Today is August 11th. I just double checked. It is not April 1st. Nor does it seem like Geithner issued the statements below for The Onion. He appears to be serious … seriously, Geithner Asks Congress to Increase Federal Debt Limit:
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner asked Congress to increase the $12.1 trillion debt limit on Friday, saying it is “critically important” that they act in the next two months.
Mr. Geithner, in a letter to U.S. lawmakers, said that the Treasury projects that the current debt limit could be reached as early mid-October. Increasing the limit is important to instilling confidence in global investors, Mr. Geithner said.
The Treasury didn’t request a specific increase in the letter.
“It is critically important that Congress act before the limit is reached so that citizens and investors here and around the world can remain confident that the United States will always meet its obligations,” Mr. Geithner said in a letter to lawmakers.
Mr. Geithner said the that it is “clearly a moment in our history” that requires support from both Democrats and Republicans for the increase.
“Congress has never failed to raise the debt limit when necessary,” Mr. Geithner said.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said Thursday the federal government’s budget deficit reached $1.3 trillion through the first ten months of fiscal 2009, on track to reach a record high of $1.8 trillion for the 12-month period.
A statement like this could be out of some of the more bizarre sections of Atlas Shrugged, at the point where nobody really cares about anything or anybody anymore.
Is this for real? When I ask banks to loan me more money, and that it is of critical importance that they do so, will this instill confidence in other investors of mine?
How is it more likely that I will meet my obligations if I take on more … obligations?
Hasn’t Congress’s biggest failure been its lack of fiscal discipline, its rampant and neverending spending, its inability to pay down some of its debt? How then can we even for one second consider calling it a failure to not add to this public debt?
How badly has brain damage progressed in Tim Geithner’s head? How gullible and stupid does he think the people are? This guy needs to step down and needs to do so quickly. Listening to his nonsense is painful and insulting.