The U.S. military has recently confirmed that it confiscated and later destroyed a shipment of Bibles translated into local Afghan languages. The Bibles were sent to a soldier in Afghanistan by his church back home. So why did the Bibles need to be destroyed? What is the rule on U.S. soldiers discussing their faith with the local people? What message does this send? We ask Dr. Carl Moeller, President of Open Doors USA, one of the leading organizations assisting the persecuted Christian church.
We have Thursday’s top news…How much does President Obama want to trim from a record-setting federal budget? Where does he want to make the cuts? What did the ‘stress tests’ show about the health of major U.S. banks? What happened on Wall Street Thursday? Why is Pakistan scrapping a peace deal with the Taliban? What is Attorney General Eric Holder suggesting about the fate of the Guantanamo detainees? We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Thursday, May, 7, 2009.
On Thursday, President Obama announced $17 billion in spending vuts from his $3.44 trillion budget for Fiscal Year 2010. Is this a significant reduction or an almost imperceptible amount? Is he serious about fiscal discipline or is this just for show? Are the cuts based on wasteful spending or does he have a political agenda? Where could Obama and Congress find ways to cut a whole lot more money? We ask Pete Sepp, vice president for communications at the National Taxpayers Union.
What is the legacy of retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter? Who is the front-runner to replace him? How significant is the Justice Department review that recommends no criminal prosecution of Bush lawyers over enhanced interrogation of terrorists? How upset is Sen. Arlen Specter that Democrats voted not to count his 28 years of seniority when giving him committee assignments? And how is Jack Kemp being remembered here in Washington? We ask John Gizzi, political editor at Human Events.
Why is President Obama’s plan to crack down on corporate tax dodgers wrongly focused? What should Obama be doing about the tax code for small and large businesses? Why will ‘cap and trade’ be another headache for small business owners? How will they be impacted by Obama’s brand of health care reform? And how impressed should we be with Obama’s $17 billion in spending cuts? We ask Missouri Rep. Sam Graves, the ranking member on the House Small Business Committee.
Why are the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve dragging their feet on providing much greater transparency on where taxpayer money is going through the TARP funds? How much transparency is there right now? Was the TARP a success in staving off a financial catastrophe as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke claims? Are we seeing the beginning of the end of this recession as Bernanke also contends? Are President Obama’s budget cuts a serious step towards fiscal discipline or just a PR stunt? And will Democrats allow the estate tax to return in full force in 2011 or let it stay dead as it will be next year? We ask Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
We have Wednesday’s top news…What recommendation are Justice Department officials making about the possible prosecution of Bush administration lawyers over their defense of enhanced interrogation techniques? What common ground did President Obama find with leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan today? What is the government saying about the swine flu as the threat appears to recede? What happened on Wall Street today? We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
What is the Republican alternative to the Democratic energy plan of ‘cap and trade’ legislation that would make your energy bills soar? Why could we see the rates skyrocket even if Congress blocks the Democratic plan? Why did House Democrats deny funding for the closing of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay? What is the reality of the Obama promise of full transparency for every dime of stimulus money? Why are Oklahoma state lawmakers pushing state sovereignty legislation in the wake of the Obama agenda? We ask Oklahoma Rep. Mary Fallin, who is also running for governor in 2010.
Should the U.S. have closed the Mexican border to contain the swine flu outbreak? Why should the Obama immigration reform plan be considered nothing more than amnesty? Why does former Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo say President Obama is a cult leader? And what does he have to say about the ‘tolerance’ and commitment to free speech of liberals who rioted at a recent speech of his and prevented him from speaking? Listen for all the answers in our interview with Rep. Tancredo.
On Wednesday, Maine became the fifth state in the U.S. to legalize gay marriage. Gov. John Baldacci signed the bill less than an hour after it cleared the legislature. Maine is the third state to legalize gay marriage in recent weeks and New Hampshire may be the sixth very soon. So why are we seeing such a rush on the gay marriage front? Why is the issue not over yet in Maine? Why are politicians on the record against gay marriage caving in to this effort? And how pivotal will an upcoming Congressional vote be on allowing the District of Columbia to recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere? We ask Brian Brown, executive director at the National Organization for Marriage.
