White House: Obama would sign a short-term debt increase

President Barack Obama would sign a short-term increase of the debt ceiling, if Congress passed a "clean" bill without policy conditions, but would prefer a longer extension, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Friday.

"Is (a short-term extension) still acceptable as the bare minimum? Sure," Carney said. "If the Congress were to pass a clean debt ceiling of short duration to avoid default, the president would sign that," he said. (Reuters)