The 2009 Pig Book is out courtesy of Citizens Against Government Waste. So what does the book include? Are new earmark rules lowering the amount of pork barrel spending? Do members even follow the new rules? Which members of the House and Senate are the worst offenders? And what are some of the most ridiculous earmarks? We ask Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste.
We have Wednesday’s top news… What is President Obama saying about his energy plan on Earth Day 2009? What did Democrats in Congress focus on today in terms of our climate and energy policy? Why is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton very worried about Pakistan? What is she saying about Iran’s nuclear ambitions? Why is Michigan’s governor upset with the major banks as Chrysler scrambles to stay alive? What additional problem is GM facing? What happened on Wall Street today? We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Wednesday, April 22, 2009.
What will be the real impact of the Obama energy plan? How much will your energy costs really go up? How many current jobs could be lost by new restructions on industry? How many ‘green jobs’ would be created? How will Obama try to package this massive tax hike? We ask Brian Johnson, Federal affairs Manager at Americans for Tax Reform.
On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration gave its blessing to allowing the Plan B ‘morning after’ pill to be sold to minors without a prescription. Why is this happening? What are the health and behavioral risks associated with this decision? Also, what have we learned about the ‘tolerance’ of gay activists as they heap verbal abuse upon Miss California for saying she supports traditional marriage? We ask Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America.
In Congressional testimony, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Pakistani government is abdicating to the Taliban and other extremist groups and that these radical elements are moving closer to the capital of Islamabad. How accurate is Clinton’s report? Why have the radicals been so effective? What must the Pakistanis be ready to do? Is there a legitimate chance the government could be overthrown? What is the proper U.S. posture? We ask Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, vice president of research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
We have Tuesday’s top news… What is President Obama saying now about possible prosecutions over interrogation techniques that he considers torture? What is Dick Cheney saying about Obama’s decision to release the interrogation memos? What is Obama saying about U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process? What update did Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner give on the economic recovery effort? How did Wall Street respond? We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
Just days after saying no CIA interrogators would be prosecuted for their treatment of terrorist detainees, President Obama says some Bush administration officials who authorized the interrogation tactics could face charges. What should we make of this latest twist to the story? Is former Vice President Dick Cheney right in saying more documents should be released that show just how effective these tactics were? What is the impact on our national security and our enemies that this is all public? We ask K.T. McFarland, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.
The government is encouraging private investors to help gobble up and remove the toxic assets remaining on bank balance sheets. Why do some experts say this is a great investment? What is the risk? How much help would you get from the government? How soon could you make money? Will the government ever leave you alone once you go into business together? We ask Bill Bartmann, former CEO of Commercial Financial Services.
Energy is one of the hottest political topics in Washington right now. But can Americans really separate fact from fiction on this issue? From which country do we import the most oil? Would alternative energies be cheaper or more expensive than our fossil fuel- based system? Can the system be overhauled in the next decade? What is the impact of Americans being clueless on those and other energy-related question? We ask Drew Thornley, author of a new energy report for the Manhattan Institute.
The Senate Finance Committee has approved the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. But opposition to to her nomination remains fierce on the right side of the aisle? Why do many conservatives see her as unfit? Why do they see her testimony before Congress filled with inconsistencies and misleading statements? Why is her record on abortion particularly troubling to them? Should there be a filibuster attempt? We ask Tom McClusky, senior vice president of FRC Action at the Family Research Council.
