Romney: GOP involvement in debt deal was "mistake"
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign rally at Union Terminal on September 1, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
/ Justin SullivanRomney's vice presidential choice, Paul Ryan, also differentiated himself further from Romney by refusing to say that he would reject a hypothetical debt reduction deal - composed of a 10-to-1 ratio of spending cuts to tax increases - which Romney (and other GOP candidates) rejected during a presidential primary debate last year.
"You know, it depends on the quality of the agreement," Ryan said on ABC's "This Week." "It depends on the quality of the policy. Our negotiators in the 'supercommittee' offered higher revenues through tax reform. John Boehner did as well. . . . What really matters to me is not ratios but what matters is the quality of the policy."
During the interview with NBC's David Gregory, Romney said President Obama is to blame for provisional defense cuts that were part of the deal with Congress. When Gregory noted that Republican Congressional leaders agreed to the so-called sequestration provision, Romney responded:
"And that's a big mistake. I thought it was a mistake on the part of the White House to propose it. I think it was a mistake for Republicans to go along with it. The president was responsible for coming out with specific changes they'd make to the defense budget. ... The American people need to understand how it is that our defense is going to be so badly cut."
Romney's comments are at odds with those of his running mate, who wrote in a National Review opinion column last year that the deal "takes an important step in the right direction."
"We still have a long way to go toward getting the key drivers of our debt - especially federal health-care spending - under control," Ryan wrote. "But considering that House Republicans control only one-half of one-third of the federal government, I support this reasonable, responsible effort to cut government spending, avoid a default, and help create a better environment for job creation."
A little over a year ago, as part of a deal to extend the nation's borrowing limit and avoid default, the Obama White House and Congressional Republicans agreed to $109 billion in automatic spending cuts for the upcoming fiscal year, including $55 billion from defense programs, if a Congressional "supercommittee" failed to find adequate savings elsewhere to meet budget targets. The supercommittee admitted failure in November.
In another portion of the interview on "Meet the Press," Romney complimented former President Bill Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention, which concluded Thursday, and said he thinks Clinton upstaged Mr. Obama.
"He did stand out in contrast with the other speakers," Romney says of Clinton's Wednesday night stem-winder. "I think he really did elevate the Democrat convention in a lot of ways. And frankly, the contrast may not have been as attractive as Barack Obama might have preferred if he were choosing who'd go before him and who'd go after."
Clinton spoke a day before President Obama delivered his acceptance speech on Thursday night.
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And you wonder why Congress has an approval rating half to a third of Obamas, and why Romney's backsliding in the polls. The GOP just can't find a reason to put country before party.
Heaven help us all if these dorks even get near the White House.
And he still had time to make stuff up about being elite marathon runner and mountain climber...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92L4LHcT75s&feature=relmfu
However for us independents who will actually decide this election, Mitt's answers on MTP were right on target. The sequestration deal was a BAD deal in hindsight because it punted the decision making process to the end of this year. Now President Obama is violating that very law by refusing to identify his plans for the upcoming defense cuts. It was indeed a bad deal, and that is now being proven right before our eyes.
The US indeed needs $1 trillion in spending cuts. However there seems to be only one person in this race with proven bi-partisan leadership abilities to possibly get this done.
They have two buckets of @#$@ and they throw it at the wall and see what sticks. So far, none of it is sticking.
So what's a power hungry duo to do that has promised the Rich they will take care of them? Look around and see what the other side is doing and change your tune.
The only way forward is the way the Democrats have been fighting for all these years. You really think unless the Democrats pushed for anything, these guys would offer anything? Romney says now he's ok with some of the things in Obamacare! Cripes almighty! The GOP has done nothing but crucify the Dems for Obamacare. "first thing I'ma gonna do is totally delete Obamacare". Yeah. Sure you will moron. It IS not only the only real way forward, but let's face it. How many years was Bush in the White House and how many times did you EVER here ANY of the GOP say it's high time we fixed anything besides taking care of the Rich? Fact is the GOP doesn't ever do jack @#$@ for the working class. Not even on their radar.
You reap what you sow guys. You sold your souls to the Rich and offer no vision or plan that makes sense for anything. Congratulations. You made your bed, now live with it. Be men about it and take it like men. Don't go around changing your tune to match the Democrats at the last second because you see you are going to lose.