Midweek Politics with David Pakman

This Week on Midweek Politics with David Pakman – March 25th, 2009

MP3 Podcast: Available with entire Midweek Politics Archive for Members

Total Running Time: 56:19

This Week’s Topics:

–We discuss Barack Obama’s latest prime time press conference, including questions from reporters.

–Criticism of Obama and his press conferences, including that he is boring, is doing too many of them, and is too optimistic.

–Obama’s confidence in the coming economic recovery.

–Follow-up about AIG and the bonus controversy.

–Obama’s responses to Ed Henry’s prodding about why his response was slow to the AIG situation, stating that he likes to know what he’s talking about before giving his opinion.

–Strange suggestions from Chuck Todd during the press conference that the American people haven’t sacrificed nor suffered as a result of the economic crisis.

–The Obama press conference was apparently too boring for much of the media.

–Testimony from AIG CEO Edward Liddy, including comments that he wouldn’t have given the bonuses that were previously promised, and that executives should give their bonus money back. He also refuses to give the names of those who received bonuses because he fears for their safety.

–An interesting letter send from an AIG executive to the CEO saying he quits, and explaning why.

–We look at how much the average individual making $300,000 would have to increase his tax payments by if the Bush tax cuts are rolled back.

–Strange comments on Fox News suggesting that the Dow dropped during Obama’s speech because investors didn’t like what he said, even though the Dow was higher at the end of the speech, not lower.

–Health care reform, including those who are confident it will happen, and those that think it’s not the right time to change anything.

–An update on Guantanamo Bay, including a statement from a former Bush official that many of those held there are innocent.

–Pat Buchanan is worried about whether the US can handle an increase in Hispanics or whether the country will collapse.

–One conservative commentator accuses dictionaries of having a liberal bias.

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