NEW YORK TIMES: Ending three years of brinkmanship in which the threat of a devastating default was used to wring conservative concessions from President Obama, the House on Tuesday voted to raise the government’s borrowing limit until March 2015 – without any conditions.
The vote – 221-201 – relied primarily on Democrats to carry the legislation, the first debt ceiling increase since 2009 that was not attached to other measures. Only 28 Republicans voted yes. But it effectively ended a three-year, Tea Party-fueled era when a series of budget showdowns raised the threat of debt defaults and government shutdowns, rattled economic confidence and brought serious scrutiny from an international community questioning Washington’s ability to govern.
Such tactics came crashing down after last October’s government shutdown, and House Speaker John A. Boehner, emboldened by failure, appeared content to pass legislation with Democrats, daring the most conservative wing of his conference to make good on their grumbles that he should fail… (more)
