Last Call

Well now America, I think I've found your problem here.  It's called "Republicans in Congress".  Here's GOP Texas Sen. John Cornyn's op-ed today in the Houston Chronicle:

Over the next few months, we will reach deadlines related to the debt ceiling, the sequester and the continuing appropriations resolution that has funded federal operations since October. If history is any guide, President Obama won't see fit to engage congressional Republicans until the 11th hour. In fact, he has already signaled an unwillingness to negotiate over the debt ceiling. This is unacceptable. The president should immediately put forward a plan that addresses these deadlines, and he should launch serious, transparent budget negotiations.

The biggest fiscal problem in Washington is excessive spending, not insufficient taxation. Tax cuts didn't cause this problem, so tax increases won't solve it. If we don't reduce spending and reform our three biggest entitlement programs - Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security - then we will strangle economic growth, destroy jobs and reduce our standard of living. With the national debt above $16 trillion, and with more than $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities hanging over us, our toughest fiscal decisions cannot be postponed any longer.

Republicans are more determined than ever to implement the spending cuts and structural entitlement reforms that are needed to secure the long-term fiscal integrity of our country.

The coming deadlines will be the next flashpoints in our ongoing fight to bring fiscal sanity to Washington. It may be necessary to partially shut down the government in order to secure the long-term fiscal well being of our country, rather than plod along the path of Greece, Italy and Spain. President Obama needs to take note of this reality and put forward a plan to avoid it immediately.

Republicans in the Senate at least are signalling three things:  One, Republicans expect to get trillions in SS/Medicare/Medicaid cuts, period.  Two, they are willing to shut down the government and crash the economy to get these cuts.  Three, they want president Obama to provide the specific cuts, so the cuts become his fault.

Such expectations are ridiculous, and Cornyn should be drummed out of the Senate along with the rest of these idiot for trying to accomplish this nonsense.   But he's treated as a Serious Beltway Player for this notion.

Lunacy.