Steele Backs Govt Shutdown
Politico reports:
While most Republicans are avoiding talk of a government shutdown, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Monday that he would support one as the “shocker” that gets big-spending politicians to accept fiscal restraint.
“Personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with a government shutdown,” Steele said on ABC News’s “Top Line” webcast. “It is the shocker.”
Steele has never been one for staying on his party’s message and House Speaker John Boehner, among other top Republicans, has in recent days steered clear of any talk about a shutdown.
But Steele said he thinks a government shutdown could ultimately be useful to cutting federal spending. “It is the reality check that the spenders need to have, that those who are trying to chart a different course need to have, whether they’re Republicans or Democrats in the Congress,” he said. A Quinnipiac University poll released last week found that 46 percent of Americans share Steele’s perspective and think a shutdown would be a good thing for the country.
The former RNC chair also spoke on the emerging race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, saying hopefuls are employing “a good strategy” by waiting to officially declare their candidacies. “There’s no real need to jump into this right now,” he said.
“Each of these candidates are coming to the table not tepidly but with a little bit of reservation,” he said. “I think they’re anxious to get in there, they just want to make sure when they do, they land with a big bump, not a thud.”
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