Obama Embarks on Tour to Sell Debt Plan, Not Dwell on S&P

President Barack Obama began a tour promoting his proposal to cut long-term budget deficits with a new urgency after Standard & Poor’s said the nation’s AAA credit rating is in peril.

The divide between Republicans and Democrats in Congress over combating the nation’s debt was spotlighted by Standard & Poor’s lowering of the long-term U.S. credit outlook to “negative,” with each side saying the alert bolsters their competing arguments.