Meet The Press - July 10, 2011

Guests:
Tim Geithner (Sec. of Treasury)
Fmr. Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.)
Chuck Todd
Eugene Robinson
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Gregory: John Boehner has given up on
a deal to raise the debt ceiling because
the GOP won’t raise any taxes

Geithner: this is a great moment for America

Gregory: it is?

Geithner: you betcha

Gregory: how can you still make a deal?

Geithner: we can agree to cut defense
and Medicare

Gregory: I like it

Geithner: Republicans should not walk
away from these promising discussions
to cut entitlements in exchange for
letting tax cuts expire

Gregory: what is Obama’s position?

Geithner: he’s willing to compromise

Gregory: Is a Grand Bargain is still possible?

Geithner: It sure is Fluffy

Gregory: would you give in on raising
taxes on rich people like me

Gregory: if we don’t raise taxes we would
have to slash programs for the most
vulnerable people in society

Gregory: Is the President willing to
cut Medicare please

Geithner: oh sure why not

Gregory: like how

Geithner: we would if we don’t add
burdens to the poor and middle class

Gregory: I’m middle class so that’s good

Geithner: Shared sacrifice would also apply to you

Gregory: oh noe

Geithner: Obama is working for the
largest possible deal

Gregory: who really cares about
raising the debt ceiling?

Geithner: By August we won’t be able
to borrow so we will have to pay our bills
with any cash lying under the White House cushions

Gregory: would that affect our credit rating

Geithner: last week I ordered a free copy
of our credit report and it looked really bad

Gregory: what’s our FICO score?

Geithner: If Congress doesn’t act poor
people will run out of food

Gregory: Look at this chart -
Obama crashed the economy

Geithner: that’s ridiculous Fluffers

Gregory: so you say

Geithner: the Great Recession was
worse than the Great Depression and
we’ve added 2 million jobs

Gregory: maybe but things are still bad

Geithner: yeah but Japan had an earthquake

Gregory: well natural disasters are
going to happen Tim

Geithner: tectonic shifts conspire against us

Gregory: Obama said the economy is
much worse than we thought

Geithner: the damm American people
lived beyond their means for years -
well the party is over

Gregory: you did stimulus, health care reform,
housing - where are the jobs?

Geithner: Fluffy the GOP drove the economy
off a cliff and Obama has put us back on
the edge of that cliff

Gregory: when do we back off the cliff
and live the high life again

Geithner: oh it will be painful for many
more years to come

Gregory: well thanks for coming Tim

[ break ]

Gregory: would you raise the debt ceiling

Pawlenty: Obama ruined America’s economy

Gregory: how so

Pawlenty: he should get government
off the backs of our job creators

Gregory: is that what caused the recession

Pawlenty: Obama caused the recession
with his stimulus

Gregory: I see

Pawlenty: he is suffocating America’s
entrepreneurial spirit

Gregory: speaking of which your
startup campaign sucks

Pawlenty: when people learn I cut
taxes they will flock to my campaign

Gregory: you’re behind Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich

Pawlenty: when people finally get
to know me I will get to 5%

Gregory: you’ve been Iowa 75 times!

Pawlenty: I plan to meet every person
who lives in that state

Gregory: are you too dull and boring to be President

Pawlenty: I got fortitude - I vetoed lots of bills
and shut down the government I’m such an asshole

Gregory: you think that’s what
the American people want?

Pawlenty: America is sinking and now
is the time for Republicans to stand up
and fight for the policies that caused the recession!

Gregory: will you please bash Mitt Romney?

Pawlenty: fuck that foppish flip-flopping Mormon

Gregory: what makes you stand out

Pawlenty: I’m a true leader Fluffy

Gregory: how would you break
from the Republican party?

Pawlenty: I support the minimum wage

Gregory: Michele Bachmann is beating you

Pawlenty: see I’m different from her -
we’re both conservatives but I’m a former Governor
and she’s completely insane

Gregory: she said America has a gangster government

Pawlenty: well she’s right about that

Gregory: it seems inappropriate

Pawlenty: Obama’s elitist thugs are out of control!

Gregory: how would solve the debt ceiling problem?

Pawlenty: Obama tripled the deficit!

Gregory: so what’s your solution

Pawlenty: a Balanced Budget Amendment

Gregory: David Brooks says the GOP
has become a bunch of dangerous weird fanatics

Pawlenty: absurd - we are not 'weird'

Gregory: if you say so

Pawlenty: this country is sinking under terrible debts

Gregory: Obama offered $4 trillion in cuts
and you said no new taxes

Pawlenty: look any fair-minded person
knows state senator Obama caused a
recession in 2007

Gregory: so no new taxes?

Pawlenty: never ever not ever

Gregory: even if it would ruin America’s
credit rating?

Pawlenty: absolutely if Obama cares
about the debt well then he can just
give Republicans everything they want

Gregory: what abut Paul Ryan’s plan?

Pawlenty: I love it

Gregory: would you send ground
troops to Libya?

Pawlenty: I would not support that
but Obama has been very weak
in not going after Qaddafi

Gregory: you really think so

Pawlenty: Saint Reagan said Qaddafi has
American blood on his hands

Gregory: well if getting him is so important
why not send in ground troops?

Pawlenty: just lob a cruise missile at the fucker

Gregory: you love Lady Gaga -
do you think being gay is a choice?

Pawlenty: I hate gay people but
Lady Gaga is straight you know

Gregory: but do you think being gay is a choice?

Pawlenty: probably people wake up one day
and say ‘hey I think I’ll be gay’

Gregory: that’s stupid

Pawlenty: the scientists say it’s not genetic
- it may be behavioral

Gregory: I look forward to your concession
party next month

[ break ]

Gregory: you just saw Tim Pawlenty -
is his campaign over?

Todd: his chief rival is from Minnesota
but more charismatic

Gregory: well that’s not saying much

Todd: true

Gregory: Pawlenty said Bachmann has
never accomplished anything

Robinson: Bring it on Tim!

Gregory: Pawlenty also said America we
should default on the debt

Todd: the GOP presidential primary is
preventing a deal in Washington

Robinson: that’s not good

Gregory: what about Sarah Palin?

Todd: she’s crazy

Gregory: but fun

Robinson: if she were running for President
she’d be running for President

Todd: she’s the next Rush Limbaugh

Robinson: like we needed another one

Gregory: what should Obama say to
the Republicans at the White House today?

Robinson: he should aim high because
he can always say he tried to get a big deal done

Gregory: Obama gave in on Medicare
and still didn’t get a deal!

Todd: Boehner floated that deal and
got shot down by the loons in his own party

Gregory: that’s amazing

Robinson: Boehner and Cantor are
going to appear on The Marriage Ref

Todd: Does Obama really want a
deal or was all this strategic political theater?

Gregory: what the deal with Pawlenty’s
answer on whether being gay is a choice?

Todd: he’s got weird ideas and doesn’t
explain them well - so don’t count him out
for the GOP nomination!

Gregory: Geithner said if our credit
is downgraded it would catastrophic

Robinson: but it’s worth if we keep
tax cuts for the rich

Todd: Obama says people should
rent month to month what with the
Mayan apocalypse coming

Gregory: it’s going to be a fun campaign

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