Earmarks Reflect a Bigger Problem

At the height of the 2008 Presidential campaign, John McCain finally began to make traction in one important area, which was earmarks. McCain, who was never a purist in the eyes of most conservatives when it came to government spending, did have an excellent track record in this area compared to Barack Obama. Generally, most Americans were more comfortable with McCain over Obama on this issue.

Although this issue gathered some stream for a short period of 2008, in 2009 it has fallen entirely off the radar screen, thanks to multi-trillion dollar bailouts and an exploding national debt. It simply does not seem that important to most policy makers.

This is too bad, because earmarks are an excellent indicator of the moral decay in the Congress and the total disregard of elected officials when it comes to taxpayer dollars. A few months ago, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released its annual Congressional Pig Book, which went largely unnoticed by the media. In it, the book revealed over 10,000 earmarks, worth $19.6 billion from 11,610 in fiscal year 2008 to 10,160 in fiscal year 2009, the total tax dollars spent to fund them increased by 14 percent, from $17.2 billion to $19.6 billion.

Tom Schatz, the President of CAGW noted that "Everyone in Washington has promised a new era of transparency and restraint in earmarks, from President Obama to the leaders of both parties in Congress. Sadly, the hard numbers from the 2009 appropriations bills tell a different story. The current Democratic congressional majority is following the same trajectory as their Republican predecessors. They came into power promising to cut earmarks, and made a big show of it during their first two years. However, as the 2009 Pig Book amply illustrates, pork-barrel spending is growing fast." That is largely the story of pork. It is an excellent target of cowardly politicians fighting for the political life, but is no longer an issue when elected officials sit in decision making.

The new transparency rules were intended to get ridiculous bills out in the light, however CAGW uncovered over 220 earmarks worth over $7.8 billion that violated Congress's own rules. The book is only a "best of" the worst forms of government spending. There are many more not in the book that will certainly get you angry, but CAGW's examples are powerful and include:

• $3.8 million for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy in Detroit;


• $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach water taxi service in Connecticut;


• $1.8 million for swine odor and manure management research in Ames, Iowa;


• $380,000 for a recreation and fairgrounds area in Kotzebue, Alaska;


• $143,000 for the Greater New Haven Labor History Association in Connecticut;


• $95,000 for the Canton Symphony Orchestra Association in Ohio; and$71,000 for Dance Theater Etcetera in Brooklyn for its Tolerance through Arts initiative.

A million here and a million there, and the next thing you know you are discussing real dollars.
The typical reaction to these type of bills is balance budget amendments and line item vetoes. These reforms are mere band aids that do not address the larger question of the areas that the government are allowed to spend. That would require a closer examination of the US Constitution and an adherence to Article I, Section 7 of that document. Doing such would not only cut into the billions of irresponsible pork, but attack the trillions in spending that threatens the future of our country. Now that would be change I would appreciate.

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.

Sizing up the Glenn Beck, Katie Couric Interview

Part of the brilliance of the man known as Glenn Beck is his capacity to stay in the headlines. With that, it was not a surprise that the first interview that CBS aired of Katie Couric's new online series was with the controversial talk show personality. At the opening of the show you see a visual of Couric with photos of many personalities that we can expect on future shows behind her. I believe that many, if not most, of those interviews have already taken place. She chose Beck in order to attract viewers and she knew from that interview that he brought something that would catch viewers attention: his controversial remarks about Sen. John McCain. During the program he said he preferred Hillary Clinton over Obama (no surprise) and Barack Obama over John McCain. This raised more than a few eyebrows.

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain was never a conservative darling. The Arizona Senator has long been a rogue and has his name on more bills with liberal darlings like Kennedy and Feingold, than of Republican standard bearers. Be it his controversial views on immigration or his opposition to free speech in an effort to curtail the ability of individuals to support candidates, McCain was always more loved by the media than by the rank and file of the party. He won his party's nomination because of the huge number of independent voters and a media continuously singing his praises.

I'm among the many who has criticized Senator McCain, although I greatly admire his service to his country, I was always troubled by the radical directions he was willing to take this nation. Fundamentally, McCain was no more willing to defend the principles of the Constitution than Obama, he just had different priorities in regards to his desire for change. In spite of this, I would find it very difficult to say I supported Obama over McCain.

Radio host Mark Levin has immediately gone on the attack and John McCain has treated the remark as a compliment. I wanted to make a couple of observations of my own on the subject:

• Electing John McCain would mean more "wilderness wanderings" for the GOP. The Republican Party is in desperate need of reform. A candidate like McCain would only slow down that goal.


• Remember Jimmy Carter? There were two people that made me leave my family's strong liberal and Democrat roots. The most obvious one was Ronald Reagan, who is one of my favorite modern presidents. The second, was Jimmy Carter who could not have demonstrated more clearly how great the need was for our nation to go in another direction. Obama is going to likely have the exact same effect, except he is Jimmy Carter on Steroids.

The problem many observers are having is can we survive Obama's term? Worse still, could we survive an Obama reelection? The damage he has done, the numerous battle fronts he pursues, and his desire to create a paradigm shift in the way we govern are making us all concerned about the nation's future. On the other hand, many feel as though we are on the eve of a second American Revolution. This stage was set by the radical policies of the Obama Administration.

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.

Alan Bersin, "Border Czar"

"Border Czar." It sounds like the title of a movie about the cold war, but it is the informal title given to Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs. What a title and what a job. Immigration issues, especially between the US and Mexico, have been a hot topic for years. Under George W. Bush, many Americans were angered over what many would call a "non-position" on the topic. We needed to make many illegals, "legal," we were told, or we would have economic ruin. This policy was accompanied with certain legal hurdles for those who were illegals that were inadequate to those of a more conservative inclination and too demanding to those with liberal leanings. The man at the center of this storm for Obama is Bersin.

Like most members of the Obama Administration, Bersin is a typical "over achiever." He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, attending both the city's public and Hebrew schools. He went on to attend Harvard, where he received a Bachelor's degree in government, he became a Rhodes Scholar and studied at Oxford, and then went on to receive a law degree at Yale Law School. His career experiences include Superintendent of the San Diego school system, California's Secretary of Education, Federal Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, and Bill Clinton's former Attorney General’s Southwest Border Representative. In other words, he was the nation's first "Border Czar," before the phrase became popular.

As the Border Czar, Bersin is called to enforce Obama's immigration policies. These polices are becoming hard to track. The Washington Times notes that "On the thorniest of political issues, President Obama has embraced the enforcement-first position on immigration that he criticized during last year's presidential campaign, and he now says he can't move forward with the type of comprehensive bill he wants until voters are convinced that the borders can be enforced."

This position stands in stark contrast to candidate Obama's views in 2008. During that campaign he said "Senator McCain used to offer change on immigration. He was a champion of comprehensive reform, and I admired him for it. But when he was running for his party’s nomination, he walked away from that commitment and he’s said he wouldn’t even support his own legislation if it came up for a vote." Now we see, Obama won't support it either."

The bottom line is that Obama has created a position that is difficult to defend, because it is shifting. The popular consensus is that the US needs a policy that enforces the borders with guards authorized to defend our nation and the necessary technology to keep them secure, require cities and states to respect and enforce the laws of the land when it comes to immigrants, and develops a practical approach for those who want to contribute to the economy to be here legally, but still protects US sovereignty.

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.

As Conservatives Ponder the Future of the GOP

There is a raging debate going on in conservative circles that the future of the Republican Party is doubtful, at best. After years of feeling left out in the cold, many are declaring the GOP is dead. For several years the Republican Party has chosen to be a "light" form of the Democrat Party. You might even call it a "diet" alternative. Like diet soda, nothing can beat the purest form. Sales are always higher for the original. The fact is, Democrats are not significant winners, but the GOP are serious losers.

Let's look at the Presidential races alone since Ronald Reagan. In 1988 a "converted" George HW Bush assured voters that he wasn't no longer calling for tax policies that encouraged economic growth "Voodoo Economics," he was committed to being responsible when it comes to regulations, and he had even "matured" when it came to the issue of abortion and declared himself "pro-life." In one of those rarely inspiring moments in his first campaign, Bush declared "Read my lips, no new taxes." By the end of that first term he had instituted a massive tax increase and made unreasonable regulations on the environment that wiped out mom and pop shops (e.g., the modification of gas pumps that cost over $10,000 each). The real Bush had stood up and the voters were ready to let him go.


Fast forward to the next GOP president, George W. Bush. He had something of a reputation as a moderate conservative in Texas, but said all the right things on the campaign trail in 2000. As President, his first term was noted for standing strong against terror, providing a massive supply-side oriented "tax cut" that allowed us to quickly recover from the stock market struggles at the beginning of the decade and to rebound from September 11th. By 2004, a fairly conservative candidate in a couple crucial areas that mattered, found himself as the first Presidential candidate to win by a true majority since 1988. He had won 2.5 (out of 3 million) square miles of ballot boxes around the country and proved that someone with a conservative message could win reelection.


Unfortunately, by 2006 Bush had largely abandoned that message and we had the Democrats taking over both Houses of Congress. When a moderate like John McCain got the nomination, he found himself forced to defend (and even agreeing) with a President who was actively and aggressively socializing the country in the name of TARP. Bush and company supported "consumer driven tax cuts" that did nothing to stimulate real job growth and contributed to a perfect stage for the slaughter of anyone affiliated with the GOP.

We are now quickly approaching the 2010 elections and there is a great deal of apprehension about the future of the Republican Party. Many are crying it is time to abandon it and are seriously discussing a third party alternative. The problem with that is that the GOP is little more than a vehicle, a "car" that needs to be fixed. As we get closer to 2012, the car that needs to be repaired has instant ballot approval in every state of the union, more dollars than all the other third parties combined, and a political structure through out the country. Those who are ready to abandon the GOP must weigh the obvious weaknesses in the party with the fact that starting from scratch or using a preexisting third party will take years to create a serious challenge against the left. I doubt the Republic has years. It is time to make that vehicle work for conservatives and Americans. Taking the GOP back is an important step in bringing the country back to the values that made it great.


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.

Democrats are Doing Soul Searching of Their Own

For months, and maybe years, we have heard about the Republican Party and its "soul searching." Is it the Party of moderation and John McCain? Is it the Party of the three legged Reagan stool (limited government, national security, and pro-family) epitomized by Sarah Palin? Or is it the libertarian wing, largely represented by Ron Paul? Well, for once, we are seeing the Democrats have an identity crisis of its own as we saw in the surprising results of the Virginia Democratic Primary for Governor.

The race included a carpetbagger former Chair (and icon) of the national Democratic Party, Terry McAuliffe, who until this election cycle had been openly discussing running for office in Florida; Brian Moran, the very liberal former state legislator from the Northern Virginia area; and the underdog, State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (the most conservative of the Democrats) who came shockingly from very far behind, to get his party's nod. It is this "come from behind" victory that only happened in the last several weeks, that has the Democratic Party so worried.

With Barack Obama, the Democratic Party and (it is safe to say) the entire country has taken the most dramatic turn to the left in our nation's history. This left turn included the state of Virginia, which had close to 2 million votes for Obama (53%) versus 1.7 million for McCain (47%). Barely a half a year after Obama's historic election, the Democratic Party of Virginia seems to be having buyer's remorse, with Democrats choosing the most conservative candidate by far of the three choices. Deeds, in his race for Governor, proposed a $10,000 tax credit for businesses, supports the death penalty (with additional restrictions), and he received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. It is true that he is considered a "consumer advocate," pro-green jobs environmentalist, and soft (to the disliking of the right and left) on gay marriage. On the other hand, Deeds is, without question, the most Conservative of the Democratic Candidates for Governor. Slightly over a year ago, over 60 percent of Democrats in Virginia chose Obama over the other candidates. To make matters worse for Democrats, Pollster.com is reporting that the Republican nominee (Attorney General Robert McDonnell) has a 46% to 40% lead over Deeds. None of the Democrat choices had strong numbers against Republican McDonnell.

There is a growing theory since the 2008 elections that, although Obama is personally popular, that support appears to be exclusively for him, a mile wide, and an inch deep. He will not be up for election in 2010 and if Virginia is indicative of the rest of the country, the Democrats have plenty to worry about in the next election cycle. "The Party" may already be over.

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. 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. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

The Political Earthquake of 2010 is Starting to Rumble

Most people are expecting a political earthquake like we have not seen since 1980 or 1994. The expected arrival of that event is 2010, but rumbles towards that date are happening now. What is interesting is that one of the earliest targets among those who have grown disgusted with a government out of control isn't a Democrat, but long time Senator Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania. This Republican Liberal has long been the subject of Conservative disdain.

Spector has been suspicious in the eyes of the Conservative rank and file for years. Not only did he vote for the terrible TARP package last Fall, he went so far of being only one of three Republicans to vote for Obama's massive package in January of this year. For many, this only added insult to a political career that has long injured Conservative causes.

Today it is being reported in everything from the Wall Street Journal to CQ Politics that Pat Toomey, Chairman of the fiscally Conservative Club for Growth, is resigning from that position in order to make a run for the United States Senate. His reason for leaving is "to pursue other opportunities." He goes on to state that "I feel extremely honored to have been able to lead such a great organization," in a statement released Monday."And while I will certainly miss the Club for Growth, I am comforted knowing that the organization will be left in the capable and talented hands of my former congressional colleague" (former Rep. Chris Chocola, R-IN).

Toomey is no stranger to elected office and was once a US Representative from the State of Pennsylvania. While in office he collected a solid Conservative voting record on many issues and not just economics, the National Review noted during the debate over who McCain should choose for Vice President that:

-Toomey holds a 0% rating by NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League), indicating a solid pro-life voting record
-Toomey is in favor of school prayer
-Toomey voted yes on the 2003 energy policy proposed by President Bush
-Toomey voted no on prohibiting ANWR drilling
-Toomey has repeatedly voted in favor of free trade
-Toomey is rated A by the National Rifle Association

It goes on to point out that, of course, "Toomey is a tax cutter and a limited-government proponent. The Club For Growth's efforts reflect his commitment to these conservative principles."

After the massive Tea Party events on Wednesday, April 15, many are going to be looking at a place to funnel their energies. The center of the political universe will be the US House and US Senate. If the Tea Party hopes to be more than just a fad, they need to pursue changing the make up of the Congress in 2010.




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.

Conservatives Should Stop Defending Brats

I cannot stand it when I am in a store and there is a bratty kid pulling cans off the shelf while mom is chasing him. "I'm sorry, he is just a bright boy and so full of energy." The parent is actually so "full" of it. We roll our eyes and try to navigate around the mobile disaster area in tennis shoes. I want to get away from that aisle as quickly as possible.

I believe conservative media has suffered a terrible blow this past election cycle. It wasn't by the Democrats who simply articulated the same dangerous ideas that haven't worked nor were well received in the past. We expect Democrats to behave like Democrats. The problem was with Republicans who often tried to "out socialize" the Democrats and proved electorate cynicism about the GOP as the party of the rich as they voted for a bailout.

Many, if not most, elected Republicans have become Democrat copy cats and I am convinced that most Americans will simply vote for the real thing. Why vote for a Democrat impersonator when there is an actual Democrat available? These poorly behaving Republicans have talked about wealth redistribution (bailouts), have promoted the myth of Global Warming, and have disregarded the need of defending our borders. These are the same positions supported by the Democrats' Standard Bearers.

Smart conservatives in media have distanced themselves from such politicians. All four or five of them. The vast majority have joined the ranks of the mom in the store with the child out of control and the voters are distancing themselves from the brats and may soon do the same to their apologists.

As I have said, most conservative pundits are guilty. I sounded almost schizophrenic near the end of the campaign because I am disgusted by McCain's positions, but felt Obama was so much worse. Fear about the Fairness Doctrine (which should be called the Censure Doctrine), the extreme positions Obama took on the war and the economy, and the simple lack of choices made conservatives get in line behind the GOP. We have nothing to show for it and I am not convinced that we would have if McCain had won. Maybe the shock of Obama is what America and the Republican Party needs.

Conservative pundits need to hold candidates to task and stop being satisfied with the "lessor of two evils." If we held those who are dishonest about their philosophy to the same standards of admitted liberals, we would have a much more honest political process and would find conservative pundits held in higher regard, with greater credibility, and would force the Republican party to the roots that made it once so successful.

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.

For Barack Obama, Now the Hard Part

The party is over and governing begins. Barack Obama has enjoyed the position of US Senator and candidate for President. These roles are all about criticism, not about governing. With a solid vote giving him a win, expectations are very high for him when he enters office in January.

One of my favorite quotes is from Teddy Roosevelt, who sait "it is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Being a "critic" is virtually the only job of a US Senator. Sure, they propose legislation, but they spend more time either dismissing the proposals of Presidents or trying to make the bills better, than actually making laws a reality. This may be why we haven't elected a sitting US Senator to the White House since 1960, when John F. Kennedy was elected. Since then, we elected a Vice President thrown into the Oval Office due to an assassination, than we elected a former Vice President. The next several Presidents included three former governors and a sitting Vice President. The US Senate had become a rather weak position to run for President. People were looking for leaders, not cheerleaders.

No matter who won this race -- Obama or McCain -- we would have a Senator moving into the White House. The Kennedy Administration, in spite of all the romanticism that surrounds it, was one of the least productive in US history. I think the weakness that mark that Administration played a role in our view of Senators. It will be interesting to see if Barack Obama raises the profile of that office as a springboard for the presidency.

Kevin Price 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.

Obama Concerned About Surprises

According to the vast majority of the polls, this election is over and in spite of my own personal preferences, if I was forced to bet money, I would have to place my money on Mr. Obama. However, many (including the Obama campaign) are not yet ready to call this election in the bag and for several good reasons:

• The poll that was by far the most accurate in the 2004 election was by Investors Business Daily. In this election, they have McCain and Obama within two percentage points, well within the margin of error.


• The huge number of undecided, (most surveys have it at 8 percent) is a great concern to Obama. This late in the game, there should be virtually no undecided. When there are, they tend to vote against a candidate rather than for one. In light of the numerous issues being raised about Obama these last few days, most pundits (including Democrats) are projecting the majority of undecided to favor McCain.


• The way polling is done favors Democrat candidates. This includes many media polls that resemble "push questions" that candidates use (where they favor one candidate over another) and the fact polls tend to favor registered Democrats in their surveys. Furthermore, every poll is done on land lines only, when many of the most affluent don't even have such phones.


• Many have said that, with this being the largest turn out in history, the odds are in favor of Obama. They said the same about John Kerry in '04 when that campaign broke record numbers, and Bush won.

The Democrats clearly see this race must be contended. Historically, true front runners have spent the last two days doing photo ops. Barack Obama still sounds like an under dog on the stump and is doing serious campaigning through election day. This proves one very important fact -- the only poll that really matters is the vote people actually cast.

Kevin Price 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.

Obama Calls for Black Reparations

Ever since the conversation between "Joe the Plumber" and Barack Obama, people have been up in arms over the Illinois' Senator and his socialist leanings. Obama declared he wanted to "spread the wealth" and do so with the earnings of those with higher incomes.



Now, John McCain and his allies are looking for examples of Obama's socialistic leanings at every opportunity they can find and, unfortunately, missing an equally alarming and dangerous story. Currently, McCain supporters are referring to a 2001 radio interview in which the then Illinois state senator was discussing the civil rights movement. During the interview he pointed out that: "The Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and of more basic issues such as political and economic justice in society… and one of the, I think, tragedies of the civil rights movement was, um, because the civil rights movement became so court focused I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalition of powers through which you bring about redistributive change. In some ways we still suffer from that."

The radio interview (click the image above) does make it clear that Obama supports the redistribution of wealth. He is a socialist. Socialism, unfortunately, has been a part of the liberal mantra for years. The list of Marxist sounding quotes by Obama's Democrat opponent, Hillary Clinton, is exhaustive in its own right. During her run for the Presidency, Clinton said:

• "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."
• "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few..... And to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity."
• "(We) ....can't just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people."
• "We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own turf in order to create this common ground."
• "I certainly think the free-market has failed."
• "I think it's time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy that they are being watched."

Therefore, "socialism" has become a common Democrat agenda. Obama, in this interview, goes further. He is discussing the targeting of specific ethnic groups for payment to another ethnic group. He is a socialist that believes that the majority population today should be forced to pay for the treatment that black people received generations ago. This is ethnic and class warfare at its worst. In a culture that has become too comfortable with the redistribution of wealth, this largely missed story among the socialist rhetoric rampant today could actually make Americans think twice.

Kevin Price 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.

How Much Will Barack Obama Pay for Your Vote?

Free meals and movies have long been illegal devices to get your vote, but Barack Obama has figured out how to persuade you to give him his vote -- his "unique" tax cut program. It is against the law for him to buy your vote, so in a stroke of genius he is going to use "OPM" -- other people's money -- the tax system. He is not even subtle about it, but his campaign has created a "calculator" for you to be able to see exactly how much you will get back from Barack Obama.

If you are in the top 5 percent, you are not going to see savings. In fact, these work horses who saddle the majority of the tax burden are going to be asked to give more. Much more. Herbert Hoover taught us that tax increases during a recession creates a depression. This doesn't appear to be a lesson candidate Obama hasn't learned.

There is nothing subtle about Obama's calculator. You put in a few pieces of basic information and you find out both how much you will get from the Democrats if they win and how much you will get from McCain in his plan. Since approximately half of the population doesn't pay income taxes and McCain has deemed money going back to groups that fit this description as "welfare," you will not find much (if any) return from the Republican. Obama, on the other hand, wants the bulk of the "tax cut" to go to those who don't pay taxes. I know, it isn't easy to understand.

One of the most common concerns we have today is "influence peddling" by organizations trying to control public policy. But influence peddling is a two headed coin, in my opinion. The other side is made up of politicians like Barack Obama who want to spend money in order to buy votes. Barack Obama's "tax cut" seems to be an excellent example of such an approach.

Kevin Price 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.

Neither McCain Nor Obama Understand Taxes

Barack Obama has been on the campaign trail reminding voters that John McCain opposed the tax cuts of George Bush because it was an "irresponsible" policy. Furthermore, McCain is now only supporting the idea of cutting taxes because he is trying to get elected, Obama argues. Looking at the history of McCain's views, Obama is probably right.

Neither McCain nor Obama understand tax policy. You can see this in several areas:

• McCain opposed the Bush cuts because spending was out of control at that time. The reality is, the Bush tax cuts generated a massive amount of revenue (arguably far more than could have been garnered through increased taxes). The reason for this is simple and is seen every day at Walmart. Walmart makes less per product of virtually any company in the world. They shave their profit margins to extremely low level in order to make sure consumers buy as much as possible. In the same way, the lower the taxes on wealth creators (be it businesses or investors), the greater the stimulation on the economy, and the higher the revenue.



• Obama's opposition to the Bush tax cuts were based on ideology. Obama believes in class warfare. He could care less how beneficial tax cuts for the affluent can be on the poor (in the form of job creation), he just cannot stand the rich getting richer. Typical of a person who said he supports tax policies that "benefit work" but not "wealth." In free market countries, the two are inseparable.



• I wish both sides would understand that companies simply don't pay taxes. If politicians were serious about wanting to stop jobs from going to foreign countries, they would end the taxation of all businesses. Businesses collect taxes, they don't pay them. When a business is taxed, they pass the cost on to consumers in the form of lower quality products, higher prices, or both. If the taxes get too high where they are no longer competitive, they either go out of business or relocate to a more tax friendly environment. That is how we lose them to foreign countries. The US has the second highest tax rates of any industrialized country in the world. Raising taxes promises to make our situation worse. Furthermore, since businesses don't vote, cowardly politicians use taxation on business as a way to get companies to do their dirty work.
  

Daniel Webster said that “An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy." With that in mind, the government should be very selective in how it taxes and keep its destructive nature as limited as possible. A few possibilities include:

• Stop taxing corporations. For the obvious reasons above.



• Stop taxing wealth creation. Capital Gains taxes should be brought to a complete halt in this country as well as taxation on individuals.



• Tax consumption instead of wealth creation.



• If you insist on taxing individuals, make the tax flat (I don't like it, but it is better than the alternative). That would mean an equal percentage for all.

The bottom line is that we need to see taxation purely as a vehicle to effectively raise revenue. It isn't for social engineering, "spreading the wealth," or making up for past wrongs. It is about raising revenue. The best way of reaching that goal is by keeping taxes as low as possible, to generate the most economic activity, which generates the most revenue. We should stop punishing the engine of our prosperity.

Kevin Price 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.

Job Creators Cast Their Votes

CEO Magazine, a leading publication of the nation's business leaders, has recently done a survey of the nation's Chief Executive Officers about the up coming race for the White House. The survey did an assessment of their view of how Barack Obama and John McCain would help the country's economy and support job creation.

The results weren't even close. Eighty percent of all participants voted for John McCain over Barack Obama. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Barack Obama keeps talking about "tax cuts" for 95% of the economy and only the top 5 percent will be saddled with a tax increase. CEOs know, however, that half of that 95 percent don't pay any taxes and that five percent group pays far more than any other sector. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports "As it happens, the top fifth of earners currently pay 67% of all federal taxes -- including not just income taxes, but payroll taxes, corporate taxes and death taxes. The top 1% of earners pay 26% of all federal taxes." In other words, the economics simply does not add up.

But the issues covered by the survey are not limited to taxes. The publication's report card breaks down policies to include energy, economic and fiscal policy, foreign policy, defense, environmental, education, tax, and health care. The over all grade for Obama was C- and the grade for McCain was B-. Neither candidate scored an A, but Obama scored Ds while McCain's lowest grade was a C.

Obama's biggest weaknesses according to the survey are economic and fiscal policy, foreign policy, defense, and (as seen before) taxes. CEOs believe that Obama's policies would put significant upward pressure on spending, his lack of experience will find the US in conflicts that could undermine economic stability, there are similar concerns about defense policy, and we have already seen the business view of Obama's tax policies.

McCain's lowest grades were in energy, the environment, education, and health care. McCain is very new to being serious about pursuing domestic drilling (which is the fastes way towards lowering prices), furthermore he is one of the most ardent supporters of extreme environmentalism (which make businesses concerned about the economic impact). Furthermore, most business leaders have long felt that policy makers don't understand the educational demands of America. This includes McCain. Finally, business has been rightly concerned about the impact of proposed health care policies on the economy. In this, McCain's policies raise many questions (especially the taxing of benefits).

So what about the 20 percent that would vote for Obama over McCain? I would assume they are part of the group of leaders representing mega businesses that have consistently supported Democrats because their companies can afford to do so and often see government as a means of regulating their competitors out of business.

What is most interesting about the article is that the focus is on job creation more than any other area. People can talk about helping the middle class all they want, but there is no better benefit to anyone than opportunity created through job creation.

Kevin Price 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 HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Understanding the Stock Market Following the Bailout

Today it appears that the market has capitulated. Investors believe that the market has hit bottom and it is time to rebuild and to buy and is in the 9,000 points area and moving upwards. But people want to know, does this relate to the bank bailout? Why did the market perform so poorly immediately after the bill passed in Congress? Are we about to see the light at the end of the tunnel?

I suggested on my radio show that the market would probably stop its free fall in the low 8,000s and that appears to be the case. But, I have also suggested that this event wouldn't necessarily signify anything more than Wall Street catching its breath. Yes, it could mean it begins its mending process (as seen with the market up around 500 points at this writing), but it could be a short term euphoria from European and Asian markets that responded more favorably than expected over night or just a strong desire to give itself a break from the drama. In other words, the market is being driven by emotions at this time more than anything else and interpreting what is happening is no small task.

Here are a few observations about the current market landscape:

• Members of Congress supported the spending of more than $800 billion to bailout financial institutions with much of the specifics of how it would be spent to be determined later (Obama and McCain each have very different approaches). This approach raises as many concerns as it placates.


• The amount proposed, $800 billion plus, was pulled completely out of the year. A high level Department of Treasury official said that this figure was chosen because it "needed to be real high." They had no idea how much was needed, because they weren't sure how it would be fully implemented. Again, this has raised more market concerns.
  
• Much of the drama surrounding this event -- most recently seen in the emergency meeting of members of the G7 -- is a mixed bag that could end up heightening fears rather than calming them. On the other hand, because of the interdependence of the international financial markets, some are seeing such an approach is crucial in getting back to normal.

In addition to the financial issues, there are the political aspects. Many in the media are treating Presidential candidate John McCain as if he were among the "walking dead." Wall Street believes that the economic future of this country is in better hands under McCain than Obama. Is McCain's chances begin to decline, I project a continued drop in the stock market.

So are we on the rebound? I certainly hope so, but smart investors are going to find themselves taking a "one day at a time" approach to their investing.

Kevin Price 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 HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

How to Determine Gas Prices in a Year

I don't want to mislead with my title. I don't own a crystal ball and can't predict exactly what fuel will cost at certain times. However, we have all been studying fuel prices rather closely the last few years and have begun to be able to see linkage between certain events and gas prices.

For example, as prices hit an all time high and hovering around $4.00 a gallon in the early part of the summer, House Republicans declared they were have a "staycation" like many other Americans and taking care of business by focusing on energy. The theme of the ad hoc Congress was "drill here, drill now" and the public and media took notice of the action. So did the oil speculators who lowered the price of oil per barrel, which showed up in our gas prices.

Another example was Senator John McCain declaring that he was changing his historic position of being opposed to domestic drilling and stating that everything should be brought to the table for consideration (biodesel, coal, etc.), including exploiting oil in the United States. He placed particular emphasis on the latter because of how that view stood in contrast to the Democrats position of avoiding all domestic drilling. The results was the further lowering of gas prices.

So, oil futures are based on projected consumption (demand) and projected supplies. The lack of oil in this country is not based on scarcity (which is created by nature), but because of shortages (which is based on government policies). With that, the single biggest factor about future supplies and prices of oil is the government. Oil speculators are convinced that the Democrats are hostile to domestic production (just look at their voting record and stated postions) and that the Republicans seem to take the pursuit seriously. With that, here is a quick breakdown of the future of prices:

• If the Democrats win both the Congress and the White House, expect gas prices to grow exponentially. I project them to more than double the current $3.00 a gallon level by the elections of 2010. That $6.00 a gallon rate could be rather conservative.


• If the Republicans win both the Congress and the White House, expect a rather significant drop in gas prices as long as the Legislative Branch makes domestic drilling a top priority. If they do that, you could see prices back around $2.00 or even less within two years.
  
• If you have divided government where different parties dominate the Legislative and Executive branches, you will likely see prices remain about the same with a continued upward trend.
  

Don't be fooled by arguments that passing legislation that encourages domestic drilling won't immediately lower prices. We know that serious discussion alone can achieve that. If Americans are concerned about lowering gas prices, they should be very deliberate about the way they vote.

A few weeks ago gas prices began to rise at a rapid rate. This was about the time the media began to declare that it was unlikely McCain would win. It is largely based on futures.

So what about the recent drop in gas prices? Everyone is thrilled with them going below $3.00 a gallon in many parts of the country. Why this is happening is the "bad news" to this otherwise exciting news. The current financial crisis is now having a direct impact on gas prices. Oil futures project that we are going to have people driving less, companies transporting fewer goods less often, and factories demanding less energy because of projected manufacturing declines. The good news of lower fuel costs is actually an omen of bigger economic problems.

Watch the headlines and observe gas prices. You will see the link. Think carefully how you vote, because it could profoundly impact your financial future.

Kevin Price 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 HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

McCain Advocates "Trickle Up" Economics

As John McCain's chances for reelection appear to be dwindling, his desperation becomes more obvious in his policy proposals. During the second debate with Barack Obama, McCain argued how he hopes to see the $700 billion bailout be implemented. After all, it will be the next President who implements the vast majority of this program with only a few months left in the Bush Administration.

McCain proposed something that is far more likely to come from the mouth of a Democrat -- a very liberal Democrat at that -- than a Republican stalwart. McCain proclaimed that he wants a significant amount of the money to go to bailout those in foreclosure directly. If you are about to lose your home and are months behind, the government should step in and rescue you. This is certainly better than helping the Wall Street fat cats, right?

The problems that come from such a policy are numerous. Such a plan will spread the moral hazard so rampant today to the general consumers. You will find them falling into the false sense of security that, no matter how bad the decision one makes you will get bailed out.

Worse still, what type of message does it send to the vast majority of Americans that figured out how to pay their mortgage even with the sub prime problem? I am sure the government, with all of its brilliance, will create a window for which people who prove they have had late payments will be able to participate as well. I have said all along that this $700 billion is a down payment. We are looking at $1.5 trillion by the time we are through.

What about those who already lost their homes? Tough luck. This bill is all about timing, not fairness. Those poor souls will simply have to lament their loses.

This bailout is fundamentally wrong and very dangerous to the long term prospects of this economy. It has done little to positively effect the markets and does far more at raising questions instead of answering them. It has essentially led to the socializing of our banking system and has damaged the respect for risk that is necessary in maintaining a free market economy. Members of the House and Senate who voted for this bill will find themselves haunted by it.

Kevin Price 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 HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

2008 Elections as a Referendum for Democrats

Thanks largely to the media, Senator Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats have succeeded at making the 2008 election a referendum on George Bush and (by party affiliation) Senator John McCain. We are told that the current economic challenges we face are directly related to the policies of George W. Bush. However, to do such, would be to presume we live in some monarchy without checks and balances. Congress is, in our Constitution, the first branch of government and the President cannot do anything without that legislative body.

In 2007, the members of the Legislative Branch, in both Houses, went from a majority of Republicans to a majority of Democrats. Interestingly, those were not the only changes that transpired.

In 2006, with Republicans in the White House and in both Houses of Congress...

• Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high. People were buying more and feeling better about their economic future.


• Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon. This price is far too high, but would be a dream price compared to current levels.


• The unemployment rate was 4.5%. Economists define this as "full employment." This economy was extremely hot and the demand for quality employees was at an all time high.


• The Dow Jones hit a record high. 14,000 and higher. Americans were optimistic about the future on both Wall Street and Main Street.

In 2008, with Democrats now in the majority of both Houses of Congress...

• Consumer confidence has reached a low that it hasn't seen in years


• Gasoline is hovering around $3.50 a gallon


• Unemployment is up to 6 percent -- a significant jump.


• Americans have seen their home equity drop by over $10 trillion nationwide


• Approximately one percent of American homes are in foreclosure.


• The Dow Jones has dropped to below 10,000 points for the first time in four years.

I do not want to overly simplify. I know there are plenty of guilty parties in both parties. However, the United States was clearly better off with Republican majorities in both Houses of Congress and in the White House. My vote in this race will be every bit as much a referendum on the Congress as it will be on the White House.

Kevin Price 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 HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Sarah Palin's Recent Interviews Lead to "Buyer's Remorse"

According to the New York Times, GOP Vice President nominee Sarah Palin's recent interview with Katie Couric on CBS had only a modest effect on the ratings. Unfortunately, that is the good news for Palin and her supporters. The fewer who watched it, the better. The New York times notes: "Still, the “CBS Evening News” gained only about 10 percent in audience from the previous week — and it was actually down from the same week the year before. The newscast averaged just under 6 million viewers for the week, up from 5.44 million the previous week. A year ago Ms. Couric’s program drew about 6.2 million viewers. (CBS was also a distant third last week behind ABC, which won with 8.07 million viewers, and NBC, with 7.98 million.)"

I have not seen the interview in its entirety, but what I have seen has not been pretty. Palin cannot specifically point out examples of McCain as a reformer? She does not know what the "Bush Doctrine" is? She can't name specific magazines that she likes to read? Not a single one? Early on the criticism towards Palin was darn right unfair and ugly. But when it comes to policy and how she prepares for governing, anything is fair game in my opinion. The questions Couric asked are fair game.

I have been one of the most enthusiastic supporters of Sarah Palin out there and still believe she brings the values and convictions that many Americans are looking for in a leader. She is charismatic and as a woman, excites voters in a way the GOP greatly needs. But Palin is going to be a heart beat away from the Presidency and will be serving under a man who is the oldest to be elected to that position in his first term. I believe many Americans, not just the critics in journalism, need to see Palin take it up a notch when it comes to her performance in interviews. She is an excellent speech maker, but has been less than impressive "on her feet."

In many respects, she is like Sen. Barack Obama. She is less experienced than any of us would prefer, she has a difficult time in impromptu situations, and she lacks significant foreign policy knowledge. Since Obama is running for the number one job and Palin the VP post, that makes the Alaska governor a safer bet since she will have time to grow. Obama's inexperience running for President makes him a complete disaster, in my opinion. But I, too, am beginning to be a little concerned about this historic choice for VP.

Kevin Price 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 HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Obama Vs. McCain: Battle of the Regulators

Obama is boasting that he is the true regulator and that John McCain is a "Johnny Come Lately" with a history of being a champion of deregulation. Meanwhile, McCain is arguing that he has a long history of being a responsible regulator and being willing to toughen the laws when it made sense.

The problem on Wall Street has more to do with incentives than regulations. Regulations have, by their very nature, serious limits. Regulations are the tactics of paternal government, often forcing businesses to do what is contrary to common sense, but meets government mandates.

When I think of regulations, I think of what was one of the regulatory capitals of the world, the former Soviet Union. In the old Soviet model, the authorities wanted a certain number of plates of glass to be produced and mandated the businesses to produce a high quantity daily or face heavy consequences. So the factories made thin sheets of glass, most of which broke before they left the factory. Will that didn't work, so the authorities demanded that the factory produce glass that was very heavy and would be awarded according. None of the glass broke in the factory, nor in transportation, but they also didn't fit when it reached its destination.

In the formerly Communist Poland, that country produced the largest number of environmental regulations of any country in the world, yet it had the highest pollution levels. In fact, when I travelled there shortly after the fall of Communism, I found it very difficult to even breath. Aristotle spoke of the "tragedy of the commons," in which things decline if they are not owned. Ownership, and the responsibility associated with such, is a necessary element for anything to get better.

This leads to the current arguments about the crisis in the financial markets today. In my opinion, the situation has more to do with an increase in government intervention, not a lack of it. Any changes in law should increase the burden of responsibility on financial institutions rather than facilitate the corporate welfarism that is rampant today.

Amity Shales of Bloomberg has offered three new rules that the financial markets clearly need:

• "First, no more bailouts." We must take the "moral hazard" of businesses being bailed with virtually no consequence seriously and allow companies to swallow the poison they have brewed for themselves. Allow one of these companies to be dwindled to nothing due to bad decision making and be swallowed by a competitor which will fire those who made such horrible choices. Yes, the market will suffer in the short run, but it will have an "enema effect" that will result in a healthier economy in the long run.


• "Second, clean up the rating system so that numbers speak something closer to the truth." The ratings systems on stocks on Wall Street are driven by people who make a living off their selling. It is not unlike the proverbial foxes watching the hens. Consumer Reports is considered the most credible leader in protecting individuals from shady products because they won't take advertising from the companies they monitor. We need a systematic approach to stock by someone (or thing) who doesn't have a vested interest in their performance.


• "Third, make the U.S. more competitive by lowering corporate taxes and other levies so foreign firms will want to fill our new vacuum." Shales points out that "the worst thing about John McCain's new ``crisis'' advertisement is that it suggests a strong man -- and not a strong country -- is the answer. Here President George W. Bush's response, that he had faith in our economy, was more useful." I couldn't agree more. The US already has the highest corporate tax rates of any modern economy in the world besides Japan. Cutting taxes is the fastest way to get the US back on its feet.

Our economy needs more ownership and responsibility, not paternal regulations. We need more incentives to make good decisions and not obstacle courses to avoid bad ones. I am convinced that if these candidates try to win the regulatory game as the solution to our economic woes, the losers will be Wall Street and Main Street.

Kevin Price 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 HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Poll Show Obama Wins by a Landslide

It's true that McCain and Palin should probably give up. Obama wins by a landslide. This is the story from BBC of a survey of the 22 countries they provide news service to. That list includes Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, the UAE, Britain and the United States. Unfortunately for Obama, the United States is in the survey, but on its own now leans slightly towards McCain (at the time this was written). Also unfortunate for Obama, it is the only country that matters.

Here are a few results from the survey:

* At the time of the poll, all the countries surveyed wanted Obama over McCain. Again, the results have changed recently where it matters, with US surveys showing a dead heat or a slight lead for McCain.

* 17 of 22 countries expect improvements in US relations with the rest of the world under Obama.

* America's NATO allies and Australia were most optimistic about what an Obama Administration would do for US relations (61 percent).

The reasons for such results outside of the US may be attributed to several different reasons. He is the least American (in the traditional sense of the word) of any candidate in our country's history. Even he has discussed the contrasts between him and other Presidents (a tactic that has backfired). For quite some time the non-US world has often been hostile to Americans. Furthermore, he tends to demonstrate an elitism that is common among European politicians, but doesn't resonate very well in this country. His recent remarks about the inability of most Americans to speak any French may have went over well in Europe, but angered people here who wonder why he is concerned about our French, but not about the huge foreign population here that doesn't know English. It is that some what strange incongruity that has many here less excited than those around the planet.

Than there is the bad news for Obama found in the results. In addition to the fact that his weakest level of support is in the only place where surveys such as this matter, Obama isn't the only candidate to have had similar favor and less than satisfactory results. ABC notes that "a similar BBC/Globescan poll conducted ahead of the 2004 U.S presidential election found that, of 35 countries polled, 30 would have preferred to see Democratic nominee John Kerry, rather than the incumbent George Bush, who was elected." Isn't there a famous statement to the effect of "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose the Electoral College?" It is something like that.

Kevin Price accurately predicted that Joe Biden would be the VP candidate of Obama three days before the announcement. He predicted a woman would be McCain's VP days before as well. Get his commentaries in your email box by contacting Info@HoustonBusinessShow.com.

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 HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.