Raising the debt ceiling: Look at the big picture

Rep. Eric Cantor leads talks to raise the debt ceiling.

Republican negotiators have walked out of talks to increase the debt ceiling. Why? Let me summarize: Democrats don’t want to cut spending, and Republicans don’t want to raise taxes. To this point, some cuts have been agreed on, but no tax increases are being considered by the Republicans.

These talks are taking place because the debt ceiling needs to be raised in order to avoid a bond default on August 2nd. Ideally, both sides would develop some common sense and use this as an opportunity to set the budget straight, to truly fix it, rather than just make temporary repairs. » read more

A majority of Americans support gay marriage

In a recent Gallup poll, 53% of Americans support gay marriage in 2011, up from 44% in 2010.

For the first time, a Gallup poll indicates that a majority of Americans support gay marriage. 53% support gay marriage in this year’s Gallup poll, compared to just 44% last year.

As a registered Republican who supports gay marriage, I’m disappointed and a bit surprised that only 28% of those in the G.O.P. support same-sex marriage. For those who think of the Republican party as a bastion of social conservatism, it makes perfect sense. Still, I find troubling inconsistencies. » read more

The U.S. government needs to have its credit cards cut in half

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner wants the United States to keep borrowing.

Let’s say you have an individual that is in deep financial trouble. This person constantly uses their credit cards, spends their money as soon as they get it, and are generally irresponsible. If this person is having trouble paying their mortgage, electric, and grocery bill, what should they do? If you have common sense, you would probably suggest that this person stop nonessential purchases. By doing this, they’ll have enough for their bills, and hopefully, some left over to pay off their credit card balances, which will increase their monthly cash flow.

That solution makes sense, but I have another suggestion. What if the person called up the credit card companies and asked for a credit limit increase? If the banks agreed, they could keep spending lots of money, then use the borrowed funds to take care of their monthly expenses. Eventually, they would reach their credit limit, but they could just make more calls to the credit card companies, and continue to have their credit limit increased. Problem solved! » read more

Tackling the budget: Democrats and Republicans need to go further

Republicans Vs Democrats

Barack Obama is being criticized for a budget proposal that some see as being harsh toward low and middle-income Americans. Critics say it cuts too much from heating assistance, summer Pell Grants, and community block grants. Count me as a critic, but not because he cuts too much, but because he doesn’t cut enough.

I’m one of those people who believe we could completely eliminate the budget deficit in a year or two, not five, ten, or twenty. Of course, that would require massive cuts that go far beyond what President Obama, and even the G.O.P. are proposing. In addition to these cuts, the Bush tax cuts should have been allowed to lapse, at least temporarily. Ladies and gentlemen, we are drowning in debt, and the solutions aren’t pleasant. » read more

Ron Paul wins CPAC straw poll

Ron Paul won the CPAC straw poll. So, what does that mean?

In the grand scheme of things, it’s probably not a big deal, since it’s an opinion poll of conservative activists. Of course, it does get Ron Paul mentioned on newscasts, blogs, websites, and newspapers all over the country. If he can keep it up, it could create a buzz that slowly build into the primary/caucus season. Of course, I’m hoping that’s not necessary. » read more

Defunding Obamacare: Great idea, but a waste of time

Next week, the House of Representatives will vote on whether to block funds for Obamacare. This is being done because there weren’t enough votes in the Senate to repeal Obamacare. Instead, the House is going a different route by leaving the law in place, but starving it of money so it doesn’t come to fruition. There’s just one problem: Republicans don’t stand a chance.

I would like to see Obamacare repealed, and I’m glad to see that a vote was taken on the issue. What we have here is nothing more than politicians standing on a soap box and wasting time. Anyone following the issue knows that the GOP doesn’t have the votes in the Senate to make any meaningful changes, yet they push on. » read more

Scott Brown defeats Martha Coakley and the Democrats

The unthinkable has happened. Just two weeks ago, Massachusetts State senator Scott Brown trailed Martha Coakley by nearly 30 points in the polls. He was gradually able to narrow that margin, and now he is the newest member of the United States Senate. This is a groundbreaking moment for Massachusetts and the nation.

From the beginning, Scott Brown said he would vote against Obamacare, and would be the 61st Senator needed to stop the Democrats. The fact that this message resonated with one of the bluest states in the country illustrates the level of discontent with Congress and Barack Obama. This is just the latest loss for the Democrats. You might recall the huge losses for the Democrats in the November 2009 elections when both Virgina and New Jersey elected Republican governors. Some felt that those elections weren’t really much of a barometer for national sentiment. However, Scott Brown’s win leaves no doubt that the Republican party has the momentum. » read more

A “political witch hunt” to get Eric Holder?

Maybe it’s me, but the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense seems to be inconsistent. The leader of the party, Malik Shabazz, defended Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to drop a voter intimidation suit involving one of its members. At first, Shabazz seems to dismiss the event, calling it, “a political witch hunt” by Republicans against Eric Holder. Shabazz also went on to say that the group does not condone voter intimidation, and it has suspended the member who was involved. » read more