Archives for July 2011

Minnesota State Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch stresses the problems with a continuing shutdown. Going on it’s second week, the shutdown in Minnesota is the longest in recent U.S. history. Governor Mark Dayton wants to raise taxes and increase Minnesota’s budget ceiling while the Republicans are making a “No New Taxes” pledge.  The Republicans agreed to allow more spending as long as it is used on reform that will change how money is spent in the future. Will the governor call the Senate back into session in order to end this shutdown? Who faces the consequences of the shutdown? All this and more with Amy Koch.

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Nevada Republican Congressional candidate Mark Amodei sheds light on his ad regarding the debt ceiling. Amodei is running in the special election to fill the seat left by now Nevada Senator Dean Heller. The ad, which left some people upset, points out how America is ceding its own sovereignty to China. Why was this ad so upsetting to the people? Is everyone else avoiding the subject? What places Amodei above his opponent Kate Marshall? It’s all right here in our talk with Mark Amodei.

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Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are relieved that John Boehner stood firm on avoiding tax increases of any kind after it appeared he may give in to President Obama’s plans to raise taxes. They believe Tim Pawlenty used stronger language than people expected when comparing his experience to Michele Bachmann, which could hurt his chances in the presidential campaign. And, they thought it was ridiculous when Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner thought it was nonsense to be concerned about the staggering unemployment rate.

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For a full week now, Minnesota has been experiencing a government shutdown.  The sticking point is the same as it is in Washington – Democrats want tax hikes to help restore fiscal order while Republicans are staunchly again higher taxes of any kind.  So why does Minnesota even have a budget shortfall?  Does former Gov. Tim Pawlenty deserve any of the blame?  How do Republicans plan to solve the five billion dollar budget gap?  And what should politicians in Washington learn from Minnesota?  We ask Minnesota State House Speaker Kurt Zellers.

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John Gizzi of Human Events tackles the week’s biggest political stories.  Will House Republicans stand tall or collapse under pressure in the debt ceiling negotiations?  If Republicans do compromise, will the Tea Party cast the GOP aside?  Which side will win the very same fight over taxes in Minnesota?  And what’s next for the IMF?  We discuss all of this with John Gizzi.

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Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review applaud Sen. Ron Johnson for denouncing the small, closed door meetings that will likely craft the debt ceiling extension bill.  We also lament a surprisingly bad jobs report and slam President Obama for even considering a bypass around Congress if it were to reject a debt ceiling extension.

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Cut, Cap and Balance.  That’s the mantra of many conservatives in and out of Congress as the debate intensifies over the soon-to-be-breached debt ceiling.  Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan is leading the charge on the third phase of that plan, as sponsor of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.  So what does his amendment specifically advocate?  Does it have the votes to advance?  How would the amendment deal with unexpected emergencies or entitlements?  We discuss it all with Rep. Buchanan.

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The plot is quickly thickening as Congress continues to investigate a government-run gun smuggling operation that was designed to target criminals but ended up in the gun being used to kill people, including a U.S. Border Patrol agent.  What did lawmakers learn in testimony from acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson, which he offered on Monday without informing the Obama administration?  Who at the Justice Department may be the next to feel the heat?  What do we know for sure about this bungled operation?  We ask the man who broke the Melson story, Hans von Spakovsky of Pajamas Media.

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Rhode Island passed stricter voter identity laws. Also, after President Obama’s Twitter Town Hall they have some thoughts about his violent analogies and his wildly outlandish claims that his staff has not received raises since he came into office.

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Louisiana Senator David Vitter says he sees straight through a memo from Immigrations Custom Enforcement that promotes the ideas of the failed DREAM Act. Sen. Vitter says the move is administrative fiat and plans to fight the policy. He even wants to get rid of the birthright citizenship, which he calls ‘crazy.’ Listen here for our conversation with Sen. Vitter

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