By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, decried the Obama administration’s plan to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, describing the decision as reckless.

“[President Barack Obama] hadn’t even had time to review the situation and classified information,” Hoekstra said during a press conference Friday. “He fired before he aimed.”

Hoekstra reiterated his opposition to moving the facility’s detainees into U.S. prisons, especially those in the Congressman’s state.

“Some of my colleagues have said this would be an economic stimulus package for Michigan. It is a really bad idea. I don’t care how cold it gets in the upper peninsula during the Winter.”

The Ranking Member also warned against trying Guantanamo detainees in the U.S. court system, arguing that it would be absurd to expect U.S. soldiers to imitate police by collecting evidence to charge combatants with.

By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service

Senators Mitch McConnell (center) and James Inohofe (left)

Zacarias Moussaoui, a convicted conspirator in the September 11 attacks, was jailed in the suburban Alexandria, Virginia, during his trial beginning in 2002. The effect that he had on the city was immense, as busy thoroughfares were shut down when he traveled back and forth from the jail to the court, and the entire jail was placed on lock down anytime he left his cell.

The fear of many members of Congress is that this dilemma will be replicated in cities throughout America because of the imminent closure of Guantanamo Bay.

On January 22, 2009 Barack Obama signed an executive order that would close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay in one year. This means that all detainees need to be relocated, and this process must occur quickly.

Senate Republicans are firmly opposed to the closure, and are gaining support from Democrats.

“We (the Republicans) feel united in wanting to do something to make sure we keep that (Guantanamo Bay) resource down there since there is no alternative,” said Senator James Inohofe (R-Okla.) today at the Senate Republicans weekly press conference.

The alternatives, according to Inohofe, would be to place detainees in two prisons Afghanistan, Bagram and Kandahar. But those prisons only accept Afghan citizens and refuse to take in terrorists from other nations, such as Yemen and Pakistan.

“Guantanamo Bay is the perfect place for terrorists,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who continued to say, “It has worked very, very well. No one has escaped from Guantanamo Bay since September 11, 2001.”

McConnell was pleased with the recent Democratic support for keeping Guantanamo Bay open, “They (the Democrats) are coming in the right direction.”

However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) did not believe that the closure of Guantanamo Bay was necessary because he, along with Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and both Presidents Bush and Obama, believe that “Guantanamo makes us less safe.”

“The Senate overwhelmingly, does not want terrorists to be released in the United States,” said Reid vehemently.

Reid refused to divulge anymore information about the possibility of detainees being relocated to United States’s prisons, only saying “We (the Senate) do not want them around.”

However, Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) refused to state that Michigan would not accept Guantanamo Bay detainees, “If the governor and local government accept them then that ought to be considered.”

The acceptance of detainees would require the construction of a large, maximum-security prison that would help create jobs and stimulate the economy, which is the main reason why Levin believed that states would agree to accept detainees. But he reiterated that the local governments must make the decision.

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

Correspondent Michael Ruhl reports on the recent release of the unemployment statistics for March.

Long segment: (01:00)
Short segment: (00:32)

 

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By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Keith Hall testifies before Congress on the nation’s unemployment numbers from March 2009, and how the recession has affected employment.

Hall said that unemployment numbers have climbed from 8.1 percent to 8.5 percent, and that the industries hardest hit are manufacturing, construction, and temporary services.

(00:34)

 

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By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

A day after President Barack Obama’s budget was passed by a Congress boiling with partisanship, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report showing unemployment at its highest since 1983. There are now 13.2 million Americans out of work.

The pouring rain in Washington mirrored the sobered mood in the room, as the Joint Economic Committee heard the testimony of Keith Hall, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

March was one of the worst Months on record for unemployment, and when asked outright, Hall told the committee that there were no “bright spots” in the report.

National unemployment climbed to 8.5 percent in March, rising from the level of 8.1 percent in February and 7.6 percent in January.

Hall said that two-thirds of the job loss has happened in the past 5 months. Every state is in recession for the first time in 30 years, according to Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).

Official unemployment numbers do not encompass underemployed Americans or those who have officially left the workforce. It is reported that 16 percent of the country is out of work or underemployed. One in four of those unemployed have been out of work for more than six months, and of those, half have been looking for work for over a year, Hall said.

Maloney highlighted that last month, 8,000 jobs were lost in the news publishing industry. Those losses total 70,000 job cuts since Dec. 2007, Hall said, adding that most job losses have been see in the manufacturing, construction, and temporary services industries. The only area to see any growth in March was the Healthcare industry, Hall said.

Ranking Committee member Senator Sam Brownback (R-KA) noted that the impact of the ongoing recession was not severe for almost a year after it began in December 2007. Brownback attributed recent dramatic jumps in job losses over the past five months to the lockup in the credit markets and the government bailouts that followed.

The Federal Reserve believes that unemployment will peak at 8.8 percent this year, but Ranking House Committee Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) said that the unemployment rate is already higher than what the administration anticipated for 2009. Brady said that the Obama Administration’s “optimistic assumptions” would not get the country out of its current mess.

President Obama’s Economic Stimulus package was passed by Congress earlier this year, and saw an unprecedented amount of money placed into public works meant to put people back to work. Obama has pledged the legislation will save or create three to four million jobs over the next two years.

Read the report here: Bureau of Labor Statistics Report

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

Former presidential candidate and long time consumer rights advocate Ralph Nader talked with Michael Ruhl to discuss the status of his lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee (DNC). This was immediately following the circuit court argument for Nader vs. DNC. Nader claims that he was harassed and burdened in 2004 presidential election by the DNC, in what he calls “an abuse of the legal process” and malicious prosecution. In this interview, Nader explained background of the case, and the case’s current status. He said, “there is no other western democracy that comes close to obstructing voters and obstructing candidates as is the case in our country.”

Nader also spoke about the two-party system, and the effect that his case has on future third party candidates in the presidential process. He said that his case is designed to draw boundaries, to make sure that third party candidates can exercise their First Amendment rights. Nader also referred to the issue as one of democracy, because he said in limiting ballot access, one is truly limiting the right of the people to decide who they want to represent them. Nader called for national ballot standards, instead of ballot standards which vary state by state. He also advocated instant runoff voting and public funding of public campaigns.

Nader said that the two-party system is not allowing third parties access to the higher tiers of federal government, and this two-party system is moving gradually to a one-party system, where gerrymandered districts make reelection almost certain for many members of Congress. He called this a system that can be rented by the rich. In spite of the stronghold that the two parties have on the system, Nader said that he has talked with several members of Congress who may be interested in helping to move legislation on election reform. He mentioned by name: John Conyers (D-Mich.), Ron Paul (R-Texas), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), and Jessie Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.). He anticipates this reform effort to be difficult, because as he said, “the foxes are guarding the chicken coop.” Nader seems ready for a fight.

(08:50)

 

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Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) comments on Obama being questioned about what programs he would cut back as a result of the financial crisis associated with the bailout bill, and Obama did not mentioned any. (0:37)

 

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Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) comments on the Obama campaign’s tour in Michigan and Obama’s re-visits to the state being a sign of him not confident in wining the Michigan vote. (1:00)

 

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As the 2008 presidential election is in it’s final stage, former Governor Mitt Romney put faith in the people of Michigan claiming that they will realize that the McCain-Palin ticket is the right one to vote for. “I’m convinced that Michiganders will take a good look at John McCain’s position and contrast that with Barack Obama’s,” Romney said during a press conference call focusing on the Obama campaign’s visit to the state. “Senator McCain’s prescription for strengthening our housing-market and for strengthening our economy is right,” Romney said.

According to Romney, Michigan will be a “winnable state” for Sen. John McCain, saying Obama’s regular visits to the state shows his insecurity in wining Michigan. “I think it’s a ‘must-win’ state for Barack Obama, and that’s why he’s gonna keep coming back and back, trying to nail it down,” Romney said. Romney claimed that while Obama wants to expand government spending, McCain is a strong opponent to extensive government spending.

Romney highlighted that raising taxes during the current financial crisis on Wall Street, will not help recovering the economy. According to Romney, Obama’s policies will guarantee that America will continue to spend billions of dollars on energy importation, stating it will potentially contribute to even higher gasoline prices.

“His policy saying no to clean coal, no to nuclear and no to drilling, is a policy doomed in my view,” Romney said. According to Romney, the Michigan people just need to focus on the presidential candidates policies to find the candidate that will benefit Michigan the most

Presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign held a press conference call to discuss Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Senator Barack Obama’s remarks in Flint, Michigan. Senior economic policy adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin and Republican National Committee (RNC) Victory 2008 Chair Carly Fiorina respond to questions from callers on issues ranging from free trade to the Iraq war to education policies.(21:52)

 

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