>>http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/05/31/debt.ceiling.vote/index.html
>>
>>This is a political stunt, as the article points out. The dance over the budget ceiling is an annual pageant no matter which party is in charge. The wild eyed children in the House have brought a new wrinkle to it, demanding spending cuts to buy their votes. Specific programs like Planned Parenthood are on their hit list.
>>
>>Economists are unanimous in their opinion that the U.S. defaulting on its debts -- that's what this means in plain terms -- would be catastrophic for the world economy. The young ones in the House don't care. They're on a mission. They're like the zombies in horror movies..
>
>Your statement regarding economists opinion on the debt ceiling is technically true but misleading. After all, it doesn't take an economist to know that the US defaulting on it's debts would be very bad for global finances. However, default itself is a political decision. The Dept of Treasury chooses the order in which spending occurs. Geithner can pay our interest payments first and defund other spending, thus, no default.
>
>Many economists believe that spending cuts should accompany any increase in the debt ceiling.
>http://www.cnbc.com/id/43234290

Thank you for the link at the end. Those 150 economists may have been carefully hand picked but it says something to me that some of them are on board with the idea of linking an increase to the debt ceiling this year to spending cuts.

Now the $64,000 question: which spending to cut? Everyone is for spending less money in the abstract. It's when you have to identify specific programs that constituencies start grabbing their pitchforks. The GOP has seen this already with the reaction to proposed Medicare cuts.