.

The Universe is not an accident. That is, not only DESPITE the burgeoning rhetoric by even lowly Internet posters like me, but including it, what you see is what you get.

It’s not a mystery that Reid, Pelosi, and Obama are IN CHARGE!

The noosphere, or the mental realm, of Americans, is in precisely the same low level of understanding that the Medieval plumbing system was---and, therefore, NEEDS to have a cosmic “colonic”!

Stupid is as stupid does.

Buy and hold gold.

Read Mark Steyn and be informed, in order to choose your own actions that can help YOU survive the coming CRAPPY and SMELLY events.

Conrad Spiracy| 7.27.11 @ 11:44AM

Purpleturd reminds me of Bill Paxton in Aliens (second in the series). When the lab gets overrun by aliens, and everybody else is bailing, he's still there shootin' away (pardon the Palinism) and eventually goes down. Just like Paxton, Purpleturd will go down shooting - along with the rest of the socialist libtards.

junkyard infidel| 7.27.11 @ 12:13PM

purplegay is just another poster troll for ignorance and irrelevance spewing pseudo-intellectual mental flatulence in his attempt to feel impotent ! it's pathetic, but highly entertaining !

Purpleguy| 7.27.11 @ 1:52PM

Everybody's bailing - on this site you never were on the ship - so you have no clue what you are talking about. I'm not a liberal, but most liberals are not socialists - you just keep saying they are - but that don't make it so. Are you a right-wing nut case?

George True| 7.27.11 @ 2:20PM

You come here and spout leftist drivel. Nothing you ever say is even remotely logical. You have become a caricature of yourself.

We can't fix stupid here, Perp. Go away. You are banal and boring.

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 2:24PM

ad hominem attacks ...

Oldefarte| 7.27.11 @ 2:25PM

Most liberals are not socialists? You're correct....''''''ALL''''' LIBERALS ARE SOCIALISTS!!!!!!!!!

DaveS| 7.27.11 @ 12:02PM

The regular pattern of Obama's speeches goes like this: 1) let's briefly talk about the problem; 2) now let me talk about me and my troubles and those who oppose me and my poor dog...... Even the left press knows he's a juvenile. And the guy who called him a dick merely told the time of day - and paid for it. You idiots who voted for him: please apologize to those who did not.

drgene| 7.27.11 @ 2:02PM

Let's get serious:
The House should immediately pass a bill that
FREEZES 2011 @2008 levels. Kill the Baseline
Budget procedure--which builds in Increases.needed or unneeded.

Go back to Before Obama, and see how the economy blossoms. The Problem is Obama's increased Budget authorizations(by baseline
budget act of 30+ years ago)and expenditures.

FREEZE IT!! That means NO OBAMACARE
authorizations or expenditures!!

Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 2:46PM

These fools are capitulating themselves into a frenzy for nothing. Anything they come up with will be killed in the Senate and/or vetoed by Obama. The plan here is for Obama to “save the nation” from the Republicans and the evil Tea Party by invoking the 14th Amendment.
Boehner is so stupid that he is expending all his arrows shooting at a shadow.

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 4:16PM

Michael,

I think you are right. The trouble with Boehner is that he's playacting in public and selling us out in private. That's what Republicans do. That's why they are the lowest form of life in DC. At least Democrats let you know what you're getting - high-octane socialism. Independents? Only God knows what motivates them from moment to moment. I think their main goal is to be preceived as intellectual. You know - carefully weigh both sides of the argument. That's not the best strategy when you're going over a waterfall. What we need most right now is a boatload of emotion - anger.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 2:49PM

What is the text of the Balanced Budget Amendment? What does it say?

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 4:11PM

You do know how to google don't you? Go to GOP.GOV and try their search engine.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 5:12PM

Thank you. No, I don't know how to "google" but I do know how to do Internet searches. I've tried several searches and I got some things from 2006 but nothing recent. I'll try gop.gov.

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 5:15PM

Look under Cap, Cut, Balance act. Not amendment.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 5:34PM

Got it. Thanks again. I understand the fury and frustration that has engendered bringing this forward again.
Several questions/observations.
I don't read anything that requires the President's budget to include ALL expenditures or any provisions for full and honest disclosure of all expenditures. Two examples of big ticket items - the continued hiding of the American nuclear warfare program in the Dept. of Energy budget (a fault of Democratic and Republican Presidents) and Bush's failure/deception to put the Iraq and Afghanistan wars "on the books."

Based on my experience in watching Wisconsin state budgets for the past 30-plus years, I see all kinds of loopholes for the kind of accounting gimmicks that BOTH parties have used to kick that proverbial can down the road under the guise of "balancing" a budget.

What happens to multi-year expenditures - including those for defense (say, a new fighter jet that requires outlays over several years)? It would be budgetary and planning insanity to require these to be approved on a yearly basis. After all, corporate interests continually harp on the need for certainty and predictability in federal monetary and fiscal policy.

I don't read any enforcement beyond Section 7's lame " ... Congress shall enforce and implement this article by appropriate legislation ... ." I kinda liked the idea that I believe was floated by some Tea Partiers that failure to enact an honest balanced budget on time will result in suspension of all Congressional pay and benefits until a budget is passed. Now that would get politicians' attention.

Why does Section 6 focus solely on military threats and situations? We can argue the causes and solutions of the most recent recession all we like but I think that qualified as a threat to the American body politic.

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 5:59PM

I'm not a fan of the current attempts at a BBA. You might want to look at: http://www.heritage.org/Resear.....ated-Equal
for an analysis of both the Senate and House versions.

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 7:22PM

No it isn't perfect. I have yet to see one that is. But I think it is significant that people in DC are even talking about a balance budget amendment. Washington needs to revamp how it handles bills. Why should they expect to take the prevoius years budget, add 3-10% (depending on what the item is) and call that the baseline for the next year? If there is a increase in spending in that area they don't even include the 3-10% in the numbers, its just a given! Why shouldn't they have to justify the previous years expense and start arguing for a yearly budget from a zero dollar standpoint. Justify to the people why you need X amount of dollars. There is no accountability in DC once a dept or spending bill is passed. No one is checking to see if the money could be better spent. Can you name the last goverment program or dept that was ever cancelled because it was no longer needed?

David Shoup| 7.27.11 @ 3:50PM

Yep.

Tolerance| 7.27.11 @ 4:56PM

To you Radical Republicans:

You've made a grave error - you do not represent a majority of the American people, and you have focused on the wrong practice.

Yes, a majority agrees that the fat needs to be cut, programs and services that are wasteful need to be pared back or eliminated. There is plenty our government needs to clean up. But for you to suggest that any compromise is unacceptable, that the tax cuts for the highest earners shouldn't expire or corporate loopholes shouldn't be closed leaves you in the minority and looking a lot like you're in someone's pocket. Are you? You wouldn't lie, would you?

For you to insist that compromise is a bad thing smacks of dictatorship. You do not speak for all of us, even though you claim to. Eliminating waste and compromising are not the same thing. You did not get a mandate, you got the House, and even in that instance not all Republicans agree with your extreme dictator views. In case you haven't noticed our world is in serious trouble. It's sort of like the family you allude to who has run out of money and must make cuts to live within its means. Except you'd quit buying food and water rather than accept a raise so your family won't starve. Accept a raise? Not you - starve the greedy family! Now is not the time to starve them while you look for things to cut out of your budget.

QUIT ACTING LIKE YOU SPEAK FOR ME - YOU DON'T!

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 5:13PM

And the emmy for "Liberal pretending to be a empathitic conservative" goes to : Tolerance. Step right up and get your goverment check.

Moron,
Republicans understand what compromise is, they also understand how the Democrats have played it since all the way back to Regan. Republicans compromise, Democrats lie and swear to compromise then claim they had their fingers crossed and we really need to increase spending so the kids whose families are on welfare can also get free breakfast, lunch, and in some cases dinner so that they don't have to spend those foodstamps on neccessities and instead can blow them on that T-bone steak. Or better yet, sell them at the corner grab & gulp for 25 cents on the dollar.
Give us a break, no one on this site claim to speak for all Republicans. Only the conservative ones.

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 5:51PM

I fail to understand how any reasonable person can clamour for closing "corporate loopholes." It's akin to saying, "please, please, I want to pay more for everything I buy." Why would you *want* to do that?

Or are you foolish and/or naive and don't think the business will pass on their added tax burden to their customers? Surely you know better than that.

beebop| 7.27.11 @ 6:50PM

GO TO HELL .... or at least where cretins such as you like to call people obscene names based upon the deviant sexual practices of that group you all claim to support. What will happen when gay men realize that you are laughing at them? One more "base" that 0bama can kiss off.

skip| 7.27.11 @ 9:23PM

Asswipe

Do you mean we should compromise like the democrats did enacting Obamacare? Compromise like that? Please explain in detail all the compromising that occurred in the House, and in the Senate, and in the Oval Office that brought us that monstrosity that will cost trillions that isn't even part of the debt yet and isn't even part of this debt ceiling debate.

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 5:10PM

" ... have done their job."

Oh, really.

Then why would the the Republican-leaning National Association of Manufacturers is repeat its deman that Congress raise the debt ceiling?
But don't take my word for it.

Says NAM head Jay Timmons:
"Manufacturers have consistently called on the White House and Congress to raise the debt ceiling to allow the federal government to meet its financial obligations and provide certainty for the country and the overall economy. We have detailed the negative impact that default would have on businesses, employees, competitiveness and our nation’s ability to grow. Sadly, the agreed-upon deadline now looms less than a week away, and manufacturers are justifiably concerned about the results of inaction.

"During the current uncertain economic times, Americans desperately need jobs. It is unreasonable for our government to stand by idly and allow interest rates to increase for families and businesses. Doing nothing also will result in a decrease in foreign investments in the United States and a general hit on the economy.

"This is the time for leadership in Washington. The White House and Congress must act to raise the debt ceiling to ensure our country’s fiscal and economic well-being. To do otherwise is wholly irresponsible and ignores grave consequences and fiscal responsibility."

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 5:18PM

Many agree, even John Boehner. However when he suggested a 2 step program he was told it would be veto'd unless it extended beyone the 2012 election.
So which is it, we need to raise the debt ceiling now to avoid default or we can't raise it now in a two part phase because we would still be talking about it at election time? Reminds me of all those other crisis that had to be done right now, didn't get done, nothing happend and we were told, ok for real this time we have to do this NOW.

beebop| 7.27.11 @ 6:51PM

How many more jobs are going overseas since GE has decided to move its Xray division overseas? This from the CEO who sits on the zerobama jobs commission! You can't make this crap up ....

TheRightIsAnythingBut| 7.27.11 @ 5:45PM

Thanks, DS, for some thoughtful rebuttal. I am more fond of the "grand bargain" approach and doing something long-term. Yes, that's beyond the next general election and no, I don't see that as a cheap political ploy. For either side.

Yes, I'm tired of the manufactured crises too. And I don't blame people for being tired of the whole "Cry Wolf" crowd. And I'd hope you'd use that brush on both ends of the political spectrum.

One reason is that I do sympathize with business that needs some level of certainty in the lending market, the monetary policy and fiscal policy areas. Approximatley 15 months (July 2011- November 2012) doesn't qualify in my view.

I think it's clear the American people (no, I don't want to debate this survey's results versus that survey's results) are willing to accept any honest deal that will reduce the deficit in the short term - and that includes raising taxes.

Drunken Sailor| 7.27.11 @ 5:50PM

I can find common ground in everything you said except the raising taxes part. Just strikes me as illogical. Broadening the tax base? Yes. Removing some of the loopholes, God Yes!! Rethinking the whole "Base Line" budgeting? A neccessity! Try running a business that way.

DaveD| 7.27.11 @ 5:56PM

"Corporate loopholes" aren't the problem. The problem is a tax code that is so convoluted and full of special rates for special taxpayers that it boggles the mind and is next to impossible to understand. You can't, or at least shouldn't, just cut out the loopholes and say you done good. You need to do the heavy lifting of re-examining the tax code, line by line, and get rid of the BS for everybody.

irish19| 7.27.11 @ 11:28PM

A flat tax then. Everybody pays the same, except for the poorest of the poor. Perhaps separate flat taxes for different types of businesses, e.g. corporations, LLCs, &c?
Thoughts?

Bob| 7.27.11 @ 6:36PM

Eight months ago the stupid party was on cloud 9, today disintegration led by none other than the Speaker of the House. Wall Street trumps the Tea Party.

Nick| 7.27.11 @ 7:22PM

Is that you, 3/5 Bob?

Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 9:38PM

My goodness what an incredible memory!

Nick| 7.27.11 @ 11:49PM

Mr. Hauschild,

Who could forget that blowhard?

Margie| 7.28.11 @ 12:01PM

The loser's kissing up to you, Nick.

He's a lying punk.

W| 7.27.11 @ 9:12PM

This is a good opportunity for any of the Republican candidates for president to announce a bold plan to deal with the deficit. Propose a plan to cut taxes, cut spending, eliminate all the useless departments ( such as speechwriters and a staff for the first lady), and attack Obama's reckless spending. Point out how the stimulus bill and obamacar have cost us. Point out that the federal government has paid over 100 billion dollars in social security benefits to dead persons, and has paid more that that amount to live useless federal employees in the energy and education depts.
This would be an opportunity for Romney,Pawlenty, Cain, and the rest. so far the only candidate with any balls has been Bachman.

Kingofthenet| 7.27.11 @ 10:15PM

You 'Tea Party' types are SO out of touch with reality, first somehow this debt is all Obama's fault? Wait what? Who was the President who enacted 'Tax Cuts', TWO Wars, and a Medicare Drug Benefit, ALL unpaid for.Hint is wasn't Obama. OK so now we all agree BOTH parties contributed mighty to this debt, so what do we do about it?
Well you fools like to equate Sovereign Debt to a families finances, So what would YOUR FAMILY do if you were spending more than you take in? There really are ONLY two options, the first one is get a 'second job'(More Revenue) you don't want that so that leaves CUT,CUT,CUT! Some of the biggest budget items are for the Seniors and sick, Medicare,Social Security and such they need to be MASSIVELY cuts NOW, than it's on the the Military and Education, Boy! we are going to have a greet Country after all this is done...
Btw: What you don't do is massacre the entire family in a Murder/suicide (Not OKing a Debt ceiling rise)

W| 7.27.11 @ 10:54PM

K, the two wars and medicare were enacted by both parties. The president does not enact, congress and the president enact. We are not cutting Medicare or Social Security, except for the 100 billion that SS paid to dead persons during O's reign of spending. If he can't even oversee the payment of benefits to dead persons how do you expect him to make cuts? You know that cuts can be made across the board in all agencies and departments. Look at the bloated staffs of the president and congress, and compare those numbers to 1960 or 1970. Why does the first lady, of any party, has a staff over 200 and speechwriters? This large increase occured under co-president hillary. It is a small amount compared to the budget, but this is an example of the numerous cuts that can be made. You know we do not have to cut SS benefits.

Nick| 7.27.11 @ 11:48PM

Kook of the Net,

Who was the biggest cheerleader for TARP? O'Bama.
How much is TARP going to cost taxpayers? At least $25 billion.
How many kids has O'Bama killed in Libya? Unknown.
What is the projected national debt by 2016? $20 trillion.
What is the projected national debt by 2020? $23 trillion.
How long has O'Bama dithered on the debt ceiling? 6 months.

He is going to be worse than Jimmy Carter!
Possibly as bad as FDR.

kerry| 8.1.11 @ 12:26AM

Everybody forgets LBJ. I actually think he was worse than Carter, and on par with FDR. Horrible president, socialist.

Naturalborn Texicanette| 7.27.11 @ 10:56PM

Purple Guy and King and the rest of you liberals,

GET OVER IT, ALREADY!!!!!!

To the rest of you guys - WOW!!! What a great debate! I've learned a lot just reading today. And I LOVE the way yall back it all up with good old hard evidence!!!!!

Thanks for the lessons!!!!

Gary B| 7.28.11 @ 12:02AM

Good old hard anger really helps, too. I've got to look around in my garage. I think I've got a pitchfork in there somewhere. The rest of the village is pretty angry, too.

POST American| 7.27.11 @ 11:15PM

------------------BOTTOM LINE---------------------

"There is NO reason, ABSOLUTELY NO reason,
why ANY nation should be borrowing money
from anyone ---least of all the United States."
-ALAN WATT
(essential online coverage as it happens)

-that 1.5 QUADRILLION in FAKE derivatives
debt (unmentioned)

-the debt-serf generating fractional reserve
system (never addressed)

-the deadly, TAX FREE 'benny violent'
EUGENICS driving, sovereignty subverting
'charitable' foundations (never talked about)

"---And in the US the corruption is so open.
REALLY. Unlike Britain where they're much
better at keeping it all behind closed doors."
-ALAN WATT

Kingofthenet| 7.27.11 @ 11:30PM

It is the SOLE responsibility of CONGRESS to write and create laws, not the President.

The President can express his views, he can agree or disagree and finally he can veto. That is all he is allowed under our constitution.

Nick| 7.27.11 @ 11:45PM

Like you know anything about the Constitution, Kook of the Net.

Unless, of course, it's the Soviet constitution!

Gary B| 7.27.11 @ 11:59PM

Better call up Obama and tell him what you just told us, 'cause I don't think he's playing by the rules. How about his czars? How about taking over GM? How about using EPS regulations to kill the oil industry? It goes on and on. This guy is a one-man tyranny.

Kingofthenet| 7.28.11 @ 12:17AM

They are no 'Czars' idiot, most of what FauxNews calls Czars are Cabinet members and Secretaries of Depts. Get a Civics textbook and read.

Michael Tomlinson| 7.28.11 @ 3:54AM

You moron they aren't Cabinet members they are Obama flunkies appointed without Congressional oversight. Cabinet members must be approved by Congress. That's why Obama appointed there failures in the first place they couldn't make it through a Congressional examination. You need to actually reading the civics book.

Gary B| 7.28.11 @ 6:57AM

Michael,

Thank you for defending me. I was going to respond, but this particular case is hopeless.

Kingofthenet| 7.28.11 @ 1:15AM

Why do you think a President Who's party Controls the UPPER branch of Congress should be required to pass ANY GOP proposal? How about the GOP passes the Senates bill?

beebop| 7.28.11 @ 3:48PM

So you are equating the Senate with the HOUSE OF LORDS? That must make the "people's house" the lesser house insofar as you are concerned. They had all the marbles just prior to November and did ABSODAMLOOTLY NOTHING with a budget. Pull your head out of your tuckus!

rick3262| 7.28.11 @ 9:44AM

Thanks for such a wonderful article. People need to read this and reflect on all of the deceptions that the Saul Alinsky-aligned Obama comes up with. If someone was to bring up all of his ties to Saul Alinsky, Jeremiah Wright, Tony Rezko, it would all make more sense to the American people. The MSM never fully vetted him or addressed these issues.

Now, I think that everyone would see how it fits together.

Tom | 7.28.11 @ 11:29AM

The whole budget negotiation thing is all theatre anyway. They aren't cutting anything. Even under the most ambitious plan, Paul Ryan's, spending goes up. They're arguing about how much less to spend than they were going to spend. With real spending cuts, actual spending goes down. There is a candidate who has such a plan. Not only that, but he has great ideas on many other issues facing America. He's not well known, but that is changing. He's a regular citizen. Check him out...he's been a soldier, a businessman, and is currently a teacher. The founders envisioned "citizen politicians" who would serve then go home. Perhaps we need another. At any rate, he's written on how to eliminate the deficit, get the economy going, the mess we call foreign aid, reforming the tax code, and many other issues. His ideas make sense. www.gradyforpresident.com.

Joe Six-Pack | 7.28.11 @ 1:42PM

I noticed how President Obama blames the current U.S. Congress for the financial mess we are in. I had though that he and the Congress saved us from 'falling off an economic cliff' back in 2009. That cliff is back. I guess the 'fix' did not work all that well.

Seems to me that this whole debt limit fight is really a backlash to the passage of Health Care. "We need to pass this bill so that YOU can find out what is in it." OK, pass Cut, Cap and Balance and then YOU can find out what it does.

patrick| 7.28.11 @ 3:22PM

The republicans control one third of the government so Obama doesn't have to sign anything. Cut cap and whatever has not chance of going anywhere. Take what you can get, elect a republican president, gain control of the senate, see you in January 2013. Let's have note of reality in this discussion please.

But also where are the defense cuts? The tea partiers/neocons are as bad in their own way as the liberals are. The left refuses to let their unconstitutional social programs be touched, but the neocons can't find one single dollar to cut in a defense budget that is larger than the rest of the world combined. Let me help you here. Let's get out of Iraq, out of Afghanistan, out of Europe for starters. We have 700 foreign military bases. Let's eliminate at least 300 of those to start with. The littoral combat ship, initial cost 250 million a copy, now over 600 million can probably be terminated. All this without weakening the defense of the country in the least.

K9Pal23| 7.28.11 @ 4:08PM

Excellent review of how we got here. I wish the House Republicans could spend more time educating the people instead of caving to the Democrat's scare tactics.

RaginCajun| 7.28.11 @ 4:54PM

I wish the democrats would grow some balls and call out the republican's on unrealistic compromises, but hey, we can't all win.

beebop| 7.28.11 @ 6:29PM

Where would they buy those balls from, exactly and how much would they need to borrow to purchas them? Maybe the BALLS they should have had to actually pass a freaking budget during the past 800 plus days ....

Stephen J Liddle I| 7.28.11 @ 5:25PM

Yes, you could.
Boys, it sounds like you want to renegotiate the Social Contract but is this the time?
Yes it does and we are: outrageous sums of 'haven' money is pouring into our islan'!

jgo| 7.28.11 @ 5:30PM

As much as I like some of Ferrara's early Socialist Insecurity reform ideas, he needs to work on his counter-spin skills.

The emphasis should not be on not blaming the House, but on blaming the Senate... and noting that the House have been wimps. I wish the Republicans would develop some intestinal fortitude and challenge the radical Leftists on their demands for unrealistic total concession to their excessive and unconstitutional spending demands and ever higher extortion.

The radical leftist extremists in the Senate and White House have repeatedly blocked several generous offers in compromise. This is another good reason not to begin negotiations by giving away half the ground, but by presenting an option you genuinely consider to be a reasonable goal.

Even the House proposals are to eventually, maybe, balance the annual budget, or at least not have the debt increases accelerate quite so rapidly as they have been.

The federal government budget should be balanced, and the federal government debt starting on its way down in FY2012, with the aim of zero federal government debt some time between 2025 and 2045.

graphs:
http://www.kermitrose.com/jgoMoney.html

spoofproof| 7.29.11 @ 9:12AM

We The People have been living in the advertising-driven market economy long enough to know that if you don't figure out a way to get your product and your message positioned in the public eye your product does not stand a chance. At this point I'm beginning to wonder which side the Republican Establishment is on. For years they've been getting their doors blown off by Democrats who really have no other message than "if you vote for us we will give you money."

I'm supposed to BELIEVE the Republican Establishment has not figured out to use the techniques of public relations, marketing and advertising to blow the simplistic self-serving Democrat Party out of the water? I'm supposed to believe that Republican Poohbahs with global access to (practically) unlimited funding can't figure out a way to overcome the ignorance and self-serving corruption of the pissant media and the pissant Democrats? Gimme a break.

There is something rotten in the Republican Establishment. Republicans should be winning this one in a walk but instead they are portrayed as fighting for their lives. Republicans have been making the same errors in strategic messaging over and over again. I know the Republican Leaders are not stupid men. If I can see the weakness in their presentation, I know they can too. Why haven't they done anything about it? Year after year I've watched Republicans lose even when they win. I believe there is something rotten and corrupt at-or-near the tippy top of the Republican National power structure.

Eleanor A Coody | 7.30.11 @ 3:12PM

I'm just a little old lady, widowed and living on SS and VA comp only. My husband and I worked most of our lives for the federal government, him in the military and me as a civilian and we were proud to do so ... but if we did our jobs as carelessly as the Senate is doing right now, we certainly would not be holding our jobs for long ... even as hard as it is to remove a federal employee.

What gives our lawmakers the right to take such stands and put people through these hoops when we all know that at the 12th hour they will change their minds and take credit for a job well done. Retirees, let's stand up and fight ... I can't do anything this time due to surgery but next time ... I'll be out there standing up for what is right for our country and hopefully electing people who care about our flag, country, people and God.

rogelio| 8.1.11 @ 1:12AM

The republican plan has some good points, but it would have been appropriate (but maybe a little too nonpartisan) to point out the fact that G W Bush inherited a budget in surplus and only took a decade to bring it into huge deficit. I know a lot of people would like to put all the blame on Obama, but that is not realistic.

POST American| 8.3.11 @ 3:51AM

-----------------HAD ENOUGH?---------------------

-----------------THIS JUST IN--------------------------

'----Banksters ABOLISH Congress----'
-Alex Jones

------Still NOT convinced viz a viz
HUAC meets NUREMBERG?

------------------YOU WILL BE---------------------

Cartier Pendants | 8.9.11 @ 9:31PM

This is a really good read for me, Must admit that you are one of the best bloggers I ever saw.Thanks for posting this informative article.

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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 7.27.11 @ 6:26AM

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