College Sophomore Stumps President Bush

[BigSqwert]

This is from Think Progress. Wonder how she was able to ask a question that obviously wasn't pre-screened?

 

Bush was stumped during the Q&A session of his speech today by a sophomore at Kansas State:

 

Q: My name is Tiffany Cooper. I’m a sophomore here at Kansas State and I was just wanting to get your comments about education. Recently 12.7 billion dollars was cut from education. I was just wondering how is that supposed to help our futures?

 

[snip]

 

Bush: Actually, I think what we did was reform the student loan program. We are not cutting money out of it.

Watch it: VIDEO

Tiffany clearly confused Bush. Not only did he have to turn to his aide for advice, but he confused truthiness with the truth. The facts:

 

Student Loans: On Dec. 21, 2005, the Senate passed $12.7 billion in cuts to education programs — “the largest cut in student college loan programs in history.” Vice President Cheney cast the deciding vote in favor of the cuts. The bill also fixed the interest rate on student loans at 6.8 percent, “even if commercial rates are lower.” Despite Bush’s claims, students will be left off the program.

 

Pell Grants: Pell Grants have been frozen or cut since 2002; they are now stuck at a maximum of $4,050. In his 2000 election campaign, President Bush promised to increase the maximum Pell Grant amount to $5,100. “From 2004 to 2005, 24,000 students lost their Pell grants, according to a report pre-pared by the Congressional Research Service. This was the first drop in the number of students receiving the grants in several years; the number had been growing steadily since 1999.”

 

Full transcript below:

 

Q: My name is Tiffany Cooper. I’m a sophomore here at Kansas State and I was just wanting to get your comments about education. Recently 12.7 billion dollars was cut from education. I was just wondering how is that supposed to help our futures?

 

Bush: Education budget was cut — say it again. What was cut?

 

Q: 12.7 billion dollars was cut from education. I’m wanting to know how is that supposed to help our futures?

 

Bush: At the federal level?

 

Q: Yes.

 

Bush: I don’t think we’ve actually — for higher education? Student loans?

 

Q: Yes, student loans.

 

Bush: Actually, I think what we did was reform the student loan program. We are not cutting money out of it. In other words, people aren’t going to be cut off the program. We’re just making sure it works better as part of the reconciliation package I think she’s talking about? Yeah — It is a form of the program to make sure it functions better. In other words, we’re not taking people off student loans. We’re saving money in the student loan program because it’s inefficient. So I think the thing to look at is whether or not there will be fewer people getting student loans. I don’t think so.

 

Secondly, on Pell Grants, we are actually expanding the number of Pell grants through our budget. Great question. The key on education is to make sure that we stay focused on how do we stay competitive into the 21st century, and I plan on doing some talking about math and science and engineering programs so that people who graduate out of college will have the skills necessary to compete in this competitive world. But I think i’m right on this. I will check when I get back to Washington, but thank you for your question.

Edited January 24, 2006 by BigSqwert

[Texsox]

Sorry, I can't blame Bush for not knowing everything about everything. I think he has been busy.

[LosMediasBlancas]

I bet the Secret Service took her out back and gave her a beating.

[Texsox]

I bet the person responsible for screening the questions has some explaining to do.

[BigSqwert]

Sorry, I can't blame Bush for not knowing everything about everything. I think he has been busy.

I don't blame him for not knowing. It's just so easy to pick on him. Always fumbling and bumbling over words. Especially when he isn't prepared.

[Texsox]

I don't blame him for not knowing.  It's just so easy to pick on him.  Always fumbling and bumbling over words.  Especially when he isn't prepared.

 

he certainly isn't Reagan in that regard, or Clinton for that matter. I actually think he was better when he was Governor of Texas. He didn't try to be so "Presidential".

[LosMediasBlancas]

I bet the person responsible for screening the questions has some explaining to do.

There is really no way to keep that from happening.

[jackie hayes]

Sorry, I can't blame Bush for not knowing everything about everything. I think he has been busy.

If you don't know, don't say you do know.

[BigSqwert]

If you don't know, don't say you do know.

Well he will get back to her when he finds out.

[Balta1701]

Sorry, I can't blame Bush for not knowing everything about everything. I think he has been busy.

I agree with you at about the 50% level...but he didn't just say he didn't know...he actively said she was wrong, and it turned out he was wrong. He probably didn't have a clue and didn't want to be called on cutting the budget for something that was actually good and useful so he just obfuscated a little bit.

 

He can't know everything about everything...but he could at least say "I'm sorry I don't know" instead of getting caught making up facts when he obviously didn't know.

 

Anywho...not a big deal to me either way. Not like the Pres has a line item veto or budget-adder where he could go and personally restore the thing. We can blame him and the Republicans all we want for them deleting the thing in order to try to pay for 10% of the tax cuts that the student will have to pay for the rest of her life, but who cares if he didn't remember that one detail.

[Texsox]

There is really no way to keep that from happening.

 

They do it sometimes by selecting the questions and questioners ahead of time.

[LosMediasBlancas]

They do it sometimes by selecting the questions and questioners ahead of time.

Sure, but if the questioner decides to ambush and ask something different at the last minute, there's not much anyone can do.

[Reddy]

haha. funny stuff. i agree with Balta but it's still entertaining

[WilliamTell]

Since when does a president have to know everything? The last few haven't and I'm sure there's been more than that. It happens to everyone, he's a human being.

[NorthSideSox72]

I just read an article today in the Trib that talked about Bush's appearences, and how they are now starting to allow some questions to be asked that aren't pre-determined. Mind you, the audiences are still all pre-screened and invite-only for these things still. But the questions are now not all "plants".

 

Small step for man.

[samclemens]

Since when does a president have to know everything? The last few haven't and I'm sure there's been more than that. It happens to everyone, he's a human being.

 

^^^

finally, some rationale

[jackie hayes]

Bulls***. You know, as critical as I am of Bush, when the Daily Show gets a laugh just out of his looking lost at a question, I get annoyed. It's not fair to expect an omniscient showman. Fine.

 

But if he doesn't have a f***ing clue and still opens his mouth and talks about what was REALLY in the bill and how the questioner got it wrong, and in so doing shows he doesn't have a f***ing clue -- then yes, he better be prepared to take his medicine. Don't know? Fine, then SHUT UP.

[Rex Kickass]

That's sort of true. If you don't know, and you insist on correcting someone about what you don't know... you deserve to be burned when you're caught.

[southsider2k5]

He should have just called it defict reduction and said in order to fulfill the reductions that everyone are saying we need to do, that everyone needs to sacrfice.

[FlaSoxxJim]

He should have just called it defict reduction and said in order to fulfill the reductions that everyone are saying we need to do, that everyone needs to sacrfice.

Well, we could lose the talk about making his tax cuts permanent for a start and spread the sacrifice around a bit.

[Controlled Chaos]

I don't think he did that bad of a job anserwing the question. She wasn't that clear in her question. She didn't explain that the money she was talking about was from the student loan cuts. She just said you cut it from education. Once he clarified and got that she was talking about the student loan cuts, he explained it the same way most other Republicans have. I don't think he was stumped. He isn't the best speaker in the world, but he explained it adequately.

 

Here's some excerpts from a USA Today article on how some others saw it. I know it doesn't flow with the article you posted from "Think Progress" cause they have their own agenda and want to make Bush look like a complete moron. It does however, show Bush's explaination was pretty well along the lines with the others that supported the cuts.

 

Within higher education, the single biggest cut appears to be in the profits of lenders.

 

Under current law, banks get to keep the excess money when the amounts that students pay in interest exceed the rate of return that the government has guaranteed. That would end. Lenders would have to refund the difference to the government, meaning billions of dollars.

 

"We were able to reduce spending through changes in the way lenders operate," said Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the chairman of the Senate education committee. "But at the same time, we shielded the direct impact to students, and actually increased student opportunities."

 

Meanwhile, the interest on students loans would also move to a fixed rate of 6.8% in July, up from its current variable rate of 4.7%. But that change was already set to happen under law, and the deficit-reduction bill does not alter that plan. Student groups tend to support a fixed rate as a protection against unstable, rising interest rates.

 

Loan limits would increase from $2,625 to $3,500 for first-year students, and from $3,500 to $4,500 for second-year students. The total borrowing limit allowed for undergraduates would remain at $23,000. Lawmakers aimed for a compromise of letting students borrow more at the start of college, reflecting current needs, without sanctioning a bigger overall debt.

 

John Boehner, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House education committee, said the bill "offers significant new benefits to students pursuing a college education."

Edited January 24, 2006 by Controlled Chaos

[Texsox]

I think this came up during the debates about Presidents being good debaters. I find that being a great debater not that important in choosing a POTUS. What I do want is someone who can listen to all sides and make the right choice between many options. Even more difficult, is many times, all the options are terrible choices. I can not picture (pitcher?) Bush and Bin Laden debating to solve any problems. I do see Bush deciding how to hunt Binny down and choosing between different plans.

 

So I don't mind how poorly he answered that student's question. Likewise, if he was a brilliant debater, I wouldn't be too impressed.

 

I worry that by taking the profit out of student loans that it will become harder to get these loans as banks may limit how many they will process.

[kapkomet]

I do know that the loan % increase is going to kick my ass.

[YASNY]

I think this came up during the debates about Presidents being good debaters. I find that being a great debater not that important in choosing a POTUS. What I do want is someone who can listen to all sides and make the right choice between many options. Even more difficult, is many times, all the options are  terrible choices. I can not picture (pitcher?) Bush and Bin Laden debating to solve any problems. I do see Bush deciding how to hunt Binny down and choosing between different plans.

 

So I don't mind how poorly he answered that student's question. Likewise, if he was a brilliant debater, I wouldn't be too impressed.

 

I worry that by taking the profit out of student loans that it will become harder to get these loans as banks may limit how many they will process.

 

Wait. Doesn't this go along with the liberal agenda of taking money away from the rich and putting more in the government coffers? Legit question. Not trying to be a smart ass .... this time.

[jackie hayes]

I don't think he did that bad of a job anserwing the question.  She wasn't that clear in her question.  She didn't explain that the money she was talking about was from the student loan cuts.  She just said you cut it from education.  Once he clarified and got that she was talking about the student loan cuts, he explained it the same way most other Republicans have.  I don't think he was stumped.  He isn't the best speaker in the world, but he explained it adequately. 

 

Here's some excerpts from a USA Today article on how some others saw it.  I know it doesn't flow with the article you posted from "Think Progress" cause they have their own agenda and want to make Bush look like a complete moron.  It does however, show Bush's explaination was pretty well along the lines with the others that supported the cuts.

 

Within higher education, the single biggest cut appears to be in the profits of lenders.

 

Under current law, banks get to keep the excess money when the amounts that students pay in interest exceed the rate of return that the government has guaranteed. That would end. Lenders would have to refund the difference to the government, meaning billions of dollars.

 

"We were able to reduce spending through changes in the way lenders operate," said Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the chairman of the Senate education committee. "But at the same time, we shielded the direct impact to students, and actually increased student opportunities."

 

Meanwhile, the interest on students loans would also move to a fixed rate of 6.8% in July, up from its current variable rate of 4.7%. But that change was already set to happen under law, and the deficit-reduction bill does not alter that plan. Student groups tend to support a fixed rate as a protection against unstable, rising interest rates.

 

Loan limits would increase from $2,625 to $3,500 for first-year students, and from $3,500 to $4,500 for second-year students. The total borrowing limit allowed for undergraduates would remain at $23,000. Lawmakers aimed for a compromise of letting students borrow more at the start of college, reflecting current needs, without sanctioning a bigger overall debt.

 

John Boehner, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House education committee, said the bill "offers significant new benefits to students pursuing a college education."

He said money isn't being cut out of the program. It is. The article YOU cited to counter the ThinkProgress article states that "overall, the student loan program would endure the largest cut in its history, and most of the money would not be pumped back into education." That's bad.

 

Most of the savings is due to that interest rate hike. So, students pay more, government pays less. That's not 'improving efficiency', that's just transferring money from students to the government (and from there, to tax cuts...). It's not that banks will merely profit less -- the profit will just be paid directly by students. Thanks to our education president!