Nearly two weeks after the U.S. military took out Osama bin Laden, the Capitol Steps are here to provide President Obama’s real reaction to this major achievement. Our guest is Steps star and co-founder Elaina Newport.
Three Martini Lunch 5/13/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are happy to hear Wisconsin Sen. Herb Kohl is retiring. We also wince as Mitt Romney tries to defend his Massachusetts health care plan and we discuss the latest Democratic efforts to demonize Big Oil.
The Myth of Oil Subsidies
The big oil companies all get billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies each year, right? Wrong! They don’t get a dime, according to Louisiana Rep. John Fleming. He says the companies do enjoy certain tax breaks and credits – benefits available to virtually every business in America. So what is this Democratic effort really all about? What are both parties offering to bring down gas prices? How would long-term energy production projects bring down energy prices almost immediately? We discuss it all with Rep. Fleming, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Obama’s ‘Abject Falsehood’
Earlier this week, President Obama urged Congress to move forward on his version of immigration reform legislation. And part of his push is his contention that his administration has done everything necessary to secure the border. But what is the real story on border security and the border fence? What is the Republican plan? How important is the fate of the Arizona laws at the Supreme Court? We ask Arizona Rep. Ben Quayle. And we also ask Congressman Quayle how lawmakers and national security leaders ought to be bracing for possible retaliation from Al Qaeda.
Three Martini Lunch 5/12/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review like Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey’s campaign to explain that not raising the debt ceiling would not be the calamity that many people claim. We also rip the Obama administration and Harry Reid for their thuggish tactics in trying to prevent Boeing from building major facilities in South Carolina. And we rip apart the credibility of a new AP poll showing Obama’s approval rating at 60 percent.
Why There Can’t Be a Truce
On Wednesday, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed legislation barring state taxpayer dollars from funding Planned Parenthood in way. Is this an isolated incident or will other states soon follow suit? And does this show social conservatives that Daniels can be trusted even though he wants to call a truce on these issues? We ask Tom McCluskey, vice president of government affairs at the Family Research Council. We also ask McCluskey about this week’s firestorm over Navy chaplains being permitted to perform gay weddings in states where such unions are legal – and the subsequent order to block such ceremonies.
Pakistan and Terror Threats
How much has partial Pakistani loyalty compromised our military efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Is it possible much of the Pakistani may not have know what other government elements could have been doing to aid bin Laden? What is the smartest U.S. response? How real should we consider threats of Al Qaeda reprisals and possible train bombings? We discuss it all with Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, director of the Center for the Study of Terrorist Radicalization at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. He is also the author of the forthcoming book, “Why Al Qaeda Is Winning”.
Three Martini Lunch 5/11/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review like that Wisconsin has taken a huge jump forward in its ranking of states that are most hospitable for business. We’re also disgusted at President Obama for not telling the truth about border security and for pandering to Latino voters. And we have some choice words for the son of Osama bin Laden who says the U.S. disrespected his father’s body and has the audacity to say “arbitrary killing is not the solution to political problems”.
Obamacare Hits Appeals Court
The huge legal fight over the legality of the individual and employer mandates within the new health care laws was hotly debated before the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday. The state of Virginia is seeking to defend a state law forbidding the federal government from forcing its residents to purchase health insurance – or force them to buy anything for that matter. So how did the oral arguments go on Tuesday? What did the questions suggest about how the judges are approaching this critical case? And how did Virginia improve its standing in the case? We discuss it all with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is leading the effort to prevent the health care mandates from being applied in his state.
GOP and the Debt Limit
On Monday night, House Speaker John Boehner gave a speech in which he vowed to block any extension of the debt ceiling unless trillions of dollars in guaranteed spending cuts are part of the deal. So where is the House GOP on this critical question? What conditions are non-negotiable for Republicans? And what else is part of the GOP economic agenda? We ask Wisconsin Rep. Reid Ribble, a member of the House Budget Committee.