Dean Barkley discusses his short career in the Senate


	Barkley: "If Republicans would keep their nose out of people's individual lives, I could probably become one. But I'm half Republican and I'm half Democrat."

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The death last month of Sen. Paul Wellstone left a vacancy in the U.S. Senate that Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura filled by appointing fellow independent Dean Barkley.

The recently sworn in Senator Barkley joined "Crossfire" hosts Paul Begala and Robert Novak on Friday to discuss what he hopes to accomplish during his short term in Washington.

BEGALA: You paid tribute to Senator Wellstone by sponsoring an immigrant community center in St. Paul in his memory. And everybody I know appreciates that, and I want to particularly, publicly, thank you for that.

I'm wondering if you'll carry on a little further. There's a bill on homeland security that has gone to the Senate. The Senate (version) had (in) it a Wellstone amendment. Let me read you what Paul Wellstone said when he added this amendment.

He said this: "I'll tell you this. We're not going to let these companies set up these dummy corporations and not pay their fair share of taxes. We're going to shut the loophole. And as long as they do it, if they want to renounce their U.S. citizenship, they're not going to be eligible for government contracts. It's that simple."

House Republicans have taken the Wellstone amendment out of that homeland security bill. Will you stand with those who want to keep the Wellstone amendment in and protect us from these corporations that are trying to rip us off?

BARKLEY: Well, that's a very good argument. I wasn't happy with what was in that bill that came over. I called Andy Card myself. I said, "You know, I've been supportive. I want to get the president a bill that he can sign. But what was in the bill today, I wasn't happy with."

Now I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going to go home to Minnesota and think about it and come back here on Monday and cast a vote either for the Daschle amendment or not. But I've got a lot of thinking to do. I want a homeland security bill, but I'm not very happy with what the Republicans did today or last night in the House.

BEGALA: Now the Daschle amendment -- you're already speaking like a senator -- that would have stripped all of the pork out.

NOVAK: But you're not happy with letting corporations operate so they can find the best tax climate. Do you think that's being a traitor?

BARKLEY: No. I mean, businesses are out to make money. But government has an obligation to not have to reward those who try to escape the taxes. I believe that Senator Wellstone's position was well-founded. I believed in it.

I have got a tough decision to make. I know that. I might be the deciding vote on this if it goes down the party line. And I'm not taking it lightly.

And I'm going to go and do some heavy thinking. Maybe keep my phone off the hook so Andy Card can't find me this weekend. And come back and make a decision based on my own value system.

NOVAK: Andrew Card is the White House chief of staff.

BEGALA: Are you going to, like, talk to Minnesotans? How do you arrive at this decision?

BARKLEY: I've been getting feedback all day from Minnesota people. They find my phone finally works and they can get hold of me. And I will listen to people, and I'll make a determination what I think is best for this country. ...

BEGALA: Well, given that you're the deciding vote on a couple of really big issues, I bet you both parties are kissing up to you -- I was about to say another phrase, but we're on TV.

BARKLEY: Well, that's why I'm not going to tell them what I'm going to do. I'm going to make them worried about it.

BEGALA: Good for you.

NOVAK: Senator, I'm going to ask you three questions. And I'm going to ask you to do something that if you were a long-serving senator you would never do. I want you to give a yes-or-no answer to them.

BARKLEY: Certainly.

NOVAK: OK. Do you favor, as a general rule, lower taxes than we now have across the board?

BARKLEY: Yes.

NOVAK: Do you favor, as a general rule, an option for younger people, if they want to, to invest some of the money they pay for Social Security in a personal account that would be theirs?

BARKLEY: Yes.

NOVAK: Do you favor, generally speaking, a lid on government spending so that there are some restraints on how much the government spends?

BARKLEY: Yes.

NOVAK: Well, you know, you're a Republican. Why don't you go with the Republicans?

BARKLEY: Well, those are all fiscal issues. If Republicans would keep their nose out of people's individual lives, I could probably become one. But I'm half Republican, and I'm half Democrat.

BEGALA: See, Novak thinks the government has no business in the boardroom, but the Republicans want to have a lot of business in our bedroom. Doesn't make any sense to me.

I was wondering, I was struck by that answer. I'm going to lobby you now. Why don't you sponsor the Barkley "Crossfire" act that makes all of your colleagues answer straight questions and straight answers the way you just did?

BARKLEY: Well, write it up, and I'll introduce it on Monday.

BEGALA: Here we go. We'll have the Barkley "Crossfire" act. That would be great.

Well, what is next? Are you going to write your memoirs on your Senate career? (Will you) do the talk shows?

BARKLEY: Actually, what's next is I've got to go back to Minnesota and open up a Minnesota office. I opened up the Washington office in about four days. That was warp speed ... I've got to go back and open a Minnesota office.

NOVAK: Now you're working very hard. Do you expect when you leave the Senate by the end of the year --

BARKLEY: January, I think it is the third.

NOVAK: Now, will you get a government pension for that?

BARKLEY: No. You need to be here five years before a pension.

NOVAK: OK, but will you have lifetime privileges to go on the Senate floor? Even if you're a lobbyist?

BARKLEY: Even if you're there just one day.

NOVAK: Now, is that your plan, to come back as a lobbyist and lobby these guys?

BARKLEY: No, I plan on going back to Minnesota and finding a job when I'm done with this because my job with the Ventura administration is done January 7. So I'll be a private sector citizen again.

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