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White House Blames Tea Party For Credit Downgrade



Aug 8, 2011 22 Comments ›› Pat Dollard

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top White House adviser to Barack Obama is blaming the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating on tea party Republicans, whom he says were unwilling to compromise on how to reduce the federal debt.

The top personal adviser to President Barack Obama, David Axelrod, tells CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the decision by the Standard & Poor’s credit agency to downgrade the U.S. from AAA to AA+ for the first time was strongly influenced by weeks of standoff between Democrats and Republicans over the debt.

Axelrod calls the action, in his words, “a tea party downgrade” and says it’s clearly on the backs of lawmakers who were willing to see the country default to get their way.

Axelrod also criticized GOP presidential candidates for not speaking up in favor of compromise.


  • YERMOM

    blame us all you want asshole. it will only make us stronger.

  • Moriah

    Last week Obama blamed the economy on the tsunami and natural disasters around the word…and now it’s the Tea Party.The buck stops anywhere but with him…what a man.

  • Moriah

    Last week Obama blamed the economy on the tsunami and natural disasters around the word…and now it’s the Tea Party.The buck stops anywhere but with him…what a man.

  • Charlie from New Jersey

    I don’t think the Tea Party spent the Federal Treasury into receivership! That would have been the Marxist in the White House.

  • Charlie from New Jersey

    I don’t think the Tea Party spent the Federal Treasury into receivership! That would have been the Marxist in the White House.

  • Bruce114

    Haha. How about we put the blame where it belongs, on Soviet NKVD Super Agent Dick O’bama?

  • Bruce114

    Haha. How about we put the blame where it belongs, on Soviet NKVD Super Agent Dick O’bama?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VPZXYCU6GM2A2JSG5S66SPYC3U TyS

    Someone remind this deuchebag that Tea Party Candidates only account for less than 5% of representational seats

  • Swifty

    It’s definitely the Democrat’s downgrade.
    If they had listened and followed the Tea Party plan to cut spending and
    entitlements by the amounts they wanted, no S&P pronouncement would have
    been necessary.
    But the Republican Congress was forced to compromise to avoid the good chance
    of a default and this is what we end up with.
    Compromise for the sake of compromise with no solution is counter-productive.

  • Gator

    There is broad public consensus that the budget negotiations of recent weeks can be summed up in words such as ridiculous, disgusting, stupid, and frustrating. Nationwide, 72% describe the recent negotiations in negative terms such as these; while very few offer a positive (2%), or even neutral (11%), assessment. Other frequently used terms include terrible, disappointing, childish, and joke.
    The latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington Post, conducted July 28-31 among 1,001 adults, finds that these critical views cross partisan and ideological lines, with 75% of Republicans, 72% of Democrats and 72% of independents all volunteering similarly negative assessments. Impressions are particularly negative among Republicans and Republican-leaners who agree with the Tea Party (83% negative).

  • Gator

    There is broad public consensus that the budget negotiations of recent weeks can be summed up in words such as ridiculous, disgusting, stupid, and frustrating. Nationwide, 72% describe the recent negotiations in negative terms such as these; while very few offer a positive (2%), or even neutral (11%), assessment. Other frequently used terms include terrible, disappointing, childish, and joke.
    The latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington Post, conducted July 28-31 among 1,001 adults, finds that these critical views cross partisan and ideological lines, with 75% of Republicans, 72% of Democrats and 72% of independents all volunteering similarly negative assessments. Impressions are particularly negative among Republicans and Republican-leaners who agree with the Tea Party (83% negative).

  • Gator

    There is broad public consensus that the budget negotiations of recent weeks can be summed up in words such as ridiculous, disgusting, stupid, and frustrating. Nationwide, 72% describe the recent negotiations in negative terms such as these; while very few offer a positive (2%), or even neutral (11%), assessment. Other frequently used terms include terrible, disappointing, childish, and joke.
    The latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington Post, conducted July 28-31 among 1,001 adults, finds that these critical views cross partisan and ideological lines, with 75% of Republicans, 72% of Democrats and 72% of independents all volunteering similarly negative assessments. Impressions are particularly negative among Republicans and Republican-leaners who agree with the Tea Party (83% negative).

  • Bingo Haley

    Dumb Tea Party types and dumb republicans…. screwing it up for all America. If any of you stupid people read the Market Analysis by S&P which explains their decision, you will understand this.

    The prime reason is that the Obama administration is unable to change fiscal policy due to a stranglehold by the opposition especially to GENERATE REVENUES! That means to levy NEW TAXES which the GOP is dead against.

    Capisce, you pathetic losers?

    • Anonymous

      Your understanding of politics and economics shows you to be the  pathetic loser…  if the “oh so great democrats” can’t get what they want with complete control of the white house and most of congress, then take out your anger on them!!  And by the way, historically raising taxes in fact REDUCES revenues – Reagan reduced taxes and tax revenues went up – it is tried and tested, but your buddies obama and crew think they are going to “change” everything – a concept which has worked out really good so far!!

    • Bingo Haley

      We are discussing the credit downgrade (see article above instead of reading only the comments below and wading in to give your -10 cents). Then you should read the S&P commentary that went with their decision to downgrade.

      So do not digress and ramble on about Reaganomics, which in any case belonged to its time.

      S&P is Standard and Poor’s for the uneducated.

    • Bingo Haley
    • Anonymous

      Perhaps you should read the report more carefully before you give your 5 cents worth and make assumptions based on the biased opinions of David Axelrod… or your feelings about my education…
      Page 2 of the report, under “Rationale” I quote..
      “We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the

      prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related

      fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the

      growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an

      agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and

      will remain a contentious and fitful process.”
      The growth in public spending, esp. ENTITLEMENTS is also a major issue, not just raising taxes. So I, and most of the commenters on this page, can just as easily make the argument from the report that obama and the democrats are to blame, as they are spending America into the ground and refuse to make necessary reductions in spending.

    • Anonymous

      Perhaps you should read the report more carefully before you give your 5 cents worth and make assumptions based on the biased opinions of David Axelrod… or your feelings about my education…
      Page 2 of the report, under “Rationale” I quote..
      “We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the

      prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related

      fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the

      growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an

      agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and

      will remain a contentious and fitful process.”
      The growth in public spending, esp. ENTITLEMENTS is also a major issue, not just raising taxes. So I, and most of the commenters on this page, can just as easily make the argument from the report that obama and the democrats are to blame, as they are spending America into the ground and refuse to make necessary reductions in spending.

    • Anonymous

      Perhaps you should read the report more carefully before you give your 5 cents worth and make assumptions based on the biased opinions of David Axelrod… or your feelings about my education…
      Page 2 of the report, under “Rationale” I quote..
      “We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the

      prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related

      fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the

      growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an

      agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and

      will remain a contentious and fitful process.”
      The growth in public spending, esp. ENTITLEMENTS is also a major issue, not just raising taxes. So I, and most of the commenters on this page, can just as easily make the argument from the report that obama and the democrats are to blame, as they are spending America into the ground and refuse to make necessary reductions in spending.

    • Bingo Haley

      We are discussing the credit downgrade (see article above instead of reading only the comments below and wading in to give your -10 cents). Then you should read the S&P commentary that went with their decision to downgrade.

      So do not digress and ramble on about Reaganomics, which in any case belonged to its time.

      S&P is Standard and Poor’s for the uneducated.

    • YERMOM

      spoken like a true welfare thrall

    • YERMOM

      spoken like a true welfare thrall