On Thursday, President Obama addressed the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly. But why does former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton say the president said almost nothing new and basically ‘phoned in’ his speech? What should Obama have said that would have made a greater impact? Should he get high marks for his defense of Israel? And is the U.S. perfectly content to let Iran run out the clock and acquire nuclear program? We ask Ambassador Bolton.
Congressional leaders have made it known that a vote to extend some or all of the Bush income tax cuts will likely be postponed until after the midterm elections. How is the economy impacted as this issue remains in limbo? Which tax cuts are also set to expire that could have a much bigger impact on the economy than the income tax rates? And are Republicans right to insist that all or none of the tax cuts be extended? We ask Peter Sepp, executive vice president at the National Taxpayers Union.
Most polls show Democrats are headed for a bruising round of midterm elections, but how does President Obama view this campaign and what’s going on beneath that calm exterior? The Capitol Steps offer their take in “What Kind of Cool Am I”. Our guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.
The Republicans are outlining priorities for the next Congress if voters return them to the majority. But how will the GOP show they really are different from the free-spending bunch that voters ran out of power just four years ago? And how will they avoid the slide from principled to complacent that afflicted them over 12 years in the majority the last time around? What’s the biggest message the party wants voters to hear? And do Republicans think they’ll be back in power next year? We ask Texas Rep. Randy Neugebauer.
House Republicans are unveiling their promises if returned to the majority this year, one defeated Republican is mounting a write-in campaign and another is considering it and President Obama made the Middle East peace process the centerpiece of his speech to the United Nations General Assembly. We discuss all these topics and more with John Gizzi of Human Events.
With just 40 days remaining before the midterm elections, Republican House members and Congressional hopefuls are listing their goals and priorities for the coming Congress in a plan called “Pledge to America”. What is the national message the GOP is trying to communicate to voters? What is their plan to control federal spending? Can voters trust them just four years after firing Republicans in part over excessive spending? What would the GOP pursue after repealing the Obama health care laws? Would any aspects of the new law be part of a replacement plan? And could a Republican majority find any common ground with President Obama? We discuss it all with Georgia Rep. Tom Price, chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
Official Washington is chattering about the latest Bob Woodward book – this one offering the inside story of how the current policy in Afghanistan was compiled and the infighting that accompanied the new strategy. Should we be surprised that President Obama’s top priority is to get out of Afghanistan? What is the impact of many military leaders being skeptical of success? Why does the book hurt national security? And is our policy working in Afghanistan? We talk about these and other questions with former Pentagon official and eight-time embed reporter Bing West.
Why is the mainstream press talking non-stop about a Delaware senate candidate they hadn’t heard of two weeks ago? Why do the media see Republican women as a threat? What are the key narratives the networks and newspaper are trying to craft in the minds of voters? How blatant is the media activism in this campaign? And does media bias make a big difference in the outcome of elections? We ask Richard Benedetto, former White House Correspondent for USA TODAY and current professor of politics and journalism at American University and Georgetown University.
In a new book, author and professor Paul Kengor says American adversaries have cleverly exploited American progressives for a century. But how did this exploitation begin and how did Communists gain the trust of liberals? Which Democrats fiercely resisted this pressure and became heroes because of it? How id Communists use the biggest names in Hollywood to their advantage? And how do the early years of stealth Communist activity have a direct impact on America today? We ask, Dr. Paul Kengor, author of “Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century”.
President Obama, Democratic leaders in Congress and even some of the top figures at the Pentagon are all pushing for a repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy banning gays in the military. But many of the military brass believe allowing gays to serve openly would be a big mistake. What is the case against gays in the military? What should we think of how lawmakers are trying to include this as part of a must-pass defense spending bill? How would members of the military react to the policy being repealed? Would it impact recruiting and retention? We ask retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Tom McInerney, who also has some choice words for Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen. We also get Gen. McInerney’s thoughts on the latest developments in Afghanistan.
