January 05, 2015 03:40 PM UTC

Ken Buck: National Default Wouldn't Be So Bad

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• by: Colorado Pols

Roll Call's Emma Dumain catches up with Rep.-elect Ken Buck of Colorado, the new president of the 114th Congress' freshman class–who now says he "respects" President Barack Obama, apparently on longer losing his appetite at the sight of America's first black President.

We'd say that's good news.

In addition, Buck has a message for all you worry-warts concerned about the direction the GOP-dominated House and Senate might take in Obama's last two years with the nation's debt obligations:

Buck…said he hoped the federal government would not default on its finances when Congress has to raise the debt limit early this year, but was noncommittal on whether he himself would provide a likely much-needed vote to advance a “clean” extension of the Treasury Department’s borrowing authority.

“I don’t believe the consequences of failing to raise the debt limit are what the president and some others in the United States Congress have said,” Buck explained. [Pols emphasis] “I think we have a lot of room to cut our spending. If we do that, we will in fact avoid the catastrophic consequences that others talk about.”

Just like that, folks! It's good to know that when the brinksmanship over defaulting on the nation's debt obligations starts up again, Ken Buck is in the "default denier" caucus–the only lawmakers who could be considered even more irresponsible than lawmakers threatening default for negotiative advantage. Why negotiate at all if nothing bad will happen–even in the worst case scenario?

In any negotiation, there are helpful participants and unhelpful distractions. Rep. Ken Buck, in case there was ever a doubt, will be part of the latter camp.