On the recordJuly 20, 2011
I could not agree more with the Senator's point on the real driver of our deficit and debt. We have this debt because government is spending too much. But this is not a matter of personal preference; this is an indisputable and empirically verifiable fact. The systemic problem this country faces is too much spending, not too little tax revenue. I understand our friends on the other side of the aisle are in a tough spot. They know this, but their left wing base refuses any changes to the spending programs driving these deficits and debt. They don't want to scare off middle-class Americans by recommending the tax increases necessary to close the gap without major changes for spending programs. When it comes to offering any real plans, they have resorted to burying their heads in the sand, as indicated on this photo. They choose to ignore the real problem. They hope their friends in the media do the same thing--ignore the fact that they are ignoring the problem. As you can see from this chart, the problem is spending.
