As we get closer to the dreaded deadline for increasing the Federal debt ceiling the facts are getting harder to find. And last week our fact challenged President claimed in a press conference that those recalcitrant Republicans just didn’t understand what the American people want. According to Obama, 80 percent of Republican voters support his “balanced plan” of spending cuts and revenue enhancements. The problem is he once again showed his absolute disregard for the truth when making his case to the American people.
The facts are that the latest Gallup Poll says 60 percent of Republican voters and 46 percent of Independent voters want their representative to vote against raising the debt ceiling. No poll currently supports the Presidents statement. So if the President can lie to the American people to support his position of what should be done, why should we trust he will do what he promises when it comes to cutting spending?
The President also believes that the average American is not capable of understanding the problem. At another press conference recently, the President said, “What does the average person know about government finance? I’d say practically nothing. An individual’s experience with debt is vastly different from what the government faces. An individual must pay his debts out of his own income. The government has other options.” That statement should strike fear in every voter. It is clearly condescending. It is the kind of statement that would be made by someone who believes only an elite ruling class can make decisions about what is best for the country. It is a statement that is clearly in direct conflict with our system of government.
Apparently our President has been listening too much to the convoluted logic of his liberal base. Consider for example this week’s progressive opinion on the national debt. Our liberal friends try to make the case that the national debt is no big thing considering it is roughly close to our annual national income and most families carry about 4 times their annual income in debt for their mortgage alone. Or they compare the national debt to Boeing borrowing 4 times more than it earns.
Like most liberal analogies upon closer inspection the logic doesn’t work. Individuals and corporations actually have cash flow over and above their operating expenses with which they can pay off that debt. But our government simply believes it can continue to spend more and more and when the debt comes due borrow more or print more money to pay it off. It’s a never ending spiral of increasing debt that will ultimately bury our children and grandchildren. In Obama’s own words, “the government has other options.”
That is what we are being asked to accept. Just increase the debt limit so we can continue to spend money we don’t have. A June Rasmussen poll did find that 70 percent of the people surveyed thought a default would harm the economy. But the other part of that survey found that 56 percent believed failure to cut expenses would be worse for the economy.
What is clear to anyone paying attention is the American people are frustrated by the out of control spending. It is time to end the borrow and spend cycle. We need to demand our representatives vote against the increase in the debt ceiling. Yes it will be rough. And we shouldn’t be surprised if Obama cuts off payments to seniors to punish the public and try to blame the Republicans for the problem.
Our country is in a financial crisis and our elected “leaders” want to kick the can down the road. Do you really trust them to fix this problem if we allow them to continue this fiscal insanity?
