This Week with Christiane Amanpour - July 17, 2011

Guests:
Jack Lew - Office of Management & Budget
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID)
George Will
Cokie Roberts
Matthew Dowd
Jonathan Karl
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Amanpour: OMG Casey Anthony is out of jail and
Rebekah Brooks goes in

Audience: whoa

Amanpour: Meanwhile furious strategizing
is going on over the previously routine
lifting of the debt ceiling

Amanpour: Mr. Lew will the U.S. default
on the debts we’ve already incurred?

Lew: probably not - if sane people get their way

Amanpour: would it be bad for America if
we don’t raise the ceiling?

Lew: yes - it would raise taxes

Amanpour: oh noe!

Lew: America’s fate lies with
Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid

Amanpour: what a comfort

Lew: Obama is willing to means-test
Medicare you know

Amanpour: Pelosi says no to that

Lew: Medicare contributes to our problems

Amanpour: it does?

Lew: we need structural changes to
Medicare in exchange for raising taxes
on the rich although they will expire anyway

Amanpour: what is Obama’s plan

Lew: I just told you Christiane

Amanpour: how about a one-year extension
on the debt ceiling

Lew: no that’s stupid

Amanpour: would Obama be willing to accept that?

Lew: no - and he’s not bluffing!

Amanpour: Would Obama accept a deal
without tax hikes?

Lew: he might if it was a really awesome plan

Amanpour: deadline?

Lew: look we will make a deal -
the question is how much pain will we inflict
on the American people

Amanpour: how much is too much?

Lew: it’s called 'toughlove' Christiane

Amanpour: will there be a deal

Kyl: there won’t be deal if Obama doesn’t
stop this obsession with job-killing taxes

Amanpour: you hate taxes that much?

Kyl: yes - so if we default it will be Obama’s fault

Amanpour: that makes sense

Kyl: or would could just give up and go
with the fake McConnell plan

Amanpour: Senator even Republicans think
we should raise taxes

Kyl: yes but I have a poll that says we should
have a clean debt bill which means no new taxes
- I win!

Amanpour: that’s slippery of you Jon

Kyl: hisssssss

Amanpour: Michele Bachmann says we
should be deadbeats on Bush’s debts

Kyl: well she’s a little crazy but she’s right
that spending is bad

Amanpour: Obama’s has agreed to cut spending

Kyl: we could cut $100 billion in
Medicare and Medicaid right now!

Amanpour: they might agree to that

Kyl: fuck that - let them propose it first

Amanpour: Do you ever worry that causing
a Depression while simultaneously fighting to cut
Medicaid might make you unpopular

Kyl: first let’s do no harm - next we cut entitlements!

Amanpour: is Bachmann right that default
is no big deal?

Kyl: um no - she’s nuts

Amanpour: thanks for coming

[ break ]

Amanpour: panel is the GOP making a
mistake playing chicken with the debt?

Will: Obama wanted a clean bill and now
he wants $4 trillion in cuts plus tax increases -
which makes him look reasonable that
canny bastard

Amanpour: Congressman would you ever vote to raise the debt ceiling

Labrador: I want three things -
to cut spending now, a limit on all
future spending and a Constitutional
amendment saying all government spending
is a plot by Lord Voldemort

Karl: right now nothing can pass both House
and the Senate

Roberts: well something has to pass

Karl: well it won’t

Roberts: if you care about the debt nothing
would be worse for the deficit than defaulting on it

Dowd: not raising the ceiling would be bad
politically so it probably will happen

Roberts: Raul I’m curious why do you love
tax cuts for billionaires so much?

Labrador: look we agreed to cut taxes for the rich -
what more do you want?

Will: the tea party movement is the
best thing to happen to the GOP since Goldwater

Amanpour: interesting analogy

Labrador: Obama isn’t serious about the debt -
he keep proposing spending cuts and higher taxes

Karl: why didn’t the GOP just accept the
President’s proposal to cut Medicare?

Labrador: to protect job-creating
tax cuts for the rich stupid!

Dowd: each side hates the other -
with good reason

Roberts: just compromise and make
government work!

Labrador: the American people will not stand for that

Roberts: you’re a strange young man

Labrador: the President doesn’t care
about the debt he just wants to raise taxes

Amanpour: Did Obama actually propose
raising tax rtes?

Karl: oh no he’s lying

Labrador: Americans love tax cuts!

Roberts: people want a balanced approach

Lab: so do I - we need tax cuts for the rich
balanced with cutting benefits for the poor

Dowd: We should raise taxes and cut spending!

Amanpour: where is Mitt Romney in all this?

Will: he’s been very, very clear
that he has no position

Roberts: let’s just solve the issue of
cuts vs taxes in the 2012 election

Dowd: fuck that shit Cokie -
both sides should get stuff done!!

Karl: bold words indeed Matt

[ Dowd fist-bumps Karl ]

Amanpour: Michele Bachmann thinks
being gay is like slavery

Bachmann: Uncle Tom’s Stonewall Inn

Will: she was talking about bondage

Dowd: yes she’s prejudiced against homosexuals like her husband

Amanpour: interesting

Dowd: this helps Governor Perry

Labrador: I was hoping Chris Christie would run for President but I’ll have to settle for Rick Perry

Amanpour: thanks for coming!

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