That Washington
And Another Thing! PubliCola's Follow-up Questions for Murray and Rossi.
The Seattle Times posted a must-watch video this weekend
of its joint-Sen. Patty Murray-Dino Rossi editorial board interview.
It's more than an hour, but make the time to watch it. There's no way to declare a winner—Democrats will nod along with Sen. Murray's explanation of health care reform and Republicans will nod along with Rossi's critique of big government—but they both make their cases in an even-keeled and thoughtful discussion of this year's big issues.
We linked it on Saturday for a quickie post—making a little fun of Rossi, who sounded clueless about one of the major topics before Congress right now (Internet guidelines). But we also promised to post some substantive follow-up questions. Here they are.
And, footnote: PubliCola's follow-ups are not meant as a dig at the Seattle Times edit board. In a little over an hour, they covered a lot of ground—the federal budget, Wall Street reform, health care reform, Afghanistan, education, the climate change bill, Social Security, and yes, the Internets—while also getting in some follow-ups of their own. They pressed Rossi to explain his claim that health care reform would cost $500 billion, and they hit him with a well-deserved gotcha when he seemed to be saying he supported President Obama's small business bill. (Rossi retreats to a cutesy GOP put down of the bill—"Baby TARP"—but doesn't say what's wrong with it.) Meanwhile, taking on Sen. Murray, the Times quotes senate testimony about Yucca Mountain that challenges Murray's account.
We're simply taking advantage of the important footage the Times —with its access to both candidates—has made available.
1) The finance reform bill
Rossi, who has said he wants to repeal the bill, was asked repeatedly by the Times what parts of the bill he didn't like (i.e., what needs to be repealed). But his criticism of the bill was limited to what the legislation doesn't do rather than focusing on complaints about what it does do. (He actually likes parts of the bill—the consumer protections and rules against banks using taxpayer-backed dollars to invest in hedge funds.)
Rossi's problem with the bill is that it fails to regulate Freddie Mae and Fannie Mac—the federally supported firms that buy mortgages and sell them to investors to increase the pool of money that’s available for mortgage lending. Rossi says Freddie and Fannie were at the "epicenter" of the crisis and it doesn't make sense not to deal with them.
Fair enough. But Rossi still needs to say specifically what parts of the bill he would repeal .
Furthermore, Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs are just as guilty as Freddie and Fannie. Rossi needs to explain why his call to "reel in the folks who were the bad actors in this" only includes Freddie and Fannie and not Wall Street operators who, by the way, used taxpayer-backed dollars to invest in hedge funds.
Two questions for Sen. Murray: A) She has repeatedly said the bill will prevent future bailouts. What then, is her response, to this New York Times article and this CBS news report that say the bill does not prevent bailouts ? and B) What is her position on dealing with Freddie and Fannie?
Never mind reining them in (as Rossi wants), does she actually support giving them more federal money? [Freddie Mac asked for $6 billion last month.] We asked Sen. Murray these questions at a recent press conferene. And as Bryce reported sarcastically enough at the time: "She almost answered."
Quick note: Rossi did have the catchiest soundbite of the interview during the Wall Street reform Q&A. He said the finance reform bill "privatized the profits and socialized the losses." I actually think this classic line was the lefty critique of the bailouts back in late 2008.
2) Kudos to the Seattle Times for asking PubliCola's favorite interview question: Where do you break ranks with your party?
Rossi's answer was a dodge, and bit weird. He said he disagreed with President Bush on the stimulus. Huh? Was he talking about President Bush's 2008 tax rebate? (That $300 check you got?) That had nothing to do with "the stimulus," the $787 billion spending bill that's the heart of President Obama's Democratic platform and at the center of Rossi's critique of Washington, D.C.
Additionally, when reporters ask "Where do you break ranks?"—they aren't looking for Monday morning quarterback answers. They want candidates to show off an independent streak moving forward.
So, follow-up for Rossi: Where do you break ranks with your party in 2010?
Sen. Murray (who had already noted a point of dissent earlier in the interview, saying she was "one of a handful of Senators" who voted to demand an Afghanistan exit plan from President Obama) at least had an answer on this one. She said she didn't support President Obama and Sen. Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid's plans to shut down Yucca Mountain in Nevada. (Murray wants to keep Yucca operating because Hanford licenses work to Yucca, which supports Hanford clean up work—and thus, jobs—in the Tri-Cities.)
However, Murray did not stop a unanimous consent vote (pretty easy to do) in March approving President Obama's three appointees to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who say they're for shutting down Yucca.
Also: the Yucca issue doesn't demonstrate an ideological contrast. It's a provincial divide.
The ideological question is particularly relevant for Murray. who votes party line 97 percent of the time.
3) Climate change legislation
Rossi, who, by the way, needs to say whether or not he believes humans cause global warming, told the Times he's not for a "national energy tax" because it will cost the average household an extra $1800 a year. Murray told the Times she hasn't decided which version of climate change legislation she supports. (The House passed cap and trade legislation in 2009. The issue is still at play in the senate.)
One of the versions is U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell's cap and dividend option—which directly addresses Rossi's consumer cost issue by using the government revenues from carbon permits to give rebates to energy customers. Cantwell's bill also invests in alternative energy, something Murray stressed in her response to the Times .
Question for both Murray and Rossi: Do you support Sen. Cantwell's proposal?
And a second follow-up for Sen. Murray. She told the Times that any energy bill must protect Washington's timber industry. What would those protections look like?
Is she talking about the same sort of free carbon permits that the House bill granted to timber companies? (PubliCola criticized U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee for insisting on a timber industry giveaway—howdy, Weyerhaeuser—when the House passed the bill last year.)
4) Both candidates were asked to address the federal deficit: How would they reduce it?
Rossi hit his campaign trail earmarks theme. He wants to ban them.
Follow-up question for Rossi: How much would banning earmarks save the federal budget? (We actually know the answer on this one. Earmarks make up about 1 to 2 percent of the federal budget.)
And what's more: Which recent earmarks that Murray has scored for Washington state would Rossi cut?
5) Afghanistan
During her deficit answer, Sen. Murray started talking about defense spending (something she kept bringing up before the Times edit board got there). "We also have to look at our defense budget ... We have not talked about Afghanistan here today, but we do know the cost of going to war... ." Murray said she was going to hold President Obama accountable on his pledge to bring the troops home in a year.
While that seems like a money saver—the war is currently estimated to cost $30 billion a year—Sen. Murray needs to explain her alternative strategy, which she described as a "broader" war against terrorist networks. "What concerns me now in Afghanistan," she said "is that getting bogged down in a country, will take our eye off ... of the broader and important and critical role of making sure that we focus on terrorism wherever it exists. And the cost of staying there, boots on the ground, could inhibit us from keeping our eye on that ball."
Question for Sen. Murray: Has she priced out her "broader" strategy, which, conceivably includes fronts in the Philippines, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan?
Second question for Sen. Murray. Her answer about military funding focused on making sure military costs included vet funding—an indisputably justified expenditure—but it was hardly a suggestion for saving money. Does she have the money lined up for vet care?
Also, she said she wants to reform the defense contract procurement process. (She needs to be more specific about that. )
Rossi's position on the war also seems expensive. He says he will take his cue from Gen. David Petraeus, who doesn't seem in any mood to leave quickly .
6) The Bush Tax Cuts
Rossi wants to extend the Bush tax cuts, including the cuts for the richest Americans making over $250,000 a year. He also wants to repeal of the estate tax (the Times ' make-or-break issue).
Murray wants to extend the tax cuts for the middle class, but she questions extending the cuts for people making more than $250,000.
She also indicated that she's willing to compromise on the estate tax. If Congress doesn't act this year, the estate tax will return next year, kicking in after the first $1 million at 55 percent. (The compromise would exempt the first $5 million and tax at 35 percent.) Murray, who voted against totally repealing the estate tax (or the death tax as Rossi and the Republicans call it) in 2006 softened her stand in in April 2009 when she agreed to raise the exemptions and lower the rates.
(Cantwell voted against the 2006 repeal as well, which was the only explanation for the Times' Mike McGavick endorsement.)
So, follow-up question for Murray: Is she still against repealing the estate tax ?
Rossi says repealing the taxes on the rich will "crush" small business owners. Given this Washington Post analysis (which says the exact opposite, ie: "If ... the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire for the highest earners, the vast majority of small businesses will be unaffected. Fewer than two percent of tax returns reporting small-business income are filed by taxpayers in the top ... income brackets"), Rossi needs to explain how extending the tax on families making over $250,000 will hurt small business.
7) Education
Channeling the Washington Education Association (the teachers' union), Republican Rossi said he was against a "one-size fits all" approach to education reform—a reference to the WEA's line against tying teacher evaluations to student achievement.
Question for Rossi: Does he support the WEA's position against Race to the Top-style teacher evaluations?
Question for Murray: Does she support the WEA's position against Race to the Top style teacher evaluations?
This is a tricky question for both candidates. The WEA is a fundamental part of the Democratic base. But Race to the Top—a priority for the President Obama—is dividing Democrats. Is Murray with the President or the WEA on this? If she's with the President, is she going to cede the WEA to Rossi—whose rap in front of the Times was in sync with the teachers union?
8 ) Health Care Reform
I second the Times follow-up on this one. Rossi needs to explain, beyond a partisan Cato Institute study, how health care reform is loaded with $500 billion in taxes.
Additionally, it's worth pointing out that Rossi kept saying there are state programs to provide health care to poor people, but his 2003 budget pushed 40,000 low-income kids of the state's health care plan.
9 ) Finally, in perhaps the most glaring "Really?" moment of the interview, Rossi told the Times he was able to write a successful budget as a state senator because "the key to my success is I really never cared if I got reelected. I was happy before I got into politics, kind of figured I'd be happy after. It was very freeing."
That is a rich statement coming from a guy who's been on the ballot every four years since 1992, and is currently running for U.S. Senate after two unsuccessful attempts to become governor. I'd say getting elected is all the guy cares about.
And advice to Rossi: Don't keep checking your watch during debates as if you have somewhere else to be.
It's more than an hour, but make the time to watch it. There's no way to declare a winner—Democrats will nod along with Sen. Murray's explanation of health care reform and Republicans will nod along with Rossi's critique of big government—but they both make their cases in an even-keeled and thoughtful discussion of this year's big issues.
We linked it on Saturday for a quickie post—making a little fun of Rossi, who sounded clueless about one of the major topics before Congress right now (Internet guidelines). But we also promised to post some substantive follow-up questions. Here they are.
And, footnote: PubliCola's follow-ups are not meant as a dig at the Seattle Times edit board. In a little over an hour, they covered a lot of ground—the federal budget, Wall Street reform, health care reform, Afghanistan, education, the climate change bill, Social Security, and yes, the Internets—while also getting in some follow-ups of their own. They pressed Rossi to explain his claim that health care reform would cost $500 billion, and they hit him with a well-deserved gotcha when he seemed to be saying he supported President Obama's small business bill. (Rossi retreats to a cutesy GOP put down of the bill—"Baby TARP"—but doesn't say what's wrong with it.) Meanwhile, taking on Sen. Murray, the Times quotes senate testimony about Yucca Mountain that challenges Murray's account.
We're simply taking advantage of the important footage the Times —with its access to both candidates—has made available.
1) The finance reform bill
Rossi, who has said he wants to repeal the bill, was asked repeatedly by the Times what parts of the bill he didn't like (i.e., what needs to be repealed). But his criticism of the bill was limited to what the legislation doesn't do rather than focusing on complaints about what it does do. (He actually likes parts of the bill—the consumer protections and rules against banks using taxpayer-backed dollars to invest in hedge funds.)
Rossi's problem with the bill is that it fails to regulate Freddie Mae and Fannie Mac—the federally supported firms that buy mortgages and sell them to investors to increase the pool of money that’s available for mortgage lending. Rossi says Freddie and Fannie were at the "epicenter" of the crisis and it doesn't make sense not to deal with them.
Fair enough. But Rossi still needs to say specifically what parts of the bill he would repeal .
Furthermore, Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs are just as guilty as Freddie and Fannie. Rossi needs to explain why his call to "reel in the folks who were the bad actors in this" only includes Freddie and Fannie and not Wall Street operators who, by the way, used taxpayer-backed dollars to invest in hedge funds.
Two questions for Sen. Murray: A) She has repeatedly said the bill will prevent future bailouts. What then, is her response, to this New York Times article and this CBS news report that say the bill does not prevent bailouts ? and B) What is her position on dealing with Freddie and Fannie?
Never mind reining them in (as Rossi wants), does she actually support giving them more federal money? [Freddie Mac asked for $6 billion last month.] We asked Sen. Murray these questions at a recent press conferene. And as Bryce reported sarcastically enough at the time: "She almost answered."
Quick note: Rossi did have the catchiest soundbite of the interview during the Wall Street reform Q&A. He said the finance reform bill "privatized the profits and socialized the losses." I actually think this classic line was the lefty critique of the bailouts back in late 2008.
2) Kudos to the Seattle Times for asking PubliCola's favorite interview question: Where do you break ranks with your party?
Rossi's answer was a dodge, and bit weird. He said he disagreed with President Bush on the stimulus. Huh? Was he talking about President Bush's 2008 tax rebate? (That $300 check you got?) That had nothing to do with "the stimulus," the $787 billion spending bill that's the heart of President Obama's Democratic platform and at the center of Rossi's critique of Washington, D.C.
Additionally, when reporters ask "Where do you break ranks?"—they aren't looking for Monday morning quarterback answers. They want candidates to show off an independent streak moving forward.
So, follow-up for Rossi: Where do you break ranks with your party in 2010?
Sen. Murray (who had already noted a point of dissent earlier in the interview, saying she was "one of a handful of Senators" who voted to demand an Afghanistan exit plan from President Obama) at least had an answer on this one. She said she didn't support President Obama and Sen. Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid's plans to shut down Yucca Mountain in Nevada. (Murray wants to keep Yucca operating because Hanford licenses work to Yucca, which supports Hanford clean up work—and thus, jobs—in the Tri-Cities.)
However, Murray did not stop a unanimous consent vote (pretty easy to do) in March approving President Obama's three appointees to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who say they're for shutting down Yucca.
Also: the Yucca issue doesn't demonstrate an ideological contrast. It's a provincial divide.
The ideological question is particularly relevant for Murray. who votes party line 97 percent of the time.
3) Climate change legislation
Rossi, who, by the way, needs to say whether or not he believes humans cause global warming, told the Times he's not for a "national energy tax" because it will cost the average household an extra $1800 a year. Murray told the Times she hasn't decided which version of climate change legislation she supports. (The House passed cap and trade legislation in 2009. The issue is still at play in the senate.)
One of the versions is U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell's cap and dividend option—which directly addresses Rossi's consumer cost issue by using the government revenues from carbon permits to give rebates to energy customers. Cantwell's bill also invests in alternative energy, something Murray stressed in her response to the Times .
Question for both Murray and Rossi: Do you support Sen. Cantwell's proposal?
And a second follow-up for Sen. Murray. She told the Times that any energy bill must protect Washington's timber industry. What would those protections look like?
Is she talking about the same sort of free carbon permits that the House bill granted to timber companies? (PubliCola criticized U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee for insisting on a timber industry giveaway—howdy, Weyerhaeuser—when the House passed the bill last year.)
4) Both candidates were asked to address the federal deficit: How would they reduce it?
Rossi hit his campaign trail earmarks theme. He wants to ban them.
Follow-up question for Rossi: How much would banning earmarks save the federal budget? (We actually know the answer on this one. Earmarks make up about 1 to 2 percent of the federal budget.)
And what's more: Which recent earmarks that Murray has scored for Washington state would Rossi cut?
5) Afghanistan
During her deficit answer, Sen. Murray started talking about defense spending (something she kept bringing up before the Times edit board got there). "We also have to look at our defense budget ... We have not talked about Afghanistan here today, but we do know the cost of going to war... ." Murray said she was going to hold President Obama accountable on his pledge to bring the troops home in a year.
While that seems like a money saver—the war is currently estimated to cost $30 billion a year—Sen. Murray needs to explain her alternative strategy, which she described as a "broader" war against terrorist networks. "What concerns me now in Afghanistan," she said "is that getting bogged down in a country, will take our eye off ... of the broader and important and critical role of making sure that we focus on terrorism wherever it exists. And the cost of staying there, boots on the ground, could inhibit us from keeping our eye on that ball."
Question for Sen. Murray: Has she priced out her "broader" strategy, which, conceivably includes fronts in the Philippines, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan?
Second question for Sen. Murray. Her answer about military funding focused on making sure military costs included vet funding—an indisputably justified expenditure—but it was hardly a suggestion for saving money. Does she have the money lined up for vet care?
Also, she said she wants to reform the defense contract procurement process. (She needs to be more specific about that. )
Rossi's position on the war also seems expensive. He says he will take his cue from Gen. David Petraeus, who doesn't seem in any mood to leave quickly .
6) The Bush Tax Cuts
Rossi wants to extend the Bush tax cuts, including the cuts for the richest Americans making over $250,000 a year. He also wants to repeal of the estate tax (the Times ' make-or-break issue).
Murray wants to extend the tax cuts for the middle class, but she questions extending the cuts for people making more than $250,000.
She also indicated that she's willing to compromise on the estate tax. If Congress doesn't act this year, the estate tax will return next year, kicking in after the first $1 million at 55 percent. (The compromise would exempt the first $5 million and tax at 35 percent.) Murray, who voted against totally repealing the estate tax (or the death tax as Rossi and the Republicans call it) in 2006 softened her stand in in April 2009 when she agreed to raise the exemptions and lower the rates.
(Cantwell voted against the 2006 repeal as well, which was the only explanation for the Times' Mike McGavick endorsement.)
So, follow-up question for Murray: Is she still against repealing the estate tax ?
Rossi says repealing the taxes on the rich will "crush" small business owners. Given this Washington Post analysis (which says the exact opposite, ie: "If ... the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire for the highest earners, the vast majority of small businesses will be unaffected. Fewer than two percent of tax returns reporting small-business income are filed by taxpayers in the top ... income brackets"), Rossi needs to explain how extending the tax on families making over $250,000 will hurt small business.
7) Education
Channeling the Washington Education Association (the teachers' union), Republican Rossi said he was against a "one-size fits all" approach to education reform—a reference to the WEA's line against tying teacher evaluations to student achievement.
Question for Rossi: Does he support the WEA's position against Race to the Top-style teacher evaluations?
Question for Murray: Does she support the WEA's position against Race to the Top style teacher evaluations?
This is a tricky question for both candidates. The WEA is a fundamental part of the Democratic base. But Race to the Top—a priority for the President Obama—is dividing Democrats. Is Murray with the President or the WEA on this? If she's with the President, is she going to cede the WEA to Rossi—whose rap in front of the Times was in sync with the teachers union?
8 ) Health Care Reform
I second the Times follow-up on this one. Rossi needs to explain, beyond a partisan Cato Institute study, how health care reform is loaded with $500 billion in taxes.
Additionally, it's worth pointing out that Rossi kept saying there are state programs to provide health care to poor people, but his 2003 budget pushed 40,000 low-income kids of the state's health care plan.
9 ) Finally, in perhaps the most glaring "Really?" moment of the interview, Rossi told the Times he was able to write a successful budget as a state senator because "the key to my success is I really never cared if I got reelected. I was happy before I got into politics, kind of figured I'd be happy after. It was very freeing."
That is a rich statement coming from a guy who's been on the ballot every four years since 1992, and is currently running for U.S. Senate after two unsuccessful attempts to become governor. I'd say getting elected is all the guy cares about.
And advice to Rossi: Don't keep checking your watch during debates as if you have somewhere else to be.
