Even Paul Ryan supported the bipartisan debt deal but GOP presidential candidates and Republican senators facing tough reelection battles opposed it left and right.

Why? Because GOP presidential candidates, including Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Republican senators, including Rob Portman, Pat Toomey, Ron Johnson, Roy Blunt, Richard Burr, and Rand Paul, would rather score points with the Kochs than support a bipartisan solution to avoid a default that would harm the full faith and credit of the United States.

Through AFP President Tim Phillips, LIBRE Initiative Executive Director Daniel Garza,Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams, and others, Koch HQ signaled their opposition to the bipartisan debt deal and GOP candidates in tough races were more than eager to fall in line in hopes of winning a piece of the nearly $900 million the Kochs plan to spend on 2016 to buy the White House and ensure those that do their bidding in the U.S. Senate are reelected.

BACKGROUND:

AFP President Tim Phillips: “The Biggest Disappointment, In Our Minds, About Republicans In The House And Senate This Entire Year Has Been Their Failure On The Budget.” According to Politico, “Indeed, conservatives across the country have been watching for months to see how GOP leaders handle the spending caps that many on the right view as a major victory. Many conservatives are likely to interpret the budget deal, even with some new spending paid for with cuts and new revenues, as a retreat from the blunt spending restrictions of the Budget Control Act that was enacted into law in 2011. ‘The biggest disappointment, in our minds, about Republicans in the House and Senate this entire year has been their failure on the budget,’ said Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips said earlier Monday, before details of the budget deal began to materialize. ‘Let’s stick to those caps. You said you would do that. Keep your word. I mean, you told the American people you would do that.’” [Politico, 10/26/15]

AFP-NH Director Greg Moore Criticized An Emerging Budget Deal As “Spend[ing] Billions More.” According to a tweet by AFP-NH state director Greg Moore, “.@POTUS & #Congress get together to make a budget deal. Surprise – it spends billions more!” [Greg Moore – Twitter, 10/27/15]

LIBRE Initiative Executive Director Daniel Garza: The Current Budget Deal Amounts To Kicking “The Can Forward In Order To Avoid Cutting Spending,” And Is A “Failure In Leadership.” According to a press release by the LIBRE Initiative, “Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement: […] ‘In 2011, Congress and the president decided to kick the can forward in order to avoid cutting spending. The current budget deal uses the same trick a second time around. […] This is a failure in leadership, and it puts Americans on the hook for greater spending and debt.’” [LIBRE Initiative, 10/28/15]

Cato Institute Senior Fellow Michael Tanner: Though “Hailed In The Name Of ‘Coming Together’ And ‘Compromise’ To ‘Get Things Done,’ The Proposed [Budget] Deal Is A Dog’s Breakfast Of Every Bad Budgetary Idea To Land On The Table In Recent Months.” According to a blog post by Cato Institute senior fellow Michael Tanner for Cato’s At Liberty Blog, “In Washington, the word ‘bipartisan’ usually means ‘watch your wallet.’  If anyone needs any further proof, just look to the bipartisan budget agreement announced yesterday. Hailed in the name of ‘coming together’ and ‘compromise’ to ‘get things done,’ the proposed deal is a dog’s breakfast of every bad budgetary idea to land on the table in recent months.” [Cato, 10/28/15]

Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams: The Two-Year Budget Deal Agreed To By Congressional Leaders And The White House Is “Not A Compromise, That’s Capitulation.”According to an opinion by Taxpayers Protection Alliance president David Williams for the Daily Caller, “It was announced on Monday night that congressional leaders and the White House have agreed to a two-year budget deal that lifts the budget caps by $80 billion. In addition to lifting the budget caps, the debt ceiling will be suspended until 2017. That’s not a compromise, that’s capitulation.” [David Williams – Daily Caller, 10/27/15]

Williams: The Budget Deal’s Spending Caps Increase “Would Be Equally Divided Between Defense And Non-Defense Discretionary Spending, Neither Of Which Need More Money.” According to an opinion by Taxpayers Protection Alliance president David Williams for the Daily Caller, “The latest budget deal busts the caps by $80 billion; $50 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2016 and $30 billion in FY 2017. The increase would be equally divided between defense and non-defense discretionary spending, neither of which need more money.” [David Williams – Daily Caller, 10/27/15]

• Williams: “The Pentagon Doesn’t Need More Money…The Pentagon Has Plenty Of Money But Just Doesn’t Know How To Spend It Wisely.” According to an opinion by Taxpayers Protection Alliance president David Williams for the Daily Caller, “The Pentagon doesn’t need more money. In fact, before taxpayers are asked to spend more on defense, it is important to figure out how the Pentagon currently spends its money. Right now, the Department of Defense is the only federal agency that hasn’t submitted a full audit as required by law. One would only need to look at the F-35 to understand that the Pentagon has plenty of money but just doesn’t know how to spend it wisely.” [David Williams – Daily Caller, 10/27/15]

Williams: “There Is No Question That The Debt Ceiling Needs To Be Raised,” But “A Long-Term Suspension Of The Debt Ceiling Without Conditions Is Fiscally Irresponsible.” According to an opinion by Taxpayers Protection Alliance president David Williams for the Daily Caller, “There is no question that the debt ceiling needs to be raised. […] The question is whether to raise the ceiling without any conditions, or to attach measures that force strict fiscal discipline. Any deal to raise or suspend the debt ceiling past 2016 must be with conditions. A long-term suspension of the debt ceiling without conditions is fiscally irresponsible.” [David Williams – Daily Caller, 10/27/15]

Williams: “The Biggest Disappointment” Related To The Budget Deal Is Not Speaker Boehner Or President Obama, But Rather “Those Republicans Who Will Vote For This Deal.” According to an opinion by Taxpayers Protection Alliance president David Williams for the Daily Caller, “The biggest disappointment in this deal is not House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) or President Obama. Both Boehner and Obama will be long gone after the deal is passed. Those Republicans who will vote for this deal will be the bigger disappointments.” [David Williams – Daily Caller, 10/27/15]