Posted on 02/22/2012 8:49:20 AM PST by Qbert
Mitt Romney said Tuesday that cutting spending slows growth in the economy -- a rhetorical slip more akin to an argument a Democrat might make than a Republican.
Speaking in Shelby Township, MI, the former Massachusetts governor took a question about the Simpson-Bowles fiscal commission empaneled by President Obama to address the nation's deficit and debt issues. In his response, he said that addressing taxes and spending issues are essential.
"If you just cut, if all you're thinking about doing is cutting spending, as you cut spending you'll slow down the economy," he said in part of his response. "So you have to, at the same time, create pro-growth tax policies."
That sort of comment was sure to raise the eyebrows of fiscal conservatives in the GOP, who have long preached a message of fiscal restraint as a path to economic growth.
"It's hogwash. It confirms yet again that Romney is not a limited government conservative," said Andy Roth, the vice president for government affairs at the fiscally conservative Club for Growth. "The idea that balancing the budget would not help the economy is crazy. If we balanced the budget tomorrow on spending cuts alone, it would be fantastic for the economy."
[Snip]
***UPDATE*** Romney spokesman Ryan Williams commented on the comments: The governor’s point was that simply slashing the budget, with no affirmative pro-growth policies, is insufficient to get the economy turned around. However, he believes that budget cuts – especially in the context of President Obama’s unprecedented spending explosion – are a step in the right direction. As he made clear in his economic plan, he believes that spending cuts that reduce the size of government and balance the budget are crucial to economic growth and job creation.
(Excerpt) Read more at firstread.msnbc.msn.com ...
[facepalm] And Romney makes the GOP presidential roster "slower" by bringing down the average IQ. D'oh!
Hey give him a break, he wants to roll back government spending to January. LOL
“If you just cut, if all you’re thinking about doing is cutting spending, as you cut spending you’ll slow down the economy,” he said in part of his response. “So you have to, at the same time, create pro-growth tax policies.”
I’m not defending Mittens, but the headline is a total distortion. We shouldn’t feed the animals, either.
Thanks for the Keynesian response Mitt.
This guy will be in a bunker from day one of his administration. The MSM will cream him.
Romney: Spending cuts slow economic growth
This has to be the Drudge headline, with the red lights going off around it.
If Mitt Romney took over a company, would he say that reducing the amount of money going out would not make the company more prosperous??
The same principle applies and Romney’s either a dope or is intentionally spouting the establishment line (or like his father before him, is easily brainwashed).
He needs to be removed from the republican field and must not become the nominee.
Why yes, yes he did.
And we still have idiots on FR pushing this guy as a ‘conservaive’.
"I’m not defending Mittens, but the headline is a total distortion. We shouldn’t feed the animals, either."
We definitely need pro-growth policies- but he did say that spending cuts alone will slow economic growth. It reveals (yet again) what he's really thinking when he opens his mouth on such matters.
“Romney spokesman Ryan Williams commented on the comments:......a step in the right direction......”
HUH? Let me translate that phrase for you.
“I really don’t believe this, but I know it’s political suicide to actually admit that Mitt believes what he said. So I’m spinning it this way.”
SO I guess what really counts here is Romney’s definition of “pro-growth tax policies”.
Yes. If you don’t reduce tax penalties, tarriffs and lower rates, cutting spending will not sufficiently drive the economy in the direction we want...which is up, not sideways. The Japanese made that mistake, didn’t they?
What a dolt.
Bottom line...if government spending spurred economic growth, we’d be high flying in a massive boom right now. We are spending at unprecedented levels.
I would bet if we cut 33% of the government, the economy would literally boom overnight.
#632 another reason not to vote for Romney.
If I hear one more person say he is a conservative, I may just bitc# slap’m.
Who is this guy who is arguing for cuts only and no pro-growth changes?
“The governor’s point was that simply slashing the budget, with no affirmative pro-growth policies”
Why is it that most corrections tend merely to repeat what was said, if not make it worse. That there is what people had a problem with: the idea that slashing the budget by itself is not pro-growth. PR types are vastly overpaid.
"Yes. If you don’t reduce tax penalties, tarriffs and lower rates, cutting spending will not sufficiently drive the economy in the direction we want...which is up, not sideways. The Japanese made that mistake, didn’t they?"
- What on earth are you talking about?...
"Japan slowly wakes up to doomsday debt risk"
"...The government borrows more than it raises in taxes, and its debt pile amounts to two years' worth of Japan's economic output, the highest debt-to-GDP ratio in the world.
It costs Japan half of the country's tax income just to service its debt. Each year, Japan's debt level increases by more than the combined gross domestic product of Greece and Portugal."
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/02/20/us-japan-debt-idINTRE81G0IZ20120220
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