Rep. Louie Gohmert, WMAL's Redskins analyst Trevor Matich and various Fisher House Radiothon guests joined WMAL Friday morning.

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, December 5, 2014

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Fisher House Radiothon

5am – A/B/C DRIVE AT FIVE INTERVIEW – STEPHEN DINAN – Political Editor, Washington Times

• Homeland Security already hiring 1,000 employees to carry out Obama amnesty. (Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times)- Wednesday, December 3, 2014 Department of Homeland Security officials wasted little time in ramping up for President Obama’s amnesty, posting 1,000 job openings the day after his announcement and announcing it already has space for hundreds of employees at a new location in Arlington, Virginia — an indication that it had laid its plans well before Mr. Obama’s announcement. And even though Mr. Obama said his policy is temporary, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is hiring the employees for permanent positions, at salaries of up to $157,000 a year, according to the job postings listed on the official federal jobs website. “USCIS is taking steps to open a new operational center in Crystal City, a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, to accommodate about 1,000 full-time, permanent federal and contract employees in a variety of positions and grade levels,” the agency said in an internal email to employees on Monday. “The initial workload will include cases filed as a result of the executive actions on immigration announced on Nov. 20, 2014.”
• Immigration warning shot: House Republicans passed a bill Thursday that declared President Obama's executive order on immigration "null and void and without legal effect." The bill likely would not pass the Senate should it come to the floor before Congress adjourns.  The bill passed by a 219-to-197 vote (three Republicans voted present) is the bolstered standing of House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), leaving him well positioned to pass an omnibus spending bill next week that would fund the government beyond Dec. 11, when current funds will expire. Some of the most conservative GOP members wanted to tie the immigration defunding measure to the larger government spending bill.

5am – D         INTERVIEW — KERRI CHILDRESS – VP OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR FISHER HOUSE

5am – E         For Jay Gruden, the best place for Robert Griffin III is elsewhere. (Washington Post/Jason Reid) — Jay Gruden wanted Robert Griffin III to succeed, but he felt he had no choice last week other than to bench the Washington Redskins’ once-apparent franchise savior despite the wide-ranging consequences. And while it’s unclear whether owner Dan Snyder and President and General Manager Bruce Allen are in lock step with their coach, it’s helpful to examine what convinced Gruden that the franchise must part ways with the 2012 offensive rookie of the year. By making the bold move, Gruden has set the tone for Griffin’s future as the offseason draws near, and the power of Gruden’s assessment will be crucial as he tries to persuade Snyder and Allen to follow him.

6am – A/B/C No gifts for you: Parents try to teach a Christmas lesson. A Utah couple decided to teach their three young boys a lesson about gratitude. In a blog post “Why My Husband and I Cancelled Christmas,” Lisa Henderson laid out their plans to address the sense of entitlement their kids were displaying. Last month, they told the boys they were canceling Christmas, or at least the gift-giving part. “Here is why – John and I feel like we are fighting a very hard uphill battle with our kids when it comes to entitlement. Our kids have been acting so ungrateful lately,” Henderson wrote. “They expect so much even when their behavior is extremely disrespectful. We gave them good warning, either it was time for their behavior to change or there would be consequences.” Well, the kids’ behavior didn’t improve. On Santa’s naughty list they were placed. The parenting move made it onto some of the morning shows, including “Today.” The money the couple would have spent on presents for the boys will instead be used to give to others. The family has also been doing various community service projects. “We are trying to teach them the pleasure of giving rather than continuing to feed their childhood desire for more,” wrote the mother, co-founder of Over the Big Moon Web site. The couple is receiving some backlash. So much so, that Lisa Henderson had to add an addendum to her blog posting.

6am – D         INTERVIEW: MARY CONSIDINE –  Chief of Staff, Fisher House Foundation

Mary B. Considine joined Fisher House Foundation in 2004, after having served as a volunteer for several years. She has assisted with the growth of the organization from a staff of only three to diverse and dedicated nonprofit team providing support for over 20,000 military and Veterans’ families each year. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mary worked at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.  While at Smithsonian, she was a part of the program team for multiple Folklife Festivals, the dedication of the World War II Monument, and the grand opening of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC.

6am – E         A Ban On Carry-On Bags? Travelers Say ‘No Way.’ DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Could there ever really be a ban on carry-on bags when you fly? According to a report by National Public Radio, a ban on carry-on luggage was discussed by U.S. counter-terrorism officials. A TSA spokesperson told CBS 11 News it’s “not anticipating any further changes in the carry-on bag policies.” The spokesperson said as always TSA will make adjustments when necessary to meet the ever-evolving terror threat. Travelers and industry experts alike say a ban on carry-on bags would be hard to imagine. “I know that they believe there’s a threat,” said FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney. “The question is what’s the solution to the threat.”

7am – A/B/C  INTERVIEW — TREVOR MATICH – WMAL's Redskins Analyst

>> Preview game: St. Louis Rams VS. Washington Redskins

Sunday, December 7, 1:00 PM on FOX

FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

>> Washington Post's Jason Reid: "For Jay Gruden, the best place for Robert Griffin III is elsewhere"

7am – B         White House News:

• Maryland Governor-Elect Larry Hogan to attend meeting at White House. Governor-elect Larry Hogan will attend a New Governors Meeting Friday, December 5, in Washington, DC, at the White House. The daylong event will begin with a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and will conclude with a discussion with President Obama and other senior White House officials. Cabinet members slated to participate in briefings throughout the day include Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, as well as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, among others. "I am looking forward to the experience of the New Governors Meeting in Washington this week," the Governor-elect said. "While I and some of my Republican governor colleagues may disagree with the President, Vice President, and Cabinet members on some issues, it has always been my belief that public servants can disagree without being disagreeable. This opportunity will provide my team and me with valuable insight as we continue our hard work to turn Maryland around, and I look forward to learning as much as possible."

• Jenna Bush Hager, hanky-panky, and the White House roof. Hands down the only thing weirder than Jenna Bush Hager admitting to “a little hanky-panky” on the White House roof, is the fact that anyone without the very first AARP card would say the words “hanky-panky.” As a guest on Wednesday night’s episode of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live!”, the former first daughter was asked by a caller if she’d ever “fooled around” at her dad’s workplace, a.k.a the White House. The 33-year-old wife and mom, who was once known as the naughty twin (since everyone’s using old-timey language today), answered thusly, “Listen, a lady never talks.” Awesome. Moving on. No need to think about a 19-year-old Jenna Bush using the Lincoln Bedroom for unofficial activities. But then again this is Bravo. So, of course, there’s more. “You know maybe there was a little hanky-panky,” continued Bush Hager, who made sure to mention that she’s been with her “dream boat” husband, Henry Hager, since her dad got to Washington. “There was like maybe a kiss on the roof.”

7am – C         Fisher House Radiothon

7am – D         INTERVIEW — KEN FISHER –  Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation – Kenneth Fisher is a senior partner at Fisher Brothers, the prestigious real estate firm based in New York City.  He is also an active philanthropist whose dedication to improving the lives of our military, veterans, and their families has been recognized at the highest levels. Ken’s primary philanthropic work is done as the Chairman of the Fisher House Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that constructs comfort homes for families of hospitalized military personnel and veterans, allowing them to stay free of charge for as long as their hospital stay.  Founded in 1990 by his late Uncle, Zachary Fisher, the program aids more than 19,000 guest families each year saving them more than $200 million in travel and lodging costs.  To date, the Foundation has built 62 houses at military bases and VA Medical Center across the country and Germany, with plans to add several additional houses.

7am – E         Cost of Silver Spring Transit Center repairs jumps another $21 million. Repairs to the Silver Spring Transit Center will require another $21 million, Montgomery County officials said Thursday, bringing the cost of the beleaguered project — now four years behind schedule — to $141 million, more than $50 million over original estimates. County officials said in September that additional funds would be needed to fix construction and design defects in the three-level commuter terminal adjacent to the Silver Spring Metro station at Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue. But until Thursday, they did not say how much. The deficiencies in the facility include poor-quality concrete and lack of steel supports for roadways that are expected to support hundreds of buses arriving and leaving each day. General Services Director David Dise, the lead county official on the project, said the $21 million should be enough to complete the repairs by late April or early May. “This is all the work that needs to be done,” he said. There is no firm opening date. After repairs are finished, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which will operate the center as part of its transit system, has up to 60 days to inspect the facility and decide whether it is ready for passengers. To complete the project, the county has decided to front the money for the repairs and then try to recover it by suing the contractors that it holds responsible for the problems — a process that could take years.

8am – A         INTERVIEW — REP. LOUIE GOHMERT – R-TX

>> Immigration warning shot: House Republicans passed a bill Thursday that declared President Obama's executive order on immigration "null and void and without legal effect." The bill likely would not pass the Senate should it come to the floor before Congress adjourns.  The bill passed by a 219-to-197 vote (three Republicans voted present) is the bolstered standing of House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), leaving him well positioned to pass an omnibus spending bill next week that would fund the government beyond Dec. 11, when current funds will expire. Some of the most conservative GOP members wanted to tie the immigration defunding measure to the larger government spending bill.

8am – B/C     Brian and Larry talked about the good work of Fisher House Foundation.

8am – D         INTERVIEW –  Barbara Yllescas – Gold Star Mom, Stayed at a Fisher House at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (formerly Bethesda Naval at that time). Her son Robert died from injuries sustained in Afghanistan. Last week was the five year anniversary of her son’s death.

8am – E         Finnmecannica matches our Fisher House fundraising!

TOMORROW:          Fisher House Radiothon on Saturday; Monday guests: Joe diGenova, Trevor Matich and Tucker Carlson