Ed Henry Grills Carney For Claiming GOP Is ‘Extorting’ Obama Over Debt Ceiling

Ed Henry Grills Carney For Claiming GOP Is 'Extorting' Obama Over Debt Ceiling (RealClearPolitics)

ED HENRY: Since you said you wanted to focus on facts. Yesterday, you and the president talked about how never in the history of America has the debt ceiling been used to extort the president. You probably saw the Washington Post looked at that, they gave you four Pinocchios. Are you going to correct that today?

JAY CARNEY: There is no question that prior to 2011, there has never been a case where one party with one ideological agenda has threatened to default on the United States' obligations for the first time in it's-- did not.

HENRY: Richard Nixon wanted to lift the debt ceiling. And Ted Kennedy and other Democrats brought up a campaign finance reform bill because of Watergate, correct?

CARNEY: No question. Was anybody threatening default? Was anybody saying "if I don't get this, if I don't get what I want, we'll allow the economy to default?"