from south carolina, author of "the great american awakening: two years that changed america, washington and me," senator jim demint. welcome both. >> thank you. >> good morning. thank you. >> tim geithner, treasury secretary, was here last sunday. i asked him about this ongoing deliberation, and he was emphatic about the outcome. this is what he said. >> let me make this clear, david, the united states is not going to default. we are a country that pays its bills. we're going to meet our obligations, and the leadership in congress, republicans and democrats, house and senate, understand that. there is no alternative for congress to act by the 2nd, and they recognize it, and i'm fairly confident they're going to do that. >> senator demint, is he right, no alternative but to raise the debt ceiling? >> well, he's probably right on that, but there's only one plan in congress right now to do it in a way that the credit agencies say won't turn us towards a negative rating, and that's to cut, cap and balance plan in the house that gives the president the increase in the debt limit, but it does it with those credible, long-term