I don't know why it is that every time when the GOP is given the opportunity to wear the Golden Helmet in victory all they can is drop it on their foot!

Speaker of the House John Boehner should have a sore foot because of his fiddling while Rome is burning while negotiating with a body so devious as the Democrats. He has a bully pulpit but apparently lacks the leadership and communication skills to describe this national critical financial situation to the voting public.

You have the public's attention and if you were to do an informal "man on the street" interview asking the question how much would we reduce the size of government in terms of regulations and spending; 30 percent, 40 percent 50 percent ... and my bet is that the replies would be in the higher values! And, yet Boehner apparently is stumped for a reply to the Democrats who indicate that a cut of less than 5 percent from a $1.3 TRILLION DOLLAR BUDGET in discretionary spending would somehow be devastating.

Whereas we, the producers, here in the "real world" have already dealt with reducing our discretionary spending that was 5 percent of our income as opposed to the government who continues to spend our taxes at a rate of almost 50 percent in discretionary spending.

Gary Kennedy
Des Moines