>"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 the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. 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."
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>-Barack Obama, March 2006 just before voting against raising the debt ceiling

Mike, I won't push it because we are coming from fundamentally different viewpoints. Just consider the thought that this is the ultimate manufactured political issue. The debt ceiling has been raised every year for decades. It doesn't matter who is in the Oval Office. It's like inflation -- a fact of life. To paint it as some new blasphemy by Obama is a canard.

As I said to you this morning, Obama is not doing a perfect job. (Interesting that you did not respond to that. Maybe you saw no opportunity to go partisan). But this stuff about the debt ceiling is bogus.

Have a good weekend.