Johnny Isakson: “I ran a campaign on the basis that we do not have a tax problem; we have a spending problem. I ran a campaign based on…”

“I ran a campaign on the basis that we do not have a tax problem; we have a spending problem. I ran a campaign based on the American people wanting us in Washington to do what they have had to do in the last 3 years: sit down at the kitchen table, reprioritize, and spend within their means. We must do that. I commend what Senator Conrad from North Dakota said, and I commend the courage of the others who voted for the deficit reduction commission report because it is the kind of shared sacrifice and tough love that all of us need next year to rein in spending in this country and get our balance back. But in the immediate future, in the next 3 1/2 weeks, America's taxes are going up at a time of protracted recession and high unemployment. That doesn't make any sense.”