Rational Nation USA

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Defaulting on our national obligations would not be good. In fact, it would be the ultimate example of irresponsibility. Should our representatives determine to allow this to happen there is no doubt that, if it were possible, the founding fathers would turn over in their graves. The republicans have down a good job of forcing the democrats to come to "their table" so to speak. Obama, who really wants to focus the next year and a half on getting re-elected, has shown his willingness to address many of the items on the reform agenda of the republicans. As well the democratic leadership is showing signs of willingness to make significant compromises to the republican action list of reducing spending, addressing entitlement reform, cuts in medicaid, and more. That aside, what is most important is the democrats apparent willingness to agree to: 1} a 3-to-1 rate of spending ...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Remember David Stockman, a former Republican representative from Michigan and the director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1981 to 1985 during the first Reagan term? I caught the following at Memeorandum this morning. Mr. Stockman presents a case worth considering as he analyses both sides in the debt/deficit issue. IT is obvious that the nation’s desperate fiscal condition requires higher taxes on the middle class, not just the richest 2 percent. Likewise, entitlement reform requires means-testing the giant Social Security and Medicare programs, not merely squeezing the far smaller safety net in areas like Medicaid and food stamps. Unfortunately, in proposing tax increases only for the very rich, President Obama has denied the first of these fiscal truths, while Representative Paul D. Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, has contradicted the second by putting the entire bu...