Archives for March 2009

We have Tuesday’s top news…What is ahead for President Obama at the G-20 summit in London?  What is the latest forecast for the global economy?  What significant change happened in Iraq today?  What is Hillary Clinton saying about the upcoming missile test in North Korea?  What is the new CEO at General Motors saying about the marching orders received from the government on Monday?  Which GM brand is on it’s way out?  What did the markets do on Tuesday?  And what are the latest numbers on housing prices?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

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What is the economic impact of greater government intervention in the auto industry?  Is bankruptcy likely to happen at this point?  What will be the fallout of new regulations on Wall Street?  What changes would do the most good?  Is the Dow a good indicator of the health of our economy?  How big of a fear is inflation at this point?  How will the economy fare if President Obama gets all he wants in his massive budget proposal?  Should we be optimistic or pessimistic about where the economy is headed in the near future?  We ask Brian Wesbury, former chief economist for the Joint Economic Committee of Congress.

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Conservatives are outraged and alarmed over President Obama’s nomination of Dawn Johnsen to head the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Council.  What about her record troubles lawmakers so much?  What power would Johnsen hold in this office?  What policies could we expect her top advocate?  And how is President Obama reacting to this concern?  We ask Iowa Rep. Steve King, who sent a letter to Obama signed by him and 62 other House members.  The letter asks Obama to withdraw the nomination.

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While General Motors and Chrysler turn to the government to stay afloat, Ford is busy trying to draw as many customers as possible in this recession.  So what is this plan?  How is it different than others you may have heard about?  Find out how your job status plays a role in all this as we talk with Jim Farley, General Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Ford.

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President Obama is ordering Chrysler to merge with Fiat and demanding that General Motors come up with a better plan for viability.  So is this too much government control or is this the reality for companies that show up in Washington looking for taxpayer dollars?  What will the future of the industry look like now?  Is bankruptcy an increasingly attractive option?  We ask Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a member of the House Republican Leadership.

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We have Monday’s top news… What is President Obama demanding before granting more taxpayer dollars to the auto industry?  How are the leaders of General Motors and Chrysler responding?  How did Wall Street respond?  And what steps is the U.S. military taking prior to the expected North Korean missile test?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Monday, March 30, 2009.

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President Obama is firing the head of General Motors as a condition for further government assistance for the debt-ridden automaker.  What does a move like this suggest about the Obama approach to the current economic crisis?  How much will government dictate the details of the new plans for GM and Chrysler?  What about on Wall Street?  Just how much power do Obama and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner want there?  What would be the impact in the near term and the long run?  We ask James Gattuso, senior research fellow in regulatory policy at the Heritage Foundation.

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On Monday, President Obama announced he was rejecting the restructuring plans offered last month by General Motors and Chrysler.  He’s also firing GM CEO Rick Wagoner.  How is the auto industry reacting to both stories?  What do they see as the end result of all this compliance with Washington?  Will we see them filing for bankruptcy after all or jumping through government hoops for the foreseeable future?  What will the new plans look like after heavy government involvement?  We ask Marty Padget, executive editor at thecarconnection.com.

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North Korea has a ballistic missile on the launch pad that it plans to test in the coming days.  Given it’s existing nuclear program, how troubling is this type of missile testing?  Why is it happening now?  What should be the response from the Obama administration and the rest of the world?  Is North Korea more likely to harm its own neighbors or sell their missile and nuclear technology to terrorist groups?  We ask Doug Bandow, senior fellow at the Cato Institute and author of “The Korea Conundrum”.

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Why did President Obama oust General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner?  How much control does Obama want over the auto industry?  Why did he reject the restructuring plans offered by GM and Chrysler?  What plans would satisfy the president?  How will Obama sell his plan to help the global economy to very skeptical leaders in Europe?  How much success he is expecting?  We ask Christina Bellantoni, White House Correspondent for The Washington Times.

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