Wallace Pressed Plouffe on Obama's Debt Limit Voting Record

From the April 10 edition of Fox Broadcasting's Fox News Sunday:

PLOUFFE: We're not going to default on the debt limit. We can't do that. So it would be -- the fiscal crisis we went in 2008 and 2009, many believe if we default on the debt limit, interest rates would skyrocket, it would hurt job creation, homeowners, so the point is--

WALLACE: Let me just ask, let me just speak to that point and then I'll let you go on. Here's the argument against what you just said, and let me put this on the screen. “America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit.” That's what Senator Barack Obama said in 2006 when he voted against increasing the debt limit.

PLOUFFE: Yes. And he believes that vote was a mistake. [Fox, Fox News Sunday, 4/10/11]

But Wallace Made No Such Effort To Challenge Rep. Eric Cantor's Criticism Of Raising The Debt Ceiling

From the April 10 edition of Fox Broadcasting's Fox News Sunday:

CANTOR: Then as you correctly pointed out, the president himself had said he wouldn't raise the debt limit, and now they're flipping on that. So in my opinion, it's really hard to believe what this White House and the president is saying.

WALLACE: Why do you think the extreme change and sudden change in strategy, from a budget that had no cuts in spending -- a freeze, a five-year freeze, which they say would have cut spending by $400 billion -- to now saying we're going to address everything, spending cuts, entitlements. Why the change?

CANTOR: I have to believe that the president and the White House are beginning to sense the American people get it. You know, we have a fiscal train wreck before us. And unless we act, and act deliberately, we're not going to enable our kids to have what we have. And it's as plain and simple as that. This budget deal that was cut, or the spending deal that was cut this week, is only the beginning. This is the first bite of the apple. And we have been saying that all along.

This is about making the right decisions now. We've got the Ryan budget up this week in the House, which lays out our plan of how we're going to address the fiscal challenges of our country. And Chris, as you know, we've got the debt limit vote coming in several weeks as well. And what that vote is about, frankly, is dealing with the fiscal mismanagement of the past. But there is no way that we Republicans are going to support increasing the debt limit without guaranteed steps being put in place to ensure that the spending doesn't get out of control again. [Fox Broadcasting, Fox News Sunday, 4/10/11]

Even Though Cantor Has A Long History Of Voting In Favor Of Debt Limit Increases

June 2002: Cantor Voted To Increase The Debt Ceiling. On June 27, 2002, Cantor voted in favor of a provision increasing the debt ceiling. [U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk, 6/27/02]

• NYT: “The Legislation Would Raise The Debt Ceiling By $450 Billion, To $6.4 Trillion.” [The New York Times, 6/28/02]

April 2003: Cantor Voted To Increase The Debt Ceiling. On April 11, 2003, Cantor voted in favor of a congressional budget measure that included a provision increasing the debt ceiling. [U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk, 4/11/03]

• Wash Post: FY2004 Budget Resolution Included A Provision To Increase The Debt Limit By “Nearly $1 Trillion.” [The Washington Post, 4/12/03]

November 2004: Cantor Voted To Increase The Debt Ceiling. On November 18, 2004, Cantor voted in favor of a provision increasing the debt ceiling. [U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk, 11/18/04]

• WaPo: “The House Rejected Efforts To Reimpose Restrictions On Tax Cuts And Spending, Then Joined The Senate To Raise The Federal Debt Limit By $800 Billion, To $8.18 Trillion.” [Washington Post, 11/19/04]