Texas Rep. Kevin Brady is vice chairman of the Joint Economic Committee and is releasing a new study showing that the Federal Reserve policy of Quantitative Easing is weakening the dollar so much that Americans are paying an extra 56 cents per gallon as a result of our plummeting currency rates. So how does he reach that conclusion? How would he like the Fed to change course and what can Congress do about it? We ask Rep. Brady and get his insights into how Congress will respond to today’s announcement that our nation has exceeded our debt limit.
Archives for May 16, 2011
GOP Exits and Gaffes
It’s been an eventful few days in the 2012 Republican presidential race. Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump are taking a pass on the race while Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are taking on water over their health care positions. So who benefits from the Huckabee exit? Should we be at all surprised that Trump isn’t running after all? And how badly damaged are Romney and Gingrich for their embrace of health care mandates? We discuss it all with Dr. Larry Sabato, professor of political science at the University of Virginia and director of UVA’s Center for Politics.
Israel in the Crosshairs
Over the weekend, Syrian demonstrators tried to illegally cross the border into Israel. Israeli Defense Forces repelled the effort, leaving a few of the demonstrators dead and others injured. Why is Syria sudden;y provoking Israel? How is Iran involved? And how worried are Israelis about the greater bonds between Hamas and Fatah? We ask retired Israeli Brigadier Gen. Elihu Ben-Onn, who is now a radio talk show host in Jerusalem. Ben-Onn also weighs in on this week’s meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netahyahu.
Three Martini Lunch 5/16/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are pleased to see Obama’s poll numbers drifting down again. We also unload on Newt Gingrich for calling Paul Ryan’s brand of Medicare reform “right-wing social engineering”. And we wonder why Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky says the bin Laden death photos depict a violent crime scene.