Webb Urges Tea Party Not to Risk Economy in Debt Debate

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) on Wednesday put his support behind Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's debt-ceiling plan, offering a lecture to tea-party Republicans on the dangers of just saying no.

"There are, in the other party, some individuals who view themselves as revolutionaries in the best sense of the word," Webb said in a floor speech.

While offering praise for the type of reform the tea party advocates, Webb said it need not come at the cost of another recession, which many predict would be the result of failing to raise the debt ceiling by Tuesday's deadline.

"The first rule of good governance is to do no harm," Webb said. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't make cuts … but it means be careful when you're dealing with the fragility of national policy at a time like this."

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