The Competitive Enterprise Institute Daily Update

Issues in the News

1. INTERNATIONAL

Al Gore emerges as the leading contender to win the next Nobel Peace Prize for his global warming activism.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Center for Entrepreneurship Director John Berlau on why Rush Limbaugh would be a better choice:

“Over the past decade and a half, Mr. Limbaugh has been at times almost a lone media voice correcting misinformation about DDT and also pointing out its life-saving benefits against diseases like malaria. Mr. Gore, by contrast, has continued to spread DDT myths as well as misleading information about the causes of the malaria epidemic. Before I go further, let me add this caveat. It would be perfectly understandable to me if neither Mr. Gore nor Mr. Limbaugh became the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. There are many worthy of this honor in America and around the world. But if Mr. Gore is under serious consideration as a Nobel candidate, Mr. Limbaugh should also be considered under the same criteria.”

2. FINANCE

The Export-Import Bank holds an advisory meeting to prepare its next report to Congress.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Former Journalism Fellow Tim Carney on how the “Ex-Im” bank subsidizes U.S. manufacturers:

“The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im) is a government agency that loans money or guarantees private loans to foreign buyers of U.S. goods. Ex-Im is known as ‘Boeing’s Bank,’ and for good reason. Between 1998 and 2004, it issued loans and long-term guarantees for US$53-billion of U.S. exports. Just under US$28-billion of those deals were Boeing sales. Ex-Im exists not just primarily, but mostly, to subsidize Boeing’s overseas aircraft sales.”