Rick Santelli's 'Stop spending!' meltdown

last updated 8 January 2015

CNBC's Rick Santelli is "goin' nuts again," says Jim Newell at Gawker. The on-air personality, who ignited a nationwide movement in February 2009 with his on-air rant calling for a "tea party" to protest government spending, this week blew his top when CNBC financial correspondent Steve Liesman said cutting taxes wouldn't boost the economy enough to shore up the nation's finances. Santelli countered that the only solution is for the government to stop spending. Then he waved his arms furiously, shouting, "Stop spending! Stop spending! Stop spending! STOP SPENDING! That's what we want. Stop spending!" Hopefully, Santelli's "five-star rant" will wake up Washington, says Andrew Zarowny at Right Pundits. Because Obama is on course to bankrupt the country with his so-called stimulus spending if somebody doesn't stop him. Santelli's good at getting attention with the occasional "childish tirade," says Tonya Somanader at Think Progress. But he had no facts — just spittle — to counter Liesman's argument that unemployment would be worse if stimulus spending hadn't kept thousands of teachers and police officers on the job. Watch Santelli's outburst below: