California’s Budget Woes, Sotomayor’s Nomination and Insurance Information

State legislators in California face a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.

Political observers praise President Obama for his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor as potentially the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) introduces a bill to create an Office of Insurance Information

in the Treasury Department.

For more news, listen to the LibertyWeek podcast here.

1. POLITICS 

State legislators in California face a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Energy Policy Myron Ebell on what could be the next big bailout

“There is an alternative [to California’s bankruptcy]: Gov. Schwarzenegger comes to Washington and appears at a congressional hearing. On one side of the Republican Governor will be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and on the other side Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).  Schwarzenegger testifies that California is too important to fail and therefore must be bailed out. After all, California is the model for the nation, especially in its energy and global warming policies. That’s what Schwarzenegger, Pelosi, President Obama, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), and Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) have been telling the country.”

 

2. LEGAL

Political observers praise President Obama for his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor as potentially the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of the Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs John Berlau on the issue of ethnicity:

“Whatever happens with the confirmation of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, one thing is clear: she will not be the first Hispanic or Latino to serve on the Supreme Court. This is a historical — and not a predictive – statement. The reason Judge Sotomayor will not be the first Hispanic on the Court is that the first justice of Hispanic origin was already nominated — by a Republican President — and confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Supreme Court more than 70 years ago. This would be Justice Benjamin Nathan Cardozo, who also has the distinction of being the second Jewish justice on the Court.”

 

3. TRADE

Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) introduces a bill to create an Office of Insurance Information in the Treasury Department.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Eli Lehrer on why this is a good idea:

“This is simply a commonsense measure. The federal government, if nothing else, needs a repository of expertise about insurance. That’s been lacking to date. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners clearly isn’t up to the task of representing the United States in international forums. Under our current system, men and women with no international experience whatsoever get picked as our chief negotiators on major international trade issues.”

 

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