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Bill welcomes the new Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry, to the show and the two discuss the administration’s efforts to boost American energy exports, including the major announcement of a new deal to export U.S. coal to Ukraine. Bill also shares his own thoughts on the wild week in Washington politics and the selection of Gen. Kelly to be the new White House Chief of Staff. Then, Bill talks with Steve Wynn, Chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts, about his new game-changing resort in Boston and how he continues to stay ahead of his competition.
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Published in: Domestic Policy, Politics
Looking forward to this one.
WOOHOO! NEW RICOCHET SHOW!
Look, these two guys are fine gentlemen. They’ve done a lot for our land. But why won’t they see when the President does foolish and reckless things? His speech to the Boy Scouts was embarrassing.
Isn’t the whole point of Scouting to make these boys better men, so they can better serve their community, and country? It is the very opposite of what Donald Trump pitches wherever he goes. Scouting is all about giving. It is about reaching a hand out to people, in order to give them a hand up. Donald Trump’s bragging, and insistence upon being at the center of everything, where he can be worshiped, is insidious, and does damage to these boys. Whenever I try to point this out, I am attacked by his defenders. It does not and will not deter me. He has done good, no denying that. But this type of solipsism, which goes beyond narcissism, is indeed insidious. And we are paying a price for it. And Bill Bennett either cannot or will not see it.
George, it’s possible that that’s just your opinion and not the objective truth. Bill and Rick may just disagree with you.
Of course it is my opinion. I don’t know what that means. I imagine you have all sorts of opinions. And of course Bill and Rick disagree with me. They think they are right. I think I am right. I believe I am more right than they are, or else I would not write these things. I also believe what I say comports with the facts, and is more objective.
First of all, Perry owes his job to Trump. As far as Bill goes, I used to listen to his show all the time. Most of his callers were on Trump’s side. I believe that he’s let that influence him. This is not meant as an insult. It is my perception.
Listen, I am a Bennett fan. I have many of his books. And, I believe, as I stated before on these comments, that he is one of the finest men to come out Washington. However, I honestly believe that, at heart, he is more of populist than a conservative.
I could spend a long time on this, but I won’t. I will just say that Bill used to be a Democrat, and probably still retains that sort of outlook. Democrats believe, more than Republicans, that popularity is what’s important. They stress this being a Democracy more than a Republic. I think they are wrong in believing this. I have no ill-will towards this way of thinking. I just believe it is wrong, dangerous to the long-term health of the Republic, and, ultimately, is behind a lot of the affection for Mr. Trump.
Well, actually, Rick Perry used to be a Democrat, too. And for that matter, so did I. Popularity is important. You can’t get elected if people don’t like you.
I guess I knew about Perry, now that you remind me, Max.
A lot of people used to be Democrats.
And I never said popularity isn’t important. But you don’t run a country on it. The whole point in having a Senate, for example, is to let the passions cool, and a more deliberative structure set in. Popularity is more about emotions than doing the right thing. Remember, prior to the Civil War, Stevens got into the Senate by stressing what he called “Popular Sovereignty”, whereby some states could have slavery if they wanted it. We now know that Lincoln was right. You can’t have an evil like slavery because it is popular in some quarters. I still maintain, my friend, that we need to remember that this is a Republic, and not a pure Democracy. I think therein lie many of our problems today. Politicians want too badly to be elected, and they give into Socialized Medicine, for example, because it is becoming popular.
This is the part that drives me crazy. Who is it popular with? People who are getting subsidies, surely — almost everyone else is getting harmed by it. Idiot Republicans are afraid to repeal Obamacare because it might make them unpopular with people who are literally getting paid to vote for Democrats.
Max, why you can’t you stop fulminating, and think about this?
Socialized Medicine is stupid, dangerous, and ends up hurting people. Thinking people understand this. But a lot of people feel. And, many people, maybe even the majority, in countries that already have it, like it. They are probably the healthy ones.
Politicians who vote for it are not evil. Or corrupt. Nor are there people who get paid to vote for Democrats. I don’t even understand that.
Your previous post defended popularity. Now you are attacking those who vote with, maybe, the popular will among their constituents. The electorate is the problem, and calling politicians names is not helpful.
What I think is that Obamacare is not popular among Republican constituents. Republican members of congress (both houses) were elected to repeal Obamacare. Republican voters gave the GOP the majority in both houses and also elected President Trump to repeal Obamacare. Now GOP members in congress are afraid to repeal Obamacare because they don’t want to upset the Democrats’ constituents. That’s silly. The people getting subsidies are mostly not ever going to vote for Republicans no matter what Republicans do.
I also had to wince when Bill mentioned that he knows Scaramucci and was “sad to see him go.” This from the editor of the Book of Virtues. I am sure when he read the transcript of the phone call with Ryan Lizza he just shrugged and said “Aw, that’s just the Mooch. Whaddya do, right?”
Good to know that politics was always this cynical, and I was the naïve one.
Up to a point you are right. But the polls say that our bill is unpopular too. and That Obamacare has gained in popularity. You can’t overlook polls because you disagree with them. Democrats might take back the House. I hope not, but they might. It is a tricky thing to be a politician, always watching your back. If they do take back the House, they will impeach Trump. The Senate will never throw him out, but he still will be crippled. Your saying that Republican worrying about Democrats voting is silly is itself silly. People vote for all kinds of reasons. If Republicans lose their (narrow) edge in Congress, than where will we be?