Did Gov. Jindal help or hurt himself with Republican response?
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The Republicans trotted out one of their hopefuls for 2012 this week and he pretty much landed with a loud thud. Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal got lousy reviews from across the political spectrum after giving the Republican response to President Obama's address to Congress Tuesday night.
Some Republicans say Jindal came off at best off-balance and at worst downright amateur in his national debut.
The criticism even came from conservatives who have been promoting the 36-year-old rising political star as the person to revive the GOP. Some Republicans say Jindal came off at best off-balance and at worst downright amateur in his national debut. They're calling for the person who wrote Jindal's "cheesy" response and coached him to be fired and say Jindal shouldn't be allowed near a teleprompter again. Others point out that Republicans are looking for a "conservative version" of President Obama. Jindal ain't it.
Although some Republicans actually praised the content of his speech, others were left fuming at Jindal's swipe at government spending to monitor volcanoes. The mayor of Vancouver, Washington - which is in the shadow of Mount St. Helens - asks if Jindal has a volcano in his backyard. He points out that Mt. St. Helens is still very active and potentially dangerous.
In all fairness to Jindal, the opposition party's response rarely wins praise and politicians often come back from moments like these. But if Governors Bobby Jindal and Governor Sarah Palin are the great hope for Republicans in 2012, they might want to go back to the drawing board. And my guess is Mitt Romney is sleeping very well these nights.
Here’s my question to you: Did Gov. Bobby Jindal help or hurt himself with his Republican response to Pres. Obama's address this week?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Financial crisis bigger national security threat than terrorism?
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Worldwide economic jitters are ranking high on the CIA's list of priorities.
Migrant workers in China demolish walls to get usable brick. East Asia is among the regions that are in crisis because of the economy.
The spy agency has started briefing the White House daily about the global financial crisis, and its ripple effects on the stability of various countries.
The CIA is now giving an "Economic Intelligence Briefing" to top officials, in addition to the daily roundup of terrorist attacks and surveillance reports. This suggests the global economic crisis is a top concern when it comes to our national security.
CIA director Leon Panetta says the White House requested the daily economic briefing. He talked about the impact of the recession throughout the world and said now U.S. officials won't be surprised by the aftershocks from bank failures and rising unemployment elsewhere. The agency is focusing on many areas – including East Asia and Latin America – that are in crisis because of the economy.
Dennis Blair, the new Director of National Intelligence, said earlier this month that economic issues have pretty much replaced terrorism as the country's top security challenge. He pointed out that three European governments have fallen because of economic issues.
The economic crunch overseas now joins a long list of global concerns confronting President Obama... including the resurgence of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, winding down the war in Iraq, and the never-ending conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Here’s my question to you: Which is a bigger threat to America's national security: the global financial crisis or terrorism?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Earmarks a necessary evil?
The $410 billion spending bill is filled with pork, including $1.8 million to research "swine odor and manure management." (PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The House of Representatives has passed a $410 billion spending bill - and it's been stuffed with pork by both parties.
The New York Times reports one watchdog group says the bill includes almost $8 billion for more than 85,000 pet projects. Among them:
– $1.7 million for a honey bee laboratory in Texas
– $1.5 million for work on grapes and grape products - including wine
– $1.8 million to research "swine odor and manure management" in Iowa...they could do the same research in Washington D.C.
-smaller ticket items include asparagus research in Washington State, wool research in Montana, Texas and Wyoming, rodent control in Hawaii... and on and on.
Democrats also earmarked about $40 million for the presidential libraries of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. The bill even includes earmarks requested by some lawmakers who are no longer in Congress.
Republicans pounced on the bill as wasteful, pointing out it comes just after the White House held that summit on fiscal responsibility. But Democrats say that 40% of the earmark spending went to projects requested by Republicans.
Democratic Congressman David Obey of Wisconsin defended earmarks, saying they were fully disclosed and a small part of the bill. He added that without them, "the White House and its anonymous bureaucrats" would control all spending.
House and Senate Democrats have already agreed on the bill - although Republican Senators could try to cut out some of the pork.
As for the White House, one official says "it's a big document. we are still reviewing it."
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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