republicans love to go on about how much they are concerned with the national budget but who really has the power to do anything in the event of default. what could bring the US to accept negotiating default with anything. The US merely says "no I don't think I will" and parks a show of overwhelming force in front of whomever is trying to collect on debts. gunboat diplomacy! ever heard of it!? the currency is backed by the US military! that's why both parties recklessly shovel money into the burning pit of it at the center of the pentagon!