Beck On His Obama-Is-A-Racist Comment ‘I Have A Big Fat Mouth Sometimes’
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Glenn Beck sought to correct his statement from a year ago, in which he said that President Obama had a “deep-seated hatred for white people.” “I have a big fat mouth sometimes and I say things, and that’s not the way people should behave,” said Beck. He further explained: “I think that it is much more of a theological question that he is a guy who understands the world through liberation theology, which is oppressor and victim.”
Joe Miller: Transfer Control Of Land Back To The States
Appearing on Face The Nation, Senate candidate Joe Miller (R-AK) said that the federal government should transfer control of lands to his state, in exchange for cutting federal subsidies. “The answer to this is to basically transfer the responsibilities and power of government back to the states and the people. That is really the only answer, I think, out of this crisis,” said Miller, who may have defeated incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the GOP primary, depending on the final absentee ballot results. “As we continue to tighten our belts because fiscally that’s critical for the economic solvency of this nation, we also transfer it to the states more power. That means more ownership of lands. It’s not a situation where you just yank the financial plug, but at the same time you’re transferring over discretion over the use of the resource base.”
Mary Landrieu: ‘The Federal Government Didn’t Stay And do Everything They Could’ For New Orleans
Appearing on Meet The Press, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) criticized the Bush administration’s promise that the federal government would do “whatever it takes” to rebuild the Gulf Coast. “Well, it, it turned out to be a hollow promise, and I’ll tell you why: Because the federal government didn’t stay and do everything they could. The federal government didn’t make it easy. They made it very, very difficult,” said Landrieu. “Very specifically, when the mayors of New Orleans and my other mayors asked for funding to help rebuild, they were offered a loan of $5 million. The city’s budget is $460 million. The mayor of New Orleans at the time was offered $5 million. That wouldn’t buy them a, you know, loaf of bread for the week.”
Mitch Landrieu: ‘The Federal Government Is Responsible For Repairing The Damage That Has Been Done’
Appearing on Meet The Press, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu responded to the idea that the city’s problems from Hurricane Katrina are not the country’s responsibility. “Well, first, two things: One, it is a historical fact that this was a man-made disaster. It wasn’t a natural disaster, the levees broke. That’s the reason why the catastrophe exists. The federal government was responsible for building the levees, engineering the levees, and consequentially, the federal government is responsible for repairing the damage that has been done, which has not been completed yet,” said Landrieu. “That’s first of all. Secondly, the city of New Orleans and all of the coastal parishes along the Gulf Coast have been at the tip of the spear for this nation’s fight for energy security, economic independence, and its national security. We produced most of the oil and gas that this country uses domestically. We produce 30 to 40 percent of the fisheries. We produce the greatest culture that this country has ever seen. And so it’s a, it’s a strange question for us when people even ask us that.”
Crist: ‘I Don’t Have To Say’ Which Party I Would Caucus With
Appearing on State of the Union, Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL) declined to say which party he would caucus with in the Senate if he were elected this November. “I think they know the way I’m going to go, I’m going to go the way that is best for them,” Crist said, also adding: “I don’t have to say I’m going to caucus with the Democrats or the Republicans.”
White House Plans New Housing Push
Appearing on State of the Union, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan said that the administration would launch new initiatives for the housing market. “We’re going to be rolling out an FHA refinancing effort to help borrowers who are under water in their homes get above water,” said Donovan. “And second, we’re launching an emergency homeowners’ loan program for unemployed borrowers to be able to stay in their homes.”
Duncan: Merit Pay ‘A Small Piece’ Of Education Policy
Appearing on This Week, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan promoted the idea of merit-pay for teachers, but stressed that this would be one component of an overall solution. “How do we get the hardest-working, the most committed to the children who need the most help? We have to be more creative,” said Duncan. “And let me be clear: Financial incentives are a piece of that, but a small piece. You need a great principal. You need a supportive community. All of us have to work together. You have to create the climate and the culture where great talent want to serve where it’s most needed.”
