Billy Long Seems Wishy Washy About Debt Ceiling Increase: More Tea Party Than Tea Party?

Congressman Billy Long has been caught playing both sides of the fence a lot in recent weeks. At a Tea Party a couple weeks ago, Long bragged about how he opposed Boehner's budget compromise and then ranted about how the Tea Party should blindly embrace John Boehner. It appears he is talking out of both sides of his mouth as the debt ceiling increase vote will be faced when Long gets back to Washington after a hard week of judging art contests.

Long was asked by the National Journal where he stood on the debt ceiling vote. It appears Long isn't even sure himself despite being fed up.

LONG We are going to have to get some extreme, not extreme—we’re going to have to get some good-sized spending cuts before I’d even look at it. It’s going to be another negotiating thing.

This all seems a bit naive to me since Long returned to Southwest Missouri bragging he and the GOP got the $100 billion in spending cuts done when in fact it was only $61 billion that was soon compromised to an unknown figure that totals somewhere between $325 million and $38 billion.

Long's answer should have been No, especially considering Long said in the same interview "I'm probably more tea party than the tea party." Really Billy? You don't even know whether you are going to vote the for the debt ceiling? We true Tea Partiers know we cannot allow the federal government to continue spending, so the answer would be NO. Mr. Long if you really believe you are Tea Party, you are the weakest kind of Tea. Of course, the truth is you aren't Tea Party at all and you admitted you didn't have time to caucus with the Tea Party despite your silly claim.

Would someone please tell me what Congressman Long is saying when he says we are going to have to have "some extreme, not extreme" spending cuts. I like extreme spending cuts, but Long seems wishy washy. Not extreme spending cuts? You mean like the kind Boehner delivered earlier this year?

So is it extreme, not extreme, or just good size? I guess we will soon find out. My guess is Long will vote against the debt ceiling while justifying the rest of the GOP's votes to increase it. This is how Billy Long plays the game--on both sides of the fence.