Meet the Press: Brokaw nails McCain on taxing the wealthy, Reagan's record
We've had our issues with Tom Brokaw in the past, but today he was dead on today in his interview of John McCain, holding the candidate's feet to the fire. Earlier we showed how he hammered McCain on the reality of his position in the polls. In this mashup, Brokaw plays two clips, one of McCain in 2000 explicitly voicing his support for increasing taxes on the wealthy, and another from 2004 when he defended his opposition to Bush's tax cuts on the grounds that they disproportionately benefited the wealthy. When McCain tries to weasel his way out by claiming Herbert Hoover was the last person to raise taxes during a recession, Brokaw is quick to point out that his hero Ronald Reagan actually raised taxes in his first two years. Needless to say McCain bumbles and stumbles in the face of reality.
SEN. McCAIN: The last time a president of the United States that did that was a guy named Herbert Hoover, protectionism and raising taxes.
MR. BROKAW: Well, Ronald Reagan raised taxes as well, after the first two years in office.
SEN. McCAIN: Not in these times. Not in times--not in economic times like these.
MR. BROKAW: Well, right after the recession he did, in the first two years of his office.
SEN. McCAIN: Well, look, I would be glad to review the Reagan record, but the Reagan record was certainly one that reined in spending.
[Deleted. Don, save the blogwhoring for the open thread. It's off topic here-Sitemonitor]
I'm Frist!
Pat the Spouse is going to be so proud of me!
I hate it when that happens.
:(
me-oww!
miss_kitty, you have a hanky?
And beaten by a blogwhore. The Humanity!!!
me-oww!
Don't think so, pal. Do us a favor---rein in your lying and deception, even though it is humorous to see you make an ass of yourself on national TV.
"We will find fulfillment not in the goods that we have, but in the good we can do for each other."
Robert F. Kennedy
Exactly how much did the national deficit skyrocket under Reagan? I remember all the jokes about that when I was a kid. Seriously, how did Republicans ever earn this fake reputation for being "good at fiscal responsibility" anyway?
great publicist and an enabling media.
Reaganism turned the idea of free markets into a religion rather than seeing it as a useful counterbalance. The superficiality of their faith is evinced by how quickly they lose it when their Free Market Daddy shows a bit of wrath.
MOMMY GOVERNMENT, PROFFER US YOUR TEATS!!!
(but just us big bankers, fuck the sordida plebs)
When I read that I thought, "Did he misspeak?" They claim to be fiscal conservatives and then spend money hand over fist.
Maybe when they talk about "reining in spending," they're referring only to social programs.
"The 2008 deficit was the largest as a share of the economy since 2004, when it was 3.6 percent of the gross domestic product, the government’s principal measure of the country’s output of goods and services.
By comparison, under President Ronald Reagan and the first President Bush, the deficit was more than 4 percent of the gross domestic product."
Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/washington/...
And yet, why do we let people say that tax cuts cause good times and financial prosperity?
Balancing the budget and not spending yourself into debt is the key to good times and financial prosperity.
Why does anyone think that the economy improved after Tip O'Neil and Ronald Reagan balanced the budget? Why did the mid and late 90's go boom under Clinton when the congress enforced pay as you go?
you asking logical questions?
Reagan didn't raise taxes, he enhanced revenues.
The Reagan record, finance-wise, included a staggering national debt. Of course, at the time the Republicans blamed the Democrats in Congress. That's because in those days there was no Bill Clinton to blame.
Who had the largest deficit in history until Bush the 2nd. Reagan who released all those mental patients (who the right said wanted to live on the streets) and closed down mental institutions (too expensive to take care of people, donchano). Reagan was far from anything fantastic.
I am so tired of hearing about St. Ronnie the Actor (hmmm...if he was alive, he might be in a McCain commercial next to Bob the Boy Scout and Sue the Secretary). Fucking Reagan was FAR from All That.
Raygun ran up the debt higher than all the other Presidents PUT TOGETHER!!!
There is a big difference between debt and deficit. Debt is how much the country owes. Deficit is how much more the country spend in any one year compared to how much it takes in. If YOU run a deficit it is added to YOUR credit card debt.
The thing that gets me is naming the national airport after the man who fired all the air traffic controllers. Unbelievable!
that ultimately led to the decimation of trade unions by virtue of federal mediation. The writing was on the wall for the middle class.
Iran Contra, ignoring AIDS, sucking up to the religious right to get votes, putting flowers on Nazi graves, it goes on and on. Spare me from these little conservaturds who jerk off over his corpse. One of the worst presidents ever.
True, he did hold John's feet to the fire for that 4.5 seconds. But that's about as interesting as it got. From then on it was nothing but talking points from John's stump speech with Tom sitting back sipping a tea and letting it happen.
It was as though Brokaw lifted the lid of the tarantula cage. But that's as far as he got. He never showed the journalistic courage to pick it up and take it out of the cage.
Agreed. Tom, as usual, let McCain slide by without pinning him down on anything.
/David Gregory does the same.
Brokaw is not a journalist anymore. He was pulled out of retirement and away from his Montana ranch because of the death of Russert. You can clearly see when he is on TV that he cannot be bother. Why would he try very hard with his millions? No sense to ruffle the feathers at his age.
Who was it that said ketchup was a vegetable? Was that St. Ronnie or was that Bush the 1st?
when he was explaining cuts from school lunch programs
and dont forget the one about trees causing polution
ronnie had millions of great one liners
Bush 1st didn't know what a checkout scanner was.
What leadership.
It disgusted me. It drove home the point that Bush was completely clueless as to what it was to be an American, a real American who actually had to buy their own groceries and stuff. Imagine. Maybe I can get my own personal shopper, like those born with that silver spoon shoved firmly up their respective asses.
Babs of the unsullied mind.
Disgusting also.
btw, I have a personal shopper, my husband. I gave up buying groceries and stuff. Too many choices and I never could decide if we needed toilet paper or should I get more wine.
Reagan revisionism at it's worst. Reigned in spending - hwah!
'I'll have to get back to you on that' or 'I'll have to review the records' when someone calls them on something.
Maybe even Brokaw is getting sick of it all. Too little, too late, Tommy Boy.
During a recession in 1990. McCain needs to find some more informed handlers.
Tell that to military contractors in the 1980's!?
That's the one of the stupidest things McCain's ever said. 3 trillion dollars in debt, no balanced budget and funding moonshine like "Star Wars"...gimme a break. Reagan spent and spent and spent.
National debt the year Reagan took office after more than 200 years of government: 997 billion.
National debt the year Reagan left office: 2.857 Trillion. The debt almost tripled in those 8 years. Way to rein in the spending Ronnie!
Source US Dept of the Treasury
Who says stuff like this who thinks they can be taken seriously?
SEN. McCAIN: Well, look, I would be glad to review the Reagan record, but the Reagan record was certainly one that reined in spending.
Reagan reined in any kind of spending that helped regular people, aka 99% of the American population. The rest of the money went to his rich friends. However, Reagon's spending was a drop in the bucket, compared to the last eight years with George Bu(ll)sh-t.
Finally. It looks like Brokaw received my emails and has acted on them. Thanks Tom.
So it was you that got to him. To which we all owe you a debt of gratitude. ;
)
I am proud to say that I myself sent a polite message to Meet the Press and Mr Brokaw a few weeks ago.
...the next Reagan. I'll bet she watches "Bedtime for Bonzo"! Don't forget, Ronnie was a disaaster as the governor of California and was groomed to run for President by people who recognized a certain amount of charisma and stage presence.
The same thing that Palin apparently has.
And McCain has the other thing that Ronnie had... dementia.
"Courtesy is owed. Respect is earned. Love is given." --Unknown author, found in Guide to Texas Etiquette by Kinky Friedman
that Reagan came along pre-internet. One would hope that voters are more savvy (if admittedly more stubborn and divided) than they were 30 years ago.
If Palin thinks she can be another Reagan, she is gravely mistaken.
man, him and letterman are actually doing a little hotfooting during interviews and you still whine about the soup.
I give Tom Brokaw a lot of credit for getting where he got with a speech impediment. Other than that, he's totally useless.
.
Let's play the balancing budget game...
... Iraq war costs could be close to 3 TRILLION DOLLARS
... Wall Street CEO bailout/bonus another 3 TRILLION
... Fiscal Budget for next year alone, another TRILLION
Now, let's cut income and see how that works.
It's like being a banker who just got downsized and is now out a job who insists that eating out every night at Black Angus steak house is a good idea because there you can charge it on credit.
.
Starve the WAR Beast...
... Save the World.
its so sad when they have to 'check the record' and 'get back 2 ya on that one'
if you dont know this stuff you shouldnt be the president of a country. i mean, we're talking about the being the president of a country... right?
Hey McCain,
Brokaw gotcha, didn't he!?
even reagan would have thought these mother fuckers are crazy
It's nice to believe that, rend, but there is a straight line from Reagan through Bush to McCain. Reagan would have been totally behind McCain were he still around today.
The Reagan's didn't like McCain very much. Nancy and his ex wife were close and they took her in after he dumped her for Cindy.
Hah hah hah hah hah haaa. Finally someone brought it up. I believe McCain makes sure to get those right wing voters. I don't believe his idea about permanent taxcuts for instance is really where he stands. He knows USA is going bankrupt.
I'll be happy when "slams" means slams.
I'm writing this from the ER of my local hospital where I sit with a severely dislocated jaw caused by the shock of hearing Mr. Straight Talk say that
"...the Reagan record was certainly one that reined in spending..."
I didn't see the rest of this interview, but if Brokaw didn't laugh in his face and call him "the worst effing liar I've seen in all my years in journalism," then Brokaw is as big a hack as I've always believed him to be.
Bring back 94% marginal tax rates on the super wealthy! In fact, I'll second my own motion! Tax these corporate fascist, uber rich repukes, until they cry like babies! Waaa, waaa, waaa, oh, poor little rich republican....
Only gonna have $10 million dollors instead of $20 million dollars of disposable income next year. Well boo fucking hoo, I really couldn't give two shits! In fact, lets tax them for whinnig too! It might finally get them to STFU!
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
DAMN! Brokaw got his Dice Clay moment in! BAM!
Goodnight, Frau Blücher
I remember when RR conjured up "trickle down", Bush senior called it VooDoo economics. When the poor begged for help Regan handed out cheese. And when called before congress to testify about what he knew about the Iran-Contra arms deal he could barely remember his name, replying "I don't recall" over a hundred times. This is the RNC's "hero", a con-man and a liar.
did you hear? grampy mcshitstaininsane just GUARANTEED a victory. um, yeah:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081026/pl_politico/14951
Research reminiscent of Russert.
I very nearly choked on my beer with that "Reagan reined in spending" line! Spending SKYROCKETED under him like never before (save WWII).
The myth of St. Ronnie is just way too much. Simple historical facts like the explosion in spending, his later years tax hikes, the fact that it was Carter, not Reagan, who appointed Volcker. Not to mention the S&L Crisis, the crash of '87, Iran-Contra, his buddy-buddy relationship with Saddam. How he sold weapons to both Iran AND Iraq! etc...all these FACTS have just been erased from the collective consciousness of the conservative movement. God, and don't even bring up the idea that he single-handedly caused the downfall of the USSR. Its just too much to bear.
The scary thing is that I work for a very conservative university and on a daily basis I hear the young Republicans talk as if all these myths are facts, and as if all these facts are myths.
Especially on Reagan's record. It's no secret that he really did reign in spending. That's why, when he left office, the nation had a budget surplus! In fact, Reagan was a very budget-minded politician. Why, when he wanted to help out the poor Nicaraguan right-wing death squads, he couldn't just spend money to do it -- he raised the funds to help them by selling excess arms to our friends and allies in Iran. Good president, that Ronald Reagan. Our economy was in perfect shape when he left office. Thank you, St. Reagan!
The whole 1/2 hour of McCain on MTP is filled with schadenfreude goodness. The tension and nervousness in McCain throughout is palpable through the screen. He was rattled. He probably thought that Brokaw would pull his punches.
All McCain can hear are the Doors: "This is the end... My friends"
Eh... wake me up when Brokaw actually presses a hard question to its conclusion, without allowing McCain the last tap dance around it.
Heck, if Katie Couric can do it, why can't Tom Brokaw?
He says to Tom Brokaw..."Well....these are different times, my friend..."
Gah... as if it's not annoying enough that he says My Friend(s) an average of every five sentences... he especially likes to say it when he's covering up one of his Big Lies, after someone has challenged him.
He says it like he's annoyed that you would question his sterling integrity, and he says it in a tone that suggests you're not actually his friend.
Thank you!! The "my friends" with the hand gesture... at Tom Browkaw was what bothered me, and I've gained a new sense of skepticism for Browkaw since the death of Tim Russert. Still, the mere fact that he was unable to consciously separate himself from the campaign stump speech meme in that situation is a vote of NO CONFIDENCE.
If I were in Brokaw's place and McAncient tried that "My friend" crap with me, I would spit right back with "I am not your friend, I am your interrogator" just to see if could watch the old fart pop a blood vessel or have a PTSD flashback to the Hanoi Hilton...
Democratic Party progressive, Vietnam veteran and proud Union member for 41 years
'Sun, 10/26/2008 - 20:02 — Embittered Angr...
.Let's play the balancing budget game...
... Iraq war costs could be close to 3 TRILLION DOLLARS
... Wall Street CEO bailout/bonus another 3 TRILLION
... Fiscal Budget for next year alone, another TRILLION
Now, let's cut income and see how that works.
The cost of anything can't be estimated or calculated unless you know when the national debt will have been whittled down to zero.
As long as there is a single dollar of national debt, we will be paying interest on it.
'
If you need funds to pay for essentials, you have a revenue problem
If you need funds to pay for frivolity, you have a spending problem
Reagan did raise taxes. He also put this country in massive debt.
We are still paying taxes from the Reagan era with interests.
Enjoying your tax cuts? Our children will have to pay on it.
Who establishes wages/ salary? Who now wants to establish new tax laws?
It's uncomfortable to watch as McCain continues to tap dance and B.S. his way around every issue that he has changed position on numerous times.
...expecting? Have you forgotten who you work for, my friend?"
"Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying..."-------Roger Waters, "Comfortably Numb"
McCain believes his own BS. There are no fiscal conservatives. It is a myth.
In his interview on Meet the Press he gets tripped up when Brokaw says that Reagan raised taxes, as noted in the piece above.
However, McCain is also wrong or lies again when he says that "the Reagan record was certainly one that reined in spending."
This is pure BS, as quoting from the NYT:
"The 2008 deficit was the largest as a share of the economy since 2004, when it was 3.6 percent of the gross domestic product, the government’s principal measure of the country’s output of goods and services.
By comparison, under President Ronald Reagan and the first President Bush, the deficit was more than 4 percent of the gross domestic product."
Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/washington/...
Although Bush's deficit spending has been terrible, Reagan's and his father Bush I was worse. These Republicans have been anything but fiscal conservatives. It is always just party-time and then we have to pay the bill.
Once again McBush proves he isn't fit to be prez. with his fumbling around the true facts and habitually lying about his record even when it's shown on tape to him. Typical Reslug!
that ahole economic adviser to mclame came out weeks ago and said , the next President will HAVE to raise taxes.
you pootstank!
A candidate shouldn't be fielding softballs and expect to win at this point. If Brokaw genuine wanted McAncient to look competent, it was a failure.
McCain = BUSH...
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