What's the %? What's Santorum explicitly endorsing (s/b demanding)? Funny how that never gets talked about even though it's a HUGE issue. If the big government folks, whose numbers seem to be increasing all the time, get their way, they'll just bang the "balanced-budget" drum so loud that enough people won't require a "cap." Without sufficient pressure for a "cap" there most certainly will not be one or else it will be accompanied by a million exceptions.
I wholeheartedly support a BalBud Amendment
Why would you support that instead of a SPENDING LIMIT AMENDMENT? All a balanced budget amendment would do is shift government's total irresponsibility onto the backs of the American people. Do you think these career politicians care about balancing a budget? All they care about is a guaranteed lifestyle, and they get that by SPENDING (and taxing when they can get away with it).
A balanced budget amendment doesn't address the core issue which is OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING. The budget problem is a byproduct of the core issue. We need a spending limit tied to some % of the GDP that reasonably would allow balance or surplus at a 15% or so SIMPLE flat tax rate. We had something along those lines not too long ago in the 90's before Bush and Obama pushed the Government Spending Economic Mayhem Button.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The reason you'd have hell to pay trying to get a spending limitation through is what I alluded to earlier. These guys have no intention of cutting spending or government. That's why you could probably get a BalBud Amendment, but not a LimitGov Amendment, passed. It would guarantee the Socialist state we're headed for where the budget is balanced alright and everybody works for the government.
As Cyrano de Bergerac was quoted, "No thank you! No, I thank you! And again I thank you!
[A balanced budget amendment doesn’t address the core issue which is OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING.]
Let me suggest the way to control spending is to yank the printing presses away from Bernanke. That is the real control lever.
According to this story (and others that are easily located) http://cnsnews.com/news/article/balanced-budget-amendment-without-spending-cap-will-lose-gop-senate-votes-says-sen-lee all the GOP Senators now are supporting Mike Lee's Amendment proposal. That proposal has a cap of 18%.
Here is the text:
"Mike Lee Balanced Budget Amendment Text":
I had a bit of trouble getting the Thomas.Loc.Gov link included here. If the link fails, doing a search ought to bring it up smartly for you. I am interested in your comments and critiques of the text of the proposed amendment, not the difficulties or probabilities of getting it passed.