Blame belongs with Republicans | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Republicans blame Democrats and visa versa. Current polls blame Republicans more, but not by much. Who, in fact, is primarily responsible for shutting down the government and now quickly approaching the real possibility of causing for the first time a default on America's heretofore sterling reputation of honoring its debt?

Is it the Republicans or the Democrats who are refusing to approve a clean CR and raise the debt limit unless the opposition agrees to defund/alter laws already passed by the majority? Have the Democrats demanded taxes on the super wealthy be increased before they will vote on these two critical issues? No, they haven't. Neither have they threatened to tie any other part of their progressive agenda to these two bills.

What the Democrats have done is challenge the Republicans to engage in deficit reduction negotiations separate and apart from funding laws already approved and increasing the debt limit for obligations already incurred. So far, the Republicans have refused to agree, preferring instead to engage in the strategy of extortion and threat of economic ruin.

Blame the party (Republican) that initiated this ridiculous and totally avoidable crisis.

Raymond A. Hult

Bountiful