The Republicans running (or almost running) for president are less than enthused by the deficit reduction solutions offered up by the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
After President Obama’s much anticipated Wednesday speech on spending, the cadre of pols vying for the Republican presidential nomination littered inboxes with their statements on the address.
They were not impressed.
“President Obama’s proposals are too little, too late,” said Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts who recently made his well-known presidential ambitions a little more well known. “Instead of supporting spending cuts that lead to real deficit reduction and true reform of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, the President dug deep into his liberal playbook for ‘solutions’ highlighted by higher taxes.”
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the candidate seen as running closest to Romney for the nomination at this point — and who’s already running just a smidge more official a campaign than he is — attacked Obama’s speech as well as the 2011 budget plan Obama forged with Speaker John Boehner.
“Today’s speech was nothing more than window dressing,” Pawlenty said. “President Obama’s lack of seriousness on deficit reduction is crystal clear when you look at the budget deal he insisted on to avoid a government shutdown.”
Newt Gingrich, who’s maybe running, said what many Republicans are saying in response to the Obama plan: there will be no tax increases, ever, for any reason.
“America needs tax cuts not tax increases to create jobs,” Gingrich said in a long statement posted to Facebook. “Creating jobs and getting back to 4% unemployment is the most important step to a balanced budget. The president’s proposal to raise taxes will kill jobs and increase the deficit by putting more people on unemployment, food stamps and welfare.”
The antipathy to tax hikes and the embrace of social networking was shared by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.
“President Obama doesn’t get it,” he tweeted. “The fear of higher taxes tomorrow hurts job creation today.”
Evan McMorris-Santoro
Evan McMorris-Santoro has covered politics for TPM since 2009. Before that, he was a reporter at National Journal’s Hotline covering election 2008. He started his career covering local politics at newspapers in TN and his native NC.
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