This post was written by Hatchet reporter Spogmay Ahmed.
Conservative commentator Bay Buchanan and blogger-coumnist Ezra Klein collided on economic, immigration and gun control issues Tuesday in a debate hosted by the GW Young America’s Foundation and the College Democrats.
Buchanan, who served as U.S. treasurer during the Reagan administration, and Klein, editor of the Washington Post’s Wonkblog, locked horns as gun control and immigration legislation heads toward congressional debate.
An immigration reform bill is set to be revealed this week, and the Senate will vote on a gun control measure Wednesday.
Klein, pointing to his southern California roots, was sympathetic of immigrants who come to the U.S. illegally, arguing that they work hard to earn a place in society.
“It turns my stomach a bit when we demonize the people who came here and risk everything in order to provide for their families,” he said.
Buchanan agreed that immigrants deserve just as much respect as citizens, but gave voice to legal immigrants and needy unskilled workers as essential, underrepresented members of society.
“We’re going to do what’s right by our people first. That’s what our government is about, taking care of American workers first,” she said.
On gun control, both Klein and Buchanan agreed the issue should go beyond regulation and limitation, expanding to include background checks, security programs and prosecution as necessary investments in controlling crime.
“How about the people who we know have guns illegally? Are we prosecuting them? Are we going after them? They are not,” Buchanan said.
The debate was moderated by associate professor of writing and religion Derek Malone-France, who also moderated the 2011 College Democrat-College Republican debate between Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich.
But the ideological opposites did find some room for overlapping opinions Tuesday. Each cited the lack of cooperation in Washington as a core concern.
And both debaters also recognized the government’s responsibility to maintain a balanced budget.
“One of the sad dichotomies in Washington we don’t need to have is this idea that there is some sort of tension between doing that and no longer producing the deficit to a manageable level,” Klein said. “We can walk and we can chew gum at the same time.”
