AFP President Tim Phillips opened the event. Some guy named James Arthur Pope who says he’s from Raleigh is introducing Rudy Giuliani now. Art also read the names of the candidates who would be addressing the Summit – besides Giuliani, Ron Paul, fresh off his $5 million third quarter, got the biggest cheer.
9:30 Tax cuts work, says Giuliani. It worked in New York City after Dinkins, and Japan and Germany after World War II. “Even France” is considering tax cuts. NYC cut spending and tax rates – a 24 percent cut in the income tax rate increased revenue by 41 percent (still not sure that’s a good thing). Giuliani used humor to criticize Hillary Clinton’s baby bond proposal, and got big cheers for declaring no anonymous earmarks. Biggest cheer was in response to the rhetorical question: If we socialize medicine, where will Canadians go to get health care? Giuliani finished on the AFP themes.
9:50 Sen. Tom Coburn noted the $76 trillion in future government liabilities. He used the George Will term DD Day for the demographic deluge that begins January 1. I still prefer Christopher Buckley’s Boomsday. Coburn also noted the assumptions behind earmarks are that Washington knows better than the citizens and that the state can be strong even if the nation is weak.
10:00 Ron Paul was introduced with comments about his opposition to “phony free trade agreements” such as NAFTA. He’s getting cheers every third paragraph for relieving young people of the long-term liabilities, eliminating the income tax and the “national bank.” The sound went out in the overflow room where I am (they have 1,500 people in the main ballroom) so I don’t know what he’s saying, but the cheers are continuing at the same intervals.
10:10 Sam Brownback brought props – the internal revenue code and its accompanying regulations. He suggests an annual Grace Commission with an up-or-down vote on the commission’s recommendations to eliminate waste and abuse. This might sound familiar.
10:20 Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele shared the lesson he learned from the 2006 elections – “You can’t please everyone, but you sure can make them all mad at you at the same time.”
10:30 Mike Huckabee (aka Keyser Soze) complains about the tax on productivity and the status of health in America — 22 people in need of rest and 70,000 in need of exercise. He argues that we need a strong agricultural sector, energy independence in 10 years, and more manufacturing in the country instead of outsourcing. Jobs will come back to America with lower taxes and less regulation. He got a big cheer for saying that we need to make it easier for people to work instead of encouraging them to sit on their hands.
10:40 Director of the New Jersey chapter, Steve Lonegan, spoke well about America’s foundation in freedom and liberty.
10:54 The roll call of states began with Virginia. North Carolina went second with Dallas and a number of others wearing pig hats.
11:15 Richard Fink explains something of the origins of Citizens for a Sound Economy and Americans for Prosperity at George Mason University, go figure.
11:20 John Stossel has started speaking, but I have to share this thought that sums up Republican attitudes about trade pretty well. Stossel explains why government and regulation is not a good way to protect consumers, but competition is. Those who saw his speech in Raleigh last year will recognize most of his comments, but it’s still a good spiel. The winning note that illustrates this so well is the “double thank you.” You give your money to the barrista at Starbucks, he gives you a coffee, and you both say thank you. It shows that you both win in the exchange, markets are not zero sum, and capitalism makes you rich if you do something positive for others.
11:45 Fred Thompson (aka Vigo the Carpathian) is making the case for federalism. He wants to “keep doing the things that work and quit doing the things that don’t work in the economy.” Tax cuts have been proven to work. The second highest corporate tax rate in the world does not. Fred’s not getting the same reception – maybe people are getting hungry and are tired of having sat for three hours. A woman with a sign saying “Fred Thompson will restore law & order on the border” keeps getting in the crowd shots. We have a long term problem with entitlement spending. Earmarks and discretionary spending are “just the tail of a very big and growing dog.”
More this afternoon. Mitt Romney talks at dinner. Ron Paul had the best reception so far among the presidential candidates, with Rudy a close second. Paul fired up the crowd, Giuliani made them laugh.
