Obama’s poll bounce doesn’t extend to economy

For its part, CNN and Opinion Research Corporation found that, while public approval of the president’s work on terrorism and Afghanistan had increased 7 percentage points since January, Obama’s approval ratings on the deficit and the economy had fallen 3 percentage points during that same period. 

That polling comes as officials in Washington are facing a high-stakes back-and-forth over the debt limit, which the Treasury Department estimates will be hit in roughly two weeks. Timothy Geithner, the Treasury secretary, indicated yesterday that the government will still be able to handle its obligations until around Aug. 2. 

Republicans on Capitol Hill have stressed repeatedly that they will not support raising the ceiling unless that vote is paired with serious spending cuts and deficit reduction. 

To drive that point home, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the House majority leader, suggested Tuesday that he might schedule a “clean” debt limit vote to illustrate that idea’s lack of support in his chamber. A group of House Democrats have pushed for that option.