On Monday, the Obama administration grudgingly allowed 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-conspirators to be tried in a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay rather than in civilian courts as the president first advocated. Was Holder right to blame politics for the reversal in policy? Was Congress right to assert its leverage in pushing for the tribunals? And how exactly are tribunals different than a typical criminal trial in civilian courts? We discuss it all with Kyndra Rotunda, former U.S. Army prosecutor at Guantanamo and author of “Honor Bound: Inside the Guantanamo Trials”.
Archives for April 2011
Three Martini Lunch 4/6/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are happy that pro-Walker forces are stronger than we thought in Wisconsin. We’re also frustrated as Obama and other Democrats push for a shutdown while casting GOP as the villain. And we enjoy that the NRSC parody of Obama’s 2012 campaign launch scored three times the traffic as Obama’s actual campaign launch video.
Small Business vs. Obamacare
Nebraska Sen. Mike Johanns is lead sponsor of the effort to repeal an Obamacare provision that would have added a huge paperwork burden for small business owners. Why would this have been so onerous? How did 87 senators agree on this when it was such a polarizing issue last year? What part of Obamacare might be next on the chopping block? And how does reducing paperwork lead to more jobs? We ask Sen. Johanns.
Answering Obama
Oklahoma Rep. James Lankford is a member of the House Budget Committee. He reacts to the growing possibility of a government shutdown and responds to President Obama’s claims that Democrats want to cut just as much spending as House Republicans.
Budget Battles Near and Far
A government shutdown looms Friday night unless Congress can agree on a bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year. Will it happen? What’s the real reason for the impasse? Are Democrats really rooting for a shutdown? And what should we make of Rep. Paul Ryan’s long-term fiscal reform plans. We ask New Hampshire Rep. Frank Guinta, a member of the House Budget Committee.
Three Martini Lunch 4/5/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review love the long-term fiscal blueprint offered by Rep. Paul Ryan. We also rip Democrats for openly rooting for a government shutdown. And we chide Eric Holder for whining about Congressional influence in his decision to hold 9-11 trials at Guantanamo Bay.
9-11 Trials to be Held at Gitmo
On Monday, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that he is reversing policy and will allow Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his alleged co-conspirators to be tried before military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay. How important is this change? Why is Gitmo a better location and system than in federal court? What has the U.S. lost by debating this policy for the past few years? And does this mean the debate over closing Guantanamo is over for the foreseeable future? We ask retired U.S. Army Gen. Paul Vallely. We also get his thoughts on the mission in Afghanistan as riots and tough fighting continue there almost 10 years after 9-11.
Three Martini Lunch 4/4/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cheer Marco Rubio for pointing out that without major changes America is headed for financial doom even if we do raise the debt ceiling. We also rip GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham for suggesting that free speech should have its limits during times of military action. And we pick apart the web video announcing President Obama’s 2012 re-election efforts.
Bolton Talks Libya, 2012 Campaign
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton offers his thoughts on the latest developments in Libya and President Obama’s handling of the crisis. What should be America’s goals in Libya going forward? How should we respond to unrest in other Arab countries? Are we fostering freedom or paving the way for extremists to take control throughout the region? Why does Bolton see Obama’s Libya policy as ‘incoherent’? And how does all of this impact Bolton’s decision on whether to run for president in 2012? We discuss it all with Amb. John Bolton.
Doubts on Libya, Impasse on Budget
John Gizzi of Human Events says Obama did the best he could on his Libya speech, but America will not accept a third military mission in the Middle East. He also sizes up the budget fight and says both sides will end up agreeing to a plan that will not please the base of either party.