Can the Obama White House Win Back the 'Professional Left?'
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The Obama White House has been stunned by critics from the left wing of its own party. Has the President failed to live up to his own promises? Will liberals stay home in November? Also, after a government bailout, GM reports big profits, and stressed-out fliers and flight attendants.
Banner image: President Barack Obama signs the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010 in the Oval Office, July 22, 2010. Official White House photo: Lawrence Jackson
Making News
After Government Bailout, GM Reports Profits ()
General Motors posted its biggest quarterly profit in six years today, and tomorrow, it's expected to file for a landmark stock offering which could allow the government to give up its majority. Rick Newman is chief business correspondent for US News & World Report.
Guests:
- Rick Newman: Chief Business Correspondent, US News and World Report
Main Topic
The Professional Left and the 'Enthusiasm Gap' ()
Left wing Democrats reportedly have the Obama White House in a state of "furious disbelief," frustrated by a lack of appreciation. What the President and his aides call accomplishments are derided by liberals as capitulations on healthcare, finance reform, gay rights and the economy. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the critics are watching "too much Cable" TV, a reference to MSNBC, which some call the antidote to the Fox News Channel. In the run-up to the November elections, Republicans are eager to take advantage, and this could be more than a disagreement between friends. Will disputes between Democrats widen what's called the "enthusiasm gap?"
Guests:
- David Sirota: nationally syndicated columnist, @davidsirota
- Michael Tomasky: Editor, Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, @michaeltomasky
- Lawrence O'Donnell: Senior Political Analyst, MSNBC, @Lawrence
- David Winston: Republican pollster and strategist, Winston Group, @dhwinston
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Reporter's Notebook
Stressed-Out Fliers and Flight Attendants ()
JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater has achieved folk-hero status by denouncing a passenger on a JetBlue aircraft's public address system, grabbing a beer and sliding down the emergency chute. He could get a jail term for endangering workers on the tarmac at New York's Kennedy Airport. So why have 143,000 people become Slater's fans on Facebook? Charlie Leocha is Director of the nonprofit Consumer Travel Alliance.
Guests:
- Charlie Leocha: Director, Consumer Travel Alliance
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