To the Point

Will Enron Have Greater Impact than September 11?

In a State of the Union address devoted to war, President Bush never mentioned Enron. In his wartime deficit budget, he reminded us of how much has changed since September 11. The attack by international terrorists and the bankruptcy may become the country's biggest business scandal have both shaken public confidence and sparked bipartisan unity. But which will be a greater turning point for US society? We speak with economist Paul Krugman, New York Times columnists, former White House lawyer John Dean, and foreign policy expert Walter Russel Mead about the two big turning points that have changed the way America looks at itself. Newsmaker: Bush's Two Trillion-Dollar Budget Last year's massive surplus has turned into deficit spending. This year, President Bush's budget includes big increases in defense and homeland security, and another round of big tax cuts. Allen Schick, public policy professor at the University of Maryland and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, regrets that Bush is repeating the errors of former President Ronald Reagan. Reporter's Notebook: Survival School for Journalists Despite conflicting messages, The Wall Street Journal still believes its reporter Daniel Pearl is alive in the hands of kidnappers in Pakistan. His disappearance raises questions about the risk reporters are taking to cover the news in the world's trouble spots. Centurion Risk Assessment Services, a British company that offers security training, offers a Hostile Environment course. Director Paul Rees says it's based on real life incidents.