FC: ABC News' John Stossel's consumer report tonight on government

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

I don't usually recommend folks spend their weekend evenings watching TV 
news shows, but one airing tonight is an exception.

ABC's John Stossel was kind enough to send me an advance copy of his 
"consumer report on government" that is scheduled to air Saturday at 10 pm 
ET, 9 pm central. I gave it a brief review in my weekly column, below.

(Also in the column: Powell on crypto, Reno on wiretaps.)

-Declan

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,41452,00.html

   BABBITT BACKS OUT: Any TV interview that irks a Cabinet secretary so
   much that he tears off his microphone and stomps out of the room has
   got to be worth watching.

   This one sure is. You won't want to miss an in-depth ABC News report
   airing Saturday at 10 p.m. (EST), in which reporter John Stossel asks
   tough questions about government -- and concludes that nearly
   everything the feds do can be handled more efficiently and more
   cheaply by the private sector.

   One scene features then-Interior Secretary Babbitt preparing for an
   interview. But even before Stossel asks the first question, Babbitt
   gets cold feet.

   "I'm not sure why I'm here ... I'm going to fire whoever scheduled
   this interview," Babbitt said, and left in a huff.

   When it comes to the feds' slothfulness, Stossel seems to have a
   point. Instead of saying "nomination pending" or anything useful, the
   department's current website about the secretary of the interior
   returns an unhelpful blank page.

More:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/onair/ABCNEWSspecials/JohnStossel.html




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