I understand it is in your nature to be humble and you were properly brought up to be polite and mannered. Unfortunately, your good manners force you to tone down the truth in order to be polite, even when such politeness undermines the truth. This is why, I believe, you said, "neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to this problem..." in your recent speech.
Well, that's not true, Mr. President. In my view, below is what you should have said. It may be less polite but more reflects the truth and reality:
(see below)
"My fellow Americans,
When Bill Clinton left the White House, he left the next president with three years of surpluses. Mr. Bush's first year, the year operating under Mr. Clinton's tax polices, the nation ran another surplus. At that time, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office was predicting that the entire national debt would be paid by 2006.
Instead of leaving well enough alone, the Republicans slashed taxes twice, sold as jobs programs that we found out later added few jobs, but ended up redistributing wealthy and income to the richest among us at a rate not seen since the robber baron days of the 1920s. They also waged two unfunded wars and added a drug program funded via borrowing. The result was that instead of paying off the debt by 2006, the debt doubled under my predecessor’s watch. When this was happening, neither Mr. Boehner, Mr. Cantor nor Mr. McConnell sounded any alarm bells. Remember this fact when Republicans tell you that they are the fiscally responsible Party and that I'm the cause of the debt mess now facing our country.
The issue before us is raising the debt ceiling which must be raised or else the U.S. will default in the first time in history. Doing so is unthinkable, as Ronald Reagan warned.
The Republicans are using this necessity as an opportunity to slash programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, that they never wanted to pass in the first place and have been wanting to slash for generations but haven’t been able to accomplish using the legitimate political process.
Let me be clear, while the U.S. has a long-term debt problem, it has no immediate [emphasis on “immediate] debt problem. Our debt is lower compared to our economy, than Japan, England, and Germany is to their economies. The U.S. must lower debt, but not when millions Americans are jobless. Economists tell us that doing so will worsen joblessness. My main concern is getting Americans back to work and getting Americans back to work will solve the debt issue.
You must also doubt Republican sincerity when they tell the nation that the debt problem is so dire that we must slash spending on the poor but refuse to entertain cutting tax-breaks on jet owners and oil companies and the only " tax loopholes" they entertain are ones that fall on the middle-class, like eliminating the mortgage deduction.
I have previously agreed to significantly cut spending programs as an inducement to getting the Republican controlled House of Representatives to agree to finally pass the debt ceiling. The Republican leadership has responded with absurd counter-proposals that include passing a Constitutional Amendment – which requires 2/3 of Congress plus ¾ of the States for enactment. In addition, their proposal only extends the debt ceiling for a few month, guaranteeing that they’ll be back asking me to slash more.
Enough is enough. As the time to act is all too near. What I ask now is for a clean debt ceiling bill, without any strings attached – as every president before me was given. Please call Rep. Boehner, Rep. Cantor and Sen. McConnell to tell them that you agree. Below is their home and cell phone numbers.
Thank you and may G-d bless the United States of America."