ON THE RADAR: Thursday
Lisa Ort
AC360° Producer
Meet the spouses…and other stories on our radar:
ON THE TRAIL: McCain and Palin hit the trail together with rallies in Cedar Rapids, IA and Green Bay, WI. Obama has a rally in Espanola, NM. Biden has rallies in Canton, Akron and Youngstown, OH.
RAW POLITICS: Meet the spouses of the VP candidates. Randi Kaye profiles Todd Palin. He’s been called Alaska’s “First Dude” but some say he should be called the “Shadow Governor” because he’s a powerful player in Alaska politics. David Mattingly profiles Jill Biden who has been married to Sen. Joe Biden for more than 30 years. How has she influence his personal and political life? What impact will she have on the campaign?
COUNTERING AL QAEDA HEARING: The House Armed Services Committee’s Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee holds a hearing on "Lessons for Countering al Qaeda and the Way Ahead."
ED MCMAHON LAWSUIT HEARING: Ed McMahon is suing Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for allegedly botching two surgeries he had on his neck after a fall.
DREW PETERSON GUN CASE: There’s a hearing scheduled in the case against former police officer Drew Peterson. He was charged with possessing an unlawful assault rifle.
NASA FUTURE FORUM: As part of its 50th anniversary NASA is holding a series of forums to discuss the future of space exploration.
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Filed under: 360° Radar |
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Anderson, I was just thinking tonight that whenever healthcare for everyone has been brought up the Repubs say we shouldn't have "socialized" medical care, or with our schools in need of so much and so few kids even graduating, well, there seems to be no money in our budget for that, either. But it would be funny if it weren't so tragic that Bush and his buddies have no trouble with "universal bailing out", it seems. With this latest Wall Street mess, I figure it won't be long til we give the same kind of help if the airline industry shows up for money , or for that matter, the auto makers in Detroit. We seem to also have trillions for a war that we should have NEVER started, and it just seems to me that my U.S. of A. is looking more and more like Russia or China, because the govt is funding and in the middle of everything...well almost everything, They don't put money toward healthcare or social programs or the education crisis in this country. It has always puzzled me that the same bunch call themselves "pro life", but that caring and concern ends as soon as a girl decides against an abortion. From that point on she is on her own because Bush and his cronies spend tons of money in every way that they DON'T need to, and to hell with the true needs of so many in this country that need help with housing and jobs and the list goes on. Why could we not help the survivors of Katrina at least as much as we are giving to Iraq?? They have pitted us against each other for 8 long and costly years. I am damn sure gonna keep trying to get Barack and Biden elected cause the way I see it, we got no where to go but up, and I definitely want my president to be smarter than me!
Time for a new NEW DEAL? A President can't do anything about the ECONOMY? Somebody mentioned Roosevelt. War will not get us out of this pit. Solar power will. Look up. Time for Obama to introduce his secretary of interior, and secretaries of everything so we can vote on the whole package like I think they do in England? Obama could do this. This would be a real change in American politics.
You just raised the question: what can the President really do about the economy?
May I point out: this economic meltdown did not happen by accident. The national debt has doubled since George W. Bush took office. Why? Tax cuts have something to do with it, but more to the point, profligate deficit spending by the government, and a national security policy which assumes the existence of an unlimited line of credit for the United States. (BTW, this is the Republican President I voted for in 2000.)
One of the most important reasons for carefully considering the military initiative in Iraq was (and still is) the potential risk of a long, costly and technically un-winnable insurgency. A war which was supposed to cost $60-Billion, is now at $650-Billion, and that doesn't take into account the residual costs which are probably twice that. This risk was clearly articulated by our intelligence agencies in assessments delivered to the White House prior to going forward. President Bush chose to ignore those warnings, and in hindsight, we now know that his administration had no clear plan as to what they would do after defeating Saddam Hussein's army.
This goes to the question of which party is better able to manage and protect the security of this nation. As a Republican, I trusted that George Bush knew what he was doing when we invaded Iraq. It was only in late 2003 that I finally faced the fact that we had elected an incompetent person to lead this country. Senator McCain insists that Obama is too naive to be Commander in Chief. But Obama was one of the very few voices in opposition to the initiative in Iraq, and warned from the very beginning that the critical field of battle was in Afghanistan. The consensus now is that he was right, and Bush and everyone else was wrong.
Senator Obama recognized the continuing necessity to consolidate our forces and stem the economic damage being done by the $10-Billion a month we're spending on Iraq. Were it not for the intense pressure of opposition to "Staying the course" in Iraq, there would have been no surge, and there would be no timeline for withdrawal. Now we have both, and none too soon.
As for the domestic contribution to our economic meltdown, the mindset of the Bush administration and John McCain for the last eight years has been clear: hands-off the financial markets or regulation of any kind for that matter. The same is true on climate change. Anything inconvenient to business has been off limits.
Now we have a mortgage crisis driven entirely by opportunism and greed on the part of our major financial institutions, and $900-Billion in additional debt to bail them out. That works out to well over $1-Trillion in borrowing by the Bush administration in just the last year (including a $409-Billion deficit).
Clearly, repairing the economy will be a challenge to the incoming administration. But by pursuing a reckless and unsustainable mission in Iraq, failing to exercise the oversight for which there are already regulations in the financial markets, it's no wonder that the value of the dollar has been diluted by 30%, energy costs tripled, and the cost of service on the national debt is heading towards $400-Billion a year.
Those are the predictable consequences of profligacy and incompetence by our leadership. And now we are asked to believe that John McCain is outraged by all of it, and intends to fix it when he takes office? Where was his outrage over the last eight years as George Bush steered this nation's economy and it's military and it's security into a ditch?
The fact that my fellow Republicans refuse to acknowledge the failures of the team we put in office is a disgrace to our party. After the last eight years, to even consider returning the incumbent party control of the White House is absurd, even if John McCain were properly articulating who is to blame for the damage that has been done, and he's not.
what are the ramifications of Sarah Palin refusing to co operate with the investigation and what are the ramifications of her destroying evidence in an ongoing investigation? Lets keep them honest Peopel have a right to know.
Are republicans for banking regulation now?
Sarah Palin is a direct reflection on John McCain's judgement. If that matters anymore? She is the most embattled candidate in this race. Every time we turn a page in her book we find new drama! We find out now that her stint as Mayor wasn't such good executive experience. Well apparently that doesn't matter either? If McCain thoroughly vetted this candidate then I'm the reincarnation of Davey Crocket.
is it just me or am i not the only one that feels offended by the blatent disrespect from the macain camp by throwing this tottally unqualified person into the the race who tries to make it cool to be ignorant and uninformed like thats what we should want in a leader. not a well educated and intelectual person like obama. if i wanted a soccer mom to be my vice presendent i would have told my wife t put her bid in. NO! to be vice presendent you need to be a well rounded very intelengent and capable person one who at least knows what the bush docterine is. lets get real
I listen to all the dismal news pouring in @ warp speed and wonder how can we get this country, my country, back on it's feet. I remember as a kid I grew up wishing for things, people used to save for things they purchased. We have all been in the instant, face paced abyss of consumerism, without the funding to back our dandy new purchases. Just because that transaction will go through on a thin number embedded piece of plastic, does not mean the transaction should be completed, nor made. I remember in the 1970s and 80s, a television was several hundred dollars,as well as a VCR. Now the average person can go to a discount retailer and purchase a television for about $150.00. Meanwhile, our middle income factory jobs, where a son could follow his father's footsteps into, have all but diminished. Should we not be willing to pay more for our consumer goods, so americans have a fair shot @ getting a job with decent pay and benefits. We have sold our jobs out to the likes of Wal-Mart, myself included, hungry for the best deal. Is it really the best deal if you pay a fraction of what you would have paid in the 1970s for a similar item and put Americans out of work? I wish someone would start a chain of stores that Americans like myself are willing to wish and save to get that something great, like a big screen! If we don't support our Country with some loyalty to American made products and know where those items can be purchased, then surely we will continue in the downward spiral that we are experiencing. I believe we have an imperative need to know what country our consumerism is supporting. I also believe American base companies that outsource their jobs overseas, while the CEO walks away with the companies future stability in his wallet, should be outted, no holes barred. I remember hearing on television years ago that the Japanese were very loyal and would pay more for their own brands to support their country, what about us?
I thought Todd Palin was home with the kids. He was going to be Mr. Mom but it seems he is at every stop with Sarah, John and Cindy. So, who is taking care of the kids?
Cindy mentioned recently that she and John had picked Sarah for VP. If Hilary would have said that when Bill was running, oh boy!
This foursome is rather scary!!
I would like to see some investigating as to what is happening to the people from Ike and FEMA (who should have had everything ready this time). Seems like the people are suffering much like Katrina victims and they have been forgotten much faster. Maybe not the magnitude of Katrina but still bears a little more coverage.
The definition of change for the McCin/Palin ticket is going back to the dark ages.
As Americans we claim to believe in equality–Strange that Lynn de Rothschild accuses Obama of being elitist. As a Jewish white female I interrupt this as blatant racism, "lets keep those people in their place". I hope that Obama wins the presidency so we can have a president who truly cares about American values. Sorry to disappoint the Palin fans but I am just not as impressed with the five unknown colleges she attended. Somehow I believe if Obama was not Obama his Harvard degree would not be sneered at. Shame on all those elitists who in 2008 still want to keep people in their place.