>> GRIM NUMBERS FOR THE PRESIDENT.

MIKE JOHNSON'S PLAN TO SAVE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE.

AND WITH THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS NOW IN NEW YORK, SHOULD WE CONSIDER THE CHICAGO WAY?

STAY TUNED, IVORY TOWER IS NEXT.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> GOOD EVENING.

WELCOME TO IVORY TOWER.

I'M DAVID CHANATRY, FROM UTICA UNIVERSITY.

I'M JOINED AROUND THE TABLE TONIGHT BY NINA MOORE, FROM COLGATE UNIVERSITY.

RICK FENNER, FROM UTICA UNIVERSITY.

TARA ROSS FROM ONONDAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND CHAD SPARBER FROM COLGATE UNIVERSITY.

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS ONE YEAR AWAY, AND THINGS LOOK GRIM FOR THE INCUMBENT.

A NEW YORK TIMES/SIENA POLL OUT THIS WEEK SHOWS PRESIDENT BIDEN BEHIND DONALD TRUMP IN 5 OF 6 BATTLEGROUND STATES.

VOTERS SAY THEY TRUST TRUMP MORE ON THE ECONOMY, FOREIGN POLICY AND IMMIGRATION.

BIDEN'S LEAD HAS SLIPPED DRAMATICALLY AMONG YOUNG VOTERS, BLACKS, AND HISPANICS.

SO, THE QUESTION THEY DON'T WANT TO ASK IN THE WHITE HOUSE •.IS IT TIME FOR JOE BIDEN TO STEP ASIDE?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT TIME HAS PASSED.

WE ARE GOING AHEAD WITH BIDEN AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

BUT WHAT WOULD I LIKE TO SAY IS FIRST, I DON'T THINK THE NUMBERS ARE QUITE AS GRIMACE YOU SUGGEST.

FIRST THING, BASED UPON SMALL NUMBERS HERE.

SO THE MARGIN OF ERROR IN THE POLLS WAS BETWEEN 4.5 AND 5% FOR EACH OF THOSE STATES.

SO NEVADA AND GEORGIA, CLEARLY TRUMPING AHEAD.

BUT THE OTHER STATES IT'S WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR.

SECOND OF ALL... >> THAT'S SLICING IT PRETTY THIN THERE.

>> WELL, IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE STATISTICS, WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE A CLOSE ELECTION, ALL RIGHT?

SO CURRENTLY IT'S WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR BUT THAT'S FOR ALL VOTERS.

88% OF THE SUPPORTERS OF THE BIDEN SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO VOTE OR VERY LIKELY TO VOTE BUT ONLY 83% OF THE TRUMP VOTERS.

SO NOW THAT MARGIN IS EVEN SMALLER.

PLUS THEY ASKED IF TRUMP IS FOUND GUILTY AND CONVICTED, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

TRUMP LOSES ABOUT 8 TO 9 PERCENTAGE POINTS AND ABOUT 5 OR 6 PERCENTAGE POINTS GO TO BIDEN.

SO, ACCORDING TO THIS POLL, BIDEN WOULD WIN ALL SIX OF THOSE STATES IF, INDEED, HE IS CONVICTED.

I'M NOT SAYING THERE AREN'T PROBLEMS BUT WHEN YOU GO GRIM, THERE IS A LOT OF TIME AND HAVE YOU TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS HERE.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE CRITICAL ISSUES, RICK, IS THAT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL HERE FOR A RACIAL REALIGNMENT IN THAT SOME OF THE STRONGEST PARTS OR GROUPS WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC BASE ARE NOW BEGINNING TO UNRAVEL.

THE SINGLE MOST AND IMPORTANT AND LOYAL PART OF THE BASE HAS BEEN BLACK VOTERS SO WHAT IS PARTICULARLY SURPRISING FOR MOST FOLKS, IF NOT HAD THEIR EAR TO THE GROUND, IS THAT THIS POLL SHOWS THAT FULLY 22% OF BLACK VOTERS ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR TRUMP.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES IN THE PAST WHERE WE HAVE SEEN BLACKS REALIGN THEMSELVES AROUND PARTIES; FIRST MOVING FROM THE PARTY OF LINCOLN TO F.D.R.

IN THE 1930S.

BEING A COMMODITY, IF YOU WILL, DURING THE LATE 1950s, IT'S NOT UNTIL 1968 THAT BLACKS ARE SOLIDLY WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE OF CULTURAL ISSUES.

BUT NOW BIDEN HAS VERY LITTLE THAT HE CAN SHOW TO BLACK VOTERS THAT HE HAS DONE SPECIFICALLY FOR BLACK VOTERS, SPECIFICALLY FOR BLACK VOTERS.

AND AT SOME POINT, BLACK VOTERS REALIZE THAT AND THAT IS WHY, DESPITE ALL OF THE BIG FOLKS AND CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS CLAIMS THAT TRUMP IS RACIST, 22% OF BLACKS ARE SAYING-- AND THAT'S MOSTLY MEN... >> AND IT'S NOT JUST SUPPORT FOR BLACK VOTERS BUT YOUNG VOTERS AS WELL.

WE HAVE SEEN THE POLL NUMBERS WHERE RFK, JR. IS DOING VERY, VERY WELL AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AND CLEARLY TAKING AWAY VOTES FROM BIDEN AND REMEMBER, THESE YOUNG VOTERS, THEY WEREN'T VOTING IN 2016 WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE REALIZED OH WAIT, MAYBE WE SHOULD COMPROMISE ON A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE WHO CAN WIN.

SO THEY'RE FLOCKING TO RFK AND THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM.

>> REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, WHEN YOU ADD KENNEDY IN, KENNEDY IS TAKING MORE SUPPORT FROM TRUMP THAN HE IS FROM BIDEN.

THE POLL NUMBERS, INCLUDING KENNEDY AS A CHOICE, IT'S 35% TRUMP, 33% BIDEN AND 24% FOR KENNEDY.

I THINK HE IS TAKING VOTERS, YOUNG VOTERS, ESPECIALLY FROM BOTH OF THEM.

>> BUT CAN I SAY THIS?

THAT THERE IS ALSO THE GREEN PARTY AND THEN THERE IS ALSO THE NEW LABEL PARTY AND I DON'T THINK THAT KENNEDY IS GOING TO SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, GET TRACTION IN ALL 50 STATES.

THE NO LABEL PARTY IS SHOOTING TO GET ON THE BALLOT IN ALL 50 STATES AND THAT IS GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT GAME CHANGER.

>> CAN YOU SEE NANCY PELOSI ON THAT.

SHE SAID THIS IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT COULD HURT BIDEN'S REELECTION CHANCES.

THAT'S THE POINT OF THE TICKET.

BUT TO YOUR QUESTION, SHOULD HE STEP ASIDE?

HE IS NEVER GOING TO STEP ASIDE FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT HE DID IN 2016 AND VIEWS THAT AS THE WORST POLITICAL DECISION HE HAS MADE IN HIS CAREER.

>> I WANT TO HEAR WHAT TARA HAS TO SAY BUT THEN I DO WANT TO SAY MORE.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS IMPACTING BIDEN'S NUMBERS ARE THE TWO WARS.

UKRAINE IS THE LONGEVITY OF IT AND THE THACT FACT THAT AMERICA'S SUPPORT IS STEADILY INCREASING.

IT WAS NO PROBLEM BUT AMERICANS THOUGHT WE WILL SUPPORT UKRAINE AND UKRAINE WILL SHOW THEY'RE NOT BACKING DOWN FROM URBAN AAND THIS WAR WILL BE OVER RELATIVELY SHORTLY.

THAT IS NOT HAPPENING AND THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AN END IN SIGHT.

THEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS, WHICH RIGHT NOW, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SPREAD BEYOND GAZA.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE INCREASING NUMBER OF PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI DEATHS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS VERY STRUCK BY WAS THE BBC DID A POLL WHERE THEY WERE INTERVIEWING AMERICANS, DIFFERENT PARTIES, DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.

AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY INTERVIEWED WAS A PALESTINIAN WOMAN AND SHE, THIS IS WHAT SHE ARGUED.

SHE SAID I HAVE BEEN SOLIDLY DEMOCRATIC, VOTED DEMOCRATIC BUT RIGHT NOW I FEEL LIKE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND ESPECIALLY PRESIDENT BIDEN IS ACTUALLY STIFLING MY FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MY ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE PALESTINIANS.

AND THAT IS A THEME THAT IS BEGINNING TO RESONATE WITH MANY OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT YOU MENTIONED.

THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THE UNITED STATES IS SORT OF TAKING A NEUTRAL POSITION.

THEY DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT WE SEEM TO BE SO SOLIDLY BEHIND ISRAEL WHEN IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT SOME OF ISRAEL'S ACTIONS ARE NOT EXACTLY NECESSARY TO DEFENDth.

-- TO DEFEND ITSELF.

>> I WONDER-- ALL OF THOSE POINTS, I THINK, ARE GOOD ONE AND PARTICULARLY RESONANT IN MICHIGAN, WHICH HAS A LARGE ARAB-AMERICAN POPULATION.

WE HAVEN'T HEARD OR I HAVEN'T HEARD THE WORD IN THIS CONVERSATION, INFLATION.

>> WELL, I MEAN, HERE'S THE THING.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE ECONOMY RIGHT NOW, THE WORD I WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE THE ECONOMY IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SO-SO AND GOOD AND THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE GENERAL PERCEPTION.

WE HAVE UNEMPLOYMENT THAT 3.9%.

GROWTH AT 2.3%.

THE INFLATION RATE AT 3.7% AND FALLING.

THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED THE MISERY INDEX, WHICH IS USUALLY-- [LAUGHTER] >> INFLATION ADJUSTED EARNINGS ARE ON PAR WITH WHAT THEY WERE IN DECEMBER OF 2019.

THAT'S NOT GOOD.

>> AND WHAT THIS POLL HAS SHOWN IS THAT FOLKS HAVE MADE THIS PERSONAL.

MANY OF THE RESPONDENTS HAVE SAID THAT THEY'RE PERSONALLY HURT.

BUT THE BIG QUESTION IS AND VIEWERS WE HAD A VIBRANT DEBATE BEFORE WE EVEN CAME ON THE AIR, YOU KNOW, THE BIG QUESTION IS WHO IS GOING TO RUN IN HIS STEAD?

AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE THEIR SCHTICK?

THAT I'M YOUNGER THAN BIDEN?

IS.

>> WELL, THAT WOULD HELP, RIGHT?

>> THAT'S A VERY AGEIST THING TO SAY.

>> WELL, IN TERMS OF PERCEPTIONS.

>> YES.

>> AS REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CONTINUE TO PUT MIGRANTS ON BUSES AND SEND THEM TO NORTHERN, DEMOCRATIC CITIES, NEW YORK AND CHICAGO HAVE TAKEN DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM.

NEW YORK MAYOR ERIC ADAMS HAS SAID THE MIGRANTS WILL DESTROY HIS CITY, AND HE BLAMED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR FAILING TO CONTROL THE BORDER.

CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON HAS A MORE WELCOMING APPROACH.

ILLINOIS IS PROVIDING UP TO $9,000 DOLLARS IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO MIGRANTS, AND CHICAGO IS SETTING UP HEATED TENTS TO GET THEM THROUGH THE WINTER.. NINA, WHO'S GETTING IT RIGHT?

THE NEW YORK WAY OR THE CHICAGO WAY?

>> I WOULD SAY THAT IS A VERY COMPLEX QUESTION AS A WAY TO DODGE IT.

AND LET ME TAKE EACH OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE SAID IN TURN.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I BELIEVE THAT MAYOR ADAMS WAS WRONG FOR MAKING THE COMMENT THAT HE MADE.

IT WAS OVER THE TOP.

BUT SECONDLY, THE REAL ISSUE IS THAT THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS FAILED MISERABLY.

BOTH MIGRANTS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE TREATED-- WE SHOULDN'T LEAVE IT WHERE THEY'RE BEING TREATED LIKE PING PONG BALLS.

AND THEN ALSO FAILING NOT JUST LOCAL LEADERS, BUT LOCAL DEMOCRATIC LEADERS, WHO ARE HAVING TO SHOULDER WHAT ARE REALLY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES.

SO, TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHO IS GETTING IT RIGHT?

REMARKABLY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THAT IS ADAMS AND JOHNSON, IN THAT NEW YORK HAS SEEN OVER 100,000 MIGRANTS AND HAVE HAD TO CUT $12 BILLION OUT OF THEIR CITY BUDGET.

ON THE OTHER HAND, MAYOR JOHNSON IN CHICAGO, HAS ONLY SEEN SOME 13,000 MIGRANTS, HAVING TO FORK OUT OVER $$361 MILLION.

SO IT'S REALLY EASY TO TRY TO TELL FOLKS WHO HAVE A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM THAN YOU DO, HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.

BUT WHAT I'M HEARING FROM FOLKS ON THE GROUND, WHO LIVE IN CHICAGO-- THAT'S MY HOMETOWN-- IS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT WHO IS SHOULDERING THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND WHERE ARE THE MIGRANTS GOING?

BECAUSE HAVE YOU TO TAKE SOMETHING AWAY FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FOR THE MIGRANTS AND WHAT CHICAGO DID IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S WORST CRIME WAVES, WAS LOWS MIGRANTS IN POLICE STATIONS AND THE IDEA THAT YOU ARE GOING TO PUT MIGRANTS IN TENTS IN THE BRUTAL WEATHER OF CHICAGO, WHERE SOMETIMES THE WINDCHILL FACTOR CAN GO AS LOW AS 50 BELOW 0, THAT, TO ME, IS INHUMANE.

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL I AGREE WITH MUCH WHAT YOU SAID.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION REALLY HAS HANDLED THIS AS POORLY AS THEY COULD AND I THINK LIBERALS WERE VERY DISMISSIVE OF TEXANS AND THE PROBLEMS AND THEN WHEN YOU KNOW, DeSANTIS AND ABBOTT WENT AND DID THEIR STUNT, THEIR STICK, SCHTICK THEY FOUND OUT THEY WERE HYPOCRITE HYPOCRITICAL AND THEY COULDN'T HANDLE EVEN A FEW HUNDRED IMMIGRANTS.

A COUPLE OF THINGS.

1: IF YOU HAVE SIGN THE TENTS.

THESE ARE NOT TENTS YOU AND I WOULD GO OUT CAMPING WITH.

THESE ARE SEMIPERMANENT STRUCTURES WITH SHOWERS AND ALL.

SO IN TERMS OF BEING HUMANE AND COMING UP WITH A PLAN SHORT OF, YOU KNOW, BUILDING HOUSING WHICH WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO, I THINK CHICAGO IS DOING SOME CORRECT.

THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, I REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE MATH.

WHEN YOU HAVE 100,000 IMMIGRANTS TO NEW YORK AND YOU ARE CLAIMING THAT IT'S CAUSING A $12 BILLION DEFICIT, THAT'S ABOUT $120,000 PER IMMIGRANT.

I'D LIKE TO SEE WHERE THAT'S GOING.

SO THAT SEEMS THAT HE IS USING A LITTLE BIT OF HYPERBOLE THERE.

>> AND THERE IS NOT 100,000 MIGRANTS THAT HAVE STAYED IN NEW YORK.

THEY'VE FUNNELED MORE.

MORE LIKE 60,000.

>> THAT IT IS CAUSING A $12 BILLION DEFICIT HE IS SAYING.

>> SO THE MIGRANTS ARE HERE.

THEY'RE COMING.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE EXPECTATION, THEY KNOW THEY'RE IN A NORTHERN CITY, IT'S GOING TO BE COLD.

>> LET ME SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.

SO I SHOULD PREFACE ANYTHING I SAY THAT LIKE MY ENTIRE SCHOLARLY CAREER IS BUILT UPON UNDERSTANDING THE ECONOMICS OF IMMIGRATION.

AND SO LIKE I'M A LITTLE HESITANT TO TAKE A FIRM STANCE ON THIS VERY SPECIFIC ISSUE WITHOUT HAVING TAKEN A DEEP TIEF INTO THAT-- DIVE THAT I WITH THE TOPIC BROADLY.

YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE NUMBERS.

EVEN NEW YORK, THE IMMIGRATION WAVE THAT THEY'RE SEEING PALES IN COMPARISON TO WHAT MIAMI SAW IN 1980 WITH THE BOAT LIFT AND MOST ECONOMISTS, NOT ALL BUT MOST ECONOMISTS THINK MIAMI ABSORBED THOSE IMMIGRANTS VERY, VERY WELL.

SO THIS SOUNDS LIKE A NEW YORK CHICAGO PROBLEM LESS THAN AN IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.

ONE QUESTION IS WHY IS WHAT IS GOING ON DIFFERENT?

AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE VENEZUELAN EXPERIENCE.

THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION.

TO IMMIGRATE FROM VENEZUELA TO THE BORDER IS 3500 MILES, IT'S CROSSING EIGHT NATIONAL BOUNDARIES.

YOU HAVE TO TRAVERSE THROUGH THE DARIAN GAP THAT IS SO DANGEROUS THAT WE CAN'T EVEN BUILD A ROAD CONNECTING NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA THROUGH THAT AREA, AND SO THESE PEOPLE ARE INCREDIBLY RESOURCEFUL, HARD WORKING, SINGLE MINDED AND DETERMINED AND THEN WHEN THEY ARRIVE TO CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, WE ALL OF A SUDDEN SAY NOW YOU NEED A $9,000 HOUSING SUBSIDY?

I DON'T QUITE BUY THAT, RIGHT?

I THINK THE ANSWER IS WELCOME AND NOW GET TO WORK.

AND I THINK THOSE PEOPLE WILL DO JUST FINE.

>> BUT THEY CAN'T WORK.

THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.

>> BECAUSE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION... >> SO SET THEM FREE TO WORK AND SO MAYBE THIS IS ACTUALLY A WELFARE STATE PROBLEM AND NOT AN ACTUAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.

>> BUT I THINK ONE OTHER THING WE ARE NOT REALLY ADDRESSING IS -- AND NINA, YOU TOUCHED UPON IT A LITTLE BIT.

THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITIES.

BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS BRANDON JOHNSON DID SUCCESSFULLY WAS HE REMINDED PEOPLE OF CHICAGO, WE ARE A SANCTUARY CITY BUT THAT HAPPENED LONG BEFORE I GOT HERE, WHICH IS SOMETHING-- SO DON'T BLAME ME.

I'M JUST OR DEALING WITH THE REAL.

BUT THE OTHER THING THAT HE DID WAS, HE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF SETTING UP DESIGNATING WHERE THESE OR THIS TENT CITY WAS GOING TO BE, BEGAN THE PROCESS.

AND THEN SORT OF INFORMED THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS HE IS REALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME BEGINNING TO FEEL THE NIMBY ASPECT OF THIS.

>> THAT IS EXACTLY IT.

>> AS CHICAGOANS ARE SAYING WAIT A MINUTE.

WE JUST FIGURED YOU WOULD PROCESS THEM, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK CITY.

YOU PROPOSSESS THEM AND THEY WOULD BE DISPERSED THROUGHOUT ILLINOIS.

WE DIDN'T EXPECT THEM TO HANG OUT HERE WITH US.

>> AND BLACK AND ASIAN AND LATINO NEIGHBORHOODS IN PARTICULAR.

>> >> THE UNITED STATES IS MORE THAN $30 TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT.

NOW, NEW SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE MIKE JOHNSON HAS EMBRACED THE IDEA OF FORMING A BIPARTISAN DEBT COMMISSION TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.

WHEN HE WAS THE LEADER OF THE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN STUDY COMMITTEE, JOHNSON CALLED FOR STEEP CUTS FOR MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY AND A PRIVATE VOUCHER PLAN, BUT NO NEW TAXES.

ACCORDING TO JOHNSON CEASE PLAN.

SHOULD WE HAVE A COMMISSION TO MAKE THE TOUGH CHOICES JOHNSON SAYS WE NEED TO MAKE?

>> I THINK ANY STEP IN THE DIRECTION OF LIMITING OUR DEBT IS A GOOD ONE.

SO LET'S HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF OPTIMISM HERE.

IF I WERE TO SPECULATE ON SOME OF THE NAMES THAT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED ON THIS COMMITTEE, I WOULD GO WITH THE EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL BUDGETS BIPARTISAN FISCAL FORUM.

THEIR CORE BELIEFS ARE THAT DEBT COSTS THREATEN OUR COLLECTIVE FUTURE AND DURABLE SOLUTIONS NEED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AND MEMBERS SHOULD FOCUS ON PUTTING FORWARD SOLUTIONS AND NOT TEARING EACH OTHER DOWN.

BURCHETT AND CASE ARE TWO NOTABLES THAT THEY SPONSORED A FAIL RAFT ACT THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED BUDGET RESOLUTIONS TO INCLUDE KIND OF A TARGET DEBT G.D.P.

RATIO IN THEIR POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

BURCHETT IS NOTABLE FOR HAVING TURNED ON McCARTHY AND KICKING HIM OUT OF OFFICE DUE TO HIS FRUSTRATION WITH BUDGET ISSUES.

SO THAT'S WHERE WOULD I LOOK.

>> THIS IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM, RIGHT?

THESE FOLKS, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU THAT MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THIS BIPARTISAN COMMISSION MUST-- OR THIS COMMISSION MUST BE BIPARTISAN.

AND IT SHOULD WORK IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE LEADERS OF EACH PARTY MAKE THE CHOICE.

I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE WAY THAT SPEAKER PELOSI HANDLED THE JANUARY 6 COMMISSION.

THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT WILL THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTED TO OFFER, WILL THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ACTUALLY HAVE IMPACT?

WILL THEY BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY?

MY CONCERN AS TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY WON'T IS THAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO DUMB DURING A LAME DUCK CONGRESS AFTER THE 2024 ELECTION HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE.

AND SO THEN FINALLY, HOW MUCH LEEWAY WILL THEY HAVE WITH RESPECT TO THE ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS WE STARTED OFF TALKING ABOUT?

SOCIAL SECURITY IS SPENDING MORE THAN IT IS TAKING IN.

IS THIS JOHNSON'S WAY OF PASSING THE BUCK TO A COMMISSION TO MAKE THE TOUGH DIVISION SIGNIFICANTSES?

>> IN 1983, SOCIAL SECURITY WAS IN TOUGHER SHAPE THAN IT IS NOW.

IT WAS WITHIN MONTHS OF RUNNING OUT OF MONEY AND THE GREEN SPAN COMMISSION KALE TOGETHER WITH A BALANCED LIST OF BENEFIT CUTS AND ADDED REVENUE AND WAS ABLE TO PUT US ON TRACK FOR 50 YEARS OF SOLVENCY WHICH WE ARE COMING NEAR THE END OF THAT 50 YEARS.

BUT ULTIMATELY, IT SUCCEEDED, NOT JUST BECAUSE THE COMMISSION CAME UP WITH A GOOD SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS BUT THAT RONALD REAGAN AND TIP O'NEILL WERE WILLING TO TALK AND TURN THE COMMISSION INTO LEGISLATION.

THAT'S WHERE I HAVE THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THE INABILITY TO DO ANYTHING BETWEEN REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, EVEN IF THE COMMISSION COMES UP WITH A GOOD SET OF POLICIES, WILL THEY BECOME LAW?

>> MAYBE THAT'S WHY THERE HAS TO BE A COMMISSION TO MAKE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CONGRESS CAN VOTE UP OR DOWN SIMILAR TO THE BASE CLOSING COMMISSION A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WHERE NO ONE WANTED TO SAY CUT MY BASE.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT GIVES CONGRESS SOME COVER.

>> WELL, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONGRESSMAN WOMACK SAID DURING THE HEARING WHERE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS COMMISSION, AND I REALLY LIKED THE QUOTE, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL BE CARRIED OUT BUT I LIKE THE QUOTE, HE SAID THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS TO WIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE PEOPLE AND HELP THE PUBLIC BECOME SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.

AND THAT CONNECTED WITH ONE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE, WHICH IS-- AND RICK YOU MENTIONED THIS-- THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A BALANCED RECOMMENDATION.

THAT'S REALLY WHERE MY BIG CONCERN IS.

IT CAN'T SIMPLY BE LET'S CUT THE ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS.

IT HAS TO BE RAISING REVENUE.

>> AND THAT'S KEY, TOO.

BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SOLVE THIS DEBT PROBLEM WITH SPUX ALONE SPENDING CUTS ALONE.

TAXES WILL HAVE TO RAISE.

IF THAT RECOMMENDATION COMES FROM A COMMISSION, SO BE IT.

>> I THINK THAT TARA HAS TOUCHED ON SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY KEY, AND THAT IS THE TRANSPARENCY PART OF THIS BECAUSE IF THE COMMISSION WERE TO HOLD HEARINGS, DISCUSSIONS AND HAVE THOSE BE COVERED BY THE MEDIA ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, THEN ONCE YOU LOWER THE BOOM SO TO SPEAK, THEN THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE BEEN BROUGHT ALONG.

>> YES.

>> WE NEED TO GO TO THE As AND Fs.

NINA, WE'LL BEGIN WITH YOUR F. >> TAYLOR SWIFT, YES, THE TAYLOR SWIFT IS FACING A BATTLE, IF YOU WILL, WITH THE NEW YORK CITY SANITATION DEPARTMENT.

SHE HAS BEEN HIT WITH 32 TICKETS FOR NOT KEEPING THE SIDEWALKS IN FRONT OF HER HOME AND ALL OF THOSE AMOUNTING TO A $3,000 FINE.

WHY DO I CARE ABOUT THIS?

BECAUSE THE CITY OF SYRACUSE IS NOW DECIDED TO GO FORWARD WITH ISSUING FINES TO THOSE WHO DO NOT PLACE THEIR TRASH INSIDE THE NEW GASH AN BINS.

I HOPE THAT THE CITY IS AWARE THAT THEY CAN HAVE A TAYLOR SWIFT PROBLEM WHERE HER FANS ARE ACTUALLY THE ONES LEAVING ALL OF THE GARBAGE.

>> RICK.

>> MY F GOES TO TURNING BACK THE CLOCKS AND THE END OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.

YES, WE GOT AN EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP LAST SUNDAY, BUT IT ISN'T NEARLY ENOUGH TO MAKE ME DREAD DRIVING HOME AT FIVE P.M.

IN THE PITCH BLACK.

CONGRESS HAS TALKED ABOUT GIVING STATES THE RIGHT TO ENACT PERMANENT DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, PLEASE.

>> TARA ARE YOUR F. >> MY F GOES TO AMY COOPER BETTER KNOWN AS CENTRAL PARK KAREN FOR HER RECENT ESSAY IN NEWS WEEK MAGAZINE.

IN THE ESSAY SHE BLAMES CANCEL CULTURE FROM VE VENTING HER FROM TELLING HER STORY AND CHRISTIAN COOPER, THE BLACK MAN UPON WHOM SHE CALLED THE POLICE, TO TAUNTING HER AND INSISTING THAT SHE CALL THE POLICE ON HIM.

SHE SAYS THERE WERE NEVER ANY RACIAL IMPLICATIONS IN HER WORDS AND PROBABLY, SADLY, SHE REALLY BELIEVES THAT.

>> CHAD, F. >> MY F GOES TO THE FOOD DELIVERY COMPANY DOORDASH FOR WARNING CUSTOMERS THAT FAILURE TO TIP AT THE TIME OF ORDER COULD RESULT IN SLOWER DELIVERY TIMES.

PART OF ME WANTS TO CELEBRATE THE FREE MARKET DYNAMICS FOR SERVICE IS FOR PEOPLE WILLING TO PAY FOR IT AND WORDS MATTER AND A TIP BEFORE THE SERVICE IS RENDERED IS A BRIBE NOT GRATUITY FOR A JOB WELL DONE.

DOORDASH JUST MADE THAT EXPLICIT.

>> A, NINA.

>> A NEIGHBOR IN CANADA PUT HIMSELF IN HARM'S WAY IN ORDER TO SAVE A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO ENCOUNTERED A MASSIVE BEAR AS THE BOY WAS RIDING HIS SCOOTER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE BOY DID THE RIGHT THING, HE STARED DOWN THE BEAR AND ON THE OTHER HAND, THE NEIGHBOR WAVED HIS ARMS TO DISTRACT THE BEAR AND EVERYONE LIVED HAPPILY EVER HALF.

>> VERY NICE.

AND RICK YOUR A.

>> MY A GOES TO REPUBLICANS FOR FINALLY ACCEPTING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTED THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ITS INCEPTION, NO NATIONAL REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN IS CALLING FOR THE REPEAL OF THE ACT.

PERHAPS THEY HAVE FINALLY COME TO SEE THIS IS A BENEFIT FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND THEY SUPPORT IT.

>> TARA.

>> MY A GOES TO THE PEOPLE OF MAINE FOR FINALLY VOTING TO RECOGNIZE THE FULL SOVEREIGNTY OF THE WABANAKI AMERICAN NATION.

IT ONLY TOOK THREE YEARS OF STATEWIDE REFERENDA SEVERAL FADE PIECES OF LEGISLATION AND A REALLY HARD PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN TO GET THERE.

>> AND CHAD, YOUR A.

>> SO I HATE HALLOWEEN BECAUSE IT PROMOTES SOCIALISM BY ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO GO DOOR TO DO DOOR P BEGGING FOR FREE HANDOUTS.

BUT MY A GOES TO TRICK OR TREATERS IN REDMOND OREGON WERE CAUGHT BY A RING CAMERA REFILLING THE BUCKET WITH THEIR OWN CANDY SO THE NEXT GROUP OF KIDS COULD HAVE SOME.

I APPLAUD THAT GENEROSITY.

>> WHETHER IT'S SOCIALISM OR NOT.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.

FOR COMMENTS YOU CAN WRITE TO THE ADDRESS ON YOUR SCREEN.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW THE SHOW AGAIN YOU CAN VIEW IT ONLINE AT WCNY.ORG.

I'M DAVID CHANATRY, FOR ALL OF US AT IVORY TOWER, HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.