Bachmann: Obama 'AWOL' At Crunch Time On Deficits
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Michele Bachmann said Tuesday that America runs the risk of going the route of Greece, saying it's time to "pick up a mirror and look into it."
The Minnesota Republican who's seeking her party's presidential nomination told "Fox & Friends" it's tragic that the congressional supercommittee failed to reach agreement on a $1.2-trillion deficit-reduction deal.
And she blamed President Barack Obama, saying he was "AWOL" when crunch time came. Bachmann said that Obama still "blames the people who are in the middle of the problem." She asks, "We didn't see this coming?"
Bachmann adds in the interview: "We look at Greece and it's obvious what needs to be done. ... We can't afford a welfare state, so don't do it anymore."
"What I would have done is, 'Here's our maximum number. Here's what we're going to spend. Each of the committees reach this level and no more.' And I would have drawn a big red line in the sand and said, 'Here's where we're spending no more money,' " she said in a CNN interview.
Bachmann said she feels she has an excellent chance to win the season-opening Iowa caucuses, noting that many Republicans haven't decided yet on a favorite.
"People usually don't make their minds up until they have to," she said. "They're trying to find out who is the most consistent conservative in this race."
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