Thom Hartmann: 21 minutes past the hour, welcome back, Thom Hartmann here with you, broadcasting live from Stadtsteinach, Germany. And Scott Wheeler on the line with us, he is the executive director of the National Republican Trust, NationalRepublicTrust.com. Scott welcome to the show.
Scott Wheeler: Hey, good to be with you Thom.
Thom Hartmann: I am looking at your home website, National Republican Trust Committee, political action committee and "Shadow Government: What Obama Doesn't Want You To Know About His Czars".
Scott Wheeler: Yes, have you read it yet Thom?
Thom Hartmann: Ha, no. But what about Bush’s Czars?
Scott Wheeler: Well, they were all, fortunately, for the country and the constitution, were all subject to legislative oversight. But when Bush by the way did try to appoint one to oversee foreign aid expenditures, uh the vice president who was then a senator, objected harshly saying that it should not be allowed because it would move the office and the regulation further away from…
Thom Hartmann: And if you look at the… come on, Scott, this is a non issue. I mean this, you wanted to come on and talk about the fairness doctrine, and let me ask you a question. Lacking a fairness doctrine, how do we deal with people in the medial intent on destroying this democracy? You’ve got people out there, talking, you know, Newsmax, which is sponsored by the National Republican Party talking about a military coup.
Scott Wheeler: Are you talking about Keith Olbermann? Thom, are you talking about Keith Olbermann? Are you referring to Keith Olbermann?
Thom Hartmann: I’m serious, I’m serious. You’ve got people out there, you’ve got people inciting racial hatred against our president on our nation’s airwaves.
Scott Wheeler: Which is who? Hold on Thom, let me go back, let me think who …
Thom Hartmann: Such as Glen Beck.
Scott Wheeler: Who are the only people who have cited someone’s race in the last 10 years, as a reason to oppose them. Let me think. Think, think, think. Oh that’s right it was Ted Kennedy and the Democrats who opposed Miguel Estrada because, their word, he was hispanic. So the only people who have used race as a reason to hold somebody down is your friends, Teddy Kennedy and the rest of the Democrat [sic] Party racist mob who believe and ascribe to the soft bigotry of low expectatons unless of course there’s a dangerous minority who is about to threaten their power base, and then they attack it full on, in a racist fashion. That’s the only people we have.
Thom Hartmann: See this is… Scott don’t you get it? Scott don’t you get it that rhetoric like that causes people to either A: think you guys have gone off the rails...
Scott Wheeler: No, I'm agreed, that’s why I defended Miguel Estrada. Because I think when Ted Kennedy and the rest of the Democrats attacked him because of his race it was outright wrong, and I know you agree with that. You don’t believe in leaving someone out, punishing them because of their race, do you?
Thom Hartmann: We have a collection of people on the Republican side. It seems to me, Scott, that…
Scott Wheeler:Thom, you don't believe... Thom, please.
Thom Hartmann: Scott, are you going to let me finish a sentence here on my own show? It seems to me that the Democrats are trying to move that legislation forward right now and we have Republicans, you’ve got Ginny Brown saying last week Democrats released a health bill which essentially said to Americans, ‘seniors drop dead.’ You’ve got Steve King, the Republican from Iowa, saying ‘people die when they’re in line, we’re going to save money by rationing care.’ You’ve got Virginia Foxx, Republican from North Carolina saying you know, ‘Americans are afraid of being put to death by their government.’ You’ve got congressman Paul Brown, the Republican from Georgia, saying ‘that’s exactly what’s going on in Canada, Great Britain, a lot of people are going to die.’ You’ve got Louie Gohmert, the Republican from Texas, saying ‘Wanama’s [ph]gonna die because we’re going to go to socialized care.’ These are lies and what is happening right now is that Americans are dying because of the death panels of our for profit insurance industry. And you guys are taking money from, and so are some Democrats by the way, taking money from this industry that is killing us, as Congressman Grayson correctly pointed out.
Scott Wheeler: Wait, just wait a minute, Thom…
Thom Hartmann: And you guys come out and try to say that there’s something wrong with the Democratic side?
Scott Wheeler: Hold on Thom. I cannot let you get away with this. In this country, right now.
Thom Hartmann: Well I’m asking, what are you guys doing…
Scott Wheeler: Hold on. We have in this country right now a free enterprise system, but for the huge conglomorate of government intervention into insurance, we have generally a free insurance system. If your insurance company does not live up to the contract it signed you can take them to court.
Thom Hartmann: Good luck.
Scott Wheeler: Show me the last person who won a suit against the government for negligence and I can tell you having participated in a government run healthcare system, the VA system, I can tell you, it is insane and anybody who advocates a government involved health care system…
Thom Hartmann: So Scott are you going to go on the air right now and say that you will recuse yourself from the VA system now and forever?
Scott Wheeler: I had no choice. They’re supposed to treat me, it took, three years ago…
Thom Hartmann: Are you wlling to say on the air right now that you are going to say to the Veteran’s Administration, ‘I never want your sevices again”?
Scott Wheeler: Thom, may I finish a sentence? I realize you guys don’t like facts and evidence, but let me…
Thom Hartmann: Are you going to pull out of the VA, Scott?
Scott Wheeler: Three years ago, let me tell you, not by my choice!
Thom Hartmann: Yes or no?
Scott Wheeler: Three years ago when I came off active duty wounded, here’s what I got. They said come down to the VA hospital and we will order your records so we can keep track and treat you for any follow up injuries. That was three years ago…
Thom Hartmann: So you’re not going to go on the records as pulling out of the VA now.
Scott Wheeler: Thom, may I finish my story here? I mean 30 seconds is all it takes.
Thom Hartmann: You’ve got 15 seconds, Scott.
Scott Wheeler: Okay, the VA told me, we will call you and we need to get you in here as soon as we get your records here. That was three years ago, still waiting for that call Thom. It does not work. The VA, you could not go from one clinic to another without them losing your records and I am not making that up.
Thom Hartmann: Okay. Scott Wheeler, of the National Republican Trust, NationalRepublicanTrust.com. Scott, I suspect I would have called back within those three years, but you know, I get your point. Thanks for dropping by.
Scott Wheeler: It does no good, good to talk to you.
Thom Hartmann: Okay, good talking with you. 27 minutes past the hour.
Transcribed by Suzanne Roberts, Portland Psychology Clinic.
