Radio America Online News Bureau

We have Wednesday’s top news,,, What is President Obama saying about more responsible spending as he signs a $410 billion spending bill loaded down with earmarks?  Why is Nancy Pelosi already considering another economic stimulus package?  How does the omnibus bill change the U.S. policy toward Cuba?  What happened on Wall Street today?  How are Hillary Clinton and the Chinese foreign minister downplaying the incident between U.S. and Chinese vessels less than a week ago?  And what are the details of a shocking killing spree in Alabama?  We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

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Why did President Obama say the deeply flawed $410 billion spending bill wasn’t worth doing again?  How convincing was his criticism of the earmarking process?  Will anything really change as Congress puts these bills together?  Why are Democrats calling for another economic stimulus package?  What are the Republican alternatives to the Democratic agenda?  And are Democrats easy pickings in 2010 on the economy or will even a slight improvement give the Dems the upper hand?  We ask New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett, a member of both the House Budget and Financial Services Committees.

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President Obama has promised not to raise taxes at all on anyone making less than $250,000 per year, but does that mean his plans won’t hit you in the pocket book?  Why does his cap and trade plan to combat the alleged threat of climate change mean much higher energy bills for you?  Why will your energy costs under cap and trade be several thousand dollars more per year?  And which income class gets hit the hardest?  We get the details from Phil Kerpen, policy director at Americans for Prosperity.

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A group of Connecticut state lawmakers are facing a massive public backlash, after introducing legislation that would remove financial authority from Catholic priests in their own parishes and give control to a lay commission.  What is triggering this effort?  Why is the real agenda of these lawmakers?  Why do they really have a beef with the Catholic church?  What would be the real impact of such intrusion by government?  And how does all this square with the first amendment to the Constitution?  We ask Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest lay Catholic organization, which is based in Connecticut.

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In the coming days, members of congress will be voting on the so-called Employee Free Choice Act.  Supporters say it helps workers organize more easily, so what is the rest of the story?  Why is this legislation an alleged attack on the secret ballot?  Why could this bill end collective bargaining and have the government solve any impasse on labor negotiations?  Will this mean more and better jobs or will it force employers to reduce payroll?  We ask Saul Anuzis, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

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We have Tuesday’s top news…What does Fed CHairman Ben Bernanke see as the key to kickstarting the economy?  What does Bernanke say about allegations that more and earlier regulations would have prevented this crisis?  What news triggered a huge jump on Wall Street today?  How is the Obama administration passing the buck for the pork-laden contents of the omnibus spending bill about to hit the president’s desk?  What are the key ingredients of President Obama’s education agenda?  Which components are making teacher unions frown?  We answer all of these questions as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, March 10, 2009.

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This week, the House of Representatives will be voting on the so-called Employee Free Choice Act.  It supposedly makes unionizing easier, but critics say it squelches the secret ballot for workers?  So why is this such a high political priority given everything else on the political front burner?  What could the impact of this be upon the economy?  What is the Republican approach to addressing the current economic crisis?  We ask Oklahoma Rep. Mary Fallin, and we’ll find out why the Congresswoman has decided to run for governor.

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What does the passage of  $410 billion omnibus spending bill say about the fiscal discipline of the current Congress?  What message is sent by the thousands of earmarks attached?  How should we view arguments by lawmakers who say earmarks don’t add any additional burden to taxpayers?  And how are moderate Democrats reacting to the way Democratic leaders are running the Congress?  We ask freshman Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis, a Republican, for her insights on these questions.

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On Tuesday, President Obama outlined his five pillars for federal education reform, ranging from early childhood education to charter schools to merit pay for teachers and more government assistance for those wishing to attend college.  Is this a responsible approach or is it a politically-driven agenda?  What are the benefits of charter schools?  Are standardized tests necessary or a waste of valuable class time?  We ask these questions and others to Marcus Winters, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

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The latest consumer optimism survey from Investor’s Business Daily shows Americans remain pessimistic about our short-term economic outlook but are are feeling better then they were a month ago despite an endless stream of bad economic reports.  So why is that?  What are the key factors in triggering confidence or a lack of confidence?  How much of the sentiment is based on politics rather than the current economic realities?  And what accounts for today’s jump on Wall Street?  We ask Ken Shreve, markets reporter for Investor’s Business Daily.

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