What's behind GOP opposition to financial reform?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
You might call it "Health care reform, Take 2."
The financial reform bill might just set the stage for the next big partisan showdown on Capitol Hill.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/19/art.geithner.jpg caption="Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner spoke last week after meeting with Pres. Obama and the bipartisan Congressional leadership to discuss financial reform. "]
In what may be another political miscalculation by the GOP, all 41 Senate Republicans say they "are united" in opposing the current bill... and that they want to see a more "bipartisan and inclusive approach." Some have already promised to filibuster it.
Republicans claim the legislation would continue the Obama administration's intervention into formerly private industries.
Ironic when you consider that the original $700 billion TARP bailout happened under the Republican President Bush and his Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson... those hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars vanished into the pockets of the big banks with very few strings attached.
The Democrats claim the financial reform bill will actually prevent future taxpayer bailouts of failing banks. It would create a consumer protection office for investors, regulate some of the complex investments that led to the collapse, and create a $50 billion "failure fund" financed by the banks.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says he's confident the bill will pass Congress. And if Senate Democrats can nail down one or two Republican votes, some think that could open the flood gates for others to support it.
Even conservative columnist George Will believes in the end, there will be plenty of bipartisan support - he says the Republicans don't know what they want... and he estimates the bill will pass with 70 votes.
Here’s my question to you: What's behind the Republicans' opposition to financial reform?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How should the U.S. change its Israel policy?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Both sides insist the bond is unshakable... but it's pretty hard to ignore the rising tensions between the U.S. and Israel these days.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/16/art.netanyahu.biden.jpg caption="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with VP Joe Biden in March. Netanyahu met with Pres. Obama later that day."]
Now Pres. Obama is signaling a shift in American policy in the Middle East... by declaring that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a "vital national security interest of the United States."
He's drawing a direct link here between what's happening in Israel and the safety of U.S. troops fighting Islamic extremists in the region.
The New York Times reports the president's shift in tone reflects a debate within the administration over how to "best balance support for Israel against other American interests."
It's no secret that the administration has been frustrated with a lack of progress in peace talks; and that they were not happy with Israel's recent snub of announcing a massive new Jewish housing project while Vice President Biden was in Israel.
That was reportedly followed by a tense meeting between the president and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.
Israel's right-wing government is concerned that the U.S. will try to push through a peace deal on its own, meaning they'd have to give up things they don't want to; and that the Palestinians might declare statehood unilaterally as early as next year.
To that end - Israel has spent much of the last week highlighting threats it faces in the region... from a potentially nuclear-armed Iran to charges that Syria is providing weapons to Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon.
Syria says it's not true.
Here’s my question to you: How should the U.S. change its policy toward Israel?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Do you hate the government?
Tea Party members holds signs during a rally in Boston. The Tea Party Express' tour through the United States ended in D.C. on tax day. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Hating the government has finally gone mainstream...
That's according to a piece in the Washington Examiner by political editor Chris Stirewalt:
"After two wars, a $12 trillion debt, a financial crisis and the most politically tone-deaf president in modern history, Americans may have finally given up on big government."
Stirewalt writes how three years ago the Republican establishment pretty much disregarded presidential candidate Ron Paul... but not anymore. The Texas congressman is gaining some serious support - along with his son, Rand, an ophthalmologist with no political experience, who may have a real shot at a Senate seat in Kentucky.
Stirewalt suggests that the American people are sick of watching everyone from the big banks to united auto workers drain the U.S. treasury. He believes that both Democrats and Republicans have misjudged the mood of the public.
It is of course the Tea Party movement that represents much of this angst and anger at big government, record spending and deficits... and higher taxes. Last year, the Tea Parties caught nearly everyone by surprise... but now the two major political parties and the media are tuned in.
But, Stirewalt says the real meaning of these protests isn't about a politician like Ron Paul or even the activists marching with "don't tread on me" flags... instead it's about the people at home who might agree with their message... and there are potentially lots and lots of them - with polls showing that nearly one-third of Americans consider themselves Tea Party supporters.
Here’s my question to you: Do you hate the government?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Where would you want your tax dollars to go?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
In honor of today's dreaded tax filing deadline - a whopping majority of Americans say the government wastes their tax dollars. No big surprise there.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/15/art.tax.return.jpg caption=""]
A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows 74 percent of those surveyed say a lot of their tax money is wasted by the government, 23 percent say some of their tax dollars are misspent... and only three percent say not much is wasted.
This poll also finds that 50 percent of the public says the tax system is unfair, which isn't surprising when you consider that 47 percent of U.S. households won't pay federal income taxes this year. Not a single dime.
And, the survey shows a growing public frustration with taxes over the last couple decades... 40 percent say they're angry about the amount of taxes they pay... that number is up sharply from the 1980s... and is a big part of the message coming from the Tea Party folks.
But whether you're angry or not, you don't have a choice about it... nor do you get to choose where your tax money goes.
Federal income taxes represent the government's largest source of revenue - at more than $900 billion. This money is used to run the country - everything from national defense, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to things like education, public safety and infrastructure.
Here’s my question to you: If you could choose, where would you want your tax dollars to go?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Should Hillary challenge Pres. Obama in 2012?
Clinton and Obama exchange comments during the Democratic Presidential Primary Debate in 2008. (PHOTO CREDIT: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It could be the greatest of rematch of all time.
Hillary Clinton and Pres. Barack Obama nearly tore the Democratic Party apart two years ago. What if they go at it again in 2012?
A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll shows Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a favorable rating of 61 percent and an unfavorable rating of 35 percent...
Clinton's numbers have improved since the 2008 primaries... and she fares better than Pres. Obama, who gets a 57 percent favorable rating; but his job approval rating is below 50 percent in most of the major polls. Obama's unfavorable rating of 41 percent has more than doubled since early last year.
There's more: Clinton's numbers also top all other Democrats and Republicans in this poll... including potential GOP presidential candidates like Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.
Clinton insists she's "absolutely not interested" in running again for president... although she has suggested that she doesn't envision serving as Secretary of State in a second Obama term.
Of course a lot can happen between now and 2012... including whatever Pres. Obama does or doesn't accomplish in the remainder of his term. If the economy recovers and the jobs come back, he could be tough to beat. But as of right now, one survey shows a majority of Americans don't think the president deserves a second term.
And when it comes to politics, it's probably wise never to count a Clinton out.
Here’s my question to you: Should Hillary Clinton challenge Pres. Obama in 2012?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Can U.S. survive without disappearing middle class?
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Joint Economic Committee in Washington, DC. Bernanke testified before the full committee today on the topic of 'The Economic Outlook.' (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Even though the economy is showing signs of recovery, Congress is on track to extend unemployment benefits for the fourth time since the recession began more than two years ago.
The measure, now making its way through the Senate, would allow the jobless to receive up to 99 weeks of unemployment checks - that's almost two years.
Democrats insist that times remain tough. They say Republicans, who are opposed to the measure, are "inhumane" and lack compassion.
But Republicans say they're worried about the price tag - about $7 billion a month - which will only add to our skyrocketing national debt. They want to pay for the measure with spending cuts in other parts of the budget.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke predicted this morning that our national debt will double to $20 trillion or 100 percent of our gross domestic product by 2020.
We're killing ourselves.
There's also another component to this: The longer unemployment benefits are extended, the longer the jobless have an incentive not to work. Studies show many unemployed workers don't start seriously looking for a job until their benefits are about to run out.
In fact, some say the scope of the Obama administration's entitlement programs is leading to a two-class society: The "haves" who are bankrolling the "have-nots."
Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly writes that the president is transforming the nation by "converting the earnings of American workers into handouts" for those who voted for him.
As we reported in the Cafferty File earlier this week - 47 percent of American households won't pay any federal income taxes this year... in other words, the U.S. has become a country where only half of us are paying for the services that are used by all of the U.S.
Here’s my question to you: Can America survive without the disappearing middle class?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Pres. Obama keeping his word on transparency?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
"Transparency." What was once a great rallying cry for President Obama seems to have fallen by the wayside... in the tradition of so many campaign promises.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/14/art.obama.summit.2.jpg.jpg caption="Pres. Obama answers reporters' questions during a news conference at the conclusion of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC."]
The latest example comes from the Nuclear Security Summit taking place in Washington this week. Dana Milbank writes in The Washington Post that world leaders arriving in the U.S. Capital may have felt more like they were transported to Soviet-era Moscow... with Pres. Obama "putting on a clinic for some of the world's greatest dictators in how to circumvent a free press."
Milbank details how foreign reporters were shut out of press availabilities after only minutes. One journalist reporting for an Arabic-language TV station said they were only present for Mr. Obama's meeting with Jordan's king for about 30 seconds... not long enough to notice the tie colors of the two leaders.
Also - Multiple events on the president's official schedule yesterday were "closed press"... leading reporters who have covered the White house for decades to say these were the most restricted meetings they'd ever seen.
Where's the transparency we were promised? This disregard for the media is becoming somewhat of a theme for President Obama... from closed events like the recent meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu... to the president's signing of an executive order on abortion. No media coverage allowed for any of this stuff.
Not to mention another broken campaign promise of televising the health care debates live on C-Span.
Here’s my question to you: When it comes to transparency, is Pres. Obama keeping his word?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Catholic Church's child sex abuse linked to homosexuality?
Protesters demonstrate outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The Vatican claims to have it all figured out when it comes to the sexual abuse of children at the hands of priests in the Catholic Church.
The pope's number two - Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone - insists the abuse is linked to homosexuality... and not celibacy.
Gay rights groups are outraged - saying it's a "perverse" strategy by the Vatican to "shirk its own ethical and legal responsibility"... and they're right.
To top it off - this official made the ludicrous claim in Chile, where one pedophile priest had sex with young girls - impregnating at least one teenager. One of his victims says when she told priests about the abuse at confession "they just told me to pray and that was it."
Meanwhile - as the church says it's overhauling its rules on how it handles accusations of sexual abuse, the Associated Press may have a smoking gun that proves Pope Benedict refused to do anything about this when he had the chance.
They report on a letter written in the 80s by then-cardinal Ratzinger, in which he resisted pleas to defrock a California priest who had sexually abused children. After sitting on the request for several years, Ratzinger eventually did nothing - instead asking the Oakland bishop to consider the "good of the universal church."
It eventually became the eleventh commandment in Catholicism: "Protect the church at all costs - to hell with the children."
Here’s my question to you: Is the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church linked to homosexuality?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 5pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
Hillary Clinton as Supreme Court justice?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
First Lady... Senator... Presidential candidate... Secretary of State.
Hillary Clinton's resume is already an impressive one ... but what about Supreme Court Justice as her next step?
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/13/art.h.clinton.jpg caption=""]
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah first floated the idea... saying Clinton "would be an interesting person in the mix" ... as a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
The White House was quick to take the air out of it... saying that President Obama thinks Clinton is doing an "excellent job" as Secretary of State and that he wants to keep her there. Clinton's spokesman also chimed in - saying the Secretary of State loves her job and isn't looking for another one...
But it's not such a far-fetched notion... and some Clinton supporters love it. Longtime adviser Mark Penn tells Politico that Clinton would make a great justice... that she would "bring a revolution to the court and would be confirmable."
Even her mother has talked about the scenario... once telling a reporter she thought Hillary would be the first woman to serve on the high court...she says she was "kind of sorry" when Sandra Day O'Connor became the first.
It's also worth pointing out that since the retirement of O'connor - the Supreme Court has been made up entirely of career legal scholars and jurists - not a single prominent public figure... in the tradition of justices like William Howard Taft, Earl Warren and Thurgood Marshall.
A nominee like Clinton could change all that.
Here’s my question to you: Why shouldn't Pres. Obama consider Hillary Clinton for the Supreme Court?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 6pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
Make it easier for illegal immigrants to become U.S. citizens?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
As the debate over immigration reform heats up, a hefty majority of Americans are opposed to making it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/12/art.oath.jpg caption=""]
A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows 66 percent of those surveyed do not want to ease the path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people in this country illegally.
Democrats are more likely than Independents or Republicans to support making it easier for illegals to become citizens.
The poll also shows 52 percent of Americans are sympathetic to illegal immigrants and their families - but 47 percent are unsympathetic; and that number is eight points higher than it was four years ago.
All this comes as thousands of people attended rallies over the weekend in several cities across the country - calling on congress to act quickly on immigration reform. Activists waved American flags and held signs that said things like: "Stop tearing our families apart" and "Reform now."
President Obama has vowed to do everything in his power to get a bipartisan deal through Congress.
But it's not going to happen. As these poll numbers suggest - with a sluggish economy and nearly 10 percent unemployment, a lot of Americans don't have an appetite for immigration reform.
Under President Bush, Congress tried to do the same thing a few years back, but critics called that effort "amnesty," which is exactly what it was, and the legislation never saw the light of day.
Here’s my question to you: Should the U.S. make it easier for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants to become citizens?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Recent Comments