538: Liberal Democrats Have Leverage on Debt Deal

[Telly Savalas]

This is one angle that doesn't get a lot of play here. Nate Silver has run the numbers, and it appears to be likely that Obama will need support from at least some of the more progressive members of the House if any deal he cuts is going to pass in that chamber:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/liberal-democrats-have-leverage-on-debt-deal/

[tularetom]

1. Maybe and maybe not

I think Boner will have trouble keeping his caucus in line if "entitlement" cuts aren't large enough and/or if there is one penny of tax increases on the rich.

So Obama may not need unanimous support from Democratic house members to pass his stinky bill. If republican defections are large enough it may pass with some cobbled together majority of "moderate" republicans and blue dog democrats.