Archives for September 2011

The American effort to take out top Al Qaeda figures scored another major victory on Friday when a drone strike killed Anwar Al-Awlaki, the leader of the terror network’s efforts in the Arabian peninsula.  How significant is this killing?  Will it be a major disruption to terrorist operations or will someone else fill his shoes pretty easily?  Was the killing justified or should Al-Awlaki have been arrested because he is an American citizen?  And is his role in inspiring the Ft. Hood shooter being minimized for political reasons?  We discuss it all with Catherine Herridge, national correspondent for the FOX News Channel.

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This past week, the Obama administration appealed to the Supreme Court to resolve the fight over the constitutionality of the president’s health care plan.  The biggest issue is the provision mandating that everyone purchase a health plan approved by the government.  The Obama team is confident it will win but conservatives are just as confident in their arguments?  Indiana Rep. Larry Bucshon was a cardio-thoracic surgeon before winning a seat in Congress last year.  He explains why he thinks the law is on his side and against the president, why the plan is stifling job creation across the country and why the 30 million people about to get coverage will not actually get better care.  Listen here for our discussion with Rep. Bucshon.

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While most political watchers are focused on the 2012 presidential race here in the U.S., the Capitol Steps are looking at the imminent return to the Russian presidency by Vladimir Putin.  And they roll out a recent classic to observe the occasion.

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Greg Corombos of Radio America and Daniel Foster of National Review Online cheer the drone strike that took out Al Qaeda honcho Anwar al-Awlaki.  They also rebuke President Obama for saying America has become soft.  And they enjoy Warren Buffett’s efforts to distance himself from Obama’s tax hike plan.

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Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns is chairman of the House subcommittee investigating the $535 million in taxpayer money that the Obama administration granted to solar panel maker Solyndra – despite repeated warnings that the company was doomed to fail.  So what has the panel learned?  What questions still need to be answered?  Are there more green energy firms headed for the same fate?  And is there evidence of a political quid pro quo here?  We discuss it all with Chairman Stearns.

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Youcef Nadarkhani is the Christian pastor of a house church in Iran.  He could face execution at any moment for converting to Christianity and refusing to recant.  So why does Pastor Yousef face death for his Christian faith?  What triggered the charges of apostasy against him?  How are Iranian officials responding to Pastor Yousef’s claim that he was never a practicing Muslim in the first place?  We ask Rev. Paul Estabrooks of Open Doors USA, which assists Christians persecuted around the world.

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Greg Corombos of Radio America and Daniel Foster of National Review Online cheer the FBI for breaking up the most sophisticated terrorism plot since 9-11.  They also assess Rick Perry’s damage control efforts since his rough debate performance.  And we we scold New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for suggesting the highest duty of government is to get people to make healthy eating choices.

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Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns chairs the House subcommittee investigating Planned Parenthood’s use of taxpayer dollars.  Are they being used to fund abortions?  Are recent undercover videos accurate when they depict Planned Parenthood workers advising supposed pimps on how to keep abortions for underage prostitutes under wraps?  How does Stearns plan to get to the bottom of these issues?  We discuss it all with Florida Rep Cliff Stearns.

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Virginia Rep. Morgan Griffith reacts to the Solyndra officials refusing to testify before Congress last week.  What does their refusal to testify suggest to him?  Have there been any good answers on why taxpayer money kept flowing to Solyndra even after it was the clear the company would fail?  Will the key answers come from Solyndra executives or from Obama administration officials?  And important is the probe into why the private donors to Solyndra got priority in being paid back over U.S. taxpayers?  We discuss it all with Rep. Griffith, a member of the House subcommittee investigating the controversy.

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Greg Corombos of Radio America and Daniel Foster of National Review Online loved the way Chris Christie exposed President Obama as relying on fear, division and hatred for his re-election – the very things Obama denounced in 2008.  They also rip former Obama budget director Peter Orzag for suggesting that gridlock could be solved by less democracy through Congress and more actions taken through executive orders and special commissions.  And they slam the Obama administration for questioning Ford over a new ad highlighting that Ford is the only U.S. automaker that didn’t take bailout money.  And they slam Ford for caving in and pulling the ad.

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