Obama rejects GOP call to ‘screw students’

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/obama_rejects_gop_call_to_scre030805.php

July 12, 2011 11:00 AM
Obama rejects GOP call to ‘screw students’
By Steve Benen

Now that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is effectively negotiating on behalf of all Republican lawmakers, he’s taking the lead in recommending specific cuts during talks at the White House.

The House majority leader, who did most of the talking for the Republican side, said those taking out student loans should start paying interest right away, rather than being able to defer payments until after graduation. It is a big-ticket item that would save $40 billion over 10 years.

At one point, sources say, President Obama pushed back against the mounting menu of spending cuts while the tax column on the negotiating sheets remained blank. He asked the Republican leaders how they expected him to take their proposals seriously.

“I’m not going to do that,” Obama said. “I’m not going to take money from old people and screw students,” not without some compromise on the tax-increase side.


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