BULLETIN:  HOUSE PASSES DEBT COMPROMISE – AT 7:24 P.M. ET:  The House has just passed the debt deal, 269-161 (the latest count).  Numbers change slightly in these things, but it appears as many Dems voted against it as for it.

It now goes to the Senate, where Tea Partier Senator Mike Lee of Utah is threatening a filibuster.  It would take 60 votes to break a filibuster.  Stand by.

The most dramatic moment in the House today came when Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona appeared to cast her vote.  Shot in the head in Tucson earlier this year, her appearance was a complete surprise to the news media.  She stood, waved when introduced, and there was a healthy, and humane, bipartisan cheer.  She looked thin, and a bit unsteady, but only a small percentage of victims even survives the kind of wound she sustained, so her appearance was something of a miracle.

Polls are showing a growing anger on both sides of the political fence about the debt deal.  One poll shows more than 70% of Americans opposed.  GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney expressed his opposition today.  A good guess would be that it will get through Congress, averting a default on our debts tomorrow, but undergo some artistic change in the future.

National defense Republicans, and independent Joe Lieberman, have expressed grave reservations about possible further cuts in the defense budget, a concern we've expressed here.  But that would only happen if a joint House-Senate committee can't come up with other cuts by a Thanksgiving deadline.  Some Dems have already said they want further cuts in defense, which won't shock any of our readers. 

Our eyes now turn to the Senate, which is set to vote at noon tomorrow.

August 1, 2011