Jordan Carleo-Evangelist is reporting at Capitol Confidential U.S. Rep Chris Gibson fired back at Democratic challenger Sean Eldridge Wed., Feb. 12. He said House Speaker John Boehner “let us down” by allowing a vote to raise the country’s debt ceiling Tuesday without also imposing conditions to rein in federal spending. Eldridge, an Ulster County investor, slammed Gibson for putting politics first when the two-term Kinderhook Republican voted against a so-called clean bill to lift the debt ceiling. Gibson said he favored a simple, bipartisan condition that would have blocked members of Congress from being paid if there is no federal budget in place. Gibson said it would have passed had Boehner allowed amendments to the debt bill. With two weeks left until the debt deadline at the end of the month, Gibson said there was still plenty time left to continue to negotiate a compromise. Gibson said, “Our speaker, he just basically gave up and he gave the president what he wanted.” Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.