Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) signaled he's prepared to filibuster a looming vote to raise the debt ceiling during an appearance on the "Laura Ingraham Show" on Thursday, The Hill reports.
"We're going to filibuster it," said the conservative senator while speaking on the radio program, according to Greenville Online. "You have to do everything you can to keep [Democrats] from raising the debt ceiling because that will force them to do things like balance the budget."
The same day, DeMint took aim at Democrats on the issue of government spending in a Daily Caller op-ed published online. He alleged that burning through federal cash is the "lifeblood" of the Democratic party.
A Democrat without government favors to hand out is like Santa Claus without a big bag of toys to give away. It's central to their identity. It's what they do. The Democrats' strongest allies -- the unions, environmentalists, trial lawyers, and abortion activists -- demand tax dollars and favors as a condition of their political support. If the Democrats don't deliver the goods, they lose their backing and risk losing their elections.
Taking a shot at President Barack Obama, DeMint wrote, "The teleprompter is permanently stuck on spend."
Meanwhile, the South Carolina senator didn't mince words in addressing what raising the debt ceiling could ultimately mean for members of his own party. When asked on Ingraham's program if the impending vote to raise the deficit limit could be Republicans' "Waterloo" in the next election cycle, he responded, "If it is, then let it be."
DeMint made headlines during the summer of 2009 for his suggestion that stopping President Barack Obama from enacting health care reform could make the legislative failure his "Waterloo." Several months later, the senator made the reference once again.