Radio America Online News Bureau

Several Republican heavyweights are launching a new efofrt to introduce the nation to the GOP once again.  But their message is that it’s time to move past the nostalgia for the Reagan years and focus on expanding the tent to attract as many people to the party as possible.  Is that the right strategy or an abandonment of what works best for the party?  Who is a Republican leader that will have some clout with the American people?  And what can they learn from Reagan and Jack Kemp and others in the 1970s when the Republicans recovered from an even deeper problem with the electorate?  We ask Richard Viguerie, chairman of conservativehq.com and author of “Conservatives Betrayed”.

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As we’ve already highlighted, the Hate Crimes legislation approved by the House of Representatives affords special protection to homosexuals and restricts speech critical of such behavior.  But what other behaviors are protected in this legislation?  How about pedophilia and bestiality?  Why would Congress vote to protect those behaviors and reject amendments specifically calling for pedophiles to not be protected?  And why are sexual perversions embraced in this bill but not protections for the elderly, veterans and Christians?  We ask Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs at Liberty Counsel.

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We have Monday’s top news…What is happening in Pakistan that has U.S. officials worried about nuclear weapons falling into the hands of radicals?  Wil recent violence in Iraq change the U.S. withdrawal schedule?  Who is President Obama targeting with proposed changes in the tax code?  What is he not telling us about these alleged tax cheats?  What clues is the White House giving us about Obama’s upcoming Supreme Court pick?  What advice is Obama getting from Republicans in the U.S. Senate?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Monday, May 4, 2009.

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U.S. officials are increasingly worried about the stability of Pakistan’s government as radical militants – including the Taliban – move within 60 miles of the capital.  Why is the situation getting so much worse?  How much danger is there of a government collapse?  Will the military seize control of the government again if the radicals get closer?  What help can the U.S. provide?  And are the nukes safe?  We ask Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, vice president of research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

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On Saturday, former Congressman Jack Kemp died of cancer at the age of 73.  Kemp was also the GOP vice presidential nominee in 1996.  But he will be best remembered for championing supply-side economics and convincing Ronald Reagan to make tax cuts a centerpiece of his domestic agenda.  Just how pivotal of a role did Kemp play in the Reagan Revolution?  How did he persuade Reagan to adopt his economic philosophy?  How was he so effective despite apending his entire Congressional career in the minority?  And what triggered his active outreach to minorities and the inner cities?  We ask Frank Donatelli, political director in the Reagan White House and current chairman of GOPAC.

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What is the reaction within the auto industry to Chrysler’s entrance into an expedited bankruptcy process?  Do insiders think the Obama plan will succeed?  Was President Obama justified or way out of line to scold Chrysler’s creditors for refusing to be part of the deal?  And what fate awaits General Motors at the end of this month?  We ask Marty Padgett, editor of thecarconnection.com

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On Monday, President Obama announced he was going after U.S. businesses with offshore accounts and try to avoid paying U.S. taxes on profits made in other countries.  So what will be the impact of Obama’s new push to collect those taxes?  Is he right when he says doing this will create more American jobs or will this trigger a corporate exodus?  And if this double taxation is so bad, why didn’t Republicans do anything about it when they had power?  We ask Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

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We have Friday’s top news… What is President Obama saying about retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter?  What is he promising in a replacement?  What are Senate Republicans expecting?  What is Obama saying about the fight against the swine flu?  Why is one Democratic congresswoman confirming the worst fears about Obama’s brand of health care reform?  What are auto sales numbers from April?  And what happened on Wall Street Friday?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Friday, May 1, 2009.

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As we pass the first 100 days of the Obama administration, the Capitol Steps are checking in to see how well President Obama is getting along with his former rival and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Oh, and another Clinton drops by too.  Our guest from the Steps is Brian Ash.

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On Friday, President Obama announced the impending retirement of U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter.  Why did conservatives get blindsided by his nomination?  What is Souter’s judicial philosophy?  What kind of nominee can we expect from Obama?  What does he mean when he says a judge’s empathy is a critical quality in his search for a replacement?  What other Obama statements give us an understanding of what he sees as the role of the judicial system?  We ask former Justice Department official Barbara Comstock, who has also worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee which will oversee the upcoming confirmation hearings.

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