Adams Blog states this very well.  Let us be clear here on the debt ceiling. President Obama’s call for Republicans to raise taxes is a political and ideological maneuver.
The reason Obama is calling for tax increases is not because it is strictly mathematically necessary to raise taxes in order to reduce the debt. We have a spending problem and there is money to be found that while a bit more difficult to obtain, is still available. The reasons are a two edged political sword:
1)  It would comfort his own political base against whatever  cosmetic little spending cuts that are spread out over 10 or 20 years get into a reduction package.
2) It would absolutely decimate Republicans. They ran on not raising taxes and if they raise taxes or pass some phony deal on the debt ceiling, the Republican Party will be sowing the wind and set to reap the whirlwind. For many Republican and Tea Party voters, the Republican victory last fall was not a matter of love of the Pachyderm. Rather, Republicans are double probation and voters on not afraid to give up on them. Voters expect promises to be kept or else.
The President’s posture in these negotiations has been bad faith. He has asked Republicans to take steps that would be politically devastating and might even split the Republican Party. No cut discussed has been of that magnitude.
If you want Republicans to talk tax increases, take serious steps on Social Security and Medicare that will stop that $44 trillion avalanche, get rid of a couple cabinet departments. Slay a couple of federal sacred cows. We’re not seeing that from the President.
As an aside, I have to comment on the cynicism of our political system. If a candidates breaks their campaign promises to get things done, they are maligned as a flip flopper and a liar. If they honor their campaign promises, they are called intransigent partisans. This is why most candidate for high political office are either sociopaths or people of extreme patriotism who can put up with this sort of nonsense.  (visit article site)