Political Manuever

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America ’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government can not 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. Increasing America ’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. 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 problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.

Sen. Obama, Congressional Record, S.2237-8, 3/16/06

Both President Obama and Harry Reid now state that their past positions on the debt ceiling were merely political stunts.

Senator Obama

Harry Reid

The President said:

I think that it's important to understand the vantage point of a Senator versus the vantage point of a...President. As President, you start realizing, "You know what? We-- we can't play around with this stuff. This is the full faith in credit of the United States." And so that was just a example of a new Senator, you know, making what is a political vote as opposed to doing what was important for the country.

Was it OK to "play around" with the full faith in credit as a Senator? Does he now think an apology to the former President and the American people is in order?