Pat Buchanan in MSNBC news programs


On Budget & Economy: Pay down debt; reduce federal share of economy

We'd reduce taxes and change the tax code. First off, I do believe you keep paying down the debt. We ought to do that. We owe that to the next generation. Secondly, put more taxes on transnational corporations, take them off small business. The federal government now spends 22% of the entire economy-that's more than we did during the Cold War, and we've got to cut that down, and we would do it.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Crime: Stop gun rampages by requiring press silence

Q: [Without more gun laws], the sin would be to ignore this carnage [of the Honolulu gunman rampage].
A: All right, let me give you some ideas. Suppose the press was told you cannot cover this. You're not to give this guy any publicity. We're going to have a dead silence on it. This guy's going to be brought in. We're going to have a quick trial, and we're going to hang him. You'd say that violated the First Amendment right, but you will go ahead and violate the Second Amendment.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Crime: Prompt death penalty would stop mass murderers

Let me tell you how I'd stop [crimes like the Honolulu gunman rampage]. If this guy was of a sound mind, prosecute him, convict him, put him in the electric chair, and send a message to the whole country within a matter of weeks: If this happens again, that's exactly what's going to happen to you.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Education: Schools went wrong when judges & feds got involved

Over the last 30 years, ever since the judges have gotten heavily into education, and the National Education Association has gotten into control of that Department of Education, test scores go down, there's violence in classroom, things are going wrong. I would get rid of that Goals 2000, school-to-work-this idea of taking kids at a certain age and putting them right in as though we're in "1984," is an outrage. Let folks do it at the local level.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Education: Block grants to states with all federal education funds

I would take all that money from the federal government for primary and secondary education-I would take it and I would block-grant it out to the states, and I would tell the governors, listen to the local communities. Send the money back to the local communities where parents and teachers and principals-they decide how best to improve education. That way you've got however many thousands of school districts competing with one another, and they're not being dictated to by Washington.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Education: Federal role in science & scholarships; not grade schools

Q: Would you abolish the federal Department of Education? A: I would abolish those segments that deal with primary and secondary education. There is a federal role in higher education. We need to be first in science. That's where I'd put some money. And [some funds] for scholarships; that's a federal responsibility. But primary and secondary education, that belongs to mom, and pop, and the teacher, and the principal and the deputy principal.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Gun Control: Stop using heinous crimes to take away 2nd amendment rights

Anybody who owns a gun in their home ought to be a responsible individual and keep it out of the hands of children. If there's a safety lock, that's fine. But every time some incident or crime occurs, [Clinton] says, this means give me my new gun law. Too often, you fellows are using these things to take away the Second Amendment rights of citizens.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Jobs: Offset minimum wage increase with small business tax cuts

Q: There's a bill on Capitol Hill right now to raise the minimum wage a buck an hour over a two year period. Is "Blue Collar" Pat going to support a raise in the minimum wage?
A: "Blue Collar" Pat would take a look at it, if in return you would cut taxes on all small business in America. Take the taxes away so that the government doesn't benefit from it, and I'll go along with it.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Social Security: Address solvency first, before adding new programs

Q: How would you save Social Security? A: Before you add anything to it, we ought to make it solvent. That means way out, 50 years into the future, and there's got to be some bullets that have to be bitten there. And before you add drugs or prescription drugs, we've got to make sure that [Medicare] is solvent way out into the future, like Social Security. Than you and I can argue about whether we should add something new, or not add something new.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Social Security: Option for private investment, with public fall-back

[There should be] an option to privatize part of Social Security, as long as the individual is willing to take the risk, especially for younger people. You [need to have] some kind of fall back, because quite frankly, [for the situation where] some guy goes out and says, look, I blew it all. You know what the government's going to do. Well, we'll take care of you. Some provision in there you ought to be taking a look.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Social Security: Let people who work past 65 collect benefits

Q: Would you raise the retirement age?
A: I'm open to [the idea of raising it]. But the idea that people are told when you're 65, the only way you get Social Security when you've invested for 45 years, is if you quit work-that's outrageous! If a fellow wants to keep working all his life, he should get his Social Security; if he retired he should get his Social Security. Why do we punish folks who, at 65 and 66, in their prime, and they want to keep working?
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

On Tax Reform: Tax imports & transnationals instead of small businesses

We'd reduce taxes and change the tax code. First off, you keep paying down the debt. Secondly, put more taxes on transnational corporations, take them off small business. Put them on imports from China, take them off American savers, investors and workers. You change the tax system, and with this tariff revenue, you've got $200 billion you could cut taxes with. You bring home some of these troops from some of these foreign places, use much of that to build the military. The rest of it, cut taxes.
Source: Interview on MSNBC's "Equal Time" on 2000 election Nov 2, 1999

The above quotations are from Rachel Maddow Show and other MSNBC news shows.
Click here for other excerpts from Rachel Maddow Show and other MSNBC news shows.
Click here for other excerpts by Pat Buchanan.
Click here for a profile of Pat Buchanan.
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Aug 15, 2024