Grassley Calls Downgrade A ‘Wake-Up Call’ To ‘Reduce Deficit Spending,’hasn't read report

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Grassley Calls S&P Downgrade A ‘Wake-Up Call’ To ‘Reduce Deficit Spending,’ Then Admits He Hasn’t Read The Report
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/08/13/294491/grassley-calls-sp-downgrade-a-wake-up-call-to-reduce-deficit-spending-then-admits-he-hasnt-read-the-report/


After one of the three credit ratings agencies, S&P, downgraded the United States’ creditworthiness from AAA to AA+ in large part because of extreme GOP intransigence on raising revenue, Republicans were quick to try to deflect blame onto the Democrats. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney singled out the White House, saying “Standard & Poor’s rating downgrade is a deeply troubling indicator of our country’s decline under President Obama.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) piled on the following day, calling S&P’s move a “wake-up call for Congress and the President to take meaningful action to reduce deficit spending and the resulting debt.”

ThinkProgress spoke with Grassley at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday to get his further thoughts on S&P’s criticism of Republican stubbornness. However, before we were able to ask the Iowa senator about S&P’s recommendations regarding our nation’s fiscal dilemma, Grassley made a startling revelation: he has not even read the report.

(snip)

KEYES: Did you read the report they released on it?

GRASSLEY: No, I did not, because it came out as I was leaving. I was out here, you know, so I don’t have a copy of the report.