From the time George Washington raised his right hand and swore to support the Constitution and get better dentures, until right now, the country has been in hock. After getting us out of debt, Old Hickory could concentrate on his benevolent treatment of Native-Americans - like the Trail of Tears.

Taking no action on the debt ceiling would trigger what experts call catastrophic economic consequences for Americans and the global economy. But that hasn’t stopped extreme members of the Republican party in Congress from using the debt ceiling to get their way in spending cuts.