On Tuesday afternoon, Senate Democrats are hoping to approve the DISCLOSE Act, which they claim is only a minor adjustment to the current laws on campaign speech. But what is the bill really aimed at stopping? Is it even Constitutional? Why are some groups on the right and the left exempt from the new stringent rules? And will it pass the Senate? We ask Bill Wilson, president of Americans for Limited Government.
Illegals and Arizona
Unless a federal court intervenes, Arizona’s new immigration enforcement laws will take effect on Wednesday. So what difference will the people of Arizona see if the laws are allowed to proceed? How will it impact the economy in Arizona? And will it impact the number of people trying to cross illegally into Arizona? We ask Marine Corps veteran Jesse Kelly, who is also a candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress in Arizona’s 8th congressional district. He also explains why he believes the Obama approach to immigration is dead wrong.
Inside the DISCLOSE Act
President Obama is pushing hard for the Senate to pass the DISCLOSE Act, the Democratic campaign finance bill designed to reverse the Supreme Court decision from earlier this year. So what does the bill really do? How would it impact political speech? And why would some groups be exempt from the tough new rules? We ask Heritage Foundation legal expert Hans von Spakovsky.
The U.S. and the Lockerbie Bomber
After months of insisting the U.S. consistently objected to the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, newly discovered memos show the U.S. did oppose the move but also pushed for Megrahi’s outright release as opposed to moving him to a Libyan prison when British and Scottish officials were weighing those options. So what does this tell us about what role the Obama administration really played in this saga? What does it tell us about our approach to the war on terrorism? And how do our enemies interpret Megrahi’s release? We ask Clifford May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
This Could Change Warfare
The Wikileaks website has done it again – releasing classified national security information. This time it’s almost 100,000 documents related to the war in Afghanistan. So how will the Pentagon react to this? Is there anything in these documents that we didn’t already know? And why could persistent leaks of classified information change the way war is done? We ask K.T. McFarland, deputy assistant secretary of defense for President Reagan and a national security analyst for the Fox News Channel.
For the Good of Congress
Next week, the House Ethics Committee will reveal the ethics charges facing embattled New York Rep. Charlie Rangel. Texas Rep. John Carter has been the leading voice in urging Congress to investigate Rangel. So what can we expect as this investigation moves forward? Why did Carter speak up so much on this issue? And how soon cold we see a verdict? We ask Rep. John Carter.
Rangel’s Reckoning
The House Ethics Committee is bringing formal charges against longtime New York Rep. Charlie Rangel. What will the charges likely include? Just how many financial irregularities have been uncovered? How will the House deal with the charges? And how will this scandal impact the 2010 midterm elections – for Rangel and everybody else? We ask Susan Ferrechio, chief Congressional correspondent for The Examiner.
Avoiding Deficits A Silly Argument
Senate Republicans opposed passage of additional jobless benefits unless they were offset with spending cuts somewhere else. Why does President Clinton’s former budget office spokesman say that is a ‘silly argument’ and that paying for these benefits was not that important? And why does he believe letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthiest Americans will be of great help to the economy? We ask Larry Haas, who also served as communications director for former Vice President Al Gore.
The Palin Family Wedding
Last week, we learned that Sarah Palins’ daughter, Bristol, is planning to marry Levi Johnston after two years of hostility between him and her family. Reports suggest Sarah Palin didn’t know about the engagement until the announcement went public. So what does the former VP candidate really think about this wedding? The Capitol Steps find out.
Obama’s Media Allies
In recent days, reports from the Daily Caller website reveal a large network of left-leaning reporters, activists and academics who collaborated on ways to help President Obama during the 2008 campaign – from trying to minimize Jeremiah Wright story to the immediate targeting of Sarah Palin once she was announced as John McCain’s running mate. How was this effort organized? How did they plot to go after Palin and what does this tell us about present-day journalism? We ask Jamie Weinstein, deputy editor at The Daily Caller.