Price, 55, who represents Cherokee, said the economy, jobs, spending and taxes are the top issues for Americans now.
"And I think the anger and the concern and the angst that you sense here and across the country is because they don't feel that the kind of solutions that are being offered for all of those problems make any sense," he said. "The economy, as you know, the second quarter was downgraded to a 1.6 percent growth last week ... You know that you need a 3 percent growth in an economy to have anything expand at all to create any real jobs, and so things are continuing to move in the wrong direction in spite of the policies that have been put in place."
Price said the health care bill continues to get more unpopular, leaving Democrats "in a world of hurt."
"The good news is that there are wonderful solutions to be offered and we hope to have the opportunity to lead after November and put some of those things in place," Price said.
The following Q&A includes excerpts from Price's meeting with the Tribune.
Q: Do you think this president knows that he's taking a lot of Democrats over the cliff?
A: When I talk to folks on the other side of the aisle who have implored him, have begged him, to do something different, he apparently just kind of brushes them off as 'you really don't know.' So this whole experience, his whole mindset and ideology, is not consistent with where these moderate Democrats are from across the country. They're very concerned.
Q: You've made headlines this week for being named one of three congressmen that the Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating related to fundraisers you had prior to voting against the financial overhaul bill the president signed into law on July 21. What is your explanation?
A: It's truly a mystery. The review, which is what it is, is as to whether or not there were fundraisers that resulted in some type of change in what one would have otherwise done. I told somebody I was born to vote against that bill. People knew I was against that bill from the very first day ... The notion that fundraisers that we put in place six, eight, ten weeks before a vote that we know about the day before, and having some correlation between the two, is just an absolutely stretch. There were 250 members of Congress who had fundraisers during that nine-day period of time - 30 of them on the Financial Services Committee itself. Why we're being singled out is anybody's guess ... I don't know who raised this issue, I'm not able to face my accuser.
Q: If Republicans take over the House, what's going to be the top priority?
A: Repealing Obamacare is at the top of the list. (Also,) cutting out spending, reducing our spending to pre-bailout, pre-stimulus levels immediately. Doing something to assist the job creators, which is providing that certainty and decreasing some of the onerous regulations. I believe we ought to be freeing up credit in communities. The community banks right now that are the lifeblood to communities across this country are under the gun by the FDIC. They are being required to live up to two standards ... and that is to increase your capitalization and not loan to folks who have any risk at all and get more loans out the door, and those two things collide.
Q: Which part of Obamacare would you try to attack first, the whole thing or just increments?
A: Well I think the nation doesn't want Obamacare so I'd repeal the whole thing. I think the crux of it is the individual mandate that dictate to each and every American citizen that they have to purchase what the government requires them to purchase under penalty of law. I believe that to be unconstitutional ... When you repeal that, the whole bill comes tumbling down."
Q: What do you think Obama's reaction will be if there is a big GOP win in the fall in the next two years? Will he change course or will he just veto things?
A: I hope he uses the President Clinton model. You know, after President Clinton lost, his party lost the majority in the House ... I don't know. I mean, (Obama) doesn't give you any sense about where he's going to go.
Q: You mentioned domestic issues are what it's all about right now. That's basically what the president said in his speech, justifying the withdrawal from Iraq. Do you agree with bringing our troops home from Iraq and a timeline for Afghanistan?
A: I think the speech was given to fulfill his political promise that combat troops would be pulled out of Iraq by the end of August. The fact of the matter is, we still have 50,000 folks over there in harms way and to even insinuate that they're no longer in a combat zone and that they're no longer in combat mode is nonsense. This is all about politics ... The rules of engagement have been so distorted that when I talk to folks, I talk to people that have been over there and continue to come back and forth the rules of engagement they believe are basically a joke. They've got to get permission oftentimes to engage the enemy. This is not any way to engage in a war. It threatens not just our men and women over there it threatens the stability of the region and of the world.
Q: How long should we stay over there in those two countries?
A: I don't know that the conventional war is what needs to be fought over there, but I have little faith that this Administration is looking at any other options. As I say, it's the tone and the posture and the approach to the challenge. If your generals are given the mission of coming home, that's their mission. Their mission isn't to win. Their mission is to come home. Then that's what they'll do.
Q: What's your take on the Ground Zero mosque?
A: Clearly, my take is they've got the right to build it ... (But) I think it's not the right thing to do.
Q: Why do you think it is that so many Americans, especially the ones on the left, have such a hard time seeing the threat that is posed by radical Islamic terrorism and the threat of imposing Sharia (sacred law of Islam) in this and other western countries?
A: It's the - I guess - the President's notion that if you just hug everybody enough that everything will be all right. The fact of the matter is this is a very dangerous world ... One of our duties is to make certain that we provide security for our country and the notion that you can do that simply through discussion is, I think, very na ve ... Somebody said there's going to be a supreme military power in the world. If you don't want it to be the United States, who do you want it to be? That's an important question.
Q: Another thing that has made you famous this week is The Hill was out with "Fifty richest politicians on Capital Hill." You're ranked 32, you're at $8.5 million and they go on to make a big deal of this. What do you make of that?
A: I don't know ... I was fortunate enough to provide care for folks in our community for over 20 years and plan well and be frugal and have a frugal spouse and family and so we've been very blessed.
Q: The big news now is the Middle East peace talks with Obama up there. Is this same old same old?
A: I think we are less stable in the Middle East now because of what this Administration has done in its lack of resolve and support for the State of Israel. That is a tough, tough neighborhood over there and nobody, nobody rewards timidity in the Middle East, and that's exactly what this president's message has given.
Q: What would you like to see Obama do in the case of Israel?
A: I think we have to be very, very strong in our message to the world about the State of Israel, and that is they are our ally, they are kindred souls.
Q: How do you prevent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? He ignores economic sanctions.
A: Behind closed doors, you've got to get the civilized world including the Russians and the Chinese to act as one in forcing Iran to do the right thing ... I don't believe that it is in Russia's best interest or China's best interest to have a nuclearized Iran.
Q: If Israel attacks Iran what would you expect Obama's reaction would be?
A: Some of his advisors have said, 'We ought to shoot down the Israeli planes.' If that isn't the craziest thing. That's the kind of message that other nations in the Middle East look at and they say, 'What? Where's the U.S. gone?'
Q: Should we have gone to Iraq in the first place?
A: Sure, it was the right thing to do. The stability in that area of the world needed to be increased. The havens for terrorism and terrorism training needed to be disrupted. All indications by all accounts, all accounts at the time, revealed that there was a threat that was occurring in Iraq.
Q: Is the world better off after the topple of Saddam Hussein?
A: I think history will tell. I don't know that we know that right now.
Q: Who do the Republicans have to beat Obama in two years?
A: They're going to be lining up ... I think (Obama) will be a one-term president.
Q: Do you think Sarah Palin will run?
A: I don't think so, but I don't have any grand knowledge about that.
Q: Do you think Newt Gingrich would be a viable candidate?
A: I think, possibly. Newt's a brilliant guy with more ideas than anybody has ever had.
Q: Your candidate, Karen Handel, lost in the governor's race lost. Is that going to come back to haunt you if Nathan gets elected?
A: I don't think so. I'm supporting Nathan 110 percent.
Q: What's most likely going to happen to your district after Congressional redistricting?
A: Well Georgia gets another district, as you know, which is good. We'll work with the folks to hopefully fashion that and have it be a Republican district. It'll go north of I-20 ... It looks like the 6th district has probably 150,000 to 200,000 more residents than would be allowed. So my district probably gets smaller geographically.
Q: How long do you want to be in the House? Do you want to go on to the Senate?
A: I'm here to serve and I mean that sincerely. I left a medical practice that I loved because I thought that it was important to try to help turn the ship around, and so I'm here to serve.
What a completely dishonest answer. There were no Al Qaeda training camps in Iraq. None of the 9-11 terrorists were from Iraq. In fact there were no connections between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Also, the CIA's assessment was and remains that these two entities were natural enemies.
Price knows these facts, why does he lie about it?
But he can't remember when he made his own reservation at the Capital Hill Club.