HEALTH CARE:

Senator Bond says the federal government’s healthcare law is taking a big toll on small businesses. He says the Senate had the opportunity this week to repeal an onerous paperwork mandate that would hurt small businesses and failed to do so.

Bond was a co-signer of the bill, which failed 46 to 52. He says the vote tells Americans that Washington still isn’t listening. “It’s no wonder this bill is so unpopular,” he said.

WAR:

Senator Bond says America has too much invested to pull out of Iraq completely. He applauds President Obama’s decision to keep some troops in place. Senator Bond says America has too much invested, too many lives lost to simply walk away and let Iraq crumble.

He is pleased with the progress the Iraqi government has made, but  he says what’s not helping in the war against terrorism are stunts like the recent Quran burning event, which he says fuels the fire and threatens American lives, both here, in allied countries such as Jordan, and on the ground in the Middle East.

ELECTIONS:

Senator Bond is not running for re-election for the first time in a long time. He takes an outside look at the recent primaries and the upcoming general elections.  

Political pundits say the Democratic majority is in trouble because of a low approval rating and a faulty economy headed by President Obama. They also say the Republicans are fractured by the recent Tea Party candidate upsets. Senator Bond agrees with both. While Bond admits the Republican party needs to be working for each other, not against each other, his counterpart in the Senate, Democrat Claire McCaskill, says there’s no doubt the Democratic party is in trouble in the upcoming general election amid the economic strife and public distrust in the federal government.

But he responds to a recent country song that criticizes Southwest Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt who is running for his seat in the Senate, and says he thinks the song “A little less talk, a little more action” summarizes Blunt’s ideals, Bond’s choice for his successor.

Bond hosts Washington Listening Post, talks to reporters [Mp3, 9 min.]