Day: January 6, 2013

(CNN) – While Republicans this week have already begun to lace up their fighting gloves for the upcoming battles over debt and spending, President Barack Obama used his weekly address Saturday to draw his own lines.

“One thing I will not compromise over is whether or not Congress should pay the tab for a bill they’ve already racked up. If Congress refuses to give the United States the ability to pay its bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy could be catastrophic,” Obama said.

The Huffington Post

1.   The Deficit Has Grown Mostly Because Of The Recession

The deficit has ballooned not because of specific spending measures, but because of the recession. The deficit more than doubled between 2008 and 2009, as the economy was in free fall, since laid-off workers paid less in taxes and needed more benefits. The deficit then shrank in 2010 and 2011.

2.   The Stimulus Cost Much Less Than Bush’s Wars, Tax Cuts

Sometimes when I think about all of the ways I want to learn, my head starts to birl. Don’t know that word? It’s today’s word of the day on Dictionary.com. To be honest, I didn’t know it either, but I do now! Learning new words is one of the goals I’ve set for myself this year, as I truly believe that an educated, well-spoken writer and speaker commands respect.

One of the most amazing things I’ve noted in my life, and especially in my professional career, is that how an individual’s ability to communicate has a profound impact on the way others relate to them. Unfortunately, it isn’t always fair either. Some of the greatest discrimination I’ve witnessed has come at the expense of someone being discounted because their speech fell short of effectively delivering their message. I’ve watched incredibly bright, qualified job candidates never get past the screening process…

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle today, explaining why he believes it’s responsible to hold the debt ceiling hostage until President Obama “puts forward a plan” that makes Republicans happy. The piece is filled with errors of fact and judgment, but there was one truly bizarre claim that stood out for me.

“The coming deadlines will be the next flashpoints in our ongoing fight to bring fiscal sanity to Washington,” the Texas Republican wrote. “It may be necessary to partially shut down the government in order to secure the long-term fiscal well being of our country.”

Just at a surface level, this is ridiculous — to prevent possible trouble in the future, Cornyn intends to cause deliberate trouble now? But even putting that aside, I’m not sure if the senator understands the nature of the controversy. Failing to raise the debt limit — that is…