Rep. Ron Paul will drop off the campaign trail in South Carolina on Wednesday and fly back to Washington to cast a vote against raising the debt ceiling, his campaign said Tuesday.
Jesse Benton, Mr. Paul’s campaign manager, said that vote was a big enough reason to change plans, which had called for them to be in South Carolina campaigning ahead of Saturday’s primary here.
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Mr. Obama said late last month the federal government was once again close to breaching the legal limit on how much it can borrow, and he requested Congress raise the ceiling again. Opponents would need to pass a resolution disapproving of the increase and have it signed into law, or else override a presidential veto, to bloc the increase — which is highly unlikely.
But returning to Washington to take the vote highlights one of Mr. Paul’s strengths in the race: He is one of only two current officeholders still in the race — the other is Texas Gov. Rick Perry — and the only one whose job allows him to actually go head-to-head with President Obama.
The vote is a no-brainer for Mr. Paul, now in his 12th term, who has made a career out of voting against spending bills and debt increases. It also will give him a chance to highlight another difference with some of his competitors, former Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who supported debt increases during their time in Congress.
