Diana Furchtgott-Roth of the Manhattan Institute is also a former chief economist for the Department of Labor. She says further scrutiny of the new health care laws show they provide a disincentive for marriage and work. What are the two ways that Obamacare discourages marriage? Why might it convince well-educated people to stop working? And why could Obamacare leave stay-at-home moms and children in a medical no-man’s land?
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review enjoy reports of the Iranian parliament investigating Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for fraud. They also fear allegations of sexual harassment may mean trouble for the Cain campaign. And they’re amused by the free-wheeling performance by Rick Perry in New Hampshire this past weekend.
John Gizzi of Human Events weighs in on the president’s battle with Congress and whether he’s swaying voters by enacting policies without Congressional authorization. Gizzi also assesses the rising popularity of Herman Cain and how Rick Perry’s tax plan could inject some life into his campaign. We also get Gizzi’s thoughts on the Occupy Wall Street protests and the financial chaos in Europe.
President Obama introduced three initiatives this week that he plans to enact without consent from Congress – tax credits for hiring returning veterans, easier mortgage refinancing and breaks for repaying student loans. So are these concrete ways to inject a bit of life into the economy? Why are Republicans unimpressed? Would these ideas even help in the short term? To what extent are these plans just a means of attracting the demographic groups Obama thinks he needs to win next year? We discuss it all with Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman.
Over the past few weeks, businessman Herman Cain has surged to the front of the Republican presidential field. The Capitol Steps have some fun as they get to know the former pizza executive. Our guest is Steps impressionist Mark Eaton.
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review offer their Halloween martinis. What “scary” news may have a strong silver lining? Which political stories scare them in the usual bad way? And what headlines are just scary crazy?
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton says President Obama always wanted American troops out of Iraq as soon as possible and likely made no genuine effort to reach a Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqis. He also explains how Iraq is likely to deteriorate quickly despite many years of American blood and treasure spent to secure it. Bolton also details why quick elections are a bad idea throughout North Africa because the most radical elements are usually the best organized. He also tells us what U.S. policy should be in order to influence the most stable possible outcome. And we ask Amb. Bolton whether the “Arab Spring” has been a good thing or a bad thing overall.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to repeal a three percent withholding tax aimed at contractors doing business with the government. Passed several years ago, the tax is currently scheduled to kick in at the start of 2013. What impact would this additional tax have on contractors and job creation? How do Republicans explain this tax being adopted when Congress was under GOP control? What else do Republicans want to see the Senate consider that has passed the House? We discuss it all with Colorado Rep. Scott Tipton, a member of the House Small Business Committee and a longtime small business owner.
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are generally happy with improved economic growth in the third quarter. They’re disgusted with the liberal media as the Left blames the police for confrontations with Occupy Wall Street protesters. And they can’t believe Rick Perry is seriously considering skipping many of the coming GOP debates.
On Tuesday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry unveiled his 20-20 tax plan, which would scrap the existing tax code and install a flat 20 percent income tax rate. It also calls for a reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. Perry’s plan has won rave reviews from two-time presidential candidate and Forbes magazine publisher Steve Forbes. Why does he prefer the Perry plan to all the others coming from the GOP hopefuls? Why is he nervous about Herman Cain’s call for a national sales tax? What does he think of Mitt Romney’s 59-point plan? And what other reasons does he have for backing Gov. Perry. We discuss all these questions with Steve Forbes.
