White House Calls Obama’s Earlier Opposition to Raising Debt Limit Irrelevant

Debt Ceiling ‘Nonsense’ and Tax Loopholes — Today’s Q’s for O’s WH — 12/4/12 (Jake Tapper)

TAPPER: Just a second ago you referred to — when talking about — how the debt ceiling, taking it off the table needs to be part of this deal, you referred to the economy being held hostage by an ideological few. You’re aware that when he was a senator, President Obama voted against raising the debt ceiling?

CARNEY: And we addressed that, and there was no threat of default at the time. What happened in 2011, as we all know because we all lived it, most of us in this room, was the threat of default, a willingness expressed on the record and publicly by numerous members of Congress to see the American economy under default and with all the consequent impacts on the global economy and on the American middle class in order to achieve some sort of political victory that was driven by ideology and partisanship.

And that was enormously damaging to the economy, to consumer confidence. We were downgraded, famously. And it is a testament to the American people and the American economy, American business and some of the success we have had working with Congress that we have been able to rebound, and the economy continues to grow and create jobs. But the fact is that was a self-inflicted wound. And we can’t have that kind of nonsense anymore.