[MasdMnPa]

The vote was a stunt pulled by Republicans in an attempt to get Democrats on the record as being for raising the debt ceiling without any cuts to offset it, despite the fact that House Speaker Boehner has already said that the House must vote to raise the debt ceiling or else the country would face a devastating effect that would ripple around the world should the US tell the world that it will default on it's loans.

Republicans wish to use this vote as a bargaining chip in the effort to get Democrats to help them erase their shame, which was the vote to abolish Medicare as we know it. Since that vote, Republicans have been found out and their constituents are angry, and so the only way to get this issue to go away is to try to force the Democrats to also vote to cut Medicare so that the issue can't be used by Democrats in next year's election.

The debt ceiling will be raised and Boehner and company will vote in favor of doing it on it's own. They don't have any bargaining chips here, and risk facing the wrath of everyone should they decide to let the country default on it's obligations.

All that Democrats need to do is stand up for Medicare and seniors, and that's not hard for them to do, since 80% of the public does not want Medicare to be cut at all.

Republicans know the shit's going to hit the fan with the teabaggers when they have to take the vote for it, so they're doing their best to weasel out of taking responsibility by trying to get the Democrats to give them cover for the most boneheaded vote they've taken in a long time. If we can get the Dems to vote on cutting Medicare too, they can't use it against us next year is their thinking. Pretty simple.

Republicans are fucked on this one, because their constituents are already mad at them for the Ryan vote, and now the teabagger base of crazies who've taken over the party will go crazy on their own once the debt ceiling is raised by Boehner. And it will be raised even if Boehner has to go out there and cry to get it done, just the way he did on his plea for the TARP vote.

Democrats just have to sit back and watch things unfold. Some of them will vote for it, some against, but in the end, Republicans must vote to do it, and that's just the way it is, and Democrats don't have to give on anything because in the end, the responsibility falls on John Boehner and the Republicans who control the House to either raise the debt limit or send the country into default. Democrats know how to claim defeat out of the jaws of victory, but this one is a great big gimme, and there is no pressure on them to give in on the Republican Mediscare scam.