National Debt Opportunity: Bigger Is Better for Negotiation

by Paul Ryan (link)  

by P.S. Read

Washington DC   

While pundits and prose plug away promoting their best laid plans to solve the "national debt crisis,"  facts are yielding to sheer panic & fear tactics. What is being lost in the frenzied debate by all sides is the word, "opportunity." 

This is where standing on principles pays off. With Cut, Cap & Balance blocked by Harry Reid, to "not rise to the opportunity" with Boehner's Two-Part Plan (here) plays into Obama's hand –  not the other way around.  If Conservatives do not address the financial mess whenever they have an opportunity (especially like this one), they will have lost all economic credibility. They will have lost the chance to follow up Gingrich's economic victory of the 1990s (here) with one even bigger.  

link to article here

➢ If Congress allows the Reid Plan to move forward, they will have increased the debt $500B, and not cut a thing. Reid's plan allows for a $2.7T Debt Extension & only makes $2.2T in cuts (from CBO here). It doesn't even pay for the extension↯. The Senate Democrat plan doesn't cut the national debt, it raises the debt. The Reid Plan adds $500B to the debt. Not to mention it doesn't touch the ever-expanding base-line, result of automated departmental fund-increases, interest and inflation.

☼ Reid gave Obama a sweet-heart deal. With Reid's Plan, Obama wouldn't have to face his number one detractor again – the debt he's racked up in his first term ♥ In an unprecedented move, Reid's debt-extension runs past the Presidential election. It's not the normal six month extension, but a full two years away. ♥ The nation is "teetering on the edge" (per democrat representatives) and Reid is playing politics to make it easier on Obama & harder to solve the debt problem.  After listening to the recent doom & gloom by Democrats, I say Dirty Harry is disgusting & has no place being a Senator of the United States of America.

➢ Reid also wants to circumvent the US Constitution by introducing his bill from the Senate.  Article 1 Section 7 (here) states ❝all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives, but Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.❞ Dirty Harry is not a Representative, and is only plotting to bypass the amendment process.  Do nothing and get continual blame for the sagging economy by both the bully pulpit, and its mainstream media. And the politics of blame will lead up to the Presidential election. We've been here, and we've seen this play out already.  ✪ No more replays of 2008, if you please  ✪

And when the economy starts to take a turn for the better, The People will remember & know whose legislation led to the brief recovery. The earned credibility will lend support to even more cuts, which is past due & desperately needed for the long journey toward full recovery & renewal (by Paul Ryan here).

 The Reid Plan also caps "war-activity spending" (here) --- its as if Reid thinks the enemy has no culpability in the matter. Maybe our enemies would be so kind as to abide by a cease fire when Dirty Harry runs out of "war money."  What's shocking?  

 ➢ Obama's Stimulus Bill alone ($780B) cost more than the entire War on Terror ($740B as of 2009).
Don't forget, Stimulus has been a lot less effective than the military in serving The People♠. The fact that stimulus failed (and the war has not) & the fact that Dirty Harry said "the Iraq war  was lost" in 2007 is what he's trying to hide (see above video). What's clear is that Dirty Harry is having flashbacks of his 1960s Anti-Military Protester Days. "War activity spending caps?" Maybe he's just pandering to Ron Paul Libertarians. 

Consider disavowing Boehner's plan to be support  for the Reid Plan & an opportunity lost. Especially when so much can be gained with little political returns going to Obama.   

Default can be easily dealt with, and only means that we pay the interest on our debt & meet our obligations.  The August 2 deadline is a false mark set by Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner (here), who recently admitted the date "might actually be August 10" (here). For the record, its now his 3rd change to the date.  In fact, as Senator Rand Paul points out "America is taking in $200B per month. We have plenty of money to pay our interest & not default."

Rep. Gohmert (TX) reinforced the sentiment, "There is $2.6T in the Social Security trust fund. Checks wouldn't be skipped unless Pres. Obama refused to issue them." Still, another bill sets out to guarantee  payment to our military. So, when it comes to solving the fiscal crisis, there is no better time than the present.

❝If not us, who? If not now, when?❞ is a Ronald Reagan quote used as a call to action. He used it to win the Cold War & Obama is borrowing it to solve his political situation, regarding the debt crisis vs the election time line.  Note: Reagan was dominated by Democrats in the House and in the Senate. And he did not shy away from negotiation. 

   Negotiation can yield big opportunity.

link to article 

And it can do so right in front of an attentive nation. Paul Ryan rightfully supports the Two Part Boehner Plan. Ryan realizes that Cut, Cap & Balance was blocked, and knows Obama really wants a longer extension so he "doesn't have to deal with it on the campaign trail." The debt process has been made purely political and is all about the 2012 Election.
The crown jewel for Conservatives is the Balanced Budget Amendment & 75% of The People support it. Whether in the 1st or 2nd part of Boehner's plan doesn't matter, as long as its in there. A Balanced Budget Amendment would preempt the out of control spending by Washington DC and would demand fiscal responsibility.

➊). The original plan called for a debt limit increase of 6 months -- the exact same duration given Reagan who was ending a 50 year Cold War with Communist Russia. 

    1a) If Democrats demand a full year of extension, then the GOP can demand  a vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment by April 2012 (Part Two of the Boehner Plan could even feature "pay go" (here) AND include a 2 to 1 Cut to Debt Extension ratio. The 2:1 ratio would pay back the extension, cut spending & pay down the national debt  -- the reason an extension is needed. 

     1b) If Obama wants a debt extension into 2013, then the GOP can demand a 3 to 1 Cut to Debt Extension ratio with a Balanced Budget Amendment AND ☑demand all states be given the chance to opt out of Obamacare, like so many unions & businesses have already done.  And like some states were already granted in a deal made behind closed-doors (Cornhusker Kickback, Louisiana Purchase & many other "pay offs" here). You've heard the radical buzz-words "balanced approach & shared sacrifice" being repeated daily by the radical left.  In order for sacrifice to be shared, both sides must experience some. 

➋). Democrats want to raise more revenue (which always means more spending) by closing tax loopholes. I think Republicans would be smart to accept their offer, but only if Democrats will agree to pass a uniform tax cut for both business and consumer. Like Bush, Reagan cut taxes for all incomes across the spectrum before closing loop holes.

    2a) If Dems insist on ending tax deductions, then the GOP can demand Capital Gains Rate be dropped by 3% (the same rate ObamaCare raised it behind closed doors).

➣ 2b) If Dems demand to tax Americans who pay the most of any group, the GOP can demand America become a "right to work" nation (here), that no Union be given a waiver from Obamacare & that Unions repay their bailouts just like everyone else (with interest). "Shared sacrifice" comes to mind.♨

➣ If Republicans want to add substantial & new revenue, they should demand more fossil-fuel drilling permits & immediately increase drilling here – in America.  How is reliance on foreign oil working out for the USA, again? Domestic production would put more people to work, drive down cost on everything & provide new tax revenue to pay down the debt.  There is a lot that can be done with proper negotiation -- and it means give and take (not just take). Democrats can no longer depend on lying & obnoxious behavior.  They should be prepared to give, in order to receive.

There is no chance that Harry Reid will pull "Cut, Cap & Balance" off the table. We're lucky Boehner proposed a follow-up plan or we'd be stuck with Reid's Plan, which only adds to the national debt & encourages bad behavior with more spending.  And McConnell's plan dodges the issue.

Who really thinks "sticking to your guns" will make Harry Reid pull "Cut, Cap & Balance" off of the table? Consider the history: Stimulus & Obamacare were forced down our throats despite 70% of The People opposing it. Now Conservatives have similar support for the Balanced Budget Amendment (which is part of the Boehner Plan), and some want to pass on the chance. To what end? We stuck to our guns with the Ryan Budget & with the Obamacare repeal.  Both bills passed the House & are now gathering dust in the Senate.

Libertarians are not Conservatives. 

Who is demanding Boehner step down and why? Who is demanding the GOP stick to its guns and ride down the river without a paddle? They're not Conservatives. They're Libertarians, or at least they're pandering to libertarians (here). And the media keeps confusing the two.

The same libertarians who say, "social issues are not fiscal issues and don't matter" -- despite the Housing Crisis and Obamacare (both of which are social issues & fiscal disasters) -- are those crying foul.  They are the same libertarians who are rabidly anti-war & easily dismiss the need to protect Americans from foreign attacks, which is why so many voted with Dennis Kucinich on Libya despite the now verified, Gaddafi ordered bombing of Pan Am 103. They are the same libertarians who are non-interventionist & want to close all over seas bases. They are the same libertarians who think the Father of the GOP, Abraham Lincoln, acted illegally in winning the Civil War.

Libertarians disregard the one document of America's Founding that remains unchanged - the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln relied on & actualized the Declaration ("all men are Created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights").  And note to Mr. Paul: even when England ended their African slave trade, they did not end their Irish Catholic one (here & here).

The same libertarians say abortion is only a 'social issue' & disregard the Declaration. They dismiss the $20 Billion per year cost to tax payers (here & here).  Per the ACLU, the states spend over $20B per year on abortion. And Obama funds international abortions via US AID ("Agency for International Development") to the tune of $460 Million per year. Another $39M per year goes to the UN for "population control programs" (here).  Can we afford all this wasteful spending during such an economic crisis? Instead of ALL tax-payers funding it, there ought to be a sin tax placed on abortion. There's some new revenue -- give and take.

Lets not confuse the two groups. Libertarians rely on the Constitution in its original form & intent. Conservatives put their faith in the Declaration of Independence.  One document can be perverted. The other cannot.

They are the same libertarians who wouldn't even endorse a conservative candidate for President, but instead said they'd support any candidate running against Obama - RINO or otherwise.  While Amy Kremer cries foul over a plan that still has a chance at fixing "fiscal issues" -- one can deduce Libertarians are really just confused liberals.

To illustrate the difference: Conservative Tea Partiers out number Libertarians 65% to 25%, as made evident by the amount of pro-lifers in the Tea Party movement (here).

Maybe Ms. Kremer should demand resignations from where its most deserved: the Democrat leadership.  And maybe she should take a look in the mirror & decide whether or not she truly represents the †ea Party --  65% of whom are Pro-Life.

And when there is nothing left to promote other than class-warfare (a main tenet of Marxism here), rest assured, Democrats will start making wild-eyed accusations without substantiation. But Remember: we are asked to raise the National Debt ceiling AFTER record level spending. As the Debt equals 100% of the total GDP. After ever rising food & gas prices. After a 20% hike in health-premiums result of Obamcare (which already cut Medicare $500B). And after one bill signed by Obama (Stimulus) out spent the entire cost of the War on Terror.