John, yesterday Obama fired GM CEO Rick Wagoner  and told Chrysler to merge with Fiat or close. What political authority does he have to make management decisions for private companies?

Sorry for the delay. Technical difficulties. It's not so much direct authority as carrot-and-stick -- one very large stick. Basically, the government is giving GM 60 days worth of federal financing and Chrysler 30 days worth. In the case of GM, it buys time to revise its turnaround plan which the administration considers unsatisfactory. In the case of Chrysler, it's time, although not very much, to complete a merger with Fiat, the Italian automaker. Still, it's a breathtaking development. Remember the slogan, "What's good for General Motors is good for America." No more.

The main item on the agenda is the global economic crisis. Also the war on terror, although I guess we don't call it that anymore. So it's the war on whatever we now call it in Afghanistan and Pakistan. What, if anything, substantive will come of this is anybody's guess. You think it's impossible to get a consensus out of Congress? Try getting the leaders of 20 sovereign countries with 20 different ideas of how things ought to be done together.

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What countries, if any,  does  President Obama plan to visit on this  foreign trip, other than United Kingdom?

He plans to visit France, Germany, the Czech Republican and Turkey. Turkey is interesting because it will be his first visit to a Muslim country, at least as president. It's an eight-day trip, so there may be another stop or two, but those are the ones I know he's going to.