Former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell says more individual citizens need to get involved with the push to return America to greatness. What can individuals do to exert influence on our political system? How much has the Tea Party accomplished along these lines? Why does O’Donnell see the Tea Party at a crossroads? And will she run for office again? We discuss these and other issues with O’Donnell, who is also author of “Trouble Maker: Let’s Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again”.
Fighting the GOP Establishment
In 2010, Christine O’Donnell won a shocking victory in Delaware’s Republican U.S. Senate primary by defeating longtime liberal Rep. Mike Castle. She says the campaign was not just against Castle but also a GOP establishment bent on preserving party stability over all else. So how did she win the nomination? How did the establishment try to hamstring her campaign? And how much help was the national party once she was the only Republican on the ballot? We discuss it all with Christine O’Donnell, who is also author of the new book “Trouble Maker: Let’s Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again”.
Vindication for Mr. Buell
Social Studies teacher Jerry Buell is now back in the classroom at Mt. Dora High School in Florida. He was suspended earlier this summer over critical comments on his Facebook page over New York’s new gay marriage laws, but has now been reinstated after a legal fight. Why was Buell suspended? Why did the school district reverse itself and bring him back to the classroom? And at what point should one’s opinions expressed away from the job impact their employment status? We discuss is all with Harry Mihet, senior litigation counsel at Liberty Counsel. He served as the attorney for Mr. Buell.
Three Martini Lunch 8/25/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review can’t wait to hear the real scoop on the Bush years as Dick Cheney’s memoir gets released in the coming days. We also slam Ohio GOP Rep. Steve Chabot for confiscating the cameras of his own constituents at a town hall. And we discuss why Arizona Democrats are so furious that another Democrat wants to challenge Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on grounds she may not still be able to do the job.
Economy Goes from Bad to Worse
The Congressional Budget Office reports that this year’s deficit will be less than expected – just $1.28 trillion. It also claims long-term deficits will likely be lower than earlier suggested and the unemployment rate will very slowly decline over the next year. That would have barely qualified for good news, but why is the reality even worse? Why does the CBO say it’s own numbers are too rosy? Why is the outlook so bleak? And what would be better policy for Congress to follow this time around? We ask J.D. Foster of the Heritage Foundation, who also served in the Office of Management and Budget in the George W. Bush administration.
Three Martini Lunch 8/24/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cautiously cheer a new poll showing Floridians overwhelmingly rejecting Obama and his re-election efforts. We also rip liberals for immediately turning the Virginia earthquake into a talking point for their pet causes. and we offer our own musings on the tremors that shook the nation’s capital on Tuesday.
Good News! Now What?
On Tuesday, Libyan rebels stormed the Gaddafi compound in Tripoli and seem to have forced Moammar Gaddafi to flee. How happy should Americans be that this terrorism-sponsoring figure seems to be out of power? How concerned should we be that Islamic radicals are poised to take power? How should we assess reports that Sharia will be at the heart of the new Libyan constitution? And how much influence can the U.S. have in this process? We discuss it all with retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Tom McInerney, a Fox News Channel military analyst.
Experiencing the Earthquake
Tens of millions of Americans felt the rumble from Tuesday’s 5.8-magnitude earthquake, but those near the epicenter endured a rougher experience than anyone else. The University of Virginia is not far from the epicenter and respected political analyst Dr. Larry Sabato felt the effects along with everyone else on campus. Sabato tells us about the intensity of the shaking and what he thought was happening before he realized it was a quake? He also describes campus and the state of everyone’s nerves there in the hours following the temblor.
Earthquake Rattles East Coast
Americans from Atlanta to New England to Chicago were surprised by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake. The epicenter was in central Virginia and experts believe it to be the strongest quake on record for the region. Why was this quake bigger? Why was it felt so far away from the epicenter? Does this mean bigger quakes will become more common there? How active are the fault lines in the eastern United States? We discuss it all with Daniel McNamara, seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center.
Three Martini Lunch 8/23/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review like a new Gallup poll showing four Republicans neck-and-neck with President Obama. We also lament Paul Ryan’s final decision not to run for president, and we dissect the rumors that Obama may not even seek-re-election.