Mitch Daniels CPAC Speech: U.S. Facing New 'Red Menace'

WASHINGTON — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels says the United States is facing a new "red menace" – debt, not Communism – and conservatives must be realistic in cuts.

Daniels, a potential 2012 presidential candidate, said Friday that the United States must get its finances in order or avoid slipping into a shadow of its former self. Daniels, who served as President George W. Bush's White House budget director and was an aide in the Reagan administration, says U.S. "fiscal ruin" would only benefit other nations.

Daniels says groups such as the Conservative Political Action Committee must unify behind a realistic plan to address the nation's debt. He says ending earmarks alone won't solve the problems and saying that cutting "waste, fraud and abuse" only trivializes the challenges.

Comments

[onionboy]

05:03 PM on 02/14/2011

Red menace, eh? This sound like more of that woman bashing they've been up to lately.

[gypsysailor]

02:41 PM on 02/14/2011

Does Sarah know you are talking about her?

[alicetilden]

01:03 PM on 02/14/2011

Bush's budget director. He has got to be kidding. I thought Bush's budget motto was "Spend, spend, spend, how high can we go?"

[Xenobion]

12:47 PM on 02/14/2011

Finally, someone is speaking out about rednecks and how they've taken over the political dialogue of Washington.

[Striderxdj]

12:28 PM on 02/14/2011

I'll take the Right seriously when they take responsiblity for the current financial crisis after 8 years of failed policies under GWB instead of just blaming everything on Obama, and start considering cuts to the bloated and unnecessary defense budget.

We don't need to spend more money on defense than the rest of the world combined. Considering any countr(y/ies) that could possibly pose a threat to us are allies, it makes no sense whatsoever for us to spend such absurd amounts of money to "keep us safe".

[liberalandloveit]

12:04 PM on 02/14/2011

New "red menace" = conservatives.

[springsm]

11:58 AM on 02/14/2011

Geezus, another Mitch.  Well Mitch honey, we recognize where the 'red' threat is...it is called Bag of Tea.  Now, on with you.

[formerroadie]

11:44 AM on 02/14/2011

/me rolls eyes.

[zigzag1]

11:43 AM on 02/14/2011

Like Colonel Sanders warning about the life expectancy of chickens

[PAbodysurfer]

11:34 AM on 02/14/2011

Yes, and that Red menace in the GOP......

No one will remember Mitch Daniels or any other pf these GOP dullards after 2012...

[dfranz]

11:28 AM on 02/14/2011

Yes the only real solution is more tax breaks for the wealthy and a declaration that the US no longer stands behind it's financial obligations. That way we can become Somalia of North America. The sooner us working stiffs realize that the country belongs to the entitlement babies who inherited their wealth, the better we will all be.

[awoman1]

01:12 PM on 02/14/2011

right on and Daniels thinks that the Democrats are the cause of the American plutocracy - I think he is a grand old member. I am sad to see America going downwards due to the power struggles of those who have and those who do not. The makings of an American Re-revolution.

[taddles]

11:03 AM on 02/14/2011

So as Bush's budget director what was his stance on adding $2 trillion to the deficit to cover two tax cuts for the wealthiest people in the history of the world? What was his stance on funding two wars on credit and adding it to the deficit?

As budget director in the administration that caused the economic collapse and the caused the mortgage crisis and added $4 trillion to the deficit and took a budget surplus from Clinton and turned it into the largest debt in the history of the world...how does he have a leg to stand on criticizing anyone about fiscal responsibility?

[raven119]

11:00 AM on 02/14/2011

And here I thought the new "red menace" was the red states voting GOP. Live and learn...I guess.

[alicetilden]

01:05 PM on 02/14/2011

I do believe you are right. That is the true "red menace".

[patnamm]

10:26 AM on 02/14/2011

That's rich coming from a guy wearing a RED tie.

[Jim Milks]

10:22 AM on 02/14/2011

He's right, we do face a new "red" menace: hypocritical right-wing commentators and politicians who sat around mum while the debt skyrocketed under Republican administrations and have only cared about the debt since Obama took office.