I have mostly stayed away from commenting on the current debt ceiling circus via this forum.  I have tweeted though.  I find the entire debt ceiling debate to be CRAP.  It is full of illusion, lies, etc...  What was that one movie called?  "Sex, Lies, and Videotape?"  That is the debt ceiling debate, but sans the sex.  Well, almost if you consider Rep Wu's (D-OR) sex scandal, but that is off topic...  The GOP starts off with a bill containing $2.5 trillion in cuts for like a $2.5 trillion in debt ceiling increase (approximate numbers, so many were "thrown around").  That would span the gap until after the 2012 elections.  There is also the balance budget amendment talk.  Then the numbers change to like $1 trillion debt ceiling increase with $1 trillion in cuts.  That would span the gap until spring and cause another showdown then.  Not what the hack Democrats want when they are already bleeding voters due to their horrid economic policy.  Otherwise known as "Obamanomics" or Socialism.  The GOP did manage to pass a Cut, Cap, and Balance bill along with the $1T/$1T with Balance Budget Amendment bill, etc...  Oh yeah, did I mention that during all this time the Democrats offered NOTHING.  No bills, no budget (800+ days and counting), no ideas.  The do-nothing Democrats and the regime ruler Obama did NOTHING, but demagogue the GOP's hard work.  Ugh!  Oh yeah, Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) did get to work on a debt ceiling bill yesterday.  No matter it is a day or two away from "default," but better late than never I guess....  Anywho...  I effectively just wasted 15 minutes and 190 words on fantasy literature.  Now back to reality...  Firstly, there will be no default come August 2nd!  That is an entirely made up date from the regime.  Obama is in reelection mode and is desperate to get something done to defuse the issue.  The US Treasury takes in far and enough revenue each month to cover the country's debt service, social security, defense paychecks, etc...  The treasury will just have to decide which departments don't get funded.  I would suggest DHS, HHS, EPA, Dept of Interior, Dept of Education, Dept of Energy, et al...  Plus, lay off about 50% of the federal workforce.  Done!  The only way we default is if the treasury fails to pay bondholders.  If so, that would be akin to treason!  Secondly, this talk of #1T, $2T, etc, in cut is BOGUS!  Due to baseline budgeting we are only talking about slowly the growth of government, not cutting anything.  Let me explain.  Assume the current budget is $100, but set to automatically increase to $110 next year.  The debt ceiling cuts are touted as $50 over 10 years.  Wow!  Isn't that GREAT!  $50 budget cut!  Gee the GOP/DFL are getting America's fiscal house in order!  The budget was never truly CUT!  It still increased each year and adds to the debt .  Duh!  That is part of the current charade.  Not to mention phantom war spending cuts.  There was a figure out there that if the GOP stopped talking "cuts" and just froze the current bloated $1.5T deficit Obama/DFL budget, it would be scored as $9 TRILLION in "cuts" over 10 years.  We would still be running $1 trillion or more in budget deficits, but it would be $9T in savings.  That is the fraud of the debt ceiling debate.  No matter what happens, we are not cutting anything.  Oh yeah, and future Congresses can ignore the cuts.  That is what happened to President Reagan.  The promised cuts never happened.  Lastly, the Balance Budget Amendment sounds great, but is also crap. Why?  It is simply a way for politicians to "pawn" off their responsibility.  Instead of having to choose what to cut/tax, they will use statute to do the work.  There would surely be a provision in the bill to auto raise taxes, eliminate deductions, etc, plus many "precious" areas of government would be excluded from the charade.  These incompetent boobs are sent to DC to WORK!  Do your damn jobs!  You don't need a BBA to balance the budget.  Just adopt the 2008 budget and all the deficits disappear.  Obama and the DFL raised spending HUGE and are effectively giving up a few % of the increases to appear fiscally responsibly when in reality they want these HUGE increase locked in forever.  Call your reps and BITCH hard!  We are being played for CHUMPS!  GOP Revolt!