The new jobs report shows greater job creation but also greater discouragement and a stagnant 9.6 percent unemployment rate. So will current conditions yield the type of job growth that we need or will very different policies be necessary? Is the Federal Reserve helping or hurting our economy by injecting another $600 billion of new money into the economy? How will the new Republican majority deal with taxes, spending and the Fed? We ask Georgia Rep. Tom Price, chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
Good and Bad News in Job Numbers
The Labor Department reported the creation of 159,000 private sector jobs in October. But the overall unemployment rate remains at 9.6 percent and more people are giving up the search for work. So should we see the glass as half full or half empty? How much of a difference would extending the Bush tax cuts make in spurring job growth? What else should the new Congress pursue? And how much do the huge deficits indirectly impact job creation? We ask Diana Furchtgott-Roth of the Hudson Institute, who served as chief economist at the Department of Labor for President George W. Bush.
What Kind of Cool Am I?
Election Night was a very big night for Republicans around the country. And despite feverish campaigning, President Obama took a ‘shellacking’. The Capitol Steps take a look at what went wrong for the president and his party.
‘Clean Energy’ Would Enrich China
Following the midterm elections, President Obama admitted his ‘cap and trade’ energy legislation was dead for the next two years. Does that mean Obama plans to wait for a second term to try again or will he just have the EPA push through new regulations without the input of Congress? Why would Obama’s proposed shift to new clean energies greatly enrich China and make the U.S. dependent upon Beijing instead of the Middle East? And what would actually be the smartest energy policy moving forward? We ask Robert Bryce, energy expert at the Manhattan Institute.
What Will the GOP Majority Do?
Is President Obama really ready to extend all of the Bush tax cuts? What will the lame duck Congress or the coming GOP_led Congress do about the expiring capital gains, dividend and estate tax breaks? Where will Republicans begin slashing spending? Will they try to repeal the health care bill all at once or piece by piece? And what will they do to foster job creation? We discuss it all with Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the top House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee.
The Blueprint for Beating Obama
Why could John Kasich’s victory in the Ohio governor’s race be a blueprint for Republicans in their effort to defeat President Obama in 2012? What message worked for Kasich? Why does Kasich’s personality come across as so appealing? How did he withstand 12 Obama visits to the state just to defeat him? And what do Republicans need to show in the next two years to show the American people they should elect a GOP president again? We ask Van Hipp, former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.
Message of the Midterms
John Gizzi is back to reflect on very accurate midterm election predictions on the fight for the House of Representatives but several incorrect calls on the Senate side. Why did the GOP do so well on the House? What prevented a very good night from being an incredible night on the Senate side? And does Gizzi think President Obama understands the message delivered by voters on Tuesday?
Let the Fiscal Discipline Begin
Republicans were bounced from power in 2006 due in large part to a lack of spending restraint. On Tuesday, House Democrats were fired for the same reason. So how can the new Congress start to deal with our massive debt and unmanageable entitlement programs? How will meaningful spending cuts happen when every proposed reduction will meet with great resistance? How can lawmakers get the budget process off of an auto-pilot system that leads to higher deficits? And what meaningful changes could realistically be made to shore up Medicare, Social Security and the entire health care system? We ask David Walker, former Comptroller General of the United States and founder of the Comeback America Initiative.
Lesson Learned?
President Obama will now be dealing with a Republican majority in the House of Representatives and a much smaller majority in the U.S. Senate. So does today’s press conference show the president has learned a lesson and will adjust course? Is he ready to move towards the center or stand firm on a more liberal course? We ask former longtime USA TODAY White House Correspondent Richard Benedetto.
A ‘Well-Deserved’ Shellacking
Republicans amassed historic gains in Tuesday’s midterm election – picking up over 60 House seats and at least six Senate seats. Is President Obama right that this is just voter frustration with the economy or is it voter rejection of Obama policies? How will a divided Congress work with Obama? We ask Michael Lewan, a longtime Democratic strategist and former chief of staff for Sen. Joe Lieberman.