Bush Moves To Allay Fears

President Bush just got through addressing the nation in an attempt to ease anxiety about the economic situation.

The president is, of course, a lame duck with a low approval rating. Seemingly, no one wants to listen to him.

But this is a crisis. His administration is taking steps to alleviate its affects. And he should be listened to.

There were no new programs announced. No new strategies. Instead the president recapped previous announced steps, including the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, designed, he said, to make capital available to the economy.

Wall Street works on psychology. “Anxiety,” the president noted, “can feed anxiety.” Hopefully his calming words will have a positive affect.

He began by acknowledging that this is a “deeply unsettling time for the American people” and then went onto recap what’s being done.

Among the points he made in his brief address:

*The Federal Reserve has injected hundred of billions of dollars into the system.

*The prime rate decrease is designed to help banks borrow money.

*Money in insured banks and credit unions is safe.

*Programs have been established to prevent foreclosure and make it easier for “responsible homeowners” to refinance. “If you’re struggling to meet your mortgage,” the president said, “there are ways that you can get help.”

*The SEC is “focused on preventing abusive practices” by investors who might attempt to manipulate the market to take advantage of the crisis.

*Other nations are joining with the United States in initiating steps to help mitigate the worldwide economic downturn. “We’re in this together,” Bush declared, “and we’ll come through this together.”

*The housing market will eventually stabilize. “When supply and demand balances out our housing market will begin to recover,” he said.

Bush assured Americans that the plan his administration is “aggressive” and is “the right plan.”

Finally, he promised that his strategy is “big enough to work.”

“We know what the problems are,” he said. “We have the tools to fix them.”

Musicians Play For Vets

Two New Jersey musicians who have cut a song in support of returning U.S. veterans and who give the proceeds for its sale to an organization who helps them will be my guests on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com Tuesday, October 14.

 

 

They will perform the song live from the Downtown bar in Red Bank, NJ on the show, an appropriate venue because I met Joe Hughes and Danny Rongo playing with their band, Goldenseal, at the 2008 Red Bank Jazz and Blues Festival. The set included a performance of Streets of America, which points out that many of the homeless people we see across the nation are actually veterans.

 

 

Proceeds from sales of Streets of America are donated to Vet Work, a New Jersey-based nonprofit that provides essential support to homeless and disabled vets.

 

On June 14th, 2008, Goldenseal played at Fort Dix, NJ for an historic deployment of National Guard troops. More than 30,000 deploying troops and their families were in attendance.

 

 

To talk to Hughes and Rongo and hear their acoustical performance at 5 PM New York time Tuesday October 14 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

 

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

 

 

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to an additional 12 million households.

 

 

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Photo credit: Carole J. Brandi

U.S. Foreign Policy – Time For A Change

Editor’s note: The following was written by News Talk Online guest host Dan Warner

It’s time to change U.S. foreign policy.

That, at least was the point of view expressed today by many callers to News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Teddy Roosevelt’s admonition to walk softly but carry a big stick was evoked during the discussion.

Several callers agreed that a non-interventionist foreign policy would bode better for relations with the rest of the world than the nation building aspirations of the Bush administration.

The U.S. military footprint across the globe should, as well, it was suggested, be made smaller, by closing some bases in favor of fewer “mega bases.”

And the nation, many believe, should be more judicious about what countries receive U.S. foreign aid.

But other callers cautioned against pulling back too far. Like it or not, they argued, the United States has become the world’s policeman. If the U.S. reneges on this responsibility they warned, Russia or China will fill the void and our foreign affairs will be worse off than they are now.

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Push On To Register Young Voters

Evelyn Butts registers Sharday Shaw in Philadelphia

During the post-debate debate on Paltalk Tuesday night several people of first-time voting age called to express their views on the candidates. But indicated that they were not voting in November.

 

 

Unfortunately, this wasn’t too shocking to me. My daughter and son are both of first-time voting age this year. Talking with them and their peers, I find a disturbing disinterest in the election process.

 

 

The most expressed reason I’m hearing from these young adults for not voting is that they believe it will make no difference who is elected president. Yes, at their relatively young ages, they are already jaded.

 

 

There’s a full court press underway to counter this attitude.

 

 

 

The Progressive Future Education Fund has teamed up with the Center for Public Interest Research to register more than 450,000 voters, mostly first-timers, in 12 states. Both organizations are non-partisan.

 

 

“The youth vote has historically been underrepresented in the overall electorate,” said Progressive Future Political Director Brad Martin.

 

 

The canvassers registered young voters and talked to them about issues ranging from the war to health care and the economy.

 

 

Other organizations, like Voto Latino, have been concentrating on getting the Latino vote out, but are registering non-Latinos as well. The group’s website has a state-by-state list of deadlines for registering to vote (the deadline has passed in some states).

 

 

Of course, registering people to vote is just one part of the equation. Getting them out to vote is another hurdle altogether.

 

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Photo credit: Jenne Turner/Public Interest GRFX