Related Story: The Arrogance Of Power |
GLENN: California, can I ask you a question? How do you keep electing Pete Stark? I mean, we're just — we just found some audio that's from 2009 where he says —
PAT: Or potentially be 4. I don't know. His hair is so dark in this. I don't think it could be just a year ago.
GLENN: It's called dye.
PAT: Maybe. It's possible.
GLENN: I was told by somebody on the staff that it was 2009. Maybe — doesn't matter. He's talking about the — he's talking about the budget and he says, the more money you borrow, the richer you are. That doesn't even make any sense.
PAT: Yeah, I guess.
GLENN: The more money — no, the more money you borrow —
PAT: The more money you owe.
GLENN: The more money you owe, the more in debt you are. But he is just a nasty, nasty guy. This is the guy who was on the border just, you know, saying about, you know, the minutemen, they just want to kill people, et cetera, et cetera. That was last week. Listen to this. Can you play this audio? Has it been cleaned enough?
PAT: I can play —
GLENN: Part of it?
PAT: I can play part of it.
GLENN: Play what you can.
PAT: First the part that you were talking about.
STARK: Is the national debt measures the wealth, well, the wealthier we are. The national debt, it's an indication of wealth of the country, you are right.
VOICE: So the more you owe, the more you are worth?
STARK: In federal account — in national scheme of things, that's quite right.
PAT: The more you owe, the bigger your debt, the wealthier you are. What? Wow.
GLENN: Well, I guess you could look at it this way and you could say, well, that's true if, you know — for instance, I'm not going out and getting a billion dollar loan, but Microsoft could. So the more you owe, the more people will give you, the wealthier you are.
PAT: I guess. But in his —
GLENN: That's a ridiculous way to look at it.
PAT: It is.
GLENN: I guess that's — you know.
STU: You have more access to money when you have money.
GLENN: Yes.
STU: That's completely different than what he's saying.
GLENN: I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here.
STU: I can see that and it's a stretch and you are doing quite well with the gymnastics there.
PAT: Bless your heart for trying.
STU: Yeah, very nice, good job, good job.
PAT: But Jan, this interviewer, Jan Helfeld pushes him a little bit and Stark doesn't like it.
HELFELD: Hasn't the amount of interest that we've had to pay increased tremendously in the last five years?
STARK: As a percentage of what?
HELFELD: As a percentage of the federal budget?
STARK: No. As a percentage of gross domestic product? Constant dollars? Come on.
HELFELD: As a percentage of the federal budget.
STARK: Don't you ever study economics?
HELFELD: A little bit.
STARK: Where?
HELFELD: In University of Puerto Rico.
STARK: University of Puerto Rico? Do you have a doctorate in economics?
HELFELD: No, I don't.
STARK: Master's degree?
HELFELD: No, I don't.
STARK: How many classes did you take?
HELFELD: Answer the question.
STARK: What I would suggest is that you — they are simple minded questions that don't relate to the realities —
HELFELD: What about to the viewers who don't have a doctorate in economic —
STARK: If you'd shut up for a minute. Why don't you explain to your viewers. You are blabbing away here about something you don't know anything about.
HELFELD: I'm only asking a question.
STARK: No, no. No, no.
GLENN: Stop. Stop, stop. Stop. Listen to him. This is the same thing he is saying to the border: You don't know anything about it; if you knew anything about it. These people — I lost my mind with Pete Stark last week on television. This guy is King George. This guy is absolutely King George. He's right, you're all stupid, you're a subject, shut your mouth.
Now, he goes —
PAT: Now, does he have a doctorate in economics?
GLENN: No, he doesn't.
PAT: Because —
GLENN: He does have — I looked it up here. Hang on just a second. He does have a degree — hang on just a second — a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering.
PAT: Well, that doesn't seem to be what he was —
GLENN: Well, if you'd shut up a minute.
PAT: Okay. Sorry.
GLENN: If you'd just shut, you are going object babbling.
PAT: I'm just trying to tell our listener, I was just trying to inform our listeners that he doesn't have —
GLENN: If you'd just shut up a minute.
PAT: I was just trying to inform the listeners.
STU: By the way, if you go to debt to GDP, the richest country in the world is... Zimbabwe.
GLENN: Yeah, move there.