Stakes high in debt talks for moderate GOP senators

WASHINGTON - For moderate Republican senators such as Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, the debt default stakes could be particularly high.

From the right, conservatives demand that they stand firm against any compromise containing tax increases, even if it would potentially prevent an economic maelstrom. Constituents are concerned that an impasse could decimate markets - and their retirement savings plans - or that a deal packed with only spending cuts would slice such benefits as Medicare and Social Security.

Brown, Snowe, and the other moderate Republican senator from Maine, Susan M. Collins, have been steadfast: Congress and the president must not allow the government to go into default over its loan obligations. On the matter of whether tax increases could be part of a comprehensive long-term plan to slow the growth of the deficit, however, Brown has not committed.

“It’s difficult to get into hypotheticals without seeing what they’re actually moving forward with,’’ Brown said, commenting on which pieces he could accept in any such deal.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/07/16/stakes_high_in_debt_talks_for_moderate_gop_senators/

Esp. if they want to remain true to themselves.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out...

Recommended.

or better yet, should never have taken up with them--but all they could see was that riling up the fringe elements helped them to get and keep power. They forgot that the devil will have his due.

political leverage, if not more, on Boehner as the "freshmen" Tea Party. If his leadership was threatened by the moderates, he'd be just as inclined to get them on board with him, grab a few democrats, do the vote, and build a new coalition of republicans in the House. If his leadership is that tenuous, he might as well go with the moderates.

Of course, my theory fails if the real criteria is financial incentives from the backers of the Tea Party.

All House Republicans have turned over their souls to the devil and his Chief of Staff Grover Norquist.

Thank you for starting my day with a laugh! :-)

In the end, the debt ceiling will be raised with little ballyhoo.