NBC's Guthrie Urges Obama 'Go For Broke' With New Stimulus
In an interview with former press secretary and current Obama campaign advisor Robert Gibbs on Sunday's Meet the Press, substitute host Savannah Guthrie pushed the President from the left: "If the President thinks more should be done, if he thinks there should be more stimulus, why doesn't he just go for broke? Why doesn't he go out there and ask for it, make a case for it?"
Guthrie worried that Obama was "pre-settling" and that, "He's making a political calculus about what he thinks might be able to pass and not getting out there and fighting for what he thinks is best of the economy." Gibbs responded: "...the President's going to fight for exactly what he believes is best for the economy because he's done that every single day he's been president. But you just mentioned it, Savannah. What can get through Congress?"
In contrast to her exchange with Gibbs, when Guthrie interviewed Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels minutes later, she actually discouraged Republicans from standing on principle: "...at the Republican debate the candidates were asked whether they would accept a deal in which there were $10 of spending cuts for every $1 of tax hikes. And every single candidate raised their hand....does that convey a sense that Republicans are so intransigent on this issue that this problem they profess to care about, i.e. the deficit, can't be solved?"
Daniels countered by pointing to stubbornness on the Democratic side: "Well, first, there's tons of intransigence on the other side. The Democrats have been utterly, I'd say, not only stubborn, but cynical in their protestations that they won't touch, they won't, they won't modernize or rebuild the safety net programs, and everyone knows that has to happen."
Here is a transcript of both August 21 exchanges:
10:37AM ET
(...)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Well, we don't know what it is in the President's jobs plan, but you mentioned he wants to extend the payroll tax cut. We know that. He's talked about patent reform, getting some trade deals passed. All of that, in some sense, will help with the jobless situation, but it's not enough to really make a huge dent in it. I guess the question is, if the President thinks more should be done, if he thinks there should be more stimulus, why doesn't he just go for broke? Why doesn't he go out there and ask for it, make a case for it? I mean, in some sense, is he pre-settling? He's making a political calculus about what he thinks might be able to pass and not getting out there and fighting for what he thinks is best of the economy.
ROBERT GIBBS: No, Savannah, I think the President's going to fight for exactly what he believes is best for the economy because he's done that every single day he's been president. But you just mentioned it, Savannah. What can get through Congress?
(...)
10:56AM ET
GUTHRIE: You know, recently at the Republican debate the candidates were asked whether they would accept a deal in which there were $10 of spending cuts for every $1 of tax hikes. And every single candidate raised their hand saying they would not take such a deal. My question to you is, is this tenable? I mean, you're a former budget director, you know the deficit problem better than anyone else. I mean, does that convey a sense that Republicans are so intransigent on this issue that this problem they profess to care about, i.e. the deficit, can't be solved?
MITCH DANIELS: Well, first, there's tons of intransigence on the other side. The Democrats have been utterly, I'd say, not only stubborn, but cynical in their protestations that they won't touch, they won't, they won't modernize or rebuild the safety net programs, and everyone knows that has to happen.
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Comments
Ummmmm...point of order! We
Submitted by Soldat44 on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 11:48am.
Ummmmm...point of order!
We are broke.
Just sayin'
Actually,we are well beyond
Submitted by JustAl on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 1:24pm.
Actually,we are well beyond broke, broke would be better than in debt, so maybe that's what she meant? ;-)
Yeah, I was thinking "broke"
Submitted by inquiringmind on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 11:50am.
Yeah, I was thinking "broke" was her operative word.
LOL
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 1:07pm.
Great observation! We certainly seem to be going for it.
We're already there, you stoopid communist woman
Submitted by Dave. on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 11:51am.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Guthrie you ignorant idiot!
Submitted by jon_torlin on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 12:20pm.
"Go for broke" means wager everything, or as they say in Texas Hold 'em, ALL IN!
For Soetoro to do this would be just like Michael Myers' Austin Powers playing Black Jack, he played STOOPID! Except in this case, Soetoro knows it's a bad thing to do and he'll do it anyway because it'll further harm this country, furthering his agenda.
-Jon
Well, he DID say 'don't call
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 12:55pm.
Well, he DID say 'don't call my bluff' during the debt-ceiling negotiations............which isn't a card-playing statement. Seems like Barama 'went for broke' a couple times allready.........and got us there!!!
the gambler in chief
Submitted by Rackie on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 12:22pm.
"you gotta know when to hold'em and know when to fold'em.."
It really doesn't matter, ...
Submitted by Newsbubba on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 2:02pm.
... when you're playing with someone else's money.
Sure, Savannah, why not!!
Submitted by motherbelt on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 12:35pm.
He should ask for everything!
Then blame Republicans for not voting for it.
That's exactly what some "Democratic strategists" . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 1:10pm.
. . . are suggesting lately. His biggest drawback is that he already played that hand once in 2009 and we all lost. It's going to be a hard sell to the public this time.
I think he'll make some nebulous commitment to considering cuts in Social Security and Medicare, and push for elimination of tax break for corporations.
I can see this
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 2:01pm.
Proposals to double the earned income credit, triple the amount received via SNAP cards, give away free iPads along with free cell phones, and suspend home mortgage payments to anyone who got their loan through a GSE and is currently unemployed or making under $30,000 in on the books income, wouldn't surprise me a bit.
Obama is like an old boss of mine from a long time ago. My boss would always ask the employees to do ridiculous personal things for him. He only carried through on his requests roughly 10% of the time. My boss didn't care if you actually did what he asked of you, because his main thrust was just getting you to say "Sure, I'll do it".
Obama and his minions could have done absolutely anything they wanted to regarding give-a-ways or the tax code in 2009-2010. He didn't raise taxes then, because he would have been responsible for the tax increases. He wants the rhetoric of being a populist, without any of the responsibility of putting any plans on the table, or in action.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Last, but not least.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 2:05pm.
AMERICA! Eat doo doo: Barack Hussein Obama
Isn't this a great day in Amaerica?
Submitted by Comrade Jim on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 12:38pm.
One idiot advising another idiot on how to run the economy. Who is a bigger economic illiterate, Guthrie or Obama?
Another genius heard from.......
Submitted by Herbster on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 12:42pm.
Savannah Guthrie.......another "Useful idiot."
For the life of me, I don't
Submitted by jessieH on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 12:49pm.
For the life of me, I don't understand how journalists can be so blind! Throwing good money after bad is just insane. Obama's knowledge of how this country works can almost fill a thimble. None of his "stimulous" has made any difference, except to get us downgraded to AA+. If he does it again, we will become a third world country.
Well..
Submitted by retrocon on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 1:52pm.
i think at this point, i might say that we don't have any more "good money" in this economy. It's throwing bad money after worse! ;-)
hey dingbat...he is broke...
Submitted by jkwtrading on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 12:54pm.
hey dingbat...he is broke...
She is just stupid and should
Submitted by ForeverOnTheRight on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 1:23pm.
She is just stupid and should be fired for being clueless and not paying attention to what happened to this country after the first "stimulus".
Savannah is so cute...
Submitted by KyWriter on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 1:26pm.
...and incredibly dumb. She should be one of Hef's girls.
President Downgrade already hit broke.
Submitted by drsamherman on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 1:58pm.
His economic management is so low, he would have to dig up.
We keep refusing to see the truth.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 2:09pm.
Bambi and the MSM WANT TO DESTROY THIS ECONOMY AND THIS COUNTRY!
They think that they alone will then own it.
I'd say that they are being very successful, so far.
The time to fight back is slipping away rapidly.
Do You Really Have to Ask?
Submitted by IrateNate on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 2:14pm.
"we don't know what's in the President's jobs bill..."
You're kidding, right? Well, for starters, let's extend that payroll tax reduction. With an extra $8 to $14 dollars in the pay envelope each week. The only thing that stimulated was lottery ticket sales. We have already experienced what a "huge surge" to our economy that was. It didn't work, but let's "go for it" anyway - maybe it will work this time.
Next comes the saving/creating of more "shovel-ready" jobs, regardless that they never actually existed in the first place, that were in our first Stimulus Package.
Ditto on the myriad of other "infrastructure" jobs, as promised by the original Stimulus Package. How's that middle-of-nowhere internet access working out? And you had better hurry with your resume, because all those "green jobs" are filling up fast!
The truth is that Obama needs money to postpone the layoffs of the hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs that his first Stimulus Package "saved".
And he needs to do this just prior to the election, or he's toast. Obama and the entire Democratic Machine know it. I mean, come on - what did you think all that "debt ceiling" nonsense was all about?
Well said.
Submitted by JLin on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 3:21pm.
Nail: meet the hammer head. The problem is that we have half the country addicted to the cheese. They won't just shrug their shoulders and give it up. Socialism is the greatest evil of all government constructs. Truly evil.
you can get anything
Submitted by silent conservative on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 2:58pm.
You want at Alice's restaurant.
Oh sorry, that was a different communist named guthrie
This is really just too much.
Submitted by JLin on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 3:10pm.
Here we are being lectured by bimbos and self-important pinheads on how economies work. I cannot suffer this nonsense any longer. They get away with it because their audiences are dumber than they are. Crikey.
The elephant in the room...
Submitted by JLin on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 3:18pm.
Communists don't create anything, much less jobs. Their expertise is in stealing money through "legislation" or outright larceny. The idea of encouraging business and economic growth through less onerous taxation and regulation is foreign concept to them. It is anathema in fact. Actually letting the People have more of their own money is out of the question. You could sooner feed a garlic milkshake to a vampire. The average person is finally beginning to understand that.
President Downgrade Is "Going For Broke" in His New Plan
Submitted by Motormouth KOS on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 3:28pm.
Unfortunately, this will not translate to bold leadership, quite the contrary:
Food Stamps For Everybody!!!!!!!!!
Welfare for Everybody!!!!!!!
Baggy cargo shorts with Blackberry holder on the belt for everybody!!!!!!!!!!!
The Obamination... A crisis leading to a catastrophe..(please donate to MRC)
Just take us to the ....
Submitted by jmigyanka@msn.com on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 6:38pm.
...Planet of the Apes w/o a nuclear holocaust. Just line up behind the obama administration and the msm. What a disaster!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063442
If you combined Savannah's, Norah's, and Contessa's brains...
Submitted by Dave. on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 6:42pm.
...and converted it to an equal mass of dynamite, there wouldn't be enough there to blow a dingleberry off a gerbil's behind.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
friggin weird....
Submitted by boozy on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 7:13pm.
Michael Savage visoned this userper not leaving his office gently....he will take the nation with him....that is what this sounds like....Obingo has such a huge self worth, he will destroy america...no question about it...take a few of his latest....Amnesty to illegals, Libya, Operation Fast and Furious....those three items alone would qualify for impeachment, and make watergate look like chump change in comparison....hopefully this country and our legislaters wake up in time..