Ezra Klein, a blogger for the Washington Post, and conservative political commentator Bay Buchanan faced off in a debate sponsored by the Young America Foundation, College Democrats and the Student Association last Tuesday night. The debate, moderated Dr. Derek Malone-France of the University Writing Program, touched on a number of key issues such as the budget deficit, immigration, gun control and Washington’s persistent gridlock.
The debate began with a discussion on the economy, the budget deficit and entitlement reform. Buchanan, who served as Treasurer of the United States under President Ronald Reagan, criticized President Obama for failing to cut the budget deficit and address the growing entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Klein, who runs the Washington Post’s popular “Wonkblog,” noted that the deficit has led to interest rates being uncharacteristically low, which means the United States can borrow money at virtually no cost. Although this policy is not sustainable in the long run, Klein said it meant the United States could implement “moderate deficit reduction” while stile investing in infrastructure.
The discussion then turned to immigration, where Buchanan criticized a Senate bipartisan proposal as amnesty. The influx of illegal immigrants, Buchanan argued, meant employers would be more inclined to pay for the cheap labor over employing unskilled American workers. Klein responded by noting the unique national identity of the United States as a country of immigrants, noting the diverse population of California, where he grew up and attended college. Both debaters agreed that employers needed a system to verify the legality of workers, but Klein disagreed with Buchanan over the benefits of the ‘e-verify’ system, which has resulted in a number of false positives.
In the final portion of the debate, Buchanan and Klein debated gun control legislation in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Buchanan stated her clear opposition to an assault weapons ban, but signaled her support for expanded background measures. Much to the surprise of the crowd, Klein stated his opposition to increased restrictions on types of weapons. Klein noted that there was little evidence to prove that more weapons meant more violence. Rather, he said that background checks needed to be applied to gun shows and online purchases.
In the Q&A section, Buchanan and Klein answered questions from the audience on a wide range of topics including energy independence, health care reform and marijuana legalization. Buchanan said that Reagan, for whom she worked both on his presidential campaigns and in the White House, would have a very difficult time raising money in the current political climate, given the loose campaign finance laws. Klein, who features many graphs and charts on his Wonkblog, said that his favorite chart was one produced by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) that charted Congress’ approval ratings compared to other unpopular people and events. Klein said that currently Congress is less popular than “BP during the oil spill, Nixon during Watergate, Paris Hilton, the United States becoming a communist country, head lice and Nickelback.”
