July 10, 2011 – EzKool

Tim Pawlenty Beats Up On Michele Bachmann…Side-steps Question About Romeny

One of the characteristics that describe Republican 2012 Presidential contender Tim Pawlenty among his fellow Republicans is timid. Some would even call him soft, so it was no surprise when he was given the chance today on Meet The Press to criticize his fellow Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, Pawlenty again side-stepped the question. But when the question turned to Michele Bachmann, Pawlenty didn’t bite his tongue, stating that the female Republican contender don’t have a record to stand on.

When host, David Gregory asked Pawlenty about Mitt Romney’s health care policies, the question was a straight forward one. “Are you saying he [Romney] cannot be the nominee, unelectable as, as the nominee of the party, because of his position on health care?”

Question: Can Romney be the Republican nominee? Is Romney unelectable? The answer should have been simple – yes he can be the nominee, or no, he cannot!

Instead, the softness of Pawlenty went on full display.

GOV. PAWLENTY: I think if you’re going to prosecute the political case against President Obama and one of the top three or four issues is going to be the direction of the country in health care, it’s going to be very difficult for our nominee to be one of the co-conspirators or co- designers of that.

MR. GREGORY: I know that’s the argument. I’m asking you what your conclusion is.

GOV. PAWLENTY: It’s going to be very difficult for him to be successful with that on his record.

MR. GREGORY: In other words, he can’t be the nominee if he’s got this background?

GOV. PAWLENTY: I think as we — it’s going to be difficult for him to beat the president with that on his record. And, you know, his record is beyond just health care. It’s also a question of how did he do on judicial appointments? Where did we stand on bail outs? So all of us are going to have to account for our record. I’ve got a record. Governor Romney’s got a record. All the other candidates have record. I’ve got the best conservative record in the race.

The question was left unanswered.

Then the question turned to the only female in the race so far, Michele Bachmann. Pawlenty was asked what he thought about Bachmann’s candidacy and to distinguish himself from Mrs. Bachmann. Another simple question and amazingly, Pawlenty had a simple answer.

“I like Congresswoman Bachmann, I’ve campaigned for her, I respect her,” said Pawlenty on the program. “But her record of accomplishment in Congress is nonexistent. It’s nonexistent. And so we’re not looking for folks who, you know, just have speech capabilities, we’re looking for people who can lead a large enterprise in a public setting and drive it to conclusion. I’ve done that, she hasn’t.”

Although I agree with Pawlenty and the facts back up his statement that Michele Bachmann have no accomplishments in Congress, one can only wonder why when the question is asked about a male he chooses not to participate in pointing out that opponent’s deficiencies. But ask about his female opponent, and Pawlenty suddenly had a lot to say.

I actually looked up the meaning of “soft” in the dictionary, and no, Pawlenty’s picture was not there, but it’s still early. Give it some time…!

G.O.P Putting America In Default Status To Avoid A 3% Tax Hike On Millionaires

In his weekly address to the nation, President Obama spoke about the looming debt ceiling, and the discussion presently going on between Democrats and Republicans. The President detailed what both sides have already agreed to, saying;

“The good news is, we agree on some of the big things. We agree that after a decade of racking up deficits and debt, we finally need to get our fiscal house in order. We agree that to do that, both sides are going to have to step outside their comfort zones and make some political sacrifices. And we agree that we simply cannot afford to default on our national obligations for the first time in our history; that we need to uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America.”

Mr. Obama also spoke about the differences between what he believes must be done and the position the Republicans have taken to protect the rich, saying, “I believe we need a balanced approach. That means taking on spending in our domestic programs and our defense programs. It means addressing the challenges in programs like Medicare so we can strengthen those programs and protect them for future generations. And it means taking on spending in the tax code – spending on tax breaks and deductions for the wealthiest Americans.”

And there lies the problem, the stumbling block between Democrats and Republicans. Mr. Obama’s wish to take on the spending in the tax code is what Republicans are strongly against. It must be noted here, that taking on this tax code equals a 3% tax raise on millionaires, essentially taking their tax rate from 36% to 39%, which is what the rate was under the Clinton Administration.

Republicans are saying no to that 3% raise for the rich, but they are all for spending cuts in programs that benefit the middle class, like cuts in Medicare and social Security.