Prager H3: The assassination of a liberal politician in Pakistan is deeply disturbing. The murderer was not greeted with universal condemnation; on the contrary, the he’s been praised by Islamists, showered with rose petals on his way to court. The ACLU is trying to bring down another cross, this time in San Diego. The liberal 9th Circuit Court is always ready to lend a hand. What does a war memorial cross have to do with the government promoting one religion over another?

Prager H1: Dennis debates David Garland, Professor of Law and Professor of Sociology at New York University. His new book is Peculiar Institution: America’s Death Penalty in an Age of Abolition.

Prager H2: Dennis talks to relationship expert and regular Male/Female hour guest, Alison Armstrong, about how men and women hear the same words differently and how they can get on the same wavelength.

Prager H3: John Boehner was sworn in as the new Speaker of the House. In turn, he welcomed the new Republican Majority. They have their work cut out for them. Egypt is headed down a very dangerous path, blaming anything that goes wrong on Israel.A hero in Pakistan, a regional governor, a liberal reformer, was murdered by a member of his own guard.

Prager H1: Democratic governors in California and New York must act like Republicans in order to save the budgets of their states. They’ll have to fight the unions, the people who got them elected, to do it. The latest science recommends that you treat Alzheimer patients with compassion. We needed studies to figure this out?

Prager H2: Dennis begins with Bob Herbert’s article in the NY Times that claims “The fundamental mission of the G.O.P. is to shovel ever more money to those who are already rich”. This is why people join the left: they believe such nonsense about conservatives. Also, The Wall Street Journal names key supporters of the Democratic party: trial lawyers, government employee unions, and wealthy environmentalists.

Prager H3: This is the first of a series of 2011 Ultimate Issues Hours dedicated to exploring the relevance of the Bible. It’s a relatively new idea that Biblical literacy is not important. Dennis poses the question, “Do you have an instruction manual? If not the Bible, then what?”

Prager H3: The President used the Congressional recess to appoint an ambassador to Syria for the first time since Syria orchestrated the assassination of the prime minister of Lebanon in 2005. Is this not rewarding despicable behavior? And to what end? To maintain dialogue with a dissembling dictator?. Hillary Clinton had a chat with Hugo Chavez in Brazil. Did he sing to her?… Sniffer rats are used to detect land mines. When will PETA object?… Only 21 drugs were approved by the FDA last year, a woeful number. Coptic Christians were murdered in Egypt over the weekend by a suicide bomber. Christians are no longer welcome in the Arab Middle East.

Prager H1: The NY Times might have published the most important story of the year on the first day of the year. It concerns the fate of young Europeans. They are educated and frustrated. They have no opportunity. Socialism blocks them at every turn.

Prager H2: Dennis continues on his theme from last hour – the Left kills opportunity. The over educated young people in Europe are a living example. But the Democrats see Europe and want to emulate it.

The most important development of this year? The clarification of differences between Left and Right. Dennis elaborates. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post provides an excellent example on MSNBC.

Dennis asks his listeners if they share his belief that it’s a moral obligation to be happy. Callers weigh in.