In 2007, liberal U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) voted against raising the federal debt limit, accusing Republicans of turning the budget “an unacceptable color of bright red.”

But today, less than four years later, McCaskill has flip-flopped, claiming this week that “failing to raise the debt ceiling would cause a financial panic that would be devastating to the economy” and calling it “profoundly irresponsible to play chicken with the debt limit vote.”

Notably, as McCaskill demands a debt limit increase, she is not demanding it be tied to deficit reductions – putting her to the left of many of her liberal Democrat Senate colleagues. As Politico reports:

“Now it’s time to have that vote tied in with getting some progress on the long-term debt for the country,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who initially held out her vote in 2010 to increase the debt ceiling until Obama agreed to create a bipartisan fiscal commission. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who faces voters next year, has raised similar concerns. And a number of others who have voted in 2010 for a debt ceiling hike – including Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) – declined to directly say Tuesday if they’ll back the White House on a clean vote this time around. 

“Not only has Senator McCaskill flip-flopped to demand raising the debt ceiling, she’s standing to the left of some of the most liberal Democrats in Washington by failing to demand a serious plan for reducing our deficit before casting that vote,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond. “Once again, McCaskill’s behavior doesn’t match her campaign rhetoric, and she’s jumping right on board with President Obama’s reckless spending agenda.”