Fox Host Varney Loses It, Repeatedly Asks Guest “Are You A Socialist”
Reported by Guest Blogger - September 28, 2010 -
By Brian
During yesterday’s Your World (9/27/10), substitute host Stuart Varney was clearly flustered by his inability to thwart his liberal guest, Professor Caroline Heldman. After she gave as good as she got on stimulus and tax cuts, Varney resorted to repeatedly “asking” if she’s a socialist. Heldman held her ground all the way through. Heldman is a Top Dog again.
Varney began by talking about austerity. "In Europe, they have austerity, and they're going to have more austerity. They have a much better economic growth rate than the United States of America, and they're lowering (un)employment and creating jobs."
Heldman said the Republican pledge for America is "not an austerity measure.” She called it "pie in the sky." She said it would add "$4-5 trillion in addition to the deficit." Repealing the health care bill would be "$130 billion added to the deficit over the next 10 years. The tax cut for the wealthy, these are not folks that need a tax cut."
Varney said, "You're saying it's irresponsible to propose what the GOP is proposing. You're saying that it will add to the deficit. OK, if you go with the President's policies, which is spend more, stimulate more, I would put it to you that that is highly irresponsible because you're already running up a trillion dollars worth of extra debt each and every year… Surely, professor, THAT (his emphasis) is irresponsible." Varney kept using the word “irresponsible” throughout the interview – until he switched to “socialist.”
Heldman was unruffled and uncowed. "The stimulus… only accounts for 10% of the debt. Our debt and structural deficit problems started in 2001 and 2003 tax cuts."
"We’ve raised budget spending exponentially," Varney blustered.
"During an economic downturn,” she countered. “…That (stimulus) is keeping us out of the great depression… Both TARP and economic spending, the stimulus package have kept us away from double digit (un)employment, have added somewhere around 3-5 million jobs or retained."
"Surely, it is irresponsible for Congress to go home, leaving none of us sure what our tax rates are going to be," Varney said.
Caroline said the President and Congress want to "reduc(e) taxes for 98% of Americans."
"Why don't you bring it to a vote?” Varney sneered. “It is irresponsible to go away with no vote." He said “The Democrats and the president are putting politics over good economic policy."
"The Republicans are doing it more so than Democrats,” Heldman said.
Varney continued, “Speaker Pelosi will not bring it to a vote in the House because she doesn't have the votes, that’s irresponsible."
Heldman continued to hold her own. "If the Republicans would step up to the plate, then she would have the votes. If it weren’t such a partisan issue, and it weren’t an election year, then we could get something done."
Varney tried another tack. "Do you think it's moral to take more than half the income of successful people – anybody who’s successful… in federal and state income taxes?"
Heldman said, "There are tax loopholes."
Here’s where Varney started to lose it. "I know all about tax loopholes, and you madam are wrong.”
Still Heldman was unruffled. "I know for a fact that wealthy individuals are not paying 50%, but I wish that they were because… I do believe that people who can afford to pay more, should be paying more in taxes in order to help those who are impoverished."
"That is American morality?" Varney said, dripping with disgust and disbelief.
Heldman shot back, "The hardest working people I know are poor people working 2-3 jobs."
Finally, Varney resorted to the S-word. “Would you call yourself a socialist?”
“No, I live in the United States,” Heldman replied. “That’s supposedly a bad word here.”
Comment: Heldman was terrific! Varney was irresponsible!
