CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight-Transcript
CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight-Transcript
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DOBBS: New evidence tonight of the huge scale of corruption and mismanagement in American efforts to rebuild Iraq. A government auditor today said simply the United States is still wasting tens of millions of taxpayer dollars in Iraq nearly four years after the war began.
In one case, the State Department paid nearly $45 million for a police training camp that remained empty for months. The price tag of waste is reaching billions of dollars.
An architect of the Democratic victory in the midterm elections is Senator Chuck Schumer. He's become one the most powerful members in the Senate, and the senior senator from New York has a brand-new book out whose theme and title leave us on this broadcast absolutely warm with appreciation: "Positively American: Winning Back the Middle Class Majority One Family at a Time".
Senator Schumer, congratulations on the new book, an important book. And we're glad to you have here.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Hey, Lou, great to be on with you.
DOBBS: And it is great to hear somebody talking about the middle class, the problems that are faced by the middle class, and actually coming up with a solution. And the middle class is nothing new in your concerns.
SCHUMER: No, well, you know, Lou, I wrote this book because I feel that the 2008 election will be pivotal. The middle class is up for grabs. They had originally bought into the Reagan philosophy in 1980 but the world has changed so. Technology is created, terrorism is created, one global market, where jobs go overseas. We live longer. That changes when we get married, when and if we have kids and lots of leisure time.
So the middle class is not feeling terrible, but they're not feeling great. And they're looking for government to help them out a little bit.
And I've written a book based on the experiences of Joe and Eileen Bailey.
DOBBS: Right.
SCHUMER: They're a middle class couple in Massapequa, which is a suburb on Rhode Island. He's an insurance adjuster, makes around $40,000, $50,000 a year. She works in a medical office, makes $15 to $20. And they need some help from government.
And what I've proposed is 11 goals that my party, the Democrats, should promise the Baileys will achieve within 10 years. Each one is a concrete goal. It's called the 50 Percent solution, because it's a number. Raising reading and math scores by 50 percent. Reducing property tax by 50 percent.
We'll win the Baileys over for a generation. And the middle class will feel once again, which they don't feel now, government's on their side.
DOBBS: Well, government, as you and I both know, sure the heck isn't on the side of the middle class.
SCHUMER: Not right now they're not.
DOBBS: Two hundred and fifty million. It's the policies, free trade policies pursued by both the Democratic Party, the Republican Party. This administration is staring at 30 consecutive years of trade deficits. We have a record trade deficit each and every year over the past decade just about.
And the idea that Senator Max Baucus of your party comes out and starts talking about fast track authority for this administration, which has told middle class America to go to hell time and time again. What in the world is that?
SCHUMER: Well, we talk about what we can do here to help the middle class. And we talk about the things that bother most. Jobs, as you talk about. Paying for the tuition, paying for the medical care. Making sure the jobs stay here.
So for instance, on an issue near and dear to your heart, we propose reducing illegal immigration by more than 50 percent. And we can do it if we do the plan in our book. And then raising legal immigration but in a rational way, filling jobs that we need and not having all the immigrants, having diversity in immigration. Let there be economic diversity and geographic diversity of our immigrants.
DOBBS: Senator Schumer, the one thing I've got to say is this is the most rationally, ethnically, socially, religiously diverse society on the face of the earth. Why in the world is the Democratic Party, particularly in the Senate, talk about quote/unquote "comprehensive immigration reform," the effect of which is to turn over immigration policy to the government of Mexico rather than make a public policy choice, is the responsibility of this government.
SCHUMER: Yes, I'm not sure the Democrats are quite doing that. But let me tell you my plan, which I hope both parties will adapt, OK? And here's what I believe.
The Baileys, Joe and Eileen Bailey, middle class folks, they are not anti-immigrant. Neither are you. They're anti-illegal immigration.
Why do illegal immigrants come into this country? One reason only, jobs. If you make a $1 a day in Oaxaca province and you can make $3 an hour here in the U.S., you're going to get here.
So if we stop the jobs, the immigrants, the illegal immigrants won't come. But when employers are asked for identification, they're showing a driver's license, a Social Security card.
DOBBS: Fraudulent documents.
SCHUMER: Forged for 40 bucks.
DOBBS: Right.
SCHUMER: We propose every American, citizen, legal immigrant gets a non-forgeable employment card, a national employment card. It has a little chit in there that you can't forge that matches the retina of your eye.
Every employer -- every employer would have to swipe the card through a little machine like a credit card machine, when someone applied for a job who would have their picture on it, of course.
DOBBS: Right.
SCHUMER: And if the computer said they're a citizen...
DOBBS: I got it. I got it, Senator. I got it. I think I got it.
SCHUMER: Wait, but here's the other part. If the employer doesn't swipe the card or hires them anyway, the first time, a $50,000 fine. Second time, jail. It will cut illegal immigrants, and then the Baileys will be willing to accept lots of legal immigrants who we need in this country. DOBBS: Well, I don't think there's much problem with Americans accepting legal immigrants of any origin or of any number, so long as it's a choice of their government, their representatives, and they're expressing the will of America, which is exactly the opposite of what's happening right now, as you know, Senator.
It is great to you have here. We wish you all of the success in the world with your book.
SCHUMER: I'm going to hold up the book. I can't see if you are, Lou. So I will. Please, take a look. It has a lot of interesting ideas.
DOBBS: The book is -- the book is actually full screen, Senator.
SCHUMER: Good.
DOBBS: You didn't trust us.
SCHUMER: I couldn't see you, Lou. I'm looking at the camera.
DOBBS: Senator, you've got to go with us on this. I mean, you've got to understand if it says middle class and it's in the interest of the middle class in this country, it's going to get full screen treatment every time.
SCHUMER: Thank you, Lou.
DOBBS: Senator, good to have you with us.
SCHUMER: Great. Nice to talk to you. Glad you're feeling better. Hope we can talk more about it at another point.
DOBBS: You got it.
SCHUMER: Thank you, buddy.
DOBBS: Thank you.
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