DeMint: Republicans Would be ‘Naïve’ to Compromise on Spending

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint tells Newsmasx.TV that congressional Republicans would be naïve to think that they can compromise with Democrats on spending.

“I can guarantee you in the Super Bowl this year the two coaches are not telling their teams to go out and work with the other guys because the other team has an opposite goal,” DeMint said in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. “In politics —unfortunately now in Washington — the Democrats’ goal is completely opposite of what the American goal really should be.”

Compromise is simply unworkable given the present relationship between his fellow Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate.

“They’re here to beat us. They can’t work with us,” declared DeMint, author of the new book, “Now or Never: Saving America from Economic Collapse.”

With America’s spiraling national debt, now surpassing the $15.3 trillion mark, DeMint said America is actually facing a long-term debt of close to $100 trillion when Social Security, Medicare and similar programs are factored in.

“There’s no way we can pay that back. And as interest rates climb because of our printing money, and our loose monetary policy, our interest over the next 10 years could be a trillion dollars a year, just on our national debt,” DeMint said.

“We need to do something now. This is not something we can keep putting off until after the next election. We need to start cutting spending and taking things we do at the federal level and letting them do more at the state level.”

He added that Democrats are attempting to seize more control for the federal government in Washington, D.C., at the expense of America’s individualistic and entrepreneurial spirit of the past.

“I think Republicans are naïve to think that we can somehow come up with a compromise that actually moves us toward a balanced budget,” DeMint insisted.

He said that every major compromise over the past 10 to 12 years has ended with additional spending, more borrowing and bigger government.

“We need to move things out of Washington because what we’re doing is not working. We can no longer afford it,” acknowledged DeMint. “We’ve got to stop this. And we can’t compromise with the Democrats as long as they want to move the country in the wrong direction.”

DeMint writes in his book that the differences between the parties are irreconcilable.

“I wouldn’t have said that 10 years ago. In fact, when I first came to Congress, just about every bill that I introduced, I had a Democratic co-sponsor,” recalled DeMint. “I’ve seen over several years — particularly in the Senate — that Democrats cannot get elected statewide unless they’ve completely sold out to labor bosses and environmentalists and others who want centrally controlled political and economic power.”

The 2012 election cycle is critical because America stands at the precipice of a tipping point where those receiving benefits from government will soon exceed half of the entire country.

“A dependent voter is a dependable vote for Democrats. The Democrats figured that out a long time ago. And that’s why they continue to expand welfare, food stamps,” according to DeMint.

“That’s why their whole stimulus program was based on supporting government workers at the state level. But the more people are dependent on government, the more likely they are to vote for people who promise more from government. And that’s the Democrat Party. We’re at a point right now where about half of Americans are getting something from government and the other half is paying for it.”

With 23 Democrats up for re-election in the Senate, DeMint said Republicans have an opportunity to take back the Senate with the help of organizations like the Senate Conservatives Fund (senateconservatives.com), which he chairs to raise money for conservative candidates.

It will be far more difficult for Republicans who want to rein in spending to get elected once the ratio hits 60/40 in favor of those receiving something from government.

“That’s why I think this year is our last chance. I think it really may well be now or never to save the America that we know,” according to DeMint.

With only 29 percent of people over 18 voting in the 2010 elections, he said it’s also clear that more Americans must get involved.

“The country belongs to the people, not the government,” said DeMint. “We have to take it back. But we can’t do it if we’ve got one party that’s trying to organize those who want more from government.

“Republicans have to organize the rest of the nation who believe in freedom and individual liberty and limited government,” he added. “And we’ve got to unite Americans this time. It is a critical election. The book ‘Now or Never’ is a playbook for how every American can get involved and help us turn things around.”