Taking the economy hostage is no way to legislate.   Suppose a
couple is having a hard time making ends meet. What are the
options?  One is to cut spending on things like eating out.
Another is to increase income by taking a second job. Ideally,
they'd agree on a combination of the two options.  The worst
approach would be to simply stop payments on the mortgage,
credit card bills and other obligations while bickering
endlessly about who's at fault.  OPPOSING VIEW: Stop
Washington's reckless spending  But that is precisely the
approach to the nation's financial woes advocated by some
Republicans in Congress. If President Obama doesn't agree to
significant deficit reduction done their way — with spending
cuts and no more tax increases — they vow to block any further
increases in the federal government's borrowing limit.  That, in
turn, would leave the government unable to pay its obligations
to bondholders, retirees and others, with the day of reckoning
sometime between mid-February and early March, the Treasu