Who besides the automakers and their workers will suffer if one or more of the Big Three collapses? Is Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a viable option? Will the $34 billion being sough now be all that is needed or is it just the tip of the iceberg for a sinking sector of the economy? We ask Jason Vines, former public relations expert for Ford and Chrysler and co-founder of The Engine of Democracy, a group urging Congressional passage of the bridge loans for the major U.S. automakers.
The U.S. economy lost 533,000 jobs in November – the worst performance since December of 1974. In the past three months, the economy has lost well over one million jobs. How bad is this recession? How long could it last? Is every sector being crippled by the lack of credit availability? Should Congress intervene with an auto bailout and other measures? We ask Rea Hederman, assistant director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation.
The Big Three and Congress are stressing about the future of the auto industry, so the Capitol Steps are here for some comic relief as the debut “Help Me, Honda.” Our guest is Steps impressionist Mark Eaton.
We have Thursday’s top news…What are executives from the Big Three automakers saying as they return to Congress to ask for $34 billion in loans? What are leading members of the Senate Banking Committee saying in return? What is President Bush’s position on all of this? What are the latest jobless numbers? And what happened Thursday on Wall Street? We answer all these questions as we being you the biggest stories for Thursday, December 4, 2008.
How significant is the win by Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Georgia this week? Is Barack Obama showing us he’s a moderate based on the members of his economic and national security teams or does it just give him cover to pursue liberal policies? And what should we make of the terrorist massacre in Mumbai a week later? We ask John Gizzi, political editor at Human Events.
Last month, Congress told auto executives to try again in their efforts to land $25 billion in loans from the government. Now they want $34 billion. Should they get it? How urgent is the need for this money? Will they just be back for more in a few months? Can they ever hope to pay back the loans? And what gives us any optimism that the Big Three have a plan for success if they can get a boost from Uncle Sam? We ask automotive industry insider Peter DeLorenzo, author of “The United States of Toyota”.
Indiana’s chapter of Planned Parenthood is promoting gift certificates that are accepted for any service at their clinics – including abortions. What does this story say about the state of our culture and the decline of America’s morality? Just how far have the nation’s sexual morals plummeted from the Judeo-Christian standards of not long ago? What are the great benefits of living by the sexual standards of the Bible? And how should parents promote this mindset to their teens? We ask Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of “Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance”.
Indiana’s chapter of Planned Parenthood is promoting gift certificates that are accepted for any service at their clinics – including abortions. What does this story say about the state of our culture and the decline of America’s morality? Just how far have the nation’s sexual morals plummeted from the Judeo-Christian standards of not long ago? What are the great benefits of living by the sexual standards of the Bible? And how should parents promote this mindset to their teens? We ask Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of “Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance”.
Are automakers making a strong case for receiving $34 billion in bridge loans? What lessons from the Wall Street bailout should be applied here? How long can the government keep spending billions to save different institutions? And what should fiscal discipline look like on Capitol Hill over the next two years? We ask New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett, a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
Are automakers making a strong case for receiving $34 billion in bridge loans? What lessons from the Wall Street bailout should be applied here? How long can the government keep spending billions to save different institutions? And what should fiscal discipline look like on Capitol Hill over the next two years? We ask New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett, a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
