Today on AirTalk we formally kick off the Republican National Convention after yesterday's cancellation, listen to Los Angeles Mayor (and head of the Democratic National Committee) Antonio Villaraigosa's opposition message to the events in Tampa, invite former Governor Pete Wilson to hear his take on the RNC thus far, discuss the Pentagon as a potential target for spending cuts, evaluate Romney's foreign policy and sit down with a California delegate from San Diego.
Live from Tampa: Republican National Convention officially begins
While weather might have derailed the Republican National Convention yesterday, everything is full steam ahead today. Sessions will begin in earnest this afternoon, and the main objective for the GOP seems to be reshaping and presenting Mitt Romney’s image to the voting public.
One effort to do just that will be made by wife, Ann Romney, who is giving a speech tonight that will surely touch on the personal aspects of her husband’s character. Romney himself will be in Tampa Bay today to witness Ann’s performance. Also speaking will be New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, an outspoken Romney supporter with a flair for entertainment who will certainly pull off a few memorable lines from behind the podium, whether scripted or not.
What speakers are you paying particular attention to? Will the presence of others help inform your opinion of Mitt Romney, or do you need to hear more from the man himself? Today’s convention theme is “We Built This.” How will Republicans across the board hammer that message home to further distance themselves from President Obama’s policies on economic growth, particularly with small businesses?
Guests:
Marty Kady, Congressional Reporter for POLITICO
Christina Bellantoni, Politics Editor at PBS NewsHour
On the road with Romney’s California delegates
Guests:
Mario Guerra, California Delegate, Mayor Pro-Tem of Downey, California
Luis Alvarado, California Delegate from Pico Riveria, California
Lynn Haueter. California Delegate, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Republican Party
Tom Brokaw: 'it's time to reevaluate how we conduct these conventions'
Journalist and news anchor Tom Brokaw, who has been to 22 separate conventions over the decades, told Larry Mantle that political conventions need a makeover. He feels that the massive, multi-day events don't serve the voting public and cost too much money.
"I think it's time to reevaluate how we conduct these conventions," he said. "An awful amount of money is being spent on the line where we are right now ... Haley Barbour told me the other day that they spent $11 million to put the convention on in San Diego [in 1996]. He figures they're spending close to that on security alone here."
Brokaw said the price is hard to justify when conventions have no part in influencing the election outcome, especially when it's to advertise information that's already known.
"I have yet to talk with a senior official of either party who doesn't agree that it's outgrown its usefulness," he continued. "We know who the nominee is, we know who the vice presidential candidate is, we know what the platform is. So it lacks spontaneity, and it lacks reason for people who are sitting at home to get excited about watching."
Brokaw said his interest lies in raising voting levels and getting the rest of the country involved in the election process.
Despite his views, Brokaw said there's something to be learned: "I see how [candidates] organize themselves, and I think conventions tell you something about how they may run their campaigns, or even how they may run the country for that matter."
He went on to say his natural enthusiasm will continue to fuel trips to future conventions.
"It's bred into me. I got into this business because I was a political junkie from the age of 10 on, and it's never uninteresting," he said. "I love the way tribal america organizes itself and makes decisions about what its future is, and this is where it begins."
Guests:
Tom Brokaw, former anchor of NBC News
Frank Stoltze, KPCC Reporter
LA Mayor and DNC chair Antonio Villaraigosa touts Democrats’ message in Tampa
Mitt Romney arrives in Tampa tonight for the Republican National Convention. His wife Ann and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey are the big highlights in tonight’s first batch of speeches. But it’s not just Republicans making the media rounds. The chairman of the Democratic National Committee showed up to do opposition interviews last night.
Better known to us the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa sat down with Spanish-language radio and AirTalk to hit back at GOP criticism of Obama’s handling of the economy.
Villaraigosa first extended his prayers to the Gulf Coast, and those awaiting impending hurricane, Isaac.
"Right now, Democrats and Republicans agree that priority number one is putting the country before the party, that the health and safety of the people who are in front of this growing storm have to be paramount," he started.
But according to Villaraigosa, similarities between both political parties ends there.
"There is a difference between these two parties, and yes the economy is tough, and that is one reason why this election is going to be so close. But when you're look at what they're proposing – end[ing] MediCare as we know it, cutting taxes to $5 trillion – it's not sustainable," he explained.
Democrats need to reform their image, Villaraigosa said, to be the party of fiscal responsibility.
"If you look at the Romney/Ryan budget, independent analysis, the congressional budget office and tax policies said it will take them 29 years to balance the budget," he continued, comparing budget proposals. "We're going to cut this deficit to the tune of $4 trillion over a decade, but we're also going to let the Bush tax cuts expire on the top 2 percent so we can reinvest that money in Medicare, Social Security and other programs."
Villaraigosa added that to be fiscally prudent also requires tackling public pension reform.
"Under my plan, you'd have to work five years longer than most people are working right now, because even though they could retire at 55, they're retiring about at 62. You work five years longer, and you'll make about 7-8 percent less. That's not a whole lot to ask to keep your pension sustainable going into the future," he said.
Many critics of Obama's presidency have pointed to the economic crisis as a failure. Villaraigosa countered that though the deficit is large, the Obama administration has grown 4 million jobs, besting job numbers during the 2008 Bush administration.
"This is the worst depression since the 1930s. It took us what, 12 years, 13 years to get out of that depression? We're getting out, if we keep with the president's proposals to cut spending but also to invest in infrastructure, invest in education, invest in R&D," he said.
Villaraigosa said the economy is a salient issue, but that's not all their party is focused on.
"Yes, it's true, that because of this economy we've got our work cut out for us. But this election isn't just about today, and it's not even about the next four years. It's about the future."
Guests:
Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles
Frank Stoltze, KPCC Reporter
Former CA governor urges women to 'take a second look' at Romney
Republican Pete Wilson, who served as the 36th Governor of California, has a long history of serving in the public sphere. In addition to being governor, he also served as a United States Senator, the Mayor of San Diego and on the California Assembly.
He sat down for a quick interview with Larry Mantle at the Republican National Convention:
Interview Highlights:
On California's role in the Republican sphere:
"It's in the background, obviously it's not a swing state, we have seen very little advertising on either side, because of their concentration on the swing states and we understand that. There is a great desire behind the people backing Mitt Romney and I think he's going to win, I think it's going to be an exciting race, not unlike that between President Reagan and President Carter. Three weeks out it was pretty close then it started to open up after the last debate and wound up being a landslide to Reagan."
On why women should give Mitt Romney a chance:
"I think that if they see this entire convention, women are going to have to, if they're honest, take a second look. Those who have felt that [Romney] is not sympathetic to women I think are going to have to revise that. I watched a CNN special the other night, part of it was an interview with Ann Romney about her multiple sclerosis, and about [Mitt's] reaction to it, his comfort to her and his concern. It showed me something I've never seen before. Frankly anyone who is not touched by that interview is pretty cynical and pretty determined not to give somebody a break."
On the fallout from the failure of Prop. 187:
"The only regret that I have is that a number of people for very crass political reasons totally misrepresented the issue. [They] ignored the real issues that stemmed from illegal immigration, which had to do with the cost to state taxpayers of federally mandated services and what really came from that was a deliberate effort to play the race card, which I find contemptible. I think it lead to a great many people in California coming to the false conclusion, a great many Latinos, that they were surrounded by bigots. People who did not want them. Nothing can be further from the truth. The issue was not one of race, it was the rule of law and culture and the need for people who are going to be naturalized to become citizens."
On being Chairman of the California Republican delegation:
"I have the honor of being the chair of the delegation, It is a large delegation in fact the largest. A very upbeat, very excited group of people here having a very good time and genuinely excited at the prospect of nominating MItt Romney and Paul Ryan."
Weigh In:
What is his take on the GOP convention kick-off? How is Mitt Romney shaping up as a candidate? And California could use some of his insight as well. What’s Wilson’s perspective on the current state of politics in the Golden State? With the state still struggling economically across the board, what friendly advice can the man who left California with a $16 billion budget surplus after his governorship suggest to Gov. Jerry Brown and other state lawmakers?
Guests:
Pete Wilson, Republican who served as the 36th Governor of California (1991-1999)
Frank Stoltze, KPCC reporter joins us to discuss Roll Call
Darrell Issa at the RNC
AirTalk continues to go in depth with Republican politicians on the ground in Tampa by sitting down with Darrell Issa (CA-49).
Issa, who represents part of Riverside, San Diego and Orange Counties, serves as the Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Issa has primarily grabbed headlines this past year with his panel’s investigation of Operation “Fast and Furious,” the White House’s bungled attempt to use guns to track criminal activity in Mexico.
What other areas is Issa setting his sights on for potential oversight? What’s his take on Romney’s campaign thus far and the RNC?
Guest:
Darrell Issa, Republican Congressman for California’s 49th District, representing parts of Riverside, Orange and San Diego Counties
Kitty Felde, KPCC Reporter
What’s Romney’s vision beyond America’s borders?
Amid the expected discussion of the economy and health care, and the sudden conversation on rape and abortion—one major policy area has been missing from the campaigns: foreign policy. While the rise of the Super PACs and super donor Sheldon Adelson has brought Israel into focus, many voters don’t know much about Mitt Romney’s agenda for dealing with other nations.
So how are the Republicans drawing a line between their goals and President Obama’s? We hear the pitch from a Romney advisor and alum of the Bush administration. And a journalist who’s followed Romney and Ryan’s records closely says, Republicans used to be at the forefront of strategy and diplomacy in the rest of the world, but no longer have a sound vision.
Guest:
Robert C. O’Brien, At-Large California Delegate, Senior advisor to Mitt Romney on foreign affairs and national security; Former U.S. representative to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration; Attorney & Partner, Arent Fox international law firm
San Diego: a model for the future Republican Party?
Many republicans in California are pointing to the San Diego contingency as a model for the future of the national Republican Party, both on fiscal and social issues.
Larry talks with the head of that group, Tony Krvaric, about what they are doing right and where the party could be headed on topics such as gay marriage and immigration. Krvaric, an avid tweeter who is currently updating his followers about what he’s seeing on the ground in Tampa Bay, is a small business owner and financial consultant who describes himself as, “Croatian by blood, Swedish by birth and American by choice!”
Born in Sweden to Croatian immigrants, he was so inspired by Ronald Reagan’s presidency that at fourteen he wrote Reagan a letter and vowed to come to America to pursue his own version of the famous American dream. He got into politics in 2003 as a means to combat what he perceived as the expansion of socialism in the United States, which he had seen grow and fail in his home country of Sweden.
How has Krvaric’s unique experience shaped his political worldview? How did he influence the San Diego Republicans? How is he hoping to influence the GOP elsewhere?
Guest:
Tony Krvaric, Chairman of the Republican Party of San Diego County