Does Bipartisanship Really Matter?

Making News

Drop in Gross Domestic Product Could Have Been Worse ()

The US economy shrank last year, but not as fast as expected. Instead of a predicted drop of 5.1 percent, it was only 3.8. That's hardly good news. Paul Ashworth, who analyzes the US economy for foreign investors and large banks, is senior US economist at Capital Economics in Toronto.

Guests:

• Paul Ashworth: Senior US Economist, Capital Economics

Main Topic

Does Bipartisanship Really Matter? ()

President Obama ended his first full week in office with an appeal to America's Middle Class, appointing a task force to be headed by Vice President Biden. Will that appeal to Republicans around the country and set their Congressional leaders off stride?  House members gave Obama a warm welcome on Capitol Hill, but not a single vote for his stimulus package. Will bipartisanship raise its head in the Senate? Some Democrats are complaining that the President's made too many concessions, especially on tax cuts, when GOP help isn't needed to pass a bill. We get an early progress report on emerging strategies and the prospect for action with new blood in the White House.  

Guests:

• Jay Newton-Small: Political Reporter, Time magazine
• David Sirota: journalist and syndicated columnist, @davidsirota
• Bruce Bartlett: former staffer, US Treasury Department
• Peter Ferrara: former staffer, White House Office of Policy Development
• Andrew Leonard: Staff Writer, Salon.com, @koxinga21

Links:

• Frank Luntz's (Los Angeles Times) op-ed article on infrastructure
• Newton-Small's article on the stimulus bill's 'bumpy ride'
• Sirota's 'The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington'
• Bartlett's 'Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy'
• Bartlett's (Politico) article on need for GOP to adapt to a welfare state

Reporter's Notebook

Public Outraged at Wall Street Excess ()

With layoffs reaching massive proportions and the government spending billions to bail out financial institutions, Wall Street bankers gave themselves nearly $20 billion in bonuses. Private jets and expensive interiors are not things of the past. President Obama responded today by calling such bonuses “the height of irresponsibility.” What can be done? Nell Minow is editor at the Corporate Library and co-author of three books on corporate governance.

Guests:

• Nell Minow: Editor, Corporate Library