Republicans must put a positive spin on their failure to win the battle over the federal budget and debt ceiling if they expect to gain control in Washington, according to former Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan.
"We've got to put a positive message and a positive spin out there as to what we're trying to get done or we will lose again," Hoekstra told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
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"This is the opportunity for [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell, [House Speaker John] Boehner, and the Republicans to come out and say, 'You know, we didn't win on this and we're really, really disappointed, because we think that this is bad for the American economy," the Republican Hoekstra said.
"[They could say], 'We think it's bad for the American people, and it's bad for America. We're trying to address the problems of America's mounting debt. We want to make sure that they've got quality healthcare. We want to make sure that we've got a tax system that's going to encourage people to take risks and to be entrepreneurs and grow this economy and this is what we stand for."
Hoesktra believes somebody must be held responsible for the disastrous launch of the Affordable Care Act website, and says Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius should be scrutinized.
"She's sresponsible for the rollout. Somebody needs to be fired and it wouldn't be a bad idea to start with her," he said.
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