You could describe it that way, but the fact is that we borrow 42 cents of every federal dollar spent. So you can allocate it anyway you want in describing what is and is not paid. There really is nothing mandatory about mandatory spending. I would say that servicing the debt would come at the top of the list given its impact on the economy and the nation. It is just a matter of setting priorities.
oh, I agree, and I believe the Constitution requires that the national debt obligations be paid before anything else as well...
However, I find it instructive - especially when dealing with liberals/moderates (not here, just for firepower later) - to put it in terms of the sacred cows/entitlements. We can literally only cover the big entitlements that so many crave; we must borrow for everything else.
Given the rate at which entitlements are growing, it won’t be very long at all (probably 2014) before tax receipts alone cannot cover the entitlements, meaning we MUST address - and cut - them no matter what.