Any presidential campaign that seeks to defeat an incumbent must make the case for why the current officeholder needs to be fired. Radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt is now releasing what he considers to be a thorough and frightening indictment of the Obama record on everything from the economy to ignoring the Constitution to a very weak record in foreign policy.
Just over a year after Egyptians demanded and eventually got the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, many of those people are back in the streets over what they fear is a stolen election. We look back at last year’s developments with selections like “March Like an Egyptian” and “Mubarak’s Way”. Our guest is Steps star and co-founder Elaina Newport.
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Dan Foster of National Review cheer Mitt Romney for staying focused on the economy and doing a good job of articulating the stark differences between him and Obama. They also debate Romney’s flip-flop on the DREAM Act and whether this move was a necessary lurch to the political center or further confirmation that Romney will change positions to suit the moment. And they recoil as Michelle Obama emails supporters and compares the president’s treatment of his wife to how he treats the nation.
Utah Republicans will choose their U.S. Senate nominee on Tuesday. Incumbent GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch is favored to win a seventh term, but he is facing a vigorous challenge from State Sen. Dan Liljenquist. Hatch resisted just about every debate request so Liljenquist employed a Hatch tactic from 1976 and debated video clips and a cardboard cut-out of his opponent. As for their one actual debate, Liljenquist explains where he believes he nailed Hatch on his role in Washington’s growing debt. Liljenquist also tells us how he would react to critical issues in Washington – from staving off the massive tax increase set for the start of 2013 and what to do about Obama’s executive order to change immigration enforcement laws.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that non-union members in a closed shop were not required to pay special dues used solely to engage in political campaigning. The case stems from California, where the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) tried to compel additional dues with what the court deemed insufficient notice. The 7-2 majority also called this a First Amendment free speech issue. Barbara Comstock is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and is affiliated with the Workforce Fairness Institute. She says this is not a huge step towards fairness for employees and employers but it is a step in the right direction. Se also explains what this could mean down the road and where the union movement and right to work movements stand right now.
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Dan Foster of National Review applaud the Supreme Court for ruling unions cannot force non-members in closed shop to pay additional dues used solely for political campaigning. As rumors abound that Tim Pawlenty may be among the top contenders to be Mitt Romney’s running mate, Greg and Dan debate whether that would be a good choice. And they get a kick out of NBC suddenly having to cover Fast & Furious after ignoring it for well over a year.
In recent days, Attorney General Eric Holder gave strong indications that he would provide additional documents related to the Justice Department’s handling of Operation Fast & Furious. The focus of a Congressional probe for nearly 18 months, Fast & Furious is the gun-walking program that allowed thousands of guns to end up in the hands of Mexican drug cartel members, resulting in the deaths of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and hundreds of Mexican citizens.
But a Tuesday meeting with Congressional investigators resulted in nothing but posturing between Holder and Republicans. Wednesday morning, President Obama invoked executive privilege at Holder’s request. That means the documents won’t be turned over to Congress any time soon. South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy is a member of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees – the two committees that have spent the most time investigating this issue. Gowdy is outraged and says the Justice Department deliberately stalled for many months in turning subpoenaed documents over to the Oversight Committee. He also cries foul over Obama’s latest move, saying Obama can’t use ‘executive privilege’ to protect information that doesn’t directly involve him. Gowdy says that either means Obama is directly involved in this scandal after insisting he wasn’t or that Obama is taking extraordinary measures to protect communications that should not fall under executive privilege. But Gowdy says whether Obama acted lawfully or not, there’s not much Congress can do to get the critical documents from the Justice Department.
Gowdy also discusses Wednesday’s committee vote holding the attorney general in contempt of Congress, explaining the vote is not specifically about Fast & Furious but about Holder’s disregard for the role of Congress and the rule of law. The congressman also rejects Democratic complaints that this probe and today’s vote are about damaging the administration, distracting from the focus on job creation or about racial animosity against Obama and Holder.
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Dan Foster of National Review discuss President Obama invoking executive privilege on the Fast and Furious documents. They also discuss the possible political upside for the GOP thanks to the raw politics of Obama and Holder. And they elaborate on the extreme distortion of a Mitt Romney speech by MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell.
On Friday, President Obama unilaterally changed immigration policy by announcing that illegal immigrants younger than 30 and who entered the U.S. before the age of 16 do not face deportation and can legally obtain work permits. Arizona Rep. David Schweikert is fighting back with a new bill that would block funding needed to implement the policy change. Schweikert says this is necessary because Obama’s decision does “violence” to the constitutional mechanics of the country. He says every member should be appalled at the precedent of a president changing a law without action from Congress. The congressman says he’s spoken with several Democrats who see Obama’s actions as a really bad precedent, but they will grin and bear it because they want to win in November. Schweikert says Obama should have worked with lawmakers trying to change immigration policy through the legislative process. In addition to the constitutional threat, Schweikert fears what the legalizing of 800,000 new young workers will mean for a dismal job market and a jobless crisis among young people. Some Republicans fear a major GOP backlash to the Obama directive could bring devastating results among Hispanic voters in November, but Rep. Schweikert says we have to tell the truth about the impact this Obama decision has on the role of the Constitution.
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Dan Foster of National Review discuss the call by the National Border Patrol Council for the resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder in relation to the Fast and Furious investigation. They also look at how Russian President Vladimir Putin is running roughshod over President Obama. And they address how voter fraud is still an issue after a dead dog is asked to register to vote.
