Being out of politics is such a peaceful life.  Reading the press reports about the debt ceiling debate, special election campaigns and overall fight between the President and Republicans in Congress makes me chuckle. 

Watching the Republicans and the Democrats tear each other apart would be a lot more funny if their decisions did not have such serious consequences on us poor average citizens.  What is so infuriatingly funny is the hypocrisy. 

Let’s start by looking at the debt ceiling debate. 

Normally, raising the debt limit or borrowing money is a no-brainer for elected officials. Politicians are heroes when they spend money.  They are given awards, trips and plaques, for just spending your money.  Sometimes they even get buildings and bridges named after them, even before they die all because they spent someone else’s money.  I still have a few of my old plaques hanging on the wall. 

It doesn’t take long for even a stupid politician to learn that spending money, not cutting budgets, is the path to admiration, love and that most important priority of all, winning re-election. 

There are two ways to get the money everyone wants them to spend.  They can raise taxes (not a very popular option), or borrow the money.  As you can imagine, borrowing the money is very popular because most citizens don’t care or understand borrowing or deficits, and the majority of elected officials are more worried about the next election than the future re-payment plan. 

Usually, raising the debt limit happens quietly with little fanfare or press attention.  With the exception of a few “hardcore fiscal conservatives,” the President’s party always supports raising the limit, and the other party opposes it.  Apart from a few campaign mailers sent out in freshmen legislators re-election campaigns, it is never even used as a campaign attack. (It’s hard to attack an opponent for voting the same way you have voted)   

But this year was different.  With deficit spending exploding faster than anyone thought possible, along with Republicans throwing out the Democrats in November, the stage was set for a showdown.  Normally, the President could have cut a deal to increase military spending or throw a few key projects in big highway bill, and they would have increased the debt limit; but because these pesky tea party “crazies” have the general population stoked up over deficit spending, the Republicans were forced to play hardball. 

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Rod Jetton: Hypocrisy Abounds, But Jobs Can’t Be Found