The effects of the economy on women

Rep. Rosa DeLora (D-Conn.) speaking at a press conference on women's issues says that women are disproportionately affected by the tough economy. (0:40)
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Explainer: Chris Penn on the Lending Crisis

Christopher Penn from the Student Loan Network explains how the sub-prime morgage crisis rippled from  Mannie and Freddie, to financial institutions like Merrill Lynch, and insurer AIG.


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Obama campaign: Nothing has trickled down

Obama campaign representatives Labor Secretary Alexis Herman and Howard University Economics Department Chair Dr. William Spriggs discuss the state of the economy on the black community with reporters (24:34)
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Podesta calls DC government officials "robber barons"

In an exclusive interview with the former Chief of Staff John Podesta, Bureau Chief Ellen Ratner discusses Podesta's book "The Power of Progress: How America's Progressives Can (Once Again) Save Our Economy, Our Climate, and Our Country". Podesta discusses what he calls "robber barons in Washington", as well as ways to transform America's economy. He concludes by citing important factors that he believes would help our nation's housing crisis. (7:33)
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Obama's commitment to lowering taxes called into question

The McCain Campaign fired back against Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in a teleconference to discuss Obama's shift on taxes, attacks from the Illinois senator on McCain's position on taxes and wavering support for important financial issues (28:23).
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Obama campaign dispells myths created by McCain

The Obama Campaign held a teleconference today outlining the senator's tax plan. Speakers stated that families making less than $250,000 a year could expect to see their taxes drop, while those making more than that would see increases. Obama would also reduce the capital gains and dividends taxes. Overall, the US would be taking in less revenue then it has in recent years. Speakers also dispelled myths created by the McCain campaign, which claim that a Democratic tax plan would cause a recession (34:09)
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Passing on a worse America to our children

Manny Diaz, Mayor of Miami and President of the US Conference of Mayors says that he is afraid of passing on an America to his children that is worse off than it is today. He outlines issues he will discuss in upcoming forums in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami (1:30).
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Obama staff talks money

Dr. Laura Tyson and former Senator Bill Bradley (D-N.J.) discuss an economic meeting between Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and economic advisers. Tyson and Bradley say that the financial markets and economic stimuli were discussed along with structural issues like health care, education, and energy independence. Both say that Obama has a clear long term financial strategy separating, they say, Obama from Republican opponent Sen. John McCain. Tyson describes tax cuts advocated by Obama, cuts she says would give 95 percent of middle-income families $1,000. She also discusses the consumer market and the need for a second stimulus package from Congress. (23:48)
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Dollar and euro to reign supreme

John Lipsky, first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that despite a decline in the value of the dollar, the US currency will retain its position as the dominant international currency in the future, though possibly sharing the role with the euro. (:27)
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Woolsey: George Bush ignoring the American economy

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) says that while President George Bush spends billions of dollars on the War in Iraq, he is neglecting our economy at home. In addition, while spending trillions of dollars overall in Iraq, he refuses to invest in America's longterm economic success. (:31)
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Bush says economy growing

President Bush says he is not an economist and, in reference to claims of a recession, tells the press it is not either. He says good policies strengthen the US economy and adds his belief that the US economy is growing.
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McCain simply “out of touch” with Americans

The Democratic National Committee held a conference call and discussed Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) “disastrous” week on the campaign trail. McCain was supposed to strengthen his stance on his economic policy this week, but instead showed how “out of touch” he is with the challenges that America’s families are facing. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said that she was insulted on behalf of the people she represents by McCain’s words and actions. She explained that McCain doesn’t understand what Americans go through everyday just to make ends meet and how his support for more years of a Bush economy would be disastrous for American families.

Stabenow explained that McCain actually called social security a “disgrace’ when he has “a total lack of understanding” of what it really is. She also said that McCain’s approach on tax policy would make it impossible to balance the nation’s budget, something that needs to be done. McCain also failed to vote for the current medicare bill; he was the only senator to miss the vote which “is critical to the future of medicare.”

Stabenow said that people in Michigan are suffering and are not experiencing “a mental recession.” Since President Bush took office, three and a half million manufacturing jobs have been lost in Michigan alone, and the state is currently experiencing an unemployment rate of eight and a half percent. Stabenow explained that McCain fully supported Bush’s policies and that the people of Michigan “cannot take four more years of this.”

McCain’s economic advisor Phil Gramm said that Americans are “a nation of whiners,” yet Stabenow said that the people of Michigan are not hallucinating when they aren’t getting a paycheck, when they can’t pay their mortgage, and when they can’t put food on the table. Stabenow said that people are struggling as every single cost has gone up while wages have gone down. She claimed that McCain is simply not in touch with what is going on in the real world. Stabenow also declared her support for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and said that she is absolutely confident that he will make the changes that will help the country grow, and gets what the American population is going through.
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McCain willing to make tough choices to tighten spending

The Jobs for America economic plan was at the crux of a press conference call held by Senator John McCain's presidential campaign. Former president and CEO of eBay, Inc. Meg Whitman and Senior Policy
Adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin discussed McCain's plan for the U.S. economy.

Whitman said that McCain is concerned with job security and the direction the economy is taking. She says that McCain wants to get the economy back on track by focusing on job creation, particularly in
small businesses. According to Whitman, this will involve spurring innovation around research and development as well as making tough choices to tighten spending. Whitman says McCain supports small
businesses as he knows they help create jobs.

Holtz-Eakin added that McCain has built his policy to ensure Americans get better health care and that a comprehensive energy policy is put in place to address the need for environmental security. When
questioned as to why McCain has never explicitly said he would balance the budget by 2013, Holtz-Eakin replied that McCain plans to balance the budget by the end of his term and this would happen as quickly as when the Democrats 'come to the table.' (11:19)
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Healthcare matters on many dimensions

The Chairman of the United States’ Federal Reserve Ben Bernake talks about one of the major issues facing the United States’ economy - healthcare. He says that healthcare makes up over 15 percent of the total economy, making it impossible to separate healthcare from politics. (0:38)
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Economic future looks “unattractive”

Ben Bernake, the Chairman of the United States’ Federal Reserve, answers Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) question on what would happen to the nation’s economy if the adverse consequences of the cost of healthcare are not unchecked. Bernake says that all outcomes would be “unattractive.” He also says the United States doesn’t need to just focus on balancing the national budget, but look at the much broader question of the stability and strength of the economy over a longer period of time. (1:15)
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"This country's economy is sick!"

At a press conference on making the American dream more affordable, Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), says that the Republican minority won't allow them "to make progress." He says that the situation is like the Republicans pushing hard on the brakes of a tandem bicycle while the Democrats are trying to pedal forward. But, he adds that the Democrats will continue to "push." (1:00)
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Energy putting foreign policy in straight jacket

Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) says that the rise of oil prices is a major concern to American families and that the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee realizes the importance of energy security and its effect on the United States. (0:38)
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The White House cannot ignore the unemployed any longer

Congressman Sandy Levin (R-Mich.) spoke today on a conference call about unemployment legislation. He said that if the unemployed Americans all came to Washington, then Congress would have to do something about it. He said that the unemployed cannot remain invisible, but the White House and Congress need to pass this legislation. (0:48)

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An unemployment extension is warranted

Jared Bernstein, from the economic policy institute, spoke today on a conference call about the unemployment legislation going through the House. He said that those who argue that the unemployment is too low at 5.5 percent to allow for unemployment checks, is an argument that has no grounding in the economic realities of today, an extension is warranted. (0:37)
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Get diesel out of the picture

Joseph Dalum, Vice President of Dueco Inc., lists the economic and environmental benefits of switching to hybrid medium-to-heavy duty trucks at a hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. (0:47)
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