Radio America Online News Bureau

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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We have Friday’s top news…What is the Obama strategy for Afghanistan?  How tough is our mission there and what will our posture be towards Pakistan?  What is the congressional response to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner flip-flopping on whether he supports an international currency?  What is Nancy Pelosi planning to include in the House version of health care reform?  What happened on Wall Street in Friday’s trading?  And what is the federal government doing as the flood waters rise in North Dakota?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Friday, March 27, 2009.

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Is Hillary Clinton right when she says American-made guns are a big factor in the violence involving Mexican drug cartels?  Why else is she discussing this?  How much of the border violence could be eliminated if we had been serious about border security years ago?  What will it take to secure the border?  Is a fence necessary?  How about a military presence?  What kind of immigration reform plan can we expect in Congress later this year?  We ask former Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo.

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On Friday, President Obama outlined his strategy for Afghanistan.  In addition to sending additional military forces to battle the Taliban, Obama is calling for billions in aid to Pakistan.  What are the highlights and lowlights of this policy?  What kind of military success do we need to achieve?  How much can we really count on the weak government of Pakistan?  And should Obama abandon efforts to open dialogue with more moderate members of the Taliban?  We ask terrorism expert Dr. Walid Phares, senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

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Spring is officially here and that means baseball season cannot be far away!  Teams are now wrapping up the pre-season ritual known as Spring Training.  What makes Spring Training so special for the players and fans?  What’s it like at the games in Arizona and Florida?  And what can we expect in the 2009 season?  We ask Jim Roberts, executive producer of Dateline Washington, reporting from Lakeland, Florida.

We end the week on the lighter side with our regular visit with The Capitol Steps.  This week the Steps bring President Obama and former President George W. Bush together to discuss Obama’s addiction to hi-tech gadgetry.  Our guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.

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What are Republicans touting as their alternative to the $3.6 trillion Obama budget?  How different are their priorities than those of the president?  What do they make of Obama’s argument that reforming education, energy and health care are essential for long term economic growth?  What are constituents telling their members about all the spending going on here in Washington?  We ask Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan.

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