Left, Right and Center on KCRW.com Vox 2008-12-29T01:54:06Z Left, Right and Center http://leftrightandcenter.vox.com/?_c=feed-atom-full tag:vox.com,2006:6p00fa967ce2310002/tags/detroit/ Streaming Live and archived every Friday at 2:30p and 7p PT KCRWs Left Right & Center 12/12/08 Show tag:vox.com,2008-12-12:asset-6a00fa967ce23100020109d0f5266b000f 2008-12-12T21:02:30Z 2008-12-29T01:54:06Z Left, Right and Center http://leftrightandcenter.vox.com/?_c=feed-atom-full


Auto bank vault MIKE LICHTBlagojevichRahmEmanuelMTP_thumbSteven Chu

GOP to Detroit-NO! Oy Blagojevich! Obama Nominees

The Senate GOP rejection of the House/Admin deal is top of the news. All believe that W’s “kick the can down the road” policy -- taking the a portion of the banks’ TARP and applying it to the auto bailout -- is inevitable, but Arianna marvels at the double standard that allow the banks to get free money while Detroit and its workers could hang themselves with the attached strings.  Illinois governor Blagojevich: what more need we say? Bob takes the opportunity to condemn the media for hoisting this story above the other important news, like Afghanistan and the report condemning Bush admin for use of torture. Arianna says the whole thing’s more fascinating psychologically than politically citing Julius Caesar (the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves), while Tony says Rahm Emanuel and other Obama transition team members seem act as if they have something to worry about. He reminded us that Nixon didn’t know about Watergate but got in trouble when he tried to cover it up. And in the energy arena, is Dr. Steven Chu, noted and respected physicist and Obama’s nominee, a mad scientist? We know he wants to make gas prohibitively expensive—but electricity, too? Is he nuts? Or right? Listen in and weigh in -- or put up a post before the show begins!


MATT MENTIONED THIS COLUMN in the show:

Blagojevich's Behavior Is Common

Douglas E. Schoen, 12.10.08, 04:00 PM EST

Trading favors is de rigueur in politics.

"...But while what Blagojevich did is undeniably beyond the pale, it is frankly much more common in the political world than anyone has been willing to acknowledge."  (read the rest at the link above)



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]]> KCRW's Left, Right & Center 11.14.08 show tag:vox.com,2008-11-14:asset-6a00fa967ce2310002010980b6a0fe000b 2008-11-14T21:41:42Z 2008-11-15T17:01:39Z Left, Right and Center http://leftrightandcenter.vox.com/?_c=feed-atom-full
LATIMES Prop 8
REUTERS Detroit Bailout
Paulson changes Bailout

Toxic Assets; Auto Bailout? Clinton @ State? Prop 8


Sorry, Arianna had a medical appointment -- it's man-on-man only today. And it got mighty heated today in the battle over the economy. No one really has the answer. But a couple of questions include: Where has the money given out so far gone? Where does it come from? Who should really be getting it? All three end up agreeing we cannot afford to let the auto industry sink; but their reasoning in getting there differs. And the men weigh in on the rumor about Hillary Clinton as possible Secretary of State…plus a brief note about the hullabaloo over Prop. 8 anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment that just passed in the State of California.


Links mentioned in today's show:


November 14, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist

Depression Economics Returns

By PAUL KRUGMAN

The economic news, in case you haven’t noticed, keeps getting worse. Bad as it is, however, I don’t expect another Great Depression. In fact, we probably won’t see the unemployment rate match its post-Depression peak of 10.7 percent, reached in 1982 (although I wish I was sure about that).

We are already, however, well into the realm of what I call depression economics. By that I mean a state of affairs like that of the 1930s in which the usual tools of economic policy — above all, the Federal Reserve’s ability to pump up the economy by cutting interest rates — have lost all traction. When depression economics prevails, the usual rules of economic policy no longer apply: virtue becomes vice, caution is risky and prudence is folly. (read rest at link above)

The New Republic
Panic in Detroit by Jonathan Cohn
This is not your father's Oldsmobile we're rescuing.
Post Date Friday, November 14, 2008

General Motors has come to Washington, begging for a $25 billion bailout to keep it and its ailing Detroit counterparts going next year. But nobody seems too thrilled about the prospect. Liberals dwell on the companies' gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles. Conservatives obsess over all the well-paid union members with gold-plated benefits. And people of all ideological backgrounds remember how they used to buy domestic cars, years ago, but stopped because the cars were so damn lousy. "The downfall of the American auto industry is indeed a tragedy," the Washington Post editorial board sermonized recently, "but the automakers and the United Auto Workers have only themselves to blame for much of it." And, if they have only themselves to blame, the argument goes, why do they deserve taxpayer help? Let them fail and file for bankruptcy. In the long run, the economy will be stronger and the workers better off. It'd be worth?the short-term pain, which might not even be so severe.

In normal times, with another company, that might be correct. But these are not normal times...(read rest at link above)

The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope by Jonathan Alter (Paperback - May 8, 2007)


And here's a link to Amity Shlaes, a conservative with expertise on The Great Depression -- she sat in twice on the right. http://www.amityshlaes.com/  Her Book, The Forgotten Man is about FDR.


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]]> KCRW's Left, Right & Center 11.14.08 show tag:vox.com,2008-11-14:asset-6a00fa967ce23100020109814b8446000d 2008-11-14T21:41:42Z 2008-12-09T19:34:28Z Left, Right and Center http://leftrightandcenter.vox.com/?_c=feed-atom-full
LATIMES Prop 8
REUTERS Detroit Bailout
Paulson changes Bailout

Toxic Assets; Auto Bailout? Clinton @ State? Prop 8


Sorry, Arianna had a medical appointment -- it's man-on-man only today. And it got mighty heated today in the battle over the economy. No one really has the answer. But a couple of questions include: Where has the money given out so far gone? Where does it come from? Who should really be getting it? All three end up agreeing we cannot afford to let the auto industry sink; but their reasoning in getting there differs. And the men weigh in on the rumor about Hillary Clinton as possible Secretary of State…plus a brief note about the hullabaloo over Prop. 8 anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment that just passed in the State of California.




Links mentioned in today's show:


November 14, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist

Depression Economics Returns

By PAUL KRUGMAN

The economic news, in case you haven’t noticed, keeps getting worse. Bad as it is, however, I don’t expect another Great Depression. In fact, we probably won’t see the unemployment rate match its post-Depression peak of 10.7 percent, reached in 1982 (although I wish I was sure about that).

We are already, however, well into the realm of what I call depression economics. By that I mean a state of affairs like that of the 1930s in which the usual tools of economic policy — above all, the Federal Reserve’s ability to pump up the economy by cutting interest rates — have lost all traction. When depression economics prevails, the usual rules of economic policy no longer apply: virtue becomes vice, caution is risky and prudence is folly. (read rest at link above)

The New Republic
Panic in Detroit by Jonathan Cohn
This is not your father's Oldsmobile we're rescuing.
Post Date Friday, November 14, 2008

General Motors has come to Washington, begging for a $25 billion bailout to keep it and its ailing Detroit counterparts going next year. But nobody seems too thrilled about the prospect. Liberals dwell on the companies' gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles. Conservatives obsess over all the well-paid union members with gold-plated benefits. And people of all ideological backgrounds remember how they used to buy domestic cars, years ago, but stopped because the cars were so damn lousy. "The downfall of the American auto industry is indeed a tragedy," the Washington Post editorial board sermonized recently, "but the automakers and the United Auto Workers have only themselves to blame for much of it." And, if they have only themselves to blame, the argument goes, why do they deserve taxpayer help? Let them fail and file for bankruptcy. In the long run, the economy will be stronger and the workers better off. It'd be worth?the short-term pain, which might not even be so severe.

In normal times, with another company, that might be correct. But these are not normal times...(read rest at link above)

The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope by Jonathan Alter (Paperback - May 8, 2007)


And here's a link to Amity Shlaes, a conservative with expertise on The Great Depression -- she sat in twice on the right. http://www.amityshlaes.com/  Her Book, The Forgotten Man is about FDR.


Read and post comments | Send to a friend

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