Is politicking getting in the way of solving the U.S. debt crisis?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and House Majority Leader John Boehner, a Republican, say each other's party is to blame for a deadlock over the U.S. debt-ceiling crisis. (Harry Hamburg/Associated Press) Democrats and Republicans appear locked in a partisan divide over how to solve their country's debt-limit crisis - and are blaming each other for the impasse.

"Republicans in Congress continue to push for a 'my way or the highway' solution that could put our credit rating at risk," White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer wrote in a blog post Monday.

"I would prefer to have a bipartisan approach to solve this problem," House Marjority Leader John Boehner said on Fox News Sunday. "If that is not possible, I and my Republican colleagues in the House are prepared to move on our own."

A "Debt Deadline" countdown clock on Bloomberg TV shows less than nine days until the U.S. faces its first-ever default, would which likely force higher interest rates and rattle markets worldwide.

If the situation is not resolved, the U.S. will risk its first federal default.

"The political wrangling in Washington is intense right now," U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton told business leaders in Hong Kong on Monday. "But these kinds of debates have been a constant in our political life throughout the history of our republic."

- With files from The Associated Press

Do you think that political wrangling is getting in the way of solving the U.S. debt crisis? Why or why not? Are you confident the debt crisis situation will be solved?


(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)