Mr. Hirsch suggests you get a copy the DVD of Ken Burn’s Congress. You will find that today’s Republican Party is historically close or past the Do Nothing Republicans. I have been active in Republican politics since 1970 and thanks to those like you it has moved so far to the extreme right that their closest neighbors are the extreme left.

Dear Mr Gatlin,

You are not responding to my points.

The House, which is controlled by the Republicans, has passed a budget that deals with the long-term deficit issues. You may not like the House’s approach, but it is at least out in the public for consideration.

The Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats, has not passed a budget for this year, just like last year (when they had an even bigger margin of control). They have done exactly nothing to address the deficit and debt issues. The President, who is a Democrat, submitted a budget that was so irresponsible that the Senate voted it down 0 to 97. He has not proposed any replacement, nor has he offered any plan to address the deficit.

So Mr Brooks is totally out of line to blame the Republicans. The Republicans have done the job where they are able to. They have no control over the Senate and no control over the President and the Executive Branch.

I challenge you to identify a budget resolution passed by the Senate or even by the Senate’s Budget Committee. I challenge you to identify the replacement budget submitted by Obama after his original budget was voted down unanimously.

The Democrats in fact have done nothing. You could with justification call them the Do Nothing Democrats. Even today they have done nothing about the budget, the deficit, or the debt ceiling. They have not put a single proposal on the table for people to read and evaluate.

That is why Mr Brooks’ column has gotten so widespread condemnation. He shows total ignorance of the situation today, and places blame on the Republicans when they have done their part, fully and competently. The Democrats have the complete blame in this matter, because they have done nothing whatsoever. They have failed to do even the minimum job on the budget and have produced nothing about the long-term debt.