Is it safer to use your cell phone while driving if you have a hands-free device? What are the statistics on how much more distracted a driver is while on the phone? Which group of drivers has experts especially worried? We ask Peter Kissinger of the AAA Foundation.
The Minnesota Recount Grinds On
It’s been 34 days since Election Day, but we are still at least several days away from learning who will serve as a senator from Minnesota for the next six years. What is the latest in the political drama featuring GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken? How many challenged ballots still need to be resolved? And how important has it bee for Coleman to stay ahead in every vote count to bolster his case that he is the legitimate winner? We ask Kevin Duchshere, political report for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Georgia Rep. Tom Price Explains His Opposition to Federal Rescue for the Big Three
Did the CEO’s of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler make a compelling case to Congress for $34 billion in bridge loans this week? What are the reasons why many lawmakers see this as the wrong way to save the auto industry or any other part of the economy? What’s the alternative to rescuing the Big Three? We ask Georgia Rep. Tom Price, a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
Why Congress Must Help the Big Three
Who besides the automakers and their workers will suffer if one or more of the Big Three collapses? Is Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a viable option? Will the $34 billion being sough now be all that is needed or is it just the tip of the iceberg for a sinking sector of the economy? We ask Jason Vines, former public relations expert for Ford and Chrysler and co-founder of The Engine of Democracy, a group urging Congressional passage of the bridge loans for the major U.S. automakers.
U.S. Hemmoraging Jobs
The U.S. economy lost 533,000 jobs in November – the worst performance since December of 1974. In the past three months, the economy has lost well over one million jobs. How bad is this recession? How long could it last? Is every sector being crippled by the lack of credit availability? Should Congress intervene with an auto bailout and other measures? We ask Rea Hederman, assistant director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation.
Capitol Steps Parody
The Big Three and Congress are stressing about the future of the auto industry, so the Capitol Steps are here for some comic relief as the debut “Help Me, Honda.” Our guest is Steps impressionist Mark Eaton.
The News
We have Thursday’s top news…What are executives from the Big Three automakers saying as they return to Congress to ask for $34 billion in loans? What are leading members of the Senate Banking Committee saying in return? What is President Bush’s position on all of this? What are the latest jobless numbers? And what happened Thursday on Wall Street? We answer all these questions as we being you the biggest stories for Thursday, December 4, 2008.
Gizzi on Politics
How significant is the win by Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Georgia this week? Is Barack Obama showing us he’s a moderate based on the members of his economic and national security teams or does it just give him cover to pursue liberal policies? And what should we make of the terrorist massacre in Mumbai a week later? We ask John Gizzi, political editor at Human Events.
The Case for the Auto Industry Loans
Last month, Congress told auto executives to try again in their efforts to land $25 billion in loans from the government. Now they want $34 billion. Should they get it? How urgent is the need for this money? Will they just be back for more in a few months? Can they ever hope to pay back the loans? And what gives us any optimism that the Big Three have a plan for success if they can get a boost from Uncle Sam? We ask automotive industry insider Peter DeLorenzo, author of “The United States of Toyota”.
Abortion Gift Certificates and America’s Moral Decline
Indiana’s chapter of Planned Parenthood is promoting gift certificates that are accepted for any service at their clinics – including abortions. What does this story say about the state of our culture and the decline of America’s morality? Just how far have the nation’s sexual morals plummeted from the Judeo-Christian standards of not long ago? What are the great benefits of living by the sexual standards of the Bible? And how should parents promote this mindset to their teens? We ask Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of “Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance”.