In the past two days, forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi have pushed back a great deal against the rebels. Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Tom McInerney says this mission was a mistake and it’s time to get out since the alleged massacre has been averted. Why is he staunchly opposed to the U.S. and our allies arming the rebels? Why does he foresee a U.S. presence in Libya for years if we’re there when Gaddafi falls? And what’s the best American response to brutal crackdowns in Syria and other unfriendly Arab nations? We discuss it all with Gen. McInerney.
Three Martini Lunch 3/30/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are encouraged by plunging Quinnipiac Poll numbers for President Obama. We also worry that the public may not have the stomach for spending cuts we thought they had in November. And we rip members of Congress for piling up $15,000 in parking tickets.
‘A Failure of Leadership’
On Monday, President Obama gave his first extensive statement on the mission in Libya that is now more than a week old. Did the president make a convincing case? Did he he explain why this mission is in our national interest? Was he honest when saying Congress was consulted before the mission began? Are we really dialing back our role in this conflict? We discuss all these questions and more with South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. He received no notice of the military action in Libya prior to its launch.
Three Martini Lunch 3/29/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are pleased that the Supreme Court may strike a blow to public financing of elections. We rip President Obama for being painfully long, contradictory and disingenuous in his Libya speech. And we are a bit stunned that Obama is following up the speech with a couple of fundraisers tonight.
Many Questions for Obama
This evening, President Obama will give his first presidential address regarding our involvement in military action in Libya. What are the key questions Obama needs to answer? Do we know how long this mission will realistically take? How much will it cost in a time of great fiscal distress? And will Gaddafi have to be removed or not? We discuss it all with retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis, who is now a senior strategist with the U.S. Army.
Obamacare vs. Freedom
The fight against implementation of the president’s health care plan continues. Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers is leading a bipartisan effort to strip the plan of mandates that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of all income on claim payments. Why is that a problem? Why could that be a huge hit to small businesses? What’s the real reason for the provision? And how does Rogers respond to accusations that he’s doing the bidding of big insurance companies. Rep. Rogers also discusses another bill that would give every American the opportunity to received a waiver to exempt themselves from the provisions of the health care plan – just like many big corporations and labor unions have already done. Listen here for a great discussion with Rep. Rogers.
Three Martini Lunch 3/28/11
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are happy President Obama is finally going to tell the nation why we’re in a ‘kinetic military action’ in Libya and we like that the rebels are pushing back towards Tripoli. We also excoriate Vice President Biden and his team for literally locking up a reporter so he couldn’t actually talk with Democratic donors. And we have fun with the possibility that former Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs may be the new spokesman for Facebook.
‘The Theater of the Absurd’
From international military action in Libya to unrest through the Middle East to a terrorist attack in Israel, what are we watching unfold in real time in the world’s most volatile region? How does the rest of the region view Obama’s performance on Libya? How should we assess the unrest in other Muslim and Arab nations? What can we predict about Egypt’s future from the actions of its military leaders in recent weeks? What should the U.S. be doing differently? And where does Israel fit into all of this? We ask Dr. Mike Evans, longtime Middle East expert and author of “Jimmy Carter, the Liberal Left and World Chaos: A Carter/Obama Plan that Will Not Work”.
Texas Beefing Up Voter ID Laws
Texas legislators are moving closer to implementing stronger voter identification requirements. How likely is this to pass? What will be required of Texans at the polls? What evidence is there of irregularities in the current system? How do supporters of stronger ID requirements react to accusations of racism and discrimination? And does all of this connect to the simultaneous debate over enforcement of immigration laws? We ask Texas State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, chairman of the committee which drafted the voter ID legislation.
Target: TSA
The Capitol Steps roll out their brand new CD, “Desperate House Members”, by taking comedic aim at the TSA’s intrusive new security procedures. Our guest is Steps co-founder and star Elaina Newport.