Greg Corombos of Radio America and Daniel Foster of National Review shudder as the Democrats fight over mentioning God and Jerusalem in their party platform but are glad the true views of many in the party were exposed. They also discuss the impact of Bill Clinton’s speech and whether the Democratic base is more energetic for Obama than Republicans are for Romney. And they scratch their heads as Chris Matthews follows Clinton’s speech by discussing how easily the former president could reproduce with martians.
The Real War on Women
Much of the first night at the Democratic National Convention was designed to paint Mitt Romney and other Republicans as anti-woman and President Obama as the advocate for progress among women. Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert is having none of it. He says he is appalled by Democrats saying we all belong to the government, rather than the government belonging to the people. When it comes to the war on women, the congressman says he’s much more horrified by gender-selective abortions that kill baby girls in the womb than opposing a birth control mandate on all employers. Gohmert also marvels that Democrats are offering no plan to reduce the deficit despite our national debt climbing above $16 trillion. On foreign policy, Gohmert says Americans should be outraged that deaths and injuries among Americans in Afghanistan are far higher in three and a half years of Obama’s leadership than under seven and a half years under George W. Bush. The mission itself is also a thorn in Gohmert’s side, as he unloads on Obama for impractical rules of engagement and having no strategy other than getting out in 2014.
Three Martini Lunch 9/5/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Dan Foster of National Review are relieved Ron Paul decided not to help the Obama campaign by endorsing Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson. They also wonder why part of Michelle Obama’s speech sounded like it was at the GOP convention and other parts were complete fiction. And they smirk as the Democrats cite the threat of lightning for moving President Obama’s convention speech from a 73,000-seat football stadium to an arena with 50,000 fewer seats.
Israel Sets Attack Timetable
Israel sees Iranian nuclear weapons as an existential threat and plans are in place to carry out strikes to cripple the nuclear program by the middle of next month. Middle East expert Dr. Mike Evans says his discussions with top Israeli officials this week suggest there is a strong likelihood the attacks will take place between September 15th and October 15th. Evans estimates a 75 percent chance that strikes will be carried out in that 30-day window. Dr. Evans says high-ranking Israeli leaders also tell him they have a secret weapon they intend to deploy for any strikes, but they would not tell Evans what that weapon is. He believes the likely weapon is an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which would cripple Iran’s power grid. Evans says he’s not surprised that the Obama administration is telling Israel and Iran that the U.S. will not back any Israeli attacks. He also reports that CIA Director David Petraeus and other American officials are strongly pressuring Israeli leaders to hold off on attacks before the U.S. elections. Evans explains what sort of ironclad promises from President Obama could convince Israel to stand down temporarily.
Three Martini Lunch 9/4/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Dan Foster of National Review Online cheer a new poll from The Hill showing Americans across the board disapprove of President Obama’s performance in office. They also discuss whether the lack of a convention bounce for Romney is cause for concern. And they examine the curious possibility that hip-hop rapper Nicki Minaj might be endorsing Mitt Romney.
‘We Could Have Done Better’
North Carolina has a very different Congressional map following the 2010 census, and that is expected to mean good things for Republicans. One Democratic seat expected to swing the GOP’s way is in the state’s 11th Congressional district, where Mark Meadows is likely to be a part of the next Congress. Meadows addressed the Republican National Convention on Tuesday and railed against President Obama’s record on the economy and religious freedom. Meadows says deficits have to be reined in and he says the 2011 agreement to raise the debt ceiling didn’t even cut real spending. He also says the contraception mandate as part of the new health care law may be most offensive to the Catholic Church but he says the fight must go on because other denominations and faiths will be next.
Help Me Fake It to the Right
Mitt Romney accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday night, which means the Capitol Steps are poking fun at him heading into the weekend. Washington’s premier political parody troupe offers two Romney selections as they chronicle his changing positions on some issues and his rather large personal fortune. Our guest is Steps co-founder and star Elaina Newport.
Three Martini Lunch 8/31/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Charles Cooke of National Review give Mitt Romney pretty high marks on the content and delivery of his acceptance speech. They also applaud Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for pointing out that many of Obama’s policies are the type of thing most people come to the U.S. to avoid. And they try to make some sense out of Clint Eastwood’d performance on Thursday night.
‘Smoking Ruin of Economic Failure’
House Republicans will likely pick up an extra member in Arkansas’ 4th Congressional District. Republican Tom Cotton is expected to score a solid win in the contest to replace retiring Democratic Rep, Mike Ross, thanks to a growing Republican electorate and new district boundaries. Cotton says several factors prompted him to run, especially his growing concern over jobs, debt and Obamacare. The lawyer-turned soldier-turned businessman calls the Obama record “a smoking ruin of economic failure”. He admits that Republicans dropped the ball on fiscal discipline in the past decade but he believes Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will have a very different mindset that will be reflected by the GOP in Congress. Cotton also promises to be an active voice in repealing Obamacare and shoring up Medicare. He also rebuts assertions from his Democratic opponent that opposition to Obamacare is racist and insensitive to the poor.
Three Martini Lunch 8/30/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Charles Cooke of National Review cheer Paul Ryan’s convention speech for its great clarity on small businesses, jobs, health care and more. They also rip liberal “fact-checkers” for calling Ryan a liar about a part of his speech that was absolutely true. And they applaud Condoleezza Rice’s speech for shredding the perpetual victim culture of the Democrats.