Joe Scarborough: “I must tell the Members that I have been very encouraged by the last two speeches from our Democratic friends talking…”

“I must tell the Members that I have been very encouraged by the last two speeches from our Democratic friends talking about the need for fiscal responsibility. I really do believe that despite the fact that the chattering classes on TV every night talk about how this Republican Party is getting brutalized by the polls in the area of public opinion, I have to tell the Members that I am very encouraged, because it appears that we have won the debate. To hear Democrats talking about fiscal responsibility in 1999, talking about the deficit, talking about staying away from tax increases, these are the very things that got me to Washington in 1994. I remember back in 1993 when the new President, who was elected by promising to reduce the deficit by cutting spending and cutting middle class taxes, came forward and he increased taxes, and actually gave us one of the largest tax increases in the history of this country. I ran because of that, and I have to tell the Members, when I ran in 1994 I talked about the deficit.”