National Debt: First US Senator or US House Representative to start a pledge group of...

...US Senators and US House Representatives that publicly pledge to never raise the debt ceiling again or raise taxes.  Democrats, Republicans, and Independent congresspersons can join the group.  [On August 3, 2011, fiscal conservatives (including “Blue Dog” Democrats) lost an opportunity to force the federal government to operate only on the money it takes in.  Presently, the US government borrows 43 cents for every dollar it spends.  If the debt ceiling hadn’t been raised, the federal government would only be able to spend the $200 billion it takes in each month.  Think about that.  The purpose of a balanced budget amendment is EXACTLY that.  Expect all balanced budget amendment supporters in Congress to sign this pledge.]

1) Run TV commercials telling of their pledge and plans to force government to run on only what it takes in on all the US cable news networks (CNN, FNC, and MSNBC) during their prime time broadcasts.  [Expect the proposed plans to call for the US government to be cut in half (50%) so the surplus 7% (which would then represent 14% of the federal budget) can be used to pay off the national debt.  Since President George Bush Jr. and, during just his first term in office, President Barack Obama have doubled the size of government, what the pledge group advocates is returning to the size of government that existed under President Bill Clinton.]

2) Have a member running for re-election run a campaign TV commercial informing her/his constituents of her/his pledge.  [As polls show 70% of the American public oppose raising the debt ceiling, this is an easy and good ad to run.]

3) Have a member of the other major political party running for re-election run a campaign TV commercial informing her/his constituents of her/his pledge.

4) Have all of its members who are running for re-election run campaign TV commercials informing all their constituents of their pledge.

5) Get one of the major rating agencies (Moody, S&P, etc.) to publicly endorse the pledge group’s goal.

6) Have 41 US Senators or 219 US House Representatives join the pledge group.  [Once either number is reached, the debt ceiling and taxes will not be raised again and the federal government will have to prepare for this future.]

7) Have both 41 US Senators AND 219 US House Representatives join the pledge group.

8) Get this pledge made part of one of the major political party’s platforms.

9) Prevent the debt ceiling from being raised when it is reached the next time.

First US radio talk show host to champion this challenge and get:

10) Her/his listeners to cut up the credit cards they get in their junk mail and send one cut-up card each to their US House Representative, both of their US Senators, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the US President.

11) The US House Representative (Republican or Democrat) who has received the biggest pile of cut-up credit cards on her/his show and have them discuss the challenge for at least fifteen minutes.  The US House Representative can be for or against the challenge.  The US House Representative must have a photograph taken of her/himself sitting on the pile of cut-up credit cards s/he has received and that photograph must have been published in a national newspaper or newsmagazine before their appearance on the radio show.

12) The US Senator (Republican or Democrat) who has received the biggest pile of cut-up credit cards on her/his show and have them discuss the challenge for at least fifteen minutes.  The US Senator can be for or against the challenge.  The US Senator must have a photograph taken of her/himself sitting on the pile of cut-up credit cards s/he has received and that photograph must have been published in a national newspaper or newsmagazine before their appearance on the radio show.

13) The US congressperson (Republican or Democrat; US House Representative or US Senator) who has received the biggest pile of cut-up credit cards on her/his show and have them discuss the challenge for at least fifteen minutes.  The US congressperson can be for or against the challenge.  The US congressperson must have a photograph taken of her/himself sitting on the pile of cut-up credit cards s/he has received and that photograph must have been published in a national newspaper or newsmagazine before their appearance on the radio show.

14) Get the Secretary of the Treasury on her/his show, have them tell how many cut-up credit cards s/he has received, and have them talk about the challenge for at least fifteen minutes.

15) The US President on her/his show, have her/him tell how many cut-up credit cards s/he has received, and have her/him talk about the challenge for at least five minutes.

16) A sitting member of the US House to come onto her/his show and officially and publicly pledge to be part of the group of congresspersons outlined in the original challenge above.

17) A sitting member of the US Senate to come onto her/his show and officially and publicly pledge to be part of the group of congresspersons outlined in the original challenge above.

18) Either the Speaker of the US House or the minority leader of the US House to come onto her/his show and officially and publicly pledge to be part of the group of congresspersons outlined in the original challenge above.

19) Either the Majority Leader of the US Senate or the Minority Leader of the US Senate to come onto her/his show and officially and publicly pledge to be part of the group of congresspersons outlined in the original challenge above.

20) The 219th sitting member of the US House to come onto her/his show and officially and publicly pledge to be part of the group of congresspersons outlined in the original challenge above.

21) The 41st sitting member of the US Senate to come onto her/his show and officially and publicly pledge to be part of the group of congresspersons outlined in the original challenge above.