Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
JON: A GAME OF NUMBERS UNFOLDING
OVER PRESIDENT OBAMA'S DEFICIT
PLAN.
THE PRESIDENT ARKS IT WILL
CUT -- ARGUES IT WILL CUT THE
DEBT BY NEARLY $3 TRILLION,
REPUBLICANS SAY IT WILL CUT ONLY
HALF OF THAT PREDICTING PARTS OF
THE PLAN WON'T EVEN MAKE IT TO
THE VOTE.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM OF SOUTH
CAROLINA IS ONE OF THEM.
YOUR QUOTE, SENATOR, IS THAT
THIS TAX DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN,
YOU SAID, IS DEAD ON ARRIVAL.
DEMOCRATS POINT TO THAT KIND OF
STATEMENT AND SAY, LOOK, THE
REPUBLICANS WON'T PLAY BALL WITH
US.
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?
>> WHAT I SAID IS THAT THE
INCREASE IN TAXES IS DEAD ON
ARRIVAL.
I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH MY
DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES TO SAVE
MONEY IN MEDICARE AND SOCIAL
SECURITY TO KEEP IT FROM GOING
BANKRUPT, I'D LIKE TO FLATTEN
THE TAX CODE AND CREATE SOME
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, BUT THE
PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL OF
INCREASING TAXES ON JOB CREATORS
IS DEAD ON ARRIVAL SIMPLY
BECAUSE THERE ARE DEMOCRATS WHO
DON'T LIKE IT.
THE MILLIONAIRE TAX IS GOING
NOWHERE.
YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS HE'S
TRYING TO CHANGE IS NOT THE
DEFICIT OR UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS,
IT'S HIS POLLING NUMBERS.
HE THINKS THAT MAKING
REPUBLICANS ARGUE AGAINST HIGHER
TAXES ON WARREN BUFFETT SOMEHOW
HURTS US POLITICALLY, HELPS HIM,
AND MOST AMERICANS WOULD LIKE TO
SEE US WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE
THE PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND
DEBT.
JON: SO YOUR VIEW IS HIS
PRESENTATION IS MORE ABOUT
POLITICS THAN POLICY?
IS.
>> YOU GOT IT.
[LAUGHTER]
WHY WOULD YOU SEND SOMETHING UP
HERE THAT CAN'T GET ANYWHERE
NEAR 60 VOTES IN THE SENATE?
THE HOUSE IS NOT GOING TO TAKE
IT UP, AND THIS IS CLASS WARFARE
AT A TIME HE NEED TO MOVE THE
WHOLE COUNTRY FORWARD.
AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO INCREASE
TAXES ON ANYONE BECAUSE WE'RE
TRYING TO CREATE JOBS.
AND IF YOU INCREASE TAXES ON
PEOPLE WHO HIRE FOLKS, YOU'RE
NOT GOING TO MOVE THE BALL
FORWARD ON REDUCING
UNEMPLOYMENT.
SO, CLEARLY, THE PRESIDENT KNOWS
WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, THAT THIS IS
ABOUT POLITICS TAKING OVER
POLICY.
AND THAT'S TOO BAD REALLY.
JON: I HAVE NOW HEARD,
ESSENTIALLY, THE SAME STATEMENT
OUT OF BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND
YOUR FELLOW COLLEAGUE, CHUCK
SCHUMER FROM NEW YORK, WHO SAID,
ESSENTIALLY, WE CAN EITHER RAISE
TAXES, OR WE CAN CUT MEDICARE
BENEFITS FOR OLD PEOPLE.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO BOTH.
>> THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
TACKLED OUR DEBT AND
UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.
LOOK AT THE BOWLES-SIMPSON
COMMISSION.
DID THEY COME OUT WITH A PLAN TO
ATTACK MILLIONAIRES AND PLAY
CLASS WARFARE?
LOOK AT THE GANG OF SIX.
THREE REPUBLICANS, THREE
DEMOCRATS, DID THEIR REPORT PLAY
CLASS WARFARE?
NO, THEY FLATTENED THE TAX CODE,
THEY DEALT WITH THE AGE
ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICARE AND
SOCIAL SECURITY, THEY REDUCED
SPENDING.
THEY DIDN'T INCREASE TAXES, THEY
LOWERED TAX RATES, BUT THEY DID
AWAY WITH DEDUCTIONS AND
EXEMPTIONS.
THE SERIOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE
LOOKED AT SOLVING OUR PROBLEMS
HAVE NOT COME OUT WITH A
PROPOSAL LIKE THE PRESIDENT THAT
CREATES CONFLICT.
THEY'VE TRIED TO BRING US
TOGETHER.
JON: IN MENTIONING THE HOUSE
SPEAKER BY NAME, THE PRESIDENT
SEEMED TO BE, WELL, GETTING
FAIRLY PERSONAL.
IS THAT A NEW THING IN
WASHINGTON POLITICS, OR IS THAT
THE WAY THESE ARGUMENTS ALWAYS
GO?
>> NO, I THINK THEY HAD A CHANCE
TO COME UP WITH A $4 TRILLION
DEFICIT REDUCTION THAT THE
MARKETS WOULD SHOW TO BE
SERIOUS.
THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN IS HEAVY ON
TAXES, VERY LIGHT ON SPENDING
CUTS.
BUT THE PRESIDENT AND SPEAKER
BOEHNER CAME CLOSE.
SPEAKER BOEHNER WAS WILLING TO
INCREASE REVENUE BY $800 BILLION
BY FLATTENING THE TAX CODE AND
ELIMINATING DEDUCTIONS AND
EXEMPTIONS BRINGING MORE
REVENUE.
HE WAS NEVER WILLING TO PLAY
CLASS WARFARE, SO THIS IS A
CHANGE FROM THE BOWLES-SIMPSON
MODEL, FROM THE GANG OF SIX,
FROM PREVIOUS NEGOTIATIONS.
WE NOW KNOW THIS IS A POLITICAL
DECISION BY THE PRESIDENT.
HE'S ABANDONED TRYING TO FIND
BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS.
AND I THINK IT'LL BLOW UP IN HIS
FACE SIMPLY BECAUSE THOSE WHO
HAVE TRIED TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM
NEVER CREATED THIS CONFLICT.
THIS IS A CONFLICT CREATED BY
THE PRESIDENT TO HELP HIS
POLLING NUMBERS.
JON: BUT YOU DON'T THINK THAT
THERE IS A DANGER TO REPUBLICANS
IN VOTING AGAINST WHAT THE
PRESIDENT IS PAYING, IS
PORTRAYING AS A TAX ON
MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES?
>> NO, I DON'T.
I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
VERY SAVVY.
THEY WANT MORE JOBS, NOT LESS.
AND GO YEARS AGO THE PRESIDENT
SAID YOU -- TWO YEARS AGO THE
PRESIDENT SAID YOU DON'T RAISE
TAXES DURING A RECESSION.
I THINK IF YOU INCREASE TAXES ON
ANY GRIPE RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE
GOING TO LESSEN THE CHANCE OF
GROWING THE ECONOMY AND HIRING
FOLKS WHO NEED A JOB.
SO I THINK MOST AMERICANS GET
THIS FOR WHAT IT IS, AND A LOT
OF DEMOCRATS SEE IT FOR WHAT IT
IS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO GET ANYWHERE
NEAR THE VOTES YOU NEED IN THE
UNITED STATES.
A LOT OF DEMOCRATS ARE NOT GOING
TO PLAY THIS GAME BECAUSE THEY
UNDERSTAND IT'S JUST POLITICS
RATHER THAN GOOD, SOUND POLICY.
SO I'M NOT AFRAID TO TELL THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE I WOULD LIKE TO
RAISE MORE REV LIEU BY --
REVENUE BY ELIMINATING
DEDUCTIONS AND EXEMPTIONS FOR
THE FEW AT THE EXPENSE OF THE
MANY.
GE PAID NO TAXES.
LET'S CHANGE THE TAX STRUCTURE
SO PEOPLE PAY TAXES AT A RATE
THAT MAKES US ECONOMICALLY
COMPETITIVE AND QUIT TRYING TO
LABEL EACH OTHER AS BAD.
JON: I THINK SIMPLIFYING THE TAX
CODE WOULD WIN YOU A LOT OF
SUPPORT.
>> I THINK SO.
JON: SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM --
>> CAN I ADD ONE THING?
JON: SURE.
>> IT WOULD WIN THE PRESIDENT A
LOT OF SUPPORT, BUT HE'S CHOSEN
NOT TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
JON: I THINK THE WHITE HOUSE IS