Thinking Like a 12 Year Old

(4 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

Bill is joined by former Republican Congressman Mickey Edwards, a founding father of modern conservative politics who now fears the movement has abandoned its principles. Edwards explains why both political parties require radical change, and shares his perspective on Grover Norquist and anti-tax pledges. “It’s not conservatism, not rational, not adult,” Edwards tells Bill. ” It’s a 12-year-old’s kind of thinking.”

Edwards chaired the Republican Policy Committee, was a founding trustee of the conservative Heritage Foundation, and served as National Chairman of the American Conservative Union.

Several readers pointed out some dishonesty on the part of Rep. Edwards and Mr. Moyers’ failure to correct him.:

I was buying Mickey Edwards’ ‘bi-partisan’ pitch until he complained about Democrats focusing their argument on increasing tax rates on ‘millionaires and billionaires.’ Edwards argued that the Democrats’ ‘dishonesty’ sprang from not focusing on the $250,000 threshold for the Administration’s proposed tax increased. Sorry, Mickey, since $250,000 is indeed the threshold, not a cent of additional tax is raised on anybody’s $250,000 income. It’s you who seek to mislead, Mickey, and shame on you, Bill Moyers, for letting Mickey’s ideological disingenuousness pass by without comment.

Nor does Mr. Moyers’ correct him when he said that Social Security contributes to the deficit. It does NOT.