Wednesday, October 17, 2007
|
|
Fred at Club for Growth: 'I'm the Most Proven Tax-Cutter and Pro-Growth Guy Running For President'
|
|
Posted by:
Mary Katharine Ham at
1:01 PM
|
I'm watching Fred at the Club for Growth Conference. I'm enjoying him more than I did the last time I saw him speak. Especially during Q&A, he's had some good moments, and seemed more comfortable than with his prepared remarks. (Update: Just corrected some of my typos. I was typing as he was talking, so I botched a couple quotes. Fixed now.)
I didn't catch Rudy earlier this morning, but I'll try to find a recap. About the only thing anyone's talking about is the Perry endorsement, as opposed to the speech itself.
Have you always been a Republican?
I think it's accurate to say I've always been a Republican. My dad was a Democrat. My dad and my granddad thought that Franklin Roosevelt saved their lives.
I went to college and read "Conscience of a Conservative" and that did it for me.
I started the first young Republicans club [in my hometown]. As we say in the church, when I reached the age of accountabilty, I think it's safe to say I've been a Republican ever since.
McCain-Feingold law? Our members are concerned about free-speech limits. Some people are confused about your position on it. Should we keep the speech limits?
I've addressed that before. I've addressed that on a blog...What I've said basically is while I still think the provisions with soft money are good things but that the one you're talking about has not worked and it should be repealed...It's important to keep it in perspective. The idea was you've got to raise money for those ads the same way you raise money for candidates...It's not quite as draconian as the summary of it sometimes is, but it's still bad and we shouldn't have done it. The Supreme Court has better things to do [than parse campaign ads]...It shouldn't have been done. We went too far.
How he came to support it: In the real world that I lived in, giving large amounts of money to people who have decision-making power over you was a bad idea...I think I put a few people in jail for it, in fact...I came to find out, in politics, not only was it not a bad idea. It was absolutely necessary....With that as a basis...we placed reasonable limits. I always thought they were too low. I don't know if you'll thank me for it or not. It was my amendment that raised it from $1,000 to $2,000 and indexed it to inflation.
I thought we oughtta raise the hard money limits to a reasonable level and do away with the soft. I may change my mind about the whole thing as this campaign moves on, as people put in millions of their own money. I may change my mind about the whole thing. (laughing) I say that mostly in jest, but I think the original idea was a valid one, but we went too far, unfortunately, as often happens.
Why don't Democrats understand the entitlement disaster we're moving toward?
They do, it's just a matter of priorities, and it's so easy to demagogue. "Tax hikes for the rich." How long does it take to say that? Not long. Conservatives always have a little bit longer story to tell because it has to do with the way the world works and real solutions and human nature. That's a little bit harder to communicate in a soundbite. I think I'm gettin' a little better at it, but this is the way it's always been.
How many days a week do you have to work for the federal government? I get pretty queasy when it's more than one.
Back to MKH: I think that last answer was the strongest thing I heard from him. He started off slow, as he is wont to do, but warmed up. I really enjoyed the Q&A, and the room seemed to as well.
|
|
|
He said "tax cutter AND PRO-GROWTH". Isolationism is a guaranteed strategy for triggering a global depression. That's the difference. Just trying to help. |
|
When a government policy is to not "intervene" to defend its own national interests, the net practical result is isolationism. When we invest in foreign countries invite us to invest but who then try to hold our interests hostage, it is our duty to "intervene".
That's the problem with you paulbots, you don't understand the basic rules of the world: the only rules are those that can be enforced at the point of a gun. You can't call the police. On foreign policay, Ron Paul is one step removed from Dennis Kucinich whose motto is "strength through peace" and would create a Department of Peace. Sounds good but only works in utopian computer models. The world is a dangerous neighborhood populated mostly of corrupt and ruthless thieves. Stop feeling sorry for these guys. |
|
rudy makes fun of guy with parkinsons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub_dLr-ajKY
|
|
|
I rest my case. You're just a nut. That's why Ron Paul can't break 1% in the polls. Calm down and have a drink before you have an aneurysm. |
|
|
I'm glad to see Fred getting more comfortable in his Q&A. What the hell does Ron Paul have to do with this article or post? You Paulnuts are annoying. |
|
|
Just curious but where is the evidence that Fred is the most proven tax cutter? Everyone is pro growth (except maybe some Dems and possibly Paul). |
|
|
|