For months, we heard Democrats were planning an aggressive lame duck session of Congress to tackle spending bills, tax cut extensions and possibly even major bills on energy, immigration and organized labor. But after the big GOP gains two weeks ago, will Democrats remain as ambitious as they were before? Will all of the Bush income tax cuts be extended or will the highest tax bracket see their rates increase? How different is the incoming Republican majority compared to the GOP majority that lost power in 2006? And how aggressive will the Republicans be in overturning the unpopular health care laws? We ask Arizona Rep. John Shadegg, who is retiring after eight terms in Congress.
Three Martini Lunch 11/12/10
In Friday’s edition of The Three Martini Lunch, Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty discuss the infighting among House Democrats, including the stunning lack of any credible challenger to Nancy Pelosi as party leader. They also discuss the anti-Bush propaganda masquerading as the Valerie Plame story in the new movie “Fair Game”. And Greg and Jim discuss Jim’s upcoming participation in the National Review cruise in the Caribbean – just days after the cruise ship nightmare in the Pacific.
Getting Tough on Spending , Taxes
This week, fierce congressional reaction followed the release of some initial recommendations from the bipartisan debt commission. At the same time, the Obama administration offered mixed signals on whether it will fight to let tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire or allow them to be extended for another year or two. So what should we make of the early suggestions for reducing our national debt? Where should the new Republican majority begin hacking away at spending next year? How can real entitlement reform happen when any suggestion of change triggers a fierce backlash? What will happen in the tax cut debate? And how does President Obama impact small businesses when he gives differing messages on whether to extend some or all of the tax cuts? We ask New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett, one of the top Republicans on the House Budget Committee.
Buy, Buy American Pie
President Obama spent part of this week trying to force China to properly value its currency – to no avail. But the Capitol Steps are worried about the growing economic power of the Chinese and how their low-cost production could mean trouble for our health and safety down the road. Guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.
The News
Passionate reaction from both parties to recommendations from the bipartisan debt commission, Obama urges patience before denouncing specific ideas, America honors its veterans and Gen. McCaffrey wades into the debate over gays in the military.
Obama Abroad, Domestic Fights at Home
How has President Obama performed in his Asian trip? Did he succeed in strengthening ties with India or did he alienate Pakistan in the process? Should the bipartisan debt commission be praised or blasted for its recommendations to bring the nation’s red ink under control? How has Nancy Pelosi created chaos in the the House Democratic leadership elections? And did the Tea Party get beat when Michele Bachmann decided to bow out of a race to be in the House GOP leadership? We ask John Gizzi of Human Events.
The Three Martini Lunch
In late October, Radio America and National Review launched a new joint venture – a weekday podcast entitled “The Three Martini Lunch”. Each day, the discussion between Greg Corombos and NR’s Jim Geraghty covers one story that brings good news to conservatives, another that is potentially bad news for the right and a third that is just plain outrageous or crazy. Starting today, we are posting each podcast on this blog. In today’s installment, we actually have four martinis, as we discuss the recommendations of the deficit reduction commission, upcoming GOP investigations of the Obama administration, Jesse Jackson’s comments on Republican plans to repeal Obamacare – and a special tribute to America’s veterans.
‘Just A Guy Not Willing to Go’
All the votes have been counted in the 27th Congressional district in Texas, and Republican challenger Blake Farenthold holds a 787 vote lead over longtime Democratic Rep. Solomon Ortiz. Since Election Day, a bag of votes was discovered – with all votes backing Ortiz. Now Ortiz is demanding a hand recount of all ballots in the race and the final verdict could be weeks away. Why is this delay extremely harmful to the people of the 27th district? What pitfalls could await us in the recount? What is the reaction to the refusal of Ortiz to exit the race graciously? And how was a Republican able to make such a successful run against an entrenched Democratic incumbent? We ask Blake Farenthold.
Wilson Re-elected, Focuses on Jobs
After his ‘You Lie’ outburst towards President Obama in last year’s health care address of Congress, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson was one of the top Republicans targeted for defeat by Democrats. After a $3 million onslaught, Wilson was re-elected last week – by the same margin he won by in 2008. So what was it like to be campaign with a political target on his back? Why did voters decide not to punish him for his outburst? What will he and Republicans be doing to encourage more hiring in the new Congress? What besides preserving tax cuts is key to a healthy economy? How aggressively should Republicans fight to repeal Obamacare? And should they try to do it all at once or piece by piece? We discuss all of this with Rep. Joe Wilson.
The Homeland Security Strategy
This week, reacting in part to the attempted terrorist attacks via airline cargo, the Department of Homeland Security unveiled new rules designed to protect the U.S. So what impact will be see as a result of the new bans on cargo from Yemen and Somalia? How about the crackdowns on toner and ink cartridges? We ask California Rep. Dan Lungren, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee and chairman of the panel’s Emerging Threats subcommittee. We also get Lungren’s thoughts on whether the Yemeni government is powerless to stop the growing terrorist presence there or just unwilling to do it. And he addresses concerns over the revealing and sometimes invasive security upgrades at American airports.