Better Than Tavis Smiley: A virtual McSweeney-Bean discussion
Links added at 7:00 pm on Monday evening.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, if, now-on this eighty-three percent thing. If it did come out that you were voting with the Republican leadership eighty-three percent of the time, you wouldn’t find that, necessarily, [to be] anything wrong about you, if you were there for-
David McSweeney: No, I wouldn’t, if that’s what the number turned out to be.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.
David McSweeney: But... I’m going to fight for what I believe in. Melissa Bean is trying to say that she’s some kind of moderate, but, again, she has voted with that [Democratic] leadership eighty three percent of the time. And, Jeff, this is a leadership that is dominated by the most liberal aspects of the Democratic party. Nancy Pelosi, who is for tax increases, for an increase in federal spending, for a unilateral, immediate withdrawal on the war on terror. I don’t believe that represents the mainstream of Illinois.
Jeff Berkowitz: Well, let’s parse that a little.
******************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: On that issue, on the war issue, there’s really not-
David McSweeney: Jeff, I don’t know if there is. Listen, we don’t know where Melissa Bean stands. And, that’s why I look forward to the twenty four debates that we’re hopefully going to have. Bill Scheurer, who is running as an independent, if he gets on the ballot, should also be part of those debates...
*****************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’d make them [the Bush Tax Cuts] permanent, and she favored an extension. But, to be fair, the dividend and cap[ital] gains proposal from the Republican party was only for an extension [of the cuts].
David McSweeney: That’s why the Republican party’s in so much trouble on the national level. We’re just tinkering around with two year extensions, which I would have supported, but I favor bold steps. We need to make-
**********************************************************
From "Public Affairs," taped Live to Tape on March 26, 2006.
***********************************************************
Tonight, the City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs," features David McSweeney [R-Barrington Hills], the Republican Nominee in the 8th Cong. District. McSweeney is taking on first term Congresswoman Melissa Bean [D-Barrington] in a district that went for President Bush in 2004, 56 to 44.
McSweeney won by a surprisingly large margin, 10 points, over his closest competitor, Kathy Salvi, in a six candidate primary. The program airs at 8:30 pm tonight on Cable Ch. 21; through-out the City of Chicago;
The program can also be watched on your computer, any time. [See here].
The show is a "virtual debate," with McSweeney being challenged to compare and contrast his views to those of the Democratic incumbent, Cong. Bean, as articulated by Jeff Berkowitz, the show host and an Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search.
For more about tonight's show's topics, some history of the 8th CD and partial transcripts of the show with candidate David McSweeney, see here and here.
******************************************************
McSweeney, an independent conservative?
**************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, you stake out some positions on which you might be viewed as [holding a position] contrary to the Republican Party position, you might be viewed as an independent.
David McSweeney[R-Barrington, 8th CD candidate]: An independent conservative. I don’t want to change [what I have said].
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.
David McSweeney: I’m going to say the same things that I’ve said when I was first on your show last year. I’m not going to be changing my positions on the issues. I didn’t have any of the Republican leadership in Washington supporting me during the primary. I'm glad to have their [the Republican leaders] support right now. But, I want to tell you that I’m going to continue to fight for what I believe in. We need to change “business as usual” in Washington. We need to create jobs or we’re going to continue to lose our resources and jobs to China and India. That’s my message. Let’s reform Congress. Let’s get back to the basics of cutting taxes, reducing spending, and that’s what I’m going to fight for.
The significance of voting with leadership 83% of the time
*******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, if, now-on this eighty-three percent thing. If it did come out that you were voting with the Republican leadership eighty-three percent of the time, you wouldn’t find that, necessarily, [to be] anything wrong about you, if you were there for-
David McSweeney: No, I wouldn’t, if that’s what the number turned out to be.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.
David McSweeney: But, I’m going to take every vote at a time. And, I’m going to fight for what I believe in. Melissa Bean is trying to say that she’s some kind of moderate, but, again, she has voted with that [Democratic] leadership eighty three percent of the time. And, Jeff, this is a leadership that is dominated by the most liberal aspects of the Democratic party. Nancy Pelosi, who is for tax increases, for an increase in federal spending, for a unilateral, immediate withdrawal on the war on terror. I don’t believe that represents the mainstream of Illinois.
Jeff Berkowitz: Well, let’s parse that a little.
David McSweeney: Sure.
McSweeney and Bean on the War- an issue difference?
********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Let’s start with the war, which many people view as one of the major issues. Would you agree?
David McSweeney: It is a major issue. It is a major issue.
Jeff Berkowitz: Now, Melissa Bean has said she’s not for an immediate withdrawal. She’s also not for staying the course without looking at things like performance standards. So, she’s saying it would be naïve to have immediate withdrawal. It would be naïve to sort of be a rubber stamp of the President’s “stay the course.” It sounds to me as if she’s staking out a middle ground. A moderate middle ground-
David McSweeney: Well, Jeff, I would-
Jeff Berkowitz: And, you would agree. You don’t want an immediate withdrawal. But, would you disagree with having some performance standard goals, in terms of Iraqi training? In terms of Iraqi soldiers standing up as U.S. soldiers stand down. That sounds to me like what Congresswoman Bean said when she was on this show. Would you necessarily disagree with that position on the war?
McSweeney challenges Bean to 24 Debates
***********************************
David McSweeney: Well, I one hundred percent look forward to debating Melissa Bean. I did see her on your show. That is one of a few appearances she has made, and I want to meet her twenty four times in twenty four townships so we can debate this issue.
Jeff Berkowitz: You’re issuing a challenge for twenty four debates?
David McSweeney: In each of the twenty four townships in the 8th congressional district. I think we owe that to the voters and we can discuss important issues. But, let me tell you where I stand, Jeff, to answer your question specifically. We cannot set a timeline. We have to defeat the terrorists. Senator Joe Lieberman, from Connecticut, came back and said there are five to ten thousand insurgents and al-Qaeda terrorists, and we have to complete the mission. And what that means is that we need to help them transition to a quasi-Democratic form of government. I agree with what Senator McCain said this morning, that we have to move very quickly to form a coalition government there and that they need to take the steps themselves to do that. We also need to defeat the terrorists and we also need to train those Iraqi forces. Setting a timeline will hand a victory to the terrorists and I think that’s a mistake.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, your opponent, Congresswoman Bean said she doesn’t want to set a timeline. So, it sounds like you’re in agreement on that issue.
David McSweeney: Melissa Bean voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi will keep the Democrats in control.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’re going to keep coming back to that-
David McSweeney: Well, I’m not-
Jeff Berkowitz: On that issue, on the war issue, there’s really not-
Independent Bill Scheurer, a factor in 8th CD race?
*****************************************
David McSweeney: Jeff, I don’t know if there is. Listen, we don’t know where Melissa Bean stands. And, that’s why I look forward to the twenty four debates that we’re hopefully going to have. Bill Scheurer, who is running as an independent, if he gets on the ballot, should also be part of those debates. And, Bill has a very set platform that I disagree with, but we respect each other because we are able to tell each other where we stand.
Jeff Berkowitz: Even if Scheurer doesn’t participate, would you like to do some one-on-ones, right here, on Public Affairs?
David McSweeney: Absolutely.
Jeff Berkowitz: With Congresswoman Bean.
David McSweeney: Absolutely.
Debates on Public Affairs?
**********************************
Jeff Berkowitz: How many [on this show], three or four debates would be good?
David McSweeney: I’ll do as many as you’ll allow me to do.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.
David McSweeney: Because I think we owe it to the people of Illinois to tell them exactly where we stand. I have been very clear from the beginning. I will continue to be clear. Melissa Bean knows that. And, so do the voters.
Jeff Berkowitz: We should be clear that Congresswoman Bean, before she was a congresswoman, came on this set in August of 2004. We appreciate it. She was a candidate then. Phil Crane did not come on, then. She came on in January of 2006, as a congresswoman. We appreciated that. I hope she’ll continue to come back as you have come back on this show. This is your sixth time. We don’t play favorites. We like everybody to come on the set, both separately and jointly to debate and discuss the issues, and everybody will be treated fairly, as we have you, David McSweeney, and as we have Congresswoman Bean.
David McSweeney: Well, Jeff, we owe that to the voters and that’s why I think the debates are so important and we can sit down and talk about the important issues of our time.
Bean and McSweeney on Taxes: an issue contrast?
***********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Now, you’ve referred to taxes and the Democratic position, but Congresswoman Bean has said on this set that she supported the extension of the Bush tax cuts for dividends and for cap[ital] gains. She supported that. You would support that.
David McSweeney: I would support-
Jeff Berkowitz: There’s no difference between you and her on that issue, right?
David McSweeney: Jeff, I would support making President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. Melissa Bean was on your show and she said she had no position on that. She said that she had not decided how she was going to go.
Jeff Berkowitz: On the marginal rates-
David McSweeney: On the overall Bush tax cuts.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’d make them [the Bush Tax Cuts] permanent, and she favored an extension. But, to be fair, the dividend and cap[ital] gains proposal from the Republican party was only for an extension.
David McSweeney: That’s why the Republican party’s in so much trouble on the national level. We’re just tinkering around with two year extensions, which I would have supported, but I favor bold steps. We need to make-
Jeff Berkowitz: You want to go further than the Republican party.
David McSweeney: I want to go much further than the Republican leadership. That’s why our popularity is so low as a Party-- because we’re taking half steps.
Jeff Berkowitz: Marginal rates, you would include those. You would make those cuts, on the marginal rates of taxation, permanent. Congresswoman Bean said that she wanted to look at the state of the economy at that time, when it is proposed; She wanted to look at what income levels you are talking about. That would be an issue difference? Is that an issue difference
David McSweeney: That’s a bunch of double talk.
Jeff Berkowitz: Is that a major difference between you and-
David McSweeney: It absolutely is. That’s a bunch of double talk. You can’t have it both ways. I favor reducing marginal tax rates and making President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. End of story.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, is there, is there a level at which you would not extend the marginal rate cuts? In other words, you generally favor tax cuts. The tax cuts that occurred from President Bush in 2001 and 2003 and the Congress were across the board. So, if somebody was making two million dollars, they got a tax cut, as well as somebody making fifty thousand dollars, right?
David McSweeney: They were across the board tax reductions, and that’s what we need to do.
Jeff Berkowitz: No matter what. But, is there a level at which you would say, for supply side reasons, in other words, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to cut the tax rates for somebody making two million dollars a year. Would you put a ceiling on those tax cuts?
David McSweeney: What we need to do is to make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. And, we need to move towards tax simplification.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, without any ceilings on the income level?
David McSweeney: No. Absolutely not.
Following or Differing with Senator Dick Durbin
******************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Durbin, on the other side, Senator Durbin, said he would approve of tax increases for families with incomes over a hundred and fifty thousand. You, obviously, wouldn’t agree with that, right?
David McSweeney: Jeff, all that’s going to do is kill jobs in the United States. Small businesses are creating ninety percent of the jobs in America. If you raise marginal tax rates, you will kill jobs, and more jobs will head over to China and India. That’s a terrible mistake.
***********************************************
Public Affairs, with David McSweeney [R-Barrington Hills], the Republican Nominee in the 8th Cong. District, was recorded on March 26, 2006 and is airing on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs tonight, April 10 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. . The show with candidate McSweeney is also available as a video podcast currently at the Public Affairs Cinema Complex, along with eighteen other shows, which are also airing there. [See here].
**********************************
Transcript draft prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
**********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, if, now-on this eighty-three percent thing. If it did come out that you were voting with the Republican leadership eighty-three percent of the time, you wouldn’t find that, necessarily, [to be] anything wrong about you, if you were there for-
David McSweeney: No, I wouldn’t, if that’s what the number turned out to be.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.
David McSweeney: But... I’m going to fight for what I believe in. Melissa Bean is trying to say that she’s some kind of moderate, but, again, she has voted with that [Democratic] leadership eighty three percent of the time. And, Jeff, this is a leadership that is dominated by the most liberal aspects of the Democratic party. Nancy Pelosi, who is for tax increases, for an increase in federal spending, for a unilateral, immediate withdrawal on the war on terror. I don’t believe that represents the mainstream of Illinois.
Jeff Berkowitz: Well, let’s parse that a little.
******************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: On that issue, on the war issue, there’s really not-
David McSweeney: Jeff, I don’t know if there is. Listen, we don’t know where Melissa Bean stands. And, that’s why I look forward to the twenty four debates that we’re hopefully going to have. Bill Scheurer, who is running as an independent, if he gets on the ballot, should also be part of those debates...
*****************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’d make them [the Bush Tax Cuts] permanent, and she favored an extension. But, to be fair, the dividend and cap[ital] gains proposal from the Republican party was only for an extension [of the cuts].
David McSweeney: That’s why the Republican party’s in so much trouble on the national level. We’re just tinkering around with two year extensions, which I would have supported, but I favor bold steps. We need to make-
**********************************************************
From "Public Affairs," taped Live to Tape on March 26, 2006.
***********************************************************
Tonight, the City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs," features David McSweeney [R-Barrington Hills], the Republican Nominee in the 8th Cong. District. McSweeney is taking on first term Congresswoman Melissa Bean [D-Barrington] in a district that went for President Bush in 2004, 56 to 44.
McSweeney won by a surprisingly large margin, 10 points, over his closest competitor, Kathy Salvi, in a six candidate primary. The program airs at 8:30 pm tonight on Cable Ch. 21; through-out the City of Chicago;
The program can also be watched on your computer, any time. [See here].
The show is a "virtual debate," with McSweeney being challenged to compare and contrast his views to those of the Democratic incumbent, Cong. Bean, as articulated by Jeff Berkowitz, the show host and an Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search.
For more about tonight's show's topics, some history of the 8th CD and partial transcripts of the show with candidate David McSweeney, see here and here.
******************************************************
McSweeney, an independent conservative?
**************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, you stake out some positions on which you might be viewed as [holding a position] contrary to the Republican Party position, you might be viewed as an independent.
David McSweeney[R-Barrington, 8th CD candidate]: An independent conservative. I don’t want to change [what I have said].
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.
David McSweeney: I’m going to say the same things that I’ve said when I was first on your show last year. I’m not going to be changing my positions on the issues. I didn’t have any of the Republican leadership in Washington supporting me during the primary. I'm glad to have their [the Republican leaders] support right now. But, I want to tell you that I’m going to continue to fight for what I believe in. We need to change “business as usual” in Washington. We need to create jobs or we’re going to continue to lose our resources and jobs to China and India. That’s my message. Let’s reform Congress. Let’s get back to the basics of cutting taxes, reducing spending, and that’s what I’m going to fight for.
The significance of voting with leadership 83% of the time
*******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, if, now-on this eighty-three percent thing. If it did come out that you were voting with the Republican leadership eighty-three percent of the time, you wouldn’t find that, necessarily, [to be] anything wrong about you, if you were there for-
David McSweeney: No, I wouldn’t, if that’s what the number turned out to be.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.
David McSweeney: But, I’m going to take every vote at a time. And, I’m going to fight for what I believe in. Melissa Bean is trying to say that she’s some kind of moderate, but, again, she has voted with that [Democratic] leadership eighty three percent of the time. And, Jeff, this is a leadership that is dominated by the most liberal aspects of the Democratic party. Nancy Pelosi, who is for tax increases, for an increase in federal spending, for a unilateral, immediate withdrawal on the war on terror. I don’t believe that represents the mainstream of Illinois.
Jeff Berkowitz: Well, let’s parse that a little.
David McSweeney: Sure.
McSweeney and Bean on the War- an issue difference?
********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Let’s start with the war, which many people view as one of the major issues. Would you agree?
David McSweeney: It is a major issue. It is a major issue.
Jeff Berkowitz: Now, Melissa Bean has said she’s not for an immediate withdrawal. She’s also not for staying the course without looking at things like performance standards. So, she’s saying it would be naïve to have immediate withdrawal. It would be naïve to sort of be a rubber stamp of the President’s “stay the course.” It sounds to me as if she’s staking out a middle ground. A moderate middle ground-
David McSweeney: Well, Jeff, I would-
Jeff Berkowitz: And, you would agree. You don’t want an immediate withdrawal. But, would you disagree with having some performance standard goals, in terms of Iraqi training? In terms of Iraqi soldiers standing up as U.S. soldiers stand down. That sounds to me like what Congresswoman Bean said when she was on this show. Would you necessarily disagree with that position on the war?
McSweeney challenges Bean to 24 Debates
***********************************
David McSweeney: Well, I one hundred percent look forward to debating Melissa Bean. I did see her on your show. That is one of a few appearances she has made, and I want to meet her twenty four times in twenty four townships so we can debate this issue.
Jeff Berkowitz: You’re issuing a challenge for twenty four debates?
David McSweeney: In each of the twenty four townships in the 8th congressional district. I think we owe that to the voters and we can discuss important issues. But, let me tell you where I stand, Jeff, to answer your question specifically. We cannot set a timeline. We have to defeat the terrorists. Senator Joe Lieberman, from Connecticut, came back and said there are five to ten thousand insurgents and al-Qaeda terrorists, and we have to complete the mission. And what that means is that we need to help them transition to a quasi-Democratic form of government. I agree with what Senator McCain said this morning, that we have to move very quickly to form a coalition government there and that they need to take the steps themselves to do that. We also need to defeat the terrorists and we also need to train those Iraqi forces. Setting a timeline will hand a victory to the terrorists and I think that’s a mistake.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, your opponent, Congresswoman Bean said she doesn’t want to set a timeline. So, it sounds like you’re in agreement on that issue.
David McSweeney: Melissa Bean voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi will keep the Democrats in control.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’re going to keep coming back to that-
David McSweeney: Well, I’m not-
Jeff Berkowitz: On that issue, on the war issue, there’s really not-
Independent Bill Scheurer, a factor in 8th CD race?
*****************************************
David McSweeney: Jeff, I don’t know if there is. Listen, we don’t know where Melissa Bean stands. And, that’s why I look forward to the twenty four debates that we’re hopefully going to have. Bill Scheurer, who is running as an independent, if he gets on the ballot, should also be part of those debates. And, Bill has a very set platform that I disagree with, but we respect each other because we are able to tell each other where we stand.
Jeff Berkowitz: Even if Scheurer doesn’t participate, would you like to do some one-on-ones, right here, on Public Affairs?
David McSweeney: Absolutely.
Jeff Berkowitz: With Congresswoman Bean.
David McSweeney: Absolutely.
Debates on Public Affairs?
**********************************
Jeff Berkowitz: How many [on this show], three or four debates would be good?
David McSweeney: I’ll do as many as you’ll allow me to do.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.
David McSweeney: Because I think we owe it to the people of Illinois to tell them exactly where we stand. I have been very clear from the beginning. I will continue to be clear. Melissa Bean knows that. And, so do the voters.
Jeff Berkowitz: We should be clear that Congresswoman Bean, before she was a congresswoman, came on this set in August of 2004. We appreciate it. She was a candidate then. Phil Crane did not come on, then. She came on in January of 2006, as a congresswoman. We appreciated that. I hope she’ll continue to come back as you have come back on this show. This is your sixth time. We don’t play favorites. We like everybody to come on the set, both separately and jointly to debate and discuss the issues, and everybody will be treated fairly, as we have you, David McSweeney, and as we have Congresswoman Bean.
David McSweeney: Well, Jeff, we owe that to the voters and that’s why I think the debates are so important and we can sit down and talk about the important issues of our time.
Bean and McSweeney on Taxes: an issue contrast?
***********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Now, you’ve referred to taxes and the Democratic position, but Congresswoman Bean has said on this set that she supported the extension of the Bush tax cuts for dividends and for cap[ital] gains. She supported that. You would support that.
David McSweeney: I would support-
Jeff Berkowitz: There’s no difference between you and her on that issue, right?
David McSweeney: Jeff, I would support making President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. Melissa Bean was on your show and she said she had no position on that. She said that she had not decided how she was going to go.
Jeff Berkowitz: On the marginal rates-
David McSweeney: On the overall Bush tax cuts.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’d make them [the Bush Tax Cuts] permanent, and she favored an extension. But, to be fair, the dividend and cap[ital] gains proposal from the Republican party was only for an extension.
David McSweeney: That’s why the Republican party’s in so much trouble on the national level. We’re just tinkering around with two year extensions, which I would have supported, but I favor bold steps. We need to make-
Jeff Berkowitz: You want to go further than the Republican party.
David McSweeney: I want to go much further than the Republican leadership. That’s why our popularity is so low as a Party-- because we’re taking half steps.
Jeff Berkowitz: Marginal rates, you would include those. You would make those cuts, on the marginal rates of taxation, permanent. Congresswoman Bean said that she wanted to look at the state of the economy at that time, when it is proposed; She wanted to look at what income levels you are talking about. That would be an issue difference? Is that an issue difference
David McSweeney: That’s a bunch of double talk.
Jeff Berkowitz: Is that a major difference between you and-
David McSweeney: It absolutely is. That’s a bunch of double talk. You can’t have it both ways. I favor reducing marginal tax rates and making President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. End of story.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, is there, is there a level at which you would not extend the marginal rate cuts? In other words, you generally favor tax cuts. The tax cuts that occurred from President Bush in 2001 and 2003 and the Congress were across the board. So, if somebody was making two million dollars, they got a tax cut, as well as somebody making fifty thousand dollars, right?
David McSweeney: They were across the board tax reductions, and that’s what we need to do.
Jeff Berkowitz: No matter what. But, is there a level at which you would say, for supply side reasons, in other words, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to cut the tax rates for somebody making two million dollars a year. Would you put a ceiling on those tax cuts?
David McSweeney: What we need to do is to make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. And, we need to move towards tax simplification.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, without any ceilings on the income level?
David McSweeney: No. Absolutely not.
Following or Differing with Senator Dick Durbin
******************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Durbin, on the other side, Senator Durbin, said he would approve of tax increases for families with incomes over a hundred and fifty thousand. You, obviously, wouldn’t agree with that, right?
David McSweeney: Jeff, all that’s going to do is kill jobs in the United States. Small businesses are creating ninety percent of the jobs in America. If you raise marginal tax rates, you will kill jobs, and more jobs will head over to China and India. That’s a terrible mistake.
***********************************************
Public Affairs, with David McSweeney [R-Barrington Hills], the Republican Nominee in the 8th Cong. District, was recorded on March 26, 2006 and is airing on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs tonight, April 10 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. . The show with candidate McSweeney is also available as a video podcast currently at the Public Affairs Cinema Complex, along with eighteen other shows, which are also airing there. [See here].
**********************************
Transcript draft prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
**********************************************
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