MATT AND SAVANNAH? >> THAT SETS THE TABLE NICELY
FOR JAMES BAKER WHO SERVED AS SECRETARY OF STATE UNDER
PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH AND CHIEF OF STAFF TO RONALD REAGAN
AND PRESIDENT BUSH. HE'S WITH US ALONG WITH TOM
BROKAW, SECRETARY BAKER, SECRETARY BROKAW, GREAT TO SEE
YOU BOTH. >> LATER WE'LL FIND OUT IF
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS GOING TO PULL THE UNITED STATES OUT OF
THE PARIS ACCORD. HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE NO
DECISIONS THAT WOULDN'T PUT AMERICA FIRST AND WOULDN'T BE
WHAT IS BEST FOR AMERICA BEFORE IT IS BEST FOR OTHERS.
IS PULLING US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD THE BEST FOR
AMERICA? >> I HOPE HE DOESN'T PULL US OUT
OF THE PARIS ACCORD. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMETHING TO POINT TO THAT WOULD FULFILL OUR
OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE ACCORD RATHER THAN THIS.
I PROPOSED TO THE WHITE HOUSE A CARBON DIVIDENDS PROPOSAL WHERE
WE WOULD IMPOSE A CARBON TAX BUT REINVADE IT TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE SO IT DOESN'T GROW GOVERNMENT.
IT'S CONSERVATIVE, FREE MARKET, LIMITED GOVERNMENT AND
INTERNATIONALLY COMPETITIVE. THAT WOULD PUT US IN COMPLIANCE
WITH THAT ACCORD. >> TOM, MITT ROMNEY TWEETED
YESTERDAY, HE SAID, AFFIRMATION OF THE PARIS ACCORD IS ABOUT
REMAINING A GLOBAL LEADER DO. YOU THINK WE HAVE TO STAY IN TO
CHANGE THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD? >> WELL, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY
ABOUT THE REALITY OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND WE HAVE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JIM ALSO HAS AN IDEA THAT HAS HAD REAL MERIT,
NOT JUST HAVE THE WHITE HOUSE MAKE THE DECISION, BUT WE TALKED
ABOUT PUMPING IT OVER TO THE SENATE.
THIS IS A TREATY THAT NEEDS RADIFICATION AND NEED A DEBATE
ON THAT. >> I THINK PRESIDENT OBAMA
DIDN'T SUBMIT IT TO THE SENATE BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID IT
WOULDN'T GET APPROVAL. SO HE CALLED IT AN EXECUTIVE
AGREEMENT. WHY NOT SUBMIT IT TO THE SENATE?
IF THE SENATE RATIFIES IT AS A TREATY, THEN WE KNOW THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE BEHIND IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
I'M NOT SURE IT WOULD GET THROUGH THE SENATE.
>> INTERESTING. BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE SENATE
IS CONTROLLED BY REPUBLICANS. I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT ANOTHER
BIG TOPIC WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, JAMES COMEY, THE FIRED FBI
DIRECTOR SET TO TESTIFY PERHAPS AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK.
IF YOU HAD BEEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE, COMEY HAS DETRACTORS ON
ALL SIDES, BUT WOULD YOU HAVE ADVISED THE PRESIDENT TO FIRE
THE FBI DIRECTOR IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES?
OR DID HE MAKE THIS SITUATION WORSE FOR HIMSELF?
>> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW
EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME.
BUT I WILL SAY THIS, I THINK DIRECTOR COMEY MADE A HUGE
MISTAKE BACK IN JULY WHEN HE STEPPED DOWN AND HELD THAT PRESS
CONFERENCE SAYING, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF BAD ACTIVITY HERE ON THE
PART OF HILLARY CLINTON BUT NOTHING THAT WOULD RESULT IN HER
BEING CHARGED. HE ASSUMED UNTO HIMSELF THE
PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION THAT SHOULD REST IN THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT. YOU CAN SAY LORETTA LYNCH WAS
DISQUALIFIED BECAUSE SHE MET WITH BILL CLINTON ON HER
AIRPLANE, BUT THERE WAS A DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO SHOULD HAVE
MADE THAT DECISION. THE FBI'S INVESTIGATIVE AGENT.
>> IF IT WAS A FIREABLE OFFENSE, SHOULD TRUMP HAVE DONE IT ON DAY
ONE? >> WELL, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED. BUT THE PRESIDENT HAS ABSOLUTE
POWER TO FIRE THE FBI DIRECTOR ANY TIME HE WANTS TO.
>> YOU ARE OFTEN SEEN AS THE GOLD STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO
WHITE HOUSE CHIEFS OF STAFF SERVING IN THAT POSITION TWICE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW,
AND ASSESS THE DYNAMIC, WHOSE RUNNING THE SHOW, IS IT THE
RIGHT PERSON? AND ARE THERE TOO MANY COMPETING
INTERESTS? >> WELL, I SAID BACK ON FEBRUARY
9th TO POLITICO, I DID AN INTERVIEW AND SAID THE ONE THING
THAT WORRIES ME ABOUT THE WAY THEY'RE SET UP IS THERE ARE FIVE
OR SIX COMPETING POWER CENTERS WITH BROAD OVERLAPPING AUTHORITY
AND MEGA RESPONSIBILITY. AND THAT'S NOT A GOOD RECIPE
BECAUSE THAT'S CONTRIBUTED TO ALL THEIGHTING GOING ON IN
THERE. HE NEEDS TO EMPOWER ONE PERSON,
MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT'S THE GUY OR THAT'S THE
LADY, AND GIVE THEM THE AUTHORITY TO RUN THE WHITE
HOUSE. AND MAKE IT A STRONG CHIEF OF
STAFF. HE NEEDS THAT.
THEY BADLY NEED, ALSO, A MESSAGE DISCIPLINE IN THAT WHITE HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T RUN SOMETHING AS BIG AS THE
GOVERNMENT UNLESS EVERYBODY'S SINGING FROM THE SAME HYMNAL.
>> IT WAS A LOT TOUGHER TO COVER THEM THAN IT IS TO COVER THIS
WHITE HOUSE, BY THE WAY, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY COMPETING IN
THIS WHITE HOUSE. EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET THEIR
MESSAGE OUT. THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE STUFF
COMING OUT 24/7. JIM BAKER WAS CHEF OF STAFF OF
RONALD REAGAN AND IT WAS A TIGHTLY RUN SHIP.
AND YOU DEALT WITH A SINGLE OR A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN KEY
POSITIONS AND HE WAS ALWAYS VERY STRAIGHT WITH US.
HE DIDN'T GIVE UP ANYTHING HE DIDN'T WANT TO.
SOMETIMES I WAS PUSHING HIM PRETTY HARD AT THAT POINT BUT HE
WOULDN'T GIVE IT UP. BUT IN THIS WHITE HOUSE, IT'S
NOT JUST ABOUT THE PUBLIC IMAGE OF IT BUT THE CHAOS BEHIND THE
SCENES I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN ANY WAYS.
>> A LOT OF THE POWER STRUGGLE PLAYING OUT
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét