Guys like Cruz doing what they were elected to do

7_212013_q-politics-cruz8201David Roberts – The Independent Sat Oct 12, 2013

Interesting press release from Congress.org, excerpted here in part. Arizona Sen. John McCain — when asked about Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Lee and other Tea Party-affiliated senators — had some harsh words about his supposed GOP compatriots’ reluctance to send Senate conferees to a multi-house conference to settle budget differences.

“But McCain has held his ground, suggesting (Oct. 3) that senators who object to conference negotiations don’t understand ‘how business has been done’ in Congress. Moreover, McCain asserted that most GOP senators agree with him that it’s time to stop stalling and go to conference.”

I would suggest that Cruz and others know exactly how business has been done in Congress, and that they have been sent there expressly to stop that method of business.

“How business has been done” in Congress has resulted in a $17 trillion deficit. That’s the deficit if you don’t include the upcoming unfunded liabilities in Social Security, Medicare, Obamacare, federal pensions and military pensions.

Why would Cruz and others … anyone, really … want to conduct business like that?

“How business has been done” in Congress has resulted in a 7 to 14 percent unemployment rate. That’s the rate if you don’t include those who have given up looking for work because there isn’t any.

Why would Paul and others … anyone, really … want to conduct business like that?

On another subject, since there is around $2 trillion constantly flowing into government coffers, shutdown or not, why exactly do people think the government will default on its debt in the next month if and when the debt ceiling is not raised?

Why not just stop paying other parts of a bloated government? Why is it always debt payments (with interest rates next to zero) that are automatically assumed to be cut? Something in the law I’m missing?

This government takes in roughly $250 billion a month. Of that, it takes only $18 billion to service the debt. There will be a default only if this president orders it so.

On a more cheerful note, I have friends who received a letter from the IRS regarding their household tax return. In trying to communicate with the IRS about said letter, they found that the IRS is closed for the government shutdown.

How refreshing to learn that the IRS is a “nonessential” agency.

I’ve been saying that for years.

Reach the reporter at droberts@wmicentral.com

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Source URL: http://www.wmicentral.com/opinion/editorials/guys-like-cruz-doing-what-they-were-elected-to-do/article_9ce6fe0c-320a-11e3-bc5d-0019bb2963f4.html

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