HuffPo:Tim Pawlenty: GOP Should Vote Against Raising Debt Ceiling, Then Pass Bill Preventing Default

[True_Blue]

WASHINGTON -- Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty urged congressional Republicans on Sunday to not vote to raise the debt ceiling when the matter is considered in the spring.

But in a sign of how knotted the debate has become, the likely presidential candidate suggested that lawmakers pass additional legislation to prevent the government from defaulting -- the exact purpose of raising the debt ceiling in the first place.

"They should not raise the debt ceiling," Pawlenty said. "I believe they should pass legislation that would allow them to sequence the spending as revenues come in to make sure they don't default. And then have a debate about what other spending could be reduced."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/16/pawlenty-debt-ceiling_n_809633.html

[DrDan]

1. playing to the teabag voters

[quaker bill]

2. Cute concept

So it is interest on the debt first, then the military budget, perhaps a small slice of social security... and then pretty much nothing else. If you go to $0 deficit (no increase in debt) overall spending would have to be cut roughly 40 percent. Currently, you cannot cover all of the debt service, the wars, Social Security and Medicare with the remnant.

Roughly 8 million people would have to be cut off of unemployment immediately, and you would need to furlough all federal workers.

He clearly does not have a clue.

[trotsky]

3. This fits quite well with his problem-solving "approach" while governor of MN.

Pawlenty's one-note song is "no new taxes" and he likes to think he kept that promise during his two awful terms as governor. He did indeed freeze state tax increases. However, he allowed FEES (licenses, etc.) to go up, AND by reducing payments from the state to local governments, forced those governments to raise LOCAL taxes (notably property) to make up the difference.

When people started getting wise to this scheme and objected that their property taxes were going up, Pawlenty's "solution" was to simply make a law handcuffing the local governments from raising them.

His "solutions" always involve shoving the problem onto someone else and declaring it solved.

[hobbit709]

4. Wasn't he governor when the I-35 bridge collapsed?

didn't he veto a tax bill that would have helped pay for the maintenance

[trotsky]

5. He was indeed.

And one of his first responses to the tragedy was to launch a PR offensive to deflect claims that his budget cutbacks had ANYTHING to do with it. Before anyone even suggested as such, as I recall.

[Odin2005]

6. I am ashamed that we elected that dumbass for 2 terms.

[Lasher]

7. K&R

Know thine enemy.