A California Drama without a Hollywood Ending
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has lost another round in his ongoing battle with his own Republican Party, the Democrats and the voters of California. We look at yesterday’s crushing election results and the bleak future of a state with a deficit of $21 billion. Also, the credit card reform bill is "armed" and ready to go, and a possible key to human evolution rolled out like a Hollywood movie.
Banner image: (L to R) California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) depart the Oval Office of the White House after meeting about auto efficiency and emissions. Photo: Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images
Making News
House Likely to Pass Credit Card Bill…and Gun Law? ()
Congress today took up the credit-card reform bill passed yesterday by the Senate 90-to-5. It includes permission for visitors to carry guns in national parks. The White House says President Obama will sign the bill with that amendment. Sudeep Reddy is economics reporter for the Wall Street Journal and blogger for Real Time Economics.
Guests:
- Sudeep Reddy: Economics Reporter, Wall Street Journal, @Reddy
Main Topic
A California Drama without a Hollywood Ending ()
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he came "to fix what is broken in California." But his favorability rating has plunged into the low 30's and, after yesterday's election, all he can do is pick up the pieces. Five ballot measures suffered resounding defeat, leaving the state with a deficit of $21 billion -- larger than the entire budgets of most other states. The biggest state in the union now faces massive cutbacks in healthcare, education, prisons and other services. Will Washington provide a bailout? Is the crisis due to a failure of leadership or the voters themselves? If California is "ungovernable," what does that mean for the rest of the country?
Guests:
- Carla Marinucci: Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle, @cmarinucci
- Kevin Starr: Librarian Emeritus, State of California
- Joe Mathews: Irvine Senior Fellow, New America Foundation, @joemmathews
- Bruce Cain: Professor of Political Science, University of California Berkeley
- Bill Lockyer: Treasurer, State of California
Links:
- Mathews' article on California's initiatives, special elections
- Mathews' 'The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy'
- Starr's 'Golden Dreams: California in an Age of Abundance, 1950-1963'
- Marinucci's article on Schwarzenegger, failing ballot measures
- Carey McWilliams' 'California: The Great Exception'
Reporter's Notebook
Big Media Scene Surrounds Discovery of Ida Primate Fossil ()
A 47-million year old fossil described as "the missing link" is being revealed in a peer-reviewed, scientific article and as part of a coordinated book, film and TV deal including exclusive coverage by ABC News. In the ABC News studios today, viewers could see the fossil remains of a monkey-like creature. All of us will be seeing a lot more of it in days to come, as we hear from Tim Arango, media reporter for the New York Times.
Guests:
- Tim Arango: Media Reporter, New York Times
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