MSNBC’s Chris Matthews went of the metaphorical high speed rails during Hardball Monday night, as he announced a ridiculous plan to fund high speed rail. “We've got about $30 trillion sitting overseas, because of the tax laws of this country, the corporate tax rates and things like that,” he explained, “You say, ‘Why don't we find a way to grab all of that, in fact, and put it into development of a public/private thing.’” And it only got more ludicrous from there.
“I personally want a public road. I want to see high-speed rail. I don’t want to just fix our old highways. I want to reignite this country right across it, like Lincoln did,” he boisterously declared, while he voiced his desire to, “Rebuild and reunite America geographically.” Matthews seems to have given little thought to the practically of traveling from New York to California by train, which would take much longer than just jumping on an airplane. It made sense in the 1800s because that was the fastest way to get across the country, not anymore.
But, like a true liberal, when it came to funding such a pipedream Matthews’ only opinion was to throw money at it now and forget about the future:
Spend the money! We have low interest rates right now. You can borrow it and pay it—it’ll pay back. Call them Trump Bonds. I don’t know what the hell you’d call them. I'm not worried about the deficit, because it's a real investment. It's not giving money away for survival, it's using money to invest in our whole total future.
“That's right Chris, and it is a big deal both from an economic perspective, but also from a safety perspective, too,” agreed Democratic Ohio State Senator Nina Tuner, “When we have some of the worst roads and bridges in this country. And it's unsafe, it’s bad for business and it’s bad for everyday families.” But wasn’t President Barack Obama’s “shovel ready jobs” plan supposed to have solved that problem?
Matthews then sought advice from Turner for how the Democrats should deal with a President Donald Trump, and he was looking for rather bizarre advice at that. “How do you dog train Trump? I mean it trough, dog train. You taught a dog, if he poops in the hallway, you make his nose go in it. I mean, how do you make sure he doesn't do it again,” he demanded to know.
The MSNBC host wanted to know how to keep Trump from talking about the wall and about repealing ObamaCare. Because according to him:
A big waste of time for everybody. Ain’t going to happen. Because the Democrats can at least stop that stuff from happening. And by the way the Mexicans are going to build that wall or they’re not going to build it, it’s has nothing to do with us. Ain’t going to be no wall. That’s my thinking.
It’s mind boggling to think that Matthews believes Trump’s proposed wall along the US/Mexico border “has nothing to do with us.” And that’s not to mention that it would be the United States building Trump’s wall, not Mexico like Matthews argued.
Matthews did not discuss if the path for his proposed high speed rail would have any curves, or just straight lines.
Transcript below:
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MSNBC
Hardball with Chris Matthews
November 21, 2016
7:21:37 PM EasternCHRIS MATTHEWS: You know what's been talked about, Nina—Senator, a couple ideas I think most people watching this show would say, “Let’s take a look at it.” One is, we've got about $30 trillion sitting overseas, because of the tax laws of this country, the corporate tax rates and things like that.
You say, “Why don't we find a way to grab all of that, in fact, and put it into development of a public/private thing.” I personally want a public road. I want to see high-speed rail. I don’t want to just fix our old highways. I want to reignite this country right across it, like Lincoln did. Rebuild and reunite America geographically. Spend the money! We have low interest rates right now. You can borrow it and pay it—it’ll pay back. Call them Trump Bonds. I don’t know what the hell you’d call them.
I'm not worried about the deficit, because it's a real investment. It's not giving money away for survival, it's using money to invest in our whole total future. Your thoughts?
NINA TURNER: That's right Chris, and it is a big deal both from an economic perspective, but also from a safety perspective, too. When we have some of the worst roads and bridges in this country. And it's unsafe, it’s bad for business and it’s bad for everyday families. And you may remember Chris, and I know the governor [Howard Dean] remembers this. When president Obama gave states -- states had to compete and they got money for high-speed rail.
My state, my home state of Ohio gave back $400 million. I mean, we have to start somewhere. Not only is it good for jobs, but brings our country up to the 21st century. So in areas where we can work with President-Elect Trump, I think the Democrats should do that. As leader McConnell said, he wanted to make President Obama a one-term president and we see what that got us. They shut down the government. That cost taxpayers about $26 billion.
MATTHEWS: You're up first again here, I want to ask you this, Senator, how do you dog train Trump? I mean it trough, dog train. You taught a dog, if he poops in the hallway, you make his nose go in it. I mean, how do you make sure he doesn't do it again. If he comes out there says, we're going to build a wall, we’re going to get rid of Obamacare. A big waste of time for everybody. Ain’t going to happen. Because the Democrats can at least stop that stuff from happening. And by the way the Mexicans are going to build that wall or they’re not going to build it, it’s has nothing to do with us. Ain’t going to be no wall. That’s my thinking. What do you do? How do you teach him?
TURNER: I mean, I would like to think that President-Elect Trump is going to follow through on the things he said for the economy, because there are people depending on him to do that. But let me tell you something, he tries to build a wall, this registry that's percolating out there, the Democrats and all conscience-minded Americans are going to have to go ham. And my young millennials know what that means. And go there hard. Because the moral integrity of this country is at stake. And so, we cannot sit back and let any type of racism, xenophobia, and all that other stuff take place. But if the president-elect is serious, very serious Chris, there are wonderful things that he can do to show that. And investing in infrastructure is one way.
