Budget brakes

Leaders of both parties are playing a dangerous game of political chicken with issues related to our national debt - dangerous for the re-election prospects of party members, but more importantly, for the economic future of this country.

Americans can only hope that behind the public rhetoric and smack talk, real conversations are occurring, perhaps in the ongoing budget-cutting talks being led by Vice President Joe Biden or in discussions between President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress.

The latest episode of a dare accepted came when House Speaker John Boehner brought to a vote a measure to increase the debt ceiling without tying it to budget cuts that Republicans want. Obama and other leading Democrats had said raising the debt ceiling shouldn't be tied to budget cuts, and demanded they be separated. But when they were, the measure was overwhelmingly rejected, with nearly half the Democrats in the House joining Republicans to kill it.

Now Democratic leaders are accusing Boehner of calling the debt-ceiling vote as a political ploy, something to use in campaign attack ads against Democrats who voted for it. Polls show raising the debt ceiling without cutting spending is deeply unpopular with a majority of Americans.

The real head-butting will occur over needed cuts to entitlement programs such as Medicare - which Democrats on the far left adamantly oppose - and raising revenue by eliminating tax breaks - which the GOP's tea-party wing is fighting just as vehemently.

Now, Americans watch as political jalopies careen toward the Aug. 2 debt-ceiling deadline.

We can only hope that someone hits the brakes and offers a more constructive means of crafting such critical public policy.

- The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, Colo.