• Laura Flanders, host of RadioNation, was guest host today.
• Are we letting out excitement and engagement overshadow the issues and problems facing our country?
• Guest: Hugh Jackson, the Las Vegas Gleaner.
• Guest: Terry Allen. Nanotechnology.
• Guest: Congressman Chet Edwards, Texas. Veterans benefits.
• Guest: Gail Tuzzolo, Nevada State AFL-CIO.

Topics, guests, upcoming events, quotes, links to articles, audio clips, books & bumper music.

Friday 18 January '08 National show

• Laura Flanders, host of RadioNation, was guest host today.
• Are we letting out excitement and engagement overshadow the issues and problems facing our country?
• Edwards could do well. Obama and Hillary squabbling over gaming. Podhoretz is for action against Iran.
• In the news: recession, more bombardment in Iraq, veterans making 10 times as many claims for PTSD. Suicides among veterans. Warrantless wiretaps. What would you say in a state of the state speech?
• Article: Canada puts Gitmo on torture watch list.
• Guest: Hugh Jackson, the Las Vegas Gleaner. The culinary union nod. Polls show Clinton first, then Obama, then Edwards. About 9,000 took part last time, this time 30-100,000? It's still a small percentage of the voters. He doesn't like the caucus system.
  • it is rigged to give some people more influence than others
  • there's no secret vote
  • there's no absentee voting
  • the window that you must show up in is very small
  • people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan cannot participate

  Judge's caucus site ruling. It was thrown out yesterday, the party can do what it wants, and it was filed too late - 2 days after Obama got the culinary union nod.

• The National Priorities Project projects the Cost of War for 2008 to be $156 billion.
• There are staffing shortages in all federal departments.
• There is no blog, so email her.
• Article: Nanotech: Tiny Particles, Big Risks, Terry J. Allen (article not available online until January 24).
• Guest: Terry Allen. Nanotechnology, one of the fastest growing industries in history. Cosmetics don't make health claims so don't have to be tested.
• Q: "In terms of long-term growth, a lot of people are saying because the manufacturing base is gone, where do you see, in the next two to three years, long-term growth? What sectors in this economy?"

  SECRETARY PAULSON: "Well, let me start. I want to give you more detail than you want on the manufacturing base because I would say it's fascinating when you look at it. You may not know it, but who is the largest manufacturer in the world? The U.S., by a lot. It's fascinating. When I had looked at the data in 1950, we had about 30 million -- manufacturing jobs in the U.S. were about 30 percent of the country then, and there are about 15 million manufacturing jobs, okay?

  Today, we've got the same 15 million manufacturing jobs; they're about 10 percent. But the output has gone up seven times over that period, and we -- you know, our manufacturing base is two-and-a-half times larger to China, it's bigger than Japan, it's bigger than Germany. This is a story about automation. And I would say to you, we have a broad-based, diverse economy in the U.S.

  And when people think of services, they very often think, well, gee, those are low-quality jobs, et cetera. There are many high-quality, high-paying service jobs in many sectors. So our economy is more diverse, stronger, more -- you know, I've traveled all around the world and I will tell you, the more I'm outside of the country, the more I see that even though we've got our problems, I would put us up against any country in the world in terms of our economy and our ability to compete."

  Press Briefing by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors Ed Lazear, January 18, 2008.

• Q: "$250 check for Social Security, one time. Are you guys looking at anything like something for elderly people on fixed incomes?"

  SECRETARY PAULSON: "We've looked at a lot of things. We believe that there's a great benefit to being simple. The Christmas season has come and gone. We're not trying to decorate a Christmas tree here. That a huge part of this is going to be speed, it's going to be getting money out quickly. And it will make a difference. And if we can stay broad-based and simple, we'll be able to be quicker and be able to have a bigger impact on the economy sooner."

  Press Briefing by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors Ed Lazear, January 18, 2008.

• Ellen Ratner of Talk Radio News. They had a briefing with the Secretary of the Treasury. Henry Kissinger meeting with the president today and with the Russians for informal bilateral talks. Whose side is he on? Morning gaggle on the economy. Press Briefing by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors Ed Lazear. She asked about the manufacturing base, what sectors they see growing. The US still has largest the manufacturing base. Someone asked about $250 check for Social Security, one time. The Christmas Tree response. She asked where are they going to see the growth, he said in exports. He said unemployment 5%.
• Guest: Congressman Chet Edwards, 17th Congressional District of Texas, which includes Bush's "ranch". Veterans benefits.
• Depleted uranium affecting veterans and Iraqis.
• Video: Where Is John? - Media Perception vs. Reality.
• Mail vs. phone calls vs. knocks on door.
• The 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade coming up.
• Guest: Gail Tuzzolo, Nevada State AFL-CIO.