Radio America Online News Bureau

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats secured the three Republican votes necessary to give them the the 60 votes needed to pass financial regulatory reform.  But is this a bill worth supporting?  How will it impact your access to credit?  How much power will the government have over businesses?  And why did Democrats refuse to address Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the causes of the mortgage meltdown in this legislation?  We ask New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett, a member of the House Financial Services Committee and a conferee on the revised financial regulatory reform bill.

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After two firm federal court rejections of his offshore drilling moratorium, President Obama is issuing a new six-month restriction that will likely start the court fight all over again.  How is this moratorium different, if at all?  How are energy producers reacting to this forced work stoppage?  We ask Dan Kish of the Institute for Energy Research.  We also get his insight into whether Senate Democrats really do need to pass their version of cap and trade legislation or give up on the issue for the rest of this Congress.

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White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs surprised many politicos by admitting that Republicans could win back the House of Representatives.  Is that true?  Why is the GOP surging?  Can Dems do anything about it?  What do Republicans need to do to make the most of this opportunity?  Will Tea Party nominees help or hurt?  We ask Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

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Several news reports and economic experts have suggested the economy might be headed for another major downturn – perhaps even a depression.  Do the current conditions really forecast something so dire?  What will the coming months and years bring to our economy?  What is the Obama administration doing to help or hinder economic growth?  We ask Heritage Foundation economist Rea Hederman.

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A Somalia-based terrorist group linked to Al Qaeda claims responsibility for attacks in Uganda that killed at least 74 people, who were watching the World Cup final.  What is this group and why would it launch an attack like this?  How powerful has it become in the midst of great instability in Somalia?  We ask Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, vice president of research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.  We also get his thoughts on Afghan President Hamid Karzai trying to remove the names of 50 Taliban figures from a United Nations blacklist.  Why is this important to Karzai and is this a major key to weakening the Taliban and bringing stability to the country?

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A federal judge in Boston strikes down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, appellate court rules against Obama on drilling moratorium, Obama accuses of GOP of being party of the status quo, Republicans accuse Democrats of secret plan to ram through controversial issues in lame duck session of Congress.

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A federal judge in Boston has ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, saying Congress has no legitimate interest in addressing the issue and just wanted to act against people they disapproved of back in 1996.  Are those solid arguments?  Is the Obama administration earnest in its efforts to defend the law?  Will this be a major issue in this year’s elections?  We discuss it all with Iowa Rep. Steve King, a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

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A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has upheld a lower court decision striking down the Obama administration’s six-month moratorium on deep water oil drilling.  But will companies return to drilling anytime soon?  How will Obama try to keep the moratorium in place regardless of what the courts say?  We ask Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, who also updates the impact of the oil on his state and his ongoing frustrations with the federal response.

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Congressional Democrats have already passed controversial legislation on the economy and health care and Wall Street reforms appear to be next.  But what about cap and trade, immigration policy and pro-union legislation?  Congressional Republicans say Democrats know they can’t pass them now without getting mauled at the polls in November so the plan is to pass them after the midterms and before the new Congress is sworn in.  Will that happen?  What is the evidence that Democrats are planning to do that?  And what can Democrats do about it?  We ask Georgia Rep. Tom Price, chairman of the Republican Study Committee.

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Many reports suggest a multi-spy exchange between the U.S. and Russia is on the brink of being finalized.  What is behind this kind of deal?  What does it say about current U.S.-Russian relations?  How should we interpret Russia getting more spies back than the U.S. seems to be getting?  How good are U.S. intelligence efforts in Russia?  And what needs to happen for our intel efforts to reach their full potential?  We ask retired CIA officer Larry Johnson.

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