[swissloveone]

A warning shot over the bow? Will the idiots in Congress and the White House even listen?

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/18/news...ered/index.htm

America's Debt Crisis

U.S. credit rating outlook lowered by S&P

By Ben Rooney, staff reporter

April 19, 2011: 8:20 AM ET


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The United States is at risk of having its pristine credit rating lowered if politicians in Washington cannot agree on a plan to bring down the nation's deficits over the long term, ratings agency Standard & Poor's said Monday.

S&P, one of the three main agencies that rate the ability of companies and sovereign nations to repay their debts, lowered its outlook for America's long-term credit rating to "negative" from "stable."

The change means that there is a one-in-three chance that S&P could downgrade the nation's "AAA" credit rating within two years. That would make it harder for the U.S. government to borrow money to fund its activities.

While S&P believes the U.S. economy is diverse and that the nation's monetary policy is sound, the agency said a downgrade is possible if Congress and the Obama administration fail to enact a credible deficit reduction plan.