USGS Earthquake Analyst Don Blakeman explains Wednesday’s severe aftershock in Haiti – a 5.9 quake. Is it rare to see intense aftershocks more than a week after the original earthquake? How do experts tell the difference between an aftershock and a separate quake? And why are we seeing so many earthquakes in this hemisphere.
Let the Desperation Begin
Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn says the Democrats nationalized the Massachusetts Senate race and it blew up in their faces. She says Martha Coakley was tasked with supporting the Obama agenda and that’s what the people rejected. Blackburn says Obama is risking huge losses in November by planning to push his current agenda even harder. She says House Democratic leaders are feverishly trying to twist enough arms in their caucus to pass the Senate version of the bill.
The News
Election Day in Massachusetts, Dems plot health care strategy if GOP wins Kennedy seat, Barney Frank wants to kill the Senate filibuster, more troops arrive in Haiti, FBI illegally obtained more than 2,000 phone records in prosecuting War on Terror.
Full Steam Ahead?
The Politico reports today that President Obama plans to be even more aggressive with his agenda if Republicans win the Senate race in Massachusetts. Is that a good plan? What would Democrats do on health care? Will they really end the filibuster rule? And just how big of a GOP win would this be? We ask former longtime USA TODAY White House reporter Richard Benedetto.
A Major Breach
Professor Robert Pugsley of the Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles says the FBI greatly overstepped its bounds in failing to provide proper justification for obtaining more than 4,000 phone records. Is this an egregious act or just what had to happen for the sake of national security? Are liberty and security naturally at odds or can they work together?
It’s About the Obama Agenda
Matt Schlapp was political director for President George W. Bush. He says Martha Coakley has run a bad campaign in Massachusetts but even bad Democrats can win there easily. Schlapp says the people are fed up with how Democrats are trying to cram their agenda down the public’s throats. He also says Democrats are just doing the bidding of all the liberal special interests.
The News
Some good news amidst the horror in Haiti, Bush and Clinton discuss the challenges of getting relief to the people, Obama stumps for Coakley, Brown leads senate race, Obama observes MLK Day.
Rejection of the Democratic Agenda
Republican pollster and strategist David Johnson says even a narrow Democratic win in the Massachusetts Senate race is proof that America is rejecting the Democratic agenda. He says this race is proof that Democrats are in trouble everywhere this year. He says we could see an avalanche of retirements if the GOP wins on Tuesday, and moderate Democrats may abandon the Obama agenda. He also says Obama’s political capital is gone if Scott Brown wins.
Ft. Hood and Radical Islam
Texas Rep. John Carter wants to know why the Pentagon’s report on November’s attack at Ft. Hood makes no mention of radical Islam and how it clearly motivated the heinous actions of Maj. Nidal Hassan. Carter says the obvious desire to avoid offending someone is harming our national security. He says political correctness has to go.
‘The Coalition of the Bribed’
Louisiana Rep. Bill Cassidy (also a practicing physician) blasts the latest backroom special interest deal in the health care debate – exempting union members from huge taxes aimed at the priciest health care plans. He says Democrats are far more interested in a political win than in doing what is best for the country and the American people are fed up with the majority ignoring their wishes.