The Debt Ceiling and Political Cowards

Fox News recently reported that "The House of Representatives ... voted to raise the debt limit by $1.9 trillion. That vote raises the debt ceiling to $14.3 trillion, a new high for the amount of debt the U.S. has ever carried." It goes on to say that "As recently as 2001, the U.S. debt was only at $5.7 trillion. But exploded throughout the past decade after Sept. 11, 2001, amid record spending by the Bush and Obama administrations." Furthermore, it noted that "If Congress doesn't hike the debt ceiling, the U.S. would be unable make good on Social Security and Medicare payments.

"It certainly makes sense to be opposed to raising the debt ceiling. The vast majority of it was in areas that the government has no business being in. Yet, I'm disgusted to see where some of the "nay" votes came from. The Senate approved the debt limit increase in mid-January on a 60-40 party-line vote. Meanwhile, the House vote was much closer, 217-212. All Republicans and more than 30 Democrats voted against raising the debt ceiling. I have heard our Congress be described as a "parliament of whores." At the very least it is a club of spoiled brats that believes it should be allowed to have its cake and eat it too. The two "stimulus" packages that added over $1 trillion to the national debt in one year alone could not have passed without the help of some (if not many) of those who voted against raising the debt ceiling. Grow up members of Congress. Be responsible on the front end so you do not have to pretend to be a victim on the back end.

The Fox article also stated that "moderate and fiscally-conscious Democrats were suspect of voting to hike the debt" and since the whole House is facing hostile voters in 2010, they all collectively voted to cover themselves.

On the one hand, it would have been a wonderful thing to witness the Congress voting against the debt ceiling. Such an act would force everyone to roll up their sleeves and get to work on a sustainable -- and maybe even Constitutional -- budget. But it is ridiculous to witness these politicians vote as though they are drunk with power when bills come before them and cannot own the results of their voting when the time calls for it. If a member fueled the debt, they should confess up to it. I believe you should ask your member of Congress -- if he or she voted for TARP and similar packages, but against raising the ceiling -- to explain how such was going to be paid for? Those are the type of tough questions that demand honest answers today.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media. Kevin Price is also host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650). Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Discussing economic prosperity and more on Fox News

One of my favorite programs is Fox News' Strategy Room and I enjoy spending time on that program almost as much as my own, the Price of Business. The host of the hour I was on, Eric Bolling, has this unique knack of focusing on the consequences of government policies in a manner that is uncommon among many media personalities today. This may be due to the fact that his knowledge does not end with a traditional journalist education, but years of experience of working in the business world in general and the rough and tumble world of commodities in particular.

The "Biz Hour," which Bolling hosts, is also referred to as the "ADD Hour," because he covers a plethora topics. It is a true "strap on your seat belt experience" as we travel the world of the day's headlines.

Some of the issues we covered:

• Tax cuts vs. tax credits. The President has been emphasizing short term and often politically convenient "tax credits," when what is actually needed are deep and across the board tax cuts, if we are serious about creating more jobs. There are, of course, various types of tax cuts. "Demand side" or "consumer driven" tax cuts are geared towards the middle class. They are designed to increase consumer demand, but in an economy such as this, they are used to pay bills and little else. This is why they have little or no impact. Supply-side tax cuts, made famous by Calvin Coolidge, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, are across the board and proportional in their reach. These cuts lead to significant wealth (and job creation).
• Banking regulation. Many liberals are complaining that lending has become too difficult for poorer Americans. I know, it sounds like the banking crisis all over again. These same individuals who believe that those who do not deserve a loan should get one are typically hyper critical of entrepreneurs who seek one, even if they are credit worthy.
• Government attitudes towards small business owners. This Administration seems to pity the poor and wants more of them and it desires mega corporations because they are easier to control. What the Obama Administration seems to despise are the small businesses and entrepreneurs that drive the vast majority of job creation in this country.

Strategy Room combines the best of traditional TV and online programing. It provides nationally known media personalities, such as Eric Bolling, but allows the public to serve as a "co-host" by driving questions via email, Twitter, and other online sources. Strategy Room may very well be the future of talk show programming.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media. Kevin Price is also host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650). Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Congress is bent on making "Public Option" Inevitable

The phrase "public option," when it comes to the health care debate, has become so poisonous that everyone who supports socialized medicine have distanced themselves from that language. No longer will the government mandate everyone to be on "public" insurance. Rather, the government is going to force everyone out of private options and to government care. It is not as "cut and dry" as the approach they prefer and some (the very rich) will still enjoy private coverage, but the vast majority will find themselves with no other practical option than the government.

Peter Landers of the Wall Street Journal reports that "Insurance companies have another made-to-order report saying that the Senate Finance Committee's health bill would drive up health costs." Citing a report from PriceWaterHouseCooper, Landers notes that "The Oliver Wyman report says that unless the Senate beefs up the proposed mandate on Americans to carry insurance, average annual medical claims five years after the overhaul takes effect would be 50% higher than today, not accounting for medical inflation. That would increase the premiums for family coverage by $3,300 in today's dollars, it says." Many families who are struggling to hold on to the health insurance they have will feel forced to give up that private option, especially if there is a government option in the wings and regardless of how poor of an alternative it is.

That is the other side of the two edged sword; not only will Obamacare drive up the prices of health insurance for all those who stay in the private option, it will also put taxes on virtually everyone to pay for it, including (or maybe, especially) those who are already paying for insurance of their own. Just like those individuals forced to pay property taxes while their own kids attend private schools, socialized health care will mandate every taxpayer to pay for the services, even if they are not using the programs themselves.

The demagogues that are currently driving the debate are telling those that have private insurance (approximately 85 percent of the population according to US News and World Reports) will continue to have such after a socialized medicine program becomes law. The truth is, they might have the right, but between being forced to pay for a service they do not want to use and having the cost of the insurance they want to use growing exponentially, they will find themselves "crowded out" of the private option and forced in to the public one.

Because of the same "crowding out" effect in education (people being forced to pay taxes for it, even if they prefer their children to go to private school), 90 percent of all children in the US are in public schools. In England, where public health care is financed in a similar way as we are moving, 90 percent of the population is under socialized medicine. This is not a mere coincidence, but a clear warning for us today.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Obama Declares war on Fox

We are all familiar with Obama's distaste for dissenting opinion when it comes to the media. Back in his 2008 campaign for President, the Obama campaign left reporters from The New York Post, The Dallas Morning News, and The Washington Times on an airport tarmac. The Post and Times are noted for their conservative bent and all three were guilty of endorsing John McCain. Once those endorsements were announced, reporters from each of these newspapers were left out in the cold.

ABC News reported at the time that "The campaign says that a limited number of seats forced it to make the tough decision of which journalists would be permitted to follow the Democratic presidential candidate in the last four days of the campaign, but the papers are calling foul, claiming they were targeted for their editorial-page positions and kicked off while nonpolitical publications like Glamour and Jet magazines remained on board." It would seem any news publication would have a stronger case to stay on board than Glamour.

Even before Obama was elected there was talk of restoring the "Fairness Doctrine" that had silenced conservative voices for decades until Ronald Reagan reversed the policy in the 1980s, leading to the rise of Rush Limbaugh and others. Obama says he favors consensus, the kind of consensus that only comes from controlling the media.

The Obama Administration is at it again and is now declaring war on the Fox News Channel and many in the media are weighing in.

The "war" against Fox came from pretty high sources in the Administration with White House communications director Anita Dunn describing a new, aggressive, press strategy regarding the network. PRNewser reports on, and has video of White House communications director Anita Dunn's strategy which "she explained in a straightforward slam of Fox News Channel during an appearance on CNN's 'Reliable Sources,'" stating "Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party," said Dunn. "Let's not pretend they're a news network the way CNN is." The senior aide added, "What I think is fair to say about Fox, and certainly the way we view it, is that it really is more a wing of the Republican Party."

Reports of the White House attack is drawing comments from around the news industry. Time Magazine's James Poniewozik discusses what the Administration has to gain from such an approach, "Of course, it's possible that the Administration is simply making the case because it believes that it's right and Fox News is wrong. But politically, you would think that the White House seeks to gain something from a fight, since Fox News probably is." There is little doubt that Fox loves the attention, and many of my friends with the network have brought Obama's attack to my attention and the personalities themselves discuss it on the air. With Obama's rapidly shrinking numbers, why would not Fox want to be the place to go if you are unhappy with the Administration?

There is certainly a concern that the White House is going too far in its stance. The Orlando Sentinel's Hal Boedeker writes that "Maybe the White House should get out of the press-critiquing business. It's never been a wise move for any White House. The complaints come off as whining. The White House certainly should stop condescending to Fox News, which is a slap against that channel's fans. The smarter move would be for Obama to engage. Why doesn't he put his smooth, unflappable style to the test on Fox News?"

Even liberal publications have echoed a similar concern. The Nation's John Nichols thinks the strategy is weak from both a political and historical perspective: "Whether the grumbling is about Republicans on Fox or bloggers in pajamas, there's a word for what the president and his aides are doing. That word is 'whining.' And nothing -- no attack by Glenn Beck, no blogger busting about Guantanamo -- does more damage to Obama's credibility or authority than the sense that a popular president is becoming the whiner-in-chief."

With the other major news media being little more than a microphone for an increasingly unpopular Administration, voters are going to look for an alternative. Obama and his staff have made it easy to identify where to go to for that.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Disscussing why States Prosper on Fox News Strategy Room

I always enjoy the opportunity to join the panel on FoxNews.com Strategy Room. This being the week of its first year anniversary of that program made it all the more special. On the show we covered many things, including why certain states prosper and why others do not. I knew exactly where the conversation was going when the Host, Eric Bolling started discussing the decline of Detroit and other historically industrialized cities and out of no where he started naming states (mainly in the South) that seem to be enjoying economic growth. He asked, "what do these have in common?' The answer was simple; they are Right to Work states.

Right to Work states allow employees to choose whether they join a union, while closed union shop states make union membership compulsory. How significant of an impact does such have an economy? A report by Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal and best selling author Arthur Laffer, published by the American Legislative Council, indicates that it is huge. The authors do a thorough investigation of why the ten richest states have prospered and why the ten poorest have struggled. The report covers ten years, 1997 to 2007.

The states that have enjoyed the most prosperity over the last decade, according to the study, are Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Virginia, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas. On average, these ten states witnessed an 85.1% increase in the states' gross state product growth, an 87.9% increase in personal income growth, a 55.9% increase in personal income per capita growth, and a 20.4 percent increase in population growth.

On the opposite end of the economic spectrum you have Hawaii, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New York. These unfortunate states have only seen a 59.3% increase in the states' gross state product growth, a 60.7% increase in personal income growth, a 52.3% increase in personal income per capita growth, and a mere 4.4 percent increase in population growth.

There are several similar characteristics between the rich and poor states in one area in particular, which is in the policies they pursue. For example, all but one of the winners are Right to Work states (Colorado). Meanwhile, all of the losers are under force unionism. When unions (and their higher benefits, wages, and other labor expenditures) are a fixed cost of doing business, those states are simply less attractive, which leads businesses to businesses moving to more business friendly states.

It doesn't stop with unions. The ten losers are noted for having excessively high taxes on businesses and high income earners. When these income earners feel such pressure, they know they cannot always "fight" the policies effectively, so they take "flight" to states that are friendlier to business and wealth creation. Furthermore, the losers are known for more excessive regulations than the winners, another cost in time and money in building a business. Finally, these losers often have crippling licensure laws that undermine entrepreneurship and economic activity. Laffer and Moore's study goes much further by examining several "principles" of effective taxation and shows huge disparity between the winners and losers. The bottom line is that some states create an environment that is more business friendly. As a result, those states enjoy lower unemployment and higher economic growth.

The results of the states that ignore the ability of businesses and the affluent to flee such policies have led to a huge decline in both prosperity and even population growth in the "loser" states. The study should be read by policy makers, business owners, and individuals who want to live in states of prosperity and not poverty.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Major Coups at Fox Business

As the Fox Business Channel nears its second anniversary, big things appear to be happening tothe still largely new network. The news media has largely discredited the channel and has even treated it as the ugly step child of the widely successful News Corp family. Network news has often second guessed the decision making of the network's chairman, Rupert Murdoch. In the last few weeks Murdoch and Fox have taken decisive actions designed to put Fox Business on the media map.

First there is the announcement of Don Imus joining the Fox News team. In a press release from the network earlier this month we read "FOX Business Network (FBN) has signed a multi-year deal with legendary radio personality Don Imus in which his nationally syndicated program Imus in the Morning will be simulcast on the channel, announced Kevin Magee, Executive Vice President. Beginning October 5th, the program will be presented in High Definition (HD) Monday through Friday from 6-9 AM ET on FOX Business and continue to be syndicated on the radio by Citadel Media. " Imus reaches millions of listeners every day whom he will drive to the Fox Business Network as they prepare for their day before getting into their cars. Meanwhile, those who love their hard business information will get plenty of reports during Imus' broadcast. Furthermore, Imus will be in a corner screen surrounded by news stories thorough out the broadcast. People will get plenty of business news. This is a huge victory for Imus as he departs the largely limited RFD network and a win for Fox Business who will have its brand promoted to the large audience Imus enjoys.

Shortly after the Imus announcement we are now hearing that one of the country's premier broadcast journalists, John Stossel, is leaving ABC to become a part of the Fox Business and Fox News family. In a statement Fox Business reports that "Award-winning journalist John Stossel has signed a multi-year deal with FOX Business Network and the Fox News Channel. Stossel, who is best known for his work on ABC’s '20/20,' will anchor a one-hour, weekly program on FOX Business, entitled 'Stossel.'" According to Fox, the "program will look at consumer-focused topics, such as civil liberties, the business of health care and free trade." Stossel's activities will not be limited to Fox Business, as he "will also appear regularly on the Fox News Channel, and will produce a series of one-hour specials for FOX News. His blog, “Stossel’s Take,” will be published on both FOXBusiness.com and FOXNews.com."

Separately, the journalist has said “I’m thrilled to join Fox News and look forward to inventing a new show for Fox Business." Fox is thrilled too, I am sure. For those in the news media who have questioned the wisdom in creating another business network, Murdoch may just be a little crazy. Crazy as a fox.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

"A Republic, if you can keep It"

Benjamin Franklin, shortly after the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, was asked by a Mrs. Powel, "Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" Franklin was quick to reply, "A republic, if you can keep it." Well, if you haven't received the memo before now, we have not "kept it." The US has wandered from the powerful and sound document that unleashed human freedom and kept government at bay.

Recently, on the Price of Business show, I interviewed Renee Herath, who is one of the millions of people who have simply become tired of seeing her government grow out of control. She has gotten involved with the local Tea Parties (both Katy and Houston, Texas) and in Glenn Beck's 9-12 Project and was on my program to discuss some up coming events that may be of interest to my audience. I innocently asked "what got you inspired to be involved in these organizations?" She listed many things, but when we got to the question of the type of government taught in schools today (democracy) versus the one the Founders intended for us (republic), both of us lit up. Very few these days even care about the subject and it has long left the curriculum of government run schools. Those schools have concluded that our country is a democracy, regardless of what our Constitution or the Founders have stated.


So that leads to the question, "does it matter?" This, in turn, makes you ask "what is a republican form of government?" Let me begin by stating that these names have nothing to do with partisan politics, but political freedom. Republic is actually a small "r" and Article IV of the Constitution defines and guarantees this form of government by the federal government for the states. At section four it states "the United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence. " This form of government is characterized by the idea of rule by law (the constitution). Although such a government can have democratic institutions, a republic is designed to check all tyrants, be it a federal government out of control or a mob with a destructive agenda. The constitution was designed to protect minorities, not just majorities. If the majority wants to oppress a minority, people still feel oppressed. Under a republic, the government limits itself to a "referee" and not a parental role.



The Founding Fathers believed in checks and balances. It should not surprise us that there were no state departments of education for the first 50 years of our republic. They believed that things like what government can and cannot do are too important to be taught by the government. It would be considered a conflict of interst. We have a generation that largely can't identify the differences between a republic and a democracy, because the vast majority of those people were taught by individuals with a political agenda. We have lost our schools and, as a result, the minds of most Americans. This battle isn't merely about advocating economic freedom, but restoring personal freedom found in the Constitution.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

"Stimulus" will fail to create long term Job Growth

Both last year and in the early part of this year there was great enthusiasm by some (mainly in government) about the prospects of huge numbers of jobs that were going to be created by "stimulus" packages. Furthermore, voters were warned that, failure to provide such would lead to significant job loses and an unemployment rate as high as 8.5 percent. We were even told about police departments that would lose personnel short of serious government action.

Fox News reported of just such an example, but also provided the "rest of the story." "One hundred days ago President Obama signed his $787 billion stimulus package into law. On February 17 in Denver, Colorado he said the plan, 'includes aid to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of firefighters or police recruits — recruits like the ones in Columbus, Ohio, who were told that instead of being sworn in as officers, they would be let go.' On March 6, the president traveled to Columbus, Ohio to watch the recruits being sworn in as officers. He said jobs, 'all across Ohio will now be saved because of this recovery plan.' But it appears he spoke too soon. The Columbus Dispatch reports if voters turn down a proposed income tax hike in August, nearly 300 police officers would lose their jobs. The 25 new officers who shook the president's hand would be among the first to go. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged the Columbus situation during today's briefing, admitting the recovery plan is temporary."

This strikes at the heart of the problem. Every job created by government "bailouts" and "stimulus packages" are all temporary without continuous funding. This is the beauty of market created jobs. Employment created by profit is typically long term employment and self-generated. Jobs that creates profits for the ones that created them, gives those employers an incentive to create more jobs. It is simple economics. The debate on stimulus should have focused on the real source of jobs. That would lead to the passage of competitive tax rates that would make the US the most attractive country in the world for job creation and not through excessive government programs that would lead to burdensome taxes on wealth (and thus job) creation.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

What will Fox News do with Glenn Beck?

Back in 2007 Don Imus set off a bomb when he called the women basketball team at Rutgers University "nappy headed hoes" during his daily broadcast on CBS Radio and MSNBC TV and was dismissed from both networks. Within no time Imus was back on the air on a different radio (Citadel) and TV (RFD-TV) network. Imus is about to upgrade his TV affiliation by joining the Fox Business Network. Imus rebuilt a significant amount of audience in no time and is bringing that crowd to Rupert Murdoch's business TV network.

Rupert Murdoch is one of the savviest people in media today, but his Fox News network is in a similar dilemma that MSNBC was in with Imus. Glenn Beck, host of the ever popular "Glenn Beck Show" told the Fox viewing public back in July (on the network's morning show, "Fox and Friends") that President Obama has a "deep-seated hatred of white people and white culture." It was really an off the cuff statement spoken in passing upon observing some of the President's choices, that led Beck coming to such a conclusion. Off the cuff? Maybe, but it has created a stir and has the network buckling down as it faces an onslaught of attack. An organization called the Color of Change has waged a boycott on the network and it has been effective in the financial arena. The Atlantic points out that "Lots of big companies who advertise on Fox have signed onto the boycott, orchestrated by Color of Change to protest Beck's proposition that President Obama is a racist, reportedly including Wal-Mart, Sprint, Travelers Insurance, General Mills, DirecTV, Geico, Progressive, Procter & Gamble, Radio Shack, Men's Wearhouse, GMAC Financial Services--at least 36 companies in all. (UPDATE: as commenter Mike Cee points out, Color of Change put the total at 46 after announcing 10 more yesterday.)" An hour long program would typically not have more than 40 sponsors, so this is a huge number by any standard.

I think that many advertisers who are currently on the Glenn Beck Show are not actual sponsors of his program, but of the network in general and are being placed in the "best times available" (BTA) which is one of the cheapest media buys. Many of these ad buyers are getting multiples of the exposure they are use to receiving at BTA. If this is the case, Fox News is probably losing money compared to what they normally enjoy for Glenn Beck's hour. However, I think everyone, even Beck and Fox News, are crying all the way to the bank. The LA Times points out in an article titled "UPDATED: As boycott continues, Glenn Beck's audience swells" that the TV host and Fox network "attracted 2.81 million viewers Monday, his third-largest audience since his show launched on Fox News in January, according to Nielsen Media Research data provided by the network. On Tuesday, nearly 2.7 million viewers tuned in, his fifth-largest viewership to date. And the conservative host got a plug from former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who urged people to watch his program in a post on her Facebook page." The Times went on to quote Palin, saying “"FOX News' Glenn Beck is doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House,' she wrote Wednesday to her 800,000-plus supporters."

In light of the audience Beck is receiving and the "ink" the networking is enjoying in the media, this temporary lost in revenue is little more than a high priced advertising campaign that should pay the network off significantly over time. As long as Murdoch and his team take a strategic approach and stay with the host, the network should be all the better when the dust finally settles.

If Fox can't handle the heat, I think the ratings hungry MSNBC would be delighted to get Glenn Beck in what they might call "Don Imus Revenge."

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Is Barack Obama a Racist?

Radio and TV Host Glenn Beck has created quite a stir this past week in stating that Barack Obama "is a racist." It has been interesting reviewing the news headlines and seeing stories of deaths due to the war on terror, political scandals that are bringing down governments and international tensions caused by rogue regimes that we find Glenn Beck right there with all of them, because of his statement on an early morning cable show.

The political left, predictably, has come out in full force dismissing the claim:

The Osterly Times declares that "Glenn Beck's inability to hide the fact that he is an utter moron explodes into the open once more on Fox News when he, without bringing forward a single example, decides that Barack Obama is a racist."

Rose Conley of the Examiner simply declares that "Glenn Beck is stupid."

Comedienne Whoopi Goldberg proclaimed that Beck is a "Lying Sack of Dog Mess" in the Huffington Post.

Robert Paul Reyes, at Newsblaze.com, says: "Beck's claims are so crazy that I feel silly refuting them. Obama with his multi-cultural background, and his inclusive and open administration, is the very symbol of racial harmony." He goes on to say that "Moderation, contemplation, reasoned discourse and a bipartisanship spirit have been banished from the GOP. The birthers, tea baggers, Palin nuts and demented pundits like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Beck are now in control of the Republican Party. "

That last quote is worth further review. It is time to simply look at the facts.

• Obama nominated a person for the Supreme Court who is, without question, a racist. Sotomayor has demonstrated such in many speeches as she discussed the superiority of "Latina women" over white males in the courtroom on the lecture circuit and was demonstrated in how she discriminated against white firefighters in a court case that was later overturned by the Supreme Court.


• When a well respected police officer (who actually teaches racial sensitivity training) arrests a black man for disorderly conduct (when a person yells they will not show a police officer his ID because it is "racist," that is disorderly), Obama calls the officer and the police department "stupid." Comedian Bill Cosby, when asked about it, simply said "I wasn't there." He went on to suggest a sensible approach would be to ask both sides. That does seem more Presidential.


• In his biography and speeches, you would never know that Obama was raised by white family members and that the black side of his family lineage virtually did not exist in his life. He had only a brief encounter that is measured in days with his African father. He seems to love a culture that abandoned him and is embarrassed by one that embraced him.

So, is Obama a racist? I think it is safe to say that he is certainly predisposed to such. Furthermore, he is an elitist of epic proportions as demonstrated in his treatment of individuals who didn't enjoy the education background afforded to him, be it the rural white people who "cling to their guns and religion" or the police officer trying to make tough decisions in the rough streets that surround Boston. The bottom line is Obama does not have the temperament necessary to represent the needs and interests of all Americans.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Richard Shelby has Candid Discussion about the Fed Chair on Fox Business

For the vast majority of Americans, being told that we are having a "jobless recovery" is the same as saying we are having no recovery at all. "Recovery" means employment, job growth, opportunity, job security (even if it is not the one you are in, it is the knowledge that there are plenty available). "Recovery" without jobs, means prosperity only for the "haves" in an economy. This is something that seems to persist no matter what is going on in the larger picture.

In a startling interview on the Fox Business Network, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, stated that he was informed by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that we might be dealing with a "jobless recovery."

Here are excerpts from the interview with Sen. Shelby on his very candid discussion with Chairman Bernanke:

What does Chairman Bernanke say about the recovery? "He thinks when there will be a recovery—basically his words—it will be a jobless recovery, and that’s not good for America.” Again, for the vast majority of Americans, this is no recovery at all.

What about giving the Federal Reserve more regulatory power? “We talked about the regulatory structure that we will be debating this year up here, and the Fed basically as a regulator failed the American people. Why should we give them more power now? That’s the question I asked. He didn’t say they didn’t fail. He didn’t admit it, but he didn’t say otherwise.” Alas, we have seen how much the shift in power to the Federal Reserve has "benefited" the larger economy to date. No wonder many members of Congress are skeptical.

What about the pace of an economic turn around? “The answer was basically muddle… He was very careful with what he was saying even to me, a member of the banking committee.” I find the word "even" to be a little humorous. Seeing the insane things that have happened from this Administration and the total lack of transparency of those that are governing, you would almost think Sen. Shelby would say "especially to me." The last thing the Fed wants is more accountability, in my opinion.

Has the economy made a turn around the corner? “He couldn’t really answer that. He thinks some of our financial crisis has stabilized, but it’s not over.” I guess one of the "jobs saved" so far is Bernanke's. That is a sign of recovery, isn't it?

As I have said before, being hungry is crucial, no matter what business you are in, including cable news. Consistently, Fox Business, even with its relationship with the largest name in cable news, Fox News, demonstrates a desire to beat others to the most important business news stories of the day, as seen in this breaking news story on Shelby. I don't mean to sound like Neal Cavuto, but if you don't get Fox Business, make sure you contact your cable provider. In the mean time, you might consider regularly visiting FoxBusiness.com for the latest in videos and other information.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Roger Ailes, Matt Egan, and the Changing Face of Cable News

Matt Egan is only 24, but he is already in a position that is well beyond his age. He is a news writer for FoxBusiness.com and has been in this role since 2007. Just a few years ago, Egan wasn't very sure what he wanted to do. He talks about an interview with Fox Business in a recent article in the New York Times: "Ray Hennessey, the director of business news, went to my college (the College of New Jersey), and also wrote for The Trenton Times. I kind of went to the interview not interested in business or TV, but I figured I’d give it a shot. And the interview was amazing. I was one of the first hires for the Web team." The old adage of "who you know" and the value of alumni relationships seemed to help the young Egan. However, I'm familiar with the standards of Fox Business and Fox News. Going to the same "old school" might get you noticed, but would not necessarily secure a career. Egan certainly had to bring his best game to the program.

Something that certainly helped Egan is the Roger Ailes Apprentice Program. In an article in Multichannel News, "Fox News Channel has quietly sought to increase its minority employee base through an apprentice program spearheaded by the network's most senior executives... CEO Roger Ailes created the network's Apprenticeship Program in 2003 in an effort to provide minorities at entry-level positions with an opportunity to gain valuable behind-the-scenes experience working at a cable network that otherwise wouldn't be available to them."

Essentially, Ailes doesn't believe that young people who are minorities are not getting enough opportunity to learn about this important industry. He wants to fast track opportunities for these often neglected groups. Ailes is quoted as saying “I didn't think enough minorities were getting access to the system,” Ailes said (Fox News Channel employee base is nearly 20% minority). “If there aren't a lot of people they know inside, then they don't necessarily have the same access as others.”

Since 2003, 20 young people have gone through this unique mentoring program and by 2008, over $900,000 had been spent on it. The senior executives who nominate young people for the program, often fresh out of college, go on to actually mentor the students they recommended if selected.

The program has certainly fast tracked Matt Egan's career. Although he seems very comfortable in his job today, he noted in the Times interview being challenged early on, "Getting beyond the businessy terms: derivatives. Mutual funds. Futures. Options contracts. I had no idea about the stock market. I wish I had taken business classes. I bought a business textbook ahead of time. I read that, and started reading The Wall Street Journal every day. We had a month and a half to prep." Even today, it isn't always smooth sailing, noting that his big problems today relate to "Keeping my cool. The stock market tends not to cooperate a lot. If the Dow’s up 100 points because an economic report came out, I’ve got to go back and change what I’ve just written."

Fox News and Fox Business have developed an innovative approach to acclaimating young people to the news industry that has, in my opinion, further positioned the networks as the industry leaders.



Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Fox Business to Tackle Red Ink

This morning I had the opportunity to visit with one of my favorite broadcasters, Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business, for this blog. The purpose was to learn more about his fascinating career that has included professional baseball, being one of the world's largest commodity traders, and his work in cable business television. He began that TV career with CNBC and is has been a pioneer at the Fox Business Network. I will be going more into Bolling's story in a future article. For this piece, I want to mention that Bolling will be one of the many Fox Business personalities who will be involved in the coverage of what the Network is calling "Red Ink Week."

In a press release, the "Fox Business Network (FBN) declares the week of June 1st 'Red Ink Week.' The American government, and so the American taxpayer, is now drowning in red ink. How much of this will be billed to your family and your future generations? Have we ever seen anything like this before? Has anyone? Do we have a reasonable expectation of getting out of it?" What I appreciate about this is that the network is taking this subject on with the passion it so greatly deserves. There is no "dry" detachment like the subject of a history book, but the sounding of an alarm, which is so greatly needed. The network has our attention, the burden on them now will be to help us calmly navigate through our national challenge.

The press release went on to say that "FBN will have a full five days of coverage dedicated to uncovering how the government is spending taxpayers’ money and what the long-term implications of the auto industry and bank bailouts will be for taxpayers of today and tomorrow. Politicians, industry experts, and business leaders will be on hand to go through the line items and discuss how much of this will be billed to our families and future generations." It is refreshing that the network will be focusing on where these policies are having their biggest impact. They are studying the financial institutions, factories, and main street businesses being pounded by government action and the people who work in these actual industries. It is important to get the perspective of policy makers, but it is more important to see where these policies are showing their biggest impact.

The coverage begins Monday, June, 1st through Friday, June, 5th at 7 PM Eastern Time. If you have money, you are going to want to watch this programming.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Strategy Room Tackles the Tea Parties

While the vast majority of news programs have treated the Tea Party movement as a fad or phenomenon beyond comprehension, there has been very little serious discussion by the media about what this grassroots effort is all about, what motivates them, and what is its long term potential of being a serious force in the years to come. Until now. On FoxNews.com Strategy Room today, we dealt with that exact topic.

Eric Bolling, who hosted the hour I was on, asked some provocative questions that require individuals to think a little deeper about the direction of the Tea Party. They were the kind of questions that Conservatives in media tend not to ask because of their euphoria that such a movement exists and Liberals won't discuss because they are choosing a strategy of simply ignoring such efforts.

Bolling asked the panel:

• Is the Tea Party made up of future or current tax defectors? At first, I found this question surprising, because I hadn't event considered it as a possibility. Then again, I have been approached by people who are beginning to speak in those exact terms. It is hard to tell whether such individuals are joking or if they are seeing the failure to pay as a viable form of protest. In my opinion, if this movement gets noted for such action, it will be dead in the water. I agree with the majority who believe that the federal government has grown out of control and that it is mismanaging our money. On the other hand, like most Americans, I don't believe in lawlessness and the base of this grassroots effort will be quickly discredited if it moves in such a direction.



• What should the Tea Party stand for? This is a very important question and is one that provides the kind of soul searching that the movement needs to ask itself. My concern is that the movement becomes purely a tax revolt campaign when the problems facing our country include so much more than that. Excessive regulations, licensure laws, the perversion of the political process (e.g., moving the Census Bureau to the White House), and state rights are just a few of the items that should be front and center of all our political lives. Taking a multi-issue approach will help protect it from the image of merely trying to help the rich and will broaden its appeal.


• Should Tea Party members be expected to put their money where their mouths are? Virtually everyone has received or is receiving some form of refund or rebate from the government, what is the "right thing" for Tea Party members to do with such? In this lively discussion, Bolling suggested sending the money to a select charity. In my opinion, the dollars should go to transform the Tea Party from an angry mob into a vibrant organization. Although it was suggested that if any of these participants keep the money, they will be hypocrites, I have a slightly different spin. I believe that the Obama Administration is going to tax people well beyond any check they receive from the government. Inflation alone will devour any savings they may receive. I believe a case can be made for keeping such rebates to offset other government related costs.

The debate is on whether the Tea Parties are going to be a major movement or a mere blip on the political radar screen. Ironically, asking tough questions, like those raised on Strategy Room, will play an important role in making it a meaningful and lasting effort. Only through such questions will the Tea Party find its identity.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on CNN 650 (M-F at 11 am), AOL Radio, and CBS Radio. Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business says that Price’s Blog “is very influential and moves the blogosphere.” Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com.

The More You Tax Something, the less You get of It

From the time I was 16 I was passionate about the future freedom of our country. Early on I came across a book entitled An American Renaissance, by then Congressman Jack Kemp. Kemp was an early architect of Reaganomics and an important soldier in the "Reagan Revolution."

One of the concepts conveyed in that book is that "the more you tax something, the less you get of it." Also, "the more you subsidize something, the more you get of it." Those simple words are at once a "no kidding" moment and, at the same time, really quite profound. That philosophy was being thoroughly violated in the world of Government in the 1970s under Jimmy Carter and it is all the more so the case in the world we live in today.

The New York Times Headlines states that "Jobless Rate Hits 8.5% as March Payrolls Fall by 663,000." This headline has followed months of business owners voting with their pink slips at the election results of last November. This is due to the fact that candidate Barack Obama made it perfectly clear that he intended to raise taxes on job creation.

Because of the Democrat's control of the Congress and the position of Obama, President Bush's tax cuts were not renewed. Those cuts had a direct effect on those who create jobs. Because of the failure to renew those cuts there was a marked increase in the Capital Gains tax, which will significantly undermine the economic activity that leads to more jobs. Than there is Obama's own proposal to dramatically increase the taxes of those who make $250,00 or more a year -- the very people who create most of the jobs. Add the many other taxes and regulations (which are very similar to a tax in their results) they are adding on the economy and we have a government waging a war on employment.

So Obamanomics are increasing unemployment by penalizing job creation, so what is it subsidizing? A great place to look is Obama's recent pork package also known as "stimulus" and the impact it would have on the various states, such as Mississippi. According to Fox News, Obama's measure would force states to allow people to receive welfare, even if they are not willing to work. For example, Barbour noted, that if the state of Mississippi wants to receive $54 million in increased unemployment benefits, they will have to expand the benefits to those not actively looking for employment or willing to take employment if offered. Barbour's decision not to take it led the state to receive less than $4 million of the expanded benefits.

In sum, Obama is taxing employment and subsidizing unemployment. The current headlines could be many things, but not surprising.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on CNN 650 (M-F at 11 am), AOL Radio, and CBS Radio. Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business says that Price’s Blog “is very influential and moves the blogosphere.” Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com.

Fox Nation: Needed Change in Media or a Compromise in Objectivity?

Today Fox News announced its long awaited and new "TheFoxNation.com." With a great deal of fanfare the network has had a huge advertising campaign and has all of its network personalities referring to it at every opportunity.

On the surface, TheFoxNation.com looks like many other websites. I do like how it fuses Fox News with its Fox Business site and there is no question that such will help to bolster the visibility of the latter. Also, I love how it has articles from various news sources, rather than just content produced by Fox directly. (However, some of the affiliated media is from companies owned or closely linked to Fox parent company, News Corp, such as the New York Post). Visually this news portal is very easy to read, navigate, and to find content. Furthermore it is exhaustive in its reach covering virtually every area of news, business and lifestyle.

However, TheFoxNation.com is designed to be more than just another TV network website. According to its purpose statement, much more. The site states that the "Fox Nation was created for people who believe in the United States of America and its ideals, as expressed in the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
It is a community that believes in the American Dream: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. One that believes being an American is an honor, as well as a great responsibility—and a wonderful adventure." It always amazes me that the most pro-American major news network is owned by a person born in another country (Rupert Murdoch is from Australia). This statement goes beyond the typical scope of a news network.

The site goes on to say that "this is a place for people who believe we live in a great country, a welcoming refuge for legal immigrants who want to contribute their talent and abilities to make our way of life even greater. We believe we should enjoy the company and support of each other, delighting in the creativity, ingenuity, and work ethic of one and all, while observing the basic rules of civility and mutual respect and, most importantly, strengthening our diverse society by striving for unity." This sounds more like a conservative social networking site, than the content of a news media. This is the kind of statement that will attract criticism from those in the mainstream media. We are told that "taking sides" may be patriotic, but it may compromise objectivity.

Finally the site states that "the Fox Nation is for those committed to the core principles of tolerance, open debate, civil discourse--and fair and balanced coverage of the news. It is for those opposed to intolerance, excessive government control of our lives, and attempts to monopolize opinion or suppress freedom of thought, expression, and worship. We invite all Americans who share these values to join us here at Fox Nation." Again, not what you expect to find from a media website. But, then again, maybe it should be.

Currently the mainstream media behaves as though it hates this country. It seems far more fond of models being promoted by Europe and other parts of the world than that of the US. Many traditional media sites claim objectivity, while plowing us over with agendas and hostility towards the values that have made this nation the most prosperous and free in the history of the world. A great example was the recent election for President in which the media didn't merely witness history, but created it.

I have been involved in journalism since the 80s, working with both publications and as a radio personality, so this approach to broadcast journalism even makes me a little uncomfortable. However, Fox Nation is being refreshingly honest. That network is made up of people that make a living conveying news and information. They want to continue to do that without government interference. Fox is a business, not just a news sources, and it wants to be able to stay profitable and not be crushed by a government out of control. Fox is made up of individuals who have families and they want to make sure that their spouses and children live in a country that is continually improving. The bottom line is that Fox Nation recognizes, above all things, they are Americans first and journalists second. That may be the perfect role of media in a time such as this.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on CNN 650 (M-F at 11 am), AOL Radio, and CBS Radio. Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business says that Price’s Blog “is very influential and moves the blogosphere.” Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com.

That Sucking Sound: The Disappearing Newspaper

A few decades ago, most major cities had at least two major newspapers and many of them had morning and evening delivery. Today, newspapers are undergoing rapid decline and, for most of them, their futures are either digital or they will have no future at all. Those newspapers that will survive, will be free. Newspapers with a community focus that discusses the local boy or girl who has graduated from school or served the country with honor in the military and ones with a lifestyle or classified focus (jobs, homes, etc.) that are free will continue to continue to survive and maybe even thrive. The paid ones will quickly become history.

In the last few months we have seen the Rocky Mountain News fold in Denver, Colorado, the curtailing of days of delivery for the Detroit Free Press, and the move from a daily Christian Science Monitor to a weekly edition. This decline of newspapers is attributed to several factors:

The Internet has made the majority of content free. One of the strange answers by the industry, to the newspaper crises, is to raise the price on newspapers. This has only chased customers away to the vast array of sources available at not cost to the reader. The only newspapers that charge and may survive will have to fulfill a very specific function. The jury is out on that.

Information spreads best in a viral way, which lends very well to the Internet, but not newspapers. For years I use to clip articles, some times make copies to send to others, but usually lost them and tried to remember what the article I loved so much actually said. With the Internet, people can easily spread the word about the great article they have seen, pass it via email, and make the source a household name. With the Internet, organizing information is a breeze and it stands as far superior to the old methodology.

Archiving for future reference is very easy. I wanted to find out if the Internet is better than newspapers, so I did a Google search and I received millions of links. Remember going to the library, looking through periodical indices, and thumbing through countless newspapers or magazines to find an article? The Internet has changed all of that.

Many want to attribute the decline to the ideology that is pervasive among newspapers today. The liberal bias in newspapers is obvious and I think it is clear that this has hurt the credibility of the media in general. On TV, Fox News (which is described by the left as conservative, but in my opinion, strives for some level of objectivity) has more viewers than MSNBC and CNN combined. I believe this is attributable to the liberal bent among Fox News competitors.

In spite of these realities, if paid newspapers had Glenn Beck types as their publishers, they would still be in decline because that form of print news would still be in decline. The Internet (and the rise of smart phones that brings Web information everywhere) is just a far superior technology. Conservatives need to stop merely complaining about the newspapers and their liberal bias and take advantage of the new battlefield which is online. Currently, the left is dominating the blogosphere. It is still relatively early in the game, but conservatives need to shelve their pass loses and focus on the future that is the Internet.

This article originally appeared at CNN650.com, part of the CBS Radio Network.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on CNN 650 (M-F at 11 am). Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business and says that Price’s Blog “is very influential and moves the blogosphere.” Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com.

The Rising Star of Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck is nothing short of a media phenomenon. In his own words, a mere five years ago, he was just a DJ on the radio. Today he has the third highest rated show on cable news (this, after being on the Fox News network for only a month), a rapidly expanding radio audience, a very popular magazine, and an excellent career as a successful author. So how did Beck go from "no one" (as he likes to describe himself ) to one of the hottest properties in media today? The following are just a few of the reasons:

• Beck knows his limitations. He has no problem making fun of himself, reminding people of his humble roots (including a long time sufferer of alcohol addiction), and simply telling guests that he "doesn't understand." When he says that, he's sincere. He wants to assume the person on the program who is trying to destroy jobs through excessive taxation on capital formation or whatever terrible policy, is doing it with the best of intentions. "Help me understand what you are doing?" This is disarming and I think he asks questions in the same way many other Americans would if they had the opportunity to visit with these decision makers.


• Beck is about philosophy and not party. Beck could care less about party affiliation. Many radio hosts lost credibility in the last election cycle by making it a war between McCain and Obama. The real battle is between socialistic worldviews and those who support freedom. To support McCain was to support different forms of socialism, not economic freedom. Sure, Beck reluctantly supported McCain as the lessor of two evils, but never became a cheerleader, which was a common practice of many radio hosts.


• Beck doesn't take himself too seriously, but he does take his issues seriously. New viewers of Beck might disagree, in light of the very serious tone he has taken since Obama's inauguration, but the host is also a noted comedian in his own right and uses humor as a powerful tool to get his message out. Even today with his sober tone, he may take the issues seriously, but he doesn't over play his own importance.


• Beck does his homework. He doesn't merely depend upon others to be informed and he provides original perspectives. He is actually a "thinking" radio host and not a mere talker. Unlike many pundits who have good "gut instincts," Beck is different. Many of the major names in talk radio tend to be more "feelers" about major issues than thinkers. This is seen in their often inconsistent take on policy issues and their lack of understanding of the Constitution. These are not the kind of issues facing Beck.
  

There is no doubt that Beck is articulate and charismatic, but those are not the main reasons for Beck's success. It is his thoughtfulness and convictions that makes him a rising star.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on CNN 650 (M-F at 11 am). Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business and says that Price’s Blog “is very influential and moves the blogosphere.” Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com.

Obama Wants to Restore Welfare "As we Knew It"

Hidden in the media coverage about Barack Obama is the eloquent argument being made by Republican Governors regarding their concerns over the stimulus package. The media believes that these politicians are jockeying for higher office. The truth is, most are opposed to the massive growth of the federal government and are particularly concerned about the bill's various "hitches" designed to force states to take positions that they are opposed to. Worse than being critical about these governors, many in the mainstream media are ignoring them entirely.

Robert Schlesinger has noted at US News and World Reports that the New York Times reviewed the views of GOP candidates and their thoughts on Obama's stimulus package and stated that "in terms of presidential politics, the most notable name in the Times piece is Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who campaigned with Obama for the stimulus package last week. Glaringly absent from the Times piece were governors like South Carolina's Mark Sanford, Louisiana's Bobby Jindal, Mississippi's Haley Barbour and Alaska's Sarah Palin—all governors recently named in the Washington Post's excellent 'The Fix' column as being among the five most influential and powerful voices in the Republican Party (the other person named was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney). Palin and Jindal are often named as contenders in 2012, and Barbour gave 2008 a long look before passing on it. Sanford is chairman of the Republican Governor's Association."

Haley Barber has been particularly persuasive in discussing his concerns, stating on Fox News that the Obama measure would force states to allow people to receive welfare, even if they are not willing to work, if they want to enjoy the complete package. For example, Barbour notes, that if the state of Mississippi wants to receive $54 million in increased unemployment benefits, they will have to expand the benefits to those not actively looking for employment or willing to take it if offered. If Barbour doesn't take it, he will receive less than $4 million of the expanded benefits.

We haven't seen this kind of pressure on the restoration of the Welfare State since Bill Clinton and Republicans in Congress led the efforts to reverse many of the damaging policies that led to multi generational poverty. I consider that to be one of the the greatest policy achievement of the 1990s. This achievement is threatened as the Obama policies are implemented in the states.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media. Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Fox News is Now on Dish

I was wondering why my friends who were on Dish Network were not able to find the Fox Business Channel on their system and that they had to pay extra to get Fox News. Now I have found out the "rest of the story."

The Fox News and Fox Business Networks released a press release stating: "FOX Business Network (FBN) has launched on DISH Network to four million subscribers while FOX News Channel (FNC) has renewed its carriage agreement with the satellite television provider, announced Tim Carry, the network’s senior vice president of affiliate relations. The deal expands FBN’s total distribution to nearly 50 million homes nationwide." The statement went on to state that "Starting today (February 3, 2009), FBN will be available on channel 206 through DISH Network’s Classic Gold 250, formerly known as America’s Top 250 package. FNC will move to channel 205 on Classic Bronze 100, formerly known as America’s Top 100 package, increasing its distribution to more than 11 million DISH Network subscribers. Both networks will be available to DISH subscribers in HD."

Tim Carry went on to point out that “The inclusion of FOX News on Classic Bronze 100 is a milestone for the network. We are grateful for the opportunity DISH Network has given FOX News to continue to expand our audience as the number one cable news provider in the country.”

The Dish Network is the third largest pay-TV provider, so how was it that the most popular cable news network was being so greatly disrespected? According to Multichannel.com, "The deal comes shortly after the companies settled a 2007 lawsuit filed by Fox alleging Dish violated the terms of their previous agreement because the satellite operator did not include FNC in its "most widely distributed' tier. Fox had sought $50 million in the suit, which was settled Jan. 31, Reuters reported." I am biased, but I certainly believe that Fox had a legitimate case and that Dish has finally done the right thing and maybe the only thing necessary to keep it a viable satellite provider for those who are serious about the news.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media. Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.