Should Democrats start advocating for a "Balanced Budget Amendment"?

[Toots]

I know they were opposed when the Republicans were clamoring for such during the Clinton Administration. They did not want Congress's hands tied and Clinton went on to Balance the Budget anyway. I think it is time to think about tying Congress's hands and start running some of their famous quotes from that time period. I believe the only way Congress will balance our budget is by law. I also believe unless we get our fiscal house in order we are doomed as an economic leader. We should start making noise using Republican talking points and their own words IMO. It would make a good campaign commercial as well.

[loyalsister]

1. NO WAY!!!

We live with that disaster in my state (MO). It is a nightmare. 90,000 lost medicaid last year.

[jrd200x]

2. How about an Alternative Energy Marshall Plan Bill?

That would free us from the terrorist states like Iran AND enrich many businesses and individuals in America.

Think about it - thousands of small shops working on solving the problem - instead of using the money to pay off oil companies and build more weapons.

[OzarkDem]

9. I'll vote for that

Cong. Sherrod Brown is working on a similar plan with Sen. Reid.

[benburch]

3. Sadly, the debt the GOP have now saddled us with...

...would make that a poison pill. No way would I want to try to dig us out of their shit-pile with that sort of restraint.

[1932]

4. No.

To repair the economic damage caused by running deficits to finance war and tax breaks for the rich and for the oil companies, we're going to have to run deficits to help working people get back on their feet.

Keynes & Roosevelt were right when it comes to running debts to stoke aggregate demand and help wealth accumulate in the hands of working people.

[reality based]

5. No, depending on its wording, a balanced budget amendment is either fraud

or folly. There are times in which it is necessary to have budget deficits. What we need is intelligent fiscal policy.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. Absolutely no.

We are going to be in deficits for the next 30 years as the boomer retirees claim their ss benefits. A balanced budget amendment would balance the budget by ripping off retirees, the same retirees whose ss payins have funded the criminal raid on the treasury by the corporate greed heads.

[cosmik debris]

7. Not a good wedge issue

Too many Dems have dirty hands.

And the Constitutional Amendment route is an extreme route.

[wtmusic]

8. Absolutely

Please do tie Congress's hands. Pay as you go. All for it.

[Trajan]

10. Couple a Balanced Budget with ....

1) A near shutdown of sweetheart 'contractor' operations, to the bare minumums, with an eye on reducing their participation to ZERO in the not so distant future .... coupling this with a reasonably orderly withdrawal from all unjustified military actions, to finally DUMP the Friends of Bush/Cheney from the public trough, which they seem to suckle with such lack of grace whilst simultaneously despising it ...

2) REPEAL ALL TAX CUTS TO THE WEALTHY .... Families above 250 K a year ? .... EVERY last dime returned to the National Treasure that was so wrongly stolen by this group of thuggish criminals ....

Yeah .... its more than just a Balanced Budget ... it is about reasonable government priorities which honors the enlightened, egalitarian goals on which this nation was formed ....

FIRST comes the needs of the citizens, then comes the balance as they prosper, and return the national investment ....

The budget during the Clinton Era, while not perfect, is a prime example of how PROGRESSIVE ideals can be followed, and still be sane from a pocketbook perspective ....