John Gizzi of Human Events previews the next budget fight and explains why he thinks House Republicans are being tough enough when it comes to spending cuts. Gizzi also sizes up a likely Newt Gingrich presidential run and whether the GOP has a shot at the open Hawaii senate seat.
This week, Attorney General Eric Holder was criticized for failing to fully prosecute members of the New Black Panther Party for intimidating voters in 2008. In response, Holder said the details in the case did not come close to the discrimination suffered in the Civil Rights era and any such suggestion was a disservice to “my people”. What did we learn about Holder’s view of the law and how race factors into that view? What can we glean from his handling of the voter intimidation case and his advice to President Obama to stop enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act? Is there a racial bias at the Justice Department? Is there evidence to back up that claim? We discuss it all with J. Christian Adams, a former lawyer in the Justice Department’s civil rights division. He is now with Pajamas Media.
While it’s been overshadowed by huge stories at home and abroad, the sex scandal surrounding Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi still threatens his grip on power. This week, the Capitol Steps have some fun with Berlusconi and his scandal. Our guest is Steps co-founder and star Elaina Newport.
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty give kudos to Ohio Republicans for successfully moving forward with their budget resolution that actually goes even further than the stalled plan in Wisconsin. We also reluctantly admit we were right about the Obama administration going to great lengths to avoid calling the Frankfurt shootings an act of terrorism. And we offer choice reaction to Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz saying that federal cuts in daycare and early childhood education will absolutely lead to more criminals in the future.
California Rep. Dan Lungren is lead sponsor of HR 4, the bill to repeal a major expansion of the number of 1099 IRS forms small business would have had to complete to comply with the new health care laws. The plan easily passed the House on Thursday afternoon. So what happens now to the legislation? Why did many Democrats agree to repeal of this provision? Why do Republicans see this repeal as a major boost to job creation? And will this lower the number of new IRS agents ordered by the health care bill? We ask Rep. Lungren.
South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson talks about the ongoing bloodshed in Libya and the U.S. posture towards efforts to oust longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. What does Wilson believe should have been our posture since the start if rebellion? What are we doing diplomatically and militarily to facilitate the ouster of Gadhafi? Why were Democrats and Republicans so quiet about the Libya crisis for days before finally demanding a change in leadership? How can the U.S. best navigate a region full of unrest while our national security interests suggest some current regimes should stay and we;d really like to see others fall? We ask South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, a member of both the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees. Wilson is just back from a Congressional delegation to the Middle East and offers updates on Iraq and Afghanistan as well.
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty delight in the latest retirement from a Senate Democrat – this time it’s Hawaii’s Daniel Akaka. We also worry that President Obama will try to minimize the fact a Muslim radical is responsible for the murders of two U.S. service members in Germany. And we take aim at Michael Moore’s contention that the money of rich people really belongs to all of us.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives easily approved a continuing budget resolution that keeps the government funded for the next two weeks. Republicans demanded and got four billion dollars in spending cuts, and only a few GOP members opposed the bill. One was Iowa Rep. Steve King. What was in the bill that made it impossible for him to support it? Why were the contents of the bill so different from what the House Republicans approved just two weeks ago? Are Republicans more committed to keeping the government running or to making the the tough spending cuts necessary to put our fiscal house back in order? We discuss it all with Rep. King.
Last week, President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder declared they would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in federal court. That likely leaves Congress as the only possible defender of the law in court. But will House Republicans defend the law? How could Justice Department funding be connected? And what do GOP members make of Obama’s decision to just stop enforcing a law? We discuss it all with Iowa Rep. Steve King, a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Greg Corombos and Jim Geraghty of National Review discuss Chris Christie’s ability to build more support for a presidential bid every time he insists he’s not running. We also shake our heads at the latest unnecessary drama surrounding Newt Gingrich, and we chronicle Barbara Boxer’s brave fight to save the muppet Elmo from an obvious GOP vendetta.
