First off, by having no illusions – from NRO’s The Corner:
…“The Democrats will not give us anything that will not humiliate and shame us, unless we make them,” he warns. “It’s a stare down, and a lot of Republicans don’t have a taste for it.” Yet DeMint sees no other choice: “If Democrats won’t cut public broadcasting, if they won’t cut Planned Parenthood, how do we expect them to really cut anything that means anything?”
He reminds Republicans that Democrats walked into “a public-opinion buzz saw” to pass Obamacare. And he predicts, “If we don’t pass anything, then we’re on defense the whole time.”…
And in light of that, DeMint is urging House passage of “cut, cap and balance”: Cut spending by $700 billion next year, cap spending at no more than 18% of GDP and pass a balanced budget amendment which includes a requirement for a 2/3 vote to raise taxes. With that, we can tell Obama and his Democrats that we agree to raising the debt ceiling – just as soon as “cut, cap and balance” passes out of the Senate.
This is a winning strategy – the people are on the side of real budget cuts; the people are on the side of a balanced budget amendment; the people are opposed to tax increases…but people are and will remain wary of default, and so the Democrats do have some leverage in the debt ceiling debate (the majority are wrong to view it thus – but a generally held opinion, whether well- or ill-founded cannot lightly be set aside). This strategy gives us the whip hand – and the people will wonder why Democrats don’t allow it and thus also get the debt ceiling increase they claim is vital.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if the Democrats do or don’t – if they do, it works to our advantage because we will have put America’s fiscal house in order. If they don’t, then they get to carry their profligate spending in to 2012. I hope that the rest of the Congressional GOP pays heed to DeMint.
Blogs For Victory 
Too little, To late
we are (for all practical purposes) bankrupt.
Think soviet union, and greece.
I remember when the USSR fell apart and economists (conservative) told us we were 15 years behind them if we didnt get our house in order….well we didnt and heeeeer we are johnny!!!
and the marxist / donks want to spend more?
the true definition of insanity? or Cloward–Piven strategy perfected by the looters and takers.?
I have been following this issue very closely. I would like to know where Boehners leadership is. NOWHERE. Last November, I was on an election high with the take over of the House, but with the leadership of Boehner, I don’t see any leadership. The guy has no backbone and will not stand up to Obama and the Democrats. The only good thing that I can see that might come out of this is: If the debt ceiling is raised, and the economy continues to deteriorate, and it probably will; Obama will definitely be one and done. Above all else, that is what is important to me. If we get rid of the snakes head the rest will die, i.e. all the bad policies, etc. By the way, Jim DeMint is probably the GREATEST Senator serving right now. Unlike my Senator, Babs Boxer.