News & Politics

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America applaud Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for calling athlete protests of the national anthem “dumb,” “stupid,” “disrespectful,” and “arrogant.”  They also enjoy watching Democrats squirm over Wikileaks revelations, including DNC official Donna Brazile getting caught helping Hillary Clinton against Bernie Sanders and a top Clinton Foundation official calling Chelsea Clinton a “spoiled brat.”  And they sigh as Glenn Beck reveals that he considered voting for Clinton before ultimately deciding against it.

Policy took a backseat during much of Sunday’s presidential debate, but one leading expert says the dust-up between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton over energy policy may one of the most consequential divides between the candidates as voters get ready to make their decisions.

Competitive Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Christopher C. Horner says America is facing a choice of whether to unleash the potential of our natural resources or kill a perfecty healthy industry to prop up a failed liberal dream.

Late in the debate, undecided voter Kenneth Bone asked an energy policy question.

“What steps will your energy policy take to meet our energy needs while at the same time remaining environmentally friendly and minimizing job loss for fossil power plant workers?” asked Bone.

Trump answered first and began by slamming the heavy hand of government on the energy sector.

“Energy is under siege by the Obama administration, under absolute siege,” said Trump.  “The Environmental Protection Agency is killing these energy companies.”

Horner says that basically right.

“President Obama promised to use EPA through cap and trade, which failed, so he’s gone through EPA without the legislation in an even more damaging way,” said Horner.

He says it’s odd watching the left simultaneously claim among themselves that increased regulation is killing the coal industry as planned while telling the public it has nothing to do with it.

“Now we’re hearing, ‘No, no, no, it’s market forces.  It’s other things,’ even while green pressure groups boast of having killed the industry,” said Horner.

While condemning Obama’s EPA, Trump failed to specify how it was crippling energy companies or which regulations were doing the most damage.

Horner is not surprised.

“Specifics aren’t Donald Trump’s long suit, so while I could wish he got a lot more specific on a lot of things, I spend my time more productively,” said Horner, who also says the regulatory scheme is fairly complicated and not easily explained in a debate format.

“The truth is it’s a whole suite of regulations.  It is this wall of regulatory sound coming at parties,” said Horner.

Trump articulated an all-of-the-above strategy, embracing renewable energies along with oil, natural gas, and ‘clean coal.’  He says an economic boom is just waiting for the United States under our feet.

Clinton also believes energy is the key to America’s next economic surge.  However, she believes the future is in embracing and prioritizing renewables and getting away from the traditional souces of energy.

Horner says Clinton is planning to throw huge amounts of good money after ideas that are proven failures.

“How many divisions does Solyndra have to play on her windmill, solar panel, superpower line, which is really tiresome?” asked Horner, referring to the failed California solar power firm that was kept afloat with by the federal government and ultimately lost $849 million in taxpayer money.

He says Clinton has no interest in promoting what works, only the green agenda.

“What Sec. Clinton is talking about is actually industrial policy.  The problem is you’re killing legitimate industries in order to create a viable version of something that’s failed in the marketplace for 125 years,” said Horner, noting that the push for wind and solar power has been afoot since the 1880s.

“Therefore, it will be depended upon policy and the taxpayers and inefficiencies and redundancies and mandates and so on,” he added.

Horner says Clinton’s political goals are clear.

“I don’t want A and I want B.  B doesn’t work on it’s own and, darn it, A does so I have to kill A and have you pay for B.  It has failed miserably,” said Horner.

During the Democratic primary season, Clinton proudly vowed to kill the coal industry and coal jobs.  Now, she says only she has a plan to help those who lost their jobs due to woes in the energy sector.

“She’s said essentially, ‘Don’t worry.  We’ve destroyed your livelihoods and when we’re finished, you’re all going to be wind mill repairmen,'” said Horner.  “‘I’m going to wreck your industry, ruin your communities for several years.  Don’t worry.  I have something in mind that’s essentially welfare, because I’m going to put you in make work.'”

“There’s a difference between work and make-work.  What she’s talking about is make-work, things that need the federal government to mandate them, give them preferences, underwrite them and so on – to even exist at any scale,” said Horner.

Horner says that approach is simply cruel.

“It’s absolutely heartless if she has any recognition of what’s been going on in these communities targeted by this agenda,” said Horner.

Lastly, Clinton referred to natural gas as an important “transition” from our existing energy system to pure renewable energies like wind, solar and biofuels.  Horner says the liberal flip-flop on clean-burning natural gas is another policy shift that will damage America’s economy, as environmental groups swung from loving the abundance of natural gas to loathing it.

Horner says it all feeds into the liberal agenda of energy scarcity, the notion that reducing the supply of energy will lower consumption.  However, Horner contends the facts in Europe and elsewhere prove scarcity just leads to high energy prices, which leads to people being unable to heat or cool their homes – and dying by the thousands as a result.

He says the inconsistency on natural gas is dizzying.

“It used to be you’re not allowed to use that because it’s so scarce.  Then it was, ‘I’ll let you use that if only you’ll swear off this or let me ban it.’  And now it’s, ‘We can use this for a while because it turns out we have unbelievable amounts of it,'” said Horner,

“Please take a big view of what these claims are.  ‘I’m going to let you use something but not much of it, until I get you to things that are new, except they’re 125 years old and have failed all along,'” said Horner.

Greg Corombos of Radio America and Ian Tuttle of National Review review the performances in Sunday night’s second presidential debate.  They rip Republicans who defended Donald Trump’s “locker room” comments and slam Trump for still being very weak on policy specifics.  They unload on Hillary for her terrible job defending an indefensible record, blaming Abraham Lincoln for being caught in a lie, and admitting she wants a Supreme Court justice who agrees with all of her political opinions.  And they criticize the moderators for too much interrupting and for choosing several pointless questions from the audience.

Republicans are playing a lot of defense in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate this year, but conservative Darryl Glenn is making the race in Colorado closer than many expected and he says a close inspection of him and the incumbent Democrat will lead to voters electing him next month.

Glenn, a retired U.S. Air Force officer and current El Paso County commissioner.  Bennet was appointed to the seat in 2009 and won another six years in the 2010 election.  Glenn says his state and our nation stand at a critical moment.  Polls show Bennet usually ahead but the margins vary wildly.

“It’s time for us to lead and I’m the guy to do it,” said Glenn.

He says Bennet’s record is clear and it has made America weaker.

“There’s some key issues where Michael Bennet is on the wrong side.  When you start thinking about the Iran nuclear deal and the Affordable Care Act, these are two major things that Michael Bennet has supported with the administration.  When you’re out talking to people in Colorado, that’s completely out of step with what’s going on out here,” said Glenn.

“When you look at the Affordable Care Act and what that’s doing to insurance premiums here in Colorado, people are angry and upset.  He is personally responsible for that,” added Glenn, referring to Bennet casting the tie-breaking vote in favor the Senate legislation in late 2009.

Glenn and Bennet have met in just one debate.  Bennet has canceled appearances since then and Glenn says it’s because the senator can’t defend his record.

“I got him to admit that even with all the information out there that he would still support the Iran nuclear deal and he would still support the Affordable Care Act,” said Glenn.  “When I held him accountable and he didn’t receive a positive reaction, he’s been cancelling debates.  He’s been running away from his record faster than Usain Bolt in the Olympics.”

Glenn says a fundamental difference in this race is who the two candidates are committed to serving.  He says Bennet does whatever the Democrats need him to do.

“Michael Bennet is more concerned with carrying the administration’s water, when you think about voting in lock-step with President Obama.  If Hillary Clinton gets in there, which we are absolutely fighting against, he would do the exact same thing,” said Glenn.

He maintains that his commitment will be to his constituents.

“I’m willing to work with anyone who wants to put country first.  I have a track record of going out and talking to my constituents and then standing up and representing them.  That’s what people want.  They want somebody that’s actually going to do their job and understand their responsibilities under the Constitution and stand up and represent them,” said Glenn.

Several key issues are near and dear to Glenn, beginning with national security.

“I’ll absolutely be focusing in on the defense of this nation and making sure that our men and women have the proper tools, training and equipment to do their jobs, that they have clear rules of engagement and, in the event that something happens to them, that we have a VA system that actually works,” said Glenn.

He says energy is another issue he is passionate about and impacts his state a great deal.

“We support all forms of energy, but the market needs to be able to dictate it and we should not pick winners and losers.  You’ve got the president and Michael Bennet and even our governor (Democrat John Hickenlooper) declaring war on our coal industry and it’s really having a traumatic impact,” said Glenn.

Glenn says Obamacare is also wreaking havoc on Colorado families.

“Two hundred fifty thousand Coloradans have lost their insurance.  A lot of them are looking at a premium increase of between 20-40 percent.  This is having a tremendous impact,” said Glenn.

He also backs a balanced budget amendment, federal term limits, and tax reform that lowers personal and corporate income reform.

Glenn is also an unabashed social conservative.

“I’m a strong man of faith,” he said.  “My battle cry is I’m an unapologetic Christian, constitutional, conservative, pro-life, second amendment-loving American.  I say that to remind people that you have a first amendment right to be bold and brave.  We’re living under an administration that has been suppressing that right.  A lot of people have fought and died for us to have that right.  We should all be proud of who and what we are,” said Glenn.

While Colorado is often seen as trending Democratic, Glenn says voters there are independent thinkers who expect you to work for their votes.  And that includes reaching out to constituencies like black voters, who he says Republicans often give up on and Democrats take for granted.

Glenn, who is also black, says he’s actively appealing to those communities.

“We have been going into under-served communities and talking with them about true issues that are impacting their daily lives,” he said.

“When start thinking about education, this is a winning issue for us.  In my campaign, we absolutely stand up for choice and vouchers because that’s the number one equalizer,” said Glenn.  “In the Denver metro area, one in five people of color are unemployed or under-employed and the people they’ve been supporting have been exacerbating that problem.”

While some GOP Senate hopefuls are either refusing to endorse presidential nominee Donald Trump or doing so very reluctantly, Glenn says he is behind Trump because America cannot afford a Hillary Clinton presidency.  And he says conservatives ought to get on board.

“Granted, your guy may not be at the top of the ticket, but we need to realize that we’re down to two choices.  We must come together and put the country first and look at the fact that this is a generational decision.  If Hillary Clinton is in there, if you are concerned about your second amendment rights or religious liberty, we’re going to be going in the wrong direction if she’s there,” said Glenn.

Nonetheless, he expects and wants Colorado voters to see the U.S. Senate race separate from the Trump-Clinton scrum.

“I want people to focus in my record and what I can do, from a leadership standpoint, and Michael Bennet’s record,” said Glenn.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are encouraged by new Senate polls in four states.  They also find some satisfaction in reports that NFL ratings are way down this season.  And they discuss the public spat by Fox News hosts Megyn Kelly and Sean Hannity over their very different coverage of Donald Trump in 2016.

Longtime conservative activist Richard Viguerie is lauding Indiana Gov. and Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence for giving what he believes is the most Reaganesque performance in a general election political debate since Reagan himself and says Donald Trump would be wise to emulate Pence’s approach in his final two debates against Hillary Clinton.

Pence squared off against Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, in the lone vice presidential debate Tuesday night at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.  After a week of the Trump campaign being swarmed with questions about tax returns and a former Miss Universe, Viguerie says Pence expertly made the case for conservative principles and against Hillary Clinton.

“It was just outstanding,” said Viguerie.  “I kept thinking, ‘Gosh, I wish we could have nominated Mike Pence.  In fact, in 2011 I spent some time with Pence trying to talk him into running for president.  I know other friends of mine did the same.”

“Pence was just brilliant at laying out the position of the Democrats: taxes, spending, open borders.  It was just so nicely done,” he added.

Viguerie says conservatives saw one of their own on a national stage in a way they haven’t seen in more than a quarter century.

“He comes closer than anybody since Ronald Reagan to being Ronald Reagan,” said Viguerie.

He believes Pence was so effective because he was able to articulate conservative principles in an approachable way – much like the Gipper.

“He’s got a demeanor about him that reminds me of Ronald Reagan.  He can say something that’s very sound and conservative in principle without scaring people.  He’s just got a wonderful mannerism about him.  What you see is what you get.  Away from the camera he’s the same as he is on camera,” said Viguerie.

Viguerie hopes Trump was paying attention.

“[Pence] was just having a conversation with somebody in their home.  Mike Pence last night showed Trump the way to win this election, if Trump will just follow the lead of Mike Pence,” said Viguerie.

One of the major criticisms of Trump’s first debate performance from the right was the number of opportunities he missed to highlight conservative principles and point out weaknesses in Clinton’s record.  Viguerie says Pence was crisp and sharp all night.

“I can’t think of an opportunity he misses.  he was obviously very well-prepared, but it didn’t look canned.  Tim Kaine was also prepared but he looked scripted.  It looked like he was reading off of talking points,” said Viguerie.

Viguerie believes Trump’s greatest challenge will be emulating Pence when it comes to personal attacks against him and side-stepping his vulnerabilities in favor of articulating his agenda and exposing the weaknesses in Clinton’s plans.

“His identity is his business success.  That’s who he is.  It’s like a doctor walking around the hospital with a stethoscope stuck around his neck.  That’s who he is.  Trump is a businessperson.  He’s very proud of his success.  If you attack that, it’s very difficult for him to avoid the trap that’s been set for him.  But he’s got to do it if he wants to win,” said Viguerie.

Viguerie is also considering the impact of the debate on the long-term political careers of Pence and Kaine.  He says other would-be conservative leaders will be taking a back seat to Pence, regardless of how the election turns out.

“Among other losers last night were people named Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Paul Ryan.  If the ticket were to lose in 2016, and I don’t think they will, I think Mike Pence is going to be the favorite going forward,” said Viguerie.  “Win or lose, we’ll see Mike Pence accept the mantle as being the leader of the conservative movement.”

As for Kaine, Viguerie suspects this bad night will linger for a long time.

“We’re all a brand.  Tim Kaine walked on that stage as a blank slate.  You only get one opportunity to make a first impression.  His first impression was very weak,” said Viguerie.

He notes that early impressions can dog a new face on the national political stage for the rest of their careers, citing former Vice President Dan Quayle as an example.

“Dan Quayle unfairly got branded as somebody that was kind of a lightweight.  Very, very unfair but it was his introduction to American politics – in the debate and in his announcement when (George H.W.) Bush selected him,” said Viguerie.

“You carry that the rest of your life.  I’m afraid for Tim Kaine that he may be branded as what we saw last night.  He’ll have a hard time creating a new brand,” Viguerie added.