Transcript
Reporter: To get some answers on our debt-reducing Super Committee, and the dispute that’s costing the government 30 million dollars a day, I want to bring in a man who knows the ways of Washington and has spent his career, in fact, trying to change them. Ron Paul is a long-time GOP Congressman from Texas whose 2008 run for president inspired a movement – you know it today as the Tea Party. Paul is winding down his congressional career, but running once more for President. He joins me now on the telephone from Lake Jackson, Texas. Thank you for your time, sir. I want to start with the debt deal and the big decisions that you and your colleagues decided to put off. You write today that balancing the federal budget isn’t as hard as most people think. What do you think is the secret?
Ron Paul: We have to just live within our means and live with our income like people are supposed to do. But, you know, what really is difficult is the semantics are so bad because everybody’s talking about cuts and, “Why didn’t we cut this and did we cut this much, and set up this Super Commission, we’re going to cut some more”. No place have we ever discussed any cuts whatsoever, it’s always cuts in the proposed increases.
So this is a difficulty for a person like myself who actually wants to have cuts. But you can’t have cuts unless you change the attitude of the people about what they want from their government. If they think we have to be the policeman of the world and you can’t challenge the entitlement system, there’s no way that we can do this, default is inevitable. And I think the only argument about the default was whether it would be by deflationary pressures – by just not sending out the checks – or what we’re doing today; everybody opted for just printing the money. So the default is coming, we liquidate debt by printing money and having a devalued currency, and I think that’s what the gold is telling us today. We went with the option of the printing press rather than actually facing up to the fact that we are bankrupt.
Reporter: I know that you voted against raising the debt ceiling and you also believe that a freeze in spending would be better than making these cuts at all. Is that correct?
Ron Paul: Well, yes. I would actually have cuts but since nobody is about to do that, why don’t we just settle for freezing it, give everybody what they got last year. But it seems like that would be an easy sell to the American people and it wouldn’t be so threatening. Now everybody says, “Whoa, they’re going to slash all these entitlements”. But they’re not, they’re just cutting what the proposed increases are.
But you know, even if they talk about cutting the military, they get hysterical. But they’re not cuts in the military, they’re actually cuts in proposed increases. So it takes about 4 or 5 years. If we would have frozen the budget about 5 years ago, it would be balanced right now. That is one thing.
The other thing you could do is if you’re so brave as to actually cut something, all you need to do is cut 1% of the budget and do it for about 5 years and you’d get to a balanced budget.
Reporter: What about this super committee, I take it you’re not a fan. Would you join this super committee and be a part of it if asked?
Ron Paul: Well, I’m not going to be asked, I never even thought that through, but it’s a totally unconstitutional committee, so I would have my reservations.
Reporter: Why is it unconstitutional?
Ron Paul: Reneging on our responsibilities and giving it to a small number of people, authority that the Congress should have. But this is a trend that we’ve been going through for a long time, we always deliver more authority to the executive branch and certain commissions and taking the responsibility away from the Congress. I think it’s very, very dangerous.
Reporter: What are you concerned the super-committee will fast-track?
Ron Paul: I think it’s the wrong way to go, so I doubt very much. I know they will never ask me, and I doubt very much if I would want to serve on something like that.
Reporter: I also want to ask you about this, just this tiny dispute that apparently has now 4,000 workers at the FAA furloughed, the federal government isn’t collecting more than a billion dollars now in taxes from the FAA. The administration certainly thinks that you and your colleagues should go back to work and figure this out. I want you to listen to a sound bite here and then we’ll talk about that.
Ray Lahood: We’ve heard a lot of great speeches from members of Congress about creating jobs. They talk the talk but they have not walked the walk. Their speeches ring very hallow to 4,000 FAA employees who were furloughed. Their speeches about jobs ring very hallow to 70,000 construction workers who are not working right in the middle of the construction season on construction projects all over America.
Reporter: Congressman, how is it that you now have 74,000 workers who are not collecting a paycheck, yet Congress is on vacation? How did this happen?
Ron Paul: Well, it’s part of the process and it’s the inability to admit that we’re bankrupt and we do have to cut. So the House did pass a bill recognizing the fact that some of these smaller airports are nothing more than boondoggles, tens of thousands of dollars are being spent per trip by these airplanes going in, so it’s far from a market-oriented program.
And the Senate could have passed it and it would have been more conservative and maybe backed off on some of these programs that aren’t paying, that are just draining the economy. So it’s not exactly that the Congress wouldn’t do anything, it’s the Senate that hasn’t done it. But then again, anytime there’s an attempt, everybody is screaming, “Cut back, cut back”. So they find something where there’s real waste and we shouldn’t be overspending in certain areas, and then the special interests come in and they yell and scream and demagogue the whole issue. So nothing happens.
So sure, the Congress is inapt and I complain about that all the time and I’m voting against all that, but the special interests are part of the problem too. Even like Paul Ryan made an attempt to propose something, I didn’t vote for it because I didn’t think it was enough. But he got really hit hard for this, like, “Oh, you can’t do this”. So the people whose programs are being cut come back in and this is why it is going to be very, very tough and this is the reason why I don’t predict we’re going to get this under control. It’s going to continue and we’re going to continue printing money. And it’s going to stop by economic law, which means the dollars won’t work and that’s what we should be concerned about, not some of these technical factors.
Reporter: Well, I think the people who are furloughed right now are certainly very concerned about this. You heard the administration there, transportation secretary Ray Lahood saying Congress should come back to work and figure this out. You’re running for President, would you want to bring Congress back?
Ron Paul: For this, I think we could have accomplished it before, I think pressure should have been put on the Senate to pass the bill.
Reporter: Alright, Congressman Ron Paul, I appreciate your time and your insight into these issues. We always enjoy having you on the program, thank you very much.
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DAMN THE PATRIOTS
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if the super congress happens chtulu and nibiru will destroy the earth in 2012
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If conservatives were smart they would vote Ron Paul because out of all the candidates he is the best bet to beat Obama.
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I can’t see why all the so called experts on Washington can’t come to a consensus on the logical and obvious. Like increasing revenue by letting the bush cuts expire. These are all seemingly logical common sense approaches to a solution and I can’t see how any one to argue with them.
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If that drives the unemployment rate down to an exceptable figure then the govt can start to concentrate on debt reduction and savings. We’ve already heard that we can decrease the military presence abroad and reduce defense spending.
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Once ppl are working and spending and sum growth is happening the work on getting some insensitives in place to inspire job creation from the private sector and small business here in the states.
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Don’t know if I totally agree with ron Paul there. I’m left leaning but I like Mr ron Paul’s authenticity and I like sum of his policy but I don’t think u can solve all our problems with cuts. May its something to look at after getting things on track but I think sum spending has to be done to create jobs now because the private sector isn’t. At least not at a significant rate.
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LIBERTARIANMONARCHY . COM
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Brilliant.
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Brilliant.
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the super-congress is a concentration of power. that should be enough to oppose it on all levels.
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the super-congress is a concentration of power. that should be enough to oppose it on all levels.
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12 member committee? IT’S THE PATRIOTS! (MGS2 reference, lol)
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how would that be a “toughie”?
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how would that be a “toughie”?
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NO PAID VACATION FOR POLITICIANS
DDRUG TESTING BEFORE EACH VOTE
IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL FOR ANY POLITICIAN NOT PASSING THE DRUG TEST OR CAUGHT TAKING BRIBES
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What American workers and Americans got or lost: 650 billion in cuts to schools, 310 billion in cuts to health care for the elderly, etc. 100 billion in cuts to food and drugs for the elderly, etc. 98 billion in cuts to Head Start and child care, 47 billion in cuts to energy grants for low income, 20 billion in cuts to job training, 11 billion in cuts to schools.
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Republicunts got in the debt deal: 690 billion tax cuts for the wealthiest, 321 billion more on extra tax cuts for the wealthiest in deductions,129 billion for foreign profits, 97.5 billion welfare for businesses, 44 billion welfare for oil and gas, 21.4 billion loopholes for hedge fund &managers, 10 billion for loans for yachts & vacation homes
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Ron Paul – the republicunts will never ever have you for a canidate never – so why are you bothering to run as a republicunt. They would rather have a drug addict welfare queen bachmann with her stupidity as their candidate
So what the hell are you paul going to do with all the money you are raising since you have no party???????
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I am a democrat but Obama aint doing so well in my book, if it was between him and Paul, it would be a toughie
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I am a democrat but Obama aint doing so well in my book, if it was between him and Paul, it would be a toughie
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If this super congress passes all hope for America is lost.
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Ron Paul FTW!!!!!! (I’m from Texas too
)
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Government has fucked up most of our system………..14.6 trillion and counting, w/ an 102ND debt ceiling raise. 0.o HAITI has a better school system along w/ China and HALF THE WORLD. And……..China and India are supposedly to become world leaders in 10 years if our trend doesn’t change w/ their FAST rate coming from ex British Prime-Minister. Along w/ other countries having BIG talk.
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“The country is living in debt. It is not living within its means, shifting the weight of responsibility on other countries and in a way acting as a parasite,
“สหรัฐฯใช้ชีวิตอยู่กับหนี้ แต่ไม่ได้อยู่แบบเป็นหนี้ เพราะผลักภาระความรับผิดชอบให้แก่ประเทศอื่นๆในโลกแบบเดียวกับกาฝาก ที่เกาะติดอยู่กับต้นไม้จนต้นไม้นั้นตาย”
“美國正生活在債務中。但是它並非靠自己生存，而是將責任和負擔轉移到其他國家頭上，這種行為就像’寄生蟲’。
วลาดีเมีย ปูติน
普京俄國總理
Vladimir Putin
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“The country is living in debt. It is not living within its means, shifting the weight of responsibility on other countries and in a way acting as a parasite,
“สหรัฐฯใช้ชีวิตอยู่กับหนี้ แต่ไม่ได้อยู่แบบเป็นหนี้ เพราะผลักภาระความรับผิดชอบให้แก่ประเทศอื่นๆในโลกแบบเดียวกับกาฝาก ที่เกาะติดอยู่กับต้นไม้จนต้นไม้นั้นตาย”
“美國正生活在債務中。但是它並非靠自己生存，而是將責任和負擔轉移到其他國家頭上，這種行為就像’寄生蟲’。
วลาดีเมีย ปูติน
普京俄國總理
Vladimir Putin
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“The country is living in debt. It is not living within its means, shifting the weight of responsibility on other countries and in a way acting as a parasite,
“สหรัฐฯใช้ชีวิตอยู่กับหนี้ แต่ไม่ได้อยู่แบบเป็นหนี้ เพราะผลักภาระความรับผิดชอบให้แก่ประเทศอื่นๆในโลกแบบเดียวกับกาฝาก ที่เกาะติดอยู่กับต้นไม้จนต้นไม้นั้นตาย”
“美國正生活在債務中。但是它並非靠自己生存，而是將責任和負擔轉移到其他國家頭上，這種行為就像‘寄生蟲’。
วลาดีเมีย ปูติน
普京俄國總理
Vladimir Putin
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If the super congress happens then this country will fail for sure.
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So let me get this straight. You want to centralize power in the hands of a few, while having the population led like sheep by the media. With this new “super congress” and politicians who deftly manipulate the mass media to tell us how to think, that is the exact problem that we face today. No, America simply needs to wake up. And it is happening, despite your propaganda.
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It’s time for rebellion! Talking is dead. WE MUST HANG THESE TRAITORS!!! Your military will not all rise against you, many will support us! LIBERTY OR DEATH, I’LL FIGHT TILL MY LAST BREATH!
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Do Americans not realize how truly scary this super congress is and the path we are on?
If Americans don’t make Ron Paul the next President they better not whine or cry about what happens to this country. Ron Paul has the best chance of beating Obama but more importantly he has the solutions that will really help America.
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Ron Paul 2012
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“Reporter: Why is it unconstitutional?
Ron Paul: Reneging on our responsibilities and giving it to a small number of people, authority that the Congress should have.”
WRONG!
It is Un-Constitutional because there is no provision in the Constitution that allows a “Super-Congress.”
I would say that “Super-Congress” violates the doctrine of MARBURY v. MADISON, 5 U.S. 137 (1803).
“Thus, the particular phraseology of the constitution of the United States confirms and strengthens the principle, supposed to be essential to all written constitutions, that a law repugnant to the constitution is void, and that courts, as well as other departments, are bound by that instrument.
The rule must be discharged.”
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=case&court=us&vol=5&page=137
“Super-Congress” or in the creation of of one, our representatives have exceeded any authority granted to them by the Constitution.
From 1790 (these principles have not changed, it is WE THE PEOPLE who give the Constitution it’s authority) Pennsylvania Constitution:
“ARTICLE IX.
That the general, great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and unalterably established, we declare,
Sect. 1. That all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing and protecting property and reputation, and of pursuing their own happiness.
Sect. 2. That all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness: For the advancement of those ends they have, at all times, an unalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or abolish their government, in such manner as they may think proper. …”
Our Congress are a bunch of dumbed-down Constitutional illiterates run by Wall Street’s Criminal Racketeers.
J.M.
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There’s a petition demanding Congress permanently disband this outrage; it can be found at http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-congress-to-permanently-disband-the-dangerous-undemocratic-super-congress-now Please sign and share. Your country needs you to make your voice heard!
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Cunt
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