- Origins of the downgrade: GOP House majority leader Eric Cantor urged the GOP to see the debt ceiling as political leverage. Democrats called the GOP irresponsible for gambling with the economy and the nation’s flawless credit... http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/origins-of-the-debt-showdown/2011/08/03/giqa9uqizi_story.html?utm_source=twitterfeed 6 comments politics