“I think we have to be straight with the American people. If people are, in fact, concerned about spending, debt, deficits and the future of our country, then they’re going to need to be armed with the information about the kinds of choices that are going to be involved, and we can’t just engage in political rhetoric.”
It would be so good, such a healthy change, if we could believe we're getting the facts, even from the non-partisan debt commission. But it's just not likely that, when it comes to something as important and as costly to all of us as paying down the debt of Republican administrations, we'll get honest appraisals by humbled politicians instead of murky, threatening pronouncements from Congressional Republicans.
The president also seemed to be aiming a warning at Republicans, who have argued for the costly extension of the Bush-era tax cuts even as they insist on bringing down the deficit.
The Republicans, I believe, aren't making all this trouble just to preserve tax cuts to the richest. I think they're doing whatever it takes to preserve the golden aura of Ronald Reagan, the guy who is largely responsible for the trouble we're in. Remove Reagan from their pantheon and what have they got? The Bushes?
“There was a lot of talk during the course of this campaign season about debt and deficits,’’ Mr. Obama said, “And unfortunately, a lot of the talk didn’t match up with reality. If we are concerned about debt and deficits, then we’re going to have to take actions that are difficult and we’re going to have to tell the truth to the American people.’’ ...NYT
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Of course, there's plenty of evidence that the last thing many Americans want is unvarnished truth. The scariest ignorance we're up against isn't just lack of education, it's the willingness to embrace comforting, ego-salvaging lies.
