Obama: 'I Will Not Compromise' on Debt Ceiling

In his weekly internet address on Saturday, President Obama continued his bullying rhetoric over Americans debt problem. With the fiscal cliff deal signed into law – the deal raised income taxes dramatically on everyone making above $400,000 per year and payroll taxes on everyone regardless of income – the debate has turned to the debt ceiling. America has reached its statutory limit on borrowing authority again, this time at an unthinkable $16.4 trillion. And Republicans want spending cuts in exchange for granting more borrowing authority.

In his weekly address, Obama lashed out at Republicans for even suggesting that the debt ceiling issue be used as leverage to cut spending: 

As I said earlier this week, one thing I will not compromise over is whether or not Congress should pay the tab for a bill they’ve already racked up.  If Congress refuses to give the United States the ability to pay its bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy could be catastrophic.  The last time Congress threatened this course of action, our entire economy suffered for it.  Our families and our businesses cannot afford that dangerous game again. 

This is nonsense. We’ve racked up bills, and we will not have to default to pay them – we just have to cut. Even if we hit the debt ceiling, we will not need to default on our debts – we will simply stop providing non-essential government services (which, for the most part, we should do anyway) and then use that money to pay our debts.

But Obama is a bully, and so he thinks he can unilaterally dictate America’s debt policy. He demonizes anyone who disagrees. He ignores the Constitution, and instead plays the class warfare card:

Spending cuts must be balanced with more reforms to our tax code.  The wealthiest individuals and the biggest corporations shouldn’t be able to take advantage of loopholes and deductions that aren’t available to most Americans.

He demagogues the debt. No surprise there.

Ben Shapiro is Editor-At-Large of Breitbart News, and author of the upcoming book “Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America” (Threshold Editions, January 8, 2013).