Senator Obama’s Vote Against Raising the Debt Ceiling and the Assassination of Salman Taseer: Today’s Q’s for O’s WH -1/5/2010
EmailTAPPER: You referenced Austan Goolsbee's –
GIBBS: Yes.
TAPPER: — comments about the debt ceiling — debt ceiling. I wanted — I wanted to read you this quote from a senator: The fact that we're here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign — is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means 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 problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit. I suspect you know who I'm quoting.
GIBBS: Joe Biden?
TAPPER: That is –
GIBBS: (Chuckles.) I know. Barack Obama from 2006.
TAPPER: That is Senator Barack Obama in 2006 voting against raising the debt ceiling.
GIBBS: And I think what is important is, it's — understand that the — raising the debt limit was not in question in the outcome.
TAPPER: It passed 52 to 48.
GIBBS: — in the outcome of that vote.
TAPPER: It was a close vote, 52 to 48.
GIBBS: Well, we've had closer. (Chuckles.) I think — I think it's important that the outcome — based on the outcome of that vote, the — as I mentioned, the full faith and credit was not in doubt. The full faith and credit of our — of our government and our economy was not in doubt. And the president used it to make a point about needing to get serious about fiscal discipline. And we, as I've said earlier, are dealing with the legacy of decisions that have been made over the past many years — not paying for a prescription drug benefit, not paying for wars, not paying for tax cuts — that changed our fiscal situation much more markedly than anything ever had.
So I think it is up to and it's important for Congress – because we know — not to play politics with this, not to play games – to find a way to raise that debt limit, understanding that we have to — as I mentioned to Matt, we're going have to have to take some serious steps to get our fiscal house in order. But we understand — we know what happens. We know the catastrophic actions with things like Social Security and Medicare if you threaten the solvency of the government.
TAPPER: So he — so he — so he only voted that way because he knew that it was going to pass?
GIBBS: I think clearly he was sending a message.
TAPPER: But he knew it was going to pass. That's why he voted –
GIBBS: Again, his vote was not necessarily needed on that.
TAPPER: So, I guess, then, just extending that, it would be okay for other senators to do the same thing this year as long as they know that ultimately — (inaudible)?  
;
GIBBS: There may be some that send a message, but I think what is important is that the ultimate bottom line is, we shouldn't upset the notion of that full faith and credit. We shouldn't — we shouldn't, as some have rhetorically done leading up to this, suggest that that's a good way to deal with this, is simply to let — to not pass that extension. We understand — as Austan said — and, look, Austan is a very bright economist — the effects of something like that, as he said last weekend, would exceed anything that we saw in the financial collapse in 2008.
TAPPER: All right. And just a quick question about the assassination of the governor of Punjab in Pakistan. I was wondering if you could put the assassination in the context of the president's Af-Pak review, whether you think it indicates anything about how successful efforts are to root out extremism. The governor is regarded as the best spokesman against extremism since Benazir Bhutto. If you could comment on that.
GIBBS: Look, I think, first of all, I think it's important that we — that our government express our condolences. As you mentioned, this is an individual who had worked hard to promote tolerance. And his loss is a great one for Pakistan. Secretary Clinton met with the Pakistani ambassador yesterday to personally pass along the president's condolences. I would simply say, Jake, that we remain committed to the efforts that the Pakistan government is and must undertake to root out violent extremism and to bring greater peace and stability to that country and to that region of the world.
-Jake Tapper
Is Congress Sounding Dumber? 
Sonia Sotomayor Speaks to NYU Graduates
Jake, you should have asked him a different question: his vote on the debt ceiling was the result of “leadership failure” under Bush. So does the fact that we need to raise it again mean that there is “leadership faiulre” under Obama?
See Gibbsy squirm his way out of that one.
Posted by: Dave | January 5, 2011, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
Flip Flop Flip Flop
Posted by: jamescbuilder | January 5, 2011, 3:25 pm 3:25 pm
So if Obama knew the outcome and voted against it (along with the letter BLAMING Bush) HE was just playing politics. Not voting the next 2 years? What was that? Oh, if only there was a decent reporter.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | January 5, 2011, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
Maybe gibbs is leaving because he is exhausted from defending obama
Posted by: DJ | January 5, 2011, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm
So Sen. Obama only said we should NOT raise the Debt Ceiling becuse he knew he could score political points by taking a position contrary to the good of the country…
Seriously, that is a defense?
In other words, “Look, I just said a bunch of stuff about reigning in spending because I knew we wouldn’t rein in spending” – I guess the implication is Sen. Obama would have been FOR raising the Debt Ceiling if the GOP was against it…
So his position is really the opposite of whatever the GOP position is?
I’m confused is he for or against saddling our grandchildren with crushing debt – I guess I’ll have to ask the GOP their position and figure Obama’s is the opposite, since Gibbs told us we can’t trust the words that come out of his mouth…
Awesome – how’s that Hopey-changey thing working out?
Posted by: n2vip | January 5, 2011, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
Good ‘gotcha’ Jake.
I’m sick of the kabuki that goes on in the Senate and House, making virtually vote a symbolic one. The leadership on both sides goes out and tells the reps in swing districts how many of them are allowed to vote against the party so they can go to their sponsors and extract more money from them. The outcome is never in doubt, because their sponsor/owners are bipartisan.
Posted by: Flash Override | January 5, 2011, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Dave, you assume too much. What makes you think that Obama was talking about Bush? From the context it seems he was laying equal blame on congress.
I agree though, that raising the debt ceiling is a failure of leadership – in this case, Obama punting on first down instead of making the GOP to make the embarassing vote in favor of millionaires over the middle class tax cuts.
Of course, there hasnt been a time in history that the debt hasn’t grown during a time of war. The question to put to leadership is really this: “Do you want to reduce the debt, or do you want to fight a war?”
Posted by: Flash Override | January 5, 2011, 5:13 pm 5:13 pm
Flash,
I like that question. Good one.
Posted by: Dave | January 5, 2011, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
Amazing! The prez is either a bold-faced fraud, or he is growing in office. Good question, Jake.
Posted by: Al Evangelista | January 5, 2011, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
Notice how leadership is an adjective never used to describe Obama. In 2006, he was right and the ceiling was less than $9 trillion. Apparently, at 14T+ leadership is not required.
Obama has been incapable of leading on any issue. If it wasn’t for a media that wets itself when Obama speaks, his approval rating would be as low as Bush when he left office. Is there anything Obama has showed strong leadership?
Posted by: Gwen | January 6, 2011, 12:44 am 12:44 am
I think they should not raise the debt ceiling, let the chips fall where they may and then those of us that have some common sense can get the country back to how it should be.
Posted by: dj | January 7, 2011, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm