John Stossel: A Surprising Politician
The next presidential race has begun.
Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State and Director of CIA, is one possible candidate.
He has just published a brand new book. “Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love.”
Pompeo must have been a smart man. He was the first to graduate from West Point’s class. He then went on to Harvard Law School.
Interviewing him It is clear that he has more intelligence and thought than most politicians. We discussed for an hour immigration, defense and education, as well as tariffs, entitlement reform, pandemics, and other topics.
Many things are not in agreement.
Pompeo knows that I am a libertarian. He would also disagree with me about many things. He agreed to discuss… everything.
I was then repeatedly surprised by his statements.
Pompeo called himself a “deficit hawk.” I have a problem with his Republican hypocrisy and point out that Republicans have increased their deficit under Trump.
“Guilty as charged,” Pompeo answers. “My party has been no more serious about actually delivering solutions to this problem than the Democrat Party.”
It’s quite surprising.
He doesn’t deny that Medicare and Social Security are in serious trouble.
“The math suggests that somehow these trust funds run out about the time my son Nick will turn to Social Security.”
“What do you do?” I ask. “Raise retirement ages?”
“There’s nothing that should be off the table,” He responds.
That’s brave. Voters denigrate politicians who admit Medicare and Social Security cannot be sustained and must change if they want to survive.
Donald Trump, a cowardly president declared: “Under no circumstances should (we) cut a single penny.” Joe Biden, a cowardly president, agreed to call Medicare and Social Security “Medicare and Social Security” “a promise we made as a country.”
However, this promise is now impossible to keep.
Most Americans did not live past 65 when Social Security was first introduced. “Entitlements” These were intended to help the few who could not save enough. We now live an average of 75 years. We will likely receive more Social Security or Medicare than we put in. That’s unsustainable.
Pompeo is rare politician who accepts that something must change.
I was again surprised by him.
Pompeo is referred to as a “staunch conservative,” I was assuming he would suggest that we spend more on the army. He didn’t.
“There’s no need to spend more money than we’re spending today.”
It was also refreshing.
America has already spent $800 billion on its infrastructure, more than any of the nine other countries. combined. Finally, a hawkish Republican Not So eager to please the military establishment.
Pompeo, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un met as secretary of state. He called Putin “a great man.” “thug.” Trump was so critical of China that he told him. “Shut the hell up about China!” He calls Kim Jong-un an “evil mass murderer.”
Who is the real winner? Most Are you a dangerous person in the entire world?
“Randi Weingarten,” Pompeo.
It was a surprise. Randi Weingarten, the teacher union boss, is more dangerous that dictators?
“We’ll figure out Putin. We’ll figure out Xi Jinping,” Pompeo answers. “But you teach kids that America is a racist nation? … that groups matter more than individuals? … that there’s an oppressor class and somehow America is the most indecent nation in the history of the world? You’re done.”
What would he do? Do What would he say about education if elected president?
It’s my trick query. I yearn for a politician to answer these questions with the following: “Nothing! It’s not a president’s job.”
Education is the job of local governments. Although the Feds don’t have any business trying to micromanage schools it didn’t stop George W. Bush or Barack Obama pushing No Child Left Behind (or Common Core) and No Child Left Behind.
I was assuming Pompeo would have a similar plan. But he surprised me once again by simply saying it. “I would speak about it often.”
“Speak.” That’s it.
Pompeo recognizes, and unlike many politicians with presidential ambitions, that the Constitution limits federal power.
He says that education is the most important thing. “Get the federal government out of that. … Let school boards, school superintendents, teachers and governors control decisions for their own students, instead of some knucklehead bureaucrat at the U.S. Department of Education.”
He then added, “get rid of” The Department of Education.
Finally! Finally!
Pompeo, in my opinion, also spoke of bad things. That will be my next topic.
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