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Interview With Julianne Malveaux, Rich Galen

Aired May 02, 2003 - 14:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: He says the big battles are over in Iraq, so now President Bush is turning his attention to the economy. A 6 percent unemployment rate came out today, and already Democrats are using it to boost their budget arguments. But the president says the figure proves what people really need is a robust tax cut. Here with their own on how the president is doing are Rich Galen, creator of the online political newsletter, www.mullings.com. Hello to you, Rich. And author, columnist and economist, Julianne Malveaux. Thanks for being here, both of you. Hi.
I want to ask you first, Julianne, let's start with you. Has the U.S. won in Iraq, and if so, more importantly, what have they won?

JULIANNE MALVEAUX, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Well, that's the question. What have we won? Certainly there was no contest between our military and theirs, which was at a sixth of our strength, et cetera. We dominated Iraq. But what have we won? I don't think that we've won anything yet. I'm not sure that in terms of rebuilding Iraq, we have won anything. Have we won anything in terms of international acclaim, approval, acceptance? I think we've lost ground there. We have dominated. And I don't know if domination is enough, in terms of the major position we hold as a world leader.

COLLINS: Rich, give us your views on this. I know they are very different than Julianne's. We saw the presidential address last night, and surely he says we have won the war.

RICH GALEN, WWW.MULLINGS.COM: Well, clearly we have won it. I don't think there is any real question about that. And what we did win was to relieve, at a minimum, at a minimum what we've won was to relieve the people of Iraq from the yoke of a perfectly horrible individual in Saddam Hussein. And inasmuch as the president did not say the war is over but that the major fighting has been concluded, we don't know yet how good this is going to be. But I do think it's important to remember, Heidi and Julianne that, A, the Palestinian Authority has begun to move in the right direction. Just yesterday India sent a representative back to Pakistan for the first time. Things are going in the right direction in that region. So I think the signs are looking very positive here.

MALVEAUX: You know, Rich, you described Saddam Hussein as perfectly horrible, and I certainly would agree with you. But we have perfectly horrible leaders in probably a dozen if not more places on the globe. Are we going to go door to door to rout out perfectly horrible leaders? GALEN: This is a classic argument from the left. If the president is going to do the same thing everywhere, they say, well, he's a one-note pony. If the president tries to use and does, in fact, use some level of sophistication to come to the appropriate conclusion with the appropriate problem, then we say, well, he's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MALVEAUX: Well, I think you are overreaching when you talk about a level of sophistication here. I think you are absolutely overreaching. I mean, certainly the symbolism is wonderful that you get on, you know, a ship, but -- you get on an aircraft carrier, you know, it sounds like Rocky, it looks like Rocky, but at the end of the day what have we gained, and quite frankly...

GALEN: Well, I'm saying, we are on the way to gaining peace in the Middle East.

MALVEAUX: We are talking about incremental changes in the Middle East, are we using...

GALEN: How many incremental changes did we get in the previous...

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: Are we using our leverage, are we using our leverage though, Rich? I mean, frankly, to not only move the Palestinians but also the Israelis, because there has to be movement in that direction as well, and I haven't seen it. They've got a major strike over there. They are talking about needing more U.S. aid. Come on.

COLLINS: Let me ask another question...

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: Let's go ahead and move on. I understand there's a lot to talk about.

MALVEAUX: We don't agree on anything, Heidi. Sorry.

COLLINS: We don't have a whole bunch of time, but I want to get to another subject, the tax cut. We just heard an address at UDI from President Bush in Santa Clara talking a little bit about that, and obviously on the war in Iraq as well.

What do you think about this tax cut plan? I'm just nervous to ask the question, Julianne.

MALVEAUX: Well, I think the tax cut plan is crazy. I mean, he's gone from asking for $766 billion to $550 billion. And the Republicans, the Senate Republicans say they'll hold it at $350 billion. But if you really want to stimulate the economy, you don't do it by giving breaks to rich people. You put money in people's hands. You jump it into the economy. You get people working, you get people buying...

COLLINS: Julianne, how do you do that? What exactly is your idea for economic stimulus?

GALEN: Well, how about something like increasing the child care credit, Julianne? Does that count? That's part of it. That's part of it.

MALVEAUX: Now you see, he and I will agree on that.

GALEN: I told you we'd agree.

MALVEAUX: Wow, this is a moment of history, Heidi.

COLLINS: It is.

MALVEAUX: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). There are ways to put money into people's pockets. Things like that. Things like infrastructural redevelopment. We have roads and schools and other things.

GALEN: That's more government spending, yes.

MALVEAUX: That's right, but it puts money into the economy. It gets people working.

GALEN: Well, the idea is...

MALVEAUX: I mean, the fact that we have a 6 percent unemployment rate means 11 percent for African-Americans. It's too high. And the fact that this president is too complacent about that. He's riding on his approval ratings.

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: Rich, I'm going to give you the last word on this, Rich Galen. Make it quick.

GALEN: He talks about it all the time. But the point is that the markets are going up today in spite of that bump...

MALVEAUX: Markets (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: Rich, go ahead.

GALEN: ... because, because the markets, and I think most people in the economic area believe that the economy is about to turn back around. One boost from a tax cut, and they think it will be back up on track.

MALVEAUX: Put the money in people's pockets, put the money in people's pockets, that's the bottom line.

COLLINS: Thanks, guys. It is the end of our time together. Julianne Malveaux and Rich Galen, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 2, 2003 - 14:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: He says the big battles are over in Iraq, so now President Bush is turning his attention to the economy. A 6 percent unemployment rate came out today, and already Democrats are using it to boost their budget arguments. But the president says the figure proves what people really need is a robust tax cut. Here with their own on how the president is doing are Rich Galen, creator of the online political newsletter, www.mullings.com. Hello to you, Rich. And author, columnist and economist, Julianne Malveaux. Thanks for being here, both of you. Hi.
I want to ask you first, Julianne, let's start with you. Has the U.S. won in Iraq, and if so, more importantly, what have they won?

JULIANNE MALVEAUX, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Well, that's the question. What have we won? Certainly there was no contest between our military and theirs, which was at a sixth of our strength, et cetera. We dominated Iraq. But what have we won? I don't think that we've won anything yet. I'm not sure that in terms of rebuilding Iraq, we have won anything. Have we won anything in terms of international acclaim, approval, acceptance? I think we've lost ground there. We have dominated. And I don't know if domination is enough, in terms of the major position we hold as a world leader.

COLLINS: Rich, give us your views on this. I know they are very different than Julianne's. We saw the presidential address last night, and surely he says we have won the war.

RICH GALEN, WWW.MULLINGS.COM: Well, clearly we have won it. I don't think there is any real question about that. And what we did win was to relieve, at a minimum, at a minimum what we've won was to relieve the people of Iraq from the yoke of a perfectly horrible individual in Saddam Hussein. And inasmuch as the president did not say the war is over but that the major fighting has been concluded, we don't know yet how good this is going to be. But I do think it's important to remember, Heidi and Julianne that, A, the Palestinian Authority has begun to move in the right direction. Just yesterday India sent a representative back to Pakistan for the first time. Things are going in the right direction in that region. So I think the signs are looking very positive here.

MALVEAUX: You know, Rich, you described Saddam Hussein as perfectly horrible, and I certainly would agree with you. But we have perfectly horrible leaders in probably a dozen if not more places on the globe. Are we going to go door to door to rout out perfectly horrible leaders? GALEN: This is a classic argument from the left. If the president is going to do the same thing everywhere, they say, well, he's a one-note pony. If the president tries to use and does, in fact, use some level of sophistication to come to the appropriate conclusion with the appropriate problem, then we say, well, he's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MALVEAUX: Well, I think you are overreaching when you talk about a level of sophistication here. I think you are absolutely overreaching. I mean, certainly the symbolism is wonderful that you get on, you know, a ship, but -- you get on an aircraft carrier, you know, it sounds like Rocky, it looks like Rocky, but at the end of the day what have we gained, and quite frankly...

GALEN: Well, I'm saying, we are on the way to gaining peace in the Middle East.

MALVEAUX: We are talking about incremental changes in the Middle East, are we using...

GALEN: How many incremental changes did we get in the previous...

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: Are we using our leverage, are we using our leverage though, Rich? I mean, frankly, to not only move the Palestinians but also the Israelis, because there has to be movement in that direction as well, and I haven't seen it. They've got a major strike over there. They are talking about needing more U.S. aid. Come on.

COLLINS: Let me ask another question...

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: Let's go ahead and move on. I understand there's a lot to talk about.

MALVEAUX: We don't agree on anything, Heidi. Sorry.

COLLINS: We don't have a whole bunch of time, but I want to get to another subject, the tax cut. We just heard an address at UDI from President Bush in Santa Clara talking a little bit about that, and obviously on the war in Iraq as well.

What do you think about this tax cut plan? I'm just nervous to ask the question, Julianne.

MALVEAUX: Well, I think the tax cut plan is crazy. I mean, he's gone from asking for $766 billion to $550 billion. And the Republicans, the Senate Republicans say they'll hold it at $350 billion. But if you really want to stimulate the economy, you don't do it by giving breaks to rich people. You put money in people's hands. You jump it into the economy. You get people working, you get people buying...

COLLINS: Julianne, how do you do that? What exactly is your idea for economic stimulus?

GALEN: Well, how about something like increasing the child care credit, Julianne? Does that count? That's part of it. That's part of it.

MALVEAUX: Now you see, he and I will agree on that.

GALEN: I told you we'd agree.

MALVEAUX: Wow, this is a moment of history, Heidi.

COLLINS: It is.

MALVEAUX: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). There are ways to put money into people's pockets. Things like that. Things like infrastructural redevelopment. We have roads and schools and other things.

GALEN: That's more government spending, yes.

MALVEAUX: That's right, but it puts money into the economy. It gets people working.

GALEN: Well, the idea is...

MALVEAUX: I mean, the fact that we have a 6 percent unemployment rate means 11 percent for African-Americans. It's too high. And the fact that this president is too complacent about that. He's riding on his approval ratings.

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: Rich, I'm going to give you the last word on this, Rich Galen. Make it quick.

GALEN: He talks about it all the time. But the point is that the markets are going up today in spite of that bump...

MALVEAUX: Markets (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: Rich, go ahead.

GALEN: ... because, because the markets, and I think most people in the economic area believe that the economy is about to turn back around. One boost from a tax cut, and they think it will be back up on track.

MALVEAUX: Put the money in people's pockets, put the money in people's pockets, that's the bottom line.

COLLINS: Thanks, guys. It is the end of our time together. Julianne Malveaux and Rich Galen, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com