Tom Rice: “can we talk? The government is partially shut down. The Nation's debt ceiling is looming. President Obama and Harry Reid…”

“can we talk? The government is partially shut down. The Nation's debt ceiling is looming. President Obama and Harry Reid have drawn a hard line. They have proclaimed over and over again, no negotiation. They insist the debt limit must be raised at current levels of spending. No negotiation. They're adamant that the status quo must be preserved. And why not? Here is the status quo: 7.3 percent unemployment 4 years after the recession has ended; 15 percent unemployment for those under 25; 50 percent of recent college graduates unemployed or underemployed; household income down 10 percent in the last 5 years. It has fallen every year since the President has been in office, and it continues to decline. Continued economic stagnation 4 years after the recession has ended; continued record deficit spending; Social Security and Medicare on a path to insolvency. Why would the Republicans want to discuss these fundamental problems? Why would we want to alter that course? By any measure, the President's policies are failing miserably: He is failing our seniors. Their safety nets, Social Security and Medicare, are headed for bankruptcy, but he won't negotiate. He is failing our middle class through higher taxes, higher energy costs, higher insurance bills on one hand, and on the other hand, a continued decline in household income. They're getting squeezed from both sides, but he won't negotiate.…”