Radio America Online News Bureau

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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Why should we not be worried that the current swine flu outbreak could kill tens of millions like a different epidemic did in 1918?  Why should the credit for readily available flu medication go to the private pharmaceutical industry rather than the federal government?  What should we make of Democrats openly desiring to destroy the private health insurance industry?  And why do Democrats want to short circuit Congressional debate?  We ask Grace-Marie Turner, president of the Galen Institute.

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Why does Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter call President Obama’s decision to have Chrysler enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection ‘cruel’ and ‘forced’?  What would he have done differently?  What is his reaction to President Obama scolding bondholders who didn’t toe the government line?  How about the mandatory merger with Fiat?  We get answers to those questions and more in our conversation with Rep. McCotter.

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We have Thursday’s top news… What is the Obama plan for keeping Chrysler afloat?  Who does he blame for not being part of the government plan for Chrysler?  What fate awaits Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli?  How is this news being received in Detroit?  What action is Congress taking towards the credit card industry?  Why is Vice President Biden creating headaches for the White House on the swine flu scare?  What happened on Wall Street Thursday?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Thursday, April 30, 2009.

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