Lawrence O’Donnell Confronts Gingrich [On Clinton Tax Increases Prediction]
Source: Think Progress
On Sunday, during an appearance on Meet The Press, MSNBCs Lawrence ODonnell confronted Newt Gingrich for falsely predicting in 1993 that the economy would suffer if then-President Bill Clinton raised marginal tax rates.
Republican are making a similar argument against President Obamas call to raise marginal tax rates on the richest Americans, even though the economy and jobs grew exponentially during the Clinton years when the top marginal tax rate was at 39.6 percent for the top income earners.
* * *
Indeed, in 1993 when President Bill Clinton raised taxes on the top income earners, Gingrich and the Republicans argued that the hikes would result in economic decline and result in huge deficits. They were proven wrong. The country experienced the longest period of economic growth in U.S. history, increased business investment, 23 million jobs added, and, of course, budget surpluses. The same boom did not materialize after President George W. Bush enacted his tax cuts; the country experienced large deficits and the weakest job and income growth in the post-war era.
Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/12/09/1306371/lawrence-odonnell-confronts-gingrich-for-falsely-predicting-economic-downturn-after-clinton-tax-increases-asks-for-apology/
It is so rare when someone in the media confronts Republicans on their reality defying talking points.
beac
(9,992 posts)Blanks
(4,835 posts)and unfortunately Gingrich was able to recover better than I expected.
He pointed out that the recovery didn't come until the republicans gained control of the house.
It isn't that he didn't have Gingrich dead to rights, but right-wingers have their own version of history, and Gingrich didn't come off looking that bad.
shaayecanaan
(6,068 posts)Seriously, if these journalists were barristers they would starve.
Basic rule of cross examining: pick a specific, tangible lie and hammer them on it.
He predicted a recession. A recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Ask him when this fabled recession took place.
Blanks
(4,835 posts)I'm not defending Gingrich. My point is that in the 'sound bite' world that we live in; using a recent historical example that was a perfectly good criticism of republican dishonesty (and poor predictions) didn't have the desired effect because of where they were and the amount of time that they had to discuss the issue.
I remember well when the republicans were making those claims, and I remember that their predictions never came to pass. Unfortunately, it is true that the republicans took control with Gingrich's 'contract on America' and apparently, as a result, he gets to take credit for the fiscal successes of the Clinton administration.
As a liberal; I think Gingrich is despicable, but I don't think the discussion made any conservative leaning person question his philosophy or his actions.
Again, I thought Gingrich handled it pretty well. There wasn't time set aside for him to 'hammer' him on it.
TomCADem
(17,387 posts)...Indeed, the House under Gingrich was also relatively unproductive. The Democrats before hand pretty much did the heavy policy lifting and Gingrich than tried to claim credit even though he did not do squat.
Lasher
(27,597 posts)If GOPee control of the House led to the Clinton prosperity, why didn't the same thing happen during the GWB disaster?
Gingrich probably wouldn't have recovered so well if ODonnell had mentioned this fact.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)then the economy should have been even better when Clinton left and Bush came in with that same GOP congress.
But that isn't what happened at all.
Lasher
(27,597 posts)He tries to take credit for the Clinton prosperity. He is such an ass.
Blanks
(4,835 posts)He pointed out that he was in the house leadership the last time the budget was balanced.
He leaves out the part where his own party ran him out of town.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)I don't think there is anyone better than Newt at withstanding these attacks. He's so vulnerable on this and a lot of other issues, but no one ever seems to get him.
Blanks
(4,835 posts)I suppose if you live in an alternate reality where there's a whole different set of 'Koch brothers provided facts'; it wouldn't be difficult to become that way.
Paul Ryan, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio are in training to become this way as well.
Cha
(297,275 posts)he was still rejected by the Koch party for the almighty mittLies.
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)An affair while married to wife Number Two with wife Number Three, spending over $100,000 doing so and he also says we have a spending problem. In the same show today Newt wants credit for having a balanced budget and the GOP whines for us to stop blaming Bush with runaway spending and Bush did not have a balanced budget when Congress was controlled by GOP. They must think we are stupid.
cosmicone
(11,014 posts)railsback
(1,881 posts)There weren't any tax cuts for the wealthy until Clinton's last year, which of course, would make Newt a liar... again.
Qutzupalotl
(14,314 posts)is when the first round if Bush tax cuts for the wealthy kicked in. I don't know of any tax cuts for the wealthy under Clinton.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)Newt might have predicted a recession, but other republicans like Dick Armey predicted a DEPRESSION.
ItsTheMediaStupid
(2,800 posts)When we actually had one of the longest peacetime economic expansions in history.
ballaratocker
(126 posts)High taxes as such aren't a great thing, nor lower taxes the answer to all economic woes as Republicans would have us believe. Sure, they can be used to stimulate an economy as JFK did with them in '61 and Reagan in '81 (though he did go through years of recession before his economy expanded). If tax cuts are abused, they leave you with a double whammy. Firstly, you paint yourself into a corner as one of your means to stimulate the economy has been exhausted and any further tax cuts would be counterproductive. Secondly, you merely aggravate your current situation as there are less revenues coming into the treasury that you could use on fiscal stimulus.
The Clinton prosperity didn't occur because of higher taxes. It occurred because of the advance of technologies such as the internet that were only previously used by the military. The tax rate was appropriate for it's time but it wasn't the reason why the economy grew. Bush's tax cuts weren't the reason why the economy was trashed either. It aggravated the problems no doubt but most of the damage was done by the out of control speculation that occurred prior to the crash.
The argument about who caused the 90's prosperity is a bit of a false argument. Economies are always hostage to historical events and, while good policy can help, they always will be.
lexw
(804 posts)And the knee-jerk reaction by the conservatives since the last election is putting a spot light on it.
dschmott
(44 posts)This one doesn't druel, but like the common Neo-CON the intellectual capacity he is sometimes able to muster is always crippled by an immature retreat into fairytale denial when confronted with factual truth. These guys are so far out on a lie that to admit they are wrong about anything would really just be too much.