Government Executive - Authors - Rodney Hawkins

Biden chomps at bit for his turn at debate

Rodney Hawkins, National Journal — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:25:13 -0400

Speaking with reporters at a campaign stop here, Biden said he thought the president looked “presidential” during Wednesday night’s first faceoff with Republican challenger Mitt Romney. But, while echoing his boss’ complaint that Romney seemed to back away from his call for across-the-board tax cuts, Biden stressed the two additional upcoming presidential debates and his own event with Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan next week.

“You know the centerpiece of their economic policy so far has been their tax cut, and last night we found out he doesn’t have a $5 trillion tax cut and I guess he outsourced that to China or something,” Biden said in a jab at Romney’s debate claim that he wouldn’t cut taxes if it added to annual deficits. “But it’s hard to figure out what Gov. Romney’s position is on a number of issues, but I think as time goes on, meaning days, it’s going to become pretty clear that Gov. Romney has either changed a number of his positions or didn’t remember some of his positions. And I think at the end of the day, we have two more debates coming up, the president does, and I feel really good about it.”

He commiserated with Obama in the face of an onslaught of second-guessing from prominent Democrats Thursday, saying, “All debates are tough. … You can sit there and say, ‘You know, I would of done that,’ and ‘I would of done this’ -- you hear people saying that. Well, it is nothing like standing up before 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 million people.”

He said he looked forward to his debate with Ryan on Oct. 11 in part because, unlike Romney, Ryan has been straightforward about the policies he embraced as the chairman of the House Budget Committee and as the architect of the leading GOP fiscal plan in Congress. “We have a fundamentally different view on a whole range of issues, so I hope it will be a good debate,” Biden said.]]>

Biden revives 'etch a sketch' remark in blasting Romney

Rodney Hawkins, National Journal — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:19:00 -0400

Campaigning in Blacksburg, an emotional Biden invoked Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom's now-infamous "Etch A Sketch" remark referring to the Republican being able to restart what is said in the general-election campaign after the primaries. Democrats and even Republicans who ran against Romney called the comment an example of their rival's political malleability.

"This is not a mystery anymore," Biden said of the choice that voters face in the fall. "This is not a mystery, and the ability to take out that Etch A Sketch pad that Governor Romney's advisers said--the Etch A Sketch is gone. This is sort of written pretty clearly; it is almost--not in stone--it is clearly defined and it gives us an ability of the American people to have an absolute unfettered clear view."

Biden's remark came a day after he told a diverse crowd that included many African-Americans that Romney would “put you all back in chains" by unshackling Wall Street. Republicans reacted with outrage, calling it needlessly divisive, but Biden stood by his statement.

After Wednesday's speech, Republicans opted to pounce on a different Biden statement.

"Folks, where's it written we cannot lead the world in the 20th century in making automobiles?" the vice president said. That prompted Romney spokesman Ryan Williams to say in a statement: "Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will ensure America leads the world in the 21st century by strengthening middle-class families and creating jobs."

Biden also continued attacking his rivals' plans for Medicare, including creating a voucher system.

"They get a voucher to go out and buy private insurance coverage," he said of senior citizens. "And you know how confusing it is to begin with, and I'm not being facetious. They get a voucher and because the voucher would not keep up with rising health costs, seniors would be forced to pay based on studies an extra $6,400 a year under the Ryan-Romney plan-- under the Romney-Ryan whatever it is now."

Biden's basic critique of the Romney-Ryan proposal is fair, but the $6,400 number is misleading. That number comes from a Congressional Budget Office analysis of Ryan's 2011 budget proposal, which was modified significantly in the last year to come more in line with Romney's own ideas.

Both men now support a system where seniors would be able to use vouchers to buy private products or the government-run program. Ryan also boasted the rate at which the value of those vouchers would grow over time.]]>

Paul to interrupt campaign to vote against debt-ceiling hike

Rodney Hawkins, National Journal — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Stephan Savoia/AP

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Rep. Ron Paul said on Tuesday that he will pause his campaigning in South Carolina, just three days before the state's primary, to cast a "no" vote on Wednesday against raising the federal debt ceiling.

The Texas Republican -- the only active member of Congress left in the GOP presidential field -- told a crowd of supporters during a town hall that the debt situation "is such a mess."

At a later rally in Rock Hill, Paul also described as a "super mess" the bipartisan super committee that unsuccessfully sought last year to find agreement on spending cuts as part of a debt-ceiling deal.

"It didn't work," he said of the failed effort. "So the cuts are sort of in place, but there's tremendous resistance -- so I don't predict they're coming. But they're not cuts. They're tinkering around with proposed increases."

Paul also repeated his standard argument that U.S. troops stationed overseas be brought home, drawing huge applause when he said they could be stationed in South Carolina instead. "If we brought troops home, we might have to station them in South Carolina and have another base and have them spend their money here instead of in Korea," he said.

Sarah B. Boxer contributed to this report.

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Blame government for ATM fees, Bachmann says

Rodney Hawkins — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

"Did ya'll hear last week that your debit card? You now have to pay a five dollar a monthly debit card fee," the Minnesota congresswoman told students at a town hall meeting on the campus of New England College. "Well thank you federal government; that's thanks to Dodd-Frank."

Bank of America announced last month that starting next year they will begin charging debit cards holders $5 monthly fees to customers who use debit cards to make purchases. The bank contends it needs to recoup money it will lose because the Dodd-Frank financial regulations capped the amount of money it can charge merchants for debit card transactions.

Bachmann said if she were elected, she would repeal Dodd-Frank, enacted to curb some of the financial excesses that, according to the bill's supporters, led to the near-meltdown of the nation's credit system in late 2008.

The congresswoman's town hall meeting lasted about 45 minutes before an audience of about 100 students, dotted with Bachmann supporters.

When one audience member likened the Occupy Wall Street protesters to the Tea Party movement, Bachmann quickly begged to differ.

"I don't think they are similar to the Tea Party at all," said the congresswoman, who founded the Tea Party Caucus in the House. "If Occupy Wall Street wants to be upset about something they should go in front of the White House and that is where they should be protesting."

Bachmann will be among the eight GOP presidential contenders participating in the Bloomberg/ Washington Post Debate at Dartmouth College on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. She has one more New Hampshire event planned for Wednesday before heading back to Iowa, where she was born and where she is focusing most of her campaign efforts.

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