Kerry And Axelrod On The Tea Party Downgrade

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John Kerry explained the problems caused by the tea party influence on the Republican Party which led S&P to downgrade our credit rating on Meet the Press (video above). I discussed this issue more here, including in the comments.

Tea Party Downgrade is an obvious name for what occurred, and John Kerry isn’t the only one who used this term. David Axelrod said the same on Face the Nation:

This was a “tea party downgrade,” said Axelrod on CBS News’ Face the Nation.

Axelrod said S&P’s decision was “largely a political analysis.” “And that’s what we should focus on because what they were saying is they want to see the political system work. They want to see a sense of compromise. They want to see the kind of solution that the president has been fighting for, a large solution that will deal with the problem, that will be balanced, that will include revenues.”

Instead, said Axelrod, conservative, Tea Party-influenced Republicans “played brinksmanship with the full faith and credit of the United States. And this was the result of that.”

“It was the wrong thing to do to push the country to that point” he said. “And it’s something that should never have happened. And that clearly is on the backs of those who were willing to see the country default, those very strident voices in the tea party.”

Republicans’ handling of the debt debate “was atrocious and that contributed to [S&P’s] analysis,” he concluded.

8 Comments

  1. 1
    jepaco says:

    RT @RonChusid: Kerry & Axelrod On The Tea Party Downgrade #p2 #p21 #topprog http://t.co/AvAR2ih

  2. 2
    Brett says:

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  3. 3
    John Sonntag says:

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  4. 4
    Darrell says:

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  5. 5
    The Caring Grandma says:

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  6. 6
    David says:

    You leftys should decide who you’re going to blame, the Tea Party or the S&P itself: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44056883#44056883
    Wait, blame both! (Even thought that makes no sense: either the S&P had no cause, as Tim G. claims, letting the Tea Party off the hook, or it is the Tea Party’s fault and S&P therefore made a good call).  
    Face it. No way were you guys going to trim the deficit by 4 trillion with 3 to 1 spending cuts to taxes. Your true plan: screw the S&P, keep our raising level of entitlements, and then blame the S&P or the Tea Party, whichever sticks best.
    P.S. you can add bringing the country into a second recession to your list of achievements.

  7. 7
    Ron Chusid says:

    David, I am blaming the tea party as well as irresponsible Republican economic policies here, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible for both to be somewhat at fault. I have not blamed S&P, and many on the left have not, but there is a valid argument that they were wrong in their decision. After all, out of three similar bodies, they are the only one to make this move.

    It is the Tea Party and Republicans who are wrong in thinking we can cut the deficit (which was created by Republicans) without increasing revenue. Democrats had a plan to cut the deficit. Republican policies would only worsen it. It was the Republicans who raised the risk that the US might default on its obligations (i.e. bills run up by Republicans which Obama is now forced to pay). That is why S&P cited Republican actions, including unwillingness to consider any tax increases, as the reason for the downgrade.

    Republicans caused the first recession, and now the far right Republicans (tea party) is responsible for any second recession.

  8. 8
    Mugwumpie says:

    Kerry & Axelrod On The Tea Party Downgrade #p2 #p21 #topprog http://t.co/AvAR2ih

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