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Is there any reason not to impeach South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford?

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

It's about time. South Carolina legislators are finally debating whether to recommend impeachment of Gov. Mark Sanford.

A resolution says Sanford engaged in "serious misconduct" that amounts to a "dereliction of his duties." It argues that his actions brought "extreme dishonor and shame" to the governor's office and caused South Carolina to suffer ridicule. So what's to debate?

This all goes back to Sanford's disappearance this summer to visit his mistress in Argentina. The governor lied to his staff about his whereabouts telling them he was hiking the Appalachian Trail - on nude hiker's day.

This impeachment debate is only focused on the idea that Sanford was derelict in his duties as governor. But it comes one day after the state ethics commission charged Sanford with 37 counts of violating ethics laws in South Carolina.

Among other things, Sanford is accused of using taxpayer money for high-priced airplane tickets to travel around the world - and to Argentina. Think he's guilty? While the investigation was going on, Sanford set about amending his ethics disclosure documents to reflect the air travel.

In addition to the 37 civil charges, the state attorney general is deciding if there should be criminal charges. What's to debate?

Sanford's lawyers insist the governor hasn't done anything that rises to the level of impeachment. Apparently it's okay to lie about where you're going and steal taxpayer money for personal airplane travel.

Here’s my question to you: Is there any reason not to impeach South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford?

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How will your Christmas spending be different this year? (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

With Black Friday right around the corner - retailers are hoping for a better Christmas shopping season than last year.

And there are some glimmers of hope:

One survey shows Black Friday shopping is expected to pick up more than 16 percent. The National Retail Federation says 57 million people say they'll definitely head to the stores this year - that's up from 49 million last year.

Some stores even plan to extend hours on Friday so people have more time to get in on the "door-buster" deals.

A new Gallup Poll shows consumer spending is up 11 percent from the prior week... Even more impressive is the comparison to the same week last year. Spending is down 7 percent–that's the smallest year-to-year decline so far in 2009.

That's something when you consider consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy.

There is also a big difference in how people say they plan to pay for their Christmas shopping this year. The same retail group reports an increase in the number of consumers who say they plan to use cash, debit or check cards. Credit card use is expected to drop by 10 percent.

The reasons include credit card companies reducing consumer’s credit lines and customers’ trying to lower their own debt as the recession drags on.

Here’s my question to you: How will your Christmas spending be different this year?

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Do you really want the federal government more involved in health care?

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

With more Americans now saying that health care is not the government's responsibility, it's not difficult to see why some may feel that way.

All you have to do is look at the track record of government-run programs.

Here we go:

–Social Security was created in 1935. It will be paying out more money than it receives by 2016. And unless changes are made, it will be gone in 2037.

–The Medicare and Medicaid programs were signed into law in 1965. Medicare will run completely out of money by 2017. The situation for Medicaid is even worse.

–Spending on Social Security and Medicare totaled more than $1 trillion last year - or more than one-third of the federal budget.

–The U.S. Postal Service was created in 1775. It’s broke. It posted a $3.8 billion loss for this year. That's $1 billion more than it lost in 2008 - despite $6 billion in cost-cutting moves in the past year.

–How about Fannie Mae, in operation since 1938; and Freddie Mac, established in 1970? Both broke. The two home loan agencies were seized by federal regulators 14 months ago. Fannie Mae is now asking the government for another $15 billion, which would bring the tab for rescuing both companies to about $111 billion.

–And don't forget the hundreds of billions of dollars in the first round of TARP money that went virtually unaccounted for.

And now the government wants about another trillion dollars to reform health care. A trillion dollars we don't have.

Here’s my question to you: Do you really want the federal government more involved in health care?

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Should the wealthiest Americans pay more taxes to send more troops to Afghanistan?

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Some top Democrats think the wealthy should have to pony up more taxes in order to pay for a troop increase in Afghanistan.

Democrat Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says people earning more than $200,000 or $250,000 a year should pay an "additional income tax."

Levin says richer Americans have done "incredibly well,” and that it's important to pay for a troop surge instead of increasing the federal debt.

Democratic Rep. David Obey, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, also says
he favors a so-called "war surtax."

Obey says that people making $400,000 or $500,000 per year should be asked to pay as much as 5 percent of their incomes, while lower earners might pay a smaller amount - down to 1 percent.

Obey says if we don't increase taxes, the war in Afghanistan will "bleed every dollar in the budget away from any other initiative." Unless of course the government cut spending elsewhere. Hah!

First they wanted to tax the rich to pay for health care reform. Now they want to do it to pay for more troops for war. This administration also plans to increase the top income tax rate. Pretty soon the rich won't be.

The White House suggests it could cost as much as 40 billion dollars per year to send 40,000 additional troops into Afghanistan. President Obama is expected to announce his decision in the next few weeks. He will meet with his national security team tonight - again.

Here’s my question to you: Should additional taxes be levied against wealthy Americans to pay for more troops in Afghanistan?

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What can President Obama learn from Sarah Palin? (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

With President Obama now below 50 percent approval for the first time, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd suggests the president could learn "a thing or three" from Sarah Palin.

Dowd writes that with the former V-P candidate back on the trail for her book tour, she clearly hasn't boned up on anything and "she still has that Yoda-like syntax."

But Dowd warns it would be foolish for the Democrats to write off Palin. She says that although President Obama is highly intelligent and likable - he's not connecting on a gut level with the public. She suggests he might be getting too bogged down in pragmatism and the details of legislative compromises.

Dowd writes that the president, who she calls the "Cerebral One," might want to take lessons from Palin, the "Visceral One."

She writes: "Palin can be stupefyingly simplistic, but she seems dynamic. Obama is impressively complex but he seems static. She nurtures her grass roots while he neglects his. He struggles to transcend identity politics while she wallows in them. As he builds an emotional moat around himself, she exuberantly pushes whatever she has, warts and all..."

Meanwhile – it's clear Sarah Palin is saying something people want to hear. She sold 300,000 copies of her memoir on the day of its release - one of the best openings ever for a nonfiction book, easily topping people like Hillary Clinton.

As for President Obama - the Gallup Daily Tracking poll puts his approval rating at 49 percent - the first time he's dropped below 50 percent since taking office.

Here’s my question to you: What can President Obama learn from Sarah Palin?

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Should the Catholic Church deny communion to public figures, like Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who support abortion?

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

The Catholic Church wants Democratic Congressman Patrick Kennedy to stop taking communion - due to his support of abortion rights.

The bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, says he told Kennedy in February 2007 that it would be "inappropriate" to keep receiving the Catholic sacrament.

That request is suddenly in the spotlight as the Church gets more involved in the health care debate, particularly regarding the issue of abortion. Kennedy - the nephew of this nation's only Catholic president, John F. Kennedy - revealed the bishop's request to a newspaper over the weekend.

Just last month - Kennedy had criticized the bishops for threatening to oppose the overall health care bill if it didn't include abortion restrictions. The Church called Kennedy's position "unacceptable" and "scandalous."

Rep. Kennedy is not the first Catholic politician to want it both ways. In 1984, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro came under attack from the church for not backing its position on abortion.

Kennedy's father - the late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy - along with former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo - both Catholics - were also forced to defend their support of abortion rights.

At 30 percent, Catholics are the largest single religious group in Congress. Look for the Church to keep up the lobbying pressure on these lawmakers. When it comes to the health care bill - that could include not only abortion, but issues like immigrant rights and stem cell research.

Here’s my question to you: Should the Catholic Church deny communion to public figures who support abortion?

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How much faith do you have the government will do anything meaningful about the soaring national debt?

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty

The national debt has hit a record high of $12 trillion - which translates to about $40,000 for every person in this country.

And what's particularly troubling is the rate at which it continues to grow... increasing by almost 5 trillion dollars during the 8 years of Pres. Bush... followed by another $1.6 trillion increase so far under President Obama.

It's no surprise when you consider all the spending - wars, bailouts, stimulus package, etc. - under the current administration. Also - the recession and record unemployment mean there are fewer tax dollars coming in to offset spending.

But the debt is also costing us big bucks to maintain: the interest alone on the u-s debt in the next decade is expected to be near $5 trillion. And if interest rates go up, and they will at some point, the price will be even higher.

In 2015, the estimated interest due will be equal to one-third of all federal incomes taxes expected to be paid that year.

Pres. Obama has pledged to take "serious steps" to reduce America's debt. Really? When? Maybe after we spend close to another trillion dollars we don't have for health care reform.

And - with a mid-term election coming up next year, good luck getting the politicians to make tough decisions on tax hikes or spending cuts. The only thing they're willing to cut is the taxpayer's throat.

Here's my question to you: How much faith do you have the government will do anything meaningful about the soaring national debt?

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Senate Democrats are proposing a 5% excise tax on elective cosmetic procedures.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty

Something called "Botax" might help pay for health care reform. The name derives from a tax on Botox... which in the case of some Hollywood types could raise millions.

Senate Democrats are proposing a 5% excise tax on elective cosmetic procedures... that includes things like Botox injections, breast implants, tummy tucks, face lifts, liposuction, teeth whitening, eyelid repairs, etc.

The tax would bring in an estimated $6 billion over 10 years and wouldn't apply to cosmetic surgery meant to fix a deformity or injury.

Drug makers and plastic surgeons think this is a terrible idea. The company that makes Botox calls it an "easy target" and says the tax is "unnecessarily punitive".

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says it will hurt countless American women of every income level - that it's not just a tax on "wealthy, suburban Republican women."

They claim the tax would come at a particularly difficult economic time - when many women are trying to spruce up their looks as they search for jobs. I would offer that if you're out of work you probably wouldn't be getting Botox injections... but hey, what do I know?

It could have been worse. Lobbyists apparently succeeded in persuading lawmakers to reduce the tax from 10%, which would have brought in $11 billion over a decade.

Over the summer, many thought that Democrats weren't serious about the cosmetic surgery tax... but Harry Reid and Co. brought it back because they "needed money to make the bill work"."

SO HERE'S MY QUESTION TO YOU: Should the government tax cosmetic procedures like Botox, tummy tucks and liposuction to help pay for health care reform?

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Rudy Giuliani may have his eye on becoming the next U.S. Senator from New York.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty

Rudy Giuliani may have his eye on becoming the next U.S. Senator from New York.

The Daily News reports that the former New York mayor is strongly considering a run next year for Hillary Clinton's old Senate seat - now filled by Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

A Giuliani spokeswoman says he hasn't made any decisions yet... quote "Rudy has a history of making up his own mind and has no problem speaking it" unquote... adding that when he decides, he'll tell New Yorkers on his own.

The National Republican Congressional Committee says it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on any "unannounced candidates"... although they say "any credible Republican" could have a good shot at capturing New York's senate seat.

Giuliani had earlier been considering a run for governor - but reports now say he's decided against it. Some claim that's because Giuliani would have likely lost the governor's race to potential Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo – while he may have a better chance to win a senate run.

The Daily News report also suggests Giuliani could use a U.S. Senate seat as a stepping stone to run for president in 2012.

Been there, done that - and not very well either. In 2008 – Giuliani was an early favorite for the Republican presidential nomination.

But he self-destructed when he decided against putting a lot of time into the early-voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire... he skipped the South Carolina primary - planned to win big in Florida. He got clobbered…and that was that.

Here's my question to you: Should Rudy Giuliani pursue a career in national politics?

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(PHOTO CREDITS: Getty Images)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty

Most Americans think that authorities could have prevented the massacre at Fort Hood... and when the politicians sniff this kind of sentiment, they can't wait to rush into hearings.

A new CNN-Opinion Research Corporation Poll shows 64 percent of those surveyed say law enforcement or the military should have been able to stop the shooting rampage... 31% say the incident on the Texas Army base couldn't have been prevented. The poll also found Americans are split as to whether the attack was an act of terrorism.

U.S. Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan, who is Muslim, is charged with thirteen counts of premeditated murder. He's accused of wounding dozens more.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee held its first hearing into those shootings today. They want to know if authorities failed to "connect the dots" when it came to Major Hasan. NPR reports that Hasan's supervisor at Walter Reed wrote a memo two years ago saying he showed a "pattern of poor judgment and a lack of professionalism."

The committee also plans to look into why federal authorities didn't do anything after finding e-mails exchanged between Hasan and a radical Muslim cleric - with alleged ties to al Qaeda.

Also, there's the question of whether a joint terrorism task force that had information on Hasan shared it with the military and others. Experts say they worry about "political correctness" - and that some signs may have been ignored because Hasan is Muslim.

Pres. Obama wanted Congress to hold off on hearings until federal authorities finished their investigation.

SO HERE'S MY QUESTION TO YOU: Could authorities have prevented the Fort Hood shootings?

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