As President Obama somehow promises to attack the deficit while ‘investing’ more in green energy, education and more, the Capitol Steps feel like they’ve heard this song and dance before. And they did…just last year. Mark Eaton is our guest from the Steps as they perform “Return to Spenders”.
Greg Corombos and Jim Geraghty of National Review discuss the possible results of the rising violence in Egypt. They also try to cope with Rep. Mike Pence deciding not to run for the White House. And they have some fun with Rep. Dennis Kucinich and has lawsuit against the managers of the House cafeteria.
In his State of the Union message, President Obama said he would consider minor adjustments to the new health care laws but rejected repeal. He says it’s not the time to fight old battles. But Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso says it’s not up to Obama – or any other public official – to determine when a debate is over. So who will decide? Why does Barrasso say that actual data continually shows that Obama’s health care promises are not true? Will the Senate vote on a repeal in this Congress? We ask Sen. Barrasso, and get his reaction to Obama claiming that he has fully restored America’s standing in the world.
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Kevin Williamson applaud the House GOP for trying to end taxpayer funding of presidential campaigns. They also assess the horrific CBO numbers on the deficit and the future of Social Security, and they try to find words capable of explaining just how awful Virginia Rep. Jim Moran is for suggesting racism is the reason for the 2010 midterm election results.
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann delivered a response to the president’s State of the Union address for the Tea Party. Today, she tells us why today’s deficit news proves we are are on a very dangerous fiscal course. Why was President Obama ‘shameless’ in his remarks about deficits? How will Republicans fight back against the criticism that will inevitably follow their proposed spending cuts? Why does Bachmann think Republicans can make some major spending cuts despite Democratic control of the Senate and White House? And how exactly will Republicans reform entitlements that eat up so much of the budget? We discuss it all with Rep. Bachmann, chairwoman of the House Tea Party Caucus.
Oklahoma Rep. James Lankford was among the many GOP freshmen attending their first State of the Union address, but he was not very impressed. Why does Lankford say he was expecting steak and got leftovers instead? Why does he believe President Obama has the wrong approach to job creation and isn’t very serious about debt reduction? What did his experience as director of America’s largest Christian camp teach him about running a business and how jobs get created? And why does he say the scope of our debt problem is far worse than he ever realized even when running for Congress? We ask Rep. Lankford, a member of the House Budget Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
President Obama and Rep. Paul Ryan both highlighted the need to attack our mounting debt. Did the president show he was ready to do what is necessary to get our fiscal house back in order? How about Rep. Ryan? What should we make of Obama not moving forward on the proposals offered by his own debt commission? And what should we look for in the president’s new budget to see how serious his reform efforts really are? We discuss it all with David Walker, former Comptroller General of the United States and founder of the Comeback America Initiative.
Greg Corombos and National Review’s Jim Geraghty celebrate a grim but honest and candid Republican response from Rep. Paul Ryan. They also groan as President Obama once again targeted Big Oil and “the rich” as needing to pay more to the government. And they discuss the lethargic response members of Congress seem to have throughout the speech.
As President Obama prepares to deliver his State of the Union message, Louisiana Rep. John Fleming says it’s time for Obama and all of Congress to commit to spending cuts and smaller government. What will that actually look like? Should Congress go along with any sort of additional stimulus plan designed to spur job creation? And what kind of showdown can we expect over funding of the president’s health care plan? We discuss it all with Rep. Fleming, who is also a longtime physician.
Greg Corombos and Jim Geraghty of National Review dread having to watch the State of the Union but are looking forward to Rep. Paul Ryan’s response. They also have fun with Rahm Emanuel’s ballot problems and wonder if a GOP House freshman is already in an ethics mess.
