GraniteGrok

Meet the New Press Podcast 

            

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Hour 1              Hour 2

Hour One:

Opening Banter - MTNP Movie Critics?  Matt Murphy and Brink Slattery of the Granite Staters for Employee Freedom join Doug and Skip to talk about the Card check legislation (ill named Employee Free Choice Act. Animal House meets Captain America?

GSEF Part 1 - what is the bill about?  Why is the secret ballot superior to just signing a card to bring in a union - what are the pros and cons?  Where can the union go to get you to sign?  What is the business owner allowed to do?  McCain does not support it; Obama and the Democrat Party does.  The Biz owner would now be under a gag order.  What can the union do to "convince" you to sign?  Forces the Biz owner to reach binding arbitration in 90 days; else, in 30 day, the Feds WILL mediate an agreement. After that, the arbitrator and the unions sets the pay, benefits, and working conditions for 2 years - the biz owner has no say. The unions are allowed to combine several small companies to "get enough" to have a union.  Percentage of union participation now?

GSEF Part 2 - Pat?  How close to passage?  Stance of President Bush?  Senate?  What will Obama?  Unions have already spent $500 million to advocate for this (and will spend up to $1 BILLION dollars!  Big Oil?  Big Business?  How about Big Unions and the pay rates of the union bosses - how many people have to pay how much to give them that pay level?  Tom calls in to defend unions.  Doug reveals his stance about unions.  Again, the main issue will be the loss of the private ballot for the common guy in deciding about union participation.  With card signatures, the "voting" stops when 51% of the employees have agreed to the union - the rest of the employees don't matter.

GSEF Part 3 - Three Stooges vs Little Rascals? Pre-1947 was card check - replaced by private balloting because of unions threats.  Shaheen - Big Labor in support.  Matt and Brink talk about their experiences in trying to talk about Shaheen's stance, talking with ordinary union members, and union thuggish behavior when they dislike the camera.  Shaheen won't tell why she supports this legislation.  The trials and tribulations of taking video.  Why isn't this "bigger" news and being talked about (er, most people aren't political / news junkies)?  The union leaders threaten Matt and Brink in "throw you in the river" and one sticks his finger onto the camera lens.

Doug and Skip continue the discussion from last week about SWAT / Police - recap from last week and a new incident where a SWAT team member was killed entering a house; turns out that the occupant may be exonerated from murder charges (thinking his house was being burglerized, he shot at the door) because the SWAT team made some very bad mistakes.  Double standard example (citizen treated differently than a law enforcement officer for falling asleep at the wheel)?

Hour Two: 

Jen Rubin, Part 1 - her article mentioned by Rush Limbaugh!  New media - comraderia, conversations amongst us all.  A meritocracy - if you are good, you will succeeed!  Jen's article on Joe Biden - lots of earmarks (and Obama too!).  Change?  Not really!  A talk about the financial mess and politicians role in it and how earmarks can be corrupting. Million dollar earmark by Obama to his wife's employer and her subsequent pay raise?  Community organizer = lobbyist.  Burning down the house - viral video - explains how government created this mess.  Skip's commentary on an similar IBD editorial.

Part 2 - Jen of "everywhere!"  New gig too - DC Editor of Pajamas Media including PJTV! Bailout bill - Jen give's us the latest and what might happen in the near future. <Digression: Doug -> is Bill Clinton the Ron White of the political scene.>  Jen talks about the ideological differences to the approaches to solving the fiscal bailout bill mess. She thinks McCain did help (and Pelosi wants cover from the Republicans). 

Debate?  She thinks McCain won (because Chris Matthews is upset!).  Has McCain gotten inside Obama OODA even in the debate?  A "Kitty Dukakis" moment for Obama? Does Obama really understand "bad people"?  Discussion of appearances / presentation - Obama seemed angry, kept interrupting McCain, and seemed annoyed when challenged; McCain seemed at ease.  A "George Herbert Walker Bush" moment for Obama, too - had to look at the bracelet "I have one too!".  Doug talks about Matthew Stanley.

Skip and Doug debate about the Debate; Part 1 - They argue about McCain's decision to suspend his campaign (Skip -> 'dumb", Doug - "good!").  Why aren't the Senators actually doing Senate work?  McCain - better communicator than Bush, throws Dems another curve with "debate - will he?  Will he not?".  Debate format notes.  Why are we allowing society to mitigate bad decisions. 

They continue - Part 2 - Obama seemed to keep take punches ("I agree with John"); McCain campaign staff gets ad out before end of debate.  Obama seemed to be on the defensive and always having to explain himself.  McCain "adjusts" and stops allowing Obama to interrupt (again, annoying Obama more).  McCain - changed the debate from speechifying and debating to a townhall event.  Obama could not tie McCain to Bush.  "Believe in the US before you become the President".

American Carol - the movie!

SchlubCam:

None this week!