"The one thing that I think, hopefully, in the New Year we'll focus on," President Obama said in the White House briefing room Tuesday night shortly after the House passed a bill avoiding tax increases and postponing spending cuts, "is seeing if we can put a package like this together with a little bit less drama, a little less brinksmanship, not scare the heck out of folks quite as much."
Good luck with that, Mr. President. A little less drama and brinksmanship would be nice, but nobody is holding their breath.Even drama and brinksmanship would be OK if it were followed by real solutions to the problems at hand. The same "fiscal cliff" problem that brought about Tuesday's drama and brinksmanship will be repeated in just two months. The only difference will be that, instead of massive tax increases, the cost of complete failure will be the U.S. hitting its debt ceiling and suddenly becoming a deadbeat on the world financial stage.The downside is still horrible and the price in spending cuts the same, if not more.Of the 22 Republicans in the Texas delegation in the House, only four voted for Tuesday night's bill to avoid tax increases but delay spending cuts promised by both parties since 2010 (Ron Paul, technically a libertarian but listed as a Republican, did not vote). Reps. Joe Barton, Michael Burgess, Kay Granger and Kenny Marchant, who represent parts of Tarrant County, all voted against.By Wednesday, they were all on the same page, same GOP hymnbook: Gotta have those spending cuts. Expect to hear that song a lot between now and March.Burgess said he voted against the bill out of frustration after being promised spending cuts since 2010."You just reach the point where it's too much," he said. He'll be in no better mood to raise the debt ceiling in two months, he added, when "nothing's going to be better."He's right. It's time to face the difficult decisions on reducing the federal deficit. Even Obama acknowledged that. The way to avoid drama and brinksmanship is to start now and not put off the really hard parts until the last minute.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
