Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty give the House GOP credit for rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on spending and scrutinizing the Fed. We also wonder why Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar seems to be doing everything he can to antagonize the Tea Party ahead of his 2012 re-election effort. And we chronicle the latest insanity from MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, after he tells a black conservative from National Review that he looks more like President Obama than GOP front-runner Mitt Romney.
Feds A ‘Detriment’ for Business
The most recent job numbers showed a falling unemployment rate but very few new jobs being created in January. So why is our recovery so sluggish? What do small business owners want more than anything else from Congress? What does Congress need to overturn? What does it need to pass? And what can we expect this Congress to accomplish? We ask Tennessee Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a longtime small business owner and member of the House Small Business Committee.
Marriage Fight Comes to Maryland
Last year, Maryland entered the marriage debate when its attorney general decided to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. Now the Democratic-led legislature there is poised to fully legalize gay marriages. What will be the fate of this bill in the Maryland legislature? What is the chief strategy of traditional marriage supporters? Can traditional marriage defenders win in a liberal state like Maryland? We ask Maryland Delegate Don Dwyer, a leading opponent of the gay marriage push in his state.
Three Martini Lunch 2/8/11
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty enjoy watching four Senate Democrats plot to bring down the individual mandate in the health care plan. They also shake their heads as President Obama fails to understand why more jobs aren’t being created and get some laughs out of Rod Blagojevich trying to damage Rahm Emanuel just days before the Chicago mayor’s race.
‘Unconstitutional Arrogance’
Last week, Federal Judge Martin Feldman found the Obama administration in contempt of court for still refusing to left a de facto drilling moratorium imposed in the wake of the BP disaster. Today, we ask Texas Rep. Joe Barton, former chairman and current ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, what impact this decision might have. Is Obama likely to adhere to this ruling when he ignored the others? How can a new Republican House push the administration to open up coastal waters for more energy exploration? What is the economic impact to his district, his state and the nation from this ongoing moratorium? And what will the Energy & Commerce Committee do to pressure the Obama administration on its many new EPA regulations that Republicans consider harmful to our economy and our freedom? We ask Rep. Joe Barton.
A ‘Conservative’ Energy Solution?
Former South Carolina Rep. Bob Inglis is pushing what he calls a conservative approach to our nation’s energy challenges. Why does he reject the president’s recent call for more investment in green technologies? Why does he want to slap major oil companies with higher taxes and fees? How would he prevent those companies from passing the costs along to us? Why does he believe that global warming does exist and is largely caused by human activity? And why does he consider the energy policies advocated by other self-proclaimed conservatives as ‘populist poppycock’. We ask Rep. Bob Inglis, a six-term member of Congress, who was defeated for re-election by a Tea Party primary challenger in 2010.
Three Martini Lunch 2/7/11
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty celebrate Republicans and Democrats choosing spending cuts over tax increases to reduce the debt. They also bemoan Michelle Obama’s push to make restaurant menus more health-conscious and scratch their heads at the bizarre and sometimes sleazy Superbowl moments.
Meese’s Memories of Reagan
As the nation commemorates 100 years since the birth of Ronald Reagan, we look back at the late president’s legacy with Edwin Meese III, who served alongside Reagan for most of Reagan’s political life. Meese was chief of staff to Reagan during their days in the California governor’s office. Meese later served as senior counselor to President Reagan and later as U.S. Attorney General. How did Reagan convince a reluctant Meese to work for him back in 1966? What did Meese see in the early years to suggest Reagan would be a strong presidential candidate? How did Reagan beat the odds to win the 1980 election? What convinced Reagan that he would find economic success through tax cuts? How did he determine the Cold War was winnable and not just manageable? How did he inspire America to believe in itself again? And how should Reagan be remembered? We discuss it all in a great conversation with Ed Meese, who is now a Distinguished Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
Michael Reagan Remembers His Dad
As the nation marks 100 years since the birth of President Reagan, Michael Reagan offers us an intimate look at the Gipper’s political and personal life. How did Reagan transition from acting to political heavyweight? How did Robert F. Kennedy inadvertently trigger Reagan’s political rise? When did Reagan see himself as a legitimate White House contender? And what are Michael Reagan’s favorite father-son moments with his dad? Listen here to the first half of my discussion with Michael Reagan, author of “The New Reagan Revolution: How Ronald Reagan’s Principles Can Restore America’s Greatness.”
GOP Can Win with Reagan Again
In the second half of our interview, Michael Reagan discusses his new book, “The New Reagan Revolution: How Ronald Reagan’s Principles Can Restore America’s Greatness.” How did Reagan’s impromptu 1976 GOP convention speech crystallize what conservatism is all about? How did a conservative like Reagan succeed when conventional wisdom says politicians need to appeal to moderates? What would Reagan think of the Tea Party? What would he tell those activists to do next? How did Reagan show himself to be a strong leader? And why does Obama fail to measure up as a leader despite many efforts to draw comparisons between him and Reagan? We discuss it all with Michael Reagan.