Tuesdays Headlines: GOP grills Sotomayor. Dems unveil health plan. Obama talks jobs in Michigan. CIA flap continues, and more.
The News
Democrats vs. CIA
Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers weighs in on the latest Democratic assertions that the CIA has engaged in a pattern of misleading or lying to Congress, and that former VP Dick Cheney told the CIA not to brief Congress on a program aimed at Al Qaeda. Is the CIA broken or are the Democrats engaging in a purely political exercise to protect Nancy Pelosi and diminish the intelligence community? Why does Rogers see this as a major blow to CIA morale? We also get an update on his discovery that the Obama administration ordered terrorists captured in Afghanistan to be read Miranda rights.
The Many Costs of Reform
President Obama is launching another PR campaign to revive support for massive health care reform – an idea losing popularity among lawmakers and the public. So what does Obama need to explain? How will he pay for this huge overhaul of the health care system? Are tax hikes inevitable? What about the coming bureaucracy? Will we see rationing? And will the elderly and chronically ill be denied treatment because they’re not worth the money? We ask former Clinton administration official Larry Haas.
Sotomayor’s Charade
On Monday, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor promised ‘fidelity to the law’ and vowed the same again in her testimony on Tuesday. But is that true? How do her legal decisions and public statements compare to her pledge to be an impartial arbiter of justice? Does her track record show a strict adherent to the law or a judicial and political activist? We ask Mario Diaz, policy director for legal issues at the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee.
The News
Monday’s headlines…Sotomayor hearings, surgeon general nominee, stimulus debate, Dow up.
Confronting Sotomayor and Obama
While Democrats praise Sonia Sotomayor and Republicans wonder if she engages in discrimination, conservative activist Richard Viguerie says there is a much bigger issue at work in this confirmation process – an issue admitted by the administration weeks ago. So what is this issue? Why is it more important than the others? And why does it warrant Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee going after President Obama as well as Judge Sotomayor? Listen here and tell us what you think!
‘Nothing Easy’ About Afghanistan
Retired Navy Capt. Chuck Nash discusses military goals, challenges in new offensive ignored by press.
Sotomayor’s Long Pro-Abortion Record
Supporters of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor say she is not a pro-abortion radical and in fact she hasn’t ruled on many abortion cases at all. Her detractors say there is still a long track record of her activism on the issue dating well before her nomination to the federal bench. So what do the facts show and how much should it matter in her confirmation process? We ask Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, who will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the Sotomayor nomination later this week. We will also get her reaction to Senate Democrats trying to reinstate taxpayer-funded abortions.
Inside the New GM
So what is new about the “new” General Motors? Why should customers trust GM with their next vehicle? Are executives worried that Uncle Sam will be calling the shots? And why are so many GM dealers being forced to close their doors? We ask Ed Peper, vice president at Chevrolet.
Road Ahead Is ‘Very Hard’ for GM
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter says General Motors must prove to customers that it is serving them and not dictating to them what they will drive. He also warns that Washington should not call shots even though the government owns a majority share in the new GM. Rep. McCotter also discusses the emerging reality in his home state…that this economic upheaval is devasting Michigan and many of its communities. He also notes just how big of a toll all of this is taking on workers across the state.