NBC’s Gregory Grills Pawlenty on GOP ‘Purity Test’ on Taxes
In an interview with Tim Pawlenty on Sunday's NBC Meet the Press, host David Gregory cited New York Times columnist David Brooks slamming Republican opposition to tax increases in debt ceiling negotiations as “fanaticism” and proclaimed: “There is this purity test which is no tax increases, no revenue increases at all.” Pawlenty responded by pointing out Brooks's liberal leanings: “Well, with all due respect to, to David Brooks, this is not the time for Rockefeller Republicanism.” Gregory continued to push for the GOP to accept tax hikes as part of a deal: “Is that good governing for Republicans who control the House to say, 'Sorry, no tax increases period,' even when they're looking at getting potentially $4 trillion in spending cuts?” Gregory further interrogated Pawlenty: “Would you be open to any revenue increases if it would help you get a deal on the scale of trillions of dollars of spending cuts?” Pawlenty held firm: “We shouldn't raise taxes.” Gregory insisted: “So even if it means that the debt ceiling is not raised?…You're willing to face the credit rating dropping and the catastrophic effects that the Treasury Secretary describes?” At the beginning of the interview, Gregory touted comments made by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner earlier on the broadcast: “You just heard the Treasury Secretary talking about the economy saying, 'Look, Republicans don't have a choice. Raise this debt limit or America's credit rating is in danger.' Can I get reaction to that?” Pawlenty replied: “He was blaming President Bush, blaming the weather, blaming the Republicans. We're almost three years into this administration. President Obama should look in the mirror to see who's to blame for the economy in its current state, and it's not doing well.” Gregory incredulously asked: “Why is he to blame? Are you suggesting the President's to blame?” Pawlenty explained: “Well, he's the leader of our country, and he's the person who sets the tone and tempo and vision for our country, including economic policy. And he's doing things that are suffocating the private economy…” Later, in a roundtable discussion with liberal Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd, Gregory summed up Pawlenty's stance on the debt ceiling: “…willing, it seems like, to go with the most conservative line, which is, you know, 'Default be damned, we're going to keep opposing.'” Here is a partial transcript of the June 10 segment: 10:51AM ET DAVID GREGORY: Our 'Meet the Candidate' series continues this morning with former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Welcome back to Meet the Press. TIM PAWLENTY: Thanks for having me, David. GREGORY: Good to see you, Governor. I, I want to just get a headline reaction from you here. You just heard the Treasury Secretary talking about the economy saying, 'Look, Republicans don't have a choice.
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on July 11, 2011. Filed under