barack obama a blank check fors $2.4 trillion in exchange for looser cuts. no, congresswoman, bachmann, everything you just said is a false statement. raising the debt ceiling as lester holt correctly state dd not increase government spending. it guarantees that the united states won t become a deadbeat. that it will pay the bills already rung up by congress, and an institution, by the way, bachmann has been a part of for three terms now. such falsehoods may go over well for folks participating in the ames straw poll tomorrow or republican primary voters in general, but they are a disservice to any american desperate to understand why the economy is in a shambles and why washington seems incapable of doing anything about it. thanks for watching. i m jonathan capehart. it s a pleasure sitting in for martin this week. you can always find me at washingtonpost.com back slash