[marron]

The fact that our entitlement programs and debt servicing costs consume virtually all of our tax revenues means that we will have to make some very difficult choices.

The choices will not be easier tomorrow. And they won't be easier after we raise the debt ceiling again, and yet again.

If we can't make the difficult choices today, why would we be able to make them tomorrow?

[kabar]

We are not going to make the difficult choices in the next three months, i.e., the reform of the entitlement programs. If you don't raise the debt limit, the country will go into default and we won't be able to fund the entire government including DOD.

You have to be realistic. Spending has to be cut and we can start doing that immediately, but taking down the government without a plan would be disastrous. The Reps should use the debt ceiling as leverage to start a long term deficit reduction plan.

We have 54 million on SS, 60 million on Medicaid, 47 million on Medicare, and 43 million on food stamps. Do you really believe that reforming these programs will be easy or that we can have a political consensus in a divided government? The Dems control the WH and the Senate. Some very painful decisions lie ahead for this country. There is no easy way out.