Then & Now: The changing rhetoric in the debt-limit debate

The view from the Oval Office:

President George W. Bush Feb. 27, 2002

Now is just an inappropriate time to play politics with the debt ceiling. It's happened in the past, both parties are guilty about playing politics with the debt ceiling. And I urge that the Congress deal with the debt ceiling, deal with it in a professional way, and move it on.

President Barack Obama April 15, 2011

Well, no, I don't expect the Republicans to give in and I get 100 percent of my way, and I don't expect that we're going to give 100 percent of what the Republicans want. I think what we want to do is make sure that we have a smart compromise that is serious.

From the: Oval Office | Treasury
Democrats: Obama | Reid | Rangel
Republicans: Grassley | Pence