In Ohio, Obama Touts Merits Of Stimulus

By Robert Hune-Kalter
Talk Radio News Service

President Barrack Obama visited Columbus, Ohio on Friday to mark a milestone of the Recovery Act, which he signed into law over one year ago. Later this summer, the 10,000th road project funded by the law will commence in Columbus’s downtown district and, according to the administration, is expected to generate 300 jobs.

After touring the site of the project, Obama made brief remarks, comparing the planned road improvements to those two centuries earlier.

“Our first nationally funded highway, the National Road, was extended across Ohio, bringing a generation of settlers west to this new frontier, paving the way for the automobile that would transform our landscape,” he said.

Columbus small businesses figure to be big beneficiaries of the stimulus later this year. The administration says they will receive between $44 and $53 million worth of Recovery Act funds. In addition, eleven million dollars will be provided to them in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants.

“It is with that vision of a brighter future for this city and for the country that we begin this project, and I am looking forward to seeing all that you achieve in the years and months to come,” Obama added.

Activist Interrupts BP CEOs Capitol Hill Appearance

By Robert Hune-Kalter-Talk Radio News

BP CEO Tony Hayward’s testimony before the Energy and Finance Committee on the oil spill off the Gulf Coast was interrupted Thursday by a vocal member of the activist group Codepink.

“You need to be charged for this crime,” Diane Wilson, a fourth generation shrimper, shouted.

Capitol police removed Wilson from the Committee room in what appeared to be a struggle. According to an officer, she was charged with disrupting Congress and resisting arrest. Wilson was arrested last week after pouring maple syrup on herself during another hearing on the BP spill.

When Hayward continued, he emphasized the around the clock efforts of BP to stop the leak and help those affected by the ongoing crisis in the Gulf Coast region.

“We are currently drilling two relief wells, which we believe represents the ultimate solution,” Hayward noted.

Pentagon Needs War Funding By July 4, Says Gates

By Robert Hune-Kalter
Talk Radio News Service

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the military may soon have to resort to doing “stupid things” unless Congress passes a $33 supplemental spending request.

The Senate already approved a measure, but the version in the House has stalled. With funding for the Navy and Marine Corps set to dry up next month, Gates called on the lower chamber to get its act together.

“We begin to have to do stupid things if the supplemental is not passed by July 4,” he said.

Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also defended the DOD’s budget request for 2011.

“These budget requests reflect America’s commitment to see that our forces have the tools they need to prevail in the wars we are in, and while making the investments necessary to prepare for threats on or beyond the horizon,” said Gates.

DOD is requesting $549 billion dollars for 2011. Gates discussed major priorities of the department and named areas that have been terminated or completed from the 2010 budget. There was discussion on the completion of the C-17 Globemaster and foreseeable closure of the production line.

“I question why it is in our nation’s interest to close the only active production line for long range air lifters when there is no replacement being developed,” said Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.)

Mullen said that based on extensive studies, the requirement for the C-17 is not needed beyond the 223 currently in service. He stressed the importance of balance between the advancement of all aspects of the military.

“We must maintain our conventional advantages,” said Mullen. “It means never having to fight a fair fight.”

Oil CEOs Face Congress

By Robert Hune-Kalter-Talk Radio News Service

The CEOs of ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell Oil Company, and BP America, Inc., the five largest oil companies in the United States, appeared on Capitol Hill Tuesday before members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee fired up by the Gulf Coast oil spill.

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Ma.), the chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, said he expected the members of the respective oil companies to tell the committee that they believed the incident that occurred with the Deepwater Horizon was an isolated incident.

“It is this kind of blind faith, which is ironically the name of an actual rig in the Gulf, that has lead to this kind of disaster,” Markey said.

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) questioned ExxonMobil’s accident response plan because forty pages are dedicated to dealing with media coverage, while only nine represent oil removal. He complimented Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil for being well rehearsed.

“I was struck Mr. Tillerson, you indicated in your testimony, based on the industries extensive experience, you state that what we do know is that when you properly design wells for the range of risk anticipated, follow the established procedures, build in layers of redundancy, properly inspect and maintain equipment, train operators, conduct tests and drills, and focus on safe operations and risk management, tragic incidents like the one we’re witnessing in the Gulf today, should not occur, and I mention that because in today’s [Washington] Post, those exact same words are there, but it’s attributed to Kenneth P. Coen, ExxonMobil’s V.P. of Public and Government Affairs,” said Stupak.

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) called for Lamar McKay to resign as CEO of BP America based on what he deemed the poor performance of the company in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao (R-La.) had harsher words for McKay.

“Mr. Stearns asked Mr. McKay to resign. Well, in the Asian culture we do things differently. During the samurai days we’d just give you a knife and ask you to commit harakiri,” said Cao.

The four companies joining BP at the hearing were in agreement that they could not do any better containing the oil spill than BP. They stressed that an incident like the Deepwater Horizon accident can be prevented if certain measures are followed.

“The information we’ve been able to gather suggests that practices we would not put in place were employed here; For example, the casing design and the mechanical barriers put in place, appear to be different than what we would use,” said John Watson, CEO of Chevron.

McKay said that when the two relief wells are completed in mid-August, the flow of oil should be ceased.

Geithner Addresses Economic Relations Between U.S. And China

By Robert Hune-Kalter-Talk Radio News Service

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner testified before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday on U.S.-Chinese economic relations. Some issues discussed where China’s continued manipulation of their currency, the delayed exchange report policy, and the Chinese piracy of American software.

“Our policy towards China is about protecting the interests of the United States, our national security interests and our economic interests, and our strategy is to expand opportunities for American workers and American businesses,” said Geithner.

Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) expressed concern that there is no strategic and coordinated United States economic policy in respect to China and that different government agencies are using different non-policies.

“It reminds me of a football team. You have a quarterback and fullbacks and running backs, and so forth, and if they don’t all run according to the same play that’s called, that team loses,” said Baucus. “I’m not saying this is a situation we want to win at China’s expense, I’m just saying we don’t want to lose.”

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) supported China’s succession into the World Trade Organization. He believed it would be better for the Chinese to be inside a rules based trading system and it would be good for American exports. The Chinese agreed to join the government procurement agreement ten years ago.

“By my calculations, at least five of your predecessors have been slow-danced by the Chinese. We seem to constantly be in this situation, where someone in your position gets slow-danced off the dance floor,” Wyden said.

Geithner did not offer a timetable for when the final report on exchange rate policy would be complete, despite the request by the committee.

“We have put these economic issues at the center of our concerns in the relationship with China,” said Geithner.