Archives for February 2011

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the coalition of House conservatives which boasts record membership this year.  As House Republicans target spending cuts for the current fiscal year, what are conservatives demanding and how does it compare with what GOP leaders are willing to cut?  Will conservatives go along with a hike in the debt ceiling?  What concessions would they demand for even a tiny increase?  And are conservatives and GOP House leaders working well together or is there a battle within the party over what the agenda ought to be?  We discuss it all with Rep. Jordan.

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Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty applaud the near universal rejection of President Obama’s budget and regret that the official national debt now equals the entire U.S. gross domestic product.  They also address the IRS plan to offer tax breaks to breastfeeding mothers as part of Michelle Obama’s battle against America’s obesity.

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On Monday, President Obama unveiled his $3.73 trillion budget for Fiscal Year 2012.  The budget projects a record $1.65 trillion deficit for the coming year but vows to freeze discretionary spending and reduce the deficit to $627 billion by 2017.  So what does this tell us about the president’s commitment to fiscal responsibility?  How does the president plan to reduce the deficit over the next few years?  Why doesn’t he address entitlements?  And are Republicans in the House prepared to offer something better?  We discuss it all with New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett, vice chairman of the House Budget Committee.

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Israeli officials did not want to see Hosni Mubarak toppled from power in Egypt, but what are they thinking now that Mubarak is gone?  Why is the temporary leadership in Egypt reassuring to Israel?  How worried should we be about the stability of the government in Jordan?  Will Arab nations seriously consider Col. Gadhafi’s call to bring all Palestinians to Israel’s borders?  What does Israel want from the United States?  And can we expect Israel to bolster its military even if the threat of attack is not imminent?  We ask retired Israeli Brigadier General Elihu Ben-Onn.

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Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty celebrate the Senate candidacy of Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake.  They also try to figure out how President Obama plans to reduce the deficit by freezing spending at ridiculously high levels.  And they yawn at the DNC’s latest message that Democrats want to move the nation forward while Republicans plan to take us backward.

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While most of the Middle East and the western world celebrate the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Middle East expert and World Net Daily contributor Dr. Mike Evans says this change will most likely result in the rise of a a radical Islamic regime in Egypt because the population is far more radical than the media and our own government are willing to admit.  Why does he see the worst case scenario as the most likely scenario?  How will radicals get into power?  How likely is it that Jordan could be the next government to fall?  Why will Obama deserve much of the blame if radicals surround and threaten Israel?  What’s the best way for the U.S. to prevent this from happening?  And how is Israel likely to react to all of this?  We discuss it all with Dr. Mike Evans, author of “Jimmy Carter: The Liberal Left and World Chaos”.

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Iowa Rep. Steve King discusses the end of Hosni Mubarak’s reign in Egypt.  What does he expect to happen next?  What can the U.S. do to attempt facilitating the best possible outcome?  Why does King say it’s hard for Obama to say anything that the people can trust?  We also ask Rep. King about this week’s surprising House vote that rejected the extension of certain Patriot Act provisions.  How did he vote and how concerned is he that the government is or could infringe on our rights through the powers granted through the Patriot Act.  We discuss it all with Rep. King.

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Now that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down from power, how should the U.S. react and what do we want to happen next?  We ask Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, who also explains his new Freedom Trade Act, which would make strong human rights records a requirement for trade with the U.S.  Would such a policy actually force changes or just limit markets for U.S. goods?  Is this policy mainly aimed at China?  We ask Rep. McCotter and also discuss his new book, “Seize Freedom!”.

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The Capitol Steps offer two parodies chronicling the crisis in Egypt, one from the perspective of the demonstrators and one from Mubarak himself.  Our guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.

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Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty celebrate the major spending cuts being proposed next week on the House floor.  They also analyze Obama getting surprised by the developments in Egypt and try to find words capable of describing the stupidity of Chris Matthews.

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