Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is a member of the House Republican Leadership and explains how party leaders decided to give President Obama 60 days to finally make a call on whether to proceed on the Keystone XL pipeline project with Canada. Rep. McMorris Rodgers details why the project is good for our job-creation efforts and our energy independence goals. She also discusses what might happen if the president does not honor that 60-day deadline. And she reacts to Friday’s jobs report and the coming House debate over another extension of the debt ceiling.
Romney on the Rise
Mitt Romney squeaked out a win in Iowa. He has a huge lead in New Hampshire and at least one suggests he’s very well positioned to win in South Carolina as well. Republican strategist Joe Watkins served in the Bush 41 administration and ran against Rick Santorum in the 1994 U.S. Senate primary in Pennsylvania. He explains why finishing in second in New Hampshire is important for the other candidates, why Romney is smart to spend part of this week campaigning in South Carolina and whether a long, bruising primary is good for the eventual GOP nominee.
That Old Timer Robert Dole
Republican voters seem reluctant to embrace Mitt Romney and several more conservative alternatives have risen and fallen. So to help end the frustration, the Capitol Steps bring back a couple of former GOP nominees to bring the party together. Our guest is Steps impressionist Mark Eaton.
Three Martini Lunch 1/6/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cautiously cheer a pretty good jobs report but note how much ground must be recovered. We discuss Rick Santorum’s uncomfortably close ties to lobbyists while he was in the U.S. Senate. And one error at a tiny Iowa precinct could make Santorum the winner after all.
‘Emperor’ Obama
On Wednesday, President Obama announced four recess appointments. The only problem is that the U.S. Senate is not in recess and many critics say Obama flagrantly violated the U.S. Constitution. Is there any precedent for this? Does it matter that the Senate is in session on a pro forma basis right now? What options does Congress have in response? We discuss it all with Louisiana Sen. David Vitter.
The Case for Keystone
House Republicans are demanding a decision from President Obama on the Keystone XL pipeline that Canada wants to extend to the Gulf coast. Supporters say it would create thousands of good jobs while detractors say it’s an environmental risk. So will there be a decision on the next few weeks? How much longer will Canada wait for an answer? We ask Louisiana Rep. Bill Cassidy, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Cassidy also updates the status of renewed energy production in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the BP disaster almost two years ago.
Cuts ‘Eviscerate the Armed Forces’
On Thursday, President Obama and members of his national security team outlined almost half a trillion dollars in recommended defense spending cuts over the next ten years. Is this a necessary part of addressing our debt and a changing role for the military? Or is the U.S. preparing to endanger our national security and relinquish our role as a world leader? How will other nations react to this? We discuss it all with Frank Gaffney, former assistant secretary of defense and president of the Center for Security Policy.
Three Martini Lunch 1/5/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cringe as President Obama guts the military but they see a good opportunity for the GOP nominee to paint a huge contrast on national security. They also slam Obama for his four recess appointments even though the U.S. Senate is not in recess. And they react to Texas Gov. Rick Perry deciding to stay in the 2012 race just hours after he seemed to indicate he was done.
Grover Norquist Talks Debt Fight
As President Obama seeks a $1.2 trillion increase in the debt ceiling just five months after the last huge fight, should we be surprised? Have Republicans abdicated by making themselves powerless to stop the increase? When will we see real, actual spending cuts? Are Republicans ready to make that push? And how much longer can the debt surge before it’s “too late”. We discuss it all with Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist.
Conservatives Reject Romney
On Tuesday, Mitt Romney won the Iowa Caucuses by eight votes – not by eight percent but by eight actual votes. But should we look at Iowa as a Romney win or a rejection of the GOP establishment’s choice by 75 percent of Iowa Republicans? Why don’t conservatives trust Romney? What does longtime conservative activist Richard Viguerie see as a telltale sign that Romney is not a conservative? Which candidate does Viguerie prefer? And why does he think we could see new candidates joining the fray and the nomination fight going all the way to the convention?