O has stated his priorities very clearly.

If I have to reduce spending I will start with social security and medicare rather than with the billions of foreign aid, billions of crony green initiatives, and billions in union pension bailouts.

Next on his list will be the further hollowing out of our military.

Can´t say he didn´t warn us.

We are in deficit already on Social Security with 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring daily. It is solvent only through the fig-leaf of money which isn´t there in bonds which must be redeemed by borrowing from foreign governments or the private sector plus printing monies to redeem them. Is that responsible and trying to alter the curve of that irresponsible? Is not recognizing that the problem exists responsible or irresponsible.

Medicare will go broke in under ten years, probably a lot less than that if we continue to make the "Doc Patch". If we don´t make that patch the amount of physicians willing to see Medicare patients will compress enormously so that a Medicare patient seeing a physician will become an event after weeks, not hours or days delay. Is trying to address that problem is irresponsible or responsible? Is denying that problem exists responsible or irresponsible?

Medicaid has become an enormous burden on the States. It will explode State Budgets to an extent that they will have to raise taxes so much that they will become uncompetitive for jobs. California is seeing that already. Illinois, New York and New Jersey are close behind. Is trying to change that situation responsible or irresponsible? Is denying that this problem exists responsible and irresponsible.

Time is the key element in this. The sooner you start, the easier it will be though still massively difficult. Was kicking the can down the road in the Spring of 2011 with the Continuing Resolution and the Debt Ceiling in the Summer of 2011 responsible or irresponsible?

The writer seems to be urging we line up the can again. Is he responsible or irresponsible? Does he know what he´s talking about?

Semper Fi

If no SS checks were to ever to out again, that is not a default. It was a Ponzi scheme from the beginning, and nobody has a contract with Washington to ever get a check. Same with Medicare. And Medicaid is pure welfare. Nobody can make demands.

Only default is not paying U.S. direct Government debt and various leases.

Obama is full of smoke and mirrors. Don´t raise the debt ceiling!

´Taking the Democrats to task´ over spending, whatever that means, hasn´t had any positive effect. It just gives the Obama/Reid/Pelosi trio some more ammo to demonize those mean Republicans who want to make sure you don´t have a check in your mailbox next month. The Democrats cannot cut any spending. Their entire political strategy rests on buying votes with other people´s money. We either take the government back or learn to live with it. More political theater isn´t going to help.

"Why does the GOP think they have to take a suicidal stand now, at this moment?"

Exactly. I am really concerned for the Republican party at this time...and I´ve been a Republican for many years. When you lose an election, it is usually a good time to listen and re-group. Instead, it seems that Republicans are of the mood on doubling down on where they lost, thereby becoming even smaller and less effective.

Yeah, let´s wave the white flag and let the stupids have their way. It will only get worse. Politically, we are as far away from an election as possible. Now is the time to fight. The writer should go back to bed.

I don´t think the republicans have the big boy pants to help this country. They are being bullied and caving into it.

Repubs need to focus on:

A. Ending an entitlement that has not begun - ObamaCare. It has no constituency because it doesn´t start until 2014. However, its pending taxes are already hurting job creation while exploding health care premiums. It has to be rescinded.

B. Stopping all pending EPA and other regulatory agency rules and regs while rolling back most/all of Obama´s anti-growth rules. Our air & water ARE clean.

C. Imposing an immediate federal hiring freeze followed by 10% staff reductions on non-military jobs.

D. Elimination of federal income taxes on US headquartered corporations. We need job creation and entrepreneurs, not more Obama.

E. Eliminating Departments of Energy, Commerce, Agriculture plus the FCC, ICC, FTC, NRC, and dozens of other agencies that promote the status quo and restrain competition.

We will see if any statesmen remain in the Republican and Democrat parties. This administration is like a runaway train. There is going to have to be a wreck to stop it. So it will be best to stop it before it gets up a head of steam. But a wreck it will be. It may take Republicans to sound the alarm with the result being the loss of their next election. Are there any willing to do that?

In the short term the price to be paid will be great. The administration will destroy anyone attempting to stop the train and expose them for the corruption and dishonesty. The media will wait for the Democrat dog whistles and serve as the propagandists for Obama.

But the wreck is coming. The damages will depend upon how far down the track the train is allowed to travel. The throttle is being eased forward and there appears to be no one on the brake. The passengers are napping assured the engineer is on the job. But the cliff is ahead. If someone does not wake up we are in for a world of hurt.

#3. Social Security is indeed a contractual obligation of the United States to those who were taxed into contributing to it for 44 years.
Statements were sent by the gov´t every year showing what their payments would be at age 65.
Medicaid, Welfare, Food Stamps, Section 8 housing have no collected contributions from the participating parties.