Ilario Pantano is a two-time Marine Corps veteran and is now challenging Democratic North Carolina Rep. Mike McIntyre. Why is Pantano running for Congress? Why does he believe McIntyre needs to be fired? How would he work to grow the economy? And what is his closing argument to North Carolina voters? We discuss all of this with Ilario Pantano.
‘Moratorium Has Been Devastating’
Earlier this week, the Obama administration announced it was lifting the moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But what has been the damage from the months the moratorium was in place? Did the moratorium accomplish anything positive? We ask Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, who also anticipates strong GOP midterm gains and warns Democrats against trying to cram controversial bills down America’s throat in a lame duck session of Congress.
Dems ‘Have No Leg to Stand On’
Have President Obama and his allies found a good wedge issue by questioning the source of funding behind special interest group political ads? Or is this proof positive that Democrats are desperate as they see a possible tidal wave of voter anger next month? We ask John Gizzi of Human Events and also get his midterm predictions on several key races for the Senate and House as well as two key governor’s races.
‘Breathtaking Abuse of Authority’
Federal judge Virginia Phillips overturned the longstanding “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy concerning gays in the military, and now she says the law should be eliminated immediately. How should we view this decision from a legal perspective? Does a judge have the right to strike this law from the books? Will the decision be stayed until appeals are heard? What would happen if the case did get to the Supreme Court? We ask Matt Barber, director of cultural affairs at Liberty Counsel.
Dems Brace for Huge Losses
With 20 days left before the midterm elections, Democrats are trying to paint the rosiest possible picture despite many signs of a big Republican year. But what do Democrats honestly expect to happen? Why do they think voters appear ready to back the GOP? Is the Obama strategy of targeting the financing of outside conservative interest groups a good tactic? And how would President Obama and a new Republican majority be wise to act if the election projections are correct? We ask longtime Democratic strategist and former Lieberman chief of staff Michael Lewan.
GOP Change Coming to Oregon?
Democrats have controlled the Oregon governorship since 1987, but Republicans see their best chance at winning the office in a generation. How is the anti-incumbent mood impacting this race when no incumbent is on the ballot? Why does former Gov. John Kitzhaber want the job again? Is he running on the past or what he would do in the future? What platform is former NBA player Chris Dudley running on and what experience does he bring to the job? We discuss all these questions with Ryan Brown, news director at KFLS in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Moratorium Lifted; Now What?
On Tuesday, the Obama administration announced the deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico is over – seven weeks ahead of schedule. So why aren’t opponents of the moratorium celebrating? What bureaucracy has the administration added before exploration can begin again? How are energy companies reacting to all of this? And how many jobs have been lost over the past few months? We ask Texas Rep. Ted Poe.
Can Carly Win in California?
With three weeks remaining until the midterm elections, we examine one of the highest profile senate races in the country – Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer against Republican Carly Fiorina. Why should Boxer be worried despite showing consistent but small leads in major polls? What is the case for Fiorina? Will the issue of outsourcing jobs haunt Fiorina? And would she be a different kind of Republican than Arnold Schwarzenegger? We ask California-based political consultant Reed Galen, who is working informally with the Fiorina campaign.
Abortion and the Midterms
How big of an issue will abortion be in the midterm elections? It may be a very important factor in the fate of some self-proclaimed pro-life Democrats who also voted for the health care bill. That’s because the new laws allow for taxpayer dollars to be used to pay for abortions. So which Democrats are playing defense on the abortion issue? How big of an impact will the abortion debate have in a year dominated by the economy? And are the GOP candidates any better on the abortion issue? We ask Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, which strives to elect pro-life lawmakers.
Soldiers Deprived of Right to Vote
Last year, Congress passed legislation mandating that states mail out military ballots to soldiers with plenty of time allowed to mail the ballots back to the U.S. But several states have badly and deliberately missed the deadlines and the Justice Department seems to be doing nothing to correct the problem. So why won’t the states obey the law and mail the ballots on time? What explanation do the Feds have for failing to crack down on states that are breaking the law? Is it too late to fix the problem this year? We get analysis from J. Christian Adams, former Justice Department attorney and contributor to Pajamas Media.