Bill Maher – Liberals let old white people run the country
Bill Maher discussed Bill de Blasio’s liberal Contract with America know as “The Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality.” The panel included Heather McGhee, Executive Director, DEMOS and Charles Murray, author of the controversial racial stereotyping book, The Bell Curve.
Bill Maher pointed out the major points of the progressive agenda.
- Raise the federal minimum wage, so that it reaches $15/hour, while indexing it to inflation.
- Reform the National Labor Relations Act, to enhance workers’ right to organize and rebuild the middle class.
- Pass comprehensive immigration reform to grow the economy and protect against exploitation of low-wage workers.
- Oppose trade deals that hand more power to corporations at the expense of American jobs, workers’ rights, and the environment.
- Pass national paid sick leave.
- Pass national paid family leave.
- Make Pre-K, after-school programs and childcare universal.
- Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Allow students to refinance student loan debt to take advantage of lower interest rates.
- Close the carried interest loophole.
- End tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.
- Implement the “Buffett Rule” so millionaires pay their fair share.
- Close the CEO tax loophole that allows corporations to take advantage of “performance pay” write-offs.
What is interesting is that according to Heather McGhee, the majority of both Democrats and Republicans support the tenets of the agenda. Bill Maher read the overwhelming percentage support for many of the individual items.
After pointing these out, the following exchange showed the disdain Charles Murray had for our democracy.
“If the democratic candidate embraces universal pre-K, and paid family leave, and sick leave, and all of that,” Charles Murray said. “All of which are expensive programs. Leave the fighter planes out of it. … I am talking of who is voting and why they are going to vote.”
“So Charles you are saying that the only way to get to your program is to distort our democracy,” Heather McGhee said. “to keep most of the Americans out of the ballot box. That is exactly what you are saying. You are saying that the people who vote want X. The people who donate want X. And so we can’t have Y, what the American people actually want?”
“If the Democrats adopt this agenda,” Charles Murray said. “They will get wiped out next year.”
“If the Right gets to define the electorate,” Heather McGhee said. “That is absolutely right. That’s why we fight to expand the electorate.”
Bill Maher then chimed in. “You are right. And that is on the Liberals. Because as these prove, we have the numbers. We just don’t turn up. … We let old white people run the country.”
