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Today's cuppa: Gevalia Signature Crema coffee

On Friday, Oct. 7, Fox News Channel celebrated its 15th anniversary on basic cable, having launched in 1996.

One of the journalists who's been there since the very beginning is Shepard Smith, anchor of two news hours every weekday -- the afternoon "Studio B With Shepard Smith" and the early evening "The Fox Report" (or midday and late afternoon, if you're in Los Angeles, where I am).

The photo above shows Smith in 2005, surveying the damage in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the flooding from the broken levee.

What sticks in my memory about Smith at that time is him standing on a bridge in the shattered city, on "a Friday night, five, six days after the storm hit," as Geraldo Rivera says near the beginning of the lengthy clip below, part of a look back at Katrina coverage from FNC's "Geraldo at Large."

Smith and Rivera spoke on "Hannity & Colmes" that night, reporting what they were seeing and hearing on the bridge.



Their frustration is evident (with, unsurprisingly, a little more passionate emoting from Rivera) that people were not being allowed to cross the bridge out of New Orleans to the town of Gretna. Hannity was getting reports from government sources, which Smith, based on his firsthand observations, challenged.

Pointing toward Gretna, Smith described the situation, saying a checkpoint had been set up on the bridge, preventing people from walking out to get help,

"Over there, there's hope," he said. "Over there, there's electricity. Over there, there's food and water. But you cannot go from there to there. The government will not allow you to do it. It's a fact."

"All right, Shep, I want to get some perspective here, because earlier today..." began Hannity.

Smith interrupted Hannity -- host, at that time with Alan Colmes, of one of the cablenet's top-rated primetime commentary shows -- with the firm statement, "That is perspective! That is all the perspective you need!"

At that very moment, watching my TV in Los Angeles, I thought, "Whoa, Shep just scolded one of the network's cash cows!"

And as you can see in this AP story from 2005, I wasn't the only one who noticed.

I recently talked with Smith for a feature story that will appear later this month, focusing mostly on his philosophy of news reporting and his distinctive style. But I also had to ask him about the event that defined Shepard Smith in my mind.

"I have a great deal of respect for Sean Hannity," says Smith. "He's an amazing businessman; he's the nicest guy. He's a great father. Whatever your preconceived notions about Sean Hannity, he's just a guy from Long Island."

But, he was not on the bridge, and Smith was.

"That is the difference," says Smith. "He didn't have a way to be there. Just as I was being spun by politicians, he was being spun by politicians. Among the first lessons I teach new journalists that come into our unit is, if you didn't see it or smell it or hear it, then you have to attribute it. But if you did see it, smell hit and hear it, then you can report it, because you're a reporter.

"That day, I was seeing it and smelling it and hearing it, and Sean wasn't. So I had a real advantage over him, because my senses were all engaged. I know that Sean thought he was getting straight information from people -- I thought I was, too, until I realized everybody was lying.

"But I was watching what was happening, and he wasn't. I had a level of frustration that comes with seeing people die around you, that's hard always to get past. I'm not one who wants to be an advocacy journalist, far from it. I'm not here to advocate; I'm here to report.

"But there are times in the course of human events that you're around things that, sometimes you have to cross a line. I don't think I've done it many times I don't anticipate I'll ever do it again. I hope I don't.

"But when people are dying around you, and people say they are coming to help them, and they're not. Then, more people are dying, old women and little children, you have a duty as a human being to make all the noise you can try to, to stop the dying from happening."

After all, even though Smith and Rivera were in the middle of what was happening, they didn't really know how it was reverberating in the outside world.

"I wasn't aware," says Smith, "sitting on a bridge in a collapsed city, that this had become an enormous political debate. We didn't have televisions. We didn't have electricity. We had one satellite phone that was our communications source.

"I wasn't able to watch all the political machinations that had turned this into some kind of a political sideshow. I didn't realize it had happened, so I was just stunned to hear him speaking that way.

"At some point after that, I realized, 'Oh, this has become a political fight.' Well, I chose to plant the flag around those who were dead and dying, and politics didn't belong in it. I was embarrassed that politics became involved in it. It was a very sad chapter in our lives."

OK, to be honest, there was one other moment that defines Shep Smith for me -- his brief appearance in one of my favorite disaster movies, 1997's "Volcano."

Smith played himself, reporting on an entirely fictitious calamity this time -- an eruption of deadly lava near the Beverly Center shopping mall in L.A.

I asked him about it by email, and here's what he wrote:

"That was a Fox movie. I was working in Los Angeles at the time, and they asked me to play a reporter. Seemed easy enough. It was the largest 'burn,' they told us, ever at a movie set -- La Brea Tar Pits.

"We shot overnight, 11p-5a. Then I went to work in Santa Monica. 2 days of shooting. No sleep. My 70 words were cut to 6 in edit. They were very annoyed that I couldn't memorize all the words exactly. And they wanted me to 'act more like a reporter.' 'Be more serious.' It was exhausting. Paid well!"

(Yeah, no, this "Volcano" music video doesn't show Smith. I just like it.)

Today's cuppa: strong coffee

On Monday, I flew from Los Angeles to Huntsville, Ala., to attend the premiere party for National Geographic Channel's new series "Rocket City Rednecks" -- click here for a news story -- premiering tonight with a two-hour block of four of the 20 half-hour episodes. On Tuesday, I came back.

Click here for my syndicated story on the show. Because of our packed network-TV premiere schedule this week, it doesn't come out in print until Sunday, but y'all get it early. And there'll be another story later, based on interviews I did with the Rednecks after the premiere showing.

Now that I've had some sleep and caffeine, I've put together a slideshow of some of the pix I took. I'd love to return to the Center when the lights are up and I have time to read all the displays, but hope you enjoy a quick look.

On a personal note, the fact that I attended this premiere so soon after the demise of the shuttle program (and with it, all our current plans for manned space flight) was a little sad.

Following the crash of a Russian Soyuz rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station, the realization that Russia is our only way to take people and equipment to the ISS hit home.

Although the Russians say they've figured out the problem and will keep missions going to the ISS, the driver who picked me up a the airport in Huntsville -- who ferries a lot of space types -- thinks one of our space shuttles may be pulled back out of mothballs.

You never know ...

Today's cuppa: Gevalia Signature Crema coffee from the Tassimo

As Hurricane Irene pounds the East Coast, a lot of people (especially the sensible ones) headed for the high ground. But TV reporters don't have that luxury, if their networks plan to report to viewers exactly what's happening on the ground.

One of those reporters is Fox News Channel's senior national correspondent John Roberts, based in Atlanta, Ga., who is reporting from Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, right in the path of the hurricane.

While cell service is spotty, Roberts was able to answer some email questions from HCTV on the purpose and experience of braving the teeth of the storm (questions in bold):

Q: What is the value of having a correspondent right in the heart of the storm?

A: It's similar to having a correspondent in a war zone. You need someone there to report on the situation on the ground.  What the storm looks like -- how people are coping --  the level of damage, etc. The Outer Banks is a very popular spot.  Hundreds of thousands of Americans travel there every week for vacation. When a storm hits, their vacations are interrupted. They're curious about an area they know and want to see what's happening.

In a story like Katrina, we were on the ground when the storm hit, and were able to report on the breaching of levees within a couple of hours of it happening. If crews had waited until after the storm to come into town, an entire piece of that story would have been lost.

Now, I don't believe you have to go play in the surf to illustrate a storm. I think it tells the story itself. And I'm torn about doing reports that have us blowing around in the wind. I'm not sure viewers get a whole lot from that, though they do like to see their correspondents hard at work. It also, of course, provides for more than a few comical moments.

 

Q: At what point or points have you feared for your own safety or that of your crew?

 

A: I have never feared for my safety during a storm. We take enough precautions that we stay pretty safe. But as Katrina was heading toward Louisiana as a Category 5 storm, I did pause for a moment and say "What the hell am I doing here again?

 

Q: How do you manage to deliver the news while being buffeted and rained on?

 

A: It's like playing golf at the British Open. You learn to love it.

 

Q: Why Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina?

 

A: There's a sense of history here, with the Wright Brothers and all that. It's also a very popular tourist destination. The mayor, Ray Sturza is a very accommodating fellow, and the people at Shutters On the Banks turned their entire hotel over to us

 

Q: Walk us through the preparation for doing a live hit on the run during a storm.

 

A: You basically have all the facts and figures on the storm, all the knowledge you have acquired over years of covering storms and a few colorful moments that you can relate to the audience. Other than having a couple of pieces of sound that I might want to use, I really never go into a shot with much of a plan. I just sort of let it evolve organically.

Q: Are you using social media to get your message out during the storm?

A: I'm tweeting furiously..! (At @johnrobertsFox)

Q: Should the government spend money to rescue people who are aware of evacuation procedures and ignore them?

A: In the same way that hospitals can't turn away the sick because they don't have insurance, local authorities really don't have much of a choice. But they -- and we -- can try to get the word out to the best of our ability that it's a wise idea to evacuate when officials tell you to.

Here's a video clip of Roberts' coverage from early Saturday morning, Aug. 27:

Tonight's cuppa: coffee on the set of NBC's "The Sing-Off" (a story for another day)

Next week, FBN daytime anchor Stuart Varney, a British-born journalist who graduated from the London School of Economic, takes his show into primetime with "Varney & Co. at Night," airing Monday-Friday.

Each night, Varney will bring on experts to talk about the news of the day and what it means for national, global and personal finances.

But first, he answers a few question (in bold) for HCTV ...

What concerns you most about the wild market swings over the last week?

The wild market swings cause great concern ... the big declines at the end of this week suggest a recession is coming, and that's bad news for everyone.

Should individual investors or those with 401ks be taking action now or should they ride it out?

401K money is long term money so don't panic. Most people will not use their 401K money for many years to come, so riding out the storm is the best policy. Recovery will come, but probably not soon.

GOP presidential hopeful Gov. Rick Perry referred to the Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's monetization of our debt to be "almost treasonous." How do you feel about Bernanke's stewardship of the Fed during this latest financial crisis, and what should he be doing that he's not right now?

Governor Perry may choose different language next time he talks publicly about the Federal Reserve. Personally, I think Ben Bernanke has done the best he could with a very difficult situation. He has used all the tools available to him, and invented new ones. As a central banker, and not a politician, he has done all he could.

What should he stop doing?

But perhaps Mr. Bernanke should stop printing money. There is a huge amount of cash sitting with banks and corporations....no need to add to it, especially when inflation is heating up.

What has been the greatest challenge in covering the market turbulence in a way that is meaningful to viewers?

The biggest challenge as a broadcaster is NOT leading the story. Don't talk the market down. Report what is happening in an even tone.

What has been the effect of the S&P downgrade - and should we take it seriously considering their poor performance regarding rating mortgage-backed securities prior to the 2008 financial crisis?

The downgrade was a wake-up call ... a welcome wake-up call. It was a clear statement that we can't continue to add $4 billion to our national debt every single day.

As a native Briton, how did you feel about the London riots, and do you think their causes were economic, political, cultural, or any or all of the above?

To put it bluntly, the riots in Britain were a disgrace to the country, and in my opinion, were the result of its entitlement culture.

Can that violence come here?

America has a different tradition of street demonstrations, and, entitlement is not yet so deeply entrenched here. Violence on the European scale is unlikely here.

If you were one of President Obama's advisers right now, what would you like to see in his upcoming jobs plan?

I want to see (but do not expect to see) tax reform ... that means cutting tax rates on individuals and corporations, and at the same time cutting deductions. That puts more money into the hands of individuals rather than government, grows the economy and brings in more to the Treasury. But don't hold your breath: President Obama wants to raise tax rates, not lower them. His first priority is income re-distribution, not growth.

Do markets listen to opposition-party candidates during a campaign against an incumbent, and what effect can their remarks have?

If the Republicans outlined a clear tax reform policy (lower rates, fewer deductions) it would have a positive effect on our markets and our economy. More government will not work. Private enterprise must be unleashed for us to return to prosperity

What do you see that gives you hope for economic recovery?

Hope for a recovery? A radical change in course for economic policy; the repeal of Obamacare, Dodd-Frank and EPA rules; along with an end to the demonization of business.

(Photo credits: Varney, FBN; Perry, Matthew Cavanaugh of Getty Images)

Today's cuppa: hotel coffee

While the biannual Television Critics Association Press Tour rumbles along this week in the swank surroundings of the Beverly Hilton in breezy Beverly Hills, Calif., things at the corner of Wall and Broad in sweltering lower Manhattan are getting downright scary.

At midday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had dropped more than 400 points; and by the end of the day, the Dow registered a 512.76 point decline, erasing all the gains for the year 2011.

It was the market's biggest single-day point loss since Dec. 1, 2008, when the Dow tumbled 679.95 points in the throes of the financial crisis.

Fox Business Network (FBN) anchor Liz Claman took her "Countdown to the Closing Bell" show to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to report on the downturn. Then she took a few minutes to answer some questions from HCTV.

So get yourself a nice warm cuppa to steady your nerves, and here we go ...

Q: When TARP was passed, one of the rationales was that otherwise the stock market would plunge -- and yet it plunged anyway. We heard the same thing for the debt-ceiling deal, and here we go again. What was or wasn't done with the deal that has affected the market -- or would it be going down right now regardless of the outcome of that debate?

A: I'd say today's move was less about the debt-deal passage, which is now two days old, and more about Europe, and the fact that it's still a festering sore. The European Union could barely muster enough will and money to bail out Greece, and now, bigger nations like Spain and Italy are groaning in pain. Global traders woke up today and hated the market direction. You can throw some disappointment about the US economy on top and everyone crumbled.

Q: Do you believe the major ratings agencies will still downgrade the U.S. in the near future?

A: Eventually at least one of them might. If you hold countries to certain standards, and they fall below them, then you have to downgrade them. I've talked to a lot of experts on this, though. No one, no agency wants to be the one to downgrade the U.S. They looked at the debt deal, and while it fell short of the cuts the agencies stated they needed to see to maintain the triple-A rating, they're now saying the cuts are enough to "count" toward a "down payment" of the $4 trillion (in cuts they asked for). They're trying NOT to downgrade the US.

Q: Considering the nation's high debt-to-GDP ratio, why haven't we been downgraded already?

A: Again, there's a huge hesitancy to cut the credit rating of this nation. We've always been AAA rated. The question hangs over everyone's head: would that cause mass selling and panic? Not something we need, especially right now.

Q: What are you hearing is the chief factor -- if there is any one major factor -- affecting the downward trend of the Dow?

A: It's an amalgam of things: as I said, Europe -- parts of it -- is a worry. Our slowing-to-a-trickle economy. Our jobless rate, which is stuck above 9 percent. Negative sentiment. Slowing manufacturing. Lack of confidence. Need more?

Q: Do financial experts foresee any significant improvement in the unemployment numbers by this time next year?

A: No one knows, because a year ago everyone thought, "It can't get worse," and it has. Now people are loathe to make any kind of bet it will improve. I do talk to some people who think things will improve -- Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway; David Cote of Honeywell; Paul Otellini of Intel-- but they all have global businesses that can find growth somewhere. It's other than the US. It's much harder for the small business owner, who we know is the real driver of our economy.

Q: Luxury goods are apparently selling again -- what does that say about the economy?

A: It says the new wealthy in Russia, China and Korea are spending their money on Tiffany jewels and Sotheby's art.

Q: Do experts believe we are in a double-dip recession or that we never left the previous recession?

A: Depends on whom you ask. I keep hearing the term "soft patch." Is that a precursor or fancier way to avoid using the term "double-dip recession?" I hope not, but this will be a tough trend to turn around.

Q: Should investors buy, sell or hold right now?

A: Some very wealthy and smart people I talk to are selectively buying, mostly U.S. large-cap names with a global footprint. Remember, the wealthiest investors are the gutsiest. I'll never forget when billionaire Wilbur Ross bought up Worldcom debt after the company imploded. It looked like trash, but he saw treasure. Who's still a billionaire today? Wilbur Ross. That might tell you something.

Today's cuppa: Iced coffee (even though it's not as warm here as the rest of the country)

Today, TMZ is reporting that the big three networks -- ABC, NBC and CBS -- are negotiating to land the first TV interview with Casey Anthony, who was recently acquitted of charges she killed her toddler daughter, Caylee, whose death remains a mystery.

People may wonder why Anthony should be allowed to profit from her situation.

Now, there may be many, including Florida law enforcement and volunteer searchers, who may seek to recoup costs from the search for the child, whose location was known to Anthony (who was actually convicted of lying to police).

As well, we have yet to see if any civil lawsuits will be filed, like the one that followed O.J. Simpson's acquittal in the murder his wife. Defending herself in a lawsuit could be expensive for Anthony, and losing in one, even more so.

Anthony could also donate to charity any fees paid to her in an attempt to rehabilitate her image.

But in the end, networks pay big because they believe they'll get big audiences for this sort of interview. As always, the viewer decides. If no one tuned in to an Anthony interview, there might be fewer offers to folks like her in the future.

Take the poll below and tell us what you think ...

Today's cuppa: PG Tips tea (single bag, in the small mug -- I had places to go!)

On Monday, July 11, the host of Fox News Channel's "RedEye W/Greg Gutfeld" begins his second regular gig as part of the roundtable of FNC personalities on "The Five," the cablenet's summer replacement for "The Glenn Beck Show."

Click here for a Zap2it story I did with Gutfeld about his new job.

But that's not the only exciting element in the world of "RedEye," FNC's pop-culture/news roundtable free-for-all that airs nightly at 3 a.m. ET.

Over the July 4 weekend, regular "RedEye" guest Thaddeus McCotter, a GOP congressman from Michigan, announced his candidacy for his party's nomination for the presidential race in 2012. Click here for my rundown on that (which includes link to a "RedEye" clip from earlier in the year of Gutfeld urging McCotter to run, and a clip of McCotter's announcement speech).

"Yeah, I know," says Gutfeld. "Pretty exciting, huh? I wonder how that's going to go. He's an interesting character. I thought he'd be an interesting voice to hear in the campaign. I just really wanted to see him in debates, that's all. It would be highly entertaining.

"But he'll have to rely on his acidic wit. If he doesn't use that, it's like showing up at a gunfight and keeping your gun in the holster. That's what he's got going for him.

"He has to be unafraid to quip."

Asked if he has any expectations of a role in a McCotter administration were the congressman to be elected, Gutfeld says, "None whatsoever. I'm very happy here."

Below is a sample of McCotter on "RedEye" ...

Today's cuppa: coffee after lunch

Let me say up front that I have no idea who or what's going to replace "The Glenn Beck Show" when it goes off the 5 p.m. ET slot on Fox News Channel after the June 30 episode. One suspects that the good folks at FNC know, but why hasn't there been an announcement yet?

Could it be that they are ....

(Cue portentous music)

....waiting to see if the possible host jumps into the 2012 presidential race?

Or are they waiting to see if the host is willing to work two jobs?

Is ready for TV?

Is ready for not-quite-primetime TV?

Here are my entirely uninformed guesses and the rationale behind them ...

Sarah Palin: The former Alaska governor, 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate, author, social-media diva, TLC TV star and Fox News contributor has the mainstream media following her around like ducklings (when they're not rooting through her old emails like pigs at the trough).

The rest of the time, she's selling books, supporting candidates, writing Facebook posts and Tweets on current events, and being the subject of a new documentary, called "The Undefeated," coming out July 15.

If Palin decides not to jump into the presidential fray, she could be host of a show that hits on some of the more successful Beck themes --such as hidden American history, the Constitution and the Founding Fathers -- but likely without the "spooky dude" stuff.

After all, did she not just do a bus tour highlighting historical sites? And she even snookered many in the mainstream media by being correct about Paul Revere's ride while some of her critics seem to have relied on Longfellow's "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" for their history.

BTW, that's a poem, not a history book.

And goodness knows, Palin's got the gams to qualify as an FNC host.

Dennis Miller: The longtime comic and former "Weekend Update" anchor from "Saturday Night Live" has carved himself out a nice niche on talk radio, blending his right-of-center politics with pop culture, entertainment and comedy.

The "sage of Southern California," as Bill O'Reilly calls him when he makes his weekly Wednesday appearances on FNC's "The O'Reilly Factor," is headquartered in Santa Barbara, Calif. north of Los Angeles.

After doing three hours a day on the radio, I'm not sure Miller would like to extend his schtick to the 5 p.m. ET slot, but, after all, that's the 2 p.m. PT slot, and he'd be done in time for tea.

On a personal note, now that my local radio station (yeah, talkin' about you, KRLA) has moved Miller out of evening drive-time into the night, I'd love to be able to have him on my DVR.

Mark Steyn: The bearded columnist, political commentator, author and cultural critic was born in Canada, educated in the U.K., and now lives in New Hampshire. Granted, this does make the logistics of a daily show a bit challenging, especially in the winter.

But Steyn has filled in for Sean Hannity on FNC, so he has TV experience, and he's a frequent radio guest (and substitute host for Rush Limbaugh), so he's got media chops.

Also, Steyn's got a great accent, is fiercely witty and smart and has more than enough pointed and "polarizing" opinions to keep both Beck's critics and fans engaged.

As a bonus, he's also put out a couple of Christmas music CDs with Jessica Martin -- "A Marshmallow World" and "Gingerbread and Eggnog" -- so he could even have a band, a la FNC's weekend show "Huckabee."

Greg Gutfeld: The host of FNC's latenight pop-culture/politics roundtable -- golly, that's a polite way to describe Gutfeld's band of merry pranksters and the outrageous things they say and do -- pitched in on Beck's show today as host of a game show featuring people and events Beck has discussed.

(Gutfeld even joked about, "When I take over the 5 p.m., things will be different.")

Gutfeld, a former Huffington Post blogger and magazine editor, who's also written a couple of books, has taken "RedEye W/Greg Gutfeld" -- which just celebrated its 1,000th episode -- from nearly complete obscurity in the wee hours of the morning Eastern time to a show that has scored higher ratings than CNN primetime (while still airing in the wee hours of the morning).

Gutfeld is a charming wiseacre with a soft spot for his mother (a recurring "RedEye" contributor).

He delivers monologues with snarky brio about the events of the day, making serious points in between references to unicorns and unfortunate houseboys.

Is he ready for TV when the sun is still shining? More importantly, is America ready for Gutfeld in the naked light of day?

Of course, there's always Anthony Weiner, unless CNN (UPDATE: or Current TV) has snagged him first.

On an unrelated note, we hear today that "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh is not taking Fox Broadcasting's demotion of his weekly crimefighting show to specials lying down, but instead he is shopping it around, even to FNC.

For what it's worth, I think that's a super idea, and would slot in nicely after "Huckabee" on FNC's Saturday-night lineup.

Today's cuppa: Breakfast blend coffee

All this week, Fox Business Network (FBN) devotes much of its coverage to looking at how the government -- both on the federal and state levels -- is spending taxpayer money (which is the only money government has to spend).

Also examined are the repercussions of unchecked government spending and borrowing, with a particular emphasis on the debate over the national debt.

This is not a new issue. Back in 1996, "Schoolhouse Rock" took it on with "Tyrannosaurus Debt."

Of course, the debt discussed in the video seems like pennies compared to what we're facing now. Click here to watch the National Debt Clock in real time (including how much you, and I, owe).

One of the FBN journalists working on "Red Ink Week" is British-born Stuart Varney, a graduate of the London School of Economics, who used to work for both CNN and CNBC before coming to FBN.

He took the time to answer some email questions about the tough issues we are facing and what we can and should do about them:

Q: What are the biggest drivers of our debt?

A: The biggest debt drivers are Medicare and Social Security. Both have a dedicated tax revenue source, but outlays on these programs are so large, they "crowd out" other spending as a proportion of total spending. They push overall spending into deep deficit. And, outlays on both are rising rapidly. The 25% increase in spending in other non-defense areas under the Obama administration, has not helped.

Q: At what point will servicing the debt overtake our entire GDP (Gross Domestic Product)?

A: There is no specific date when debt service (interest payments) overtake GDP since that depends on future economic growth rates and interest rates. But it is generally assumed to be within two decades.

Q: What tax implications does the debt have for those who have just graduated from college?

A: Today's college graduates surely face an alarming tax outlook. They must pay for the Medicare and Social Security of a vast, currently retiring baby boom generation. Further: they must pay the interest on the vast debt that baby boomers have accumulated. Throw in the $1 trillion worth of student loan debt already on the books, and today's graduates have a daunting outlook!

Q:  What are the national-security implications of the national debt?

 A: The national debt of $14.3 trillion poses a significant security threat: if we rely on foreign lenders, they have leverage over our foreign policy. Plus, a nation that cannot pay its bills has difficulty imposing its will on the world: it loses clout.

A: What implications for those who will start high school or kindergarten this fall?

 A: I have six grandchildren; they are all in my will. With this debt burden on their back, run up by my generation, I feel an obligation to help them from the grave, IF this administration will get its hands out of my estate.

Q: Is there anything that can be done in the short term that will significantly reduce the debt?

 A: There is no short-term fix available for a "significant" reduction in our debt. If we refuse to raise the debt ceiling and try to "live within our means" immediately, we will default...that is wrong, irresponsible in the extreme and borders on national lunacy.

Q:  In the long term?

A: In the long term we need to do several things: turn away from expensive, bureaucratic government programs as the automatic solution mechanism for social policy, reform entitlement programs with privatization, and expand the tax base, either by taxing the income of a broader spectrum of income, or a consumption tax.

Q: What should we stop doing right now?

A: Stop the demagoguery. The Democrats recently put out an ad showing granny being thrown off a cliff because of the Ryan Medicare proposal....that poisoned what should be a rational debate. Reform now, or go bankrupt later. Voters need a reasonable debate around that premise.

(Click here for a video in which Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan explains his proposal. Google "Ryan Medicare Proposal" for a whole list of articles pro and con. Click here for the ad Varney referenced, which is from The Agenda Project, not the Democratic National Committee.)

Q: The House of Representatives already rejected a bid to raise our debt limit, but another vote will come up. What sort of cuts should be demanded to justify raising the limit again?

A: If we raise the debt ceiling by, say $2 trillion, we should agree to cut spending by $2 trillion. That is a credible borrowing and spending-cutting plan.

Q: Are you optimistic or pessimistic that we can reverse our current course?

A: Pessimistic. Bankruptcy/default is a very real possibility. I came to America because of its liberating, positive culture, so different from Europe. I am saddened by the turn America has taken under this President, but I remain hopeful that we can turn back from the brink, and become once again the dynamic, positive society that I have come to know and love.

Today's cuppa: One Irish breakfast tea bag and one English breakfast tea bag in the same mug -- my solution to world peace

Taking his campaign to promote blue-collar jobs in America to the seat of political power, "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe testifies today before a committee of the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, there's some doubt whether CSPAN2 will carry this actual hearing, but if you read the release from Discovery Channel below, you will see there is an alternative.

(BTW, he's also written an op-ed for Politico ... click here.)

DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS AND MIKE ROWE ANNOUNCE "DISCOVER YOUR SKILLS" - A MULTIMEDIA INITIATIVE TO HIGHLIGHT AND PROMOTE JOB SKILLS

-- Creator, Executive Producer and Host of Discovery Channel's DIRTY JOBS WITH MIKE ROWE to Testify Before US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Critical Need to Address Growing Skills Gap Among US Workforce --

(Silver Spring, Md.) - Discovery Communications and Mike Rowe, creator, executive producer and host of Discovery Channel's DIRTY JOBS WITH MIKE ROWE, today announced "Discover Your Skills," a new multimedia public affairs campaign designed to address the growing decline in US skilled labor expertise. The goal of "Discover Your Skills" is to provide unemployed and underemployed Americans with access to critical resources for obtaining marketable job skills and expertise, and to raise awareness of career opportunities.

Announcing the initiative, Rowe will testify at the invitation of Senator Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, at a hearing titled "Manufacturing Our Way to a Stronger Economy." He will relate his experiences over the past seven years on DIRTY JOBS, apprenticing alongside more than 300 skilled labor workers in nearly every industry and every state, and witnessing the critical role these workers and their occupations play in supporting the US economy. "Discover Your Skills" is a partnership with mikeroweWORKS, Rowe's own campaign to help close the skills gap, launched on Labor Day 2008.

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to speak in front of the Senate on such an important issue as our country's widening skills gap," said Rowe. "I'm no expert, and the issues are complicated, but DIRTY JOBS has offered me a unique opportunity to reconnect with the kind of people that make civilized life possible for the rest of us. With Discovery firmly behind this issue, we can reach an enormous audience. That's key, because the skills gap in our country impacts every industry, including manufacturing. It's personally important to me and critical to anyone else addicted to paved roads and indoor plumbing."

"No one is more passionate or articulate than Mike on the looming risks associated with our country's growing skills gap and the urgent need to change the misperception that skilled labor jobs are not 'good jobs,'" said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications. "As the #1 nonfiction media company with 14 US networks that reach more 780 million cumulative subscribers, Discovery is uniquely positioned to deliver this message to a mass audience and provide meaningful support on a national level. Like Mike, the people you see on Discovery's networks are real people, many of whom are not only television personalities, but also successful professionals working in critical areas of the economy, and we look forward to working with them to help develop and empower the next generation of skilled workers and reframe the way skilled trade jobs are perceived."

As part of "Discover Your Skills," Rowe, along with other Discovery networks' personalities, will participate in on- and off-air programs and events to raise awareness of career opportunities and highlight the importance of training workers to fill these critical jobs. Participating on-air talent have distinctive skills that are particularly valuable and needed in today's marketplace, and are credible to viewers interested in similar professions.

The initiative also will leverage Discovery Education's position as the leading provider of broadband education content and services to US schools to spotlight information on career opportunities in skilled trades and how to obtain the training and experience necessary to pursue them. This includes tools that support the development of digital literacy, math and critical thinking skills required for individuals to obtain gainful employment.

"Discover Your Skills" is part of Discovery's Impact programs, which leverage the power of Discovery's brands, businesses and employees to give back and make a direct impact on the communities in which we live and work.

The US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's "Manufacturing Our Way to a Stronger Economy" hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 11. A live webcast will be available on the committee's website at http://commerce.senate.gov/public/.  

Additionally, a full transcript of Rowe's testimony will be available on the Discovery Impact website at http://impact.discovery.com.