And, We're Off ...

We're off to Providence, Rhode Island to participate in a community forum, part of the city's commemoration of the end of the transatlantic salve trade, which officially ended in January 1808. So, a group of us is dashing off to the airport. We'll holler at your from Providence tomorrow.

-- Michel Martin

12:07 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

On the Ground at the VEEP Debate Parties

Lee Hill, here ...

The buzz around town last night, here in the D.C. area, was likened to a major sporting event -- perhaps the biggest boxing match of the century -- with all the anticipation of the Biden-Palin debate, the one and only vice presidential debate of the election season. I, along with a few other producers here at TMM, decided to hit the streets, dispersing thought the region to capture sights and perspectives of those attending debate gatherings. (On Monday, we told you about the scene here around town for the first presidential face off between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain.)

I, along with a few other NPR-ers, gathered at a downtown hotel eatery. In a restuarant with walls decorated with plasma televisions, you can probably guess that my group wasn't the only group partaking in the debate watching festivities. Of course, there were others.

Meet Pamela Williams:

Williams was visiting Washington, D.C., with her daughter, LaTiffaney. Like Sen. John McCain, the Williams are from Arizona. Like Palin, Williams is also a mother of five and works outside the home in a management role (as a mid-level executive at a major technological manufacturing corporation). She originally supported Sen. Hillary Clinton's Democratic bid for the White House, citing her fondness of seeing women -- who are also mothers, like herself -- in power, but she is now a supporter of Obama.

After the debate, I asked Pamela Williams to share her thoughts on the candidates' performance.

She respects Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her historic vice presidential candidacy. Williams was impressed by her performance in last night's debate but says, for her, that's still not enough to win her over as a Palin supporter.

"She's not ready, and doesn't have the understanding to be the next president ... if she needs to be," she commented after Palin's closing remarks at the end of the 90-minute exchange.

TMM producer Teshima Walker also made a few observations from where she was watching:

I arrived to the debate-watching venue late from my belly-dance class. (I warned the instructor, 'I've got to go early ... you know the debate is tonight.' We had an agreement.) So, I arrive at an office building, which was the host site, and the door is locked. After negotiating with the cleaning staff to let us in, I rush to the end of the hall. I walk through the glass double-doors, where William Murray, a cute older black man in a rust-colored pants suit with gray pin-stripes, asks me and my sister friend Trina Williams (a fellow NPR journalist) to sign in for the event. Mr. Murray asked us if we were registered to vote, and tells us he registers at least one person to vote at least everyday. If he runs into you at a grocery store, at his job, a gas station ... WHEREVER, he greets you with, "are you registered to vote?" Who is the Mr. Murry in your neighborhood? I'm curious. Thanks for reading and thanks for listening to the show.

Thanks, Teshima.

... From another TMM producer, Jasmine Garsd:

This morning I woke up at the break of dawn, like so many other Americans tired and a bit disappointed. America stayed up well past its bedtime last night, for a match that was expected to equal the encounters between Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed. But the vice presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin didn't live up to the expectations. ... As I looked into the packed audience at a local restaurant and poetry cafe, I saw a sea of young and old African Americans, Asians, Latinos, Middle Easterners, and Caucasians. Some were fabulously dressed, but there were many who were very casually dressed. ... I wondered which one of these is Joe Six Pack? As someone who is not originally from the U.S. (I'm South American), I'm intrigued to meet this mythical all-American man, commonly referenced by Sarah Palin. ... I now realize that I didn't meet Joe Six Pack because he doesn't exist in that persona --- at least not around here. Soon, the majority man, Joe Six Pack will be Jose Seis Cervezas; an African American graduate student struggling to pay off loans, the one who never took his eyes off the screen last night. The people watching the debate at the place I attended were, as American as apple pie, from all parts of town and all countries, and all sexualities.

Jasmine also took a few photos to help capture the evening:

Nice work, Jasmine.

Lastly, here's an observation from blogger and (frequent TMM guest), angryblack*****:

I sorta watched the vice-presidential debate last night. I must confess that I had to break away a couple of times for fear that my blood pressure was rising. On the issue of Gwen Ifill's performance as moderator, I think she did a fine job. I'm still pissed off that anyone could fix their face to assume that she would be unable to moderate because she's writing a book about black politicians that touches on Senator Obama. This election cycle overfloweth with insulting as hell assumptions about black women and how we navigate race and politics...and the faux stir-up over Ifiil's book is yet another cup full of that bull. Whatever. Go on with your bad self, Gwen Ifill! ... As for the debate, I can't help but question why Gov. Palin is getting high marks. I work closely with a lot of women involved in local and state politics and Gov. Palin's folksy avoidance of the issues insults their depth, intelligence, service and grasp of the how government works. The women who serve in the Missouri Senate could have stood up there and held their own on the topics presented better than Gov. Palin did last night. I'm disturbed by the way she presented herself but I'm even more disturbed by the post-debate pundit response to the way she presented herself. Online news sites are running headlines proclaiming that Palin got the job done with her folksy style. Are they living in an alternative universe where a different debate aired on television? For the love of Gawd, people...she came across as almost unbelievably clueless! I'm serious! She layered on so much of that 'hockey mom from Alaska' mess that she made me wonder if she's faking her cluelessness to garner sympathy votes. Either way, her performance wouldn't score points in a Junior High school debate...and doggone it; you betcha there's something off about all that praise being showered on her despite that fact. If Gwen Ifill moderated the debate with the same style, she would have been eaten alive by the critics. And try to imagine Senator Obama responding to a question with "Gosh, I just know that folks at soccer games across in the heartland want affordable healthcare and lower taxes...bless their hearts!" Palin's performance is being evaluated through the haze of low expectations and that insults women in politics everywhere, regardless of their party affiliation. And it is also being judged on a different scale where some people are given the benefit of the doubt when others are held to the standard of perfection.

-- Lee Hill

8:25 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

What Just Happened?

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

What just happened? Let's see ...

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

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

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

... The Asian markets began to slide.

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

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

What did you think?

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

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

The results are worrisome:

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

And they don't like themselves for doing it.

Read the more about study for yourself.

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

Let us know.

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

-- Michel Martin

Tags: Bobby Scott | Gregory Meeks | Wall Street | bailout plan

3:44 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

Happy Monday.

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

By the way, did you watch the debates?

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

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

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

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

Lee ...

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

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

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

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

-- Michel Martin

2:31 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

Where Were You On Friday?

Happy Monday.

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

By the way, did you watch the debates?

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

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

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

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

Lee ...

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

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

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

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

-- Michel Martin

2:31 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

To Debate Or Not To Debate: What To Do?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a good weekend.

-- Michel Martin

10:47 AM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

Yesterday's Madness ... And Gushing.

Lee Hill, here ...

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

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

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

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

-- Lee Hill

8:15 AM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

I Hope We Got It Right

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

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

So, yes, big deal here.

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

I hope we got it right today.

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

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

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

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

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

-- Michel Martin

5:27 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

$700 Billion Question

Lee Hill, here ...

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

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

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

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

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

... Or, are such ponderings absurd?

Please, tell us more.

-- Lee Hill

Tags: Henry Paulson | Wall Street | bailout

8:11 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

 

Wall Street: What to Make of This?

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

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

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

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

The CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are out.

No golden parachutes for them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-- Michel Martin

Tags: Wall Street

3:13 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail