Brian I characterize the repubs actions as totally idiotic. You know my stand on taxes. I have posted that I see no way out but to raise them and am willing to pay them (grudgingly) but not with more spending.

It was stupid for them to have the insistence about taxes and stupid for Obama to insist on a deal past the elections.

As for the part about an agreement on future spending, I am not really sure that that was a bad idea. It is folly to think that some calamity will never happen and that may require emergency spending, however absent of some huge unforseen event, I don’t think that is an entirely unreasonable request.

Also to me at least, payment to creditors is in the event of a default is not the governments choice. The treasury makes that decision and would pay the creditors.