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Reshaping the Pentagon for a Dangerous New World Nov 19, 2008

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The Pentagon spends 85% more than it did eight years ago, but US forces are stretched almost to the breaking point. In the midst of recession, with new threats on the horizon, will Barack Obama have to increase strength and readiness at the same time he decreases spending? We hear radically different views. Also, the auto industry continues its push for a bailout, and consumer prices are on the decline. Is that good news or bad?

Ford, Chrysler and General Motors: With Hats in Hand Nov 18, 2008

Show notes

The Big Three are launching a big push for a Washington bailout. If Democrats and Republicans can't resolve their differences, will the auto industry still be in business when the White House changes hands? Also the Treasury Secretary tells Congress the bailout is making progress, and a giant oil tanker has been captured by pirates under the noses of the world's most powerful navies.

The G-20 and the Man Who Wasn't There Nov 17, 2008

Show notes

This weekend's G-20 meeting dramatized the interdependence of seven or eight industrialized powers and the so-called "emerging economies." Can they get together to resolve the global financial crisis? Were they marking time until America's next President takes office? Also, Obama and McCain meet in Chicago, and if Barack Obama wants Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, he may have to take two for the price of one.

Do the Big Three Deserve to Be Saved? Nov 14, 2008

Show notes

Should Ford, Chrysler and General Motors be bailed out with taxpayer money or allowed to suffer the consequences of bad management and uncompetitive products? Could federal aid force them to change their ways and save millions of jobs? We talk with industry insiders. Also, consumers freeze in the face of the ongoing financial crisis. On Reporter's Notebook, who is Martin Eisenstadt and why should we care?

The Imperial Presidency and the Rule of Law Nov 13, 2008

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President Bush has extended the powers of his office beyond what many believe the Constitution allows, with unauthorized spying, the treatment of prisoners and the denial of legal rights. Was it necessary and justified to protect the country or should there be high-level criminal trials to re-establish the rule of law? Also, the unemployment rate continues to climb, and same-sex marriage advocates take to the streets.

Should Barack Obama Go Big or Go Cautious? Nov 12, 2008

Show notes

Barack Obama has said the economic crisis means that a range of campaign promises will have to be delayed. But he's also said there are "certain investments we cannot delay, precisely because the economy is in turmoil." Also, the Treasury Secretary shifts the focus of his bailout plan, and another humanitarian disaster in Africa.

What Will It Take to Rebuild the Republican Party? Nov 11, 2008

Show notes

With Democrats firmly in charge of the White House and Congress, Karl Rove's "permanent Republican majority" is a distant dream. We talk with a range of thinkers about restoring the unity and the relevance of the GOP. Also, an update on three unresolved US Senate races, and 90 years of commemorating America's war veterans.

Can 'No-Drama Obama' Stay Cool? Nov 10, 2008

Show notes

Today's visit by the Obamas to the Bush White House is a symbolic moment. Much hard work is yet to be done, and early appointments already are controversial. We talk with a man who's been involved in every presidential transition since Eisenhower to Kennedy, and hear about the first order of business, the economy. Also, China's massive economic stimulus package, and economic rescue programs are costing trillions in public money. Where is it going?

On the Way to the White House: Old Strategy Meets New Technology Nov 07, 2008

Show notes

"Community organizing" sounds like old news until you hear how Barack Obama combined it with Internet technology that hardly existed four years ago. We hear about a quantum leap in political campaigning. Also, the unemployment rate reaches a 14-year high, and Obama's victory and politics in Iraq.

America's Next President: A Citizen of the World Nov 06, 2008

Show notes

Barack Obama's election is being celebrated in much of the world, which is hoping for radical change after one of history's most unpopular administrations. We look Obama's transition into the presidency, and at expectations that might be fulfilled and those that might not. Also, will Alaska return a convicted felon to the US Senate?

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