U.S. budget

How long will it take until unemployment hits 6.5 per cent?

U.S. president faces tough congressional fight over budget pitch

Federal government taps into pension fund to avoid default

Outside of the rhetoric and the partisanship, it is fair to say that the debate about the deficit and the debt is shaping up as a classic one over the role of government and the kind of country Americans want to build for their children. On the one side, Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has been rightly commended for his audacity and courage to put his proposals forward at great risk. And, on the other, President Obama has finally made it clear where he stands and where he wants to take the country.

Why America’s budgetary battles may just be getting started

Republican Speaker needed Democratic votes to get bill through

Vote caps tense negotiations that narrowly avoided government shutdown

One thing is apparent these days in Washington: The Republicans are lost and confused, and Obama is baiting them into making strategic mistakes. Rather than face off against a popular president coming off a decisive electoral victory, the GOP should be in a constructive mode. To oppose is a legitimate course, but it must be done on the basis of principle. Instead, the Republicans have come up with a document they tout as an alternative to the Obama budget. And they did this after the president used the oldest trick in the book—challenge your opponent to present an alternative. The GOP took the bait and the results have been disastrous.

What is it with this guy? Barack Obama’s first 100 days have to rank among the most active in over 70 years.