Ford Motor Company is reporting a profit for the past year, the latest sign that the automaker is bouncing back from a brutal stretch for domestic companies. Ford Global Communications Director Mark Truby explains what Ford got right and why it is seems to be turning the corner.
Illinois Dems ‘Abject Failure’
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady says voters in his state are ready to throw out Democrats who have ruined the state over the past decade. He says the Blagojevich scandal and the big government agenda in Washington will result in big gains for Republicans – even in the governor’s race and the campaign to replace President Obama in the U.S. Senate.
The News
President Obama unveils his new budget and blames Bush for his record deficits, Republicans decry budget as more of the same, Obama budget kills return to moon and the 9-11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will not be held in New York City.
Keep KSM at Gitmo
Retired U.S. Navy Captain Chuck Nash says the government should not spend hundreds of millions of dollars and risk American lives just to give Khalid Sheikh Mohammed a trial in civilian court. He also says the security risk is very real at a trial of this magnitude on American soil. Nash says the military tribunal is perfect for this trial. He also discusses the beefed up presence of the U.S. military in the Persian Gulf and what surprise Iran may have for the world in just 10 days.
More of the Same on Budget
North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry says President Obama’s new budget proposal is just more of the same big government agenda and does nothing to reduce deficits or create jobs. McHenry says there are proven ways to radically reduce the size of government without soaking everyone with higher taxes.
Bipartisanship and Terrorism
Arizona Rep. Trent Franks says he hopes last week’s meeting between President Obama and House Republicans will foster some genuine dialogue and allow Republican ideas to be part of the Congressional debates. And while Franks says he opposes Obama’s domestic agenda, he says the president’s fundamental misunderstanding of the war on terror is even more concerning.
A No-Cost Job Creation Bill
Louisiana Sen. David Vitter is re-introducing the No-Cost Stimulus for Jobs plan. How would expanded energy exploration lead to a jobs boom and tremendous economic expansion? Why would it require no cost to taxpayers? Does he expect any Democratic attention to his proposal? Did Vitter hear anything new from President Obama in the State of the Union message? And why won’t Democrats seat Scott Brown for another two weeks?
Economy Grows, Wages Stagnant
Heritage Foundation economist Rea Hederman says economic growth of 5.7 percent in the final quarter of 2009 is a good sign and a signal of increasing confidence among business owners and consumers. He does not foresee a double-dip recession, but says stagnant wages and benefits are concerning because it shows the private sector is not yet adding jobs are giving raises.
I’m So Pretty
The Capitol Steps bring back their John Edwards parody from the 2008 campaign – a tune that was disturbingly prophetic about Edwards’ current predicament. They also bring back a Barack Obama song from 2008, in which he tries to end the confusion between his name and that of the world’s worst terrorist.
The Horror in Haiti
Philip Zodhiates is on the board of director of AMG International, which has a strong presence in Haiti. He describes what his staff and partnering organizations dealt with in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. How much has the organization suffered? What are they noticing among the general population? And why does he think Haiti could emerge from this crisis much better than it was before the disaster?