Regarding the editorial "GOP plays chicken" ( June 5) , it's worth noting the sudden drop off in Republican support for raising the debt ceiling as soon as President Obama took office. Under President Bush the Republicans provided, on average, 39 of the 50 votes that were generally needed to raise the debt ceiling. But under President Obama, the Republicans have provided only one vote on average each of the three times the Senate has voted on it.
The national debt in nominal dollars quadrupled during the Reagan and Bush presidencies from 1980 to 1992. During the administration of President George W. Bush, the national debt increased from $5.7 trillion in January 2001 to $10.7 by December 2008, the limit having been raised seven times.
