On Tuesday, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann finished a disappointing sixth in the Iowa caucuses. It was a steep fall after her straw poll victory back in August. On Wednesday, Bachmann announced she was suspending her campaign. Here is Bachmann’s entire statement.
Three Martini Lunch 1/4/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review applaud Rick Santorum for using hard work and traditional campaign tactics to score a virtual tie with Mitt Romney in Iowa. They also lament that a record turnout among Iowa Republicans still wasn’t very many people. And they marvel at how three major candidates all failed to make it past the first contest of 2012.
Rep. Steve King Talks Iowa, Debt
As Iowans get ready to caucus tonight and make their voices heard in the 2012 campaign, GOP Rep. Steve King joins us to discuss how voters in his state are approaching this election year tradition. What is motivating voter choices more than anything else? Why won’t King endorse any of the candidates? Is there anyone he definitely does not want to win the nomination? And what is his reaction to President Obama’s request for a major increase in the federal debt ceiling? We discuss it all with Rep. King.
How Much Does Iowa Matter?
The first real votes of the 2012 campaign will be cast in Iowa today. What will be happening at these caucuses? How long does the voting continue in each location? Will caucus voters gang up on anyone in particular? Will Rick Santorum dominate among social conservatives or will Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann divide that demographic? And which state is likely to play the biggest role in determining the GOP nomination? We discuss it all with David Johnson, a veteran of Bob Dole’s 1988 campaign which won the Iowa caucuses.
The Bleak Debt Forecast
Over the holidays, President Obama requested a debt ceiling extension of $1.2 trillion. The request comes just a few months after a fierce debt ceiling battle. So why will this fight be mostly political theater? What did Republicans agree to last summer that makes them powerless to stop the increase? And what would happen if the debt ceiling was not raised? We discuss it all with Bill Beach, director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation.
Three Martini Lunch 1/3/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cheer Sen. Rand Paul for saying a third party candidacy would guarantee President Obama’s re-election. They also shake their heads over some of the Iowa caucus rules – including the participation of Democrats. And they cheer National Review’s Rich Lowry for denouncing liberal Alan Colmes for mocking Rick Santorum’s actions following the death of Santorum’s newborn son years ago.
Three Martini Lunch 1/2/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review kick off the new year by cheering Tuesday’s start of actual votes in the 2012 campaign. They also slam President Obama for slipping a debt ceiling increase request past the American people during the holidays. And we have fun with Newt Gingrich’s assertion that his greatest weakness is being ‘too reasonable’.
Debt, Blame and 2012
University of Virginia Professor Larry Sabato joins us to recap the year in politics. Why does he give everyone in Washington an incomplete on their report cards? Will Obama succeed in winning re-election by blaming Republicans in Congress for a lack of progress? How tough is it to defeat a sitting president? We discuss all these issues and more with Dr. Larry Sabato.
Solving Korea
As the Capitol Steps look back on 2011, they reluctantly say goodbye to one of their favorite parodies – a Kim Jong-Il spoof entitled “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Korea”. Our guest is Steps impressionist Mark Eaton.
Three Martini Lunch Awards Part 6
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review conclude their award series by naming the person of the year and turncoat of the year. They also offer their resolutions for 2012.