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Will President Obama pivot on the economy?
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Jill Lawrence and Stephen Hayes discuss Obama’s economic policies
- Duration 8:52
- Date Apr 26, 2012
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The Republicans you know when I'm I talked about this earlier in the week -- -- -- business class warfare.
You don't want.
If asking a billionaire them pay their fair share of taxes that to pay the same tax rate in the plumber or teacher.
Is class warfare.
You know what.
I'm I'm a warrior for the middle class.
I'm out there.
I see in America with a growing middle class with rising standards of living.
I -- children even more successful to their parents some successful even beyond our wildest dreams.
And others congratulating them for their achievement not attack.
It.
And that was President Obama way back in September 2011.
Saying that he was happy to be a class warrior and class warrior for the middle class.
And then you heard Mitt Romney who earlier this week was essentially laying claim to the Republican nomination.
And accusing the president.
Of being a engaging in divisive class warfare.
And selling and -- against the wealthy in this successful.
And this Internet is power play coming to you live from Georgetown universe today.
And Internet Internet as they would say -- tried LP it's on now.
And that it's -- because we can say.
There's are very good great fortune to have with this Jill Lawrence she is the national she's the managing editor of politics for National Journal.
And Jill I can say having worked at USA today where else -- AP politics -- She she is one of the most experienced and really best regarded journalists here in Washington when it comes to the political game and you know Internet Steve case could you probably follow my Twitter.
But Steve de Sousa senior writer.
For the weekly standard he is a Fox News contributor.
And to the point of a couple of people on the Twitter here yes he does get to sit near Charles Krauthammer.
Welcome to both of you.
Thanks okay guys so let's talk about this issue.
Can President Obama successfully prosecute.
On the Buffett rule and other things.
Something that says that if -- -- in this election.
Is what we ought to be having and Americans ought to be voting for fairness.
Without opening himself up to the accusations -- Mitt Romney makes about class warfare and those things -- let's start with you.
Well it's a really fine not balance to walk and there are are polls that -- that it's not an appealing.
Argument to maintain independent owners which are -- the election the 8% in -- fox poll.
So it's it's dangerous on the other hand ignoring what's been going on with incoming equality and -- -- the falling in calmness and people without jobs that's dangerous too so.
You know it's a fine balance and the president always talks about how much she loves the free enterprise system and how -- you know small businesses the engine of the economy and all -- but.
You know the danger is that that gets overshadowed by the fairness argument and that gives an opportunity to Mitt Romney.
We're so used to -- I think that's right I mean if if if it's the fierce argument for the sake of the fairness argument.
At these can be very careful because -- can't be seen as something where he's trying to change the subject I think we.
When he was campaigning for the Buffett rule that's the way that the story eventually played out I mean it wasn't.
You know through the White House initially start out and said this is something that will will help us cut the deficit and it's a big step towards taking responsibility for the broader -- debt problems that we face and in fact.
It didn't do that the end but -- they had -- no doubt on that question and had to kind of back off.
And re calibrate their argument if he's not able to if it looks like he's trying to avoid the bigger picture question the leadership issues then the fairness issue -- -- -- -- I wanna see you guys this poll actually won't be able to see if the Internet and -- -- that counts a lot to make.
And this is from our latest Fox News poll will raising taxes on wealthy Americans -- Or hurt the economy.
Respondents -- 40%.
Said it would actually help the economy 24% said it would hurt.
And 34%.
Said it would make no difference that it doesn't matter what you do it won't change the game.
Jill so the president obviously has his eye on that 40% right.
Why any has -- -- on the 60% that say they support -- something like the buffet on May be that two thirds of the 66%.
To say what his longstanding he'd like to let tax cuts expire.
For the top income -- so this is not a new theme for the president.
I think you know what we have here -- two candidates who really believe what they're saying.
And you know the 8% may go -- they will.
But I don't see either one of these people giving up on these -- -- -- and -- is convinced that if you leave more money in the hands of the people at the top of the income scale.
They will create more jobs and then you know.
We should we should point out -- the way we talk about the buffer rule we're sorry to be over beltway shortly in the what we're talking about -- the president is called -- Mandatory minimum tax of 30%.
On those with incomes of a million dollars a year or more because currently under capital gains tax rules just in investment income.
Taxed at 15%.
Steve what their two complications -- for the president on and on that issue in particular the first is that back in 2009 the president himself made an argument.
I'm on the economics.
Of raising taxes on the wealthy and said specifically.
It's not a good thing to do he said any anyway he was very specifically -- sucks demand out of the economy we would never do this.
He his his comments at the time were I think.
Based on the assumption that we were still in recession which we in fact work but.
In any case he he seemed to recognize that raising taxes on the wealthy is not.
Good economics contrary to what we've heard from well I was at a specific point in time I mean I think he wanted to postpone things until he felt there was some sense of becoming exactly and I think that them the the question that Republicans will posed to him is.
Are we growing fast enough now that they economy can withstand.
These kind of shocks and you look you listen to people like Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and he uses words like.
Withstand the economy could withstand raising taxes which suggests that even he understands that.
Raising taxes in a time of low I would say anemic growth isn't good economic.
It's still one less thing and then on -- you think -- a good question somebody better have a good question out there for professor way and -- -- funky.
The the -- -- question jail is polls across the board whether it's Washington Post Wall Street Journal New York Times.
Show that.
About 40% something like 40% of American voters think that President Obama is too liberal it's a higher number than think that Mitt Romney is.
-- he would say severely conservative or too conservative.
With bearing that in mind knowing that that's sort of that the tracking liability for him that he always has -- to move to to look like a moderate sound like a moderate when he's talking.
Is he handling the language on this stuff correctly.
You know I think it's on the timing.
I think we're gonna see -- -- on both candidates part time I think you'll see the president moved to other issues including you know of the larger leadership issues about the budget deficits on the entitlement programs and you know eventually I think he's gonna have to balance this out with some other issues because -- your right.
Even though the polls say people want what he's talking about.
You know that's too narrow an issue and two phone connection to -- console.
There's less work.
-- are right I agree with that and any if you look at the way the president noted that his campaign hasn't run.
So far -- the you know the six months that the campaign is really sort and intensifying.
-- this has been a base election that the Obama campaign clearly thinks that it needs to energize face to try to recreate the coalition that carried him to victory in 2008 that's where their focus has bend but don't that the problem potentially is that.
He could be labeled as you know how far left can't.
-- -- their Internet via we will have questions in our next segment I promise and we will get to some of your chats unless Twitter and by the way you can follow me at cease -- Walt.
On Twitter where it will be awesome and you can get each and every day my power play.
Delivered to you for only the cost of a click my little love note to you Internet.
And jail and Steve we thank you so much for being with us today evidence here -- that.
Okay we're gonna take a quick break but when we come back.
We're gonna talk to a Democrat and then -- Republican about one of the hottest issues in the election we're talking about voter identification illegal immigration border security Arizona all that good stuff when we come back so stick around.
