A while back I got a little carried away with the idea of Judd Gregg joining the Obama team at Commerce. (If Judd Gregg is Obama's Pick for Commerce...)
My thought was Gregg could be a real player in entitlement reform if he joined the Obama team. We all know what happened next.
Today I had the chance to catch up with Gregg again and ask him about entitlement reform and health care reform. He still hopes to play a bipartisan role, only on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Here's an extended version of the interview you'll see in the broadcast. (You'll need Flash installed to watch.)
Comments
clj,
I hear your frustrations. You make a good point about carbon taxes. In the end, we all pay.
My point was that Obama had offered ways to "pay for" his proposals -- a point the Senator objected to.
As for Social Security, I can only say it is a shame we did not do easier adjustments when we had the chance.
Darren
I have been reading the original arguments for and against social security in the Roosevelt era,- 1930s and for and against medicare in the Johnson era,-1960s. What I find startling is that the Republicans fought hard against them in both eras, and neither of these social services would not have been enacted if the Republicans had had their way. When you read their objections at time, they are the same objections that Judd Gregg raises today in regard to expanding medicare or any other the government services. I am a Republican, but I cannot support the Congressman's present obstructionist positions regarding: medicare improvement, the financial stimulus and the bailout of financial institutions. These all take money, which can only come from tax increases.
First, the video recording of the interview does not show the entire interview as stated. In the interview segment that ran on NBR, there was an exchange involving the amount of deficits expected for the national budget for future years. I watched the available video because I wanted to make sure I understood Darren Gersh’s question to the Senator. Unfortunately, that part of the interview was not on the video. Anyway, I believe the Mr. Gersh indicated that the carbon tax was going to cover part of the projected future deficits? Who do you think is going to be paying the carbon taxes? The companies that are charged those taxes are going to pass the expense directly on to the consumer just as they do all taxes.
Also, the Senator commented regarding health care that to “deliver quality, affordable health care is very doable”. If it is so “doable”, why don’t they do it until someone comes along and wants to change the system to universal healthcare? Why does it have to be a battle? If it is doable now, it was doable before and should have been done. I’m kind of tired of my government not ever solving anything until it becomes a crisis. The “best leaders” of the country should be able to have a little foresight.
I love the remark Mr Gersh makes about how the debate on Social Security is affected by the fact that there are no more large surpluses. Just another example of not fixing something until it is beyond becoming a problem. We might have better solutions to our problems if they were addressed before there is an emergency.