Republicans Run From Long Term Debt Solutions

The great national debt debate is going on in Washington, D.C. Sadly, it is the Republican leadership who has run away from a potential long term solution. 

The debt ceiling is the subject of focus with the media these days, but this is primarily a mistake. Don’t get me wrong. The idea of defaulting on our debt notes coming due in August is a very bad one that would have huge negative consequences. That being said, the idea that finding a deal with will create $2 trillion more in budgetary space to get us through the end of 2012 is really not addressing the big issue, which looks like a $60 trillion dollar debt we have coming due in the next 30 years. 

Allow me to note that I am a registered Republican. I’m pretty middle of the road on social issues, but I am very conservative on fiscal issues. That’s why I started a tax site! Regardless, it pains me that the party of supposed fiscal conservatism is such a coward of making the hard financial decisions that must be made. In this case, I am talking about the Republican leadership in Washington walking away from a big debt solution. 

This was the time to make hay. A Democratic President was stating in public he was willing to put Social Security and Medicare on the table. Imagine that! Opportunities don’t present themselves any more clearly than this one did. This was an opportunity to sit down and pound out a deal on the hard issues. Yes, there would have been some tax increases for the very rich, but we are talking about finally getting Social Security and Medicare under control. 

In the face of this great opportunity, Republicans in the House revealed they were more interested in making a political show point than actually doing anything. Despite electing Tea Partiers into the House and Senate, it is now clear that the Republican leadership is just as unconnected with the world as usual. It is a real shame that when push came to shove, Boehner and his ilk showed no courage to deal with these problems. 

Will we get a debt ceiling solution? Sure. That isn’t really a problem. The problem is this was a chance to really have a go at dealing with a huge threat to our way of life and Republican leaders proved to be gutless, cowards. For once, it is us who are left in tears instead of Boehner. 

Damn. Who am I going to vote for now?