'to avoid a potential default on the debt'

Lovely phrase, and is now the real reason the TEA Party and other terrorist Conservative groups must be beaten.  Or so many have told me... through the media, they are afraid to meet me in the streets at high noon.

But, I agree that is the key phrase, the most important phrase of this century for our elected leaders.

But they are like always going about it all wrong. They are not stopping spending more than they have, they are not paying off any debt with real assets (like GOLD, NUKES, OR Government buildings). And stupidly, thinking they can avoid potential default by borrowing more - they are insuring they will truly default on the debt. They are cutting their artery in the leg, thinking it was the one in the neck they had to worry about.

You may all go to bed and don't worry, stupid is what others do with their lives and their loans. You pay yours off, and don't borrow any more. Just pay cash or trade the excess that you don't need that someone else does. Forget the insanity in the government, they are badly advised by lawyers and accountants normally representing a very high class of snake oil salesmen or bankers that no longer like depositors because the Federal Reserve Bank is giving away money to loan on anything.... and they all think YOU are going to bail them out and not hold them accountable, because this is too complicated to feed you in a sound bite.

To keep your great credit rating, and avoid potential default, pay your bills, STOP giving more than your tithe away, and wear out those things you bought long ago, especially those slimmer fashions before you got fat.