And just how does O'Reilly come up with THAT nonsense? If our 19% isn't that influential, how on earth could we possibly keep a compromise from happening? And if the economy gets worse, it won't be because there wasn't a compromise, it will be because the Congress is continuing its profligate spending, and the Tea Party will have had NOTHING to do with that.
As for our 'credit rating', if it's a 50/50 chance that it will blow up, if we DON'T raise the ceiling, there's an equal chance that it WON'T, if we don't raise it.
The very fact that the debt limit wasn’t just silently raised is due to the Tea Party’s influence.
BTW-—Blamed by who, Bill ? An arrogant and lazy media that no one listens to anymore ?