Brain Trust - Janice Shaw Crouse

Janice Shaw Crouse, columnist and senior fellow for the Beverly LaHaye Institute, joined the Brain Trust segment to share her perspective on marriage and Herman Cain. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of her interview.

You say you can pinpoint three things that harm marriage. What are they?

Well, there are three major things, and I imagine your listeners have come into contact with one or all of them.

The first is promiscuity, which is so prevalent in our culture, beginning at very young ages.

That cultural trend is very harmful to marriage, because our kids are with so many people before marriage that they don't know how to establish a lasting relationship.

The second is cohabitation. So many of our young people think that little slip of paper doesn't matter.

What they don't understand is that cohabiting relationships don't work very well at all. Cohabitation is also a recipe for divorce.

And then we all know of the threat that same-sex marriage is. A very small portion of our population is trying to dilute the tradition of marriage.

A stable mom and dad, married for life, is the best way for a couple to thrive together and for their kids to become productive citizens.

Are you encouraged or discouraged about the progress of these issues?

I think we're making headway.

The only places that same-sex marriage is legal are where judges have forced it through. All 31 states where this has come up, the people have voted to keep marriage between one man and one woman.

What's your perspective on the allegations against Herman Cain?

I hope it's not true. I suspect it's probably a "high-tech lynching", and I also suspect Herman Cain has not seen the end of these attacks. For some reason, the liberals cannot stand the thought of a black conservative.

This is something in our culture that I find very reprehensible and disgusting. I hope that these allegations are untrue.

Will the liberals who defended Bill Clinton defend Cain?

Oh, heavens, no. In your dreams. That is so laughable. It's so ironic and so disappointing that you can laugh at a question like that, because everybody knows they will not.

Are you encouraged about the Republican prospects?

I think we have some fabulous candidates in the GOP lineup. I find it very encouraging to see the opposition to the liberal agenda.

We do need a change in November, and I think there are some great options out there to choose from.

Brain Trust - Matt Barber

Matt Barber is Director of Cultural Affairs with Liberty Counsel and also serves as Associate Dean with Liberty University School of Law. He joined the Brain Trust segment of the show to discuss several current issues. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

Why is Occupy Wall Street perceived more favorably than the Tea Party?

It's because we have a massive mainstream media that has embraced this anarchist vision that the Occupy Wall Street mob seeks to impose by their lawless behavior.

The media is portraying them as freedom fighters, the next civil rights movement. But I don't recall rapes happening at Tea Party events.

It's an increase of left-wing radicalism that's happening around the world.

Is the Tea Party still alive and well?

I think the Tea Partyers are waiting in the wings, biding their time as we approach the next election.

I think they will come out of the woodwork as an organized cogent answer to this Occupy Wall Street mess that we're seeing.

[Occupy Wall Street's philosophy] didn't work in Communist Russia; it didn't work in Nazi Germany; it's not going to work in the United States.

Does the Republican nomination inevitably go to Romney?

I hope not. Speaking as an individual, I have to say look at the mainstream media, and see who their pick is. Who does the Obama Administration want to run against?

It's Romney. I think it's because they recognize that he is that establishment Republican who will keep them in the White House.

I don't think it's inevitable, though.

Does Cain have any staying power?

I've seen a Fox News poll that has Cain several points ahead of Romney.

The game is still very much on. Herman Cain seems to continue to defy all the odds.

Do we give Obama credit for eliminating bin Laden and Gaddafi?

I guess there's some credit due, but I was opposed to his circumventing Congress and illegally go into Libya and get Gaddafi.

Sure, there's a certain element of credit that has to go to him because he happens to occupy the position of commander in chief.

But really, the credit goes to our fighting men and women who are getting the job done.

Brain Trust - Gregg Harper

Congressman Gregg Harper (R, MS) came on the Matt Friedeman Show today to discuss the issues currently facing Congress. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment

Is Congress getting heat from the people to pass the jobs bill?

I can't speak for other congressional districts, I can just tell you in our district, we're not getting pushed in any way.

Most people realize that this is just a shorter version of the stimulus.

Experience lets you realize a mistake the second time around.

How well is the blame game going to work for Obama?

This is purely a political move by the president, introducing a bill that cannot pass so he can pass the blame on.

We had four energy bills we passed that would create jobs that stalled over on the Senate side.

You and I have discussed the difficulty of trying to shrink the size of government.

But claiming that the government creates jobs is some kind of strong fiction.

Is the super committee going to dip into our 401k's?

I cannot imagine that any of the six Republican members would go for that.

But they are looking for any place they can find a pot of money. The 401k is a place where people have poured their savings for years.

If you try to change the rules, what a mess that would be.

What should we be paying attention to in Washington?

Keep your eye on the president's whirlwind tour on the jobs bill.

Also, on the plus side, the three trade bills that passed yesterday are going to be real positive things for the economy.

Brain Trust - Warren Smith

Warren Smith, Associate Editor of World Magazine, joined the Brain Trust to discuss the Republican presidential hopefuls and the Occupy Wall Street movement. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

Thoughts on tonight's debate?

I am not sure if it really is do-or-die for Perry, he has had a great period of fundraising.  He does have to do well tonight though.  I don't think people are expecting him to suddenly transform into a great debater, but Rick Perry must do better tonight.   

Herman Cain is very interesting, he is great in the debates, he is good for media sound-bytes.  But in the end whoever raises the most money is likely the one who wins this contest. Perry and Romney have shown they have what it takes in this regard.   

I am not sure Herman Cain can raise the kind of money it will take to win the whole thing.  Barack Obama and his friends are going to raise close to a billion dollars to fund his re-election campaign.  I only see two GOP candidates that can compete with that level of money: Romney and Perry

Is Romney's Mormonism a problem for him?

If you look at his last run at the nomination I believe that his Mormonism was a real reason that he didn't make it farther in spite of his tons of money raised and spent.   

I do think that enough of the conservative evangelical voters have enough doubts that it eventually really hurts Romney.  And I might add, that it must be an enthusiastic movement of conservative voters before this issue will really trip of Romney. 

What is the impact of Occupy Wall Street?

I think the backlash is going to become a real positive for the Republicans.  It isn't really the 99% against the 1%, over 47% of Americans didn't even pay income tax last year.   

So when the facts start to come out, due to the excessive media coverage, will shine the light upon the negatives of the underlying philosophy of these folks sitting out there on the streets.  

Live from the Values Voter Summit - Star Parker

Star Parker is the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE). She joined The Matt Friedeman Show live from the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of her interview.

Is there enough emphasis on poverty?

I think the Values Voter Summit and the people attending are a clear example of what to do

These are just the decent people from communities all over America. 

There is some emphasis on being an example. The emphasis isn't as broad as I would like, but that's why I'm here.

How bad is it for America?

It's not good at all. In my column this week, I'm addressing that issue. 

Family values have eroded in our country. People go very quickly to government.

I myself got caught up in that trap, and spent seven years in and out of welfare. 

How did you get out of that "trap"?

I met some Christian people who confronted my lifestyle, and told me it wasn't pleasing to God.

It got my attention, even though I didn't want to confront myself about what I was doing. 

Then I went to church and heard the gospel, and I accepted it. I started on the journey to have a biblical worldview in my life.

What should Christian ministries be doing?

They need to be fighting with us to remove the government from those peoples' lives. 

What happens is that we have ministers and ministries who have bought into the idea that the redistribution of wealth is Christian.

 We have to get them to understand that the government has no role in this relationship.

How can we fix the fatherlessness problem?

Get the government out of charity works.

We pay people to have children out of wedlock. There is a message of sexual revolution, coupled with the war on poverty. 

We're telling people that they can do whatever they want sexually, and then we'll pay for the consequences.

What happens when you raise children in single-headed households is that the child learns that commitment is not necessary. 

Who is the strongest presidential candidate on these issues?

I think there's a little bit of all of it in one or two of them. 

We are at a crosspoint in our history. We can't go on like this. We are either going to be a moral, free, responsible people, or we're not. 

Live from the Values Voter Summit: Gary Bauer

Gary Bauer, who formerly served in Ronald Reagan's administration, is now the president of American Values. He joined The Matt Friedeman Show live from the Values Voter Summit. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

You're a former presidential candidate. Who's your pick out of the list we've got now?

I keep hearing the major media say that everyone's dissatisfied, but I think we've got a pretty good slate of candidates. 

I think any one of them would do a heck of a lot better job than the guy sitting in the Oval Office right now.

We've got to be careful we don't let the media pick our nominees, or make us think less of the candidates.

How about Herman Cain?

It has been surprising. I think it's evidence of the fact that the frontrunner, Mitt Romney, is a good guy, but he hasn't closed the deal, especially where Values Voters are concerned.

We'll see if the Herman Cain phenomenon has staying power. It's really tough, though, to raise the billion dollars you need to make a go of it.

Is it bothersome that you need that much money to be a possibility?

It is. It's intimidating, it's dismaying, and it's depresssing.

If you're going to have a real campaign staff, you have to have paid people in every state. You have to have media people. You have to have television ads. It's a huge obstacle that every candidate has to deal with.

Do we have any "Reaganesque" candidates?

I get this question a lot, and I understand it, because people do want another Ronald Reagan. But I think he's probably in a category of his own.

All of these candidates have the same opinions Reagan had on almost all of the major issues. I think it's whether they have the same manner.

There was just a feel to the man, that he knew what America was, he was confident in Western Civilization. I'm not sure the candidates in the field now have that same assurance.

If one of these candidates would start presenting himself or herself as the exact opposite of President Obama, in that they believe American has hope, I think they would skyrocket to the top.

How important are these "values" issues?

I believe all these issues are linked together. Having said that, while the election will probably turn just on the economy, it will be in part about the life of the unborn child, and marriage between one man and one woman.

Every city is suffering from fatherlessness. Instead of trying to figure out how to get fathers into these kinds of households, the liberals are pushing marriage between two men or two women.

Brain Trust - Phil Bryant

Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant came on The Matt Friedeman Show to discuss the economy and the Mississippi voter initiatives. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

What is the mood of voters right now?

It differs. Of course, jobs are the number one concern. As I talk to people, I see tears in their eyes as they say, "I'm about to lose my job."

This economy is on everyone's mind.

How difficult is it to work with this economy?

We've done a remarkable job in the last ten years. We've brought up the average income for a family by 30%. That makes a huge difference.

The Obama administration appears to be deliberately trying to collapse the free-market system. It's hard to explain ObamaCare any other way.

Mississippi is doing better than most states. We're rated 9th in the nation for manufacturing. We're number one in investing in oil and gas.

Realistically, Mississippi is doing better than a lot of other states. But even with all of that, it suppresses people's willingness to get out and vote.

They feel like the government isn't listening to them.

Tell us about the initiatives on the Mississippi ballot.

Of course, there is the pro-life initiative, the Personhood Amendment. We have got to speak up for the unborn. You're going to hear a lot of arguments from the pro-abortion crowd and Planned Parenthood.

Then there's a property rights issue, eminent domain, whether the government can take your land away and give it to someone else simply because they can pay more taxes.

Then there's a voter ID initiative, that says simply when I go into the voter box to cast my vote, I have to show my identification. That will add security to our vote.

It's critical to pass all three of these.

"When we pose the question, 'How much is enough?' we never really get a good answer. "

Lindsey Burke is a Senior Policy Analyst in Domestic Policy Studies with the the Heritage Foundation. She joined the Brain Trust to discuss the ongoing impact of No Child Left Behind. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of her segment.

How successful has No Child Left Behind been?

Unfortunately, not very successful at all. It's been around in various iterations over the years, but in the past 45 years, we have not seen very much improvement at all.

It's very disappointing, because we've spent more and more money on it.

We aren't getting much bang for our buck.

You're absolutely right. When we pose the question, "How much is enough?" we never really get a good answer. 

Graduation rate is still the same as it was in the 70s. Even in affluent school across the country, performance is still mediocre compared to other countries.

Where does all the money go?

Only about 60 cents to the dollar actually makes it to the classroom. 

I think the best things we could do is ask how we could get that money into the hands of parents. We need to allow money to be used in school choice, and the children to be able to access those options. 

We're seeing school choice take hold across the country. It's the most effective reform that we could make.

Is school choice a possibility?

I think it is. I do think that 20 years from now, the school choice landscape will look entirely different than it does now. I hope that every state will have robust school choice options.

What role does online learning play?

We have a great study that came out from the Department . of Education. It found that children who take courses online coupled with classroom experience actually performed better than children in a traditional public or private school.

Brain Trust - Connie Mackey

Connie Mackey is the President of the Family Research Council Action's Political Action Committee. She joined The Matt Friedeman Show to discuss the FRC's upcoming Voter Values Summit. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of her segment.


How are things shaping up for your Voters Values Summit later this week?

We have seen an very large number of registrations for this years event. Many conservative candidates and high-profile speakers are going to be there in an attempt to get their message out as well.  

With all of the focus on our economic problems, do people still see these "values" driven issues as being as important?

Our organization certainly thinks so, we have been trying to push the idea that the social issues that provide the underpinnings of a society are more crucial to a civilization than its economic policies.   

If you have solid values and solid families the economic situation can't help but improve.  Intact families are really the answer to so many of the economic issues we are facing.

Why is that we can't get these issues out there?

I firmly believe that Personnel is Policy.  In voting for Barack Obama this nation got exactly what it wanted.  At our organization we really vet people before we will endorse anyone.   

We are concerned with people who have acted on what they have said.  We want people that have lived out their beliefs.

What are the issues at this Values Voters event?

Protection of life in all its forms.  Protection of traditional marriage.  There has been extensive research on the impact of intact families on our society done by our organization. 

We are going to be emphasizing the necessity of smaller government; promoting life and religious liberty.  Our event's goal is to continually remind people of these issues.

How consequential is this next election cycle?

Barack Obama certainly believes that it is a crucial and defining election cycle. 

The liberals have their "values" and this cycle is very crucial to determining what model our country is going to follow -  more of a socialist, European model or the model that our country's founding fathers envisioned, with economic freedom and limited government at its core.