Quotes From Behind The Conservative Wrecking Ball

Rep. Michele Bachmann

• "I have no intention of voting to raise the debt ceiling because, right now, the federal government continues to spend more money than what it takes in."
• "It isn't true that the government would default on its debt. ... It is scare tactics." Instead, she said the U.S. could avoid a default by paying only the interest on U.S. obligations while lawmakers work on a deal to cut spending dramatically as part of a new debt ceiling. Such an approach has been derided as unworkable by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
• "We have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world; we need to drop that significantly, so that we have a pro-business, pro-job creation environment. So if we cut back the corporate tax rate, if we would zero out the capital gains rates, allow for 100 percent expensing when a job creator buys equipment for their business, that would go a long way toward job creators recognizing that this is a pro-business environment."

(From the June 26 CBS Face the Nation Interview [1])

• On fixing the deficit : "I think if we give Glenn Beck the numbers, he can solve this." (Alternet.org [2])
• “Social Security, like I told you, is out of money. This year it is borrowing from the general treasury.” (Politifact.com [3]. For the truth on Social Security's finances, see this fact sheet [4].)
• "So if we cut back the corporate tax rate, if we would zero out the capital gains, right, allow for a 100 percent expensing when a job creator buys equipment for their business, that would go a long way towards job creators recognizing that this is a pro-business environment. But right now, businesses are looking at the uncertainty. They know that 'Obamacare' is coming down the pike. The Congressional Budget Office estimated 'Obamacare' will cost the economy 800,000 jobs." (Health Justice Network [5])

Tim Pawlenty

• "There's a group of folks who say look, pay the outside creditors first. So there is no default. Take away that concern. Take away that fear. And then have the debate be about the rest of the domestic spending. That is something that I have advocated for many months" (CBS News [6])
• "I don't think the argument can be credibly made that the United States of America is undertaxed compared to our competitors." (Politifact.com [7]. For our perspective on corporate taxes, see this fact sheet [8].)

Sen. Mitch McConnell

• [On raising taxes] “That’s not serious[ and it is my hope that the president will take those off the table today so that we can have a serious discussion about our country’s economic future.” (Washington Post [9])
• “Not only is there bipartisan opposition, the consequences of massive new tax hikes would be fewer jobs.” (Washington Post [9])
• “Throwing more tax revenue into the mix is simply not going to produce the desired result. It won't pass.” (Christian Post [10])
• “Well, I think we've gotten to the point where we ought to put aside our talking points and get down to what can actually pass. As I was just trying to point out to you, the whole business of raising taxes, regardless of how you go about it, is something that this Congress is not likely to do. The last Congress wasn't willing to do it. So we need to talk about what can pass.” (ABC's This Week [11])
• “We have a spending problem. We don't have a problem because we tax too little.” (Slate.com [12])

Rep. Eric Cantor

• “We have hit the point at which we are really talking about big numbers, and everything, as I’ve said before, is on the table, except tax increases. That includes Medicare, Medicaid and the other mandatory as well as discretionary spending.” (The Washington Post [13])

Jon Kyl

• “If you want to kill the economy, raise taxes. Are we going to vote to absolutely put another anchor around the neck of the economy which is struggling to try to recover here? Absolutely not. It's terrible policy.” (The Hill [14])

Newt Gingrich

• "The left understands how to destroy the American economy. They're working at it diligently." (Reuters [15])
• “Democrats are faced with a real crisis. The president is about to preside over the United States defaulting on its debt — he can’t do that. So he is going to have to in the end agree to something. The Republicans are in a position to say they are very happy to avoid a default if he will sign a spending-cut bill.” (newsmax.com [16])

Gov. Rick Perry

• "I think in America from time to time we have to go through some difficult times — and I think we’re going through those difficult economic times for a purpose, to bring us back to those Biblical principles of you know, you don’t spend all the money. You work hard for those six years and you put up that seventh year in the warehouse to take you through the hard times. And not spending all of our money. Not asking for Pharaoh to give everything to everybody and to take care of folks because at the end of the day, it’s slavery. We become slaves to government." (ThinkProgress.org [17])

Herman Cain

• "I don’t think the current minimum wage is necessary because most companies are paying higher than the minimum wage." (ThinkProgress.org [18])
• "We must empower our economy with lower taxes on businesses and workers. All we have to do is look at the success of the 1960s and 1980s." (The Daily Caller [19]. Tax rates today are actually lower than they were in the 1980s and especially the 1960s. But U.S. economic growth was slower in the 2000s than it was in either decade. For more on the consequences of conservative economic policy, read this [20].)

Mitt Romney

• "We are only inches away from ceasing to be a free market economy." (Politifact.com [21])

Ron Paul

• “We must completely revamp the U.S. tax system and move to a territorial model that does not tax foreign source income... We need to abolish the income tax altogether.” (Ron Paul campaign site [22])