the Next Big Battle: The Debt Ceiling

[Lamarr]

Obama 2006 vs. Obama January 2011 vs. Obama April 2011 on the Debt Ceiling

In March 2006, then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., found the notion of raising the debt ceiling quite distasteful.

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure,” he said. “It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”

He did. It passed narrowly – by a vote of 52-48.

Read the Article

 

[Upgrade Dave]

This is part of the absurd game they play in DC. The party out of power votes against it while the party in power votes for it. This is the first time we've had lunatics in position to vote against it.
Now the whole thing is a ridiculous way to do business, hence we're just about the only major power who does it, but it's not just Obama who flip-flops on this.

 

[QueEx]

This is part of the absurd game they play in DC. <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">The party out of power votes against it while the party in power votes for it.</span> This is the first time we've had lunatics in position to vote against it.
Now <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">the whole thing is a ridiculous way to do business</span>, hence we're just about the only major power who does it, but it's not just Obama who flip-flops on this.

Exactly.