Econ Debate Continues

Social Security is up next. Thompson gets a question: specific steps to maintain long-term SS solvency. He rambles at first, says the short term "is very good news" but in the future "our children and our grandchildren" won't have social security as we know it (I should hope not!). Says we need a growing economy, less discretionary spending, but we have to take care of national parks and bridges (yes, those are the two things he singles out), and we have to index SS benefits to inflation for future retirees. Blah blah.

Tancredo is asked about trade and whether the the Bush administration understands trade negotiation. Tancredo says that CAFTA, the policy formerly known as MFN, and other trade deals include all kinds of things that have nothing to do with trade, such as immigration issues.

Romney asked about health costs for employers, and whether the employer-based healthcare system should be abolished. His answer is imprecise: he attacks Hillary (good) but speaks vaguely about "market dynamics" and says his plan gets everybody insured (which will require more command-and-control of individuals and businesses, of course). Romney's health care plans are as bad or worse than Hillary, because he wants the state to ensure that everyone gets insured, which of course is not something government should do. He wants to force people to buy insurance. "Market dyanamics," he says, but he would make it all compulsory.

Question for Paul about whether unions are good for Americans. He says the right to organize is a right, but there should be no special privileges. Huckabee says "the real fact is unions are going to take a more prominent role in the future" because workers' wages are falling "while CEO salaries are going higher and higher." Ah, I hate this guy, a class-warring, nation-warring, bloodthirsty, sanctimonious, hypocritical pinko. And he doesnt' answer the question.

McCain says he's glad he's from a right-to-work state, no one should be forced to join a union.

Romney says McCain is right. Says there are good unions and bad unions--names the Carpenters Union as a good union. Won't name bad unions, gets a laugh for that.

Thompson: "I dont have to pretend that I'm a union member, because I have been a union member for some time," he's talking about Screen Actors Guild. Says that unions have done good, but dues shouldn't be used for political purposes against members' wishes.

Giuliani: Says that without unions, his family might never have gotten out of poverty. Panders to the UAW, says they're a good union. Says people should have a right ot join a union or not.

Hunter: Likes the steel workers' union. "They help to build a middle class," he says.

Brownback: Zzzzzzz...

Tancredo: Hey, he's a got a great line, makes fun of Bronwie's mother for being part of a postal workers union, because postal workers already have cushy jobs! Brownie laughs, says Tancredo should not attack his mom. The whole thing turns into comedy between Tanc and Brownie.

McCain gets a laugh with a joke about being the cheap seats and not being able to hear Maria Bartiromo. Says he thinks Washington has a requirement to bring health care costs down. (Where in the Constitution does it say that? It's regulation and state-granted monopoly that creates those astronomical costs in the first place!)

Oh, interesting, McCain says he doesn't support ethanol subsidies or sugar cane subsidies. Did I hear that right? Says that Reagan would be spinning in his grave at this bashing of free trade. (Even though Reagan protected Harley Davidson and a few other industries.)

Thompson gets a question about strikes and government stepping in with auto-makers. Says he wouldn't support stepping in.

Q. for Giuliani about policing the internet. Oh boy. "A new serious area of crime that's emerging" says Giuliani. "We should not tax the internet," he says. "We should police the internet" against child predators, wants a state-local-federal "task force" to "share information." Says he was involved with a company that attacks internet systems to see if they can be penetrated -- I hope he means they do this on request, not for the hell of it! Says he might be willing to set up an FCC for the Internet, though he says he would prefer not to.

McCain says absolutely not, he wouldn't have an FCC for the Internet. Says he'd stop child pornography on the 'net by going after the money.

Commercial break.