OK Gov. Fallin Worries of 'Red Tape'; Dole Slams Modern GOP
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin told CNN's Candy Crowley she's pleased with the federal help her state's received since the tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma, but she's growing disenchanted with the bureaucracy on State of the Union. "What I need is the ability to get through red tape," Fallin said Sunday morning. "So far, we have had great response," she added. Fallin singled out FEMA Director Craig Fugate and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for appreciation. On CBS's Face the Nation, Fallin said she's going to capitalize on having the President's attention when he visits Oklahoma on Sunday. "I'm going to tell him that we appreciate his visit first of all but also that we need quick action," the governor said. "I've heard so many incredible stories of people helping people. There were so many volunteers out here yesterday that streets were packed." Fallin expressed disbelief over the number of people killed after the EF-5 tornado swept through her state. "It's truly incredible that we had only 24 deaths," she said. "I don't know how anyone survived this tornado."
RELATED: Romney Wants to Keep Key Parts of Obamacare
RELATED: A Brief History of Newt's Feuds
Sen. Lindsey Graham didn't enjoy the President's shifting of the war on terror and new drone strike policy, he revealed on Fox News Sunday. "We show this lack of resolve, talking about the war being over," Graham said. "What do you think the Iranians are thinking? At the end of the day, this is the most tone-deaf president I ever could imagine, making such a speech at a time when our homeland is trying to be attacked literally every day." Graham said he's "never been more worried" about national security than he is right now. Graham also touched on the military's terrible sexual assault record of late. "I want to salute the women who serve and are putting up with way too much crap," he said, before calling for some heads to roll within the military over the issue. "This needs to end. When a victim comes forward, they should have an advocate to walk them through the military justice system. And commanders who allow this to continue to flourish, quite frankly, should be fired." He also praised the President's response to the issue so far. "The president spoke well of this problem. It is a disgrace to the United States Military."
RELATED: Lindsey Graham and Hagel Make Nice (For Now)
Someone else who wasn't impressed with the President's counter terrorism speech? Former Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, of course. He called it "naive" during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union. "It's just stunningly, breathtakingly naive," Gingrich said. He pointed to the London attack from this week, among other things, as examples of the ongoing threat of extremism. "This stuff's going on everywhere, and we will never be in peace in the pre-1941 sense that we are never threatened," he said. "No one wants to talk honestly" about the widespread nature of the threat.
RELATED: Graham Threatens Hagel Confirmation Over Benghazi
RELATED: What We Can Glean from the Candidates' Closing Arguments in Iowa
Another former Presidential nominee Bob Dole doesn't think his generation could have made it in the modern Republican party. He expressed his doubts during an interview on Fox News Sunday. "I doubt it," he said when asked if he would make it today. "Reagan couldn't have made it. Certainly, Nixon couldn't have made it, cause he had ideas. We might've made it, but I doubt it." That Nixon line is particularly biting. Dole doesn't seem very fond of the new generation of GOP stars in Washington. In fact, he has an idea for fixing the party that might work. "They ought to put a sign on the National Committee doors that says 'Closed for repairs,' until New Year's Day next year," he said. "And spend that time going over ideas and positive agendas." But he didn't limit his criticism to the right. He had words for the President, too. Dole thinks Obama should have spent more time charming House Republicans during his first term. "I'm not a critic of the president, but I think one mistake he has made was not getting together more with Congress early on in his first administration," Dole said. "There's nothing like knowing the person you are talking to on the telephone if you had an opportunity to sit down with that person and visit, not about anything but just visit."
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul argued the President is losing his "moral authority" to lead the U.S. because of the recent wake of scandals plaguing the White House during his appearance on ABC's This Week. "I think the constellation of these three scandals really takes away from the president's moral authority to lead the nation," Paul said. "No one questions his legal authority. But I really think he's losing the moral authority to lead this nation." The President has not been linked directly to the IRS targeting scandal, the Benghazi talking points scandal, or the Justice Department spying scandal so far. But the President did speak about the drone strike program this week, which just so happens to be one of Paul's favorite topics. Paul held a marathon filibuster demanding an expanded legal explanation for the drone strike program a few months ago. It turns out he didn't really enjoy the President's argument. "I was pleased with his words, and I was pleased that he did respond to this," Paul said. "However, there's still a question in my mind of what he thinks due process is. Due process, to most of us, is a court of law. It is a trial by jury, and, right now, their process is him looking at some flash cards and a PowerPoint presentation on 'Terror Tuesdays' in the White House. For a lot of us, that's not really due process." Who saw that one coming?
Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.
New York Rep. Peter King is sick and tired of everyone griping about the Guantanamo Bay prison. Especially the President, who King charged is "moralizing" the issue on This Week. "I'm offended by the moralizing," King said "The fact is, whether you agree or disagree with Guantanamo, many experts believe that it did work. It was something that had to be done at the time. The president had five years to end this if he really wanted to. He could've moved most of those prisoners out of the country." King later charged that the President would have closed Guantanamo by now if he really wanted to. "Everyone wants to close Guantanamo, ultimately," King said. "But again, he has the power to do it. He hasn't done it. He certainly, whether or not Congress was in the way, could have done a lot more than he has done about it if he were serious about it rather than just moralizing." King argued terrorists only use Guantanamo as a symbol because the media and political types "stir" about Guantanamo. "We should be proud, defend what we're doing and stop apologizing for America," he said.
