Another of many nice attempts to turn the issue around; guess that avoids the need for effective policy (as long as you don't mind the country collapsing while you deny its problems). If you want it in those terms, the spending cuts on the table would only prevent a default TODAY; the deficit will remain and a future default will still be coming. Again, that's the point: Dems must (and HAVE) put aside their bases attachment to current entitlements and Republicans must put aside their bases attachment to current taxes or the country goes bankrupt. Simple as that.

Dems get SOME of what they want (tax increases), Republicans get SOME of what they want (entitlement cuts) and the COUNTRY balances its budget, eliminates its deficit and begins reducing and ultimately eliminating its debt. Dems made MAJOR concessions long ago; raising Medicares retirement age and reducing the SS COLA are VERY unpopular with the Democratic base, much of which will suffer real hardships as a result. Not "I only got a three week Bahamian vacation this year instead of a month. " hardships, but "this cat food tastes powdery" hardships. That's why Obama had to twist Pelosi and Reids arms to get their agreement. Dems understandably LOATHE those cuts--but accepted them anyway because they're NECESSARY for the countrys survival. In exchange, Republicans offer: NOTHING. Their well heeled base will sacrifice nothing to balance the budget, because they think they can force Americas neediest citizens to bear the burden alone. That's absurd and won't happen.

Attempts to pass the buck won't change any numbers; not the balance sheet, not the Congressional vote and not the 2012 election (Republicans are slitting their own throats there, but they're slitting their own throats along with everyone elses on the deficit). You can't turn this around (nice try though) and say, "Dems insist on all their demands with no concessions, too!" because it's simply not true. You know that as well as I do so, again, this is no time to indulge fact denying rhetoric to opt out of sacrifices the rest of America is bearing by necessity. Insisting on tax cuts for those who need them least despite the deficit (as Republicans did in 2001 and have continued doing as recently as six months ago) is selfish, irresponsible and delusional; if you want "childish petulance", there it is. You can't have everything you want without giving up anything; that's the kind of infantile thinking that put us in this mess, and it's past time the GOP grew up--like the rest of the country already has.