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Randi Rhodes: The GOP, nothing but Haters

Two years after the election of our first African-American, the white supremacist movement has absolutely flourished and the list of hate-soaked candidates for public office keeps growing in both numbers and the startling amount of support they enjoy. Little surprise there given that even ‘mainstream’ Republicans are now being referred to as not normal and cult-like in mainstream editorials.

Are there lessons to take away from the Casey Anthony trial beyond her particular case? Why yes, yes there are – namely what happens when people are given only a set of facts and must come up with their own conclusions vs. being fed conclusions loosely supported by fact-ish sounding scraps of info. While some people are up in arms over the Casey Anthony jury, prosecution, etc. it’s a good time for us to review the corporate media and how we form our own opinions about the major issues facing the country every day.

Also, Social Security reform is reportedly now on the table in the debt ceiling talks making some Dems cringe and others celebrate the negotiation strategy behind it; inmate labor is already replacing jobs in Wisconsin thanks to Gov. Walker’s union-busting efforts; and Bill Clinton evoked Jim Crow in describing the psycho GOP governors’ and legislatures’ plans to suppress the Dem vote in 2012.

Today’s Homework | Discuss

Former KKK grand wizard David Duke, wrapping his racism in a cloak of protectionist populism, is wondering if you’ll give him enough money to compete in the GOP primaries…

Thom Hartmann: Is wealth inequality in America hurdling our nation toward civil unrest?

Is wealth inequality in America hurdling our nation toward civil unrest? In a television interview this morning - former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski warned that the growing wealth imbalance in America - now reaching levels not seen since the Great Depression - could lead to civil unrest in the streets. As the middle-class in America falls deeper and deeper into desperation - Brzezisnki said, "we're going to slide into intensified social conflicts, social hostility, some forms of radicalism, there is just going to be a sense that this is not a just society."

We have a society in which 400 people own more wealth that 150 million other Americans. We have a society in which 50% of all the children in America will depend on food stamps at some point in their life before they are 18 - and among African American children that number is 90%.

We no longer live in a just society - and if Brzezinski is right - turbulent times could be ahead for America.

-Thom

(Does it look that way to you? Tell us here.)

Thom Hartmann: Let's not erode our legal system with Murdoch-style sensationalized infotainment

Yesterday - 12 jurors in Florida found Casey Anthony not guilty of murdering her daughter. With it's twists and turns - the trial gained nationwide notoriety - and dominated mainstream news reports for the better part of 3 years. Many were shocked by the verdict - as Anthony's guilt was a foregone conclusion in most of the media.

So not only does this case remind us of just how our legal system works - that it's up to 12 jurors and not a team of TV pundits to determine guilt or innocence - but this case also highlighted the perversion of our most basic legal tenant - that we are innocent until proven guilty.

It's a strong legal system that keeps our nation from descending into chaos like Somalia. Let's not erode it with Murdoch-style sensationalized infotainment. Instead, we should consider the old Canadian system of only reporting on crimes after convictions have been made, and never naming an accused in the media.

-Thom

(How do you feel about it? Tell us here.)

Thom Hartmann: If we're going to put illegal immigrants in a "tent city" prison w/ a temp of 145 degrees - shouldn't the CEOs that hired them be there

You need to know this. Inhumane conditions plague Sheriff Joe Arpaio's AZ's "tent-city" prison. On Saturday - temperatures at the outdoor prison housing 1,400 non-violent inmates shot up to 145 degrees - the hottest recorded so far this year.

To beat the heat - prisoners were given 6-ounce cups filled with ice to which one prisoner said, "They're doing this for the media attention. This cup isn't going to do anything." The media was indeed on hand to ask Sheriff Joe about the conditions that day - conditions that were causing inmates' shoes to melt.

If we really think that the best response to the undocumented immigrant problem in this nation is to create giant sauna-like jails, then let's at least put into those jails the CEOs who hire undocumented workers, thus drawing more and more of them into our country, and the Republican politicians who supported Reagan's 1986 amnesty and subsequent suspension of laws that allowed prosecution of CEOs for hiring undocumented workers.

-Thom

(Where would you put them? Tell us here.)

Thom Hartmann: Treasury Tim Geithner leaving...are the rats fleeing the sinking ship or will there be change we can believe in?

Is Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner on his way out? According to senior White House officials - Geithner is considering leaving his post after the debt-limit fiasco is resolved. Geithner denied the reports, saying he plans to stay in his job for the "foreseeable future" - but a source at the White House says that Geithner has been discussing plans to leave since early this year. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates left yesterday - and a handful of other top officials have left the White House this year including Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Economic adviser Larry Summers.

Which makes me wonder - are the rats fleeing the sinking ship?

Or is President Obama finally coming to his senses and will soon be putting some real progressives on his staff instead of the same old corporate suits.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tweets of the Week @RandiRadio

1. The dilemma: Warning #GOP that defaulting will wreck the economy is like warning an arsonist that setting fires will burn something down. about 24 hours ago via web
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2. Petition - Shared Sacrifice: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont): http://t.co/h8LzsZm Love ya, @SenatorSanders ! 2:27 PM Jun 28th via Tweet Button
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3. Charts: Wealth & Inequality In US http://t.co/zOYSHNR Missing: chart showing the up trend of the rich laughing until they pee their pants 2:13 PM Jun 28th via Tweet Button
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4. Apologizing 4 asking Bachmann if she's a flake?! Wallace should send her the cleaning bill for the bat crap skid marks left behind. #gop 12:57 PM Jun 27th via web
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5. FINALLY! Dems call out GOP for purposely sabotaging the economy http://t.co/7yEENFu / video at http://t.co/IUlrt9N #gopsucks 11:41 AM Jun 23rd via Tweet Button
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6. How the Koch Brothers have managed to infect our democracy: http://bit.ly/l5wSkq 2:15 PM Jun 22nd via TweetMeme
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7. 2 very easy to grasp arguments from 2 very smart people: http://t.co/FbdrGuY & http://t.co/cs4kaTy #goplies 2:33 PM Jun 21st via web
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8. Phone call of the week - Lucus from Colorado: http://t.co/VmE5gnK 11:49 AM Jun 17th via web
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9. I think this would have gone down differently if the party was able to extract more $$$ out of #Weiner http://t.co/ShbiVpC #nothappy 12:18 PM Jun 16th via web
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10. TP: wimp, MR: privatize FEMA, HC: let's be Chile, RP: cranky, MB/RS: uterus inspections, NG: NASA sucks. #gopdebate 12:35 PM Jun 14th via web
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11. @tjconkster welcome and thanks! 2:22 PM Jun 10th via web in reply to tjconkster
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12. GOP group think perfected: http://t.co/xX3Jkeb Remember, 2012 has to be about the state houses too! 2:12 PM Jun 10th via web
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13. VIDEO: Are Republicans Intentionally Sabotaging Economy For Political Gain? http://yhoo.it/jSugDd 1:31 PM Jun 10th via TweetMeme Retweeted by you and 37 others
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14. Newt's staff just bailed on him - THANKFULLY it wasn't over penis pics (eww). http://politi.co/mICgFD #gop #newt 12:39 PM Jun 9th via TweetMeme
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15. The always awesome John Nichols is on now with an update on all things Wisconsin - http://randirhodes.com 1:33 PM Jun 8th via web
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16. Weiner's alleged wiener is out there now. 1) bravo on achieving that camera angle. 2) note that the sky isn't falling. 12:52 PM Jun 8th via web
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17. Breitbart just couldn't wait to pass around his prized possession: http://t.co/4CCvbuN 12:38 PM Jun 8th via Tweet Button
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18. Weiner f'd up - no question. But spare me the calls for his head... if NYC voters keep him in elected office, working people win. 2:03 PM Jun 7th via web
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19. @da_buckster haha - thx! 2:18 PM Jun 6th via web in reply to da_buckster

Randi Rhodes: Playing With Fire

235 world-renowned economists, including six Nobel Laureates in economics, have called on Congress to quickly raise the federal debt ceiling without making drastic cuts to federal spending. The group warns that “Not doing so promptly could have a substantial negative impact on economic growth…” Well, it was meant to be a warning. To the people who want to defeat Barack Obama, it sounds more like a promise. You can’t stop the Republicans from forcing the US to default by telling them it would wreck the economy. That’s like telling an arsonist not to set fires because it will burn something down. The Republicans don’t give a crap about the debt ceiling any more than they care if you have a roof over your head.

The Senate has cancelled its July 4th recess to work on a compromise on the debt ceiling, the day after President Obama chided them to get to work. That tells you one thing—the Senate is controlled by Democrats. If this had been the Republican-controlled House they would have doubled their vacation. The Senate had been scheduled to take a week’s break for the Fourth of July. Yeesh. Even when a holiday is specifically named after ONE DAY, the Senate takes a week off. Even without the break, I hope that Mitch McConnell will still find a little time to get out and get some sun. Or at least finds time to ask John Boehner about finding a quality spray tan place.

Bachmann & Associates, Inc., the “Christian counseling” clinic that takes taxpayer money, is owned by Michele and her husband Marcus Bachmann. In a sense they’re brilliant—they’ve found a way to have the government pay them to be hypocritical about the government. Marcus Bachmann has said that God heals people at his clinic. Well Marcus, by my calculation that makes you pretty much unnecessary. Marcus calls Jesus Christ the “Almighty counselor.” Yes, Jesus certainly had some great advice on how to live. And it’s all available free to anyone. Shocker! Every piece of advice that we have any record of Jesus Christ ever uttering is available for absolutely free. And you don’t have to go through Marcus Bachmann to get it. In fact, it might be a lot clearer to you if you don’t involve Marcus Bachmann.

Today’s Homework | Discuss

Flashback 2010: Michele Bachmann’s husband refers to homosexuals as ‘barbarians’ and faults public school for making more of them…

Thom Hartmann: Does President Obama's have a secret weapon to force Republicans to come to the table?

A group of 248 economist, six of whom are Nobel Prize winners, sent a letter to Congressional leaders yesterday demanding a clean vote to raise the debt-ceiling - arguing that failure to do so could have, "a substantial negative impact on economic growth." The IMF issued a similar warning too. But as President Obama drew a line in the sand yesterday in debt-limit negotiations demanding that tax loopholes for millionaires, billionaires, and transnational corporations be closed - and Republicans drew a line in the sand on behalf of those tax loopholes - a debt-limit deal looks more and more unlikely. And as Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner's debt-deadline of August 2nd draws closer - some are looking at what a post-August 2nd America looks like if the debt-limit is not raised - and it's not pretty.

While the United States may not actually default on it's debts - it WILL have to cut off many day-to-day payments to critical programs around the country and prioritize its debts. On August 3rd - the day after the deadline - our nation will owe $32 billion - but will only have about $12 billion in revenue to pay up. That means about $20 billion will need to be cut out immediately - in just one day. But here's the thing - figuring out which bills get paid and which ones get pushed off - is solely up to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and President Obama. So if the Republicans REALLY want to play hardball on the debt-limit - then President Obama should hold them accountable and put their states on the chopping block first.

That could mean cutting off critical transportation and other federal assistance funds - and even Social Security payments - to red states represented entirely by obstructionist Republicans. While this isn't an ideal situation - it is President Obama's secret weapon to force Republicans to come to the table and compromise. Once folks in Eric Cantor's Virginia district see their Social Security payments cut off - you can bet Cantor's office will be flooded with calls from constituents demanding he raise the damn debt ceiling.

Let's put the real consequences of their obstructionism in their face - and watch the Republicans blink

-Thom

(What do you think will happen? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Get to Work!

President Obama blasted the GOP and constantly-vacationing Congress today for whining about closing tax loopholes for the rich and failing to get a deal done on the debt ceiling. And as Republicans continue threatening not to raise the debt ceiling, some Democrats are pointing out that the Constitution actually requires the federal government to pay its debts. I guess Republicans didn’t listen when they were reading the Constitution out loud. Part of the 14th Amendment says “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.” Translation: if you refuse to raise the debt ceiling, screw it—there is no debt ceiling.

Do As I Say Department: the clinic run by Michele Bachmann’s husband has collected over $137,000 in Medicaid payments since 2005, while Michele has been railing against Medicaid. This must be why Michele Bachmann doesn’t want Medicaid money going to the poor. She wants it all to be going to her. AND, on top of all the clinic money, Michele is a partner in a family farm that has received some $260,000 in federal farm subsidies. Yeesh. I think we could make a big dent in the federal debt if we just cut off the money Michele Bachmann is getting.

Glenn Beck says his family was harassed by fellow movie watchers when they took in a free movie being shown in New York’s Bryant Park. Beck described the crowd at the movie as “the most hateful people I’ve seen.” Gee Glenn, don’t you ever look out at the crowd at your own rallies? Beck claims one woman yelled “We hate Republicans” at him and his family, and later another man shouted “We hate conservatives.” Glenn, if you’re going to make up lines for the bad guys in your little story to say, at least make them more creative than that. New Yorkers yell things at each other all the time, and it’s always much more inventive than those stock lines. Of course, it’s possible that some people actually were rude to Glenn. I’m sure he wasn’t surprised… or disappointed. Deep down inside, every hate monger really wants to be a martyr. The lesson for Glenn is, they say people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Well, people who throw stones at other people for a living shouldn’t be surprised when a few stones get thrown back at them.

Today’s Homework | Discuss

Jon Stewart tackled the ‘who is the bigger a-hole, me or Fox News’ question on last night’s Daily Show…

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Thom Hartmann: Governor Rick Scott may have just won the race to the bottom

The jobless are screwed in Florida. Governor Rick Scott may have just won the race to the bottom when it comes to unemployment insurance. Scott - one of America's most disliked Governors - signed into law yesterday a huge reduction in Florida's unemployment benefit system - cutting the number of weeks someone is eligible to collect unemployment from 26 down to just 12. The cut falls in line with Governor Scott's promise to corporations to lower their unemployment tax payments by $630 million. So again - screw over poor people to give rich businessmen tax cuts.

The National Employment Law Project says Scott's unemployment cuts, "go further than any other state in dismantling its unemployment insurance system." Currently - Florida has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation at 10.6%. And, as we've seen elsewhere around the country - when Republican Governors cut programs that keep the poor and middle-class above water - then economies shrink.

So expect the already high unemployment rate in Florida to get even higher, and cost the state even more in unemployment insurance.

-Thom

(Do you think he will be beaten? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Flake Is What Flake Does

Michele Bachmann’s campaign launch day included a major embarrassing gaffe. But then it wouldn’t really have been Michele Bachmann’s launch without one, would it? In fact, the odds of Michele Bachmann’s announcement day having a major gaffe were about the same as the odds of Michele Bachmann’s announcement day having an announcement. Bachmann paid homage to Waterloo, Iowa’s other famous resident, John Wayne. Unfortunately for Michele, movie star John Wayne is not from Waterloo. Mass murderer John Wayne Gacy is. I don’t think they’ve put up a plaque, though. Michele said “I want them to know just like John Wayne is from Waterloo, Iowa, that’s the spirit I have too.” Michele is actually closer to the spirit of John Wayne Gacy. Relax! I don’t mean because Gacy was a killer. I mean because Gacy was a clown.

Then today on Good Morning America, Bachmann was given an opportunity to clarify her remarks that our Founding Fathers “worked tirelessly to end slavery.” As you would expect with Bachmann, the explanation was more confused than the original confusion. As an example of a “Founding Father” who worked to end slavery, Bachmann mentioned John Quincy Adams. John Quincy Adams was 9 years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed. He wasn’t a “Founding Father.” At best, he was a “Founding Pre-Adolescent.” John Quincy Adams was the son of a Founding Father, but he wasn’t a Founding Father any more than John Wayne Gacy won a Best Actor Oscar for True Grit.

Pat Robertson says that New York’s legalization of gay marriage is going to lead to God’s destruction of America. Maybe, Pat, but not before the wedding planners, photographers, and wedding cake bakers of New York make a mint. Reverend Pat invoked the specter of the city of Sodom, which he claims that God destroyed over the sin of homosexuality. In Pat Robertson’s vision of the Biblical world, God spends most of his time punishing people for homosexual behavior. No wonder there was so much murder and pillaging in the ancient world. God was too obsessed with the gays to take care of anything else. Pat said “In history there’s never been a civilization, ever in history, that has embraced homosexuality and has survived.” The conservative view of history is just a series of great empires that rose, suddenly became enraptured with show tunes and glitter, and then collapsed.

Today’s Homework | Discuss

Hour Two Guest: Sen. Bernie Sanders joins Randi live today – sign his petition here. Here’s a small taste of his epic floor speech yesterday…

Thom Hartmann; Another day - another Supreme Court decision in favor of big money in our politics...

Another day - another Supreme Court decision in favor of big money in our politics. Yesterday - in another 5-4 ruling - the right-wing of the Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law that provides public financing of elections. The law was intended to level the playing field between people with huge fortunes and rich friends - and just average folks running for office, by supplying matching public funds to candidates who are being outspent by private money.

The law made sure that electoral politics in Arizona wasn't a "whoever has the most money wins" sort of game. But the high court ruled that any attempt by the government to "equalize electoral opportunities" - as in make sure both candidates are on a level playing field financially - is unconstitutional. But what is constitutional to the Conservative Supreme Court nowadays? The corporate takeover of our democracy - as was decided last year in the Citizens United case.

Thanks to this most recent ruling - look for even more corporate-owned candidates to spring up - as in more people who deny global warming - more war hawks - and more shills for Wall Street billionaires.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)