Obama Renews Calls on Congress to End Shutdown, Raise Debt Limit - The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/john-boehner-presses-demands-for-talks-with-obama-on-shutdown-debt-ceiling/2013/10/08/fbbe50da-3028-11e3-9ccc-2252bdb14df5_story.html

President Obama held a press conference today in which he urged the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to end the government shutdown and, more importantly, vote to raise the debt ceiling. Furthermore, Obama is demanding that there be no debate on the issue of raising the debt ceiling, and is refusing to negotiate with the Republicans over this. If the government debt hits the current debt ceiling of $16.999 trillion, a limit its expected to reach by October 17, then we will default on our debt, lowering our nation's good credit.

In this case, I find myself agreeing with President Obama. Republicans have lost the right to negotiate and make demands regarding the debt ceiling after their behavior essentially caused the government shutdown last Tuesday. Why should Democrats now listen to the Republicans' demands after their hopeless mission to defund Obamacare left 800,000 Americans out of work? House Speaker John Boehner has warned that the government must learn to live within its means and stop borrowing so much money before Republicans will vote to raise the debt ceiling again. But Obama also reminded Republicans that if we hit the debt ceiling and default on our debt, then the Federal Government will have to pay more interest on the national debt, which is just as bad increasing spending. 

While I agree that the government absolutely does need to cut spending to lower the deficit, with the government shut down and the economy in the balance, now is not the time to negotiate over budget cuts or Obamacare. I was not impressed with the way Republicans handled the shutdown and I will not approve of those tactics being used over the debt ceiling. There is simply too much at stake. The economy would be deeply hurt by a default on our debt, and having that happen on the heels of a government shutdown would be even worse. Republicans should choose their battles carefully, and find different ways to cut the deficit in the future.