Joe Miller Says Unemployment Benefits Are Unconstitutional, Struggles To Say How To Deal w/ Poverty

[jefferson_dem]

In an interview today with "Fox News Sunday," Alaska GOP Senate nominee Joe Miller had trouble explaining how he would help the 43.6 million Americans in poverty, even as host Chris Wallace repeatedly pressed him for more than conservative talking points.

Wallace asked Miller about his assertion in August on CBS's "Face the Nation" that unemployment benefits are unconstitutional, noting that without them, many more Americans would be in poverty. "What would you do for them?" asked Wallace.

Miller, however, struggled to come up with an answer, and instead shifted to talking points about reducing the size of the federal government. Wallace repeatedly pressed him on the issue, without ever receiving an actual response:

MILLER: I think the question is what is the role of the federal government? Right now we've grown the federal government into such a size we have, I think we have, what -- in absolute terms now, $13.4 trillion in debt. If you look at the future unfunded obligation, a lot of those are the entitlement programs, by some estimates $130 trillion. That is unsustainable. That's just the facts. And I think Americans recognize that those are the facts. The exciting thing is Americans are looking for answers. Alaskans are looking for answers. Here in Alaska, 40 percent of our economy in Alaska is somewhat derived from the federal government. If we continue say things have to continue the way they are, the expansion from the government which is unconstitutional in many ways is the future, it's a dead-end road. Particularly for this state, because of the impending bankruptcy --

WALLACE: Mr. Miller, if I may, I'm not sure you answered my question. Why are unemployment benefits unconstitutional? In the time of a tough economy, recession, and now kind of a jobless recovery, what are you going to do for the 44 million people who are living in poverty?

MILLER: I think what you need to look at is the context. We had an extension of unemployment benefits several weeks ago, which is beyond what we had in the past in this country. What we have in this country is an entitlement mentality. Entitlement, not just as individual but even at the state level. If all goes wrong, it's the federal government's role to get in there and provide for the general welfare and provide for solvency; particularly, of states and the auto companies, and the banks. Everything else that fails, the government should be involved in bailing out. The Constitution provides enumerated powers. I guess my challenge is to anybody that asks, show me the enumerated power. And then look at the 10th amendment that says if it's not done in the Constitution, it's a power that belongs to the state and the people. And I think we as a people need to stop being disingenuous about what the Constitution provides for. It does not provide for this all-encompassing power that we've seen exercised for last several decades. It's what got us in the bankrupt position.

Miller's views on unemployment benefits are further to the right than the positions of many Republicans in Congress, who oppose extending them if they aren't paid for, but haven't gone as far as to say that they're unconstitutional.

VIDEO at LINK - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/19/joe-miller-alaska-poverty-unemployment-unconstitutional_n_730710.html

[trumad]

1. This is a guy who absolutely

wants to drown the Government in a bathtub.

A complete fanatic.

[jaxx]

2. Another tenther.

States rights and no central government...so he thinks. Mad scientists used to be the thing, now it's mad politicians with crazy ideas and no sense beyond the spew.

[Catshrink]

3. That's typical of the 'baggers.

Ask them anything beyond a soundbite and they get the deer-in-headlights look. Miller, O'Connell, Paul, Angle, etc. have no idea about governing and the effect that implementing their Libertarian mantra would have on "real" Americans. Of course, the only people they consider "real" Americans are people just like them. The other 297 million of us are what? Americans? In their thinking, those of us who don't tow the line aren't real Americans, aren't patriotic, don't love our country, are liberal-socialist-commie-Islamic-radical terrorists.

[flamingdem]

4. So which Alaskans are willing to give up govt. benefits?

Who is going to vote for this blowtard?

[Bitwit1234]

5. Once they give all this control to corporations

to run our lives how in the world are they going to wrestle control back when it backfires. Look at Blackwater. It is out of control and they will never size them down.

[livetohike]

6. More interviewers need to press these Teabaggers for

answers instead of letting them ramble on with their idiotic talking points.

[LiberalFighter]

7. Has the numbnut read the Constitution? And has the comprehension ability?

[Inuca]

8. This guy is not a "numbnut"

(though most definitely a nut). He is a Yale Law School (I think, or something equally prestigious) graduate and very articulate. He is not somebody who cannot handle the media or is likely to make a joke of himslef. This being said, I saw the interview and it was incredible how he basically did not answer a single question (though to his merit Wallace was pushing for an answer). All I am saying is that is a misatake to lump all tebaggers together and think of them as silly clowns.

[COLGATE4]

9. He's the dangerous kind of Wingnut = bright, articulate,

with a degree in law from a very prestigious school, when he makes these kind of stupid statements he is fully aware that they're just bullshit, but that isn't going to stop him from making them. That, coupled with the fact that the 'hard' questioning he got from My Dad was Mike Wallace Wallace was the hardest he'll ever get. None of the other talking heads will press him on it at all, and eventually his assertions begin to stick ("I know I heard that it was unconstitutional") until the great mass of low information voters believe it.

[Inuca]

13. 100% agree

I think Rubio is in the same category.

[Zoeisright]

15. Then why is he so wrong? Is he just mean and selfish?

I mean, with that kind of background, and turning into a teabagger, there's something really wrong with him if these are the conclusions he has come to.

[Inuca]

20. I don't know

I have the same difficulty understanding how supposedly intelligent people can think like that. But some unfortunately do.

[DeschutesRiver]

16. Same as crazy eyes Bachman

Michelle Bachman runs her mouth like she's never read the Constitution - with a law degree no less. Tax law was her specialty, I believe.

They aren't dumb (although there is a top and bottom of the class difference, of course, but still..). These particular kind of teabagger cheerleaders know exactly how far they are intentionally misleading these crazed teabaggers.

A lot of states have insolvent unemployment funds; I think we are up to something like 30+ who are borrowing extension money from the fed government to pay claims. While I know they are talking about postponing the interest payments, those borrowed funds are expected to be paid back with interest to the feds. What kind of "entitlement" program would that be, Mr. Miller?

[golfguru]

10. The best solution for the unemployed is...

CREATE JOBS! We need president Clinton's policies which created
the most jobs under any president in US History. The reason people
are on unemployment compensation is because they can't find JOBS!
Cure the disease, not the symptoms.

[wisteria]

17. Problem is, the Repubs won't let the Dems spend any money to create these jobs.

They expect that if we hand more to the corporations, the corporations will create the jobs. And, we know how well that has worked in recent years.

[Jade Fox]

11. Isn't Alaska one of the largest recipients....

of Federal monies in general? Will Alaskans really vote to shoot themselves in the foot?

[vixengrl]

12. Oddly, Christine O" Donnell *can* answer this question--

unfortunately, not everyone can actually run for Senate as a profession....

[SheilaT]

14. If only the reporters and interviewers

would be sufficiently persistent in trying to get these clowns to answer the basic questions being put to them.

Miller should absolutely be pressed, and pressed hard about this. Exactly what part of the Constitution makes you conclude that unemployment benefits are unconstitutional? Make him be very specific. The fact that he graduated from a prestigious law school does not guarantee that he's sufficiently articulate, nor that he actually knows enough about the Constitution to be be correct about this.

Also, didn't I read somewhere recently that he's accepted money (the figure I'm recalling is $14,000) not to grow crops on a farm he had? He should be asked to justify that. Over and over.

O'Donnell needs to be asked to show some kind of proof that mice with fully human brains are out there. Bachman needs to be told that not only does Nancy Pelosi not drink, but the there's no liquor service on the air force jets she uses. On and on.

[Ramulux]

18. What a jackass

Wallace - So if you dont give people benefits what do you do with the unemployed who have no money, home, or job?

Miller - Ummmm, yeah I dont like benefits.

Do guys like Miller really think no one is going to notice when you are asked a valid important question and then you do not answer it. I am surprised Chris asked this, it is something every republican who voted against extending unemployment benefits should have to answer because there they have no answer. Conservatives simply do not care about the poor in this country and guys like Joe Miller are perfectly willing to just come out and say it.

[theothersnippywshrub]

19. Where is the "enumerated power" for the farm subsidies he has received?