Politico-President Obama Says the GOP Pledge Is Irresponsible

President Obama: AP

(Story reported by Matt Negrin for Politico)

President Barack Obama criticized the Republicans' new "Pledge to America" Monday as containing a "set of irresponsible policies"--accusing the party of recycling the same ideas that Obama says drove the nation into recession in the first place.

In his first comments on the Republicans' new governing blueprint, Obama attacked their call to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans by saying they didn't include any way to pay for it.

"They propose $4 billion worth of tax cuts and $15 billion in spending cuts. And then they say we're going to somehow magically balance the budget. That's not a serious approach," Obama said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show.

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