Founder-Editor of FireDogLake.com
Founder and editor of the liberal blog, FireDogLake.com
PROFILE
Jane Hamsher
Guest
FROM Jane Hamsher
To the Point
Will Congress Save Detroit? The CEO's of the Big Three are putting the pressure on Democrats and Republicans. GMAC is running full-page newspaper ads headlining "The Auto Industry Matters" and warning about the ripple effects if plants close and laid off workers can't feed their families or pay taxes. Backed by organized labor, they want a federal bailout, but there's no consensus on how or whether to save them. Democrats, Republicans and the Bush White House may let Barack Obama pick up the pieces, even though GM may go bankrupt before he takes office. With CEO's and labor leaders marching on Capitol Hill, we get a progress report. We also learn about Joe Lieberman 's punishment for supporting John McCain .
To the Point
Democratic-Led Congress to Recess on a Very Low Note When the Democrats took over Congress 18 months ago, there were expectations of major change. But it hasn’t happened, partly because a lot of the new Democrats are "Blue Dogs," almost as conservative as the Republicans they defeated. Between angry progressive Democrats and Republicans, Congress now has the lowest approval ratings in the history of the Gallop Poll. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says if Democrats increase their majorities next year, change finally will come. Do Progressives believe it? Since Republicans have been getting pretty much what they wanted, what are they complaining about?
To the Point
Abortion: After the US Supreme Court's Latest Decision Women still have the right to choose an abortion in the United States, but not by "intact dilation and extraction," also called "partial birth abortion." Last week's US Supreme Court decision upheld a ban based not on the physical health of the mother but the fear that a gruesome procedure might cause women emotional harm, including "regret," "severe depression" and "loss of esteem." Dissenting justices find that "alarming." Other critics call it "legal paternalism" and "19th Century thinking about women's rights." What do women and their doctors do now? Did abortion-rights drop the ball when Alito and Roberts were named to the court?
To the Point
Would a New Democratic Majority Go Left... or Right? A county sheriff in Indiana, a retired Army colonel in Kentucky, a former pro quarterback and evangelical Christian in North Carolina: they're pro-business and opposed to abortion, gay marriage and gun control--and they're all running as Democrats in next week's elections for Congress. Potential Speaker Nancy Pelosi promises President Bush would be safe from impeachment, but could conservative newcomers put liberal veterans in check if the Democrats took back the House? Where would that leave the base of the party that's been out of power on Capitol Hill for the past 12 years?
Recommended
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
To the Point
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.