Gridlock

J. Arzente, Brookline, MA — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:12:46 GMT

Evening Brain, can you please ask both candidates how the no new taxes pledge and how is the 700 Billion viewed, is that not a tax? if the USA currently has a 10 Trillion deficit, where are we getting the $700 billion, and will that not make the dollar weaker, and if that happens would oil be more expensive? I'd love if we had this discussion. JgA

Gridlock

Lisa McNeil,Alpharetta,Georgia — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:43:53 GMT

Good Evening Mr.Williams, First of all it sounds like real gridlock in New York City due to all the Heads of State and ambassadors visiting for the United Nations General Assembly. I can understand how hard it was to get around. So many motorcades!
I am glad you have your car already packed and ready to leave for Texas and I wish you safe travels.
Then on to Misssissippi for the first Presidential Debate on Friday. A very busy week Mr.Williams.
Looking forward to the broadcast Mr.Williams. Peace to You and to All!

Congratulations to NBC for winning two Emmy Awards on September 22,2008! One for a piece by Robert Bazell and another investigative report by Lisa Myers! Congratulations to all involved in the reports! Truly Deserved!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine, Anna and Matt!
Be Well Always!
Stay Safe and Well Richard! Hope to see you on Nightly News again soon!
XOXO

Gridlock

Holly Doherty, Atkinson, NH — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:20:34 GMT

The folks in Washington have made a HUGE mess of the economy. WHY are we not getting advice from the likes of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates - both very sound, proven business men??!! I do not trust anything that the politicians come up with as clearly they have not lived in the REAL world. We need help from the experts, not the pundets. Bill? Warren?

Gridlock

Totally disgusted in RI — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:48:17 GMT

Hi Brian,

I just watched your opening piece on tonight's news and became more infuriated than I had been in previous nights. How dare Sec. Paulson threaten the US taxpayers with "if you put punitive restrictions on this bailout..." Who does he and these free wheeling fat cats on Wall St. think they are? Their arrogance is what got us into this mess in the first place. They should be on their knees and showing some smidgen of remorse for what we as taxpayers are going to have to take on in order to keep this entire country from going bankrupt. They should not get a blank check on this bailout. There should be no golden parachutes for these CEOs. There needs to be oversight going forward. These are simple straight forward measures which would ensure that this type of catastrophe never happens again. Without these simple measures they should all fail and deal with the consequences, for isn't that what they have made the poor guy on Main St. do for the last few years?

Gridlock

LLP, RI — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:54:14 GMT

Dear Mr. Williams;

I am a divorcee that has remarried we have 3 children total. We have lived within our means and sending 2 of the 3 children to college. I have lost my job this year. Do to us living with in our means and cutting back as far as we can we are still making it. With these new financial problems with American they just might make us crash. Why should we pay for someone else's mistakes (judgments)??? Think of it as a BIG check book; if you don't have it you can't spend it. We were middle class and now we are looking at being lower income... How is this happening; America does not have an endless amount of money.Gluttony is a sin; come on people some of you are just as guilty as the politicians. You know what you can and can't afford take responsibility for YOURSELVES!!!!!

Sincerely;

A true Swamp Yankee

Gridlock

Stephanie-Umbro, 34, Maine — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:59:49 GMT

I agree, Brian: please press the candidates with specifics on how they plan on handling TODAY's financial crisis. It will belong to one of them in a few shorts weeks, so what they want to do NOW will decide MY vote.

The best story in weeks.... the USO supporting the troops' families. Seeing those little feet moving and shaking.... just priceless! I'm so glad to see them getting "big" support. If Elmo is behind the troops, then his grown up fan must, too!

Gridlock

Marcia Schwartz Boston,MA — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:12:41 GMT

I am surprised at your asking the President of Georgia his opinion of Sarah Palin.This was inappropriate,to say the least;I hope that this query on your part does NOT reflect manipulation by the media.i.e. NBC,of our political opinions!

Gridlock

Sherri Ellis Porter, Nashville, Tennessee — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:16:27 GMT

I guess I missed the memo that states Brian Williams is no longer an acclaimed journalist, but instead has SOLD-OUT as a showbiz puppet. His question to President Saakashvili, on the 9-23-08 evening news, concerning Sarah Palin was straight out of Hollywood. Who is he working for????Cameron Diaz, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey? Instead of a coat and tie, maybe we should let Brian wear his Obama T to work. At least we would be getting HIS fair and accurate story.

Gridlock

Lisa McNeil,Alpharetta,Georgia — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:29:25 GMT

Good Evening Mr.Williams, A fine broadcast this evening as always. First of all the report by Mr.Mott on the gas shortage affecting the South. One can understand why there is a shortage due to both Hurricanes Gustav and Ike effecting the oil refineries, but it certainly makes for long lines at the gas stations here in Georgia. Seeing the cars all lined up for gas reminds one of the crisis in the 1970's with gas stations short on supply. Around where I live in Alpharetta one has to find which station has gas because it will have it one day then the next day be out. The station I pumped gas at yesterday did not have any pumps working today so I was glad I went yesterday. One nearer my work was the opposite it did not Monday, but today it did. I saw many people in their cars waiting to fill up. And yet another station has not had any pumps working for two days. I'm sure it will get better and one just has to be patient.
On another note the report by Mr.Costello concerning the bailout certainly brings a heavy price to pay for people. I hope there are more details revealed soon on this huge $700 billion bailout because the government should be able to explain the details to the American people. Time will tell as to the progress of the plan for the economy.
The interview you held with the President of Georgia showed his different viewpoints on the two Vice Presidential Candidates. His impressions of Sarah Palin and Joe Biden were interesting to hear.
Finally, the report by Mr.Faw on the USO was really nice and shows the great support the USO has always given our US Troops and now the focus of the families of the US Troops. My heart goes out to the 6yr old girl painting a picture of her daddy's ship and all the children of parents in the military overseas. It is wonderful Sesame Street is helping these little children with their shows and talking to them about their parents. It is certainly a good message to bring to them. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the children of parents in the military overseas. God Bless them all!
Thank you for the broadcast Mr.Williams. Safe Travels to Texas! Peace to You and to All!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine,Anna and Matt!
Be Well Always!
Congratulations to NBC for winning Two Emmy Awards! Congratulations to Robert Bazell and Lisa Myers! Yeah! Great Work and Well Deserved!
Stay Safe and Well Richard! Hope to see you soon on Nightly News!
XOXO

Gridlock

M. Morgan, Longview, TX — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:35:09 GMT

Brian, listening to you interview the President of Georgia tonight and your second question is not about his country but what he thinks of Sarah Palin. Not Obama or McCain or even Joe Biden...but Sarah Palin. Were you fishing for something? Don't you think he wanted to discuss his country's plight and not get sucked into our political boxing ring? That really makes me wonder about your objectivity and your adgenda.

Gridlock

Gloria Carlton, Hailey, ID — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:03:12 GMT

I would like to understand why, when we are supposedly so short of oil, that we are still exporting it to other countries? Should not our oil oil go to our country first?

Gridlock

Sherry Hoem, Buhl, ID — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:03:37 GMT

Secretary Paulson was just on the evening news stating that if Congress puts "restrictions" on the businesses to be bailed out, they may not let the government take over their bad debts. Excuse me, if the businesses are in such bad shape, I would think they would be happy with whatever is being offered to them. I resent that there is no responsibility for the profiteering that has occurred on Wall Street.

Gridlock

Bill Day — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:37:59 GMT

I agree with your on air comment tonight. I hold two master degrees ( not in finance!!) but I also have no real idea what is going on. You know how bad it is? As a liberal Democrat, I'm actually listening to , and liking, Sen. Shelby!!!

Gridlock

Daniel Nulph Devils Elbow, MO — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:54:21 GMT

Can any of the candidates or the president explain how the CEO's and top level management can collect incredibly over the top bonuses and then ask that the middle class has to be the ones to bail these companies out. If those CEO's bank accounts were frozen and bonuses returned to the companies and those guys actually started getting paid for what they were worth instead of what they thought they were worth just maybe middle class America wouldn't mind helping to bail the companies out. Why should we have to do without when the CEO's are living high on the hog and are probably going to still be collecting top salaries and bonuses.

Gridlock

Lynn Hemphill — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:01:53 GMT

Ask the main players who are asking for this big-big money bail out, especially the Sec. Treasury, and Ric Davis just how much they have vested in the stock market at the present and what do they have to lose personally !! *ask where they will go after the Bush administration is out. *Why can't we say no to the bail-out, and let the homeowners pay what they owed prior to their big increases- after all,the big shots all say we the homeowners are responsible for this mess,right??

Gridlock

Harry Webb, Harrison, Tn. — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:07:51 GMT

The news of the last 7 days has rocked our world
and I am freightened about the next 7 days. We
should slow down on approval of this plan until
we can see a little more clearly, or is it really
that urgent ? Is Wall Street so touchy that a
little perspective can't be allowed ?

Gridlock

Matt, 20, San Diego — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:10:40 GMT

Mr. Williams,

I liked the report on how people are feeling about this proposed bailout. I work for a U.S. Senator, and today alone we got over 100 calls about what was going on: people were against IT, but weren't exactly sure what IT entailed as far as any discernible details. I bet you got ten times as many emails. I guess not too many people can comment these days about NBC not covering the important issues when the first half of the broadcast was about one of the biggest issues facing Americans today.

On a side note, I too will be looking forward to who transitions best from foreign policy to the economy during Fridays debate. I think I will come back to the comment I made a few months ago, that 2008 will be seen as one of the worst years in recent memory when you factor in the plethora of natural disasters, economic woes, wars in the middle east, and many others. Here's to 2009!

Is anyone else excited about the debate?

Gridlock

Teresa Van Deusen Austin,TX — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:54:17 GMT

Wow. Sounds like Houston rush hour with only 1000 working traffic lights in the region 10 days after IKE. I guess the big difference is that 600,000 New Yorkers are not living without electricity, the rats and mosquitos aren't preparing to carry off small animals, and you guys have hot meals.

Millions of Americans are still profoundly effected by Ike and yet there always seems to be some more important story to cover. FEMA is pulling out and we are to be left on our own for recovery.

Amazing to me the lack of coverage given the number of stories here. I guess diplomats are more interesting than personal courage, independent relief efforts, the health challenges, and the economic beating we have taken.

Enjoy your hot meals and air conditioning and showers tonight. Millions of us a little further south probably won't.

Gridlock

Linda Van Houten — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:51:28 GMT

Why is NBC not reporting the connection between Obama and the recent failure in financial institutions. It is documented that he benefited and the American people need to know. The media is not giving fair coverage in this election. We are losing faith in your ability to fairly report the news!!!

Gridlock

Michael V, Madison, WI — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:59:59 GMT

Watching the Sept. 23, 2008 show, there was a brief lead-in to Brian's interview with Mikhail Shakashvili. We missed Mr. Shakashvili's name, then noted that the large banner plastered below the interview identified only Brian Williams.

Mr. Williams: we know who you are. We appreciate the banners which identify your guests.

Gridlock

Maura Hobart, Albany, NY — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:01:44 GMT

I so agree with some of your readers whose comments are on this blog: how dare Paulson say that we ought not to attach any punitive restrictions on this bail-out??? So the Fat Cats simply get fatter, and the ordinary citizen is being crushed with the burden of all this corporate greed? Something is radically wrong with the thinking and the system. In actuality, these guys who are responsible ought to be cooling their heels in jail. You know the old saying: power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely...and here we have a concrete example. It's totally outrageous.

Gridlock

Rebecca Wetzel Sol — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:14:53 GMT

Hi Mr. Williams

Please help us understand Section 8 of the bailout. It is very scary to read this and I don't see it getting a lot or press.

Thank you

Gridlock

Diane, Los Angeles, CA — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:42:06 GMT

I just heard McCain wants to delay Friday's debate so he can work on the economy. One way he can work on the economy is tell us how he is going to fix it when he is president. Don't let him wiggle out of the debate!

Gridlock

Alan Kessman Stamford, CT — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:19:07 GMT

Please play the interview with Warren Buffet on CNBC this morning as he explains in the most basic terms what has happened and gives the most concise analysis of what needs to be done. If the broadcast news will play Buffet's comments perhaps we can get him to go to Washington DC and educate Congress. This is non partisan straight talk from one of the best financial minds in the world.

Gridlock

scott johnson easley sc — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:37:24 GMT

Why can't we some how give these people a lower rate. Keep them in there homes,pay something instead of nothing.Save the tax payer money.