Formality.

Howard Kurtz on Obama maybe finally reaching his breaking point:

On one level, the president can hardly believe he is up against this particular wall. Raising the debt ceiling is usually a “formality,” he said. Reagan did it 18 times. (Of course, Obama neglected to mention that he once voted against the formality during the Bush years.)

You're welcome to jump on Obama voting no that time as him now being a hypocrite, but previous raisings of the debt ceiling being a "formality" have nothing to do with HOW someone voted, but THAT THEY ACTUALLY VOTED, without anyone taking the debt ceiling hostage for political theater and a means to commit national suicide in the name of ideology.  The fact that this "debate" has even existed is embarrassing enough, but I'd expect a little more insight and understanding from someone who gets paid to write this shit for a living.