Friday News Roundup - Hour 1
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-08-12/friday-news-roundup-hour-1
Republican candidates came out swinging against each other and President Obama in their third debate last night. Aides to Texas Governor Rick Perry confirmed he will enter the race, while the other eight GOP candidates will be tested in Iowa’s straw poll. House minority leader Pelosi filled in the final three slots on the deficit supercommittee. The Fed promised to keep interest rates near zero for the next two years. And, for the first time in its 115-year history, the Dow Jones Industrial Average moved by more than 400 points for four consecutive days. A panel of journalists join Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.
Guests
Naftali Bendavid
national correspondent, The Wall Street Journal.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg
Washington correspondent, The New York Times.
Susan Page
Washington bureau chief for USA Today.
Friday News Roundup Video
The panelists talk about whether the newly formed deficit supercommittee is likely to reach a consensus in the coming months:
Comments
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Are the odds good for Wisconsin Republican to defeat the Dems in next week Senate elections?
Dear Ms Rehm,
I can’t tell you how angry I am at both parties for this mess they got us into. I am so upset at all of this that I can’t even listen to anymore of this nonsense that is spewing out of Washington. We’ve elected these folks to do a job and compromise but it seems to me they are a bunch of spoiled brats (I can’t even call them children) who can’t play nice.
I have a lot of respect for our president, I voted him in and I will vote for him again, but I think he needs to be stronger with the both parties. He needs to make them stand in the corner in a time out.
The tea party needs to learn all how to play the political game, if not then get out.
Love your show,
Mark
meangreen, I think there is a very good chance for at least one republican win out of the two, a Tea Party candidate no less. These "Flee Bag" democrats were not much appreciated in this neck of the woods.
Check this out, it's a good time to live in Wisconsin.
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/capitol-report/a...
The debates. It is a mystery to me how a guy can be right on the issues, obviously honest, win the debates and then be rejected by the voters in the primaries. We now live with the reality of electing a president on everything other than being qualified and can plainly see the results. We now stand here in 2011 ready to pick the next prime time pop culture potential president. As a people we are sure stupid, better hurry back to the boob tube you might miss something.
Ron Paul 2012
Can your guest please discuss why 81 congress people are taking paid trips to Israel instead of spending the time in their districts? I thought paid trips for congress people by lobbyist was now illegal.
How does the I lobby get around these new laws restricting congress peoples pay to play trips and why are Congressman Steny Hoyer and Eric Cantor supporting these illegal trips to Israel?
Who’s paying for Congress to summer in Israel? Liberal foundations that give halls to Princeton and Yale and fund Human Rights Watch
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/08/whos-paying-for-your-congressperson-to-go-...
Curious that the only "Republican" with a challenging platform, Ron Paul, is totally ignored as much as possible by the mainstream media, as well as candidates themselves.
http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2011/08/10/please-tell-me-congress-i...
This week Greta Van Sustric stated "I just received a press release (partial release below) that 84 Members of Congress are taking a free trip next week to Israel.
Please tell me this is not so: that while we are in crisis, 84 Members of Congress are getting an all expense paid trip to Israel instead of returning to DC to work on our economic crisis (or even review the March GAO report which outlines billions of dollars of waste that they are ignoring but you are paying????) How could they? "
I thought these type of trips paid for by lobbyist had become illegal in 2007 based on HR 2316 which is called the "Honest leadership and open government Act of 2007"
How the hell are they getting around this legislation?
H.R. 2316: Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007
110th Congress: 2007-2008
link to govtrack.us
Here is the section that looks like it SHOULD APPLY TO THESE I LOBBY PAID TRIPS:
“SEC. 205. PROHIBITION ON PROVISION OF GIFTS OR TRAVEL BY REGISTERED LOBBYISTS TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND TO CONGRESSIONAL EMPLOYEES.
(a) Prohibition- The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
SEC. 25. PROHIBITION ON PROVISION OF GIFTS OR TRAVEL BY REGISTERED LOBBYISTS TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND TO CONGRESSIONAL EMPLOYEES.
(a) Prohibition- Any person described in subsection (b) may not make a gift or provide travel to a Member, officer, or employee of Congress, if the person has knowledge that the gift or travel may not be accepted under the rules of the House of Representatives or the Senate.
oops 84 congress people
question
Can your guest please discuss the 84 congress people who are taking paid for trips to Israel during the recess. Based on H.R. 2316: Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 I thought this legislation made these trips illegal? And why are they spending time in Israel and not more time in their districts?
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Does your Congressperson represent you – or Israel?
by Medea Benjamin on August 9, 2011
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In this time of economic austerity, when jobs are being slashed and Americans are fearful about their future, the Congressional recess is the time for our elected representatives to be home in their districts, reaching out to their constituents and servicing the people they are paid to represent. Instead, this August one out of every five representatives will be taking a junket to Israel, compliments of an affiliate of the Israel lobby AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) but still clocked in on the taxpayer’s dime.
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/08/does-your-congressperson-represent-you-or-...
Dear Diane Rehm:
Please do not bring up these issues:
Daniel
Washington, DC
Would you please explain the nuts and bolts of the Iowa caucus process? If I have it correctly, it is not an election of any sort, it occurs at the Iowa State Fair and usually only a few individuals take the trouble to vote, if that is the correct word. I wonder just why the nation views this as a serious instant picture of the American heartland.
Thank you. I listen to your show at every opportunity.
As a registered Democrat who voted for Obama as the lesser of two evils, I have been following the GOP primary with some interest. I had hope that the GOP candidate might present a viable alternative to Obama, whom I find to be a smart but ineffective leader.
After last night, however, the hope has faded. The "10-1" answer shows that the GOP candidates are not listening to the majority of American public. It seems that, on the whole, the GOP field is primarily concerned with two things--protecting the rich and using their religion as a resume filler. Neither position will help job creation or address the deficit.
With regards to Gov Perry as a potential president,
recall that he refused to delay the execution of Cameron Todd Willingham even when scientists and experts ALL indicated that he was most likely innocent
recall that he is so adamantly anti-abortion that he supported state legislation that denies thousands of Texas women access to basic medical care
recall that he was so adamant about cutting the budget that our education system is grossly underfunded effecting our children and state's future
and he has done these things without apology.
There are more issues that should also be considered regarding environment, religion, women's rights and immigration. You won't find me voting for him because I want a President who thinks rather than reacts. It appears to me that he takes a position and stands by it, right or wrong. I have had enough of that, especially lately.
Regards,
Deborah
The author of New Yorker article was interviewed on the program "fresh air" and he made an interesting comment regarding Bachmann's views on lower taxes and big government as it related to her career choices and to her husband's use of land that he owned.
One. that the majority of her jobs have been government related and therefore her salary was tax generated and that her husband has made use of tax subsidies over the years.
I would love to know how many of these conservative/tea party candidates would be willing to give up the government supplied health care insurance, child care options and other "benefits" travel, etc that come with their government jobs and and at tax payer expense... Lets just have to them pay out of pocket post tax dollars like so many other americans in this country are required to do....
Regarding Rick Perry:
The last thing this country needs is another President from the State of Texas.
I am a resident of Texas.
I think Susan Page has been sipping the Rick Perry coolaid. Under Perry the schools in Texas are worse off than they were under George Bush. The job creation that Perry boasts about are not the kind of jobs that most people will call good jobs. Yes, we have opened quite a few Wal-Marts in Texas in the past few years, but I don't see those jobs as great. Although, I guess a little money coming in is better than none.
I know far too many people in Texas who are working temporary contract jobs to declare that Texas has created permanent "Good" jobs.
How do Republicans justify wanting smaller govt and less regulation with greater regulation of personal decisions, gay marriage, abortion, etc?
dee in cary, nc
Why we keep saying the government is running out of options to support the economy? If necessary why not a large 1,000 billion stimulus. I know it sounds politically impossible. It is a recession a better option?
Why would you even consider Sarah Palin in the discussion about Iowa? , Even if she did try and launch a campaign ( which would be so ridiculous ), for now she is not a candidate. She is just a person with an extreme case of narcissistic personality disorder , which makes her pretty delusional , she would never get close to being elected.
Do any of your guest know if the meetings and process of the Committee of 12 will be an open process? Will American citizens be able to know who they are meeting with during the process? Which lobbyist etc?
Thank you Mark , these are my sentiments exactly
I believe compromise is almost always the best course. None of us is as smart as all of us. However, when the ship is sinking, compromise between those who think bailing is the best course and those who think abandoning ship is the best course may not be the best way to save the ship. Compromise is not ALWAYS the best course to success. We must have a vision of what success looks like.
It seems to me that if the supercommittee is not able to reach an agreement about debt reduction, given the Democratic stance on increasing taxes and the Tea Party/Republican stance on refusing to consider taxation, the outcome of automatic budget cuts will still meet the Republican goal of reducing the deficit by cuts alone. They can win either way: forcing the Democrats and the President to cave on increasing taxes in return for saving some entitlements, or letting the clock run out so that the automatic spending cuts can begin. I would like to hear your panels response to this.
I read Peck's article on the future of the middle class in the August issue of the Atlantic Monthly yesterday. According to this article, it looks like a dystopia for the majority of Americans. Welcome back to the Gilded Age!
The compromise is not politically possible. We are divided into prosperous, liberal states, net contributors to federal budget and states (South), net recipients of federal money.
Example: Mississippi gets sover 2$ for each tax dollar.
CAlifornia by itself supports 45% of the federal budget.
At the same time these poor states have undemocratic power in the senate. 41 senators representing 17% of population were able to block all legislature. The new group to decide about taxes represent only 15% of population.
Wisconsin was not a disappointment. There is a moderate Republican that voted against Walker's agenda. This ads to 2 democrats that won.
It's fascinating to hear the left ripping on Republican candidates whom they will never vote for - particularly the caller who ripped on Rick Perry.
There can be only one reason for this - that they sense that Obama is extremely vulnerable.
If the left were smart? they would SUPPORT the WEAKEST Republican candidates. That will give Obama the best chance. On the other hand, when your chances are slim and none, and slim is climbing on his horse to leave town, does it really make a difference?
Diane, please incorporate a segment in the show that talks about how poorly the American government is representing democracy. The dysfunctional politics and lack of leadership is a poor example for our children and for those around the world, who once looked to America as the land of freedom, hope, and opportunity. In short, the tone of our politics is wrong, and we forget that our children see and hear this garbage. Some of our rated 'R' movies are better than what we hear coming out of Washington. Currently we have our young men and women in harms way around the world promoting our ideals of freedom and democracy, and our government has simply failed to honor their sacrifices. The politicians should be tried in court for failing to uphold their oath of office. Too many special interests and self serving political interests involved their actions. Pretty soon you are going to see a revolution in Americas streets!!!
Read this expose by The New Yorker to learn about the Cameron Todd Willingham case: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann?curren...
The time has come for the Republican Party to split like they did in the 1850's, when the radical but thoughtful wings of the Whigs and Democrats became the Republicans...it should charge into the center and take that high ground. The Tea Party lacks something and won't ever get the Radical Moderates.
The question is, where are the Barry Goldwaters (the version from his wiser, more moderate later years) to lead that effort, to make that association worth it...its either that or I'm ready for General Petraeus and the 101st airborne to lead a military coup and place all of the lobbyists into internament camps - maybe Guantanamo? - for a decade or so. I cannot stomach more of this half-ass vascillation on almost every topic, with noone able to galvanize the nation for the run forward.
"Everybody needs a vacation."
Isn't it interesting that the panel is so supportive of the President taking a vacation (I am as well) but no comment on the fact that the US is the ONLY industrialized country without a national vacation policy? (Most people have to work for 2 years to get a mere 10 days of vacation..and then work for 5 years to get 15.)
And, by the way, Mr. Bush was the "vacation President". How about comparing the percentage of Obama vacation time to Bush vacation time?
We were set politically as an Oligarchy. Because of Senate and Electoral College we are not true democracy.
The Founding Fathers thought that common people were not to be trusted to make right decisions.
The small, mostly poor states, have incredible power. Those states have also politicians that are very easy to control with money.
Right now we are evolving into a plutonomy with shrinking middle class.