Symbolic? House GOP Rejects First Attempt at $2.4 Trillion Debt Ceiling Increase

It appears symbolic to me and that's it. A couple weeks ago, the Republicans were working on a deal that promised a debt ceiling increase, and today they reject the first attempt at raising the debt ceiling. Get the feeling we are being played?


House Republicans dealt defeat to their own proposal for a $2.4 trillion increase in the nation's debt limit Tuesday, a political gambit designed to reinforce a demand for spending cuts to accompany any increase in government borrowing.

The vote was lopsided, with just 97 in favor of the measure and 318 against.

House Democrats accused the GOP of political demagoguery, while the Obama administration maneuvered to avoid taking sides -- or giving offense to majority Republicans.

The debate was brief, occasionally impassioned and set a standard of sorts for public theater, particularly at a time when private negotiations continue among the administration and key lawmakers on the deficit cuts Republicans have demanded.

Didn't Boehner deal away any new spending cuts for this year when he compromised with the Democrats on the budget a few weeks ago? Like I said, this seems more symbolic than anything. Boehner's compromise didn't amount to a hill of beans when it came to cutting spending, and I doubt any future compromise that will eventually take place to get this thing passed will provide enough spending cuts to make any serious cuts to federal spending.

Just watch.