This Week with George Stephanopoulos - August 12, 2012

Guests:
Fmr. Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)
David Axelrod (Obama Campaign)
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA)
Howard Dean
Paul Gigot
Cokie Roberts 
Peggy Noonan
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Stephanopoulos: wow Romney chose
Paul Ryan to be his Vice President!

Karl: ha Paul Ryan snuck through his
back door into the woods -
the media had no clue

Stephanopoulos: we all know that

Karl: it’s not everyone who can fool
the Beltway media

Stephanopoulos: Ryan has energized
this campaign!

Karl: it’s so on now right now!

Stephanopoulos: but they aren’t
campaigning together

Karl: it’s divide and conquer

Stephanopoulos: do even know
what ‘divide and conquers means?

Karl: um

Stephanopoulos: Axel what
about Paul Ryan?

Axelrod: he’s a scary right-wing
ideologue who would defund
science and education

Stephanopoulos: science is overrated

Axelrod: did I mention he wants
to privatize social security

Stephanopoulos: Ryan is going right
after Obama - does that scare you

Axelrod: Ryan would raise taxes on
the middle class and give rich
people a big tax cut

Stephanopoulos: Mitt Romney says
they will save Medicare from Obama
who steals money from it

Axelrod: Romney’s plan does the same thing

Stephanopoulos: but Paul Ryan
is the nominee now

Axelrod: they also turn Medicare
into a voucher program

Stephanopoulos: that’s good because
Americans love to clip coupons

Axelrod: Ryan doesn’t even think
Medicare should exist

Stephanopoulos: will Ryan carry swing states?

Axelrod: only those that hate women,
medical research and the middle class

Stephanopoulos: a Super PAC ad implies
Romney was responsible for
an employee’s wife’s death

Axelrod: Romney approved an ad that
lies about welfare

Stephanopoulos: still it’s very mean

Axelrod: it’s all true though

[ break ]

Stephanopoulos: Tim you are two-time
loser in the race for Vice President -
no offense but that’s kind of pathetic

Pawlenty: [ sobs ]

Stephanopoulos: you must have a sad

Pawlenty: Obama is not an adult

Stephanopoulos: is Paul Ryan an extremist?

Pawlenty: the American people love
people who tell them hard truths
and give money to rich people

Stephanopoulos: that is so true

Pawlenty: the American people realized
the debt is important in January of 2009

Stephanopoulos: of course

Pawlenty: Obama is the real extremist
for cutting $700 billion from Medicare

Stephanopoulos: what about the Ryan plan?

Pawlenty: under Ryan’s plan people
could still stay on Medicare if they want

Stephanopoulos: with $6,000 less

Pawlenty: you would think the President
would have the courage to cut
Medicare but he won’t

Stephanopoulos: you just accused him
of cutting $700 billion from Medicare

Pawlenty: see - he’s evil!

Stephanopoulos: Ryan is only a
House member and he’s spent life
inside the Beltway

Pawlenty: don’t worry - Romney and Ryan
have got the Bush foreign policy
team advising them

Stephanopoulos: what a relief

Pawlenty: Romney knows all about
foreign countries - he has bank
accounts all over the world!

Stephanopoulos: is Romney lying about
Obama moving people from welfare to work?

Pawlenty: it would be very easy for
Obama to clear this up - just release
the President’s orders!

Stephanopoulos:  heh

Pawlenty: Obama should have the
basic decency to take responsibility
for a Super PAC ad he isn’t responsible for

Stephanopoulos: will picking Ryan
change the tone of the campaign?

Pawlenty: Obama surrendered to Russia,
betrayed the Czech republic
and keeps raising taxes

Stephanopoulos: actually Obama has cut taxes

Pawlenty: not in my mind

Stephanopoulos: did you give Mitt
more than 2 years of tax returns

Pawlenty: damn right I did

Stephanopoulos: sorry about losing again loser

Pawlenty: [ sobs ]

[ break ]

Stephanopoulos: you really wanted
Paul Ryan didn’t you

Gigot: I’ve known him since he was
22 years old and Ryan is one of the
most serious and thoughtful vampires I’ve met

Stephanopoulos: oh good

Gigot: Romney cannot win this election
attacking Obama so he turned to
Paul Ryan to close the deal

Dean: hey I’ve got a great idea -
let’s turn Medicare into a voucher program!

Stephanopoulos: Mitt went with his instincts

Noonan: when Romney was with Bain
he had a great eye for those who
could best suck the life out of companies

Newsom: he’s a young good-looking
policy wonk - what’s not to like?

Stephanopoulos: that says it all Gavin

Newsom: except for alienating all
old people - and also young people

Roberts: even Catholic bishops attacked Paul Ryan’s budget

Gigot: Obama cut $700 billion from Medicare!

Newsom: So does Ryan

Gigot: Obama wants unelected panelists
to cut Medicare - only unelected
judges should do that

Dean: Romney’s big problem is that
people think he’s heartless and doesn’t
care about them - I don’t think bringing
on a zombie is going to help

Noonan: Spending is out of control
since 2009!!

Stephanopoulos: wow

Noonan: Ryan must tell old people he
is trying to save Medicare for their
grandchildren by getting rid of it for
their ungrateful children

Roberts: also he must bravely tell rich
people he is willing cut their taxes

Gigot: Romney has been very specific
that he will end loopholes

Dean: name one

Gigot: quit bugging me

Dean: Get rid of Medicare! Are we insane?

Roberts: but Ryan is a good looking young man

Newsom: that is true

Newsom: Ryan wants to cut taxes for
rich people another thirty percent

Noonan: blue collar workers ruined California!

Stephanopoulos: do tell Peggy

Noonan: the left and right all know we
must embrace Paul Ryan’s serious plan
of wars, tax cuts, bailouts, pork for his
district and ending Medicare

Gigot: Ryan’s plan is just like Simpson Bowles
except without higher taxes to pay for stuff

Dean: the man is a radical and a nut

Noonan: it’s a busy bouncy tweeting
world not worthy of a man like
Saint Paul of Janesville

Roberts: ending Medicare is open
to mean demagoguery

Gigot: America is in decline therefore
we need to turn Medicare into
a voucher program

Roberts: Do people think Romney
cares about them?

Gigot: certainly - some of his best friends
know some regular poor people

Noonan: Democrats want to kill Paul Ryan

Roberts: I like Ryan - he’s cute

Noonan: he’s not the type of person who
would push his grandmother off a cliff -
at least not without a good reason

Newsom: forget demagoguery -
the facts are scary enough

Roberts: Obama has a ridiculous ad with
silly women talking about their
“reproductive rights” - it’s pandering!

Stephanopoulos: what should he have done

Roberts: Obama should run an ad
taking credit for U.S. female Olympic athletes

Noonan: the British disappointed me
by throwing the Queen out of a helicopter

Stephanopoulos: and there really is
nothing more to be said

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