Poll: Public sides with Obama on deficit

In this July 14, 2011, file photo, President Barack Obama
sits with House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, House
Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, as he meets with
Republican and Democratic leaders regarding the debt
ceiling in the Cabinet Room of the White House in
Washington, Thursday, July 14, 2011. Obama's decision
to haul lawmakers in day by day to negotiate a debt deal
comes down to reality: He has no other choice. The
president has essentially cleared his agenda to deal with
one enormous crisis.
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)(Credit: AP)

The potentially catastrophic effects of a default are finally sinking in with Americans

By Natasha Lennard

Most Americans want to see a compromise on the debt ceiling, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

62 percent of self-identified Democrats said they would want Democratic leaders in the House and Senate to make compromises to gain consensus on the current budget debate, while only 43 percent of Republicans want to see their party leaders concede some of their positions. However, around 70 percent of independent respondents said they wanted to see both parties compromise.
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