On Wednesday, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman announced he will not seek re-election in 2012 and will retire after four terms in office. From the Clinton impeachment to the health care debate and from being the Democratic vice presidential nominee to being a party pariah just six years later, Lieberman has often been at the center of the political conversation. So what is his legacy? How tough would a re-election fight be? And who might be waiting in the wings to replace him? We discuss it all with former Lieberman chief of staff Michael Lewan.
Three Martini Lunch 1/19/11
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty consider the good and bad aspects of Joe Lieberman’s retirement, the thoroughly bizarre case of Oregon Rep. David Wu and the resignations of almost everyone associated with him and why Rahm Emanuel would call upon Bill Clinton to vouch for his character.
Obamacare and Jobs
The House of Representatives has begun debate on repealing the Obama health care laws passed last year. What are the strongest arguments for scrapping the new laws? How will Republicans proceed on repealing individual parts of the law if the full repeal doesn’t get enacted? What answers will the Energy & Commerce Committee demand from Obama officials like HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius? We ask Illinois Rep. John Shimkus, a member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health.
Three Martini Lunch 1/18/11
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty celebrate the impending retirement of Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad and the chance for a GOP pickup. They also lament our terrible position with respect to China as Chinese leader Hu Jintao. And we have fun with Dick Cheney giving Barack Obama credit for agreeing with Dick Cheney.
Fear God, Love Each Other
As America pauses to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., what motivated him to work tirelessly for civil rights? How did he and his family endure truly hateful speech from those who opposed him? What was he like as a family man? Where did he stand on the key social issues of abortion, premarital sex and homosexuality? What would he think of the state of the black family today? We discuss all these questions with Alveda King, niece of Dr. King and director of of outreach at Priests for Life, a pro-life organization.
Three Martini Lunch 1/17/11
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty find reason to be hopeful about the new RNC chairman. They also cringe as Tim Pawlenty tries to explain why he opposes TARP after he seemed to back it in 2008. And we applaud Chris Christie for explaining why candid political speech is not the same as vitriolic hate speech.
‘I’m A Problem-Solver’
Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain is the first Republican to announce the formation of a presidential exploratory committee. What will determine whether he officially gets in the race? How would his great private sector successes help him tackle some of the nation’s most pressing economic problems? How is he different from most of the other Republicans likely to be in this campaign? And will Cain be acceptable to national security conservatives and social conservatives? We ask possible 2012 Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain.
Schoolbook Shame
In recent weeks, proposed history textbooks in Virginia have been found to contain many careless errors in facts and grammar. In response, the Capitol Steps bring back their parody on a major textbook fight in Texas. Guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.
Three Martini Lunch 1/14/11
Greg Corombos and Jim Geraghty of National Review praise House GOP leaders for planning to vote on repealing the new health care laws next week. They also dismiss the idea of bipartisan seating at the State of the Union message as well-intentioned but meaningless. And they celebrate the possible presidential run of former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain.
A Tragedy and Its Fallout
John Gizzi of Human Events offers his insight on an emotional week in Washington and Arizona. Has President Obama ended the Democratic attempt to pin this atrocity on the Republicans? How will the fight impact the political futures of President Obama and Sarah Palin? What should we make of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay being sentenced to three years in prison? And how will the two parties react in Texas, now that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison says she will not run again in 2012? Listen here for all the answers.