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Mitt Romney said Tuesday that cutting spending slows growth in the economy -- a rhetorical slip more akin to an argument a Democrat might make than a Republican.
Speaking in Shelby Township, MI, the former Massachusetts governor took a question about the Simpson-Bowles fiscal commission empaneled by President Obama to address the nation's deficit and debt issues. In his response, he said that addressing taxes and spending issues are essential.
"If you just cut, if all you're thinking about doing is cutting spending, as you cut spending you'll slow down the economy," he said in part of his response. "So you have to, at the same time, create pro-growth tax policies."
That sort of comment was sure to raise the eyebrows of fiscal conservatives in the GOP, who have long preached a message of fiscal restraint as a path to economic growth.
"It's hogwash. It confirms yet again that Romney is not a limited government conservative," said Andy Roth, the vice president for government affairs at the fiscally conservative Club for Growth. "The idea that balancing the budget would not help the economy is crazy. If we balanced the budget tomorrow on spending cuts alone, it would be fantastic for the economy."
Romney is set to unveil a new, more detailed economic plan later this week, especially as he works to shore up primary victories in Arizona and his native Michigan.
But he's offered an insight into his thinking by endorsing a previous fiscal plan (the Cut, Cap and Balance plan, which calls for cuts to spending, a cap on the growth of government spending, and a balanced budget amendment) that doesn't necessarily rely on accompanying tax reforms.
The Obama administration has been particularly clear about its view that cutting spending would strangle off any hope of an economic recovery. Jack Lew, the new White House chief of staff made that point in a Feb. 12 appearance on "Meet the Press."
"I think that there's pretty broad agreement that the time for austerity is not today," Lew said. "We need to be on a path where over the next several years we bring our deficit under control. Right now we have a recovery that's taking root and if we were to put in austerity measures right now, it would take the economy in the wrong way."
Romney's comment, if nothing else, would represent a rhetorical departure from the rest of the Republican Party, which has done battle with the Obama administration over the past year about the best course for economic growth.
"We’re listening to the people who sent us here to cut spending so we can grow our economy," House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said just less than a year ago, at the height of a fight between Obama and congressional Republicans over funding the government.
***UPDATE*** Romney spokesman Ryan Williams commented on the comments:
The governor’s point was that simply slashing the budget, with no affirmative pro-growth policies, is insufficient to get the economy turned around. However, he believes that budget cuts – especially in the context of President Obama’s unprecedented spending explosion – are a step in the right direction. As he made clear in his economic plan, he believes that spending cuts that reduce the size of government and balance the budget are crucial to economic growth and job creation.
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Romney screwed up and said what we all know to be true. The president has been fighting for a comprehensive plan of targeted tax cuts, some increases and spending cuts so the pain is distributed across all sectors of the economy but the GOP keeps fighting him.
"the Presidents unprecedented spending explosion"? He can't be serious! He is serious. A Republican talking about explosive spending after financing two wars under Bush? Paying for healthcare costs on the rise because people are thrown out of work by corporations, having their healthcare cut, new workers hired without healthcare - the idiot - we pay for it anyway! Explosive? All this on top of soldiers coming home to an inept VA because Republicans refuse to increase the budget adequately to pay for their wounded. Such a jerk. He would let Detroit - a city of one million people totally die - for Conservative Republican principles. To be sure Detroit city government is not shining example of fiscal awareness - however we are talking people here - a city here - that has produced the wheels for this nation for a century. Where's loyalty Mitt?
Republicans can only lie during this election cycle because actually telling the truth will ensure Obama's re-election.
Spending cuts must be targeted to cut out the waste. This is where you get the most bang for the buck.
I don't expect anyone to seriously try to pay down the National debt. The most we can hope for is to limit the annual Obama deficit spending.
Capping all spending as a percentage of GDP is a great way to start. But that is just a start.
The absolute worst way to reduce spending is to cut a like percentage from every program. It's the easiest certainly but it's also the dumbest.
No doubt spending has to be cut but it has to be done strategically, not politically.
It might have been a slip to Republicans, but at least this time Romney was right.
He knows the right is so far into right field right now that they are in the stands not in the game.
Oops
It's actually funny to me that the Republican candidates don't actually seem to be running for president, rather they're running to "outconservative" the other guy. Who can be more conservate (or at least APPEAR more conservative) than the "other" guy. The Republican slugfest for President is actually a Republican slugfest for the ultra conservative right wing of the Republican party. That's why they're going to lose the presidency again.
Romney has far more similarities to Obama than differences. The Republicans will loose because they are not offering anything tangibly better than what is already in the White House.
Obama has far more similarities to Bush than differences. They are both war mongering fascists in that they both support the merging of corporate power with state power in order to better control the people.
THe only time the GOP wants to live within their means is when a Dem is in the White House. Reagan> Tripled the debt. Bush> Doubled the debt. Clinton> A word Republicans don't get..........SURPLUS!
I have read many comments here that Obama has tripled the debt in the three years he has been in office. First let me say I am no Obama fan but I would hope that all the so-called informed individuals the post here would get their facts straight before spreading false information.
There is no dought that Obama has increased the debt but the acutal figures is substantially less than some belive. The reason being that a good share of the debt created during Obama's term was in existance when he took office. That being there was substantial debt that was not officially accounted for during the last administration and Obama administration took that debt and included in the official accounting. That at least was one correct thing to do.
It is very scary that so many people in this country have bought into the idea that it is the responsibility of the federal government to spend money in order to "help" the economy. Spending money only "grows" the economy when it is borrowed or printed. To say that raising taxes to increase government spending will make the economy grow is like saying that if you take a bucket of water out of a swimming pool and dump it back in that you have somehow raised the water level of the pool. When the government, via the federal reserve, prints money out of thin air, they are reducing the value of everything that you own. We are poised to see massive inflation as a result of this kind of economic theory. Furthermore, even if the government could spend money to improve the economy, what law allows them to do so? Right now they are borrowing money and printing it out of thin air, all of this is our debt. To my mind this is the greatest form of ID theft in history. If somebody went and opened up a credit card in your name, then spent $20,000 in your name, would you simply shrug it off and say "good for them that $20,000 helped the economy"? No, you would have them arrested because you will have to pay that money back. How is this any different then what the government is doing right now?
Mittwit doesn't realize he can't have it both ways; cut spending, cut taxes, cut the economy.
How will cutting government spending and taxes cut the economy? What makes a dollar spent by the government have a greater effect than a dollar spent by you or me?
Governments are put here to serve their interests; not ours. Ponder that.
LOLOL........... isnt that what Obama has been saying?? Ive watched Romney for 4 years as Governor of MA. The man has no political principles! He will do whatever is necessary to succeed, sticking his wet finger up into the wind, before deciding on an issue!
Lies, Lies, and more lies. Yet the religious far right continue to vote for these clowns.
Its RON PAUL or U.S. Bankruptcy.
For once, Romney is right and he'll be excoriated for stating a true fact by the no-nothing, economically illiterate GOP base. Romney is not a stupid man, but if he hopes to be the GOP nominee, he better dumb down his remarks.
Has there ever been as deceiving a candidate for president in our history as Romney? Or is it that we are more aware of it because of the internet?
That Romney is as close to Obama in the polls as he is, worries me as much as Bush winning his second term.