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>> republican presidential candidate ben carson has released several books on politics. here he is speak at the national press club about his most recent, "a more perfect union." >> why did i write this book?

and american is such a great place and i am so glad that i was born here. though i have traveled to 57 different countries, gotten to know lots of people in a lot of other ways, but this remains the place that is the land of dreams. and a lot of people like to criticize our nation, demonize it and say it's responsible for a lot of horrible things. and yet i see a lot of people trying to get in your and not a lot of people trying to get out. so i'm not sure that is really all that legitimate to be honest with you. growing up in poverty with a lot of disadvantages, the thing that was really great is i was still able to focus my dream of becoming a doctor. it's the thing i ever wanted to do. i skipped right by policemen and firemen and went straight to

doctor. and you know, i love anything that has to do with medicine. i even like going to the doctor's office. i would gladly sacrificed a shot just be able to smell those alcohol swabs, you know? so cool. on through the whole process, whether a lot of hurdles along the way? absolutely. tremendous hurdles along the way. but nevertheless, it was still possible to realize that dream. and i want to make sure that continues to be the case. one of the reasons that it was possible is because we have a system that did everything possible to create fairness, even when there were people in the system who did not want to be here. >> you are watching booktv, television for serious readers.

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>> now joining us on booktv, john goodman of the independent institute. first of all, what is at the independent institute and what do you for living? >> it is a think tank i just started my own think tank called the goodman institute. we work very closely together and i'm an economist, and my focus is on public policy. >> where are you based? >> i'm in dallas but we have a virtual think tank and to i could be anywhere. >> john goodman, you've written about health care for quite a while come is that a fair statement? here's your most recent book, a better choice. the affordable care act is now the law of the land. >> it is.

this book focus on six big problems with obamacare that are not going away at it will require congress and the president to get together to solve them. they don't soften things are going to get very bad. spent what's problem number one? personal to you except the affordable care act, obamacare as the law of the land? are you okay with it because of course it's the law of the land but no, the six big problems are big, big problems. it's a bad reform to we could do much better than that. that's what i'm trying to do. >> the biggest problem in your view with the affordable care act is because you and i are going to be required to buy insurance package as gaza go to faster than our income. if each is a guide that will grow twice as fast as our income. so it's going like this but the federal government help for us will be very flat. spending on medicare, grows with economy and tablet.

spending on medicaid hospital, grows the economy and deadly. the subsidies after 2018 are going to grow old with economy but health care is going like this are governments help is flat so it makes more and more of the burden is shifting to the private sector spent what is health care going like this? >> it's been doing that for 40 years. i suppose one of the main reasons is we maybe don't pay for health care with our own money. were just like people in other countries. we mainly pay for it with our time and someone else hands over the money. an employer, insurance company or government. >> in your view could health care be tied to our employer? >> i would create a level playing field. you could just as much help if you're buying interest as you as you do at work and i would also get rid of all laws that prevent employers from my insurance that is personal and affordable. i've let the market decide. if employers have something to

offer they will do it. if they don't, they shouldn't be in the market. >> doesn't obama to offer us affordability? >> no, no, no. obamacare puts huge fight on employers who try to buy for their employees individually owned insurance for a while some employers are doing that, just give the employee someone 11 provide own insurance. a lot of attitude of state governments was "don't ask, don't tell." obamacare says we will post punitive fines on you. >> john goodman, what if congress review or radically changed obamacare if there's republican elected in 2016? >> i would like, we have to a replacement and i would like to see universal tax credits, give everybody the same amount of health for health insurance regardless of what they did it, make sure it is not affected help people work or how many hours they work or how much they earn. really universal intellect

government back up and get out of the way. the people make their own choices. let the market compete. >> medical savings accounts? you've been involved with for a while. >> i am called the father of health savings accounts. it's a very key. we need a much more liberal health savings account law. and used to be very flexible wrapping rent a third party insurance. this could be a huge boon to the chronically ill. many of them would like to manage their own health care. they need to manage the money that pays for that care. >> john goodman, you write as one of the problems or six problems, or one of the six solutions, real interest. what do you mean by real insurance? >> here's an obama's a record in discrimination discrimination against people with preexisting conditions but what we got is a bait and switch. it's true right now insurance companies can't turn it down or exclude you because of a pre-existing illness but what we are seeing is this race to the

bottom and exchanges, very narrow network. if you're a hard patiently to get in a network and find out there is the heart doctor within 50 miles of you, that i think is intolerable and there's a much better way of doing it. the premiums the individual pays should not be based on his health condition but there needs to be a condition to that so the ensure gets and actuarially of their premium as they do in the medicare advantage program. if that happens then will have insurers competing for the healthy and sick on a level playing field. >> part of the debate on health care industry is whether not health care is a right. >> no place in the world has made health care and right. you live in canada, you don't have a right to come or i or even a right to wait in line. the language of rights distracts us from what's really happening. i think accident update could be made better in the united states, and was happen with

obamacare will make access worse for people and medicaid, and subsidized plans, and low income folks. >> medicaid as a competitor is one of your ideas. >> i would let everyone going medicaid. the left says we want a public plan to compete with the private sector. let everybody medicaid get out, can get a private plane if they want. is a very wealthy person wants to go into, wants to wait for his character make into the. most medicaid plans these days are run by private health plans but it's still a very good. there are long waiting periods, and private insurance is better. spin is it politically feasible to make medicaid medicare a competitive option? >> well off course. i would like to see a uniform tax cut available to everyone. i would