A Balanced Budget Amendment Would Be a Dangerous Distraction

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Kevin of CA is right about the proposals in the Senate, all of which allow overrides by supermajority in time of recession or war. And Scott Lilly shows his biases and a poor understanding of history when he talks about th Great Depression.
The big spending that he thinks "saved" the economy actually started in 1932 under Hoover. By the time FDR tried to stop the gigantic deficits, in 1937, FIVE YEARS had passed. They weren't priming the pump but simply pumping, and the capriciousness of all those bold government moves had damged the economy to the point where it could no longer stand on its own two feet.
Japan followed this 'Keynesian" model in trying to prevent a deep recession in th early 90s. Their economy didn't recover until well into the next decade---economists usually say 12 years but you can argue for more---and by the time they were done Japan's debt as a % of GDP was the second largest in the world, after Zimbabwe.

John of NH 11:33PM April 26, 2011

why is it when folks at washington run up debt they always blame it on the rent checks but dont touch the rims and unnecessary accessories. and why is it they get to come after us when they suspect we didnt pay our fair share, but when they collude with wall street and the banking cartels we're expected to swallow the blue pill and believe that giving away more free money to pinstriped thugs will save us all from total collapse of civilisation as we know it. finding one honest politician is like sifting seawater for gold. (not even worth the effort) i am not allowed to run up debt indefinitely without losing credibility or (credit rating) the govt is a mindless entity validated by the people who legitimize it, yet it is afforded more honor than the people who sanctify it. i am tired of all these over educated people trying to feed me their dung about expedient measures and sustainability. they dont care about how their philosophy put in practice affects ordinary folk like me. when will we allow common sense back and hallow our temples of public service. all this nonsense reminds me of the history of abuses that drove one people to sever the political bonds that connected two lands separated by hundreds of miles of ocean. our politicos obviously live on a distant shore.

h willi of VA 11:54PM April 25, 2011

What the heck are you talking about? Have you even read the full text of any of the balanced budget amendments that have been proposed? There are clauses that let the congress pass a deficit budget with a super majority vote and in times of declared war. So if congress felt that running a deficit budget for that year would be in the best interest of the nation and/or avert a disaster, then they only need to vote that way. So all the disasters you claim that such an amendment would cause would only happen if congress failed to act.

Kevin of CA 6:27PM April 25, 2011