Posted on 05/31/2011 2:08:09 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are about to give Democrats, President Barack Obama included, a clean vote on whether or not to raise the federal debt ceiling.
For months now, Obama, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and congressional Democratic leaders have been demanding an increase in the debt ceiling without having to accept any preconditions like real reforms in the budget process or real limits on future federal spending. For their sins, they are getting exactly what they wanted. What they do with it is another question entirely.
It is highly doubtful that the Democrats ever thought the GOP would give them a chance at a clean vote. Meaning they could maximize the rhetoric and political spin, accusing the Republicans of being irresponsible and bringing the nation dangerously close to default without the rubber ever meeting the road. By giving the Democrats what they demanded, the GOP is putting them between the proverbial rock and hard place.
A new poll released Monday finds that nine out of every 10 voters opposes an increase in the debt ceiling unless it is married to meaningful reductions in federal spending.
The survey, conducted jointly by Resurgent Republic and the American Action Forum, asked voters to determine which of these two statements they agreed with most:
•Congressman A says that Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling, because it is the only responsible thing to do. Tying the debt increase to spending cuts is just a political move by politicians who do not want to raise taxes on the wealthy.
•Congressman B says that any increase in the federal debt limit should be tied to specific cuts in federal spending. We have got to stop spending money we don't have.
The results are quite remarkable. Among Democratic voters, by 50 to 42 percent, the winning position is the one that ties any debt limit increase to spending cuts (and by 31 to 26 percent among those who strongly agree). Yet in Congress, the prevailing position among Democrats is for a clean debt ceiling bill with, based on previous voting patterns, six out of 10 Democratic House members holding that position.
Getting what they want could be political suicide, at least in the short term. By 64 to 31 percent, self-described independents say any debt limit increase should include spending cuts (and by 37 to 18 percent among those who strongly agree).
Independents, it should be recalled, provided the margins that helped Obama win by such a big margin in 2008 and helped the GOP do so well in 2010. For them, the most popular position (49 percent) is raising the debt limit but only "in exchange for substantial spending cuts and a commitment to reduce the deficit." [Check out a roundup of political cartoons on the budget and deficit.]
It is clear that most Americans realize “the clean vote” is the one that ensures the nation remains on its current path toward an economic apocalypse. Their bluff having been called, the administration and congressional Democrats will now be forced to act in a way that runs counter to their political fortunes as well as the country’s best interests.
Those Wascally Wepubwicans are so brave.
And given the strict media silence on this vote/issue, not 1 in 100 Americans will know a THING about it!!!!
IF the repubs get a deal they should vote to raise the limit only a fraction, so that the vote will have to come up again in 3 months.
I love it when politicians accuse each other of acting like politicians.
This vote will tell us where they all stand. I hope it will go down in flames. We’ll see where the conservatives stand. Bring it on.
The whole “default” scare is nothing but a fraud. How could the US default on our debt? If the ceiling is not raised, and yet politicians continue to spend more than is taken in.
I am so sick of the absolute lies being told. And the unfortunate reality is - not only is the general public made up of enough idiots and sheep that they don’t have a clue and will drink the kool-aid offered by the liars... and even more disturbing - even some of the Republicans are just as gullible (or maybe a better word for them is “guilty).
Conservatives? What a joke...
There should be no raising of the debt ceiling. Alternatively it should be removed entirely. Either make a tiny move to stop the economic destruction or bring it on as fast as possible.
In reality, there has never been a debt ceiling, because they have rubber stamped raising it time after time regardless of who was in power. I suspect they'll be terrorized into raising it again with token cuts combined with large increases in spending in other areas. In other words, business as usual.
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