Candidate Pawlenty's Economic Plan The Same As His Record: Rewarding The Wealthy, Hurting The Middle Class And Increasing The Deficit

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a fact check of Tim Pawlenty's interview on Fox & Friends this morning, issued by the Democratic National Committee:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100929/DNCLOGO)

In an interview on Fox & Friends this morning, Pawlenty misrepresented his own failed fiscal policies in Minnesota, and proposed an even more irresponsible economic path forward for America.

PAWLENTY'S ECONOMIC PLAN FOR AMERICA REAPS SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS TO THE WEALTHY WHILE SLASHING CRUCIAL SERVICES FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS AND  EXPLODING THE DEFICIT

Pawlenty touted his economic plan as a way forward for the country, calling it the "most detailed pro-jobs, pro-economic growth" plan put forward, despite the fact that it would blow a hole in the deficit and vastly benefit the wealthiest Americans.

CBPP: "The Pawlenty Plan Would Give People In The Top One-Tenth Of 1 Percent On The Income Scale (i.e., People With Incomes Above $2.7 Million) An Average Annual Tax Cut Of $1.8 Million - Which Is More Than Four Times What They Got Last Year From The Bush Tax Cuts." [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/15/11 http://www.offthechartsblog.org/pawlenty%E2%80%99s-high-end-tax-cuts-dwarf-even-those-of-president-bush/]

Center For American Progress Budget Director: Under The Pawlenty Plan, "The Richest 10 Percent Of Americans Would Real Significantly More Than The Bottom 90 Percent Combined." [Center For American Progress's Michael Linden, Think Progress, 6/17/11 http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/17/247561/pawlenty-benefits-one-percent/]

Salon's Andrew Leonard: "If You Combine A Balanced Budget With Tax Cuts On The Scale That Pawlenty Dreams Of, You Inevitably End Up With Massive Cuts To Medicare, Medicaid And Social Security. There's Simply No Other Way To Make The Budget Math Work." [Andrew Leonard, Salon, 6/8/11 http://www.salon.com/technology/how_the_world_works/2011/06/08/who_is_really_waging_class_warfare/index.html]

Washington Post's Ruth Marcus: Pawlenty's Plan To Cut Spending Will "Make The Ryan Cuts Look Mild" Since He Would Cut Spending To 18 Percent Of GDP And Ryan's Plan Cut It TO 20 Percent. [Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 6/9/11 http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/pawlentys-magical-economic-plan/2011/06/09/AG82zqNH_story.html]

Tax Policy Center: Pawlenty's Tax Plan Would Cost $11.6 Trillion Over The Next 10 Years. [Tax Policy Center, TPC Interpretation of Governor Tim Pawlenty's Tax Proposal Outline, Table T11-0166, 6/10/11 http://taxpolicycenter.org/numbers/displayatab.cfm?Docid=3048&DocTypeID=5]

PAWLENTY'S FAILED ECONOMIC RECORD: HIGHER TAXES FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS AND A $6.2 BILLION DEFICIT

Pawlenty misrepresented his own record on taxes and spending - he bragged about his own record of "balancing budgets" and "cutting taxes," but his budgets were only "balanced" using one-time fixes and accounting tricks, while taxes went up for 90 percent of Minnesotans during his time as governor.

MPR's PoliGraph: Claim That "Under Tim Pawlenty, The Average Tax Rates Went Up For The Bottom 90 Percent... Of Minnesotans [And] The Richest 10 Percent Had Their Average Taxes Go Down" Is "Accurate." [PoliGraph, MPR, 4/29/11 http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2011/04/poligraph_rybak_1.shtml]

"During Pawlenty's Tenure, Property Taxes Have Increased By $3 Billion, Or 65 Percent." [MinnPost.com, 2/15/10 http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2010/02/15/15951/pawlenty_budget_cuts_offer_few_surprises_but_lots_of_pain]

"During Pawlenty's Tenure... Fees Have Doubled, Reaching A Total Of $1.25 Billion." [MinnPost.com, 2/15/10 http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2010/02/15/15951/pawlenty_budget_cuts_offer_few_surprises_but_lots_of_pain]

When Pawlenty Left Office, Minnesota Faced A $6.2 Billion Deficit For The 2012-2013 Biennium.  [Minnesota Public Radio, 12/2/10 http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/12/02/state-budget-forecast/]

Star Tribune's Lori Sturdevant: "No Other Governor In Minnesota's 152-Year History" Besides Pawlenty "Has Handed His Successor A $6.2 Billion Deficit Forecast."  [Lori Sturdevant op-ed, Star Tribune, 12/4/10 http://www.startribune.com/opinion/111290929.html]

SOURCE Democratic National Committee