No, no and no.
This is the correct maneuver. They are finally getting it right.
The debt ceiling is a losing argument. The money has already been spent and the bill has arrived. You have to pay it.
It doesn’t mean surrender and it’s not a cave. The specifics are important.
The schedule of events were not good for the argument. The real battle is the Continuing Resolution that has served as a substitute budget for 4 or 5 years. THAT is the legislation that determines spending. It was defined in Aug 2011 to expire March 27. The debt ceiling was to expire then too, but the projections were wrong and it arrived first.
Now the GOP has arranged for it to arrive last, and the Dems are falling for it. They will have to propose spending for the new CR. The media optics on that are very difficult.
Yes, I know the response is “the media will support them and make them look good”, but they, the Dems, STILL have to propose spending and get it past the 8 Dem Senators from red states who are up in 2014. They are going to have the same trouble getting past them as they will with gun control.
This is a good GOP maneuver. The CR is the battle, not the ceiling.