Monday, September 12, 2011
  Reactions to the CNN/Tea Party Express Debate in Tampa, FL
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Sept. 12...9:55 p.m.

TIM PAWLENTY STATEMENT ON CNN/TEA PARTY DEBATE

Tampa, FL – Romney for President National Co-Chair Governor Tim Pawlenty issued the following statement regarding tonight’s CNN/Tea Party debate in Tampa, Florida:

“Mitt Romney was the clear winner of tonight’s debate. His experience working in the real economy was evident tonight. No other candidate has the same knowledge of how jobs are created and what it will take for our economy to grow and for businesses to start hiring again. I am supporting him because I know that his experience and values are what the country needs to get on the right track.”

10:01 p.m

CONNIE MACK STATEMENT ON CNN/TEA PARTY DEBATE

Boston, MA – Florida Representative Connie Mack made the following statement regarding tonight’s CNN/Tea Party debate in Tampa, FL:

“Mitt Romney clearly won the debate by laying out how he will get our economy back on track. No other candidate in the field has his experience working in the real economy. Our next president will need that experience to turn around the economy. President Obama never worked in the real economy and look where we are today – with 25 million people unemployed, underemployed or have stopped looking for work. Mitt Romney has created tens of thousands of jobs both in the private sector and as Governor. President Obama has created none.”

“Our nominee must also oppose the dismantling of Social Security. It is a program millions of seniors rely on – and many of them in our state of Florida. Unlike Rick Perry, Mitt Romney does not want to destroy this program but has pledged to fix it for future generations.”

10:05 p.m.

Gov. Rick Perry Champions Jobs, Fiscal Responsibility, Conservative Agenda
Offers Strong Performance at CNN/Tea Party Express Debate

TAMPA, Fla. – Texas Gov. Rick Perry tonight reiterated his unshakeable commitment to get America working again as the next president of the United States, sharing his record of success as governor of Texas and pledging to apply the same principles nationally that will serve as a blueprint for national economic recovery. He participated in the CNN/Tea Party Express Debate at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

“I attended my first Tea Party Rally on April 15, 2009, the date widely seen as the birthday of the Tea Party movement,” Gov. Perry said.  “I share the agenda of millions of concerned citizens to fix the fiscal mess created in Washington D.C., and get America working again.”

“As president I will work to rein in federal spending, reduce taxes, bring predictability to our regulatory framework and reduce frivolous lawsuits, the conservative platform I used to help make Texas the top jobs-producing state. By standing strong against tax increases, overreaching regulations and the change-resistant federal bureaucracy, I know we can get America working again.”

Perry also highlighted the importance of being honest about federal entitlements and fixing Social Security to protect benefits for those at or near retirement, and fixing the system to ensure younger generations reap the benefits of the program they pay into.

On job creation, Gov. Perry has the best record of job creation among all the candidates, including President Obama.  Texas has created more than one million net new jobs under Gov. Perry and is home to approximately 40 percent of all net new jobs in America since June 2009.

Consistent with Tea Party principles, Gov. Perry has a strong record of cutting taxes, signing six balanced budgets, and leading America’s top job-creating state. He is the only Texas governor since World War II to cut state general revenue spending.

For information setting the record straight about various statements made during the debate, please visit www.rickperry.org/cnn-tea-party-express-debate-recap or follow @PerryTruthTeam on Twitter.
 
For more information about Gov. Rick Perry’s record, presidential campaign and plan to get America working again, please visit: www.rickperry.org

10:13 p.m.
Cain Participates in CNN/ Tea Party Express Debate

(Tampa, FL)- Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain participated in the first-ever CNN/ Tea Party Express debate Monday, September 12, 2011 in Tampa, Florida.

In his introductory remarks, Cain reminded attendees and viewers that he was the only "non-politician" candidate on stage.

On Social Security Reform

When asked how he would reform Social Security, citing Governor Perry's claim that the program is a "Ponzi Scheme,"

I don't care what you call it. It's broken and here's my solution: start with optional personal retirement accounts. In 1981, Galveston County employees opted out because there was a very short window of opportunity. They took it.

Today, when people retire in Galveston County, Texas, they retire making at least 50 percent more than they would ever get out of Social Security.

Secondly, allow younger workers to have personal retirement accounts as an option... current seniors will not be affected. It's to give the option to the younger workers.

The Galveston County model works and it also worked in the small country of Chile. Instead of giving it to the states, let's give it back to the workers. That's what personal retirement accounts would do.

On the Economy

When the debate moderator asked how he would fix America's broken economy, Cain responded:

This economy is on life support. We need a bold solution, not one that tinkers around the edges, not one that allows politicians to continue to pick winners and losers.

I believe we throw out the entire tax code and put in my '9-9-9 plan.'

9-9-9: a 9 percent business flat tax; a 9 percent personal income tax; and a 9 percent national sales tax.

Now I've been told by some people, 'Well you can't get that done.' I say, 'Why?' 'You don't know how Washington works.' Yes I do. It doesn't.

The American people are ready to do something bold. We need a bold solution in order to get this economy growing at the maximum rate. I agree with many of the others up here who say 'You get the government out of the way, American entrepreneurship, American businesses will create the jobs if we provide some certainty.'

On Labor

Richard S. submitted a question to CNNpolitics.com: "All of you profess to be pro-business candidates for President. Can you be pro-worker at the same time?" Cain answered:

The answer is absolutely yes, because I was worker before I was an executive and before I was a business owner. Absolutely.

And when I ran the National Restaurant Association, it is a collection of small businesses. Godfather's Pizza is the same way... when I ran a region of Burger King... One restaurant is the basic fundamental business unit in this country.

And so, yes, I know how to be pro-worker because I came from a working family. My mother was a domestic worker. My father was a barber, a janitor and a chauffeur, all at the same time. I understand work because that's how I came up.

So, the answer is absolutely yes. The two are not mutually exclusive. But, what we need is the right leadership, starting with 'Are we working on the right problems?' If we keep tinkering around the edges on the tax code or tinkering around the edges on Social Security, we're not going to solve the right problem.

On the Federal Reserve

When asked about his role as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Cain said he believed that while it should be audited, the primary modification should be to "narrow" its scope.
Yes, it should be audited, and secondly, I believe that its focus should be narrowed. I don't believe in ending the Fed. I believe in fixing the Fed.

For many, many decades, the Fed did its job when it was singularly focused on sound money. When we wake up in the morning, we expect there to be 60 minutes to be in an hour. Now, when we wake up because of the actions of the current Fed, we don't know what the value of the dollar is going to be.

In 1988, it took 1.2 dollars in order to be able to convert from Canadian [dollars] to the U.S. [dollars]. It is now totally reversed because of the current policies of the Fed.

On Health Care

An audience member, Carolyn Taylor, asked how the candidates would tackle the rising costs of health care. Cain said:

First, repeal Obamacare in its entirety.

Secondly, pass market-driven, patient-centered reforms, such as, under the current code, deductability of health insurance premiums, regardless of who pays for them. But, as you know, I want to throw that out and put in my '9-9-9 plan.'

The other thing we can do to help bring down the cost is to pass 'loser-pay laws'. Doctors will tell you that one of their biggest expenses is medical liability insurance because of frivolous lawsuits.

Restructure Medicare. Another big cost that is passed on to us as consumers is related to all the bureaucracy associated with that.

Another market-driven idea: allow association-driven health plans. When I ran the National Restaurant Association, which today has 14 million employees, we wanted to design a system for health insurance that was going to be customized for our industry. We could not do that. We need to be allowed to do that, and so should other organizations and other associations.

On the White House as His Residence

Wolf Blitzer asked all of the candidates how they'd update the White House if they were elected President. Cain responded that he'd "bring a sense a humor because America's too uptight!"


About the Debate

During the 1 hour and 45 minute debate, Cain received six questions for a total talk time of less than six minutes. Following the debate, Cain will appear on "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren at 10:20 p.m. on FOX News.
10:20 p.m.
Bachmann Clear Leader at GOP Presidential Debate

Tampa, Fla. – Fresh off the campaign trail, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann demonstrated tonight at the CNN-Tea Party GOP Presidential Debate that she is the only candidate who reflects the values and principles of the conservative movement, asserting her positions on economic growth, social security, healthcare mandates and immigration.

Commanding the start of the debate, Bachmann demonstrated her courageous leadership in order to ensure the voice of the American people was expressed in the halls of the United States Congress. "I think we can do so much better in this country. That's why I'm the chief author of the bill to repeal Dodd Frank, the bill to repeal Obamacare. And that's why I brought the voice of the Tea Party to the United States Congress as the founder of the Tea Party Caucus," said Bachmann.

Bachmann has been a consistent leader in pro-growth, pro-job policies in both the State of Minnesota and in the U.S. Congress. The former federal tax attorney and small business owner remarked about the need for economic leadership in the White House that will cut national spending, lower taxes and foster job creation.

Bachmann offered her economic solutions saying, "You've got to draw the line in the sand somewhere and say 'no more out-of-control spending.' We've got $1.2 trillion already that's been earned by American companies overseas. If we have a zero percent tax rate we can bring that $1.2 trillion - it's called repatriation – bring that in. You'd have $1.2 trillion flooded into the system. Then pass the Free Trade Agreements so that we can move the economy. Permanently lower the tax code. It's easy to turn around this economy. Just have the backbone to do it."

However, Bachmann noted our government has failed to deliver on the promises afforded to our seniors who have spent their working lives contributing to our economy. "One thing that we need to let senior citizens know is for those who are currently on the Social Security system, the United States government made a promise, and we have to keep that promise to them," said Bachmann.

She continued, "These are programs that need to be saved to serve people, and in their current form, they can't. I'm a person that's had feet in the private sector and a foot in the federal government. I've been there long enough to know the problems, but not long enough to become a part of the system. I know what to do and I have a core of conviction to be able to make the changes that senior citizens can count on."

When the debate turned to the constitutionality of healthcare mandates, Bachmann was in a unique position to voice her opinion as mother of three daughters; "To have innocent little 12-year old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat out wrong. That's a violation of a liberty interest. Little girls who have a negative reaction to this potentially dangerous drug don't get a mulligan. They don't get a do-over. The parents don't get a do-over. And that's why; again, we have to have someone who's absolutely committed to the repeal of Obamacare. And I am. I won't rest until it's repealed."

Following Gov. Perry's rebuttal to Bachmann's assertion that his HPV vaccine mandate was immoral, she fired back saying, "We cannot forget that in the midst of this executive order there was a big drug company that made millions of dollars because of this mandate. It's wrong for a drug company because the Governor's former Chief of Staff was the chief lobbyist for this drug company – a drug company that gave thousands of dollars in political donations to the Governor. The question is, is it about life or was it about millions of dollars or potentially billions for a drug company?"

While Bachmann's opponents continued to argue their views on immigration, she made her position clear. "I think that the American way is not to give taxpayer-subsidized benefits to people who have broken our laws or are here in the United States illegally. That is not the American way," Bachmann said. "What works is to have people to come to the United States with a little bit of money in their pocket, legally, with sponsors, so that if anything happens to them, they don't fall back on the taxpayers to take care of them. That's the American way."

The committed, principled, conservative leader concluded a strong debate performance by saying the essential items she would bring to the White House would be her core sense of conviction, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
10:48 p.m.

Huntsman Shows He Is The Serious Leader With The Bold Vision That America Needs

Huntsman campaign manager Matt David issued the following statement following the GOP debate in Tampa:

“This evening at the GOP debate in Tampa, Governor Huntsman laid out his vision for America’s future. He offered bold solutions to create jobs and jumpstart our stalled economy – a plan that’s been described as 'the most pro-growth proposal ever offered by a U.S. presidential candidate.'

“He showed he is the only candidate with foreign policy experience who, as a former U.S. Ambassador to China, knows intimately America’s biggest competitor and what our nation needs to compete in the global economy.

“And while many of his opponents pandered for votes, Jon spoke directly and truthfully on issues like debt, jobs and Afghanistan. Voters may not agree with Governor Huntsman on every issue, but they’ll always know where he stands. The American people are tired of the empty rhetoric from President Obama and Washington. They deserve a serious leader with a bold vision to restore our nation’s greatness. That’s Jon Huntsman.”

10:50 p.m.

Senator Santorum dominates CNN/Tea Party Debate

Santorum shows that he is the only Rick in the race who will stand up for conservative principles and win!

Verona, PA - Tonight in Florida, former Senator and current Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum (R-PA) proved he's the one conservative who has both the courage to lead and the ability to defeat Barack Obama.

 

Hogan Gidley, National Communications Director said, "Senator Santorum took Governor Perry and the rest of the GOP field head on and won. Whether it was Governor Perry's unconscionable mandate for HPV vaccines or his 'embrace' of an open border with Mexico, Senator Santorum took on the presumptive front-runner and exposed his flawed policies for what they are, and repudiated Congressman Paul for his reprehensible belief that America is to blame for 9/11. Unlike Governor Perry who switch political parties out of convenience or Governor Romney who switched philosophies out of expedience, Senator Santorum has never switched from being a conservative Republican. Senator Santorum unapologetically stood tall for conservative principles, American exceptionalism, and individual liberties - distinguishing himself as the only candidate prepared to not only take on President Obama, but govern from day one."

 

Santorum said:

 

ON WHETHER HE SUPPORTS PERRY OR ROMNEY ON SOCIAL SECURITY:

The real question is "who's with me?"

 

It is Rick Santorum who has the track-record of standing up and leveling with the American people that Social Security needs to be reformed. It was Rick Santorum in 1994, 2005, and today who has taken this message to the people that we need to reform the Social Security system for today and future generations.

 

ON HEALTH CARE AND MEDICARE REFORM:

"I trust you.  I trust the American people to make their own choices for healthcare."

 

ON THE ECONOMY:

"Some people up here think Barack Obama's economic policy is a disaster - I disagree, he's got to improve a great deal to be considered a disaster."

 

ON JOBS:

"I want 'Made in America' stamped again!"

 

Rick Santorum's plan to bring manufacturing jobs back to America by eliminating the corporate tax for manufacturers, reduce the regulatory burdens on business, and expand energy exploration has been endorsed by the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association as the best plan to put America back to work.

 

ON PERRY AND HPV VACCINES:

"Governor Perry, I believe your policy is wrong... this is big government run amuck... Give parents the 'opt in," not the 'opt out."

 

"So let's be clear what Gov. Perry just said.  He's said anything he's for the policy; he just went about enacting it the wrong way."

 

ON AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

"I believe in American exceptionalism and I am not ashamed to say so!"


11:29 p.m.
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s Statement on the CNN/Tea Party Debate in Tampa
 
Tampa, FL – Following the CNN/Tea Party Republican presidential debate tonight, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:
 
"At a time when we need our country to come together to find real solutions that will create jobs and put our economy back on track, what we saw tonight was a GOP field once again pledging allegiance to the Tea Party and the extreme policies of Congressional Republicans. We didn't hear the Republican candidates propose a single idea to help middle class families or give them economic security tonight - just more support for the extreme Tea Party economic philosophy.
 
“With Rick Perry and Mitt Romney at the head of the pack, all of the Republican candidates continue to demonstrate their loyalty to the Tea Party’s extreme ideology – one that advocates tax cuts for corporations, special interests and our nation’s wealthiest individuals while asking America’s struggling middle class to pick up the tab. The Republican candidates reiterated they would repeal protections put in place to avoid a repeat of the financial crisis – and they would allow Wall Street to write its own rules again.
 
“We saw tonight a Republican field from Rick Perry and Mitt Romney to Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain who would devastate Social Security through privatization or don't believe the program should exist in the first place.
 
“At the end of the day, all of the Republican candidates who participated in tonight’s debate support policies that would dismantle Social Security, end Medicare as we know it, and do it all on the backs of everyday Americans who need these programs to make ends meet. Rather than slashing benefits that millions of Americans earned through their own hard work, we need to come together as a country to create more jobs and strengthen our economy. We can start by passing the American Jobs Act, which incorporates sound policies supported by both Democrats and Republicans and makes targeted investments in our nation’s infrastructure, creating jobs and boosting our economic recovery. I invite my friends on both sides of the aisle to work with our President on achieving this goal and moving our country forward.”
PRESS RELEASE from CNN
September 13, 2011
CNN's GOP Candidates Debate: #1 in Both Total Viewers & Demo 25-54; Draws 3.6 Million Viewers

CNN Digital Live Video of the Debate Triples New Hampshire

According to Nielsen Fast National data (8-10pm), CNN’s Tea Party Republican debate moderated by Wolf Blitzer delivered 3.6 million total viewers and 1.1 million among adults 25-54 last night, Monday, September 12. CNN ranked first in both total viewers and among the P25-54, topping second place FNC by +88% in total viewers (3.6m vs. 1.9m) and by +204% in the key demo (1.1m vs. 370k). CNN also out-rated third place MSNBC by +455% among total viewers (3.6m vs. 643k) and by +599% among 25-54 (1.1m vs. 161k).

Compared to CNN’s recent New Hampshire GOP debate (June 13, 2011), this debate increased 13% in total viewers (3.6m vs. 3.2m) and grew +23% in the key demo 25-54 (1.1m vs. 918k) despite other big events last night including the season debut of Monday Night Football and the U.S. Open Men’s Finals.

CNN.com – Global – 8-10 p.m.

· CNN.com recorded 4.0 million global page views during the 8 – 10 p.m. hours when the Tampa debate was live, up 9% over the prior 4-Monday average and up 17% from New Hampshire debate levels.

· With 609 thousand total video starts, levels were more than twice as high as the prior 4 Monday benchmark and 75% higher than the New Hampshire performance

· Live video hit 444.2 thousand streams, nearly 150 times as high as the prior 4 Monday benchmark and more than three times as high the New Hampshire debate.

The #cnnteaparty hashtag was the #1 trending topic globally and in the U.S. from 8:15 – 9:59 pm.

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