"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
– Sen. Barack Hussein Obama, March 2006
I doubt there is any statement Obama has ever made in public life with which I agree more than the one he made seven years ago in casting a vote to oppose a hike in the debt limit.
He was 100 percent right then.
Did he mean it? Did he even understand the words he pronounced? Did someone else write those words and they were simply delivered by Obama without thought? How could someone have made such a statement and cast a vote against raising the debt limit less than three years after presiding over an administration that has racked up record debt exceeding $1 trillion a year in his first five years? Worse yet, look at what Obama says about those who oppose raising the debt limit today as he did seven years ago.
Obama won't even negotiate with those who take the same position he took seven years ago.
See how his tune has changed. Here's what Obama is saying about the necessity of raising the debt limit today:
- "Now, this debt ceiling – I just want to remind people in case you haven't been keeping up – raising the debt ceiling, which has been done over a hundred times, does not increase our debt; it does not somehow promote profligacy. All it does is it says you got to pay the bills that you've already racked up, Congress. It's a basic function of making sure that the full faith and credit of the United States is preserved."
- "One of the most important things Congress has to do in the next couple of weeks is to raise what is called the debt ceiling. It's important to know what this is. This is a routine vote. Congress has voted to do this 45 times since Ronald Reagan left office."
Obama has called those who refuse today to raise the debt limit "deadbeats." What did that make him in 2006 when he opposed raising the debt limit to exceed $8 trillion for the first time in American history? What does that make him today now that he has presided over a doubling of the red ink to $17 trillion?
He actually gets up in front of the American people and says raising the debt limit doesn't increase debt.
It's time for Republicans in Congress to live up to the oaths they took upon entering office. They need to stand up for the Constitution and the future of America by opposing Obamacare at all costs and by any means necessary. They also need to deprive Obama of any more borrowed money for use in taking a wrecking ball to the U.S. economy. And they need to realize this will be a very popular decision with the American people, who don't want to see their children and grandchildren saddled with debt they can never pay off.
But you know and I know this is not going to happen unless Republicans hear from you in overwhelming numbers.
There is only one effective device for making that happen. It's called "The No More Red Ink Campaign."
Join others who have already sent more than 1 million red letters to House Republicans who have complete authority to deny an increase in the debt limit with one negative vote.
You want to stop Obamacare? This is the way to defund it. It cannot be implemented without borrowed money – and House Republicans have veto power over raising the debt limit. Make them use it.
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