What's the right punishment in the Secret Service scandal?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The Secret Service Colombian prostitution scandal keeps heating up, and it's unclear whether resignations of the agents at the center of it will put out the fire.
More resignations are expected this week, in addition to the three we already know about.
Eleven members of the Secret Service, including 20-year-veterans, have been implicated. They're accused of bringing at least 20 prostitutes to their hotel in Cartagena ahead of last week's visit by President Barack Obama.
As many as 10 members of the U.S. military are also being questioned about potential misconduct. This includes five members of the elite Army Special Forces.
It's a mess, and it's a national disgrace, not to mention a potential security risk for the president.
So what's being done in Washington? The House Oversight Committee is investigating. Also, there will likely be a review board set up to find out whether this was an isolated incident or part of a broader agency culture.
But some people don't think this is enough. At least one congressman, Republican Randy Forbes of Virginia, is calling for Mark Sullivan, the Secret Service director, to be fired.
Forbes says it's time to put someone else in charge to change the culture at the agency.
Mitt Romney says he'd "clean house" at the Secret Service. The likely Republican presidential nominee says he would fire the agents involved. But Romney, like Obama, says he has confidence in the director.
Sullivan has been director of the agency since May 2006. That means the 2009 security breach at the White House involving two party crashers at Obama's first state dinner also happened on his watch.
Here’s my question to you: What's the right punishment in the Secret Service scandal?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm 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.
If Congress won't fix the economy, what will it take?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Congress won't do anything to fix the economy - that's the disturbing result of a CNN Money survey of economists.
Despite the huge issues on the horizon - a $15 trillion dollar debt, $1 trillion annual deficits, jobs, taxes - we can once again expect our Congress to do nothing.
Although the economists polled in this survey have lots of ideas about how to jump-start the U.S. economy, they don't expect Congress to act on any of it in the near future.
One economist put it this way: Congress will act "two weeks after a sudden freeze in Hell."
These experts are most worried about a weakening in economic readings - especially job growth.
So what would help? They'd like Congress to pass comprehensive tax reform, which would likely lower tax rates for corporations and individuals while eliminating many deductions and loopholes.
Most of these economists also support some extension of the Bush tax cuts and an extension of the partial payroll tax holiday.
The survey also found 40% of these economists want Congress to repeal Obamacare and about a quarter support the repeal of the Dodd-Frank financial services reform legislation.
Some of them believe the economy will be best off if Congress does as little as possible.
Looks like they'll probably get their wish.
With lawmakers in re-election mode we can't expect much action on the economy - or anything else for that matter. Pathetic.
As if to prove this point - late yesterday Senate Democrats canceled the votes on next year's budget. This would be the third year in a row that Congress fails to produce a budget, which is their job. Like we said, pathetic.
Here’s my question to you: If Congress won't fix the economy, what will it take?
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.
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