TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross
johnboehner_113congress640.jpg
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio holds up a gavel in the House chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, after being re-elected House Speaker as the 113th Congress began. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Are we ready for the next crisis?

BY Dave Ross  on January 4, 2013 @ 5:30 am (Updated: 8:08 am - 1/4/13 )

The 113th Congress has been seated and will get right to work on the next step in the big budget debate - spending.

Already we are being warned of yet another event horizon: the Debt Crevasse.

Conservatives are warning that unless they can win substantial cuts in government spending, they will block any increase in the debt ceiling. That will force the United States of America either to refuse to pay its bondholders, or to start closing its offices and withholding government checks.

We all roll our eyes and wonder, what kind of crazy system sabotages itself like this?

But if you reflect for a moment, you realize that's how MOST unpleasant tasks ultimately get done.

Everybody wants government run the way we run our own lives, right? Well, wish granted.

How did you finish your big college papers? Using careful time management techniques?

No. You partied, you BS'd about it, and then the night before it was due, you picked up two six-packs of some energy drink, and churned out 50 pages cut and pasted from the internet.

Human beings need a deadline. A threat.

Congress, being the highest legislative authority in the land, must impose its own threats, but it's the same thing.

We don't have absolute rulers, which means the difficult decisions require the consent of at least 278 people. It's the 217 members of the House, 60 members of the Senate, and one president, each of whom was stubborn enough to survive an election to get where they are.

It's happened throughout our history and based on everything I read about the debt ceiling, it's about two months away from happening again.

Dave Ross, KIRO Radio Talk Show Host
Dave Ross is co-host of The Ross & Burbank Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 9-Noon) and never too far from the spotlight.
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Comments (85)


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  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    OK President Obama start leading now ! (Do your job)
    January 4, 2013 10:37 am
    Yes , we will have another crisis with "President" Obama.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    There is a slight difference
    January 4, 2013 11:44 am

    In both the William Lawns avatar, on the one that is posting continuously, the head is NOT touching the top of the photo. The one that is accusing his profile of being hacked, HEAD is touching the top of the photo.

    Now like lawn or not, he is WAY more funnier and wittier than this obvious BOGUS lawnie, this new guy (aj probably) is just STUPID.

    This is not the same lawn, they don't even post the same and this new guy is boring and just stupid. The real lawny is way more wittier and funny.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    The only crisis this country faces is sitting in the oval office.
    January 4, 2013 11:52 am
    Until someone steps up and eliminates that situation our problems will continue. We had our chance in november but people thought it was a slam dunk so they didn't get out and vote. After all who would vote for a fool that has done what he has done to this country? A lot of not very bright people thats who.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Thank You, MYNW
    January 5, 2013 8:11 am
    Lawn is gone !
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • William Lawn wrote...
    The AJ version is gone Mr. ron
    January 5, 2013 9:43 am
    I am still here.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Howdy wrote...
    raise the roof baby
    January 5, 2013 9:42 am
    Get rid of that ceiling and the sky is the limit- to infinity! Why do we have to keep going through this? We are the USA! We are immortal! Everybody owes US!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    I second the motion.
    January 6, 2013 4:15 pm
    No country is immortal, but we really shouldn't have a debt limit. If we were to have a debt limit we probably should have stopped long before 16 trillion, otherwise we're just putting on a show.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Left wing Parrots.
    January 5, 2013 10:07 pm
    You useful idiots did exactly what you were supposed to do and gave your Dear Leader and us Americans 4 more years of this Liberal insanity!

    What makes any of you Parrots think that Obama will fix any of the destruction of the first 4 years of your beloved regime? How is that ObamaEconomy? The ObamaDebt? ObamaGate? That is not going away Parrots! ObamaCare? The ObamaUnemployment? The middle east? Everything pre immaculation is still here and not even being addressed by the regime.

    Your Dear Leader is UN accountable and does not need to concern himself about his ObamaEconomy! At least that is what your Dear Leader thinks!

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  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Fix the destruction?
    January 6, 2013 2:25 am
    Jobs,Jobs,Jobs the jobs situation is getting worse ,it's not a slow increase like the Obama propaganda machine says it's actually getting worse.Obama will golf through this.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    how dare you
    January 6, 2013 6:56 am
    Obama is the greatest president that ever has been or ever will be. He may be the greatest man that ever lived, next to Jesus. Long live Obama. Vow down before him infidels...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VTr_tefdJK8
    January 6, 2013 3:22 pm
    Really?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Ron_Spins, I wasn't serious. As a progressive Obama is
    January 6, 2013 4:17 pm
    far from ideal. But I am curious what that video was about? It used to be that disaster relief was the one thing was not controversial and could pass, now we can't even get that through. I know people say we have a spending problem not a revenue problem, but what we really have is an idiot problem. We are and will remain for a very long time a VERY wealthy country. It would take China (number 2) over 40 years to overtake our economy at their current growth rate of 10% which they can't possibly keep up for long. So people who are so pessimistic should take a chill pill and/or go hit the bong.
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  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    I wasn't calling you an idiot so don't freak out.
    January 6, 2013 4:19 pm
    I was referring to the idiots in Washington who can't seem to agree on anything.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Disaster Relief
    January 6, 2013 5:11 pm
    "Someone" or 'Some" political party larded up the Sandy relief bill with things that had nothing to do with Sandy.That is where we are at now politics and excessive spending.Obama promised relief as a prop for re-election only.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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