September 30 2008 show notes


Topics, guests, upcoming events, quotes, links to articles, audio clips, books & bumper music.


Tuesday 30 September '08 show




  • The markets were up. Have they discounted the financial sector? Or is there something much bigger and more insidious going on here?
  • Guest: Ralph Reed, GOP consultant (7 presidential, 88 Congressional and Gubernatorial races). Author of the political thriller "Dark Horse", who was on the show on 12 June 2008. He first predicted a woman on the national ticket. As the former director of the Christian coalition, is he uneasy that 33 pastors are breaking the tax code by preaching politics from the pulpit? It's not illegal; they have the first amendment right to. The Christian coalition did not tell them to. He thinks that losing tax status is a death knell for charities and that the church should not be penalized so long as only a small percentage (5%) of the church's money goes towards political activity. Thom saw that as the camel's nose under the tent. Thom asked about Karl Rove's role in the effort to defeat Don Siegelman's proposed lottery to pay for education. They discussed whether there was selective prosecution of Democrats like Don Siegelman, Paul Minor, Richard Scrushy and even Republican Bob Ney who upset the Bush administration, while others were not prosecuted. Transcript.
  • Guest: Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Recap and update on his case. For the story so far, please see the transcripts from April 29, May 08, June 17 and the show notes for 08 July '08, 25 July '08, 30 July '08 and 29 August '08. He's glad Thom spoke to Ralph Reed but he did not hear the segment. Karl Rove not answering questions. Make one last call to congress about Karl Rove. Call Congress. contemptforrove.com. Emails have 1/1000 the impact of phone calls.
  • Bumper Music: Republican Blues, Tim O'Brien.
  • Article: Treasury and Fed Looking at Options.
    "The Federal Reserve has stretched its resources to the limit. Before the crisis began in August 2007, the Fed had about $800 billion in reserve, nearly all in Treasury securities.

    But because of all the new lending programs for banks and Wall Street firms, analysts estimate that the Fed

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