New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett says Senate Republicans agreed to move forward on a financial reform bill that is still nothing more than a bailout plan. Why does he believe that even after the controversial $50 billion fund appears to be off the table? What does the plan do about Fannie and Freddie? What insight does he have on the process for this bill in the House and Senate? What needs to be included in meaningful reform and what needs to be left out of it? We ask Rep. Garrett.
Crist Switch Won’t Work
As Florida Gov. Charlie Crist leaves the GOP to run for U.S. Senate as an independent, John Gizzi of Human Events says the tactic will not work. Why does he see Crist fading down the stretch and why won’t the Democrat take advantage of the three-man race? Who does Gizzi see emerging from the Indiana GOP senate primary? Have Republicans caved on financial reform or are there many more twists and turns to come in this debate? We’ll discuss all of this with John Gizzi.
Reform Bill is Fannie Mae 2.0
The mortgage crisis was a major factor in the Wall Street crisis, but the new financial reform bill once again demands that banks give mortgages to low-income people who can’t afford them. What else does the bill provide? Why is this a great deal for banks but not the taxpayers? Why is the president’s choice to lead the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency another red flag? And should the Senate Republicans have allowed debate to begin? We ask Brian Johnson, federal affairs manager at Americans for Tax Reform.
The News
Tensions heighten as Senate Republicans block financial reform debate for a third day. Senator DeMint blames Obama for meltdown of a bipartisan effort. Janet Napolitano is blamed for complicating enforcement of new crackdown on illegal immigrants. The Supreme Court allows a veterans memorial cross to stand.
Police and Immigration
Police in Arizona will soon be tasked with cracking down on illegal immigrants. What will that look like? What is profiling and how is it different than racial profiling? How has Janet Napolitano made enforcement of the new laws much more difficult? Will police really use reasonable cause or will they just randomly target Hispanics? We ask Jim Kouri, vice president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police.
Supreme Court Backs Desert Cross
The Supreme Court made it clear that a cross on public land does not violate the establishment clause in the first amendment to the Constitution. However, the high court also left it up to lower courts to finally resolve a dispute over a Mojave Desert memorial to veterans which is in the form of a cross. So what happens now? Is this decision a precedent for future cases about religious symbols and expression on public grounds? Why is the other side really trying to remove any notion of religion from the public square? We ask Joe Infranco, senior counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund.
Obama Ruins Financial Reform
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans blocked Democratic financial reform legislation for the third consecutive day. A growing number of GOP senators say a good, bipartisan deal was on the verge of completion. So what happened? What common ground was the committee finding? Why is the Democratic leadership pushing the original, disputed bill? What responsibility does President Obama bear for all of this? How does it fly in the face of of public statements blaming Republicans for the partisan deadlock? And what does Obama really think of the American people? We ask South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. We also get his thoughts on the immigration debate and why conservative upstarts are thriving in this election year while the establishment candidates are struggling.
Cutting Off Obamacare at the IRS
The new health care laws will soon force virtually all Americans to purchase government-approved coverage. Compliance will be verified through your tax returns. So Louisiana Rep. John Fleming is pushing legislation to block funding for the IRS to hire more than 16,000 new agents who would be tasked with enforcing the mandate. What does his bill say? Does it have any chance of passage? How would this stop the government from mandating coverage? We ask Rep. Fleming.
The News
Grandstanding, profanity and vague answers highlight the Senate hearings on Goldman Sachs. President Obama rules out nothing in reducing the deficit and promises major economic growth through clean energy. The immigration debate remains very volatile in Arizona and in Washington. The Democrats fail to move forward on financial reform again Tuesday. Noah’s Ark may have been found in Turkey. The last living shooter of Malcolm X has been paroled.
Candidate Obama vs. Pres. Obama
President Obama went to Iowa again on Tuesday to push his agenda on jobs and energy. Why does Obama keep going to Iowa to campaign for his legislative goals? How does the state that vaulted him ahead of Hillary Clinton and into the White House feel about his job as president? What is the state of the economy in Iowa? And will Iowa Republicans embrace to clash with the Tea Party movement? We ask Matt Strawn, chairman of the Iowa Republican Party.