On Tuesday, acting Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Kenneth Melson was reassigned to a lower position inside the Department of Justice. How significant is this move to the ongoing Congressional probe into the government’s Mexican gun-smuggling operation known as “Fast and Furious”? What are the latest casualties connected to the guns the feds allowed to fall into the hands of violent criminals? Do we have any better idea of what Attorney General Eric Holder knew about this operation? How far along is the House probe led by Rep. Darrell Issa? We discuss these questions with Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department official now with the Heritage Foundation. He also writes for Pajamas Media.
Three Martini Lunch 8/30/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are encouraged by news that 27 percent of Democrats want someone else to be the party’s nominee in 2012. We also document how our Libyan ‘allies’ are looking more radical by the day. And we discuss Obama’s illegal immigrant uncle who managed to get a valid Social Security card and driver’s license.
The Aftermath of Irene
Rep. Walter Jones represents nearly all of North Carolina’s Atlantic coast. What was the impact of such a huge storm moving through the state so slowly on Saturday? What kind of damage did he witness today on a helicopter tour of his district? How well have the people in his district come together to help one another? What kind of help is coming in federal aid? And why does Rep. Jones see this hurricane as an argument to end the war in Afghanistan? We discuss it all with North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones.
The ‘Stigma’ of Pedophilia
Earlier this month, a small group of psychologists met in Baltimore to discuss the importance of removing the ‘stigma’ from pedophilia. Why do they think the stigma is misplaced? Why do they think some sexual relationships between adults and children are fine? How large or small is the percentage of psychologists holding this position? And will pedophilia be removed from the list of what psychologists consider mental illnesses? We discuss it all with Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council.
Three Martini Lunch 8/29/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are pleased to see a new Gallup survey shows 55 percent of Americans are not happy with Obama’s performance. We also criticize New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his heavy-handed style in banning clergy from the 9-11 remembrance at Ground Zero and in how he ordered hurricane evacuations. And we document Al Gore’s latest step into pathetic hysteria.
GOP Aims to ‘HALT’ Obama Amnesty
Earlier this month, President Obama directed Homeland Security officials to hold off on deportation of illegal immigrants unless they have engaged in violent crime since arriving in the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman LaMar Smith anticipated this move by Obama and introduced legislation to prevent such executive action. What does the HALT Act do? What latitude does the president have on matters of immigration law? Can this bill get through Congress? And how does Chairman Smith react to the administration’s argument for implementing what he calls ‘backdoor amnesty’? We discuss it all with Rep. Smith.
Three Martini Lunch 8/26/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cheer House Speaker John Boehner for demanding details on 219 new government regulations that will cost taxpayers and businesses at least $100 million per year. We also cringe as we learn that in four years, Obama will easily spend more money than George W. Bush spent in eight years. And we discuss the curious infatuation that Moammar Gaddafi apparently has with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Bracing for Irene
North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones represents nearly all of his state’s Atlantic coast. How well prepared is the state to absorb the hardest punch this storm has to offer. How much storm surge can the coast handle before major flooding problems arise? What resources are in place? And how long does it usually take for the region to recover from a Category Two hurricane. We discuss it all with Rep. Jones.
FEMA
It’s a rough week for the east coast – an earthquake on Tuesday followed by a hurricane roaring towards most of the Atlantic shore. As Irene becomes the first major storm to threaten the U.S. this year, the Capitol Steps hope FEMA performs better than it did following Katrina. Our guest is impressionist Mark Eaton.
We Must Cut Spending!
On Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office suggested that our deficits would be huge but slightly smaller in the years ahead. And even the CBO now admits those projections were too optimistic. So what’s the solution to all this mounting debt? Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman says it’s simple…cut spending. How much cutting would need to be done to balance the budget and begin chipping away at our debt? How can that be done when entitlement costs will soon explode in spending on baby boomers? And what kind of fight will we see in Congress over the upcoming appropriations bills? We discuss it all with Rep. Stutzman.