Energy was the first of three areas discussed by President Obama on Tuesday night on which he wants decisive action to be taken by Congress. But is his agenda realistic and beneficial for our economy or mandating changes that will spend a lot of money but noe be all that great for our fiscal health? What impact will industrial carbon limits have on our economy? Why did he mention nothing about oil and natural gas production? We ask David Holt of the Consumer Energy Alliance.
On Tuesday night, President Obama cited health care reform as one of his primary legislative goals for the rest of this year. But is he right when he says over a million Americans are on the brink of losing their homes because of soaring health care costs? Are premiums rising much higher than wages? How is Obama setting up his position on the health care front by railing against the private sector in the financial industry? How much growth in government and government intrusion are we looking at if Obama gets his way on health care? And what buzz words should we be looking for in deciphering rhetoric from policy? We ask Grace-Marie Turner, president of the Galen Institute.
We have Tuesday’s top news… What will President Obama say tonight in hopes of rallying America behind his economic agenda? What potential good news did Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke deliver on the depths of this recession and the possible nationalizing of banks? Who is the latest high-profile Democrat to call on Illinois Sen. Roland Burris to resign? What was the Senate vote on Obama’s nominee for Labor Secretary? What happened in the Senate Tuesday in the effort to grant the District of Columbia a vote in Congress? And what happened on Wall Street? We answer all those questions as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, February 24, 2009.
On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he foresees a possible bottoming out of the economy later this year with an economic recovery then lasting a number of years. What suggests we may soon be on the economic upswing? What policies could stunt or accelerate economic growth? Are the current Obama economic priorities a help or a hindrance? We ask Scott Hodge, president of The Tax Foundation.
Republicans have stood in almost complete opposition to the Obama economic agenda thus far. So how should they respond to the plan he unveils tonight? Should they accentuate any areas of potential common ground or explain why Obama’s plans violate their core conservative principles? Where should they be willing the compromise and where must they draw the line in the sand? And why do polls show Congressional Democrats with a better approval rating than Republicans? We ask David Johnson, CEO of of the polling firm Strategic Vision.
What message does President Obama want to convey most in his speech to Congress and the nation Tuesday night? How specific will he get with his plan? How does he balance the dire picture he’s been painting about the economy with the need to boost America’s morale? Is he convincing the American people he’s up to the job? And is he still on a bipartisan track or is that just the rhetoric? We ask Christina Bellantoni, White House Correspondent for The Washington Times.
Last week, General Motors and Chrysler submitted their viability plans here in Washington in hopes of receiving billions more in taxpayer aid. One of GM’s plans for restructuring is to allow Saturn to become its own independent brand. What prompted this decision? What can we expect from Saturn? How have its sales fared in this recent sales drop? We ask Jill Lajdziak, general manager for the Saturn division of General Motors.
America is facing very difficult challenges both here at home and abroad. What will it take for us to not only survive these hurdles but thrive as we lead the world through the 21st century? Why is a new American nationalism necessary? What does that mean? How important is the free market to that vision? And how endangered is the free market right now? We ask author and political commentator Tony Blankley, whose latest book is “American Grit: What it Will Take to Survive and Win in the 21st Century”. This is the first of a two part interview.
Here is the second half of Greg’s discussion with political commentator and columnist Tony Blankley, author of “American Grit”. In this installment, Blankley addresses critical questions as we move deeper into the 21st century. Should we bring back the military draft? What’s the best and smartest way to become energy independent? What type of media reporting should be made criminal? And does Barack Obama follow a belief that America is exceptional in the world? Listen here for all of Blankley’s thought-provoking answers.
Open Doors USA has released its annual World Watch List – the ranking of the world’s worst persecutors of Christians. Which countries are at the top? Is persecution on the rise or on the decline overall? Which democracy is becoming far worse for Christians? And which communist nation is improving? We ask Jerry Dykstra, media relations director at Open Doors USA, an organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted Christian church.
