Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are encouraged by early polls in Wisconsin that show Go. Scott Walker ahead of either of his possible recall challengers. They shake their heads at news the economy grew at barely half the rate in 2011 that it grew in 2010. And they have fun with Bob Dole’s sudden efforts to influence the Republican presidential race.
Newt Gingrich won a convincing victory in South Carolina and the Florida polls are fluctuating all over the place. Human Events Political Editor John Gizzi tells why we shouldn’t assume Gingrich has the momentum for long and why it’s equally hard to say Romney will soon be back on top. Gizzi also questions the long-term staying power of Rick Santorum in the GOP campaign. He also explains the political strategy behind the president’s State of the Union address and analyzes why Iran is now willing to discuss its nuclear program with western nations.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad now says his government is willing to discuss his nation’s nuclear program with the West. Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Tom McInerney says this is just a stalling tactic. He explains what Iran is trying to avoid most. At the same time, McInerney says rogue states like Iran are now emboldened by the U.S. announcing a trillion dollars worth of military spending cuts over the next decade. McInerney tells us what 100,000 fewer troops will mean to our security and how other cuts could compromise our security.
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are happy that Democratic North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue won’t seek re-election and hope it’s a sign of Obama’s weakness at the top of the ticket. They’re also stunned at the huge swings in the polls before the Florida primary. And they cringe as a big part of Newt’s response to the allegations from his ex-wife are proven false and Gingrich claims his infidelities actually make him seem more normal to voters.
In his State of the Union message, President Obama described the U.S. economy as on the rebound. He also tried to convince skeptics that he was being aggressive on developing domestic energy, rolling back burdensome regulations and working to reduce our national debt. But Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert says the facts are far different from the rhetoric. Gohmert tells us who is really responsible for the recent surge in oil and natural gas production. He says the president is greatly increasing government regulations despite the language Obama used in the speech, and Gohmert also sheds some light on the milk regulation the Obama so proudly repealed. And Rep. Gohmert explains why he believes the president’s talk on spending and the national debt was either ignorant or deceptive.
California Rep. Dan Lungren says President Obama’s rosy view of America’s economy is simply not based in reality. Lungren responds to Obama’s call for lawmakers to extend the payroll tax rates without any more political drama. Lungren also vigorously disagrees with the president’s contention that the only way to fund key federal priorities is to raise taxes on the wealthy and he accuses Obama of rhetorical ‘sleight of hand’ in describing who is ‘rich’. The congressman also has very different ideas from Obama on immigration reform and cautions the president about violating the Constitution by threatening to bypass Congress on key issues.
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review rip President Obama’s speech for being everything from boring to dishonest and once again claiming the nation’s priorities could be addressed properly if the wealthy paid more taxes. They also applaud Mitch Daniels for a sober and devastating assessment of the Obama economy. And they try to figure out why there’s such an uproar over Mitt Romney’s tax returns when multiple cabinet members have failed to pay them at all in years past.
President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address Tuesday night. And while the speech is usually a laundry list of policy items, most expect it to sound a lot like a campaign speech. Obama is likely to make another push for “shared sacrifice” and for everyone to pay their “fair share” by calling for tax hikes on the wealthy. Obama will also pitch his economic agenda with the middle class as the prime beneficiaries. California Rep. John Campbell is tired of this approach from the president and tells us why the Obama strategy is not only divisive but harmful to America’s future. Rep. Campbell highlights the pro-jobs legislation the Republican-led House has passed but has yet to receive any consideration in the Democratic-led Senate. And Campbell explains why this election year will not be one of great legislative accomplishment.
On Monday, New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith took part in the annual March for Life in Washington. One of the strongest pro-life voices in Washington, Rep. Smith tells what message he shared with his fellow demonstrators. He also also explains why he believes President Obama is the most pro-abortion president in history, how Obama is crushing the conscience rights of pro-life Americans and why a second Obama term would be far worse since Obama would not have to fear reprisal from voters.
During the House recess over the holidays, Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga was part of a Congressional delegation that visited military leaders and troops in Afghanistan. Huizenga tells us what he observed in the progress of our military campaign and the training of Afghan forces. He also addresses the debate over the timetable for drawing down American troops and whether the Taliban is our enemy. Huizenga also tells us why he’a cautiously optimistic about the ability of Afghans to eventually provide their own security.
