Tough Times for the United States

If there is no budget agreement between the White House and the Republicans, it won’t be because Obama or the Democrats aren’t ready to get serious about reducing the deficit. Measured against the original draft budget, the White House agreed to $73 billion in reductions. The Democrats even agreed to demands tacked on later by House Speaker John Boehner so that he could strengthen support within his own party.

The fact that the compromises that spelled the difference between a budget and a government shutdown amounted to only one-tenth of one percent emphasizes just how extreme the tea party newcomers really are. That was to be feared. Just as their members disrupted town hall meetings last summer, they now act as though they have been given a mandate in Congress. Allowing a $3.5 trillion budget to founder because they want more cuts in family planning and environmental oversight is simply unreasonable.

There is nothing patriotic about these antics. On the contrary, the Republicans are reminding many Americans just why it is that they no longer trust conservatives. The truth is, Republicans are interested in more than just the necessity to cut spending. They’re going for social deconstruction via fiscal policy. The fight over the remainder of the 2011 budget is just the prelude to the main event — i.e., the coming battle to raise the debt-ceiling limit. Regardless of how this fight ends, it is providing a preview of what is to come. The United States is facing tough times.