The front page of today's Washington Post informs us that more Senate Democrats are jumping on the GOP's campaign to tie deficit reduction to an increase in the debt ceiling. They all know that playing politics with the debt ceiling could endanger our economic recovery. My guess is that Democrats know Obama will cave and cut a deal. Instead of giving full credit to the GOP, they want some. Just shows how warped our politics have become. And, says a lot about Obama's leadership and and complete lack of negotiating skills:
A growing number of Democrats are threatening to defy the White House over the national debt, joining Republican calls for deficit cuts as a requirement for consenting to lift the country’s borrowing limit.There's no political cost to defying the White House because the White House always gives in. And, most Senate Democrats aren't exactly known for their strong spines either.
The tension is the latest illustration of how the tea-party-infused GOP is driving the debate in Washington over federal spending. And it shows how the debt issue is testing the Obama administration’s clout as Democrats, particularly those from politically competitive states, resist White House arguments against setting conditions on legislation to raise the debt ceiling.
The push-back has come in recent days from Sens. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a freshman who is running for reelection next year. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) told constituents during the Easter recess that he would not vote to lift the debt limit without a “real and meaningful commitment to debt reduction.”
Even Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), generally a stalwart White House ally, is undecided on the issue and is “hopeful” that a debt-ceiling bill can be attached to a measure to cut the federal deficit, said her spokesman, Linden Zakula. Klobuchar is also up for reelection next year.
