They would have liked to see greater cuts and a constitutional requirement to balance the budget in the future. They are fundamentalists, so nothing short of total triumph will do.
But make no mistake, they have proved beyond all doubt that the Tea Party calls the shots in the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
The president was unable to fight back convincingly, and resorted to scare tactics about benefits to the sick and elderly not being paid if the ceiling wasn't raised. He did not sound like a man in control.
The episode has damaged his authority and dimmed his prospects of re-election in 2012. The Tea Party has succeeded in making spending the dominant issue in Washington, even over job creation and the immediate recovery. But the movement played a large part in dragging the country to the brink of disaster, and many voters in the middle ground may not forgive them for that.
For more: US debt deal: a victory for the Tea Party - Telegraph
The president was unable to fight back convincingly, and resorted to scare tactics about benefits to the sick and elderly not being paid if the ceiling wasn't raised. He did not sound like a man in control.
The episode has damaged his authority and dimmed his prospects of re-election in 2012. The Tea Party has succeeded in making spending the dominant issue in Washington, even over job creation and the immediate recovery. But the movement played a large part in dragging the country to the brink of disaster, and many voters in the middle ground may not forgive them for that.
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