reductions in loopholes an raise revenues that way. i am not hearing from the republican right any sense of chastening after this event, and any sense that they re serious about tackling the long-term debt with the democrats. but i mean on your web site you ve been very tough. i mean, sort of implying that the tea party or the far right is trying to sabotage our democracy in a way. well, yes. because i think the key thing there was not the goal of the debt but the strategy. you do not threaten to throw the entire global economy into a second great depression. you do not threaten the credit of the united states as a political tactic. they used such an extreme tactic that it was blackmail, a form of economic terrorism. i think the middle of the country, whatever you think about the debt, the middle of the country really thinks that kind of tactic was completely out of bounds and needs to be restrained. i think a lot of republicans believe that, too. but they re too scared to take on