WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidates are all but silent on Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell’s proposal to sidestep a potentially disastrous government default on loan obligations.
Not one candidate has endorsed it, and Newt Gingrich has come out against it, tweeting: “McConnell’s plan is an irresponsible surrender to big government, big deficits and continued overspending.”
The hesitation to weigh in — by front-runner Mitt Romney and his rivals — underscores the challenging politics at play for GOP White House hopefuls in the fast-moving debate over increasing the United States’ borrowing ability.
Most aren’t in Congress, don’t have a vote, and, thus, seemingly feel little obligation to wade into the specifics of the complex debate. When they do speak, they are being careful about what they say on the issue, perhaps mindful that whoever emerges as the eventual 2012 nominee — and party standard-bearer — will likely have to contend with the result of tense negotiations between the White House and Congress.
The Treasury Department says lawmakers have until Aug. 2 to extend the nation’s debt limit to prevent a catastrophic government default on its bills.
McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, put the candidates on the spot Tuesday when he offered a proposal that guarantees Obama’s requests for new government borrowing authority unless Congress musters veto-proof two-thirds majorities to deny him. Conservatives assailed the plan that quickly became the latest litmus test for the party’s base.
Pressed on where Romney stood on McConnell’s plan, aides repeated Romney’s oft-spoken stance on the debt discussion: “A vote on raising the debt ceiling has to be accompanied by a major effort to restructure and reduce the size of government.” He deferred to Congress on the details of any such plan.
Two candidates — who unlike the others would vote on any plan — have split from the rest, promising to vote against a debt-limit increase.
“Republicans cannot take the bait and get fooled again,” said Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. And Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, the tea party favorite, made the issue the topic of her first presidential campaign ad, saying: “I will not vote to increase the debt ceiling.”
Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania scolded those who oppose any deal, saying while campaigning in South Carolina that “those who say we should not have any debt limit increase and solve our problem now, that is not sound decision-making.” One other candidate campaigning in South Carolina this week, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, largely took a pass on specific issues in the debate.
