Stan Druckenmiller Says Obama Can Only Negotiate In Good Faith 'With A Gun To His Head'

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Stan Druckenmiller

Reuters/ Brendan McDermid

Billionaire hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller, the founder of Duquesne Capital, ripped into President Obama over the debt ceiling talks and the government shutdown during an interview with the Wall Street Journal's James Freeman.

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From the WSJ:

Not that Mr. Druckenmiller endorsed the most recent Republican strategy. "I thought tying ObamaCare to the debt ceiling was nutty," he says, and I can confirm that he was saying so for weeks before the denouement.

But he adds that "I did not think it would be nutty to tie entitlements to the debt ceiling because there's a massive long-term problem. And this president, despite what he says, has shown time and time again that he needs a gun at his head to negotiate in good faith. All this talk about, 'I won't negotiate with a gun at my head.' OK, you've been president for five years."

His voice rising now, Mr. Druckenmiller pounds his fist on the conference table. "Show me, President Obama, when the period was when you initiated budget discussions without a gun at your head."

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Open Secrets shows that Druckenmiller has donated to Republicans this year:

DRUCKENMILLER, STANLEY F MRNEW YORK,NY 10019DUQUESNE FAMILY OFFICE LLC3/29/2013$30,800National Republican Congressional Cmte
DRUCKENMILLER, STANLEY FNEW YORK,NY 10019DUQUESNE FAMILY OFFICE LLC1/24/2013$10,000Seventh District Republican Cmte
DRUCKENMILLER, STANLEYNEW YORK,NY 10019DUQUESNE FAMILY OFFICE LLC1/24/2013$5,000Every Republican is Crucial PAC
DRUCKENMILLER, STANLEY MRNEW YORK,NY 10019DUQUESNE FAMILY OFFICE LLC1/24/2013$2,500Cantor, Eric
DRUCKENMILLER, STANLEY MRNEW YORK,NY 10019DUQUESNE FAMILY OFFICE LLC1/24/2013$2,500Cantor, Eric