We have got to stop ignoring the economists

Word from Washington on the budget negotiations today is that the desperate, pathetic Republicans have thrown yet another new wrinkle into the mix. Now they say they want a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget for the country. Yikes. If any of them would care to take a moment to poll a bunch of economists, virtually the entire consensus of them would tell the Republican leaders that for a nation, that is a patently bad idea. I'm not supporting runaway spending by any means, not at all and I'm not saying we can't or shouldn't cut spending or shrink government. (Really want to shrink government? Kill the Homeland Security Agency and cut defense spending by half. We need both). But a balanced budget for nations is a recipe for disaster as, again, ANY ECONOMIST WOULD TELL YOU. You want to kill a nation's economy? Require balanced budgets. Oh, and for evidence? Right before every large economic downturn of the last century ot two, we've had balanced budgets. Do we really want that? Links: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-adds-constitutional-amendment-budget-fight-190757159.html; http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/hanging-tough-with-keynes/; http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/17/nyts-krugman-think-economic-momentum-not-balanced-budgets/