Steve Forbes, former presidential candidate and president/CEO of Forbes magazine had some interesting thoughts on my interview with Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson on last night's Kudlow & Company.KUDLOW: Steve Forbes, you heard Mr. Paulson on the question of corporate taxes and trade. Steve, as you know, the Democrats are debating again this evening. What do you expect to hear out of that debate?
STEVE FORBES: Well, I'm afraid you asked the right question, and obviously, the secretary had to duck it, about being double-crossed by the Democrats in Congress. Even [House Ways and Means Chairman Charles]Rangel couldn't get around the leadership and the labor union bosses who are against any kind of free trade agreement. So I'm not optimistic on it. I wish we could get these things through. They'd be good for us, good for the world.
KUDLOW: What do you think of this, Steve? I know you're a Giuliani man, I think you're one of the chairmen of his campaign. But Governor Mitt Romney teed off. He talked about the Democrats. He said, quote, "Their solutions are big brother, big taxes and big government. That's not the right answer for America." And he went a little further and he said--describing Senator Clinton--he said that's out with Adam Smith and in with Karl Marx. That's pretty tough stuff, Steve. Your comment?
STEVE FORBES: I think it's right on target. I think the Democrats miss it entirely on the economy. They still think in the 1990s the economy boomed when they raised taxes. Actually, as you know, it slowed economic growth. It wasn't until the Republicans took over that the economy took off. They haven't learned it yet. And unfortunately, we the people, if they get in [in 2008], are going to pay a huge price for their education.
