Post Politics Hour

washingtonpost.com's Daily Politics Discussion

Don't want to miss out on the latest buzz in politics? Start each day at wonk central: The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and Congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.

Washington Post Congressional reporter Charles Babington was online Wednesday, May 10, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest news in politics.

The transcript follows.

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Charles Babington: Welcome to the chat. I have no opening statement, so let's go to your questions and comments.

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Milan, Italy: In your opinion, since you have worked alongside the former Clinton administration, if Hillary Clinton, or Al Gore, were to be elected President, what function would Bill Clinton be able to play in policy decisions? Are there any legal limits on his role? In addition, would the United States Government go through deja vous; i.e. the Bushes running up the deficit, Clintons fixing it, the Bushes going to war, the Clintons struggling for peace, abortion rights limited, abortion rights extended, etc.

Charles Babington: Obviously your question is highly speculative, but I think we can say, first, there are no legal limits (that I'm aware of) on the role a "First Gentleman" could play in his wife's presidency. Bill Clinton almost surely would play a close advisory role in a Hillary Clinton presidency, and a much more limited role, if any at all , under a Gore presidency. (Remember, Al Gore distanced himself from Clinton in the 2000 presidential campaign, and there has been some coolness between the two camps ever since). Whether a Gore or HRC presidency would result in a lower deficit is an economic speculation on top of a political speculation, so I'll take a pass.

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Arlington, Va.: I hope you can clarify a statement made by Dan Balz on Meet the Press. After the clip of Kelly O'Donnell interviewing VP Cheney was played in which she asked about his stepping down to help put a VP in place who would be helping the president as the "heir apparent", Mr. Balz said it would not help the President. Does he mean no issue is going to help bring up the president's ratings or does he mean the replacement of Cheney is not going to help his rantings? Fred Barnes and others have stated they believe Condi Rice would be selected to replace Cheney, so it that is true, she would be a huge plus for the Bush administration? Can you explain this in reference to the Balz statement, or just please express you own view about the Senate confirmation of next VP? Condi is at over 50% job approval and if she was offered the job, would she be seen as the frontrunner for 2008?

Charles Babington: Rather than speculate (again), I asked Dan to tackle your query. Here's what he says:

The president's problems are mostly of his own making, although Cheney, Rumsfeld and others contribute to them. Replacing Cheney would provide a temporary boost, but then the question is whether the change means a new direction for the administration, which it probably would not. If Bush selects an "heir apparent," he then generates friction inside the GOP. Also, Rice is tied as directly to the administration's Iraq policies as Cheney or Rumsfeld. She is obviously much more popular, but switching VPs at this stage carries risks as well as benefits.

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Pittsford, N.Y.: The left-wing of the blogosphere is expressing outrage over the news that HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson won't give contracts to those who say they oppose the president. Aren't they being a bit naive? Hasn't politics always worked that way (at least since Andrew Jackson instituted the "spoils system)? I'm a bit surprised that anyone could be that Pollyannaish about the ways of the world and Washington. What do you think about this?

Charles Babington: I think people operating in Washington generally are more discreet. You'd think that someone who just landed a big federal contract would keep to himself the thought that, By the way, I hate your president.... And you'd think an administration official might handle it by saying, You should have enough discretion and courtesy to utter such thoughts somewhere other than my office.

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Rochester, N.Y.: I know that it is an election year, but the debt ceiling has increased about 60 percent in the past five years and this administration has borrowed more ($1.05 trillion) than all previous administrations since George Washington combined. Isn't it fiscally irresponsible for Congress to extend the Bush tax cuts? Ordinary people would be near (or in) bankruptcy managing their household finances this way. I'm no economist, but maybe the difference is that ordinary people can't print their own money or de facto devalue it.

Charles Babington: I'm no economist either, but I do know that comparing the borrowing of a huge government such as the United States to a family's debt is not meaningful in many ways. Liberal and conservative economists agree that there are times when the federal government needs to borrow money to finance a war or stimulate growth, etc. (but they certainly don't agree on all such circumstances, the proper level of debt, etc.). I've always been intrigued by the degree to which many voters seem to care little about the level of the federal debt and deficit. A majority seemed to think it was fine when the government was running a surplus in the last years of the Clinton administration, and fine when the deficit rose sharply under the current president. Voters seem much more concerned about matters such as gasoline prices, health care availability and costs, schools, crime, and so on.

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Bethesda, Md.: Could you please explain the alternative minimum tax, how it works and who benefits/loses by it?Thanks very much.

Charles Babington: The AMT was originally designed to make sure that some tax payments are owed by high-income people with lots of tax shelters and deductions. Over time, it has come to hit more and more upper-middle-class Americans. The reason is that it tends to "allow" only so many deductions. So the newest victims are typically dual-income households that take deductions for high local and state taxes, mortgage payments, children, etc. People are less likely to be affected if they live in states with zero or low income taxes, or if they claim no child deductions, and so on.

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Arlington, Va.: Post today has an article entitled "The Year of the Black Republican" that puts forth the idea black Republicans may cut into the traditional Democratic base. The grounds for this hypothesis are quite tenuous. Yes many African Americans agree with Republicans on social issues such as gay marriage. However, as the article notes, the candidates do not represent the black community on issues such as health care, affirmative action, work's rights including minimum wage, education, the Iraq War (which has killed more African Americans than any other group) and The Voting Rights Act. Do Republicans expect African Americans to be so short-sighted and racially narrow minded (and possibly bigoted)to sacrifice their collective interests to vote for a Republican simply because he shares their skin tone?

Charles Babington: I thought the article (which is on our Web site) did a good job of laying out the Republicans' hopes for inroads into the black electorate with a generous dose of the explaining the challenges they face. You have summarized some of the points, e.g., the GOP is in line with many African Americans on the issue of gay marriage, but much less so on many other issues.

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Orlando, Fla.: Do all of the federal agencies have large limousine budgets? Or is the $21 million Shirlington Limousine contract with Homeland Security unusual? This is for 10 limos and 10 shuttles for a year or $1.1 million per vehicle. Do Post reporters get limos for work?

Charles Babington: I don't know about federal agencies, but yes, all Post reporters are driven to work in limousines. You cannot imagine the morning traffic jams on 15th Street.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: Thank you for your work. When you replied to the question about our trillion dollar fed debt, should you not have mentioned that massively increased fed debt inevitably drives up interest rates and thereby the inflation rate? The cost of gas, food, etc., are all linked to inflation and so of direct interest to us ordinary voters. It would be helpful if your comments made that more clear to your readers.

Charles Babington: Again, my degree is not in economics.... Your points are well taken, but what do you make of the fact that inflation (and interest rates, tho they are ticking up) have remained relatively low even as the deficit has climbed sharply in recent years?

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Virginia: Alfonso Jackson has now changed his story - via his spokesperson:

"He was merely trying to explain to the audience how people in D.C., will say critical things about the secretary, will unfairly characterize the president and then turn around and ask you for money," Tucker said. "He did not actually meet with someone and turn down a contract. He's not part of the contracting process."

I guess it was all a misunderstanding ...

Charles Babington: Thanks for the update.

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G St. D.C.: In this political climate, how can the Republicans extend these capital gains and dividend tax breaks? Isn't this a party cyanide pill given the public's current painful awareness of corporate tax load, especially in re: Exxon?

Charles Babington: Clearly congressional Republicans don't see it that way... And they've done a pretty good job of winning elections lately. But who knows what Nov. will bring?

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Richmond, Va.: Add me to that short list of voters that give a damn about borrowing recklessly for short-term politically-expedient economic gains at the expense of future generations of Americans awash in our debt

Charles Babington: Thanks for writing.

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Ellicott City, Md.: So I found a Herblock book circa 1950s and there is a whole chapter on the do nothing congress of 1947-8. So this Congress might get less accomplished?

Charles Babington: Herblock would be enjoying the 109th, wouldn't he?

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Rockville, Md.: "A majority seemed to think it was fine when the government was running a surplus in the last years of the Clinton administration, and fine when the deficit rose sharply under the current president."

And all the pundits who were against the deficit started telling us (in 98 or so) how bad it would be to pay off the debit. So most of us said, "if every option is bad, why should I be concerned?"

Charles Babington: Even in the most robust days of the Clinton administration, we came nowhere close to paying off the entire debt. I think you are overstating the influence of "all the pundits" who said it would be bad to pay off the debt, which is basically a fantasy.

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Kiawawh Island, S.C.: Re: Tax cut extension

Mr. Babington,

Correct me if I am wrong here, but my understanding is that tax revenues have risen sharply since the tax cuts have been in place. Perhaps spending has more to do with the deficit than revenue inputs.

Charles Babington: There is no question that federal spending continues to grow at a vigorous rate, driven mainly by Medicare and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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New York, N.Y.: Why isn't The Post covering the Alphonso Jackson scandal? If this were Clinton's HUD secretary, the Post would have put in page 1.

Charles Babington: Ah, yes, the Post gives the Bush administration a pass after vilifying the Clinton administration. (No, wait, what about all our fans who say it's the exact opposite?).. The Jackson item led Al Kamen's well-read In the Loop column in today's paper. We'll try to provide a link.

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Boston, Mass.: Al Kamen's article about talking points for the department of agriculture on the global war on terror is why The Post is a great news paper. In no other paper in the entire country can you read an article like it. Similarly with the great stories the Post has done about the Railroad to nowhere in Mississippi. You will never see an article like that hit CNN, Fox, Google news. Do you think the average American is aware that this is what government spends their money on?

Charles Babington: Al, please get back to work and stop messaging me.

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Omaha, Neb.: Warren Buffett says the $800 billion trade deficit is a much bigger problem for the future

Charles Babington: Thanks for writing, Omaha.

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washingtonpost.com: Costly Words: 'I Don't Like President Bush' , ( Post, May 10, 2006 )

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Wahpeton, N.D.: Excuse me, did I read that correctly, are you saying it is ok to give out government contracts based on whether or not someone agrees with the administration in power?

Charles Babington: No. I was simply saying how surprising it was to hear that such a conversation would take place. (And as you saw above, now there is a question of what actually transpired).

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Washington, D.C.: One thing seems certain - if the old guard from both sides of the aisle dominate the tickets in 2008 the election will be more of the same. How likely is it that a candidate who runs on ideas will emerge - and, is there anybody on the current landscape that you think might try that?

Charles Babington: You are saying that none of the leading candidates, in either party, is running on "ideas"? Do you mean "new ideas," or "unorthodox ideas"? I'm sure they would disagree with your characterization.

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Fairfax, Va.: Dan Balz's article today refers to Democratic "centrists" opposed to those on the left. If the "centrists" aren't conservatives who exactly are the conservatives in the Democratic Party or are there just two groups The Post recognizes: the Left and the Centrists? It is said you can't tell the players without a scorecard so, help me out here: who are the Democrats?

washingtonpost.com: Centrist Democrats Urge Party Policy With Muscle (Post, May 10)

Charles Babington: If you look at the political spectrum of all Americans, left to right, there are relatively few clear-cut conservatives (i.e., to the right of the center) who are elected Democrats. There used to be many, mainly from the South, but the South has re-aligned..

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Boston, Mass.: Why are American politicians on both sides of the aisle so averse to any raising of the gas tax, even, say, a slow and incremental rise? Basic economic principles mean that an increase in the gas tax moderates demand, spurs investment in alternatives, and keeps money in America instead of going to foreign countries or megacorporations.

Charles Babington: With Americans upset about high gasoline prices, politicians' first impulse is not to raise them further with a tax increase.

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Rockville, Md.: "I think you are overstating the influence of "all the pundits" who said it would be bad to pay off the debt, which is basically a fantasy."

True. I went too far with "all," but there were enough and it surprised me enough that it is still in my memory.

Charles Babington: Thanks for writing back.

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Bethesda, Md.: How badly does the immigration issue divide the GOP? Is there any way for Bush to finesse it?

Charles Babington: It divides the party rather badly, between those focused entirely on enforcement (build a wall, arrest and deport), and those who say the only realistic approach is to find a way to legally assimilate many of the millions of illegals who are here... President Bush faces a monumental task in trying to reconcile the two camps.

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Washington, D.C.: With the war and the extension of the tax cuts where do you think this economy will be three years from now?

Charles Babington: I have no idea. But if I did, I'd look forward to making a killing on Wall Street.

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Charles Babington: The hour is up. Thanks for joining us, see you in a couple of weeks.

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