The big news of the day was Erickson’s decision to rescind his invitation to Donald Trump for his comments about Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly. This would cast a shadow over most of the day. Many attendees were in agreement with Erickson but Trump fans could be found readily, angry over what they saw as censorship and political correctness. There were still four presidential candidates that would speak throughout the day and, continuing in the effort to nail down actual policy action, their best pitches are outlined briefly below.
Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee kicked off the presidential candidate cattle call at Day Two. As many know, Huckabee is a Fair Tax supporter and reiterated this during his speech and in his Q&A with Erickson. He’s the only candidate in the race who says we don’t need a reform of the tax system but an “elimination of the criminal enterprise known as the IRS.” Questioned as to why Fair over Flat, Huckabee talked about the ability to end the IRS through the Fair Tax. The Flat Tax still requires the government to know how, where and why you made your money. The Fair Tax encourages businesses and growth, according to Huckabee, because business owners and citizens are not making decisions based on complying with the tax code.
Huckabee talked about his plan to secure the border, citing a massive roads project in the 1930’s on the border between Alaska and Canada that got built in under a year, with the industrial capacity available now, Huckabee is convinced the border can be secured now. Huckabee also connected the Fair Tax back to immigration solutions. The current tax code, with payroll and social security and other taxes, encourages employers to hire illegal immigrants. “Take away the economic advantage, you deal with the problem.”
Ted Cruz
Cruz spent more of his speech than others that took the stage about fighting back against republicans that run as “us” but never govern that way. Cruz said that even though they run as “us” but they say we can never win.
Cruz asked, “have you always opposed Common Core or just when you announced for president? On marriage are you willing to stand lead? Or when the supreme court ruled did you come out with a mealy mouthed statement and move on?” Seemingly a string of shots at the man who would take the stage later in the afternoon, Jeb Bush.
“Don’t just tell me how you stood up to democrats. show me how you stood up to your own party.”
On his first day of office, Cruz says he would rescind every single executive order action taken by Barack Obama. “The entire executive branch has been corrupted by the partisan lawlessness by this administration.” The second thing he would is to investigate and prosecute Planned Parenthood. The third thing would be to order the IRS to cease today persecuting religious liberty in this country. “Little
Sisters of the Poor, instead of receiving a letter of summons to appear, will receive a letter that says their case has been dismissed. They’ll get an invite to white house to share their story with the world.”
Jeb Bush
Jeb said we have to shrink govt workforce. When he was governor of Florida they shrank the workforce by 11,000 people. For every three that leave, usually just retiring or moving to a new job, only hire one back. Every meeting with lobbyists should be online in 24 hours. It shouldn’t be so easy for politicians to leave, become a lobbyist and then lobby their colleagues.
In a possible zinger to some other candidates, “if you don’t show up to congress and work, you don’t get paid.”
Bush talked about what he feel the Obama administration has settled for as a “new normal” and that it is not acceptable. “Two percent growth is not acceptable. We can grow at 4%. This is be a lofty and aspirational goal but we should aim for this.”
Bush spent much of his talk on regulation. “Regulation is stifling the next generation of job creators. Regulatory costs according to some at the national level is $2 trillion.” Appointing people with experience in the field they are regulating is important. Regulators “right now, you either are a political hack or an academic. You need to put good people in there that can balance public and business needs.”
One of his first actions would be to pass the “Raines Act” which requires particularly expensive regulations go before congress. this along would improve growth. Second, Bush says we also need to recognize we have the most stifling tax code in the world. Tax reform a big part of this. Third, we need to unleash the energy explosion in the US. High wages, lower costs, reindustrializing the country, allowing exports so that Russia doesn’t hold Europe hostage with natural gas.
Jeb repeatedly reminded the crowd of his record as Governor in Florida and that it led the nation in job growth 7 out of 9 years.
Scott Walker
Walker compared himself to his favorite football player, Packers QB Aaron Rogers. “He doesn’t just talk trash. He puts his head down and gets it done. This is how I am. I’m the only one who has fought and won and done it in a blue state. If were gonna take on a name from the past we need a name from the future. If were gonna take on someone who doesn’t have accomplishments, we need someone who has gotten real accomplishments,” noting that it’s especially impressive considering he’s from a state that hasn’t gone Red for president since 1984.
Walker says reform is about not just saying you’re going to take power out of Washington but really sending it back to the locals. Send the money and power back to the states, the people at the lower level. Hillary Clinton measures success in government by how many people are dependent on the government. We measure it by just the opposite. We want people to get out from under the govt. and work. “Hillary thinks you grow the economy in Washington. We understand that people create jobs, not the government. 6 of the 10 richest counties in America shouldn’t be in or around Washington.
Walker was very clear about some of the things he would do if elected. “I’d send a bill up the very first day to overturn Obamacare. Secondly, he talked about needing to rein in regulations that are “like a wet blanket on the nation’s economy.” Walker said the EPA has cost Wisconsin 20,000 manufacturing jobs. Third, he said we need to have an “all of the above energy policy. We are an energy rich country and need to start acting like it.” Fourth, help people get the education and skills they need to succeed. Walker cited the reform of public education in Wisconsin. “We took power out of the big government union bosses and put it back in the schools. We can hire and fire based on performance and give raises the same way.” The last item on Walker’s agenda he mentioned was the need to lower the tax burden on employers and employees. In Wisconsin they cut taxes by 2 million dollars. Property taxes are lower today than they were four years ago.
