The debt ceiling and what's about to happen.

I don't buy the Republican rhetoric one bit. If they really wanted Democratic concessions on spending cuts, why compromise and raise the debt ceiling? By signaling to the world that they won't raise the debt ceiling, they would in effect, get a preview of what is about to happen, and if their goal is the same as the Tea Party's, that is to say that they wish the US Government to live within its means, then the raising of the federal debt limit would be superfluous to their end goals.

Look, if according to the CBS News poll, 67% of Americans are opposed to a debt ceiling increase, why raise it?

Why not run with it and see what happens?  Keeps everyone on their toes, and we get to observe the calamity, political, economic and all.  

Why not let Americans - particularly moderate voters - gain a preview of the fallout of this rhetoric from the Tea Party?