YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK

GOP decision time: Fight or fold on debt

'Republicans need to be prepared to draw the line for the president'

Posted: January 17, 2011
9:43 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2011 WorldNetDaily


Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Miinn.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., has launched a petition that tells Congress "Don't Raise the Debt Ceiling," http://www.michelepac.com/debtceiling and veteran Sen. Jim DeMint, R, S.C., is suggesting freshman to Congress oppose efforts to raise the limit because they didn't contribute to the problem. http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Offices

Even the Washington Post's Marc Thiessen writes in a commentary, "Let's be clear: Republicans have the upper hand in the coming fight over raising the federal debt limit. President Obama will push to raise the limit without giving Republicans the massive spending cuts they demand. But in the end he will cave." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01812.html

So what's with all the talk among Republicans about compromising, raising the limit and perhaps attaching a few spending cuts to the plan?

He was a leading tea partier before the label existed -- get Joseph Farah's book on the historic grass-roots movement: "The Tea Party Manifesto: A Vision for an American Rebirth"

At Americans for Tax Reform, the plan is for politicians to promise not to "vote for any expansion of the federal debt limit unless it is preceded or accompanied by significant cuts in federal spending." http://www.atr.org/atr-announces-debt-l ... cut-a5749#

On The Hill's blog, it was Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who said he will oppose raising the debt ceiling unless it comes with serious concessions from Democrats regarding budget matters. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... -on-budget

And conservative commentator Dick Morris warns unless House Republican members want a "civil war," they will accompany the expansion of the debt limit with "serious cuts" in spending. http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/d ... -face-chop

Read Joseph Farah's analysis of the GOP's plans to compromise.

But that may not be what voters were telling Washington in November when they overwhelmingly rejected Obama's agenda and installed dozens of new Republicans and tea party-endorsed candidates in the U.S. House.

"If President Obama does not go along [with spending cuts], Republicans should let the deadline pass without raising the debt limit," Thiessen suggested. "The government would not immediately go into default. The Treasury Department has many tools it can use to continue paying U.S. obligations during an impasse – such as suspending sales of nonmarketable debt, trimming or delaying auctions of marketable securities and under-investing in certain government trust funds.

"Congress has used these tools before. In 1985, Congress waited nearly three months after the debt limit was reached before it authorized a permanent increase," he said. "In 1995, four and a half months passed, and in 2002, three months passed.

"A debt-limit standoff could go on for months, but the GOP should not give in. Obama will have a hard time making Republicans seem unreasonable, since he voted against raising the debt limit himself as a senator. … And … 71 percent of Americans oppose raising the debt limit."

Bachmann's plan is to fight.

Video: MichelePAC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7MSrBFn ... r_embedded

"With the national debt $14 trillion and counting, Congress' spending frenzy cannot continue. It's time to force our elected officials to stop spending cold turkey, and we can start by making sure they do not raise the debt ceiling," her website explains. "That's why I'm asking you to personally tell Congress not to increase the amount of money the government can borrow by adding your name to the 'Don't Raise the Debt Ceiling' petition." http://www.michelepac.com/

Video: DeMint is no less direct. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... sqjsRBWWCU

At Therightscoop.com he says, "I think America expects us to fight." http://www.therightscoop.com/demint-to- ... he-problem

"None of us wants a government shutdown," he said. "But it's not something that we should be so afraid of that we should be willing to cave in to more debt. … The Republicans need to be prepared to draw the line for the president."

At The New Republic, Jonathan Chait warned that "once you've conceded that the limit is going to be raised, your ability to extract concessions is gone." http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/ ... cans-blink

And at Slate, commentator David Wiegel suggested, "The groundwork is being laid here for a vote to raise the ceiling that promises massive cuts in the future, which really isn't what the base wants." http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/weigel ... omise.aspx

Morris elaborated on his compromise position, urging Americans to sign the petition at Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform. http://www.creators.com/conservative/di ... -cuts.html

"We all know that the reason the federal government debt is exploding is the reckless spending policies of the Obama administration. From the time George Washington took the oath of office to the time Barack Obama did, Washington borrowed $9 trillion. Since Obama took office, two years ago, we have borrowed almost $5 trillion more!" he wrote.

"Obama will never allow spending cuts unless they are jammed down his throat, and his need for an expansion of his borrowing authority are the key chance to do so."

He continued, "Most don't want the limit raised at all But almost everyone will see the wisdom of cutting the spending as we raise the debt limit."

Bachmann, however, has another perspective. http://bachmann.house.gov/

"The government shouldn't spend more than what it takes in. We're taxed enough already. Congress should act within the limits of the Constitution … We won't go without a fight."

A spokesman for the Minnesota congresswoman said she's concentrating now on budget cuts that need to be addressed long before the debt ceiling issue comes up in March or April.

"She believes it's time to get serious here," the spokesman said.

Columnist Logan Penza at The Moderate Voice said he was confident that the "posturing" over not increasing a debt limit would be overcome by "wiser heads." http://themoderatevoice.com/98619/wrong ... rong-time/

"What will most likely happen is that Republican leaders in the House will play a little game of chicken, extracting from Democrats and from the president some agreement to further study the deficit reduction recommendations released a couple of months ago before agreeing to raise the debt ceiling. And while such token gestures will be far short of the kind of hard-look, serious reforms that really need to happen, even such business-as-usual nonsense is better than blowing up the fiscal foundations of the U.S. economy in a rush to get it done all at once," he wrote.

The Heritage Foundation, however, suggested the alarms about collapse and catastrophe should be ignored. http://www.askheritage.org/what-should- ... t-ceiling/

"The United States government will not default on its debt. Federal taxes will still be collected by the Treasury, and the United States Constitution requires the government to pay interest and principal on the debt first. The creditworthiness of the U.S. is not in danger," the Heritage Foundation said.

"The Obama administration is creating a rushed atmosphere, but members of Congress have time for full consideration and deliberation before making a decision on the debt limit and necessary spending cuts."

The organization suggested conservatives should "demand real, immediate, and significant cuts to federal spending. Any increase in the debt ceiling should be accompanied by immediate, substantial spending reductions. The Heritage Foundation’s Brian Riedl has identified $343 billion in cuts … but even this is not enough. We also need strong new rules such as hard spending caps to require continued, sharp spending reduction in future years – thus putting the budget squarely on a path to fiscal responsibility through lower spending, taxes, and borrowing."

Asked Thiessen, "Do they have the nerve?"

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