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Subscribe to RSSHours before Tim Pawlenty takes the stage at the first major GOP debate in New Hampshire, his campaign co-chairman fought back against criticism of the former Minnesota governor's economic plan.
"It's a proposal for a macro-economic strategy," former Minnesota congressman Vin Weber said on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports. "It's not a budget submission."
Weber said the Republican presidential candidate's plan is not an endpoint. "Gov. Pawlenty has said if this isn't the way to get to higher levels of growth," he said, "let's hear what other people are suggesting."
The former Republican congressman said any plan is better than the Obama administration's attempt to improve the economy. "$800 billion of stimulus and quantitative easing by the fed [has] left us with a listless economy, unemployment and underemployment and stagnant wages," Weber said.
Tim Pawlenty is "talking about spending cuts and ways of getting to the balanced budget. He's also talking about changes in the tax code that would boost employment and incomes," Weber said.
The former Minnesota congressman was referring to Pawlenty's plan to simplify the individual tax code by creating only two rates: 10 percent and 25 percent. According to the former governor's plan, "Those who currently pay no income tax would stay at a zero rate. After that, the first $50,000 of income -- or $100,000 for married couples -- would be taxed at 10 percent. Everything above that would be taxed at 25 percent."
When asked to respond to Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom's Tweet that the former Massachusetts governor "left behind $2.3 billion IN CASH for his successor," an apparent dig at Pawlenty, who left office with a $5 billion deficit, Weber said, "The budget was balanced every year that Gov. Pawlenty was in office, and he made proposals, which would have helped balance the budget going forward. They were always rejected by the Democratic legislature in Minnesota...as long as Gov. Pawlenty refused to raise taxes they would not make long-term reforms in spending."
Weber also addressed Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's response of, "I really don't want to comment," when asked by The Wall Street Journal if Pawlenty was a "good governor."
"I wish she hadn't said this," Weber said. "He was a good governor. He was the most conservative governor in my lifetime. I think the overwhelming majority of Republicans in Minnesota would agree with that."
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""$800 billion of stimulus and quantitative easing by the fed [has] left us with a listless economy, unemployment and underemployment and stagnant wages," Weber said."
Uh Oh- how much of that $800 Bil was in tax breaks for the Richie Rich crowd? Someone not gonna like talking about THAT part of the nasty old stimulus.
dbo
if they can't acknowledge on single thing Obama did right regarding the economy, do you think they'll acknowledge that almost $300billion of the stimulus went straight to tax cuts. you saw them last night smooching each other on the stage and several back trackings. that's how they tell the truth their crazy world. if you ask Poorlenty why his economics is wacky, i betcha, he'll say it's Obama fault.
It may be that a majority of Republicans in Minnesota liked Gov. Pawlenty, but certainly not a majority of Minnesotans. Former Gov. Arne Carlson (also a Republican) has been critical of Gov. Pawlenty. No one will say exactly WHO is advising him on his economic plan (and I don't think economics is something he knows a lot about on his own). And perhaps someone should remind Gov. Pawlenty that "aspiration" is the same as "hope."
47th state in job creation under his term. Enough said.
Elise, Pawlenty always called himself and his supporters "Sam Club" voters when he was running for governor. By his second term he turned them into "food self" voters. We now have a Democratic governor Mark Dayton .
I would think his plan is worse than voodoo economics.. this plan would require a aspiration tube....or put the country on an aspirator....
Progressive Power know all about the "Tinkle Down" economic plans of "TIMMY!!" His economic record for Minnesota favors the very rich only. His economic policy for most others is not good! His cutting of safety nets for those in his state that truely need the help is troubling socially, and economically evil.
25% top rate? How is that going to help the economy? We already have a growing gap between the top few percent and the bottom 1/2 of earners. We also have had large capital gains tax cuts that benefit mainly the wealthy. Trickle down has been pretty much discredited. And I'm not sure how you could balance the budget with that large a tax cut, without absolutely massive spending cuts.
I personally think that stagnant wages and increasing health care and other costs are a big part of our economic woes. I can't see how encouraging more distance between rich and poor is going to make things better.
The only up-side is it will make our lower-class wages competitive with the third world. If you want to call it an upside.
And by the way, I currently pay more than 25% on some of my income, so Pawlenty's plan would benefit me. I still don't think it is the right idea for our economy.
Since 1964, the U.S. debt had accelerated fastest under President Ronald Reagan, at an annualized growth rate of 14.18% -- a record held until Jan. 20, 2009. Following the inauguration of President Obama, the national debt has grown at an annualized rate of 22.82% -- a statistic that might give Democratic leadership pause. But then again it's taken this long to break the back of the "Bush recession." The Democratic party must remember the "Scorched Earth Politics" of the radical GOP/TEA parties. White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Austan Goolsbee warns that a failure to raise the debt-ceiling is "essentially defaulting on our obligations, which is totally unprecedented in American history. In a nutshell - this is quit astounding! We should all remember the self appointed politicians to force their Social conservative values on the American public. Who do these people think they are, shoving their narrow-minded agenda down the throat of the American public?
That narrow minded agenda is what made this country great. That and the constitution.