Q: How would you describe Ryan’s views toward the role of government?
A: We know he has sort of an anti-government viepoint. If you look at his budgets, he doesn’t just come after federal employees. It seeks to dismantle the important federal investments in education and scientific research. It would put the burden of rising health-care costs on seniors on Medicare by turning Medicare into a voucher plan. So, I would say he falls into the [tax fighting] Grover Norquist school, which says that they want to shrink government down to where they can drown it in a bathtub.
Q: Is there a difference between his policy prescriptions and his personal views toward the federal workforce?
A: That’s a very difficult question to answer. On this issue I really can’t read his mind. I can only read his budgets and his budgets are very hostile to federal employees.