Special Report Online: Michele Bachmann

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But when news Special Report on line this is an extended center seat panel on were left couldn't be joined by congresswoman Michelle Bachmann.

Thanks for sticking around and we already have thousands of people weighing in.

Greg -- great job Michelle Bachmann you knocked it out of the park and got my vote.

You just hope He -- not I hope it lives and I'll be honest okay Charles when we start with you right I wanna go back.

Foreign affairs.

Why are we in Afghanistan and what would you say new line is our mission.

We're in Afghanistan because.

Plans for 911 -- -- there in the mountains of Afghanistan that's why we're there and we also know that -- training down at the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

And -- there because we want an end to radical -- -- But what if the president argues.

That all of this is about al-Qaeda.

But we know -- there's no real active al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

To Pakistan so.

Whenever I hear the president are -- -- -- and wonder well what are you escalating the war in Afghanistan so -- kind of okay is that there.

So how do you -- Well there's also the issues the Taliban that's the other part of the problem and of course if we pull out before you.

Afghanistan is in a position to be able to deal with your own problems.

We know that the Taliban will only increase in -- in its effectiveness and that won't be good for the Middle East region.

And what would be your marker for a well we've succeeded.

Against the Taliban what what is it that would tell you we reached a point that we can we -- Obviously the marker would be that the people felt that they could withstand the Taliban and if they felt that there's a diminution and power of the Taliban but I also think it'd be important.

To let it be known in that region that India does not have a foothold because of course that's part of the problem with Pakistan as well.

I've we have people typing in -- questions I asked is this the place you can ask congresswoman Bachmann question and -- she can Daniel asks.

How would you support the fair tax.

There's a lot to like about the fair tax I'm a former federal tax litigation attorney.

The problem as we aren't starting from scratch with the tax code in order to have a fair tax we would have to completely scratched the tax code and only have.

Just a straight contests consumption tax which they estimate at 23% so -- not a fan of -- -- Non non non.

What I am not -- I I love her McCain but I'm not a fan of nine point 99 I'll tell you why because as a federal tax lawyer.

There's nothing that big government would love more.

-- to start a whole new area of taxation.

That would be the sales tax so if you come and it.

9% corporate 9% personal income tax and 9% sales -- All the federal government has to do is spin the dials open.

And pretty soon it's not 9% gets 19%.

For it's -- 9% -- it's 49%.

And you never ever give a bureaucrat access to another revenue stream that's one thing that I know.

There.

-- cars we're gonna go back to the economy you indicated when we were on the air that that the there's great opposition to the Obama plan and that it won't.

Do any good in our latest poll.

By I think roughly 52 to 36.

People think that this is a good plan and they believe it will create jobs.

Are Republicans putting themselves in the position if they don't have a clear alternative for being on the wrong side of public opinion on this.

-- not at all because it's a failure and is it what people are looking for a real results because Obama has been.

Government directed temporary gimmicks as solutions it's the only trick -- -- asked why do you think -- why do you think at this point that jobs plan gets a favorable response from the public.

I can't tell you why.

All I know is that when you look at job creators of people actually who are going to be investing their money trying to get a return on investment investment.

They want permanent solutions and the private sector then they'll act.

Then they'll invest money and then I'll hire people -- expand their businesses but they won't based on temporary gimmicks so.

Important by embracing President -- solution that's just -- political.

Like that's like a political headlines.

That's -- that's nothing to do is -- -- business that has nothing to do his job creation.

What we want as a real solution we want reality lot of traction on the ground were reaction can -- -- created.

That's why would -- want to do something permanent like actually repeal obamacare repealed Dodd-Frank.

Floor that -- it is income tax laws and also the corporate tax laws and quite frankly to deal with that regulatory burden.

If there's anything that I've heard from people it's the regulatory burden is killing them on job creation I mean really is killing them and we've got to address that.

What would you do with payroll tax -- is now been lowered would you extend.

That -- would you go back to the -- was for.

No it needs to go back to the rate that was before because this year.

That level blu of 111 billion dollar hole in the Social Security trust fund.

Minded people say that's increasing taxes.

Well it's not increasing taxes because this was something that I warned against I voted against this measure in the first place because again as a tax lawyer.

I knew this is a big mistake to go down this route I knew wouldn't create jobs that's how was sold as a job creation measure there's not one shred of evidence that it has and in fact.

What it's done is hurt the Social Security trust fund we can't have we can't afford that right now she's just Social Security -- and the reds this year.

Do you feel the same way about.

The bush tax cuts shouldn't -- -- these were left to expire.

Well again it depends on there are tax cuts that actually grow the economy and there are tax cuts that.

Don't grow the economy.

Look we've had a decade now.

To operate and we've had -- period of considerable solutions followed by economic collapse.

And no growth since -- so you would have to say that that experiment has run ten years and it's not clear that it's really working so why not let them expire.

You would be right Dan if that was the only factor we were looking -- but it's not the only factor that we looked at in the economy.

A big problem was Fannie and Freddie as we -- -- big problem was a community reinvestment act a big problem was the Federal Reserve artificially keeping interest rates low.

As well of never before seen out of control government spending.

Never and we -- the spending let me say one thing when I came into congress in January 2007.

The federal debt was eight point 67 trillion.

And after we raise the debt ceiling this summer.

Our capacity now for debt borrowings at sixteen point seven trillion that's almost doubling the national debt -- -- -- I have tears.

That's out of control.

That's sending a signal from.

Into the job creators with this debt accumulation that they better -- -- reinvesting in the economy right now that's where the federal government has to cut back on spending.

Well let me let me pick up on the -- and returned to the question of entitlement reform.

It is striking if you look at the fact that house Republicans voted for Paul Ryan's budget.

With all of its specifics with all of the potential political peril.

And that the presidential candidates really haven't gotten very specific I mean it's telling that.

When I ask you -- question I'm asking about Mitch Daniels and he's somebody who is who has gotten specific he's not running Paul Ryan who's got specific he's not running.

Chris Christie who's gotten specific he's not running.

Why isn't that Republican presidential candidates haven't laid out.

A specific plants and here -- the five things I'm ended.

Well I can't speak pretty the other candidates but you know during the course the debates the answers are about sixty seconds long -- so it's very hands -- -- Yes which I I think this is wonderful -- you can win out right and I think -- you Laura this is the moment and I think euphoric.

But again I would have -- go back to stand.

I think he's exactly right with what he's looking at in the solution.

Is not difficult to discern with what we need to do you get some smart people some actuaries in the room it's really a man's problem that's holiday it -- you you saw the massive problem.

And then you have to then you have to explain it politically because I actually think that this is an issue that we can explain to the United States.

I talked to senior citizens about it they don't want to -- -- the next generation I talk to young people about it.

They don't want to be in a debtor's prison so to speak so this is something that we can't explain to the American people in other words don't -- Shy away from the special or not should know raising retirement age.

Again let's see our house is -- I'm really not affecting people who are currently there on the system and that's that was the one outbreak -- problem I had with with Paul Ryan's plan is that I felt the name was wrong path way to prosperity.

I told -- you -- I I love what he's trying to do.

But it should be called the 55 and older plan.

Because we have to make it absolutely clear that anyone about age 55.

Is not impacted and means tested.

And for the higher end your income folks.

Doing something I mean what we --

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Special Report Online: Michele Bachmann

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