Radio America Online News Bureau

Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter is disgusted over how the Wall Street bailout has proceeded as well at the latest controversy over the AIG bonuses.  So why did he vote against taxing the vast majority of those bonuses?  What does he make of the explanation for how those bonuses happened in the first place?  Why has the TARP bailout been such a fiasco?  Why does McCotter want to break up AIG?  And why does he oppose the Wall Street bailout but support government assistance for Detroit automakers?  We ask Rep. McCotter in an extended interview.

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On Thursday, a House Judiciary subcommittee heard testimony about the allegedly fraudulent activities of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) during the 2008 campaign.  So what exactly did ACORN do that critics allege was fraud?  Did they just cross the line in registering voters or did actual vote fraud occur? What did lawmakers say at today’s hearings?  And how comfortable should we be with ACORN having a role in the 2010 U.S. Census.  We ask Heather Heidelbaugh, a practicing attorney who sued ACORN in Pennsylvania last year.  She is also vice president of the Republican National Lawyers Association.

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What message should we take from Nancy Pelosi’s comments that immigration raids in businesses and homes are “un-american”?  What is the Democratic immigration reform plan?  Is it much different than what President Bush proposed?  Why are Republicans and Democrats to blame for the lack of border enforcement?  What do lawmakers and President Obama mean when they push for “earned citizenship” for illegal immigrants?  We ask California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who also discusses the impact illegals are having on the job market in his southern California district.

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On Wednesday, AIG CEO Edward Liddy testified before Congress to explain his insurance company’s planned road to recovery, apologize for $165 million in bailout-funded bonuses for executives and say he’s urging all recipients to give back the bonuses.  So what did we learn about AIG today?  Can taxpayers see light at the end of the tunnel or are we pouring money down an endless hole?  What does this episode tell about the wisdom or lack of wisdom behind the TARP legislation?  Should Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner resign?  Are today’s Fed actions smart or sending us down the road to major inflation?  And should Congress pass legislation taxing almost all of the bonus money that AIG executives refuse to give back?  We ask Texas Rep. Randy Neugebauer, a member of the House Financial Services Committee.

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The Washington Times is reporting that estimates for government revenue through the Cap and Trade program in President Obama’s budget could well triple the $646 billion figure quoted in the budget blueprint.  That means energy producers and industry could be paying Uncle Sam close to $2 trillion over eight years.  How will this work?  And why does this plan and others like it mean serious increases in your energy bills?  We ask Dan Simmons, Director of State Affairs at the Institute for Energy Research.

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Are members of Congress more interested in showing the American people how angry they are at AIG’s $165 million in taxpayer-funded bonuses or actually getting to the bottom of the problem?  What sort of legislation could be on the House floor as soon as Thursday to address the AIG issue?  Are the calls for Tim Geithner’s resignation having any impact?  We ask Roll Call staff writer Jennifer Bendery.

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls immigration raids “un-American” because they separate families.  She also says enforcement of existing immigration laws needs to be handled much differently.  So how should we interpret Pelosi’s comments?  What is the economic impact of the government’s failure to enforce the immigration laws?  What is the future of the e-verify program that confirms workers are here legally?  And could we be looking at an amnesty bill by this summer?  We ask Roy Beck, executive director of Numbers USA.

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We have Tuesday’s top news…What are Republicans and Democrats in Congress saying about AIG doling out $165 million in executive bonuses? Why will tomorrow bring huge fireworks for AIG on Capitol Hill? How is President Obama defending his $3.6 trillion budget plan? What happened on Wall Street Tuesday? What are lawmakers saying about the infusion of drug-related violence coming across the border from Mexico? We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, March 17, 2009.

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Official Washington is aghast that insurance giant AIG spent $165 million of its $170 billion in bailout money on executive bonuses.  Is this justified outrage at wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars or much ado about very little since the bonuses make up less than one tenth of one percent of the bailout money?  Is spending money on retaining key executives a worthwhile investment?  What should lawmakers have done differently in setting up the Wall Street bailout?  Will AIG be prevented from failing?  How will it recover in the long term?  We ask Neil Weinberg, executive editor at Forbes magazine.

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In his new budget proposal, President Obama says he wants private insurance companies to reimburse the government for any treatment for a disabled disabled veteran who has a private insurance policy.  Why is Obama doing this?  Why is the American Legion outraged?  What will happen to the cost of private insurance premiums for veterans, their families and their employers?  And what is the fate of this policy on Capitol Hill?  We ask Craig Roberts, spokesman for the American Legion.

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