News Roundup - Hour 1
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-04-30/news-roundup-hour-1
![With Republicans having ended their blockade against Wall Street Reform, the President explains that "through all the noise and the lobbyists and the partisanship," there's a simple choice. - Pete Souza/Official White House Photo](http://thedianerehmshow.org/sites/thedianerehmshow.org/files/imagecache/620xH/images/headline/hero_wsr-illinois_MG_4654.jpg "With Republicans having ended their blockade against Wall Street Reform, the President explains that "through all the noise and the lobbyists and the partisanship," there's a simple choice. - Pete Souza/Official White House Photo")
With Republicans having ended their blockade against Wall Street Reform, the President explains that "through all the noise and the lobbyists and the partisanship," there's a simple choice.
Pete Souza/Official White House Photo
Senate debate begins on a financial overhaul bill. The Supreme Court rules on religious symbols on federal land. And the president selects three nominees for the Federal Reserve Board. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.
Guests
Jerry Seib
executive Washington editor, "The Wall Street Journal."
Susan Page
Washington bureau chief for USA Today.
Chris Cillizza
is managing editor of PostPolitics.com and author of "The Fix" on washingtonpost.com.
Comments
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drill baby drill
spill baby spill
Diane,
I'd like to know if it is true that U.S. citizens would willingly perform the jobs, many of which are low-wage, that are currently performed by illegal residents. Is there any reliable research that addresses this matter? Isn't it the case that U.S. citizens are not willing to perform such jobs?
Thank you,
Al Boutin (BOO-tin)
San Antonio, TX NPR KSTX
I've watched the interest rates on my credit cards jump from the low teens to nearly 30%. I've never missed or been late on a payment. I carry a balance from month to month, but I typically pay much more than the minimum. I would like to pay them off and get out from under the Plastic Thumb, but you can't make online purchases or travel without a credit card. Will the financial reform legislation address this credit card usury?
I keep hearing journalists refer to the oil company responsible for this spill as "BP." Are they still "British Petroleum" and are they still wholly or partially owned by the British government? Has the British government offered any help?
What frustrates me is the double standards...basically the people that are calling for limited government, less regulations are now screaming where is the federal government to control the spill...I say, they voted for them...let the market fix the issue...yes, it will affect me as well...
Most Americans want illegal immigrants out of our country but yet no one is willing to pay higher prices for the cost of food and services. Every restaurant, hotel, lawn company, and construction company all over our country hire illegal immigrants because they are not willing to pay fair wages, and American citizens are simply not applying for those jobs. Furthermore, the violence related to drug cartels is fueled by the American citizens that are demanding and buying drugs that are coming not only from Mexico but form countries from all over the world. We did create this crisis but instead of going after these poor people who barely speak English, the laws should be enforced with the big companies and the people who do understand our language and our laws.
Re: Congressional hearing on deaths of 29 coal miners.
The government agency, Mine Safety and Health Administration, is complicit with Massey in those deaths. They awarded Massey three "Sentinels of Safety Awards" in 2009. Joseph Main (MSHA head) spoke long and said nothing new (beyond making lame excuses for the agency). What will the administration actually do to make coal mining safer?
Now two more miners have died in Kentucky.
Perhaps some of these people at Goldman Sachs need to have to make ends meet by cleaning commodes or working at McDonald's for a living. They have no perspective.
Enron, WaMu, and AIG were PREDATORY CAPITALISTS.
The problem is not the many small businesses that work hard
and ethically for what they earn,
the problem is the TOO BIG TO FAIL PREDATORY CAPITALISTS.
BREAK THEM UP.
John, Elko NV
The Social Security Administration has estimated that undocumented immigrants contribute approximately $8.5 billion in Social Security and Medicare funds each year. Money that those people never see again, in any form.
As for the oil spill - If we'd been spending more money on research, ways to conserve fuel, instead of drilling and, by the way, going to war with a country that did nothing to us, we might not have this horrible mess. From what I hear, the US gov will not bail BP out of this mess. It is going to be BP's responsibility all the way. It is a troublesome company. A few years ago, the plant in Texas City had some serious problems and safety issues were the core of the problem. The whole mess is brains vs brawn. Let's quit drilling and start using our brains to bring our country up to an environmental protection level of which we can be proud.
Its against the law to be in this country illegally. Its also against the law to speed yet most people do it every day. There are degrees of illegality it is not black and white, and in this case not just a get them out of here or let them stay issue.
I am Puerto Rican. Islanders became American citizens in 1917. I was born an American in Puerto Rico. I have brown skin and my English is accented. Technically, I am not an immigrant, yet I meet the stereotype. I'd be someone likely to get detained under the Arizona law because, like must Americans, I don't carry anything on me asserting my citizenship. It's almost amusing, not to say ridiculous, that the proponents of the law think it is just OK to demand this from me, as if my citizenship was second class. Then again, as a writer, it wouldn't be so bad to go through the experience. It would be a heck of a story.
Hello, your guest just made a comment about the hurricane katrina being a work of nature opposed to the oil drilling being a work of man, but as I remember there were many engineers saying long befor the hurricane, that the levys were not in good condition and needed attention, so isnt that also partly the hand of man
Cindy, Ohio
Diane Rehm I look forward to your retirement. I did not appreciate when you did not responded to the woman that called from Washington and talked about when Bush wanted to put our social security into the hands of the investment companies. So far the show has been boring and this was the only intelligent question.
While Governor Christ realizes he has a problem running against Rubio, his recent actions including the veto of a very unpopular education bill brought a large contingent of Democrats to his side with pledges to vote for him in the Senate election. The Republican legislature's platform is excessively conservative and moralistic (take the abortion amendment which requires women to pay for and undergo an ultrasound prior to the procedure) has incensed a large population which is going to campaign for and vote for Christ.
I find deeply insulting the flippant way that your guest refers to "anticorporatism" as a liberal or progressive craze that pops up now and then. On the contrary, I would argue that the tea party movement are founded on anger regarding the plutocracy that has captured our government.
I would say that neo-liberal free market ideology, of which the guest seems so fond, is a religion - and one that has proven deeply dangerous. I think he fails to understand the nature of the markets that he desires to allow to "run free."
What we have at present is socialization of losses and privatization of profits. That is not a free market. Moreover, synthetic derivatives have no purpose except to lever up past the limits of the physical world. For example, there is only so much silver; that limits the amount of losses that can be created by crashing the silver market. But if you create synthetic derivatives based on silver futures, you can trade on a market thousands of times larger than the reality-based world allows. When you crash the silver market, you create serious distortions that affect industries, countries, and lives. Crash a market 500 times that size, and you destroy wealth on a scale that upends the world.
Those people he defends at Goldman Sachs as "just the market makers" also trade for Goldman's own account. Their money isn't made in selling deals - much less in assisting with real IPOs for things happening in the productive economy. Oh no, their money is made in side bets for the casino "house" based on the information that they have from their clients.
Does this guest have any understanding of finance at ALL? Because if he did, he would appreciate the profound negative implications of what the FIRE economy has done to the productive part. And let me tell you, it goes way beyond a few obscene and imprudent bonuses.
I just returned from a conference in New Orleans. Part of the program was immersion of some sort. I ended up in the lower 9th ward and then Slidell. You are totally correct. The problem with Katrina was more man than nature. The levies were constructed too long ago and for a storm half the size of K. What's really heart-breaking is that the levies that have been rebuilt are no better.
The people in the lower 9th are still living there. Some have worked hard to get into one of the homes that Brad Pitt's org. has built. Others are still working hard, among homes that still have a large number on the front - it is for the # of dead found in that house. Nobody in this country should have to live like this.
Listening to your guests and comments it strikes me that we need to step back and understand what each of the players role in this saga. It is not the role of Goldman to determine if what they do is for the betterment for society. Their primary commitment is to their clients and shareholders. It is the job of the lawmakers and regulators to determine and monitor that the services being provided are within the best interest of society. The law makers and regulators being the very people questioning Goldman– they are questioning Goldman why they did not do the regulators job for them? In a word this whole thing is a Joke. If the regulators determined that these derivatives were toxic and outlawed them, and Goldman continued to use them then it is a crime. The law makers set the rules and the regulators enforce and ensure no harm comes to society. The players such as Goldman role is to abide by the rules.
I just wonder why the Mexicans are being treated so humanely, after all they are they have systematically avoided turning themselves in. I have two questions for the panel: How many do you suspect have relatives and friends how have migrated here. And, number two, what do you think the Haitians, with all there trouble, who until recently were "racially" asked about there country of origin.
Hello Diane
I am retired and live just 30 miles from the border. I volunteer for the Samaritans. We provide humanitarian aid to migrants crossing the desert to help prevent deaths..90 so far this fiscal year. I have two comments:
This law will do nothing to prevent or stop or even slow down the migration of desperate folks seeking work. All of the noise aside, the border will remain a speed bump for those who want to create a better life.
This law will simply allow a small group of xenophobic white conservatives to harass, arrest and detain anyone of a different color, culture or national origin. It is simple legaliztion of racism. We will spend more money on jails, create fear and distrust in our neighborhoods and Republicans will claim they are making us safer. Nonsense.
Shame on all of you who support this kind of ridiculous, expensive and futile law.
Michael
Amen, Michael. I couldn't agree with you more, nor could I add anything worthwhile. You said it all.
Humanely? Obviously, your definition of humane is not the same as mine.
I am torn on the AZ law. On one side, I believe it is wrong that such a burden is placed on local enforcement agents to enforce what is technically federal jurisdiction. I think it will impact the ability for crime victims and witnesses to step forward to combat crime; I believe that it will result in profiling individuals who may look like they are from Mexico in spite of their true national origin.
On the other hand, as a citizen, I fear breaking the law. I try to avoid speeding over the limit. I am afraid of not paying my taxes. I fear breaking the law. These immigrants are here illegally; it is unfair to hold one expectation for legal residents and turn a blind eye to those who are here illegally.
Yes, it may be hard to enter this country legally, but as a tax paying citizen, I am glad that there are stringent standards that require individuals to prove that they have a job and a means of supporting themselves. If you believe that these requirements are too high and you can no longer live within the economic conditions of your own country, do something about changing your own country. There are many international agencies and non-profits charged with brining economic opportunity to struggling countries; reach out to them.
The grilling of Goldman Sach's executives was really great, but I'm afraid that it was semantics and that nothing will actually get done. I'm afriad of the same thing with immigration (I currently live in Phoenix and am outraged at the passing of SB 1070). Why is it that our government tells us that is isn't the "right time" to pass or even to begin working on comprehensive immigration, financial or health legislation. It seems to me what it really means is that "I'm trying to get re-elected, so it is not a good time for me to do anything controversial, I'd rather wait til a non-election year." Isn't this insane?? Shouldn't we demand more from our representatives, it isn't about getting re-elected its about getting something done. Sadly enough, politics is a game that we all have a hand in. If we (the citizens) wouldn't wildy overreact or hold on so close to our ideals, and look at things practically and actually compromise sometimes, it seems politicians wouldn't have to play these games and they could actually legislate. Sometimes we have to lean a bit more towards the center than we'd like to in order to get things done, very few times is progression radical, its usually a small trickle. Keep that in mind!
BTW..I love the show Diane...I have to listen everyday and I especially look forward to every Friday to hear the national and international news round ups! Also most of the times your callers and listeners offer great insight as well..so great job listners!
A solution to the immigration problem seems simple. The first step is to require that everyone carry a national ID card. This card should be equipped with a smart chip that can be interrogated to determine whether or not one has legal immigration status. It should take less than a year for everyone to obtain a card using a genuine birth certificate or passport as proof. The proper authorities could remotely scan any group of people to determine one thing--whether everyone is carrying the card or not. Since an undocumented person would not have a card, the authorities would have reason to question that person. If a person is here illegally, they should be immediately returned to their country of origin. It is not that expensive. With this kind of efficient tool, law-enforcement could rapidly detect undocumented people.
Yes, we do need workers but have very high unemployment right now. The government should curtail unemployment benefits as long as unemployment is high. That is, take the hard, low-wage work or you get no money. When the country returns to near full employment, the government should be diligent in processing visas for qualified people who want those jobs.
I understand and its a tough issue. I think its easy for us as Americans to say...well change your own country. Our government is relatively free of corruption and look how long it took for us to change inequalities like discrimnation, giving women and ethnic minorities the rights to vote, ending slavery...think about how hard it would be to change your country as a poor citizen who lives in with a corrupt government.
Its extremely hard to get into the country legally, aside from the money and time you have to have, you must also pass a citizenship test. I give this test to my students (college students) and they can't even pass the test. Not to mention some families are mixed and have a Dad who is illegal, a mother and children that are legal, what do you do about them? We can't break up families, we have to deal with immigration in a realistic way, SB 1070 only deals with one aspect, securing borders, not the other pieces of the puzzle.
Also we need to acknowledge that we as a country rely on cheap immigrant labor, if we didn't have it, our produce costs at the grocery store would be probably triple what they are now! People would really be up in arms then! Its so complicated, I totally agree with that, but its not as simple as saying...well fix your own country.
I'm just surprised so many on the progressive left keep pushing such a defeatist attitude when it comes to illegals. Think of it like cheap oil and its effect on alternative energy. The alternatives are driven to development when oil becomes expensive, and it would be the same with the cheap illegal labor that is flooding our country. Employers would have to start paying fair wages, and automation would be developed. The idea that a country cannot survive except by exploiting an underclass while undermining its own poor is simply ridiculous. Its shameful so many on the left have confused fear of being racist with actually taking the correct position on illegal immigration.