Politics

Coulter, Hannity disagree on viability of government shutdown [VIDEO]

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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On Thursday’s broadcast of “Hannity” on the Fox News Channel, host Sean Hannity and conservative commentator Ann Coulter sharply disagreed over whether Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget, which was passed by the House on Thursday but later rejected by the Senate, is worth a government shutdown.

Partial transcript:

HANNITY: There is some concern among Republicans over the issue of health care.
COULTER: Yeah.
HANNITY: So Paul Ryan comes out with a budget. I’m glad we are he going to balance it in 10 years — a lot of things I like in there. It still has growth. Liberals can’t say we’re cutting because we’re increasing spending every year for 10 years. Alright, they want to repeal health care. The problem is it’s not going to happen through the Ryan budget. That means the House Republicans have to hold the line and quote, “Shut down the government and deal with the president demagoguing.”
COULTER: I’m not sure that’s a good idea.
HANNITY: Alright, we’re going to disagree. I like this. But Ann, we won’t get to a balanced budget unless we get rid of this monstrosity.
COULTER: I agree. But what I think we have to concentrate on is winning.

Coulter said the 1995 government shutdown, which led directly to big Democratic gains, suggests Republicans today should pursue a different strategy.

“You need to win elections, and that’s how you actually change stuff. I was working for the U.S. Senate after the 1994 election,” Coulter said. “Things were going gangbusters. … And yet, the government got shut down in the end of 1995. … It really, really hurt Republicans.”

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