Kiner's Korner: Change vs. Chaos

First a preface and a warning to this column. As I write this column Sunday night, resolving the debt ceiling is still a work in progress. Though it appears that consensus among Congressional leaders and the President has finally been reached, no vote has as yet been taken. By the time this column "goes to press", the waves of change might have made this column look either prophetic or outdated.

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but here it goes anyhow. Last week I had written in my column that Mr. Boehner has shown no leadership. As this economy and this country's welfare spiral downward, Mr. Boehner is having difficulty in rounding up enough votes in his Republican caucus to pass a debt ceiling bill. Don't blame the Democrats on this one folks, the record speaks for itself. If Speaker Boehner cannot convince his caucus to support a compromise bill, how can he expect to win the bipartisan support of Democrats?

Early last week, Speaker Boehner got a bill through the House with a 218-210 margin. Hey, that's okay-a win is still a win. But to get that win he had to cave in to the lunatic fringe of the Republican Party who demanded that Congress revisit the debt ceiling again in six months (I'm sure that the American people are looking forward to a sequel to this summer's events) and that the U.S. Constitution be amended to include a "balanced budget". No long term fix, a potential downgrade of our debt, no bipartisan input,  and the complexity of amending the U.S. Constitution. Is this what the American people want?

The American people, in November, voted for change. What we got is chaos.

In the Senate, Boehner's bill was "DOA" (dead on arrival). But unlike his counterpart in the House, Senator Harry Reid, Democratic Majority Leader, made changes to his Senate bill, to gain Republican support.

The spirit of compromise seems to be running strong in the Senate. Yes, there are Republicans who do wish to compromise because that is what's good for America. Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass) was quoted as saying, "A Republican bill, or Democratic bill-it doesn't matter". The bill simply must cut spending , not raise taxes, and avoid default. President Obama, Vice President Biden, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) are all willing to compromise. These men understand what is a stake should no compromise be reached. These men are not currying favor with Michelle Bachman and other Tea Party favorites who are willing to sell America out for political gain. These people have to understand that though the Tea Party helped them get elected, it is the American people who they represent.

Should failure occur, "look out below"! Any money invested in 401(k)s would take a hit. People applying for mortgages will have to pay higher interest rates (long term interest rates are set by the ten year note whose stability will be damaged) and the nascent housing market will continue its freefall. Jobs would be lost and once more our economy could slip into recession or worse.

Like I said in my last column, "Come on Mr. Boehner, either lead or get out of the way". The American people will not be held hostage to the whims of a few members of the Republican caucus.