What Just Happened?

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) attends a news conference on Captiol Hill September 29, 2008 in Washington, DC. The House failed to pass the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, 205-228. Wall Street immediately reacted with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping by more than 700 points.

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Whoa! What can you say but, whoa! Yesterday was one of those days where you'd be having a perfectly normal conversation with somebody and all of a sudden their eyes would drift off and start staring at the TV screen over your shoulder and you'd be like, what, what ... what just happened?

What just happened? Let's see ...

The House defeated the President's economic rescue plan, voting 225 to 208.

Then the Dow started to slide and slide, and slide, ending the day DOWN a record 778 points -- the largest one-day drop in history.

Then, Wachovia Bank got sold to Citigroup, the second time in five days that a major US bank was erased by fleeing depositors.

... The Asian markets began to slide.

And, to add insult to injury ... The Mets choked against the Marlins, 4-2, and were shut out of the post season, again.
(OK, so that happened Sunday, but I was in denial for a day.)

We were lucky to have two Members of Congress with us who are on either side of the question. We thought it was interesting to have two Democrats -- two members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), both with some experience on financial committees -- Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, who is on Financial Services, and Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott of Virginia, who is on the House Budget Committee. Scott came out on the OPPPOSITE side of the bill, and was against it. Meeks was for it.

What did you think?

And one thing I'm curious about: are you one of those people who actually contacted a Member of Congress to weigh in? We kept hearing from members that they were inundated with feedback from constituents. But I've never met anybody who actually called one. So, if you did, what did you say? Where do you come out on this and what made you feel strongly enough to call your elected official and weigh in?

We had a very interesting piece of information about Black women and money and, I have to tell you, I was and remain a bit squeamish about this report and wonder what the reaction will be. Here's why: anytime you single out a group, and make observations about the group, you will always make some people uncomfortable. They'll wonder, why are you singling out this group? Does this information hold this group up to negative evaluation by others? And, is it truly representative of the whole group? But, since I am a lifetime member of the "truth will set you free" school. I felt that once we had this information we owed to it ourselves to report it. It is by a reputable company with no apparent agenda, and the data collection method was sound.

The results are worrisome:

It suggested that African-American women, although they are often the prime decision makers for their households, are too often making these decisions without the benefit of guidance. More often than not, they do not have access to professional financial advice. And, the thing here that may ring true for many people, I am sure: they are inveterate givers. Black women often give and give, even if it means they have fewer savings to invest for their own needs, like retirement. And let's be real about the spending: many of these women report that they continue to spend no matter what -- until they can't spend any more.

And they don't like themselves for doing it.

Read the more about study for yourself.

Does this ring true in your life? ... And what can we do to help?

Let us know.

And, speaking of keeping it real, spanking and paddling. Were you spanked? Do you spank? Check out today's discussion. What, if anything, more should we do about it?

Michel Martin

3:44 PM ET | 09-30-2008 | permalink

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Happy Monday.

That might be a head scratcher for some, but if you like politics there's so much going on, so much to talk about, we couldn't wait to get in here to hear what our guests had to say about it. I liked the mix: BET's Pam Gentry, Luis Clemons (a frequent TMM guest, former editor of Candidato USA, which was a must read about Latino politics while it was in publication), and Tyler Clemons, editor of The Daily Mississippian, the student newspaper at Ole Miss, which hosted the debate.

By the way, did you watch the debates?

I confess, I have never seen anything like it. Here in D.C. I suspect the water pressure was low because so many people were taking showers and getting dressed to go out ... to DEBATE parties. When in your lifetime has anything like that happened? Was it like that where you live?

Where did you watch the debate? There is something going on here. TMM producers Teshima Walker and Lee Hill are among those on our team who mixed and mingled about town on Friday night in the name of politics.

I'll let Teshima fill you in on the venue of her debate watch party:

I watched the first Presidential debate at the Busboys And Poets restaurant in Washington, D.C., at their newly opened Mt. Vernon Square location (not far from the NPR offices). There were flat panel television screens throughout the restaurant. The place was PACKED. Luckily, my little group arrived early and we had seats (not necessarily comfortable -- my "bun" could have used a seat cushion for the hard wood chairs). My sister friend kept complaining that she couldn't watch the monitors because the sound and the mouth movements didn't match up. For her, it was a bad Japanese sci-fi movie from the late 70s. I concentrated on reading the caption text.

Lee ...

Michel, I can't say that my experience was the same as Teshima's (sorry, 'Shima!). I attended a gathering at a local hotel, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation's young professionals group -- the chairs were nice and soft and there was one huge screen, onto which the debate was projected for all to see. There were moments that seemed reminiscent of an HBO primetime boxing match ... and a charismatic, spirit-filled church service. Certain responses to questions posed by the moderator Jim Lehrer were met with uproar, people standing to their feet and clapping. (I should also mention that Sen. Barack Obama is a member of the CBC, the legislative arm of the foundation, which is the parent of the young professionals group that hosted the event ... so, the cheering was overwhelmingly in support of Obama. Nonetheless, there were a few moments that won Sen. John McCain a show of affirmation in the crowd. Like Teshima, the event was PACKED. All in all, a Friday night well spent ... with good shrimp! I ended the evening with Michel, actually. She hosted a post-debate NPR special with a group of local graduate students.

We also checked in with Ani DiFranco, surely one of the most political singers/songwriters out there out there right now. Ani DiFranco evokes strong reactions. Love her or hate her, you have to admire that she has put everything on the line, organized her life and her business to allow her to say what she wants to say in the way she wants to say it.

We also had our weekly visit to The Washington Post Magazine, meeting with Laura Blumenfeld who wrote a remarkable and complicated piece about three people of faith whose lives intersect in ways they could not have possibly imagined. I am eager to know how others react to this piece, which in some ways makes it clear how much we all have in common and yet how little we know each other as we go about our daily business side by side.

Later this week, Lee Hill is going to check in with some important new changes -- happening this week -- to the BLOG and how you communicate with us on this end. I'm going to listen in too because I am not sure I understand it ...

Michel Martin

2:31 PM ET | 09-29-2008 | permalink

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Where Were You On Friday?

Happy Monday.

That might be a head scratcher for some, but if you like politics there's so much going on, so much to talk about, we couldn't wait to get in here to hear what our guests had to say about it. I liked the mix: BET's Pam Gentry, Luis Clemons (a frequent TMM guest, former editor of Candidato USA, which was a must read about Latino politics while it was in publication), and Tyler Clemons, editor of The Daily Mississippian, the student newspaper at Ole Miss, which hosted the debate.

By the way, did you watch the debates?

I confess, I have never seen anything like it. Here in D.C. I suspect the water pressure was low because so many people were taking showers and getting dressed to go out ... to DEBATE parties. When in your lifetime has anything like that happened? Was it like that where you live?

Where did you watch the debate? There is something going on here. TMM producers Teshima Walker and Lee Hill are among those on our team who mixed and mingled about town on Friday night in the name of politics.

I'll let Teshima fill you in on the venue of her debate watch party:

I watched the first Presidential debate at the Busboys And Poets restaurant in Washington, D.C., at their newly opened Mt. Vernon Square location (not far from the NPR offices). There were flat panel television screens throughout the restaurant. The place was PACKED. Luckily, my little group arrived early and we had seats (not necessarily comfortable -- my "bun" could have used a seat cushion for the hard wood chairs). My sister friend kept complaining that she couldn't watch the monitors because the sound and the mouth movements didn't match up. For her, it was a bad Japanese sci-fi movie from the late 70s. I concentrated on reading the caption text.

Lee ...

Michel, I can't say that my experience was the same as Teshima's (sorry, 'Shima!). I attended a gathering at a local hotel, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation's young professionals group -- the chairs were nice and soft and there was one huge screen, onto which the debate was projected for all to see. There were moments that seemed reminiscent of an HBO primetime boxing match ... and a charismatic, spirit-filled church service. Certain responses to questions posed by the moderator Jim Lehrer were met with uproar, people standing to their feet and clapping. (I should also mention that Sen. Barack Obama is a member of the CBC, the legislative arm of the foundation, which is the parent of the young professionals group that hosted the event ... so, the cheering was overwhelmingly in support of Obama. Nonetheless, there were a few moments that won Sen. John McCain a show of affirmation in the crowd. Like Teshima, the event was PACKED. All in all, a Friday night well spent ... with good shrimp! I ended the evening with Michel, actually. She hosted a post-debate NPR special with a group of local graduate students.

We also checked in with Ani DiFranco, surely one of the most political singers/songwriters out there out there right now. Ani DiFranco evokes strong reactions. Love her or hate her, you have to admire that she has put everything on the line, organized her life and her business to allow her to say what she wants to say in the way she wants to say it.

We also had our weekly visit to The Washington Post Magazine, meeting with Laura Blumenfeld who wrote a remarkable and complicated piece about three people of faith whose lives intersect in ways they could not have possibly imagined. I am eager to know how others react to this piece, which in some ways makes it clear how much we all have in common and yet how little we know each other as we go about our daily business side by side.

Later this week, Lee Hill is going to check in with some important new changes -- happening this week -- to the BLOG and how you communicate with us on this end. I'm going to listen in too because I am not sure I understand it ...

Michel Martin

2:31 PM ET | 09-29-2008 | permalink

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To Debate Or Not To Debate: What To Do?

Production crew members ready the stage for this evening's scheduled presidential debate at the Ford Center on the campus of the University of Mississippi.

Getty Images

UPDATE: Sen. John McCain's campaign reports that the GOP presidential candidate WILL participate in tonight's first presidential debate in Oxfprd, Miss.

As I write this, I have no idea what I'm doing tonight, which sounds like a personal problem ... but it isn't.

Tonight, I am scheduled to anchor, along with NPR's Tom Gjelten, NPR's post-debate call in special, planned to follow what was supposed to be the first Presidential Debate hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

But as of this writing, we have no idea whether the debate is going forward or not.

Now the smart money is that it WILL happen, but I have to tell you, I am not so sure. I am not so sure because it really does seem as though the negotiations over the bailout are at an impasse. Congressional Republicans, particularly on the House side, are balking at the cost, at the level of power that would be invested in the Treasury Secretary and at the fact that the U.S. will be investing taxpayer money in junk securities with an uncertainty over whether the money can actually be recouped.

Meanwhile, the Democrats, who control both houses of Congress by a narrow margin, seem to have been making more headway with the White House with their priorities ... but somewhere along the line the whole thing broke down. They are back at it as we speak, but the point is that John McCain says he is not feeling going to Mississippi unless the deal is done. So, what's a maverick to do?

And more to the point, am I getting the free pizza or not?

You'll find out as soon as I find out.

In the meantime, here's what we're working on for next week:

An interview with a woman who has one of the most interesting jobs I've ever heard of. You've heard of peace keeping, but have you heard of peace building? There is now such a commission at the United Nations, and we will learn more about it and the person who is doing it ... or trying to.

Are you an Ani DiFranco fan? She is a trailblazer in the music industry, has always recorded under her own label and supported herself and her business with a heavy tour schedule. She does her own thing her own way, and now she has a new project: a baby! How is she making it work? We'll tell you.

The vice presidential debate is (supposed to be) next week. You might remember that I complained about the fact that the only non-white man moderating any of the debates was assigned to the VP debate. Well, gee, now it turns out to be kind of the most interesting. We'll talk about it.

And we have a few other surprises for you. Lose sleep trying to guess ...

Have a good weekend.

Michel Martin

10:47 AM ET | 09-26-2008 | permalink

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Yesterday's Madness ... And Gushing.

Lee Hill, here ...

Yesterday was utter madness around here. Aside from the fact that we were paid a visit by a real Hollywood heavyweight (I think an Academy Award qualifies one as a "heavyweight," don't you?), we were glued to the latest developments in much-talked-about financial crisis, and how it's impacting the race for the White House.

Right now, it looks as though the presidential debates are officially on for tonight, despite GOP candidate John McCain's last minute switcheroo the other day -- when he decided to suspend his campaign, attempt to postpone the first presidential debate, saying that he wanted to focus solely on mending the financial wounds from Wall Street's meltdown.

Yesterday evening it seemed Congress had come to an agreement with the Bush administration on modified details of the $700 billion bailout plan. But now, I'm looking up at CNN (as we prepare to go to broadcast in a matter of MINUTES) and see that such might not be the case. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, seems to still have fundamental issues with the bailout plan.

More to come ... And I'll let Michel tell you more about our dose of star power.

Lee Hill

8:15 AM ET | 09-26-2008 | permalink

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I Hope We Got It Right

The obvious dilemma when you are in the middle of a big story: stay with or move on? And when?

The country's economic problems are front and center for a good reason. If you remember our conversation with NPR's Adam Davidson on Monday, you recall he said there was a point last week at which there was no lending going on at all -- none of the major creditors were willing to part with their cash.

So, yes, big deal here.

But, you can't live on economic policy alone, so we are trying to figure out when is the right time to veer off and for what.

I hope we got it right today.

We are committed to our regular features but sometimes you have to step off. That's why we decided to hold off on the Mocha Moms yesterday and bring you that conversation next week. We decided to stick with the Magazine Mavens today because the segment only airs once a month and we thought they surfaced some timely issues.

We also decided to stick with our planned interview with Geoffrey Canada and Paul Tough because the subject matter is so very crucial. The interview was about Tough's new book detailing Canada's work on trying to address persistent underachievement in poor neighborhoods.

And, of course, our lede was right on the news -- the opening of the annual Congressional Black Caucus convention and the ongoing economic crisis came together nicely in our conversation with Rep. Andre Carson. The Democrat from Indiana is the second youngest member of the House and the newest member of the Black Caucus and Carson sits on the House Financial Services Committee--bonus!

UPDATE: Also, we're learning that Barack Obama has responded to John McCain's proposal earlier today to postpone Friday's presidential debate in light of the nation's financial problems. Obama said it's more important than ever that he and McCain sit down for a debate. McCain also announced he's suspending his campaign to work on the economy.

Obama says he believes participating in tomorrow's debate and taking on the current serious economic challenges can both be accomplished without compromising effectiveness.

Michel Martin

5:27 PM ET | 09-24-2008 | permalink

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$700 Billion Question

(L-R) U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke, and Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission Christopher Cox wait for the start of a hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee September 23, 2008 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Getty Images

Lee Hill, here ...

Breaking News: The Associated Press reports that the FBI is now investigating the extent to which fraud may have been a factor in the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's $700 billion bailout plan for the recent financial catastrophe on Wall Street has many on Main Street scratching their heads about the priorities of some of those elected (or appointed) as executors of law and order in this country.

More specifically, there are spirited conversations taking place that question what types of catastrophic events in the U.S. trigger the swift, immediate attention of the nation's foremost senior leaders, and that wonder what types of implosions -- which, no doubt, threaten the fabric and vitality of world society -- are able to so abruptly summon leaders of a nation into one room to brainstorm a plan on how to restore, calm and uplift a seriously flawed system.

Or, to phrase it differently, what types of crises in the U.S. might not warrant such an aggressive focus among government ... but should?

Is anyone else having these conversations at their kitchen table? At the barbershops? ... The water cooler?

... Or, are such ponderings absurd?

Please, tell us more.

Lee Hill

8:11 PM ET | 09-23-2008 | permalink

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Wall Street: What to Make of This?

A woman holds up a sign near Wall Street in the Financial District September 22, 2008.

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I'm back in the office after a terrific quick visit to Smith College (having forgotten how college kids dress, I felt slightly inappropriate without more piercings ... and why did I feel the need to wear pantyhose and pumps?).

But now that I am back, I find that I have more questions than I can answer in one sitting:

Where's the pain? Who's feeling it?

Lehman Brothers is going bankrupt and Merrill Lynch has been sold.

The CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are out.

No golden parachutes for them.

What about the employees, especially those close to retirement?
(Full disclosure: I have a member of the extended family who works for Fannie Mae, but he is so young -- so far from retirement, and so far from the front office -- it's hard to see the long-term impact on his career. In other words, it ain't his fault!)

Are you buying a house? Trying to sell one? What's it like? A childhood friend of mine is trying to sell her family home so she can use the proceeds to help support her father's long-term care. The sale just fell through, but why? Did the buyer's financing fall through or did he/she just get cold feet looking at the headlines?

Are you a small business owner? If so, are your credit lines in jeopardy?

Are you trying to START a small business, or restart one? And what about rebuilding after the recent hurricanes?

We want to know what's happening on the ground, whether that ground is Wall Street, or the proverbial Main Street. (And we interpret Main street perhaps more expansively than some might.)

What's your story? What are your questions? If there's something you just don't understand about what you're reading and hearing, let us know. Chances are we want to know also.

Finally, in memoriam: Nancy Hicks Maynard. She died over the weekend at the age of 61. She was a major and, in my view, an underappreciated figure who advanced diversity and excellence in the media. We did not have an opportunity to tell you more about her accomplishments today and we hope to do so later in the week.

Michel Martin

3:13 PM ET | 09-22-2008 | permalink

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What's 'Our Way In' to the Financial Crisis?

I am running to the airport. I am visiting Smith College later this afternoon, and now I am wondering why I didn't remember to wear socks and why I am wearing this stupid jacket. And just how cold is it going to be, anyway?

Sigh, this is what happens when you become a mother. Now, you can believe my KIDS have on socks and a jacket, and their lunch.

... And I have on backless mules to go to New England ... in September.

Whatever.

We're trying to figure out what direction to go in for Monday. I don't think there's any question that the WORLDWIDE economic turmoil is the story. But what's our piece of it?

If the Fed chairman called, we would talk to him, trust me. But we think the most important job on this show is talk to the people who aren't grabbing the headlines.

So who are you and what's your phone number (call our listener comment line -- 202.842.3522 -- to leave an actual phone number, PLEASE don't leave it for the world to see on our blog!), and what effect is the turmoil having on YOU?

Are you, say, a first year MBA student wondering what the heck you just got yourself into?

Do you own a small business? Are your customers drying up?

Are you a manufacturer? Are you feeling:

a) vindicated, thinking that these people who make money-pushing transactions around on paper are finally getting their just desserts -- it's back to value, dammit! Or,

b) scared to death because those people are your customers, and if they're broke so are you?

Are you at the helm of a non-profit organization (like NPR), and are your donations in the dumps?

Are you in real estate? ... Construction? Is there any work?

Or, how about this, is your business going GANGBUSTERS? And are you hiring?

Let us know. Have a good weekend.

Michel Martin

4:26 PM ET | 09-19-2008 | permalink

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Acknowledging the Storm

Lee Hill, here ..

We've been looking forward to bringing you the conversations about the devastation in Haiti, underscored by recent Hurricanes. Residents of the region suffered through not one, but THREE hurricanes in a month's span.

Today, music icon and humanitarian Wyclef Jean -- a native Haitian -- tried to help us fully grasp (impossible) just how bad the situation is there. He said it's like taking the 2005 impact of Hurricane Katrina and multiplying it by one million.

Can you imagine? I can't.

And to add to the distress caused by the storm, there's long been a sentiment that so much of Haiti's plight -- including ongoing issues of poverty and alarming humanitarian grievances -- has been largely underreported by the press.

It's one thing to find yourself in dire straits, but I imagine that it can be profoundly disparaging to realize that no one knows or acknowledges the depth of your suffering, regardless of the nature of the storm.

... It's one reason we try and get it right.

Tomorrow: Fact-checking politics (in light of some who question the latest presidential campaign ads along with GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin's relationship with the truth), the sensitivity of giving to Muslim charities, the Barbershop and ... BackTalk.

Lee Hill

5:49 PM ET | 09-18-2008 | permalink

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What's a Resume Worth?

Hi All --

Douglas here, in for Lee Hill this Wednesday.

Today on the show RNC Chairman Mike Duncan defends Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. That's not surprising. But what really caught my ear was his comment that Palin has "made more decisions in a short period of time than anyone in the United States Senate has been able to do." Duncan's argument brought up a question I've been pondering, since the early days of the contest, when the big issue was whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama was better qualified.

How do you measure one's ability to be a leader?

It's a fundamental issue we've all probably debated at some point. But so far - to me anyway - the question seems to be reduced to a comparison of each of the candidate's job titles and years of service. Palin's time as a small town mayor versus Obama's time as community organizer. McCain's long record in the Senate versus Obama's outsider advantage. Biden's position on the Senate Foreign relations committee versus Palin's command of the Alaskan National Guard.

Has the conversation devolved -- or maybe I should say stalled -- into a numbers game? It's a big decision we're all contemplating -- who's the next president of arguably the most powerful country in the world? If resumes do matter, should the length of a job matter more than actual performance -- or wisdom gained? Everyone knows Obama was a community organizer. Not so many know exactly what he accomplished in this role. Conversely, everyone knows McCain commanded a Navy squadron, but what did this teach him about leadership? Presumably, he learned something, but that's not on the table.

With all this talk about 'executive' experience, are we missing the point? Speaking as someone who has a very nontraditional resume - delayed college for several years, bounced around professions, etc - I'm not sure the candidates' job titles or how long they held the jobs deserve so much attention. I'm more interested in what's between the lines.

Thoughts?

Speaking of things between the lines, check out our conversation about voting rights and solutions some advocates are proposing to make sure potential voters don't get shut out. Also, Michel talks with playwright Daniel Beaty's about his new work Resurrection, which explores the lives of six African American men. Actor Jefery V. Thompson also joins in to reflect on his personal connection with his character ' Bishop'.

More from Michel tomorrow.

Douglas Hopper

2:47 PM ET | 09-17-2008 | permalink

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Irritated By The Dems ... So Why Wait?

On yesterday's blog, I said that next week I was going to write a companion piece to yesterday's commentary about the Republicans and their campaign against Obama, and I mentioned that I was going to write about why the Democrats are getting on my nerves.

But last night I thought to myself, why wait?

So it's on TODAY. Check it out and tell me what you think.

Today, we tried to make sense of the Wall Street meltdown with a variety of voices -- our regular analyst Alvin Hall and NPR's Adam Davidson was with us. We also spoke to David Sirota, author of The Uprising, who did a side-by-side comparison of the Presidential candidates and his view of their respective strengths in addressing the Wall Street meltdown.

And be clear, Sirota is a progressive-left Democrat. So you know where he is coming from.

We expect to hear from Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Mike Duncan tomorrow. We visited with him briefly at the RNC in St. Paul and said, when we get back to D.C., that we wanted to have him for a TMM sit down.

If you have questions, let us know what they are and we'll try to ask them.

What I want to know is, is being RNC chairman a fun job? Just as with its DNC counterpart, it seems thankless to me. Nobody's ever happy. The White House thinks you should be an extension of their agenda. The Members of Congress think you should be helping them out. But maybe I have that wrong.

I'll think I'll ask Duncan about that one ...

Michel Martin

4:13 PM ET | 09-16-2008 | permalink

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Drama On Wall Street: Tell Us More

Lee Hill, here ...

For tomorrow's program, we're planning to somehow break down the latest financial catastrophe to hit Wall Street -- the massive folding of Lehman Brothers and the sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America.

Send us your questions.

Are you wondering what all this means for you and your assets?

Are/were you an employee of any of these financial institutions?

How are you processing Wall Street's meltdown?

Tell us more ... fast!

Lee Hill

5:08 PM ET | 09-15-2008 | permalink

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Back In 4B, Now Time To Rant

We made it! Finally, at 2:30, we were back in our studio, 4B, for the last interview of the day! At last, at last!

Does this rank up there with achieving world peace and an end to global warming? Uh, no.

But we were sad. We've been nomads all week, just in time for me to get back from the conventions and to welcome a new engineer (Hi, Kimberly, say hello to the people!), wandering from studio to studio, looking for a home. Stop the Madness!
But, finally, the studio's missing parts arrived from ... Australia? New Zealand? What did they say?

Anyway, we're back in cozy 4B. Hooray!

And, just in time to find out about the power sharing agreement in Zimbabwe and faith travel to Turkey.

Have we forgotten the poor inundated people in Texas? Certainly, not. But the communications links are so poor, so intermittent, and the reporters down there so thinly-stretched we decided to wait a day to see if we could find some distinct angles to the story that you were not getting on the rest of the network.

We're going to do our best for tomorrow, as well as try to shed some light on this financial mess that's taken over Wall Street. At the very least, we have our money coach Alvin Hall. He can make the most complicated story simple, but we'll see who and what else we can add to round out the story.

And, send us your questions. We're looking for blogger/listener input to add to tomorrow's discussions.

Finally, excuse me while I rant.

I don't know about you, but I have been seething since last week about a couple of the speeches I heard at the GOP convention ... but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Yes, some of the speeches were sarcastic and kind of nasty but it's not as though they talked about anybody's momma. I think they stayed within the boundaries of acceptable public discourse.

I'm a big girl, I've heard it before. So what was it exactly that was getting under my skin? Couldn't put my finger on it. And then I got back here to D.C. and talked to D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee about the kids she's trying to teach, who are two and three grade levels BEHIND where they are supposed to be; kids who are so turned off to school the city is considering paying them to get them turned back on. And it occurred to me that what infuriates me are not these messages aimed at Obama's politics -- that's fair game, it's entirely legitimate to question whether somebody's economic plans or national security framework is legitimate and rational and able to work.

No, what's bugging me is this effort to portray Obama as an "elitist."

Huh? A kid born to a teenaged single mother who put himself through school on scholarship and then took a low-paying job instead of going to a white-shoe law firm is now an "elitist"?

And then I thought of all these kids in all these classrooms for whom he might be the ONE reason they decide to open a book, and then I realized that's what I was annoyed about. It is what I wrote my commentary about today. take a listen, and tell me what you think.

Next week, I'll tell you about how the Democrats are annoying me ...

Michel Martin

4:38 PM ET | 09-15-2008 | permalink

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How Does It Feel To Be A 'Problem?'

Two flags wave at the 2008 Arab Heritage Celebration at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers, NY.

kptyson

Lee Hill, here ...

Yesterday, we marked seven years since Sept. 11, when nearly 3,000 lost their lives to a catastrophe that gripped that nation. It's amazing how one Tuesday morning forever changed the way many of us see the world ... and how the world sees many of us.

On yesterday's program, we introduced you to a new book by Moustafa Bayoumi called How Does it Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America. Bayoumi explained the book's effort to spotlight the experiences of seven young Arab-Americans who had a tough time navigating life in a post-Sept. 11 United States, where complicated public perceptions of the attacks gave birth to new brands of stereotypes, fueling widespread discrimination.

Yasmin (we're using her first name only here for sensitive reasons related to the subject matter), is one of the seven young people whose stories Moustafa Bayoumi tells in his book. After recording the TMM conversation you heard yesterday with Bayoumi, Yasmin later talked with us (and now, with you), specifically, about hurdles she faced as an Arab-American youth. She shares wisdom gained from her adversity and, all in all, how it felt to 'be a problem.'

Here's the TMM Web Extra:

The experience of Omar, a young man of blended Latino and Arab heritage, is another one the seven stories written about in Bayoumi's new book. In another TMM Web Extra conversation, Omar tells Michel Martin how his life somehow shifted gears after interning at the New York bureau of Al-Jazeera television, a popular Arabic language news network.

Listen for yourself:

If you're Arab-American and can identify with Yasmin or Omar's experiences, or if you're of another ethnic background, and see parallels that can be drawn alongside other forms of discrimination in our nation's not-too-distant past, you're free to blog your thoughts and experiences below ...

Lee Hill

1:18 PM ET | 09-12-2008 | permalink

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So, What Did Asra Mean Exactly?

I was going to take a break from the blog today because I was trying to get some administrative stuff done, but I feel I have to answer some of the comments coming in about yesterday's Mocha Moms. In the segment, guest and Mocha regular Asra Nomani used the phrase "white trash" as part of a much longer answer about her reaction to the Sarah Palin story, and the whole issue of Sarah Plain's pregnant teenage daughter -- if indeed that is an issue. For the record, here is partial transcription of what Asra said in this week's Mocha Moms:

I feel really conflicted, Michel. It's painful, actually, because, you know, I'm sitting here in England right now, and I'm having to do a lot of explaining about a concept that we know there in America, but folks here are wondering what white trash means. And I hate to say those words, and it's, you know, in its own way racist. But, unfortunately, that's the kind of politically incorrect conversation and internal dialog I'm having.

I have no way of knowing and certainly cannot control what folks are doing when they listen to the program -- or if indeed they are listening or are just reacting to what somebody told them. But some who are writing to us have completely misinterpreted what Asra was saying. Context matters a very great deal. Asra was (and remains) overseas and was reporting about the kinds of conversations she was overhearing and to which she had been subjected. She took the additional step of identifying the phrase "white trash" as racist, which it is, and described how uncomfortable it made her.

This is no different than a reporter describing that she heard racist remarks directed at Barack Obama and that word was the "N" word, but for the fact that there is not a readily available euphemism to describe what she heard, unlike the "N" word. The complicating factor here is that Asra was trying to describe the fact that, as an American, she felt called upon to defend and explain conduct of which she disapproves. It may be that one should never use language which might somehow be misinterpreted. But my long experience in the media (and as a human being) suggests to me that anytime you open your mouth the possibility exists of being misinterpreted.

I don't take issue with any disagreements people might have with the substance of our guests' remarks. (i.e. Many of you are incredulous that another of our Mocha regulars, Leslie Morgan Steiner, says she is considering voting for the McCain-Palin ticket.) But I have to speak up when I feel that listeners are not, well, actually listening and raising objections to what they think was said, rather than what was actually said. I hope this helps.

Asra may want to weigh in herself later on as she is able. As I mentioned she is overseas, so when she gets back to us, we'll post what she has to say.

Michel Martin

5:04 PM ET | 09-10-2008 | permalink

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A Nomadic TMM

An unlit studio light is posted outside TMM's Studio 4B at NPR.

Lee Hill, NPR

Now it can be told. We're out of our studio again.

I came back from a long stint on the road to find that our studio 4B console is somehow not working again. So we're nomads, again, wandering from studio to studio in the building. We don't know how long it will take to fix, but if you've noticed a slightly different "sound" to the program, the people are all the same, but the mics are different. We'll deal.

So, no big issues on the table today -- just sex, race and money. Not necessarily in that order.

Money first.

The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout. Our Money Coach Alvin Hall is answering your questions. If you have questions about how the Fannie-Freddie bailout might affect you, he is happy to answer them. Submit them here on our blog, or call our comment line on (202) 342-3522.

On to Sex.

Sarah Palin and the whole Mommy wars thing seemed logical to discuss with the Mocha Moms, especially since one of the Mochas wrote a book about the issue. There are three issues on the table, really. One, of course, is the issue of Sarah Palin's qualifications. The second is the issue of her family responsibilities and how she balances those with work, and third is the question of her 17-year-old pregnant daughter, Bristol.

Let me say there was a real range of views on this and the diversity of views is helpful and interesting. And, to some, it will be (I can predict) infuriating.

And Race.

Continue reading "A Nomadic TMM" »

Michel Martin

3:25 PM ET | 09- 9-2008 | permalink

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Standby ...

Michel Martin

Lee Hill, NPR

I am taking a break from the blog today. It's my first day back in the office since a week before the political conventions. SLAMMED.

Feel free to blog about today's program. Hope you found it interesting ...

Meet you back here soon ...

UPDATE: In response to our piece this morning about Hurricanes Gustav and Ike slamming into the Caribbean, and noting that Cuba recently rejected U.S. aid, we got several calls from listeners pointing out that the U.S. rejected aid from Cuba after Hurricane Katrina -- or, rather, did not even respond to the offer. I did not remember that at the time of our conversation, which is interesting because we actually covered that story on our very first over the air broadcast!

Check it out.

Sleep deprived. What can I tell you?

Michel Martin

4:12 PM ET | 09- 8-2008 | permalink

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RNC Backstage Pass: Farewell St. Paul

An attendee of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul sports a decorative button.

Rolando Arrieta, NPR

 

It was a long night and an early morning, and we're trying to get ourselves packed and ready to go.

But before we go ...

Thanks so much to Deborah Amos for sitting in the chair and holding it down while we were in St. Paul. I think she did a great job, don't you? And thanks again to Cheryl Corley, who guest hosted the week before ... and Lynn Neary the week before that.

Taking a step back and looking at John McCain's speech:

Was it too long on biography and too short on policy? Or, did McCain (and I am so sick of this phrase) "do what he needed to do"?

Will both candidates be able to keep the campaign on the issues they and the country all say are most important, which is to stay on fixing corrupt and special interest-dominated political systems, fixing a broken health care system, addressing economic growth at home and threats abroad ... as opposed to who is the bigger patriot, who loves the country more?

Both men say this is about you, not them. But will the blogosphere, and their supporters be able to contain themselves?

More random thoughts:

The protests? Dozens of people have been arrested here over the course of the week. We met one of the parents of one young man who was arrested. He says the police went too far to suppress dissent and arrest people long before their behavior crossed the line.

Hard to know without being there. We spent so much time in the convention hall that, half the time, we never knew what was going on outside until it was all over.

But if you spent any time in and around St. Paul this week, what were your impressions? Did you feel the police went too far, or did the protesters abuse the concept of peaceful protest?

Also, this convention does not seem to have been a big economic boost for the city. The restaurants were not full, the stores did not seem to be crowded -- at least not where we were. It was big change from Denver, where the place was hopping with vendors on every corner and a party in every watering hole.

What happened?

Real life did continue.

We came upon a lovely farmer's market here on seventh street -- gorgeous tomatoes, flowers, long beans and raspberries. Wish I could bring some home with me.

And, did the conversations heard on TMM about the political conventions these past two weeks serve a useful purpose? Or, is it all just too much hoopla for too little result?

Blog it out.

I'm outta here. As for me, this has been great but I miss my family, my house, my staff.

Please, weather, cooperate so we can get home!

See you Monday.

Michel Martin

3:49 PM ET | 09- 5-2008 | permalink

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RNC Backstage Pass: Listening to McCain

Crowd members wave signs of "Service" for GOP nominee Sen. John McCain at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul, Minn.

Rolando Arrieta, NPR

 

... Nearing the end of John McCain's speech.

Right now, I feel privileged to have been here to see it, and indeed privileged to have heard both his and Barack Obama's speech.

This one is as remarkable in its own way -- gracious, tough, leaving nothing on the table.

There are not so many tears here, there were moments of near silence, which is a remarkable thing in a hall of 20,000 people. There are many lumps in the throat as a room full of men used to holding things in heard their truth spoken out loud.

Both men (Obama and McCain) called this country and its people to its best self -- something grander and more remarkable than we might even imagine. They have very different visions about how to get there, but in the end they both offer a call to decency, a call to service, a call to put others above self.

Will we listen? ... And to whom?

Michel Martin

11:28 PM ET | 09- 4-2008 | permalink

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The Rest of the World, Remember That?

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks on day three of the Republican National Convention (RNC) on September 3, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota

Rolando Arrieta

 

Deborah Amos, here. I am sitting in for Michel Martin this week, although 'sitting in' is hardly the relationship. It is more like we're driving the car together.

Rudy Giuliani reminded us in his speech at the Republican National Convention (RNC) that the world is a scary place. But then he would say that, wouldn't he. While I don't completely subscribe to the former New York mayor's bleak world view, he reinforced, for a few moments, that the rest of the world is a complicated place and will test the skills of the next team that takes over the White House.

There have been some intriguing international news stories that may have passed under the radar with all the recent attention on a soccer (or hockey) mom from Alaska:

- American troops crossed the border into Pakistan for the first time to chase down Taliban targets. This is a major escalation and is likely to weaken the Pakistani government.

- The Bush administration upped the ante in the confrontation with Russia, pledging one billion dollars in aid to Georgia after Russian sent troops into Georgian territory. This is Middle East kind of money. Big problem money. Georgia is now one of the highest per capita recipients of U.S. aid in the world.

I talked to three international journalists this morning on Tell Me More to find out how the U.S. elections are playing in Mexico, in the Middle East, and in Russia. The good news is that the elections are closely followed in the rest of the world. The bad news is, "they" don't like us very much out there. But, still, there is an expectation that the United States has to take a strong role in the world, or the festering problems will only get worse.

We've had a bit of a vacation during this election season from the daily focus on the most destabilizing world problems. This is an American election after all, and we've been talking about the most pressing issues at home: the economy, education, the high price at the pump.

We are having a much needed American conversation, and while, as voters, elections are rarely decided on foreign policy, the rest of the world will reassert itself on the agenda in January, 2009.

-- Deborah Amos

Michel Martin

2:02 PM ET | 09- 4-2008 | permalink

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Reports: Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick Expected to Resign

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick appears in Wayne County Circuit Court for a bond hearing on unrelated assault charges September 2, 2008.

Getty Images

Lee Hill, here ...

UPDATE: Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has accepted a plea deal requiring him to resign from office immediately, pay $1 million in restitution, surrender his law license and serve four months in jail.

News reports coming out of Detroit indicate that embattled Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is expected to accept a plea deal this morning requiring the mayor to resign from office immediately and serve jail time.

Tell Me More has been following the situation in Detroit since earlier this year when Kilpatrick and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, were charged with perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and misconduct related to a police whistleblower case that cost the city $8.4 million. Perjury charges stem from testimonies by Kilpatrick and Beatty during court proceedings in the whistleblower case in response to allegations that the two had had an extramarital affair. (Details of the alleged affair were later uncovered through text message records obtained and published by the Detroit Free Press.)

More to come as we know it ...

Lee Hill

10:15 AM ET | 09- 4-2008 | permalink

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RNC Backstage Pass: Random Impressions

This convention comes across as both more business-like and less emotionally engaged than the Democratic convention.

Why might that be?

Because it's more of a conventional campaign run by political professionals, and less of a "cause"? Because there are fewer first-timers? ... And fewer women? ... Is it because the people are older?

... Are things different here because there is less of an undercurrent of the kind of intense sibling rivalry that haunted the first few days of the Democratic convention last week?

Also, there seem to be fewer journalists here, although I have seen more of my friends in St. Paul than in Denver (probably because of the time difference -- I'm not so dog tired -- since we tape in the morning). I know that a couple of the black media outlets that covered the Dems were not scheduled to be here, or are leaving early -- BET and Radio One, for example.

On the other hand, all of the big name Republicans who did the Democratic reaction are here, along with some of the Democrat counterparts, like Donna Brazile.

To answer some questions from listeners:

Why aren't the evangelical and social conservative Christians more upset about Sarah Palin's pregnant teenaged daughter?

Our unscientific reporting showed a split both inside the hall and out:

Texas delegate Fred Farias says it proves she's human, families go through this, and that it makes Palin more authentic.

"It's a family matter, and we like that fact that she's walking the walk, she's keeping the baby," said Farias.

Fellow Texan Cynthia Jenkins (one of the few African-American delegates here) agreed.

"Families go through this. I think people can relate to her and what she's going through," she told me.

But not so fast, says voter David Clough. He's not a delegate, he's just a guy we met on our way home who says he is a Christian (make that conservative evangelical).

"It is an issue," he says. "If she [Palin] can't run a moral household, she can't run the country, if it comes to that. I don't understand why John McCain is saluting that. It just shows how corrupt we've become. It's an issue to me because I'm a Christian."

Clough says he is not sure he will vote for anybody now, he's so disappointed.

Switching gears, we've been hearing that the Democrats are still battling rumors that Sen. Barack Obama is a Muslim. And this isn't just idle internet chatter.

Texan Margaret Ann Lopez, a guest of her delegate husband's this time (last time, she was a delegate and he was her guest), says she is absolutely convinced Obama is a Muslim.

"He's a liar," she says. "He lies about so many things. He lies that he is qualified."

How does Lopez feel about Palin and the baby?

Palin, she says, "is tremendously qualified ... she has done more service in those years than he [Obama] has in the years he has been there [serving in the U.S. Senate]."

Obama, she is convinced, is a "dangerous person."

I asked Lopez why the Palin matter is any different from the rumors in 2000, claiming that McCain has an illegitimate black daughter?

"This is different," she says. "There was no evidence of that."

Michel Martin

8:03 PM ET | 09- 3-2008 | permalink

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Watching Palin And Taking Notes

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) listens as presumptive Republican vice-presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at a rally at T.R. Hughes Ballpark August 31, 2008 in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Getty Images

 

Deborah Amos, here. I am sitting in for Michel Martin this week, although 'sitting in' is hardly the relationship. It is more like we're driving the car together.

After talking politics non-stop for the past two days, I realize that much of this election is riding on a woman ... again. This is another interesting twist in a political contest that has been unpredictable from the start. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin seems like the very opposite of Hillary Clinton, in terms of her policy choices and the causes she advocates. Of course, Palin is younger, and takes more risks when it comes to her public presentation. But, like Hillary, she's billed as "tough," a reformer, a champion of conservative causes.

But the more I think about it, we really don't know much about Sarah Palin. So far, it's all media projections and official campaign statements. After all, it was the McCain campaign staff that made the announcement that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.

On Tell Me More today, I interviewed three women -- Ellen Moran, Janice Crouse and Ambassador Swanee Hunt -- who don't agree on much when it comes to politics, but they all agreed that it is "exciting" to have a woman in the race. Part of that excitement is the novelty.

I interviewed Nancy Pelosi a few weeks ago. When she first became Speaker of the House of Representatives, she said that "the first woman" distinction was often attached to her job description. There came a time, she said, when most people dropped the extra definition because, well, it seems her role had become a normal part of politics. She was defined by her stand on issues, not by her gender.

Tonight is the first step in this direction for Sarah Palin. For the first time, she will speak to a national audience. And for the first time, we will get to know her beyond the media hype and campaign spin.

I am looking forward to settling in tonight in front of the best "reality show" on television. I plan to listen very carefully to Sarah Palin's speech. I want to know what she stands for. I want to know how she thinks, not as a woman, but as a politician.

And by the time this election is over, I hope having a woman in a presidential race is just a normal part of any campaign.

-- Deborah Amos

Michel Martin

2:14 PM ET | 09- 3-2008 | permalink

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RNC Backstage Pass: Don't Mess With Texas

Finally, some fashion to report!

The TEXAS delegation wins. I'm sorry they just do -- color coordinated shirts and ten gallon hats EVERY day. A DIFFERENT ONE FOR EVERY DAY.

Denim shirts were Monday night, red polos for Tuesday. Many fabulous boots. There were even some color coordinated painted fingernails that I saw.

Rolando, show the people what a convention fashion statement is all about: