Tevi Troy was deputy secretary of HHS under President George W. Bush, and also a senior White House aide. He says the stimulus plan has not worked and a new bipartisan jobs bill was killed to satisfy the liberal Democratic base. Troy also discusses the future of health care reform legislation.
Why McCain Must Go
Former Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth is challenging John McCain for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. Why does Hayworth consider McCain unsuitable for conservatives? What issues show the biggest difference between them? How does Hayworth respond to McCain’s assertion that Hayworth was part of the GOP Congress that let spending get out of control? And since Hayworth lost his re-election bid to the House in 2006, could he win a statewide race in November? We discuss all these issues and more with J.D. Hayworth.
A Real Job Creation Plan
Missouri Rep. Todd Akin explains why the stimulus plan is still a mistake – despite President Obama’s claim that it saved our economy. Akin describes some of dubious programs within the stimulus package and outlines the principles of real, sustained job creation. He also discusses the proposals for a new stimulus bill and explains why it’s not hypocritical for Republicans to vote against the stimulus bill and show up for ceremonies highlighting the money coming into their states and districts.
Stimulus Makes Economy Worse
The stimulus package is having an impact on the economy – a negative one. Brian Wesbury, former chief economist for the Joint Economic Committee in Congress, explains why he thinks the government intervention has stifled the economy’s natural corrective course. He also discusses the hidden costs of the stimulus plan, which he says vastly outweigh the visible benefits. He also discusses why the second stimulus plan being proposed in Congress is also a bad idea.
More Energy, More Jobs
President Obama is announcing a push for more nuclear power, but is he serious or just trying to look bipartisan? And why would opening up oil and natural gas exploration create far more revenues and more jobs than anything being pushed in Washington right now? We ask Dan Kish of the Institute for Energy Research.
The News
The number two figure in the Afghan Taliban is in U.S. custody but how much intel will we get? President Obama pushes for more nuclear energy and we look inside the Indiana Senate race.
The Indiana Senate Shake-up
On Monday, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh announced he would not seek re-election. Republican hopeful and former GOP Rep. John Hostettler says he is running to make sure government shrinks back to its appropriate size and to ensure the people have a government that listens to them. He also foreshadows a bruising Republican primary against former Sen. Dan Coats.
Interrogating the Taliban
Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra praises the capture of the top Taliban commander, but he’s unsure how much good intelligence can be pulled from the prisoner because of the Obama administration’s watering down of usable interrogation tactics. He also slams the administration for sugarcoating the Ft. Hood massacre and for allowing the Christmas Day bomber to be read Miranda rights. Hoekstra also discusses the foundation for his campaign for governor of Michigan.
U.S. Debt Crisis Worse Than Greece
Much attention has been paid in recent weeks to the debt crisis facing Greece, which looks to the rest of Europe for help. But government waste expert and economist Martin Gross says the U.S. is in an even more financially precarious position. Why does he say that? Isn’t the U.S. much more creditworthy than Greece? What are some specific areas that could be cut from the budget and save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars more than anything President Obama is suggesting?
The News
Harry Reid kills the bipartisan job creation bill, Republicans call for new stimulus spending to be offset and for tax cuts, Rep. Patrick Kennedy will not run for re-election, Bill Clinton is home from the hospital and the government wants warrantless access to your cell phone records.