In observance of Good Friday, there will be no Three Martini Lunch today. We will return on Monday. We wish you all a blessed Easter!
Three Martini Lunch 4/22/11
Archives for April 2011
Three Martini Lunch 4/21/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Kevin Williamson of National Review discuss how Gary Johnson’s no-shot bid for the White House could help push the more viable candidates to the right on economics. We also rip President Obama for doing little more than trying to demonize Paul Ryan in his town hall events. And we react to Obama being unable to name a specific mistake he’s made as president.
Obama’s Lingering BP Disaster
Wednesday marks one year since the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. What lessons have been learned and which ones should have been learned? Louisiana Rep. Bill Cassidy says lax oversight allowed the tragedy to take place and the Obama administration is making a terrible situation even worse by preventing many firms from returning to work in the Gulf. How much activity would he like to see? How much is there right now? How many jobs are being lost because of the inaction? And how long would it take to ramp up production levels to the levels they were at prior to the disaster? We discuss it all with Rep. Cassidy.
Spending Wars
Fresh off a battle to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year, Republicans and Democrats are now gearing up for a much bigger fight – the 2012 budget and two very different visions of where the country ought to head in efforts to slash the deficits. How united are Republicans behind the Ryan plan to reform entitlements and reform the tax code? Is there anything in the Obama plan Republicans can get behind? How will this likely impasse be resolved? And what sort of concessions on spending will be necessary before the GOP agrees to raise the debt ceiling? We ask Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman, a member of the House Budget Committee.
Prop. 8 Ruling Should be Nixed
A few months ago, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker ruled California’s constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman was unconstitutional. Since then we’ve learned that the now retired Judge Walker is a practicing homosexual and Liberty Counsel contends that should be reason enough to vacate Walker’s decision. Why does Liberty Counsel believe there is a clear conflict of interest that should have led Walker to recuse himself? How is that different than Christian judges ruling on the Ten Commandments or a pro-second amendment judge taking on a gun case? Why didn’t defenders of the traditional marriage law raise the issue of Walker’s fitness to rule on this case? And what happens now? We discuss it all with J. Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel.
The Food Police
In just the past few weeks, the mayor of Boston has banned sugary sodas from being available at schools, a Chicago school has banned parents from making school lunches for their kids and Washington, DC public schools are planning to ban chocolate milk. Why are we seeing so many edicts telling kids and everyone else what they can and cannot eat? Why is the government even leaving parents out of the equation? Do these tactics really help anyone make better decisions? What is the result of previous efforts to tell us all what to eat? And where does this big government intend to go next? We ask Jeff Stier of the National Center for Public Policy Research.
Obama and Religious Freedom
For the first time since President Obama took office, America now has an ambassador-at-large on the issue of international religious freedom. Who or what is responsible for this delay? What do we know about new ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook? What should be her highest priorities? And how serious is the Obama administration about promoting international religious freedom? We ask Lindsay Vessey, advocacy director at Open Doors USA, one of the leading groups assisting the persecuted Christian church.
Three Martini Lunch 4/18/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cheer House Republicans for strongly advancing the Ryan budget. We cringe as the S&P forecasts a negative future for the U.S. economy and we shake their heads as Democrats continue demanding no conditions for an extension of the debt ceiling.
The Truth About Medicare
Over the past several days, Rep. Paul Ryan and President Obama offered very different plans to address our nation’s soaring debt. Both identified Medicare reform as a major part of cutting costs, but they disagree strongly on tactics. So what’s the truth about Ryan’s plan to allow seniors into the health coverage marketplace and what difference would Obama’s efforts to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse really have? Are Republicans trying to sock it to seniors in order to give breaks to the rich? And will middle-aged Americans embrace the changes Ryan is suggesting or will any talk of major reforms cause them to keep the status quo? We discuss it all with Louisiana Rep. John Fleming, who served as a physician for many years before coming to Congress.
When IRS Guys Are Smilin’
The Capitol Steps bring back one of their greatest parodies to mark the depressing occasion of the federal income tax deadline. Our guest is Steps star and co-founder Elaina Newport.