Gibbs defends Obama 2006 vote against raising debt ceiling
By Erik Wasson - 01/05/11 04:03 PM ET

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Wednesday defended a 2006 vote by then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) against raising the nation’s debt ceiling.

The vote to raise the debt ceiling will be a major battle this year because Tea Party-backed conservatives have vowed to let the government default on its debts rather than authorize a raising of the $14.3 trillion limit. Republican leadership is expected to use the situation to force deep spending cuts to the 2012 budget.

White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee said over the weekend that such a vote would be a product of “insanity.â€