NOVAK:   Time for "Fireback," when the viewers fire back at us. Our first e-mail tonight from Randy of Shaytown, Pennsylvania. He says, "Hey, Bob, you say that poor people don't need tax cuts because we would spend it on cigarettes and beer. Well, Bob, it's time to call Mr. Bush for another tax cut, because I just ran out of cigarettes and beer." Well, let me tell you something. I never said you don't need tax cuts. I said you spent your tax cuts on cigarettes and beer while the rich people invest it, and that's why they're rich and you're poor. 
BEGALA:   No, the rich people spend it on caviar and champagne. I'd just assume -- not the cigarettes but I've the beer. Good for you. Jose Penabella (ph) wrote about our debate last night about medical marijuana, "Let me be first to say, although I am not quite ready for Medicare, I am ready to change my political affiliation to the first party that adds medical marijuana as a prescription medication to Medicare. Talk about getting the youth of America to vote." Oh, great. And he's from Miami, Jose. Hey, dudes, let's go vote Bush. I think that's how bush carried Florida, actually. 
NOVAK:   I think he wants to join the grass party. All right. Philip Rauso (ph) of Gold Canyon, Arizona talks about our friend Traficant. "He remains the one person who stood up to the IRS and called them what they really are: thieves that reach into the American citizens' private life to destroy all we've worked for. Traficant has my vote no matter what jail they put him in." Way to go, Philip. 
BEGALA:   Tony Daughtrey of Knoxville, Tennessee writes about the controversy surrounding Bush's vacation. "Bush announces he's taking a month-long vacation and the stock market rallies. Ari Fleischer announces Bush will keep an aggressive work schedule during that vacation and the markets tumble." Tony, you may be on to something. Let's keep him away from here. 
NOVAK:   First question from the audience. 
PETER:   My name is Peter Kingston (ph). I'm the captain of Princeton's chess team. Will extra regulations truly alter corporate behavior or will there simply be a few more unenforced laws for corporations to defy? 
BEGALA:   That's a great question. I think if we have the right leadership at the Securities and Exchange Commission, they'll enforce those new laws, which is why John McCain, a Republican, is right that Harvey Pitt has to go. Good question, and good luck in the chess tournament this year in the Ivy League. 
NOVAK:   It's all politics, Mr. Captain.  Go ahead, next. 
DAVE:   I'm Dave from Kensington, Maryland. And I'm wondering what kind of sentences can we expect under the new Bush economic order for those CEOs and accountants that ran off with the 401(k) plans? 
NOVAK:   Well, I hope that don't we have a criminalization of accounting errors, because that isn't the way we want it. This is not the Soviet Union. 
BEGALA:   Well, Bush, who ripped off his shareholders, is in a federal institution surrounded by men with guns, but it's the White House, so I don't know how serious they are. 
NOVAK:   That's not even funny. Go ahead. 
BEGALA:   Sure it is. 
PETER:   My name is Peter  . I'm from Freeport, Illinois, and my question is are Democrats just very desperate for an election year issue or do they truly expect us to believe that the Republicans are the only party with ties to corporate donations? 
NOVAK:   You know how cynical and absolutely hypocritical that is that they are both into big money, and they should be, because much is at stake with the size of the government. 
BEGALA:   The November elections should be about who is tough enough to take on corporate criminals. From the left, I'm Paul Begala. Good night for CROSSFIRE. 
NOVAK:   From the right, I'm Robert Novak. Join us again next time for another edition of CROSSFIRE. "CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT" begins immediately after a CNN "NEWS ALERT."
