This week we bring you a double shot of Washington’s favorite political parody troupe, The Capitol Steps. This week, the Steps examine the the swine flu scare in “Fever” and the rough road ahead for the auto industry in “God Bless My SUV”. Our guest is Steps star and co-founder Elaina Newport.
The past several years, and especially the past few weeks, have been filled with debate over how the U.S. interrogates suspected terrorists and at Guantanamo Bay in in the war zones. So what are the interrogation sessions really like? How is most critical information gleaned from the detainees? How often were “enhanced” interrogation techniques really used? When were they used? And should the Guantanamo Bay detention facility stay open or be closed as President Obama wishes? We ask U.S. Army Captain Jason Meszaros, who served eight months as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan. He is also the author of “Interrogation of Morals”.
Earlier this week, New Hampshire lawmakers approved an amended bill legalizing gay marriage starting in January 2010. Why could this backfire on the new Democratic majority in the state legislature? What did national Democratic leaders threaten to do if lawmakers did not pass the bill? Why was this even on the agenda in a severe economic recession? What’s the big goal of the gay marriage movement in the months ahead? And what is the latest news in the fight for traditional marriage in states like Maine and New York? We ask Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage.
We have Thursday’s top news… What did President say in an effort to extend an olive branch to the Muslim world? What did he say about the U.S. fight against radical Islamic groups? What was his message for Iran? How about Israel and the Palestinians? What the reaction to the speech in the Muslim world? How optimistic are Americans that Middle East peace will ever be achieved? What is the latest on the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor? And how are GM executives viewing the company’s future just three days after beginning the bankruptcy process? We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Thursday, June 4, 2009.
On Thursday, President Obama delivered his long-awaited speech designed to reach out to the Muslim world. So what did he accomplish? How did he impact the Israeli-Palestinian debate? Was he too soft on Iran? Was this just another stop on what conservatives call the apology tour? We ask Ilan Berman, vice president for policy at the American Foreign Policy Council.
Earlier this week, President Obama urged Congress to pass health care reform – with a government payer option – as soon as possible. Obama also says his brand of reform will save our economy money. But is that true? What is the real cost of this plan? Why will the addition of a public option crowd private insurance out of the arena? And what are the right principles to pursue when it comes to reform? We ask Sally Pipes, vice chairman of the Pacific Research Institute.
Thursday marks 20 years since the communist Chinese government brutally crushed student democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. So is there a legacy of those protests or is it just the ongoing brutal repression of those who disagree with Chinese leaders? How has China changed on the world stage in the past two decades? How has the U.S. relationship with it changed? And is it for the better? We ask Walter Lohman, director of the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation.
Congress is working to pass so-called ‘Cap and Trade’ legislation in the coming weeks. Supporters say it’s badly needed energy reform and a movement away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, but opponents say it’s a huge energy tax on the American people that won’t do much of anything to improve the economy or the environment. Jim Manzi of the Manhattan Institute has run the numbers. What will be the economic impact on the world and the U.S. if this plan gets enacted? Will the benefits outweigh the costs or will it be very much the opposite? Manzi offers his analysis to those and other ‘Cap and Trade’ related questions.
We have Wednesday’s top news… What happened on the first day of President Obama’s visit to the Middle East? What message did Osama bin Laden have waiting for him? What is Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke saying about America’s exploding deficits? Why are GM and Chrysler making members of Congress mad now? What state is the sixth to legalize gay marriage? And what do Americans think about the decision Sonia Sotomayor made in a race-based case now before the U.S. Supreme Court? We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Wednesday, June 3, 2009.
So what should President Obama say in his address to the Islamic world on Thursday? How specific should he get on his prescription for Israeli-Palestinian peace? What should he say about the Iranian nuclear ambitions? What shouldn’t he say? What could give a shot in the arm to Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists? And what should Obama mention about the commitment, sacrifice, money and blood of the U.S. for Muslims all over the world? We ask Dr. Walid Phares, senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
