Tea partiers weigh debt filibuster

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The Senate’s Tea Party Caucus will face a tough decision when it comes time to vote to raise the national debt limit: Fall in line behind Republican leadership or go rogue.

The founding members of the new caucus – freshman Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and second-term Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) – are each considering whether to mount a filibuster to block an increase of the $14.3 trillion national debt ceiling.

Obama’s budget proposals want to add at least another 7 trillion dollars to the national debt over the next 10 years, 7 trillion more dollars would take our national debt over 21 trillion. That would place us in 2012 at around 130% of GDP for our debt and that is simply unsustainable and incredible. Such levels have never been seen since our participation in World War II coupled with the gigantic growth of the government under the New Deal.

We must take a stand now. All these ‘professionals’ like to go onto television and tell the Tea Partiers to wait until next year when we can have a real showdown, that would be the ideal political strategy they claim. Well I disagree, a true political strategy and more importantly an intelligent fiscal strategy must be done immediately no more waiting. If we raise this debt ceiling without a balanced budget amendment and immediate deep cuts to our national budget then this debt will destroy us as a nation. It is time to be responsible.

If they cannot be responsible then it is time to turn against them by using a filibuster on the debt ceiling vote. No matter what this must be the time we draw a line in the sand, take our stand, and for the first time in many years get our financial house in order. The Old Guard Republicans are so entrenched in beltway politics they are basically lost. The Democrats don’t even believe we have a deficit crisis. So that only leaves the Tea Party to try and figure something out.

How many billion could we get by closing all personal and corporate tax loopholes? How about ending subsidies to farmers, the airline industry, energy and oil companies? Couple this with closing overseas military bases and laying off all those personnel, and you have a good start for a balanced budget without grandma losing her Medicare.