From Bret Baier of Fox News, following up on Byron York’s question at last night’s debate about supporting any tax increase at all in order to reduce the deficit. “Is there any ratio of cuts to taxes that you would accept? Three to one? Four to one? Or even 10 to one?”
I’m going to ask a question to everyone here on the stage. Say you had a deal, a real spending cuts deal, 10-to-1, as Byron said, spending cuts to tax increases….Who on this stage would walk away from that deal? Can you raise your hand if you feel so strongly about not raising taxes, you’d walk away on the 10-to-1 deal?
All eight candidates raised their hands immediately. This is now unshakeable dogma within the Republican Party regardless of circumstances and regardless of how it’s accomplished. And yet, when the congressional super committee fails to reach agreement on a deficit reduction package later this year? It’ll be a failure of “Washington,” of course. Some things never change.
