5 p.m. ET
Arnold Schwarzenegger's English is far better than my Austrian, so in a way I think he deserves a little break on yesterday's gaffe. He was at a press conference and made a statement that our borders should be closed to improve homeland security.
Apparently he meant that the borders should be "secured." That doesn't sound anything like "closed" but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
There is a bigger issue here than a verbal faux pas. Despite the flag waving around "homeland security" post 9/11, very little has actually been done about tightening our borders. There are several possible reasons why, some involving cheap labor and others some sweetheart deals with Mexico. Essentially, whether or not he used the wrong word, the Governator seems to be one elected with some strong convictions about a very serious issue. We'll debate it, and take a look at what he has already done to improve border safety in his own state.
And later, the decline of the American auto industry. I remember my dad saying that he would never buy a foreign car. All through my childhood it was Buicks and Oldsmobiles. Today, even he drives an import. Most people seem to think the foreign cars are better made and better looking— not to mention cheaper. But is that true? Two industry insiders take on the topic in our 5 p.m. show.
Check your engines. It's time to Connected
12 p.m. ET
Until the eleventh grade, the words "Congress" and "Supreme Court" conjured up little more than those "how a bill becomes a law" commercials that played in between cartoons on Saturday mornings. Like Pavlov's bell, they signaled nothing more than a bathroom break.
Then Clarence Thomas happened. We were sophomores and sophomoric, and like Beavis and Butthead we would gather in homeroom to share our favorite lines from the hearings.
To this day Coke cans make me laugh.
The doesn't seem to have the kind of drama that would keep hormone charged adolescents watching, but it involves some really adult issues all the same. Today, a look at what exactly is holding up the process and why it is looking likely that the White House might lose this round.
And later, it sure is a good time to be religious. Support for religious freedom and expression seems to be flowing like a river from Pennsylvania Avenue. Now a case hitting the Supreme Court might test the limits. A fringe group in New Mexico uses a psychedelic herb in their practice. Technically it's an illegal drug. Should they be immune from legal action on the basis of religious freedom?
We'll also take a look at some competing theories about energy and its availability. Is there enough fuel? Should we be working faster to develop alternatives to petroleum? We'll discuss.
Tune in. We'll keep you Connected.
E-mail me at TMaciulis@MSNBC.com.
