Senator Lee was, of course, once a clerk for Justice Alito, so he’s probably on firm ground here. Lee points out two very important points – only Congress can authorize debt and and the 14th Amendment requires the Secretary of the Treasury to ensure that valid US debts are paid. What this means is that Geithner can’t exceed the debt limit while he must pay the debts as they come due even if this means that other obligations of the United States are laid aside. As Geithner cannot lay aside Social Security and Medicare (they are entitlements with their own funding sources, the only thing he can do if he can’t borrow to pay old debts is to take money out of discretionary spending. This means he’ll have to pull the money out of the Departments of Commerce, Labor, Defense, Education, Energy, etc, etc, etc.
And that, my friends, is the real reason Obama wants this increase in the debt ceiling – he is afraid to show the American people that we don’t need to go further in debt and doubly afraid to show that if massive cuts are made to federal spending no one will notice. The whole thing about Big Government is the ability to convince people that utter disaster would result without it…that if we don’t keep the money rolling right on and up and up in Big Government, people will die; kids won’t get educated, granny will eat dog food…only Big Government can rescue us from this fate worse than death! The truth of the matter, of course, is that at least half of government spending is completely wasted. Money we don’t need to spend but which is spent to keep people on the gravy train. That is what Geithner will have to cut if the debt ceiling isn’t raised.
I am a bit disappointed in my Congressional GOP that they do seem willing to increase the debt ceiling at some point. I am happy that they seem to be holding very firm on no tax hikes and the need for significant cuts and spending reform…but the fact of the matter is that the debt ceiling does not need to be raised. I believe we could educate the majority up to this if we really tried – and if we did it we’d be taking the last bit of leverage liberals have…fear that a failure to raise the debt ceiling would be catastrophic. But, I guess we can only get so much at one time – in 2012 we’ll hopefully elect even more like Lee, and then we’ll be able to press things to an absolute conclusion.
Blogs For Victory 
” I believe we could educate the majority up to this if we really tried ” The problem is, the D.C. repub leadership does not want to. This would mean confrontation with the looters and takers. Confrontation must be avoided at all costs or so it would seem.
November 2012 is not all that far off. Work to elect conservative candidates for the House and Senate. Maybe just maybe we can get rid of boener, cantor, and mcconnell and get some leadership that will show, well, some leadership.
GMB,
Step by step – you start the revolution with the rebels you have, not those you’d like to have.
What are the rebels supposed to do when thier own leadership is discouraging the rebellion?
Gee, Timmy, I guess they just have to give up and go home, eh?
Cause who ever heard of a rebellion that was not supported and enabled by those at whom the rebellion is directed?
“Excuse me, your Majesty, but the American colonists humbly request permission to mount a rebellion against your oppression. No? Well, OK then.”
The whole point is that we need to rebel against everyone who is not actively supporting and fighting for a return to a Constitutional model of governing this nation. It does not matter what letter may follow their names in the political roll call. It does not matter what official political identity they may claim.
Politics is not about labels, or party identity. Politics is about the most basic element of government, which is the actual PLAN, the actual BLUEPRINT, the actual nuts and bolts and LAWS by which the nation is governed.
It is not about people, or scandal, or who did what when and how that can be used to distract us from the real issues at hand.
Let the Left’s mindless little foot soldiers flail away at conservatives because it makes them FEEL good. What we need to do is some serious thinking about what, precisely, we want to stand as the official binding rule of law for the governing of the United States, and if we decide it is the Constitution of the United States then THAT is the focal point of our rebellion, and the targets of that rebellion are those who either demand a contradictory model of government or those who don’t have the integrity or backbone to commit to what is already supposed to be our rule of law.
Tell you what—-if lack of support from those in the cross hairs of this rebellion concerns you, let’s wait and ask for forgiveness later instead of fretting about permission now.
Gee Amy…I will say one thing here. You are as dense as they come. You missed the whole point of my question. Not to mention “Timmy” Was that supposed to belittle me? Make me feel small and pathetic? You have an attitude problem that reaches to the moon. Anyone says anything you disagree with will get them this kind of remark.
Have you noticed the amount of people that will engage you in debate now versus when you first started posting here? Not that many huh? I wonder why? Could it be your engaging personality? Your willingness to be respectful and polite?
Timothy Davis is my real name. I was tired when I logged in this morning from a heavy day and night of work. My mistake. Opened myself up to an attack by the famously smartest woman on this blog. Shame on me.
You are really no better than the Thomas’s around here.
Have a nice day.
So, GMB/TimOTHY, what has your panties in a twist today?
Are you disagreeing with what I said or just ticked off that I pointed out the foolishness of fretting that the people we want to rebel AGAINST are trying to discourage us from doing so? (BTW, not knowing you were posting under more than one name, my post was a response only to the one by TD)
The bulk of my post was directed at Libs who never even bother to know what system they are defending and promoting, and the fact that the letter after a politician’s name is hardly proof of the political philosophy of that politician. If you see yourself in there somewhere, well, I guess that might explain why you are all wrought up.
You are the one constantly complaining about Republicans not being conservatives, and here I go pointing out that serious political philosophy is not necessarily linked to official political identity and you flip out and go into attack mode.
Perhaps the dense label was misapplied. Why don’t you stop channeling your Inner Lefty and stop inventing things that were not said, to whine about, and actually work a little harder to understand what WAS said.
So what, exactly, tripped your hair-trigger?
The whole point is that we need to rebel against everyone who is not actively supporting and fighting for a return to a Constitutional model of governing this nation. It does not matter what letter may follow their names in the political roll call. It does not matter what official political identity they may claim.
Is this what makes you call me names and snarl at me? Do you disagree with this statement? In what way? Go ahead, ‘fess up. I promise not to bite.
Or is it this you find so objectionable?
Politics is not about labels, or party identity. Politics is about the most basic element of government, which is the actual PLAN, the actual BLUEPRINT, the actual nuts and bolts and LAWS by which the nation is governed.
It is not about people, or scandal, or who did what when and how that can be used to distract us from the real issues at hand.
Hey, if that offends you then by all means tell me where I am wrong.
Did you think the following was, somehow, directed at you?
Let the Left’s mindless little foot soldiers flail away at conservatives because it makes them FEEL good. What we need to do is some serious thinking about what, precisely, we want to stand as the official binding rule of law for the governing of the United States, and if we decide it is the Constitution of the United States then THAT is the focal point of our rebellion, and the targets of that rebellion are those who either demand a contradictory model of government or those who don’t have the integrity or backbone to commit to what is already supposed to be our rule of law.
the great thing about america…is the the PEOPLE are the soverns…not the state or governmnet…we alone are have the rights…not the flunkies the communists have embeded in our government…
we just need to stand up and excercise those rights before they figure on bringing in the military to stop us…
I do miss the old log in system though. Thats what you get when you are tired. Name! Makes being a sock puppet a lot easier.
Green,
She is worse. don’t insult me now. We may have differences in opinion, but at least we can debate.
Amy on the other hand is as bitter, vile, egotistic, smug, and rude as they come.
she even referred to herself as a millionaire.
ooh, and did you know she hangs out with people who are in forbes magazine? did you know that she is rich?
shame on you green! obey her! she commands you!
Thomas, yes I apologize. I meant no offense towards you. I did not even mean any offense towards Amazona. That is all I have to say.
GMB
screw tommiegasbag he is a troll.
no offense towards Ama? I say peace in the family if we can!
For your sake Neo I will say no more. I do not wish to be impolite to people who not being impolite to me. Sometimes I fail.
GMB, I was not attacking you or insulting you. Wow, what a kerfluffle over a post which basically agreed with everything you say! Aside from a mild poke at what came across as fretting over efforts of some to avoid being challenged, it was merely a restatement of much of what you have already said.
That being said, to have you compare me to a serial liar who has yet to make even a token effort to discuss politics in favor of merely making hit-and-run attacks on an invented Right is deeply insulting to me.
AAAANNNDDD there goes tommy, lying again.
I did not refer to myself as a millionaire. Check the tapes.
I did not ever, EVER, say I “hang out with people who are in forbes (sic) magazine”. On the contrary, every time you post this lie I counter it with the truth, but you persist in repeating it.
I never said I am rich. You simply invent that—again, what we call “lying”.
No, I am not going to be baited into giving names or geographic hints. Get over it. However, anyone with even a slight interest in the truth could do some very simple and basic research into the values of mountain ranches in Wyoming, particularly those with National Forest boundaries and miles of Gold Medal Trout Stream fishing. Hint: I own 4000 acres of such land. Some of my neighbors own land of great value but are old-time ranchers with modest incomes. Some are billionaires whose large jets can be seen lined up at the local airport. Just because this type of life is so far outside what appears to be your severely limited realm of experience does not mean it does not exist.
Rich? Compared to neighbors with 30,000-150,000 acres, not so much. Compared to you? Undoubtedly. So what? I do not judge people by what they have, or do not have, any more than on their skin color, zip code, religion or national origin. When I DO make judgments, it is always on the basis of character and honesty. I judge you harshly because you are a proven liar, lacking the character to develop, explain and defend a coherent political philosophy in lieu of simply hurling infantile insults
But, tommy, are you once again coyly hinting at a willingness to “debate”? Over what? No one here has ever seen you do anything but attack, so this comes as a surprise.
I keep asking you the kinds of questions that form the basis of true debate—that is, an exchange of IDEAS. Yet you never come back with anything but more shrill attacks and hysterical lies. Why is that? What is it about IDEAS that scares you off? What is it about the TRUTH that sends you scurrying to the thesaurus for more insulting words to use, instead of engaging in an actual exchange of ideas?
tommy-boy you don’t debate. You regurgitate the same proven lies and distortions then call anyone who does not agree with you an idiot.
That may be “debate” on the left, but not here.
Myabe someone who does not want to be impolite should not call names. Once you have gotten into insults and name calling it is pretty hard to pretend you never meant to be impolite when you did it.