News Roundup - Hour 1
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-10-29/news-roundup-hour-1
Spending on midterm elections approaches a record $4 billion dollars. President Obama continues to defend his achievements to voters. And banking giant Wells Fargo admits mistakes in thousands of foreclosures. A panel of journalists joins guest host Steve Roberts for analysis of the week's top national news stories.
Guests
Sheryl Gay Stolberg
White House correspondent, The New York Times.
George Condon
White House correspondent, National Journal.
Shailagh Murray
reporter, The Washington Post.
Comments
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I felt pity for Obama when I saw him on the Daily Show. He came humbled and a shadow of his former confidence. He was ridiculed and demeaned, but his desperation forced him into this position. Obviously he is less worshipped, he's just another dude now, and it is clear that he finds it more difficult to address the tough questions regarding failed promises and lack of results in two years. It seemed like a huge strategic mistake to me.
Young voters in particular revered him and his inspiring language. Much of that is gone and I'm fearful that these voters are too.
It's not the media's job to get the vote out.
The caller refers to corporate interests as if they're monolithic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Competing companies and industries have very different goals in terms of public policy. The stories I've read and heard note big corporate donations as well as big labor union and trial lawyer association contributions.
Racism, you've got to be kidding! The vast majority of Americans don't think we're on the wrong track because of the president's race. It's because he has been so ineffective; in terms of results and communicating, plain and simple.
I watched President Obama on The Daily Show and felt that both of them held their own. I found President Obama to answer Jon Stewart's question firmly and gracefully. As a late 50's married professional woman, I am a faithful viewer of The Daily Show because it actually shows the blatant manipulation of the news by most of the cable so called news outlets.
Do you think that George W. Bush would have had the courage to appear on a smart show such as The Daily Show? No. President Obama is a smart man who holds his own with smart people.
And, by the way, for the woman voting for Republicans, remember the following: George W. Bush's writes that his biggest regret was not PRIVATIZING SOCIAL SECURITY even after the near financial collapse of Wall Street and even with the full knowledge of unethical if not illegal action of Wall Street top financiers. He didn't cite invading a country with a rationale based upon lies; omitting gas and oil companies from environmental laws; exposing a CIA operative putting her entire family and contacts in jeopardy; firing US Attorneys because they wouldn't follow the doings of the Attorney General, Karl Rove, and Dick Cheney.
I may not agree with everything that President Obama has done. His biggest mistake was trying to work with the Republicans after they demonstrated that they had no interest in working with him. Although we need a public option for health care, we would have NOTHING if he had pursued it. I'm sure that the Health Insurance Industry will continue to act greedily and a public option will be a necessity to curb their greed.
What I want to know is if someone is going to sue for the overturn of this law. I think it is ridiculous that when I make a campaign contribution, I have to disclose infromation, but these gutless corporations and rich boys (see the Kock Brothers aka the Billionaire Bigot Boys Club) can hide like punks and give at a higher level without punishment. I want to boycott these individuals products because they are opposed to my interests, but like the Wizard of Oz, they can hide without repercussion. At least for now, we can avoid buying Georgia Pacific products, but I think it is shameful that Alito, Scalia and Thomas, amongst others sanctioned this travesty.
I hear nothing from the medai analyzing the foreclosure problem. Its painted with a borad brush that these are all mislead, mis-informed homeowners. I would point out that there are other types mortgages under water such as investment properties, properties purchased with the intention of flipping them for profit, properties purchased with fraudulent documents executed by mortgage brokers who later bundled and sold these mortgaes on the secondary market, etc.
This was the same treatment applied to the financial bailouts. It wasn't until some detailed reporting was done did we understand what Goldman Sachs did, what AIG did, etc. how about it?
I'd like to thank NPR Morning Edition for the in-depth report on the private prison lobby's influence on Arizona's Republican governor and legislators. There has been speculation and local reporting on this issue. But now we have the complete story of how Corrections Corporation of America and The Geo Group practially WROTE! SB1070 -- then contributed to the Republican Governors Association to help elect Jan Brewer. As was suspected, SB1070 has more to do with increasing profits for private prison corporations than it does to solve the immigration issue.
The report was aired on NPR Morning Edition yesterday - October 28. I hope everyone will check it out. It is just one more example of how money is corrupting our government.
I may not agree with all of Obama's decisions, but I never cease to be struck by the level of racism embedded in the tone of the critique of his presidency. We are seeing unprecedented attempts to devalue African American leadership. The continuum ranges from the racist rhetoric of the Tea Party to Meek being asked to withdraw from the race in Florida. Clinton is emerging as a key power player in these mid-term campaigns because -- among other things, to be sure -- he is WHITE, and his whiteness is privileged as the way to motivate white working class voters in racially-tinged election season. What a sad state the U.S. really is.
Are there going to be any calls taken from conservative callers? As I am having my taxes going to support NPR it would be nice to have more balanced views. There is always such a large liberal bias based on guests, questions, tone of questions, leading questions, etc. It is as if the talk show hosts feel if we keep making it sound like everything conservative is bad.
What is currently happening with the election cycle is just that, a cycle. When Repulicans are in control they lower taxes and spending (other than spending on the war to protect us after 9/11). Then Democrats come in and increase spending, which often is for good things such as funding of alternative energy, social issues, etc. However, we need a balance and that is why things switch back and forth so much.
Thanks for recognizing the callers from Ohio. Diane always has a good following around Ohio, but not as much in central Ohio. Too bad your show is not broadcast on the radio here. When I can, I listen online. Please encourage our central Ohio NPR stations to pick you up! I have already tried.
Speaking of Obama on the Daily Show, Shailagh Murray said "He let Jon Stewart be the funny one." What other politician could you say that about?
@ johnjones
Wake up and smell the coffee. Ronald Reagan came in talking about a trillion dollar deficit and what did he do with it. He drove it up (I guess you may follow, that is increasing spending). And, since you are mathematically challenged, Bush 43 also drove up the deficit, aka spending. Clinton had been paying down the deficit and the MBA president came in a destroyed the fiscal discipline. So, get your facts straight instead of using your Right Wing Talking points.
Mathematically challenged? 4 qtrs of advanced calculus and analytical geometry and differential equations with straight A's - so not exactly! :)
But since you have all of the numbers - how much of the spending that increased the deficit was due to builing up our defenses and protecting ourself from Al Qaida? Your buddy Bill had a chance to take out Osama (don't get that confused with Obama :) ) but he chose not to which led to our country being attacked and our subsequent self defense requiring lots of spending on defending our country. Perhaps you feel we should not defend ourselves???
In regards to your comments about corporations being able to make contributions to PACS - to be honest at first I was very upset with this ruling but after hearing the one sided reporting by NPR and the very liberal network news it looks like this option might be needed for a chance to have conservative views heard. I disagree with much of what Bush did and disagree with a lot of what Republicans pass or block. I am very fair and unbiased though when looking at issues. There are many things I like what democrats are doing and some things I do not. All I am asking for is fair and balance reporting. No smart alec remarks are necessary.
The New York Times Sheryl Gay Stolberg is utterly ignorant about the bank foreclosures. She makes it sound as if the 55,000 homes Wells Fargo foreclosed on were actually in good standing. Just because some home owners complained that the bank foreclosed on their homes "improperly," doesn't mean that these home owners were not in default of their loan agreements. None of the foreclosed homes were instances where the owner was making payments, but only that the foreclosure papers were signed automatically without going through a review. After the review, the homes would still be foreclosed on.
I'm not sure why analysts dwell on the 9.8% unemployment rate. Typically unemployment is about 5-6% and the extra 4% of our workforce that is unemployed certainly doesn't create the problems we are facing. What needs to be mentioned is that fact that the 90.2% of the work force that IS employed is, in many cases, facing NO wage increases in the near term (or longer), reduced or no bonuses, fewer hours worked, no overtime pay and increased work-load. Also, most workers are now forced to pay a larger share of their health care package if they are lucky enough to have one at all. Sadly, the Republican party, which has always been pro-business and with the new campaign finance rules, LARGELY funded by those interests, is a political group that never places the plight of the American worker first. And now they will be in control.
arrowhead guy:
What makes you think that Republicans do not look for the little guy? During "W's" term, the largest number of homeowners resulted from his policies and there was an article that I had posted on the WAMU blog from the NYT to verify this feat.
Excuse me, but the record number of home purchases during the first decade of the century was due in no small measure to unscrupulous lenders givng subprime mortgages to people who shouldn't have received them. Do you really want to credit W for this "feat"?