Debt limit hike must be part of fiscal cliff deal: Reid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. debt ceiling increase must be part of any deal to resolve the looming “fiscal cliff” of tax increases and spending cuts, the top Democratic senator said on Thursday, further complicating talks to stave off the austerity measures. President Barack Obama will not sign any agreement that does not contain a debt limit hike, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada told reporters after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. That demand was underpinned with the White House warning Republican lawmakers that the $16. …