American Morning

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February 4th, 2010
03:00 PM ET

We Listen – Your comments 02/04/2010

Editor's Note: Jim Acosta’s special series on the Tea Party movement continued to generate heated discussion from Thursday’s American Morning audience. Movement members suggested the values of the Tea Party were not appropriately portrayed by the media, specifically their desire for “fiscal conservatism” and “anti-socialism.” Those opposed to Tea Party values demanded full disclosure of financial backing of the group, accusing them of being “bankrolled” by “corporate America.”

  • Charlotte: wow you still dont get it. tea party people want fiscal conservatism the most! charlie Crist is Not . he also wants amnesty. tea partiers Do not! Rubio is our man! i never before was interested in politics. after seeing our country gotoward socialism i am interested now and Rubio is the best man for the job its funny that Crist seems as arrogant as Obama–maybe thats why they shook hands for twenty seven seconds! we are organized- tea partiers have learned from ACORN!!
  • Linda S.: where was this tea party movement when the clinton admin. handed bush a trillion $+ balanced budget and within a year after bush stole the white house he & his cronies created a approx. 864 billion $ deficit & it kept growing & growing (mostly because of the tax cuts for the richest 1% and the illegal Iraq invasion/occupation).
  • Bill: The Tea Party movement would have us believe that the federal government should have taken no action to counteract the recession. They are poorly informed and dead wrong. The country would be in the midst of a second great depression if the government hadn't taken the steps it did. Were the policies perfect? No, but they are infinitely better than the do-nothing suggestions of the Tea Party.
  • Eva: Let's have some balance about the Tea Party. The truth is that it is bankrolled by Koch Industries who are protecting corporate America. So all those folks who are screaming about big government spending are supporting the same greed that gave us the Wall Street debacle. Besides, the tea party folks have revealed themselves to be racist and hateful. I have no respect for that kind of name calling and dirty politics.

How do you feel about the Tea Party movement in the U.S.? Continue the conversation here.


Filed under: We Listen
February 3rd, 2010
03:00 PM ET

We Listen – Your comments 2/3/2010

Editor's Note: Wednesday’s American Morning audience shared varied opinion about the growing Tea Party movement. As the party hosts its convention this weekend, some expressed fear of the new organizers, while others believe the Tea Party would be the third contingent to emerge in our electoral system.

  • Susan: The T Party Movement – You will find out if you investigate that these people are racist people who are mad because Obama has gotten in as President. Please investigate these people. Myself, I feel they are an offshoot of the militia and the KKK. They are hiding their identities more so they can penetrate the government. These people are very negative and want to be destructive to the Government and our freedom. Please, please investigate these groups out here that pretend to be for the Government. They are angry mobs who at the chance would try to kill Obama if they could. They are very scarrrrry to our nation. Please DIG DEEPER. I also feel that this is why some of those republicans are against Obama. Underneath they believe in the T party doctrine. It's awful.
  • Doug: LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE CANIDATES MAY HAVE A T BESIDE THEIR NAME, INSTEAD OF AN I, OR A D, OR AN R, NOW IT MAY HAVE A T; THE TEA IS BEING TAKEN OVER FOR MONEY, THAT DID NOT TAKE LONG.
  • Sandra: I love how you guys can't wait to hop on the Tea Parties (a 3 part series?) but have you reported on the HEAD of the UN Climategate refusing to step down even though his "proof" of melting glaciers in the Himalayans is from hikers? LOL!!! It's no wonder I never watch CNN anymore and only found out about your 3 part series as I accidentally flipped channels past yours. You know...what you fail to realize is the Tea Party movement is not about some guy wanting for profit and others not. It's about things like, oh say, a multi-TRILLION dollar budget while a gazillion people poof out carbon all over the place going to Copenhagen on our tax dollar. Too funny. And how come we never hear about GE's bonuses? When you realize you've made a giant mistake hopping on the Global Warming boat, how are you going to get off and still maintain face? Tea Parties are the least of your worries.

What do you think of the Tea Party movement? Continue the conversation here.


Filed under: We Listen
February 2nd, 2010
02:00 PM ET

We Listen – Your comments 2/2/2010

Editor's Note: Tuesday’s American Morning audience expressed deep concern for Haiti’s orphans. Some who were already in the process of adopting children from the country shared the very thorough vetting process that takes place in order to adopt. Others suggested alternative options to adopting, such as sponsoring children in-country who can stay with loved ones but benefit from assistance.

  • Jennifer: I am a 44 year old single woman who has chosen adoption to start a family. I began this long and complex adoption process in August of 2009. The country I have chosen to adopt from is Haiti; I made that decision over 5 months ago and have followed all of the guidelines and met all of the government requirements to the fullest. I am one of the 900 or so people estimated to be "already in the process" of adopting from Haiti. My paperwork had been scheduled to be sent to the Haitian embassy the week of the earthquake. Adoption is not a quick process; there is a home study process that takes a minimum of 6 weeks; government approval that can take 6-8 weeks; dossier preparation that can take months. There are legitimate people like myself in this world whose lives have been scrutinized, back-ground checked, interviewed, etc. and approved to adopt. It's unfortunate that this small group of people to which I belong are now being lumped in with others "rushing to adopt from Haiti". I have been praying that people like myself who started this process long before the earthquake will not be categorized as people trying to wrest non-legitimate orphans from the streets of Haiti. Before the earthquake there were over 400,000 orphans in Haiti and a great need for international adoption; the country welcomed adoption from the U.S. and other countries. Now it seems that out of valid fears of child trafficking and exacerbated by the naive acts of the church missionaries, all of us trying to adopt from Haiti get a bad name. I'm a single woman who tried for years unsuccessfully to get pregnant through artificial insemination; adoption was the route I chose to have a family and gave me hope for a joyous future. Please remember that there are many of us out there with legitimate hopes and plans to adopt from Haiti. I pray every day that when the country is ready, the Haitian government will again open its doors to legitimate adoptive parents. My choice t o adopt is not out of some sudden humanitarian urge because of the scenes of the earthquake we have all seen on TV. This is my only hope for a family.
  • Susan: Haiti children are beautiful, but here is some food for thought – I have an idea wouldn't it be better to send money to Haiti so families wouldn't have to be broken up. We have these organizations who sponsor children. Let's start sponsoring children over there and send food, clothing and money providing shelter, education etc., instead of having the families broken up. Now, if they have no families I can see adopting them. Those parents over there who gave their children over to these organization wanted them to have a better life and was doing this out of love for their children. Lets help families stay with their own blood families if we can first. Also, we have so many children as well, in the United States who are going hungry let's also help our own. These church organizations or any organization should do more in regards to helping the needy here in the USA and also adopting here in the USA. It they want black kids there are a lot of them here who can be adopted out. It's kind of shameful to see people sleeping on the streets and adults and children going hungry here in America. Let's clean up the homeland first. Sometimes we need to ask ourselves the question why there are so many African Americans and other children not being adopted out.

Filed under: We Listen
January 27th, 2010
02:00 PM ET

We Listen – Your comments 1/27/10

Editor's Note: With the president’s first State of the Union speech slated for this evening, Wednesday’s American Morning audience debated the results of Mr. Obama’s first year in office.

  • Marilyn: The American people, like those in Youngstown and Pittsburgh that you referenced this morning, keep waiting for manufacturing jobs to return to our country because they recognize that those industries provide jobs that have made our country strong and vibrant. When our so-called leaders provide American based companies with tax breaks and other incentives to move their manufacturing to other countries it was the beginning of the end. President Obama addressed this issue during his campaign and promised to change this situation. That hasn't happened, as we well know. I consider what these American based businesses have done as treasonous. That their executives benefit financially from gross profits made at our expense is also treasonous and until Obama addresses this issue, which is at the root of our employment problem, I can only classify anything he says as lip service.
  • Donald: Where is the change, Pelosi and Reid are still "dealing". Congress voted itself an increase and no veto. Seniors on SSA were "froze" and all we got was excuses. Where are the vetoes?
  • Henry: The president may as well figure losing more seats. First of all Pelosi and Reid need to go; they are a disgrace to our country. […] It's not good to have one party rule the whole thing. The President said he gets the message; we’ll see. […] I'm tired of giving our work to other countries; what about us. […]. There is absolutely no excuse to pay these people [ politicians] and get treated like this. […]
  • RP: OMG! Saying "Obama...and...fiscal responsibility" in the same sentence?.....That's got too make you choke on every syllable? Hey you tell Obama if he wants to impress me and the Nation try "Entitlement cuts" and start with that smug sense of "entitlement" all federal employees seem to possess....freeze their wages, benefits, COLA entitlements, travel, private use of military jets........In other words.....I'm sick of all the appearances and lip-service! Show Me Your Teeth...sissy!
  • Dear CNN, Do you really believe that the general public has forgotten how we got here?? To listen to your political spin, (not news), one would think that Obama's election lost all the jobs, and is responsible for the present state of our economy. Wrong. What we are now experiencing is a "domino effect", an "aftershock" of 8 long miserable years of incompetence and mismanagement. The fact that no mere mortal (the president) could possibly reverse ALL these problems, and fix health care in one year is not important to those now busily engaged in "framing" the Democratic agenda. As far as the "waste", and voter "anger" that you tout daily....there is no mention of all the billions of our precious dollars that went missing, down a "black hole" in Iraq. No mention of the fact that Bush/Cheney handed Obama the worst economy since the stone age, and "wasted" the surplus they inherited from 8 years under a Democratic president. Start telling it like it is, not like your corporate bosses would like it to seem. Perhaps we can begin to respect journalism again.

How do you feel about the president’s first year? What do you want to hear from the president in his first State of the Union address tonight?


Filed under: We Listen
January 21st, 2010
04:00 PM ET

We Listen – Your Comments 1/21/10

Editor's Note: With President Obama’s first anniversary in office following Tuesday’s Senate election upset for the Democrats, Thursday’s American Morning audience revived many negative perceptions about the president’s effectiveness as a leader of the Democratic Party and the country.

  • Claire: I am so sick of Barack Obama blaming Bush for everything that goes wrong in his administration, including the Mass Senate race. Makes one wonder if Michelle Obama gets pregnant will he blame that on Bush too? This guy needs to put on his "big boy" pants and start taking responsibility for what his administration has fouled up.
  • Jerry: Now that Congress and the President are losing constituent confidence for not taking the advice of actual forecast professionals, the Obama Administration is now waking up to the fact. […] It's just time for Congress and the President to get on board in a game on strategy instead of an end game theory that translates where this Nation will monopolize the fact that you get the best results when you give better resolve. And it's as simple as that!

How would you grade President Obama as he celebrates his first anniversary in office? What would you like to have seen him achieve that he did not?

FULL POST


Filed under: We Listen
January 13th, 2010
03:30 PM ET

We Listen – Your comments 1/13/10

Editor's Note: On Wednesday’s American Morning, many shared various thoughts on the international disaster in Haiti, including hopes that the rebuilding efforts would bring a more positive future to the country, and provide opportunities for unemployed U.S. construction workers. Others were more concerned about the influx of refugees to the U.S., suggesting that refugees be housed at Guantanamo until they can be returned to Haiti.

  • Lonnie: In the midst of reporting on the poverty of Haiti, all news agencies that I have listened to over night have focused on the abject poverty of Haiti, but failed to point out that Haiti fought and won a war with Napoleon Bonaparte and as a result the west, American and England, refused to trade with Haiti thereby isolating it. It is my opinion that this is what contributed to the poverty of Haiti.
  • Gina: The Disaster in Haiti will be devastating But, as millions of unemployed America Construction Workers sit idle, they can be deployed to RE-BUILD Haiti & clean it Up. Of course the first thing is send massive amounts of food & medical supplies, but, Unemployed Americans if given some compensation, like making sure the mortgage gets paid back home would more then willing to rebuild the place back to code. If the monies come from all over, this can be done to Help Haitians & the vast unemployed American Construction Workers. If Obama & his Administration allow unemployed rather then our nasty Military complex, to rebuild Haiti, as our unemployed sit around looking for side jobs, it could save his Presidency.
  • Collin: Hurricane Ivan caused serious damage to Grenada. People died, economy suffered major strain but it was the turning point for Grenada. The island is now in a better position than it EVER was. Let’s Pray that this is the turning point for Haiti. If people died in Haiti for the betterment of the country/people/lifestyle then God be with them...Haiti was over populated...Port de Prince was designed to house 50,000 people but instead it houses between 2,000,000 – 3,000,000 persons. The country can afford nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing – 8/10 people living from less than $2 per day...and more babies are being born daily...when will it stop...when will the outside world realize the situation that these countries are in before they offer assistance...Its sad that blood must be shed in order for major assistance to be given...but its better late than never...i really think this is Haiti’s Turning point. I see progress for Haiti in the near future.
  • Dj-pa: one thing i pray for is all those homeless Haitians do not end up on boats headed for the states.. Let them stay at Gitmo until they get back.

As the U.S. and other countries prepare to send aid to the disaster-stricken country of Haiti, how do you feel about the potential influx of refugees to the U.S.? Should they be housed at Guantanamo and returned to Haiti when the crisis is over? How should the U.S. and other countries be involved in Haiti’s rebuilding process?
FULL POST


Filed under: We Listen
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