Last week, The Washington Post reported on the bloated bureaucracies within our intelligence agencies in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks. Now Texas Rep. Mike Conaway says it is vital for Congress to do a comprehensive audit of the intelligence community, an audit which is required by law. So why are intelligence leaders leery of such an audit? How should it be done? And how well has our intelligence community adapted to its mission since 9-11? We ask Rep. Conaway.
The News
Charlie Rangel saddled with 13 ethics charges, Pentagon brass unloads on Wikileaks and its sources and Arizona officals vow to fight on to preserve new immigration enforcement laws.
Danger for Democrats
John Gizzi of Human Events says the ethics charges against Democratic New York Rep. Charlie Rangel are worse than expected, and he says the scandal could tar Democrats in races all over the country. Gizzi also discusses the political fallout over the federal court striking down key parts of the new Arizona immigration laws, the Wikileaks controversy and next week’s Michigan primary.
Border Sheriff Rips Arizona Ruling
A federal judge temporarily struck down the most significant provisions within Arizona’s new immigration enforcement laws. Many law enforcement leaders are outraged, including Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever, whose county borders Mexico. Why does he strongly support the new laws and what does he see as the flaws in Judge Bolton’s decision? Which provisions of the new law does he see as most important? How does he characterize the federal government’s commitment to border security? We discuss it all with Sheriff Dever, who is also affiliated with www.bordersheriffs.com.
Staggering Obamacare Bureaucracy
Earlier this year, Congress approved a new health care system that took more than 2,000 pages to describe. So how simple or complicated will the new system be? Texas Rep. Kevin Brady says the layers of government bureaucracy are exploding and those bureaucrats will be getting between us and our doctors. Which person will gain immense new powers in this bureaucracy? How much will it cost you? And how are Congressional Republicans trying to stop the health plan without repealing it? We talk with Rep. Brady. To see the levels of bureaucracy in the new health plan, visit http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/tx08_brady/pr_100728_hc_chart.html
It’s Constitutional
A federal judge has imposed a temporary injunction on several key provisions of the new Arizona immigration enforcement laws. Is this the right legal decision? Should the states have the right to do the federal government’s job if the feds don’t do it? We ask Texas Rep. Ted Poe, who is also a former judge. And we’ll find out why Poe thinks the government is intentionally failing to secure our borders.
Still Frustrated with the Feds
It’s now been 100 days since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig began gushing crude into the Gulf of Mexico. The rig has been capped, but major challenges remain. What help is needed in protecting sensitive marshlands? Has there been any improvement in the bureaucracy that has bogged down response efforts? And how is the drilling moratorium doing more damage than the oil spill itself? We ask Louisiana Sen. David Vitter.
Dems Restless Over Rangel
Democratic House leaders are desperately urging New York Rep. Charlie Rangel to strike a plea deal with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in order to avoid a public airing of major ethics charges and a Congressional trial that could take place just before the midterm elections. So how close are we to a plea deal? Why are Republicans reluctant to allow such a deal? And will we hear anything definitive on Thursday? We ask Susan Ferrechio, chief Congressional correspondent for The Examiner.
The News
President Obama is urging Congress to adopt his energy and small business agendas, Obama also says Wikileaks documents only validate his position on Afghanistan, Senate GOP blocks campaign finance reform, Arizona prepares to enact immigration reforms.
How Military Leaks Hurt Our Troops
The massive document leak on the Afghan war may not yield much vital new information, but how does it give our enemies help in their fight against our troops and our allies in Afghanistan? How much more vulnerable are U.S. forces now that the enemy knows how we uncover IED’s and react to moves by the Taliban? How fierce should the punishment be for leaking these documents? And how much public outrage should the Obama team be showing? We ask James Robbins, former special assistant to then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and senior editorial writer for The Washington Times.