The Obama administration is firing back at Wikileaks with both barrels after a third dump of previously classified documents – and this release may well be the most damaging of the three. President Obama orders a freeze on wages for federal civilian employees and the lame duck session is underway as Democrats keep control of the House for a few more weeks.
Three Martini Lunch 11/29/10
Greg Corombos and Jim Geraghty discuss the disaster of the latest Wikileaks document dump and the silver lining that comes with it. They also count down to the end of Nancy Pelosi’s reign and discuss John McCain’s allusion to President Reagan when discussing Sarah Palin.
‘Totally Confused’ on Terror Trials
The recent acquittal of terrorist Ahmad Ghailani on all but one charge related to the 1998 embassy bombings in East Africa proves that no more terrorism trials can be held in civilian court. That’s the assessment of Michigan Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Select Intelligence Committee. Why does Hoekstra believe civilian courts are incompatible with trials for terrorists? Should these detainees even have trials as long as the war continues? Should we have full confidence in military trials, even though the early results from those proceedings have been disappointing as well? And how do the terrorists view the U.S. waffling over when and where to conduct these trials? We ask Rep. Hoekstra.
Don’t Count on It
Vanguard founder John Bogle explains why capitalism failed in the recent Wall Street crisis that still afflicts our economy. Was it proof that free markets don’t work or that they can’t work unless people of integrity are running the system? How can we shrink the ‘character deficit’ in the financial world? How should investors navigate their way through misleading and needlessly complex financial data? Does Bogle believe mutual funds are still the wisest investment? And what does he think of the recent financial reforms approved in Washington? We ask John Bogle, author of the new book “Don’t Count on It”.
The DREAM Act Nightmare
Democratic Congressional leaders are vowing to push for passage of the DREAM Act in the final weeks of this Congress. The proposed law would allow taxpayer dollars to be spent on college scholarships for the kids of illegal immigrants. Is this a good idea or just another way to encourage more illegal immigration? Why did Democrats wait until now to pursue this legislation? What would this be the ‘largest earmark in the history of the country’? Will it pass? We ask California Rep. Brian Bilbray, chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus. Bilbray also discusses what House Republicans will advocate in immigration policy when they take the majority in January.
Three Martini Lunch 11/23/10
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty discuss North Korea’s latest deadly strike against South Korea and America’s inability to get the North Koreans to change course, the big recount win for Republican Blake Farenthold in Texas and how NATO and the U.S. were duped by an imposter claiming to be a key Taliban figure.
Three Martini Lunch 11/22/10
National Review’s Jim Geraghty is back from the NR cruise. He and Greg Corombos discuss the government finally realizing that Americans really are furious about the new TSA screening measures, how five House races are STILL undecided while Democrats grab a tiny lead in one race where the GOP was ahead and Alan Grayson demonstrates once again why his constituents fired him three weeks ago.
No Profiling, It’s ‘Politically Toxic’
Michigan Rep. Peter Hoekstra is the top Republican on the House Select Intelligence Committee. What is his assessment of the new TSA security measures designed to address the security threats to our nation? What does he see as TSA’s greatest mistake? Why hasn’t our government embraced terrorist profiling? And when do our liberties get to trump the effort to convince us that airport security is effective? We ask Rep. Hoekstra.
Obamacare in the Crosshairs
Nebraska Sen. Mike Johanns is once again sponsoring legislation to repeal the provision in the new health care law that would require businesses to file a 1099 form with the IRS every time it piles up $600 in spending with a vendor. It’s the one provision, President Obama has suggested he would allow to be scrapped. So will it happen in the lame duck Congress or anytime soon? How has Johanns amended the bill to make it more fiscally friendly? How ready are Senate Republicans to begin trying to repeal the entire Obama health law? And why does Johanns call the repeal effort a ‘defining moment’ in American history? We discuss it all with Sen. Mike Johanns.
Strangers on My Flight
The Capitol Steps lampoon Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and the government’s bureaucratic and reactionary policies on airline security. Guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.