Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod appeared on Meet the Press this morning, and he didn’t mince words when discussing the role of the Tea Party in Standard & Poor’s recent decision to downgrade America’s credit rating from AAA to AA+.
Axelrod wasn’t afraid to place the blame of the credit hit taken by the US squarely where it belongs: on the politically unaware freshman lawmakers willing to hold America hostage. Axelrod stated :
“It was the wrong thing to do to push the country to that point… It was something that should never have happened that clearly is on the backs of those who were willing the see the country default: those very strident voices in the tea party.”
Of course, one might say Obama advisors are biased, but it’s not just dems stepping up to call the Tea Party out on their America-harming shenanigans. Managing director of Standard & Poor’s John Chambers appeared this morning on The Week to talk about the credit agency’s decision to downgrade the US. Chambers said there’s a one in three chance the US could face further fiscal sanctions, and added:
“If the fiscal position of the United States deteriorates further, or if the political gridlock becomes more entrenched, that could lead to a downgrade.”
Frustratingly, it seems increasingly apparent that the possibility of permanently damaging America’s future isn’t a deterrent for these folks- indeed, they seem a bit pleased to stroke the trigger as the world watches in horror. Talk show host Bill Maher addressed the issue on his show Friday night, suggesting (with a liberal amount of irony) that progressive Americans need to form their own version of the Tea Party- suggesting it be called “The Donner Party.”
Below is Maher’s take on the issue- do you agree?
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