News Roundup - Hour 1
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-07-02/news-roundup-hour-1
The House passes a financial reform bill but its fate in the Senate is unclear. The Supreme Court issues a landmark second amendment opinion. And Elena Kagan is on track to join the nation's highest court. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.
Guests
Juan Williams
NPR news analyst, FOX News political analyst, and author of "Enough."
Sheryl Gay Stolberg
White House correspondent, The New York Times.
Sam Youngman
White House correspondent, The Hill newspaper.
Friday News Roundup Video
The Diane Rehm Show Friday News Roundup: Following President Obama's speech on immigration reform earlier this week at American University, the panelists explore the administration's plan and agree that the chances of legislation moving through Congress this year are "slim to none:"
In light of General David Petraeus's confirmation as Commander of Forces in Afghanistan, the panelists explore President Obama's challenges ahead in crafting an exit strategy as American public support for the effort continues to wane:
Comments
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Dear Diane:
The trade policies of this country have destroyed the steel industry, automobiles, textiles, machine tools, electronics, appliances and furniture.
These are the industries that I can think of off the top of my head.
Until our leaders get it through their thick heads that this county will never prosper by selling Chinese goods to each other we will never grow this economy and develop the tax base to support our government’s needs and the income needs of our citizens.
Roger Corbett
Cell: 513-607-2190
I cannot believe I am hearing the panel find a silver lining in the fact that the unemployment rate inch down 2 tenths of a point. There is no doubt this is from people dropping out of the job hunt. How about some intellectual honesty? That would be the first step toward turning this ship around.
Stop all the heavy handed regulation, cut back on spending, and cut capital gains taxes.
We are in the economic fix because of Republican policies. And now they are actively trying to force a double-dip recession because they think it will help them in the midterms.
The amazing thing is that your panel gives them a pass and fluffs the GOP spin/framing of the debate as one that is only about deficits and cutting spending. This while every reputable economist points out that following this policy advice will put us in a depression (Ireland anyone?).
You do us a disservice to repeat the Republican spin without context or critique.
I expect better of this show, but so far this is a big disappointment.
If the GOP is going to force 60 votes for anything and everything in the Senate, they need to be held accountable for the outcomes of obstruction.
The coming double dip will be one of those outcomes.
I remember that story about Byrd (I hadn't remembered for sure if it was Byrd or Strom Thurmond) and the black police woman that the caller related, and I'm sure I heard it on NPR so probably on the Diane Rehm Show. I found it thoroughly disgusting then, and I continue to think it was thoroughly disgusting. How changed did he ever really become on racial relations?
Dear Diane,
We are here in a Republican state and yet there are hundreds of stimulus jobs here right now - half the buildings at NASA Johnson Space Center are receiving new roofs -- we have so many construction fences it is hard to get around our site. Yet I'm sure that many do not know the the funds are coming from the stimulus.
Jackie - Houston
Note to Juan Williams: Look into the proper pronunciation of "nuclear".
You can find a pronunciation guide here:
http://airbagmoments.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/wall-street-journal-standa...
The problem lies not only in those causing the wrong, but also in those who stand idly by in resignation. There is no good excuse why a program or “body” cannot be created that is not only comparable to FDR’s CCC, but an improvement of. Back then only young men participated, now many need jobs especially us older folks. There needs to be a program that addresses job creation for a variety of people, not isolated, special groups like those in construction. The reason people don’t see the stimulus as providing jobs is because it addressed only a very limited group. We ALL need jobs, it didn’t happen. We are not going to go away. No rug big enough to sweep us under. Problems only go away when you face them.
And as for illegal immigration, 20 years ago the DARE officer said drugs and gangs are here to stay, we just have to get used to it. My, how that problem has blossomed into quite a “war”, quite a disease to our nation. If you don’t stand up to the problem, you are the problem.
I've been listening to this broadcast, and I keep hearing the panelists talk about how Obama is failing at this and that, Obama and the Democrats aren't addressing this problem (employment, immigration), or are pretending to address it simply as a matter of political calculation (immigration). Since when did the president have the ability to pass legislation? That's what Congress does. And in this Congress, there has been unprecedented obstruction from the right -- some from Blue Dog Democrats, but mostly from the Republicans. Your panelists talked about political calculation -- what about the Republicans' political calculation that they win if they prevent *any* significant legislation from getting passed? They seem to believe that it will make the Democrats look weak and ineffectual, and ALL of your panelists all seem to be buying that. It would be nice if you would invite people to join your panel who were willing to evaluate Republicans and Democrats with an equally critical eye. Instead, we have Juan Williams fluffing Rep. Boehner's comparison of the economic crisis to an ant; he sounds like Boehner's publicist!
Your panelists noted that Americans are anxious about jobs, and that Democrats 'don't seem to be doing anything about it.' The House has passed a jobs bill. A majority in the Senate also are in favor of a jobs bill, and would pass it if it came to an up or down vote. However, Republicans won't allow the bill to have an up or down vote. The issue here isn't that the Democrats aren't doing anything -- they are. We would have a jobs bill now if the Republicans would allow an up or down vote.
I travel for a living and can attest to the multiple infrastructure projects currently underway across the nation. However, fully half of them are projects in which roads are being repaved barely two or three years after having been previously resurfaced.
Tantamount to a high calorie/low nutrition diet, these projects last mere weeks, contribute little to the infrastructure network, and do little more than line the pockets of the construction firm's owners.
But it's neither Democrat's nor Republican's fault. It's the natural inefficiency of government and the FALSE assumption that concentration of resources equals effective stimulus.