Post Politics Hour

Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with 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.

Robert Barnes, Washington Post political and Supreme Court reporter, was online Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 11:30 a.m. ET to answer questions about the latest news from Washington, the court and the transition.

A transcript follows.

Get the latest transition news live on washingtonpost.com's 44: A Transition to Power, or subscribe to the daily Post Politics Podcast.

Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts

____________________

Robert Barnes: Good morning, and my sincerest apologies for beginning late today. I look forward to our chat, which I'm sure will touch on the stimulus package and the serious news about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and what that means for the Supreme Court. Let's get to your questions.

_______________________

Rockville, Md.: So, who do we believe? The president who says we need the stimulus or the Republicans who say some is stimulus and some is "pork?"

Frankly it all looks like spending to me and that ought to get the economy moving.

But what do I know?

Robert Barnes: Well, you probably know as much as anyone else. The stimulus plan, of course, has to be about some spending, the question is how much is enough to jumpstart the economy. And some of that spending will be "pork" to some people and a wise expenditure to others. (Sort of reminds me of how to decide what is "judicial activism.")The fact that these plans all have such truly extraordinary costs does not make it easy for us mortals to comprehend.

_______________________

Pittsburgh, Pa.: Charlie Crist is introducing Obama at today's town hall in Fort Myers...given that he was a McCain backer, shouldn't the GOP be a little concerned about this? Looks like there's a disconnect between several GOP governors and the GOP senators? If I were a reporter, I would be asking -- what does Crist know that Mel Martinez doesn't and why is he in support of the stimulus package in spite of the GOP talking points? Could it be that he actually is looking out for his constituents?

Robert Barnes: Yes, that's interesting isn't it, although there was some grumbling from the McCain camp that Crist was not his most ardent supporter after it become clear he was not going to be the veep candidate. Much like Obama, I think Crist is always looking for ways to show that he is not a strictly partisan politician, and Florida is in a heap of financial trouble. Crist is feeling the heat for that.

_______________________

Anonymous: Mr. Barnes, as you cover the Supreme Court, do you have any additional information on Justice Ginsburg's current condition and prognosis? Agree with her decisions or not she's a remarkable woman and the first one to sit on the Harvard Law Review. Thanks.

Robert Barnes: She is a remarkable woman, although I'm sure she would want you to know she was not the first woman to sit on the board of the HLR. According to the review's website, that was Priscilla Holmes (LL.B. '55). Justice Ginsburg has made it clear she wants to be on the bench when the court resumes oral arguments Feb. 23, and who's to doubt her, considering she didn't miss a day of arguments during her last bout with cancer. But it has certainly raised a cloud of doubt about the court's future.

_______________________

Boston, Mass.: HI Robert,

It seems one side effect of delaying the stimulus package is that it delays some purchases and further slows down the economy. If I am going to buy a house I am sure going to wait and see if I will get some special tax break or financing out of the package rather than to just buy it now. Here in Mass there is annual sales tax holiday and when that day is near people put off large purchases until that day.

Robert Barnes: I believe that is a point that Obama has tried to make. It makes sense. But again, it should not be terribly easy to pass such a massive spending plan, should it?

_______________________

Sewickley, Pa.: Did President Obama make a mistake in sharing the stage with Republicans and thereby raise their profile in the debate on stimulus? Will he continue the outreach in such a public way or will he be more inclined to use the bully pulpit without giving photo-ops to the GOP?

Robert Barnes: I don't see how a new president who made such a point during his campaign of changing the way Washington works and reaching out to the other side could do anything other than try to get Republicans on board. Were there strategic mistakes in how to accomplish that? I think you saw the president himself expressing a little concern about that last night, and certainly this new mission to take the message outside of Washington confirms that.

_______________________

Rochester, N.Y.: Is the debate over the stimulus package shaping up to be a bit like the debate over the impeachment of president Clinton, where media elites are on one side -- against the stimulus -- and the American public is on the other -- for the stimulus? Aside from one partisan Rasmussen poll, polls consistently show support for Obama and House Democrats on the stimulus, but nearly everyone on TV and in the opinion pages is on the Republican side.

Robert Barnes: I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with your premise. Seems more likely to me that the polls show one thing but the constituent calls to congressional offices against the stimulus are showing something else.

_______________________

Pittsburgh, Pa.: An article entitled "Big Government Fights Back" in Economist.com (January 29) makes a clear case for big coordinated stimulus packages and puts the issue in an easy-to-understand historical context. It makes the argument that spending on stimulus now may be expensive but it will be cheap when compared to the GDP lost if we do nothing or too little too late. Has Mr. Obama begun to make this case in a way that average Americans can understand?

Robert Barnes: I don't know if we can post that, but we'll take your recommendation. I think it is clear the president is trying a new tactic.

_______________________

washingtonpost.com: Big government fights back (Economist.com, Jan. 29)

_______________________

McLean, Va.: Robert, Justice Ginsburg's cancer has me thinking. Much speculation exists that she or Justice Stevens will step down soon. This is not really that big a deal with the Democrats in control, since they can replace them with another liberal judge. But what about the conservative judges? Putting aside sudden death, is there any chance any of the righties on the court, especially Kennedy, would step down any time soon?

Robert Barnes: You're right, the justices that seem most likely to step down relatively soon are on the liberal side. John Paul Stevens, Ginsburg and David Souter are most often mentioned. But it is hard for anyone--liberal, conservative, libertarian, vegetarian, as John McCain liked to say--to leave the court, and there's an interesting new study that shows the decision to step down is not related to ensuring that one's replacement shares a common philosophy. There are no signs from the conservative judges--least of all, swingman Kennedy--of being ready to leave.

_______________________

McLean, Va.: It was interesting watching Obama's press conference last night. When Bush was in office, did he always call only one the conservatives? If he called on some of the liberals, was that because he didn't have any choice (aren't there only two or three conservatives in the WH Press Corps?)?

It seems like Obama was calling on some of the farthest left-leaning journalists in the WH Press Corps.

Will they allow more conservatives into the White House Press Corps? Or will all presidential press conferences be staged where the press corps is helping stage the show?

Robert Barnes: This might be a better question for Howie Kurtz than me, but I see there is some interest in the questions posed to the president last night. And perhaps you are indicating the content of the question rather than the editorial position of the questioner's employer. But you should not assume that a New York Times reporter is liberal because of his editorial board's position, or that a Wall Street Journal writer is conservative for the same reason. I thought the questions mostly seemed down the middle, and intended to get Obama's thoughts on the most important issues. Which brings us to.....

_______________________

Dunn Loring, Va.: Do the Post editors get together and decide what question their reporters should ask at a presidential news conference, or did Michael Fletcher come up with his question about A-Rod on his own? If the latter, how much longer while he be on the White House beat?

Robert Barnes: I don't know how Michael decided to ask that question, but he's certainly got people talking. From what I see reading the papers or watching TV, there is a lot of interest in the A-Rod story, so what's wrong with getting Obama's reaction? I know when I was a kid, about the only way I would have read about the president was if he showed up in the sports section.

_______________________

Stafford, Va.: How about that hard hitting A-Rod question from your Post colleague? Was that really more important than asking about AIDs funding, Zimbabwe, global warming, Venezuala, NAFTA, lack of NATO assistance with Afghanistan and a host of other issues?

Robert Barnes: But I feel I should give voice to the other side.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: President Obama cautioned last night, as many do, against Iran's development of nuclear weapons, and the common mantra, perhaps not with Obama, is to consider Iran a rogue, a destabilizing, or a crazed entity. Considering that Iran is in the neighborhood of 5 of the 8(?) nuclear powers, and considering that we have attacked and overtaken 2 immediate neighbors of Iran, can anyone really say with a straight face that Iran is acting at all irrationally in pursuing a nuclear program?

Thanks for taking my question.

Robert Barnes: Well, I don't think the argument against Iran obtaining nuclear weapons is that it is irrational on their part. It's that it is a threat to others. This is one of the most sensitive issues on the administration's very full plate.

_______________________

Re. The Court: I always had the feeling, based on nothing, that the more moderate/liberal justices were holding out for a liberal president before stepping down. My guess is that one or two of the conservatives might defer retirement for a few years in hopes of a conservative revival. What do you think? Is this just not a factor in the decision process?

Robert Barnes: As I've said many times, predicting a court vacancy--and who would fill one--is the hardest thing to do in politics. But I think retirements are based on when the justice decides he--and I'm not saying she, for a particular reason--can no longer adequately do the job. Otherwise, Justice Marshall would not have left the court when he did. And certainly you did not see any of the conservative justices step down during the first term of George W. Bush to make sure their replacements were like-minded.

_______________________

A small matter of life and death: What's going to happen with health care reform?

Robert Barnes: Oh, that. I think those efforts suffered a serious setback with Daschle's demise and the administration has not regrouped. And it has other fish to fry right now.

_______________________

Your colleague's A-Rod question last night: Count me among those who felt that your colleague Michael Fletcher's Alex Rodriguez steroids question at the president's presser last night was entirely appropriate. I wonder if those who are complaining about it would have been as critical if it had been asked of George W. Bush (irrespective of his former part-ownership of A-Rod's ex-team, the Texas Rangers).

I don't know how unusual I am in viewing this matter as going far beyond a mere sports question, and instead as being a larger issue of morality in modern life -- and despite what the religious right may think, they have not cornered the market on morals or ethics (not to mention patriotism) in this country!

My question: What evidence is there to show whether most Americans agree with me that it WAS an important question to be asked of the president last night?

Robert Barnes: I don't know that there is ANY evidence to show that the public agrees with you and Michael, but I'm sure he will appreciate your support.

_______________________

Raleigh, N.C.: Good morning. In FDR's day, the Supreme Court quite famously interfered with portions of the New Deal. Is there any chance that history might repeat itself? Are there any elements of either the stimulus package or the bank bailout that lends itself to a strong constitutional challenge?

Robert Barnes: There certainly are court challenges in the works to parts of the bank bailout, but it is too early to say whether courts will agree with them. But you're right that this could be a big issue.

_______________________

Anonymous: Hi Robert,

The non-union auto workers building foreign brand vehicles in the U.S. and their congressional representatives seemed to enjoy taking cheap shots at Big 3 auto workers and the need to help the domestic auto industry. Do you think the 20,000 layoffs announced by Nissan will make them change their tune?

Robert Barnes: You can't remove politics and the role of unions from any discussion of this, I think. But there's also a distrust that the Big Three have a plan that will work.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Electronic medical records sound fine in general, but how about some reporting on the details? Who will have access to the data? Health insurance companies? Life insurance companies? Medical equipment salesmen? How will it be protected from hackers? If there's an error, how can I get my record corrected or cleaned -- hopefully faster than DHS can get my son (USN retired) off of the no flight screening list?

Robert Barnes: Another issue for us to worry about. But now, I'm afraid, one for which I have an answer.

That often happens here, where your questions are better than my answers. But we certainly appreciate your interest and your participation. We worry about the lack of civic participation and interest in important issues, but y'all prove that conventional wisdom wrong each day.

Keep up the good work.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.