More trouble in the Middle East…Karzai threatens to join Taliban and accuse U.S. and partners of being occupiers, radical surging again in Pakistan, Iran defiant towards nuke-related sanctions while United Nations fails to schedule sanctions for security council debate this month. Obama takes part in two rites of Spring.
Dr. Walid Phares of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies discusses the suggestion by Afghan President Hamid Karzai that he might align with the Taliban. Why is Karzai saying this? And what does Dr. Phares believe is behind Iran’s increasingly defiant attitude regarding its nuclear program?
Over the weekend, we learned that longtime Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (who is almost 90 years old) plans to retire as soon as this summer. What should we make of his public desire to have President Obama name his successor? What is the legacy of Stevens on the high court? And what kind of fight can we expect over the next Obama nominee? We ask Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Diana Furchgott-Roth served as chief economist at the Department of Labor under President George W. Bush. She says the March jobs report shows a good month on the jobs front, but the real unemployment rate is now almost 17 percent. So is this the start of a turnaround or just a good month in a long, difficult stretch for the job market? How much is the census inflating the job numbers? And why will the many tax provisions in the new health care laws stifle job creation?
President Obama says he wants to expand offshore drilling in certain areas, so why is one of the chief proponents of drilling not celebrating? What does Rep. John Shadegg believe could derail new oil and gas exploration long before it ever starts? Does he have any proof this will happen? So why would his energy plan be any better?
Louisiana Sen. David Vitter is very skeptical about the president’s plan to allow more offshore drilling. Why does he think we will see little to no new drilling? What does he think the president is trying to accomplish through this? What can we expect from the Senate on energy legislation?
John Gizzi of Human Events reviews the week in politics. Why does he believe Obama’s effort to sell the health plan won’t dent the entrenched opposition to this massive plan? What major power does the government take away from states in the health plan? Are President Obama and French President Nicholas Sarkozy making any real progress on Iran? What has Obama really negotiated in the new START treaty with Russia? And who will win the rematch in this year’s Maryland governor’s race?
The Capitol Steps examine the U.S. Census, which is dominated by questions about race.
Small business expert Kevin Hanville says Washington is doing nothing to help job creation or small business owners. Why? Because ‘government doesn’t understand how business works’. Hanville explains why targeted tax credits and other short-term measures do nothing to spur job growth. He also has some frank words for those thinking about starting their own business in this economic climate – all tips from his new book “Change or Go Broke”.
This week, President Obama and French President Nicholas Sarkozy emphasized their commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons through tough sanctions. But former Assistant Secretary of Defense Frank Gaffney says that is just wishful thinking. Why does Gaffney say the sanctions strategy only helps Iran to complete nuclear weapons? What should Obama be doing? Is there any realistic option remaining besides an Israeli strike?
