Radio America Online News Bureau

The huge legal fight over the legality of the individual and employer mandates within the new health care laws was hotly debated before the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday.  The state of Virginia is seeking to defend a state law forbidding the federal government from forcing its residents to purchase health insurance – or force them to buy anything for that matter.  So how did the oral arguments go on Tuesday?  What did the questions suggest about how the judges are approaching this critical case?  And how did Virginia improve its standing in the case?  We discuss it all with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is leading the effort to prevent the health care mandates from being applied in his state.

Standard Podcast [ 6:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

On Monday night, House Speaker John Boehner gave a speech in which he vowed to block any extension of the debt ceiling unless trillions of dollars in guaranteed spending cuts are part of the deal.  So where is the House GOP on this critical question?  What conditions are non-negotiable for Republicans?  And what else is part of the GOP economic agenda?  We ask Wisconsin Rep. Reid Ribble, a member of the House Budget Committee.

Standard Podcast [ 8:09 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

On Monday, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer announced she would appeal an appellate court decision against the Arizona immigration laws to the Supreme Court.  Cochise County Arizona Sheriff Larry Dever is strongly supportive of the laws.  He says allowing the full implementation of SB 1070 would end sanctuary cities for illegals and make life much safer for people throughout his state.  Dever also fires back against critics who suggest the laws amount to racial profiling.  And we get his thoughts on President Obama’s latest push for “comprehensive immigration reform”.  Listen here for our conversation with Sheriff Dever, who is also co-chair of bordersheriffs.com.

Standard Podcast [ 7:08 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The latest jobs data shows more jobs being created by the unemployment rate still rising.  So what would unleash massive job creation?  According to Oklahoma Rep. James Lankford, a big part of the answer is doing away with many of countless, burdensome government regulations.  So what type of regulations create the most problems?  How much are they stifling job growth?  What are House Republicans prepared to do on this front?  And how is the GOP preparing for the debt ceiling debate?  What is acceptable and what is not?  And why is there some hope for consensus on taking on spending and runaway entitlements?  We discuss it all with Rep. Lankford, a member of the House Budget Committee.

Standard Podcast [ 8:46 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review applaud John Boehner’s speech on spending and the debt ceiling.  We also slam the Nevada secretary of state’s decision on a special Congressional election.  And we pour some cold water on the impending Newt Gingrich presidential bid.

Standard Podcast [ 12:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Over the past week, America has applied a great deal of pressure to Pakistan – trying to determine whether Pakistan aided Osama bin Laden’s years of hiding in Abbotabad.  So what should we make of the defiant Pakistani response?  How will Pakistan try to look tough for its people and appease the U.S. at the same time?  Could the U.S. overplay this hand against Pakistan?  And will all that’s happened in the past week help us to crush the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the months ahead?  We ask Dr. Walid Phares, author most recently of “The Coming Revolution” and an adviser to the Anti-Terrorism Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Standard Podcast [ 6:46 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

On Friday, the Department of Labor announced a net gain of 244,000 jobs in the month of April.  But it also reported the overall unemployment rate is back up to 9.0 percent.  So why the disconnect?  Which number is more likely to be inaccurate?  What’s the real jobless rate when factoring in part-time and discouraged job seekers?  Is the job situation getting markedly better as President Obama claims?  How bad is the housing market and how much is that impacting the overall economy?  We ask Diana Furchtgott-Roth, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor.  She was also chief of staff of President George W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers.  She is now director of the Center for Employment Policy at the Hudson Institute.

Standard Podcast [ 8:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review cheer Dick Cheney and others who are pushing President Obama to end the Justice Department probe of CIA interrogators.  We also groan as experts suggest the housing market could get substantially worse before it gets better.  And we rip former Rep. Alan Grayson as he proves he has learned nothing since getting thrashed in the midterm elections.

Standard Podcast [ 12:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Is the liberal media something that just sort of happened or is their existence and bent something that’s carefully choreographed.  What’s the most effective way for conservatives to fight back?  And what are the key rules for combating the mainstream media?  We ask Andrew Breitbart of biggovernment.com, brietbart.tv and several other conservative sites.  His websites broke the ACORN video scandal in 2009.

Standard Podcast [ 9:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

President Obama is enjoying a mild surge in popularity after ordering the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.  But even after all these years, people keep confusing the names of Osama and Obama.  So as bin Laden gets back in the headlines briefly, the Capitol Steps dust off a favorite from the 2008 campaign to help you avoid a verbal stumble.

Standard Podcast [ 4:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download