How to Avoid Answering a Question pt 2. The McConnell Edition

Welcome back class.

Today, we will continue our edition on how to avoid answering a question. We began this series back on August 10^th with the John Boehner edition on how to avoid answering a question. Mr Boehner appeared on an episode of Meet The Press on August 8^th and provided a classic way on side-stepping a simple question asked to him by the show’s host, David Gregory. Yesterday, we got the second class in this series, this time, from Mitch McConnell.

GOP Mitch McConnell

Please open your books to Chapter 2: The McConnell Effect.

The setting and question remained the same, but the players are different. McConnell appeared on David Gregory’s Meet The Press and was asked one question – How are you planning to pay for the tax cuts for the wealthy.

Method 1: Class, here’s the first step to avoid answering a question. Begin by avoiding the question and stating the obvious.

“This has been tax law in America for almost 10 years now, existing tax law. What the administration is proposing, and the majorities in the House and Senate, is to raise taxes on the top 2 percent.”

Question Time: Gregory number 2:

“But my question is this. How do you pay for an extension of tax cuts?”

Method 2: Next class, you resort to regular talking points. Here again, is McConnell;

“Well, what, what, what, what, what are you talking about paid for? This is existing policy…. What they’re talking about is raising taxes, impacting 50% of small businesses in the middle of what most Americans think is a recession.”

Question Time: Gregory number 3:

“The CBO, senator, this week made it very clear that for the long-term picture of the economy, for the deficit, is very dark if you extend the Bush-era tax cuts without somehow paying for them.”

Method 3: Next, you appear irritated. Look how McConnell masterfully did it;

“Look, what we are talking about here is, is tax increase in the middle of a recession…”

Question Time: Gregory number 4:

“But senator, with respect… you’re being unresponsive to a question, which is are tax-cuts paid for going forward…”

Method 4: Slightly raise the tone of your voice. McConnell;

“I, yea, I know…And I, and I give you a straightforward answer. What we are talking about here is raising taxes in the middle of what most Americans think is a recession. That isn’t going to produce more revenue…”

Question Time: Gregory number 5:

“For a final time, I”ll go back to my question, which is the extension of the tax cuts would cost $3.2 Trillion. That’s borrowed money that will add to the deficit. Do you have a plan to pay for that extension?”

Method 6: Finally class, knowing that this is the final time the question will be asked, skip method 5 and go to method 6: Resort to method #1 and avoid the question by saying the obvious. Again, McConnell;

“You’re talking about current tax policy. Why did all of a sudden it became something that must be “paid for?”

So there you have it class. Like John Boehner’s session a few weeks ago, you will see that the very same steps to avoiding a question are employed by Mitch McConnell. The Republican game book is real, and the GOP leader of the House Mr. Boehner and the leader of the senate, Mr. McConnell have read and memorized all the necessary methods to avoid a simple question.

As time goes on, we are sure we will be extending this class to bring more Republicans, following these same steps to avoid questions. Stay tuned.

Related articles

• Bill Scher: McConnell Repeats Debunked Lies To Promote More Tax Cuts For Multi-Millionaires (huffingtonpost.com)
• Mitch McConnell Refuses to Clearly State the Truth About President Obama’s Religion (theroot.com)
• Mitch McConnell on Obama’s Religion: Clearing the Air or Clouding It? (politicsdaily.com)