People starting smoking hemp instead of making rope with it. 
I'm mixed on this subject. Both options suck, its just a matter of which sucks less.
The best solution at this point is to raise it, but only as part of a plan to get back into the black. Not just "we will cut te spending" but a real plan, and something they can not back out of.
If you had misspent your youth you would know that the part of the plant you smoke is no use for making rope, fabric or stationary. 
I will say this. When you find yourself deeply in debt you do two things. You slash spending, you cut it to the bone. On this, we all agree. BUT..... you also raise revenue to pay the bills. You work overtime, you sell off assets, you get a second job if that's what it takes. The GOP seems unwilling to buy into part B of this plan and the Dems won't buy into part A. Its kind of ironic. Rush was right when he said you can't conserve enough oil that you don't have to drill for it, as it won't magically appear in your Priuses' tank. Thing is, the same is true of paying down the debt. Tax money is required. My money, your money. It sucks, but there it is, lets be grown ups about this and stop pretending that its not required. The key is to be very careful and make sure that the taxes do the least damage to economic growth possible.
Bottom line? We have a big ass credit card bill. Paying it down will require sacrifice. Higher taxes for fewer services, but we have an obligation to future generations to suck it up and take the hit. I have zero tolerance for either political party right now. They both want to be Santa Clause. The Dems say we can continue to support social programs. The GOP says we don't have to raise taxes. They are both full of crap. Lets be honest about it and just do what every honest American knows needs to be done, but try to put politics aside and try to do it in the smartest way possible. Right now, I don't trust anyone in DC to do that, which is pretty sad. A smaller budget and higher taxes is the only way out. There is no other option, at least according to all known laws of economics.

FQ13
While you would be right with a responsibly managed budget, where you are going off the track is the fact that we, the tax payers have been picking up the slack for Congress for 50 years. Every time they come up with more revenue they piss it away instead of adjusting their spending habits. They are just like the welfare recipient that buys an X Box instead of groceries.
The whole principle of a budget is
"This is what you have, spend it in the most efficient manor you can to pay what you have to pay" there can be no extra's until the necessities are paid for"
Whole agencies need to go, Health and Human services is duplicated at the State level, CUT IT, you have the National Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, they both do the same job, cut one, NPR shows a profit, cut out it's subsidy since it does not need it.
How many billions has that saved right there ?
The only way to make congress use our tax dollars in a responsible manner is to hold them to their allowance, the same way your parents taught you. Ran out of money in August ? Tough sh!t, you get nothing else till next April 15th. Learn to spend it wisely and you won't have this problem.
What on earth makes these stupid bastards think the National budget is any different than their child hood lunch money ? If you spend it all today you will do with out the rest of the week.