To the Point

President Bush Speaks to Corporate America

The President declared today that it is time to "end the days of cooking the books, shading the truth and breaking the laws." When he called for "a new era of integrity in corporate America," a thousand corporate executives gave him a hand. Will investors who've lost faith in the system join the applause? What of Bush's "financial crimes SWAT team" that is supposed to help expose and root out Wall Street corruption? We join political analysts Kevin Phillips, New York Times editorial writer Frank Rich, the CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership and others for a look at the substance and symbolism of a promised crack-down on business by a business-friendly President, and look at the President's own brush with corporate accountability 10 years ago. Newsmaker: Bush's Speech on Corporate Responsibility President Bush has delivered his much awaited speech to Wall Street executives. One of his major objectives was restoring confidence in corporate America. Los Angeles Times reporter Ron Brownstein fears that investors may be disappointed by the President's lack of specificity. He speculates on how far Bush will go to leverage a compromise between Democrats and Republicans in enacting reform legislation. Reporter's Notebook: Videotaped Beating of Youth in Inglewood One of its positive outcomes of the videotaped Rodney King beating was new attention to police misconduct across the country. So, why is it that, ten years later in city adjacent to LA, a new and similar videotape has emerged? Civil rights attorney Connie Rice, co-director of LA's Advancement Project, responds to the apparent unwarranted abuse of force by Inglewood police.