Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner Praises “Positive Side” Of Tea Parties

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by Steve Krakauer | 10:13 am, April 19th, 2010

» 11 comments

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was interviewed exclusively on Meet the Press yesterday, and the wide-ranging sit-down touched on a variety of financial topics.

But one topic that got Fox News’ attention (they’ve aired the answer several times already this morning) was the “positive side” Geithner talked about when moderator David Gregory asked him about tea parties.

Gregory asked, “It seems that their biggest grievance, those who show up to these rallies, have to do with taxes, with government spending, with the size of the deficit. How serious do you take those concerns? How viable a political force do you consider the Tea Party to be?”

Said Geithner:

Let me do the positive side of this, okay? We’ve just been through eight years where many people said, ‘Deficits don’t matter. We can pass huge tax cuts, pass huge new programs without paying for them.’ That debate has changed fundamentally. Now you don’t hear people say anymore, ‘Deficits don’t matter.’ You don’t hear people saying that we can pass enormous expansion of government without paying for it. That’s an important change. I think all Americans understand that our deficits are unsustainable. And I think that’ll be helpful as we move to try to make the hard choices to bring them down again.”

The ‘deficits don’t matter’ line is one from the previous administration – said by VP Dick Cheney.

Geithner and the tea partiers partying together? Check it out:

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David Gregory, Meet the Press, NBC, NBC News, tea parties, Tim Geithner

The Real Royal King

I doubt anyone would disagree with what Geithner said. I don’t. Deficits are terrible for economic growth and development. You’ll recall that in 2001, President Clinton erased Raygun’s/Poppy’s huge deficit and left W a budget surplus. W then launched two wars, one justified, but without provisions for funding either. W left President Obama a huge budget deficit. That deficit has increased with the stimulus packages and the revenue fall off which commenced with the W Depression beginning in 2006, but it now shows some signs of being addressed. For the sake of analysis, let’s all admit that the Tea Partiers are over-whelmingly Republican. However, their message strikes at least as much to Raygun, Poppy and W as it does to President Obama. In applauding the Tea Partier’s message, Geithner wielded a double-edged sword.
The Real Royal King

By the way, Gregory, for the first time in a very long time, did an almost adequate job moderating, yesterday.
ImNotBlue

Since nobody else has commented yet (other than Royal)… I’d like to ask Royal a question:

When you write things like this: “Raygun, Poppy and W” (specifically, “Raygun”) over and over and over again… what is your intention? Do you feel you’re making a point here? I’m not sure I (or anyone else) understands your intention. I get that it’s an attempt to annoy Conservative fans of Reagan… but I’m not sure why a misspelling is the way in which you approach the issue.

Always trying to get inside the head of the posters, I am…
TylerDurden

Timmy!!!! Did you pay your taxes this time???
timzank

Imnotblue, Always trying to get inside the head of the posters, I am…

Oh you’ll find plenty of room in there brother, lots of empty space in there.
TylerDurden

ImNotBlue- Raygun is a term that is almost exclusively used by HP posters. TRRK must be a HP reject.
The Real Royal King

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATC0Ouea7uc
The Real Royal King

When you write things like this: “ … Poppy and W” … over and over and over again… what is your intention?

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Terms of endearment. In Texas George H. W. is often referred to as Poppy, George W. Bush is often referred to as Dubya, W or Shrub. Barbara Bush is often referred to as Babs. Dorothy Bush is often referred to as Doro. Neil Bush is often referred to as Happy Pants or Open Drawers. Marvin Bush is often referred to a Iron Man. Jeb Bush is often referred to a Jebbers or Bubble Butt.

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Raygun is a term that is almost exclusively used by HP posters.

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It emerged from the Star Wars fantasy, not the Huffington Post.
ImNotBlue

The Real Royal King says:
April 19, 2010 at 2:36 pm

Oh, so you’re quoting a goofy YouTube video each time? Is that appropriate? Why would you do that? What point are you trying to make?

The Real Royal King says:
April 19, 2010 at 2:48 pm

But I thought you were in the UK today…
TylerDurden

It emerged from the Star Wars fantasy, not the Huffington Post.”

As I said, Raygun is a term that is almost exclusively used by HP posters.
alex020588

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