Despite his messages of defiance, longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi has essentially lost his grip on power. But as he is isolated by the rest of the world, the Capitol Steps discover Gaddafi finding a connection with another figure with questionable sanity. Our guest is Steps impressionist Mark Eaton.
Three Martini Lunch 9/2/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review like President Obama’s decision to rescind one of his burdensome regulations. We also groan over the news that zero net jobs were created in August. And we marvel at Silvio Berlusconi’s unvarnished thoughts about the country he leads.
Three Martini Lunch 9/1/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are pleasantly surprised that new polls show a strong majority of women disapproving of President Obama’s performance. We also dissect Obama’s pathetic attempt to upstage the GOP presidential debate with his jobs speech. And we discuss how the bankruptcy of a ‘green jobs’ darling is the latest proof Obama’s economic agenda is impractical and very political.
The Politics of the Jobs Speech
John Gizzi of Human Events gives credit to both President Obama and Speaker Boehner for how they handled the disagreement over when Obama would give his speech on jobs. So who does he blame for the controversy? How did the White House briefing room react to the White House effort to schedule the speech the same night as a GOP presidential debate? What does Gizzi look for in the that debate? And how worried is he about the disturbing developments coming from our ‘allies’ in Libya?
‘Liberal Plantation of Dependency’
Earlier this week, Indiana Rep. Andre Carson lit a rhetorical fire when he said Tea Party conservatives wanted to make black people second-class citizens and some even wanted to see blacks ‘hanging from trees’. We get reaction from Jerome Hudson of the Project 21 Black Leadership Council. Why does Hudson call Carson’s comments ‘desperate’? How do they impact debates over political issues and the national dialogue on race? How do black conservatives respond to the Carson allegation that the Tea Party agenda is racist because it wants to cut funding for programs that many minorities depend upon for food and housing, etc.? And does he believe black voters are starting to reject what he calls the ‘liberal plantation of dependency and misery’? We discuss it all with Jerome Hudson.
Inside the ‘Fast & Furious’ Probe
On Tuesday, acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson was reassigned to a lower position within the Justice Department. What does this say about the Justice Department’s approach to the ongoing controversy over Operation Fast and Furious? Where does the investigation stand? How cooperative has the DOJ been in this probe? How did the botched operation impact Arizona? And what was the real purpose of this gun smuggling scheme? We get some surprising answers from Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Kicking the Can Down the Road
President Obama will address a Joint Session of Congress next week to outline his jobs proposal and pressure to Congress to get on board with his agenda. All of the details are not known, but Obama is already making big pushes for extending payroll tax reductions for workers and investing heavily in infrastructure projects. Will this trigger more job creation? Can Republicans embrace any of this? What is their alternative? We ask Georgia Rep. Phil Gingrey.
GOP Ready for Regulations Rumble
Over the past week, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have sparred over the number of new Obama administration regulations and the impact they would have on businesses. So what regulations would Republicans like to roll back? Why are conservatives especially frustrated with the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency? Why could some of the rules ‘devastate’ West Virginia? We discuss it all with Georgia Rep. Phil Gingrey, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Three Martini Lunch 8/31/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cheer the mayor of Wausau, Wisconsin, for demanding that labor unions allow Republicans in the Labor Day parade or pay for the parade themselves. We also excoriate Indiana Rep. Andre Carson for saying conservatives want to see black people hanging from trees. And we get a good laugh out of the Romney campaign contending its troubles with Jewish donors are because those donors think Michele Bachmann is one of them.
The Politics of Obamacare Waivers
Since the passage of the president’s health care plan, scores of businesses have received waivers from key provisions of the new laws – at least until the program takes full effect in 2014. What answers do Republicans want from the Department of Health and Human Services about the granting of waivers? What suspicions do members of Congress and others have about a process that granted a disproportionately high percentage of waivers to businesses in Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s California district? What reasonable explanation might there be for it? Radio America’s Lauren Scirocco investigates.