Randi Rhodes: Maddow/Stewart & Airport Private Parts

It's Friday, ya bastids!

Last night Rachel Maddow interviewed Jon Stewart for a full hour. It was a fascinating interview, but is it really a good idea to conduct an in-depth interview with a comedian? The thing about humor is, if you explain it, it’s not funny any more. While being awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Tina Fey remembered to thank Sarah Palin. All comedians should. Sarah Palin has provided more jokes during her career than Bruce Vilanch. Fey said “I would be a liar and an idiot if I didn’t thank Sarah Palin for helping me get here tonight.” You could tell she wasn’t imitating Sarah Palin at that point, because she was speaking in complete sentences. Of course, Tina Fey has a huge career beyond her Sarah Palin impression, but she still finds time to imitate Palin. When you consider Sarah’s resignation as governor of Alaska, you could say Tina Fey works harder at being Sarah Palin than Sarah Palin does. Department of “Duh!”: Republicans and Democrats have different tastes in TV shows, according to a new study. Democrats favored cult hits like Mad Men, and Dexter. Republicans favored actual cults, like the Glenn Beck’s show. There were some puzzling items on the list. Republicans love Modern Family, which features a gay couple with a child. Maybe they think it’s science fiction. Have you been through one of the new full body scanners at airport security? I don’t want to say the images are hardcore, but they should include a black bar over your eyes. If you opt out of the scan, you get a full body pat down. Hello! If I don’t want to be ogled, what makes you think I’m OK with being fondled? The pat downs concentrate heavily on breasts and genitals. Is this security or foreplay? I wish people you were actually having sex with were this attentive. It is not OK to fondle me, even if you are a government employee. That message goes out to the TSA and to David Vitter. One man is trying to raise awareness by getting everybody to “opt out” and experience the TSA pat down procedures. National Opt-Out Day is set for the day before Thanksgiving. How about doing it the day after? I would feel a lot more self-conscious going through the body scans after I gain a bunch of weight at Thanksgiving dinner.

Today’s Homework Discuss

NBC’s 30 Rock tweaked the Tea Party last night with the help of a Mad Men co-star…

Randi Rhodes: Thank you to All the Veterans!

Today is Veterans Day. In other parts of the world it’s known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. But hey, let’s not fight about it. The armistice to end the First World War took effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. I guess they needed a handy mnemonic device to remember to stop killing each other. The First World War was called “the war to end all wars.” How did that work out? Here’s a clue—it’s now called the First World War.
Click here to donate to The Fisher House
In a nice touch, a lot of businesses offer freebies to vets and active duty military personnel today. Today all veterans and active duty military can eat for free at Applebee’s. However, tip is not included. They appreciate your service, but ask that you appreciate your server. Outback Steak House is offering vets and current members of the military a free bloomin’ onion today. Note to active duty members—I’m pretty sure the time spent eating a bloomin’ onion qualifies for hazard pay. And yes, veterans and active duty can get a free meal today at Hooters. If you like what you see, feel free to stand up and salute.
The two chairmen of President Obama’s special debt commission, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, have thrown their two cents in on ideas for reducing the deficit. If we go forward with these ideas, you’ll be lucky to be left with two cents. This is the worst set of ideas I’ve ever seen that weren’t misspelled on a Tea Party sign. Among other things, they want to gradually increase the retirement age to 69 years old. I suppose that doesn’t sound so crazy to Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, whose job is just coming up with dumb ideas. That’s easy enough at 69 years old. But people with physically demanding jobs will have a rough time working until age 69. As Bernie Sanders points out “there will not be too much demand within the construction industry for 69-year-old bricklayers.” But if there are any, I think they should work on Alan Simpson’s house.
Have a good Veterans’ Day. Incidentally, there is exactly one living US veteran of the First World War, 109 year-old Frank Buckles, who was an ambulance driver near the Western Front. If Alan Simpson had his way, Frank would still be in uniform.
Today’s Homework Discuss
The chairman of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, Austan Goolsbee, hits the white board to explain the importance of US exports and why the president is in Asia…

Thom Hartmann: Is a Food Bubble Coming?

Many of you may remember back in 2008 - as our economy was heading into full meltdown - there was also a food crisis hitting the entire globe. The price of wheat skyrocketed - creating panic around the world. 2008 became the first year in human history that the population of those who went hungry increased - an increase of more than 250 million people - in a single year! More than a billion people bordered on starvation. The food crisis was even felt in America where 49 million people struggled to feed themselves and demand for food stamps and soup kitchens increased considerably.
It was chaos.
But there was something strange about the 2008 food crisis and the price of wheat that caused it. Simply - there was no shortage of wheat. In fact - 2008 yielded the largest amount of wheat in the history of the world! 657 million bushels weren't sold at all! There was a record breaking surplus! So - with such an enormous supply of wheat - what caused prices to shoot up?
The answer is on Wall St.
In 1991 - Goldman Sachs was looking for another financial instrument to sell. They were tired of speculating with debt and real estate and realized the new horizon was food. So they created an index of commodities like cattle - corn - and wheat - that they could then sell to investors. As more and more investors bought into the food index - prices began to rise. So despite there being plenty of wheat - prices continued to climb thanks to investors purchasing more and more future food commodities. And in 2008 - "The Economist" noted that food prices had increased to a level not seen since 1845.
A bubble was being created - thanks to Goldman Sachs.
But - as then Chairman of the Kansas City Board of Trade pointed out, "This isn't just any commodity - It is food - and people need to eat." He was right - Wall Street bankers had manipulated the price of the most basic need for everyone on the planet - food - and the effects of the gamble rippled across the entire globe with hundreds of thousand of people dying of starvation. Meanwhile Goldman made a killing in profits - literally. Eventually - the bubble burst and prices returned to normal - but the damage was already done. The food crisis of 2008 was merely a by-product of loose oversight in our markets and millionaires and billionaires who had more money than they knew what to do with - thanks to the Reagan and Bush tax cuts.
This should be a lesson learned, right?
In today's "Financial Times" there was a story about food prices in the US spiking again. Due to extreme weather the US Agriculture Department once again cut crop forecasts and warned of a shortage in grain production. Corn yield estimates have now been cut for a third month in a row causing the price to jump to $6 a bushel for the first time since back in 2008. Cotton and soybeans also posted high prices reminiscent of the 2008 global food crisis. As food prices are on the rise - will Wall St. jump in the game again? After all - what else are they going to do with their billions?
Rinse, wash, repeat.
-Thom Hartmann
(How are you preparing for the food bubble? Tell us here

Things 2do in Long Beach while your In Town for GlamourCon.com

1.The Pike @ Rainbow Harbor http://www.thepikeatlongbeach.com/ @ThePike_LB
Rollercoasters, Hooters, Gameworks, Like a Big Fair plus Shopping Mall on the Water!

2. Shoreline Village http://www.shorelinevillage.com/ @ShorelineVillag
Food, Grub, Art, Bars, Merry-go-Round, Seafood, Boats, etc.

3. Queen Mary http://www.queenmary.com/ @TheQueenMary
A BIG Boat, Fine Dining, Bar on top of Deck, Kids Stuff, Tours, Shops, Hotel.

4. Chucks Coffee Shop http://TinyUrl.com/ChucksLB
The Best Breakfast EVER! FYI: They Close @ 3pm SHARP & Cash ONLY!

5. Belmont Brewing Company http://www.belmontbrewing.com/
Home Brew. Food on the Water - tell them I said 'Hi' - I used to work there - they called me by my neckname: Kat

6. Murphy`s Pub http://murphyslongbeach.com/ home of the @LBCWackPack
Cute Pub on 2nd st. in Belmont Shore - Roy & I go here alot - Home of The LBC Wack Pack as seen on E! 'The Girls Next Door'

....Keep Checking this post because I may add more to it ....Long Beach is a Really Big & Fun Town!! oxox, Stacy

Randi Rhodes: Alaska's Florida & Kanye's Mea Culpa

The fallout from last week’s election keeps falling out. In Alaska, it’s still Lisa Murkowski versus Joe Miller. It’s kind of like the recount in Florida in 2000, except that nothing good can come out of it. Lisa Murkowski is trying to be the first write-in candidate elected to the US Senate since Strom Thurmond in 1954. Odd that Republicans oppose funding for education, then need to rely on people’s correct spelling to win. Joe Miller has sued to force election officials to allow no leeway whatever in terms of misspellings on the write-in ballots. It sounds to me that Joe Miller is trying to disenfranchise bad spellers. I got news for you, Joe—if it came down to it, most of your supporters couldn’t spell “Miller.” Heck, a lot of them would have trouble with “Joe.” Incidentally, the ballot counting will be streamed live on the internet… for those of you who don’t know what to do with yourselves since the BP oil spill-cam shut down. The most expensive Congressional campaign this year on a per-vote basis was Sharron Angle’s campaign. They spent $97 per vote, and they lost. How can you spend $97 per vote and not beat a politician as unpopular as Harry Reid? At $97 per vote, a ham sandwich would have beaten Harry Reid. Hell, at $97 per vote, you should be able to get a whitefish-with-capers sandwich elected, even if the whitefish is starting to smell a little funky. South Carolina electoral oddity Alvin Greene is mulling a run for President. Hey, if he’s looking for a running mate, somebody give him the email address for Basil Marceaux. Finally, Kanye West has apologized to George Bush (video below) for saying “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” Well, West’s original statement was correct, but it was misleading. He should have noted that George Bush doesn’t care about most white people either. Kanye apologized by saying “we as human beings don’t always choose the right words.” Kanye, if you’re saying that to George Bush, you’re preaching to the choir.

Today’s Homework Discuss

Thom's blog
Why Does a Cashed Strapped Mother Sell her Baby?
You need to know this about our nation's grim labor market. In Florida - a cash strapped mother of a newborn tried to sell her baby for $30,000 to pay off legal bills and buy a new car. Luckily the person she tried to make the sale to was an undercover cop and she was arrested. This case highlights a disturbing situation in our country though. Welcome to America - the home of a desperate underclass with no hope of finding a job. According to a new study by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics - there were 2.9 million available jobs in September - unfortunately there were nearly 15 million people unemployed. That means there is only 1 job available for every 5 people looking. Yet Reuters is reporting that companies have plenty of money to start hiring - with over $1 trillion dollars in cash on hand - they just aren't doing it. That's because the Chamber of Commerce and their allies in the Republican Party continue to promote job outsourcing. Thanks to Republicans, if you want a good American job? Move to India.
-Thom
(How do you think jobs can come back to the USA? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Heeeee`s Baaaack!

HOUR ONE GUEST: Dr. Justin Frank, author of Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President.
Let’s take a break from obsessing about current Republican nightmares, and revisit a Republican nightmare from the past. George Bush recently sat down with Matt Lauer. Bush didn’t exactly open up about his mistakes. Thank God. Bush “opening up” about his mistakes would be a venting that would dwarf the BP oil spill.On his “Mission Accomplished” speech, Bush said he was caught up in an “exhilarating moment.” I guess the codpiece went to his head.
He says he didn’t fire Donald Rumsfeld over Abu Ghraib because “there was no obvious replacement for Don.” What? All a person needs to replace Donald Rumsfeld is an ability to stand for prolonged periods and talk nonstop without saying anything. I’ll tell you where you can find a replacement for Donald Rumsfeld—in the areas north, west, south, and east of Washington. He said the photo of him looking out the window of Air Force One in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina made him look “uncaring and detached.” I think photographers refer to that as “capturing the moment.”
George Bush claims he was not in shock when he sat there stunned after being told of the attacks on 9/11. I’m sure he was NOT in shock. 9/11 was just the inevitable result of the half-assed way he had been conducting national security. Still, he wants people to know that he was not paralyzed into inaction. No, the paralysis had occurred earlier, when he was handed a memo saying “Bin Laden determined to strike within the US.” The former president also described his battles with booze. He says that he was never tempted to start drinking again during his presidency. Good. He would have had to fight the rest of us for the vodka. Of course, in the end, all of his years of hard drinking failed to prevent George Bush from getting to the White House. Well, the bottle let us down again.At least watching this interview makes it clear why Republicans begged George Bush to hold off his book tour until after the election. If Bush had been all over the airwaves 10 days ago, every Democrat this side of Alvin Greene would have won their election. How soon we forget. And that’s pretty much what Republicans rely on.
Today’s Homework Discuss
Jon Stewart took a member last night to answer his rally critics from the left and also weighed in on the Olbermann suspension…

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
MSNBC Suspends Keith Olbermann
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

Thom's blog
Big banks bending the rules again
You need to know what the big banks are up to. After Democrats passed Wall Street reform legislation earlier this year - big banksters are now trying to soften many of the new rules put in place to prevent another financial crisis. At a conference yesterday - Wall Street lobbyists and big bank CEO's met to discuss ways to "reshape" new rules. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman railed against what he called anti-Wall Street sentiments coming out of Washington and urged, "The financial system nearly shut down. It's only two years on. You need a little bit of patience to rebuild, to accumulate the capital you need." Boo-hoo. Right...the consumers need patience - yet, the CEOs can't wait another second to collect their fat bonus checks. This year, executive bonuses are expected to be higher than last year - seems like they're doing ok to me. Of course these CEOs have a new ally in Congress as Republicans - like incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor - have vowed to soften parts of the Wall Street Reform bill. Do they not remember what got us into this mess 2 years ago?! However - one place big banks don't have an ally is in the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - temporarily headed by Elizabeth Warren. Appearing on MSNBC last night, Warren said this about the big banks' efforts to kill consumer protections, ""The Wall Street lobbyists said they would kill it before it was ever born. They lost. And they lost because this is an agency that really is there for middle class families." Finally - after 2 years - It looks like someone in the Obama Administration is looking out for the little guy.
-Thom
Do you think the banks will succeed? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Can`t Keep a Good Man Down

Great to be back on in NYC! Thank you 1600 WWRL!

NBC Universal has announced that Keith Olbermann will return on Tuesday, after being suspended for two working days. Olbermann was suspended for making political donations of $7,200 to three Democrats. $7,200! The Koch brothers give so much to Republican causes that they probably spend more than $7,200 on check printing fees. Fox News doesn’t suspend people for making political donations. The people at Fox News give more money to Republican politicians than they do to their own 401K plans. In a sense, having Republicans in power is the savings plan for people at Fox News. Besides, Fox News personalities don’t have to give money to Republican politicians. All of the Republican politicians ARE Fox News personalities.

The newly elected Republicans are crystal clear that they want to slash government spending. The part that isn’t quite so clear is what specific items they intend to cut. I have a feeling that Republicans aren’t ever going to tell you what they’re going to cut. You can just find out about it when your Social Security check bounces.

Total spending on this year’s election was over $4 billion. So in some ways it was like an economic stimulus program. What did we get out of it? We would have been better off building $4 billion worth of “bridges to nowhere.” Yes, those bridges would be useless, but Rand Paul is beyond useless. $4 billion! The budget for the “Cash for Clunkers” program was only $3 billion. Of course, when you look at the people who got elected, this election was just a different type of “Cash for Clunkers” program.

Finally, Florida Governor Charlie Crist is considering a posthumous pardon for Doors’ singer Jim Morrison on indecent exposure charges from 1969. Go for it. Really, nothing Jim Morrison could have exposed in Miami in 1969 could be nearly as disgusting as what elderly guys in Speedos expose in Florida every day now.

Today’s Homework Discuss

The new film Inside Job aims to expose the freaks behind the economic collapse of 2008. It is now playing (or soon will be) in a theater near you…


Thom's blog
3 millions jobs in India - not the US!!
You need to know this about President Obama's trip to Southeast Asia. He says it's an effort to open up markets to India - the world's largest democracy - and for the Wal-Mart executives with him, that's true. They want to sell more stuff made in China in India in their retail stores, and are frustrated that Indian law only allows one company to own two retail stores. They're using Obama's prestige to get that law blown up. Additionally, Obama is there selling the only things we still make in the US - military hardware and airplanes. He says that will create as many as 54,000 jobs in the US, because, he says, the Indian consumer market is so large. But we no longer make consumer goods in the US! Meanwhile, the President is also bringing with him more than 200 business leaders - including leaders from Wal Mart. As Wal Mart CEO Michael Duke points - more than 3 million jobs can be created in India if he can get their laws changed. That's 3 millions jobs in India - not the US. Likewise, Honeywell already operates a facility in India employing 11,000 low wage engineers and scientists. Honeywell CEO David Cote says his company has moved American engineering jobs to India because India has "superior engineering". What they really have is cheap labor. Obama's simply continuing the insane free trade policies of Reagan, both Bushes, and Clinton. And, as long as they continue - your jobs will continue to vanish overseas.
-Thom
Do you think Obama's Asian trip will lead to more American jobs? Tell us here.)

Calling Out Democrats to Come Have Happy Hour with Me!

I was just wondering if there is anyone here that are local to Long Beach California? My hubby has a bunch of friends (now my friends) that we hang with. They are very Right Wing - no biggy -but I get attacked or brought into a debate alot -mainly by protest. I can hold my own and do most of the time.....but it can get tiring and it causes a few fights within the group & my hubby. Sometimes I gotta just walk away -but then Im alone. I have a few friends that feel the same as I do polically, but they all are not around. I was just hoping that next time me & my hubby are out at our local pub that I can find some people that are on my side of the political arena that I can talk to while they bark among themselves. If you do live in Long Beach, Please, you are most welcomed to pop by Murphy`s Pub on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore ( http://MurphysLongBeach.com )-connected to the Belmont Athletic Club -that`s our usual hang out, especially on a Friday Night. It would be refreshing conversation!
Thank you!!
oxox, Stacy

Randi Rhodes: Progress Suspended

It's Friday, ya bastids!
DEVELOPING: Keith Olbermann suspended indefinitely over campaign contributions
The whole rightwing echo chamber is obsessed with the cost of President Obama’s trip to India. Righty radio, Fox News, Drudge… they’re all yelling that the trip is going to cost $200 million per day, a figure evidently plucked from the same tree that grew the death panels notion. And of course Michele Bachmann picked up on it. Because what’s a ridiculous story without a ridiculous spokesman? $200 million per day? This is a presidential trip, not a Tom DeLay golf outing. And what exactly is the point of criticizing the cost of an official trip by the President of the United States? Conservatives didn’t get upset when George Bush traveled to Iraq that Thanksgiving to deliver a plastic turkey. Is Michele Bachmann saying that when the President is visiting a foreign country that suffers frequent terrorist attacks, that that’s the point we should really be pinching pennies? The newly-released jobs report for October shows that the economy actually added 159,000 private sector jobs in October. The big question is how long will it take for the Republicans who were elected in November to claim credit for it. Unfortunately, the latest jobs report came a few days too late to save a lot Democratic members of Congress their jobs. And it’s not just them. Over 2,000 Democratic Congressional staffers will also lose their jobs. Maybe some of these Democratic staffers should apply for jobs as Republican staffers. All they have to do is take all of their knowledge and expertise, and completely forget it all.
One final story to put you in a weekend mood: John Boehner likes his booze. Maybe he wears that fake orange tan to hide the bright red flush from being so stewed all the time. If we had access to what’s flowing through John Boehner’s bloodstream on any given day, we could solve this nation’s energy crisis. Boehner is well known for hitting the bars by 5 or 6 o’clock every day. And by about 7:30, he’s already referring to himself as the “Shpeaker of the Housh.” Have a great weekend. But remember, if you’re driving, stay away from John Boehner.

Today’s Homework Discuss

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Mourning After
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

Thom's blog
Less than a week for the GOP to completely ignore voters
Only a mere four days after taking back control of the House of Representatives - Republicans are already drunk on power. Speaking at the Heritage Foundation yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell discussed the GOP's agenda over the next two years and it can be summed up in 2 words: Dump Obama. McConnell says that the only way Republicans can succeed in passing legislation to repeal health care reform, end bailouts, and cut spending is to, "put someone in the White House who won't veto any of these things." Keep in mind that a plan to simply repeal health care reform and end bailouts won't do anything to bring down the nation's nearly 10% unemployment rate - So the American people shouldn't expect any real solutions to come out of the House for the next two years. Republicans have already made their choice - politics over policy. And they are not going to budge as indicated by GOP Congressman Mike Pence who said there will be, "no compromise" with Democrats on their legislative agenda. "Are you listening President Obama?!" This statement comes on the heels of a new Reuters poll that said 56% of voters want to see bipartisan consensus on policy making and according to a CBS poll - 78% of Republicans - that's Republicans! - want their party to compromise to get things done. There you have it - it only took less than a week for the GOP to completely ignore voters. As Harry Truman said 1948 when he accepted the Democratic nomination, "the people know that the Democratic Party is the people's party, and the Republican party is the party of special interest, and it always has been and always will be." Something's don't change. And if Obama doesn't start acting like Harry Truman, they never will.
- Thom
(How long do you think it will be before voters turn their back on the Republican Party? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Gridlock & Hunting Obama

OK, everybody over the initial panic? Good. Let’s settle into a little righteous indignation.
Republicans won’t be able to get anything done. The bad news is that that’s their plan. The GOP has no plans to solve this country’s problems. They just have plans to use this country’s problems to their own advantage. Washington gridlock isn’t a problem for Republicans, it’s a strategy. They want to pretend the last two years never happened, and to accomplish that, they’re willing to make nothing happen in the next two years. For instance, they will do nothing to revive the housing market. Why should they? As of yesterday, they have their House. And jobs? Forget it. The Republicans are less concerned with helping millions of Americans find jobs than they are with throwing one American—Barack Obama—out of his job. Mitch McConnell still insists his “single most important goal” for the next two years is to make sure Obama is a one-term president. Nice. Mitch McConnell has fewer goals than a soccer match. In other words, Mitch McConnell is perfectly happy to waste his time just to make sure that President Obama has less time. Actually, McConnell is saying that he’s willing to waste everybody’s time for the next two years. What is the future of healthcare? If Republicans have their way, it’ll be the same as the past of healthcare. And by “past,” I’m going the whole way back to medieval times. Harry Reid says he’s “ready for some tweaking” on healthcare reform. That’s good, because this new crop of Republicans includes some real tweakers. Republicans want to “tweak” healthcare reform the way a pack of jackals want to tweak an antelope. As Lawrence O’Donnell pointed out, as a US Senator, Rand Paul has the ability to force the US government into default by filibustering the raising of the debt ceiling. Rand Paul can destroy the credibility of the United States. Actually, just having elected Rand Paul put a pretty big hit on the credibility of the United States. Putting Rand Paul in this position is like asking Charlie Sheen to housesit for you. There! I feel better already.
Today’s Homework Discuss
George W. Bush is back in the news, sharing with Matt Lauer what he believes was the lowest moment of his presidency. Was it 9/11, Katrina, Abu Ghraib, no WMD, collapsing the economy? Nope. It was Kayne West…


Thom's blog
Time to ban Giant Spaghetti Monster law?
On Tuesday, Oklahomans approved a ballot initiative that would forbid judges in the state from using Sharia law to consider a case. Voters supported the measure by about 40 points even though many of them cannot name a single instance where Sharia law was used to rule in a case - that's because it's never happened in Oklahoma- or any other state in the country for that matter. On top of that, Islam isn't even that prevalent in the state - out of a population of 3.7 million, there are only 15,000 Muslims there. Still, voters found the need to hit the polls to make sure this non-existent threat was stopped before it's too late. Maybe that's because in wake of the "ground zero mosque" controversy, certain media outlets and entrepreneurs have made quite a profit off promoting Islamophobia - "they're coming to subvert our government." This scare tactic has resonated around the country in places like Murfreesboro, Tennessee where it's nearly impossible for Muslim Americans to get approval in to build a place of worship - basically shredding the First Amendment. While Oklahoma has never been a victim of Islamic terrorism - it was notably the site where Timothy McVeigh - a Roman Catholic - blew up the Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City. Yet there was no rush by voters to discriminate against Catholicism afterward. Since the Sharia law ballot measure passed by a wide margin - it's likely other states will follow with initiatives of their own. Not sure which state will be first to forbid courts from considering the laws of the Giant Spaghetti Monster.
-Thom
(What's your opinion? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Tears of a Clown

About last night… yes, it’s a big setback for progressives. But keep in mind, this is the third election in a row where voters kicked a political party out of power. The Democrats’ problem wasn’t so much how they wielded power, but simply the fact that they were the party in power. So don’t tell me about any Republican wave. Didn’t we just have a Democratic wave, after the last Republican wave, which followed the previous Democratic wave? The big problem is that this last wave brought in some things slimier than what the waves in the Gulf of Mexico brought in after the BP oil spill. The GOP captured the House. Well, at least Americans have gotten used to losing their houses to greedy bigwigs over the past few years. Well guys, the House is yours. That’s only fair—you paid for it. Well, to be more accurate, undisclosed donors bought it for you. John Boehner cried during his victory speech. I think I can safely say that a lot of people were crying along with him. Dry your eyes, John. If the rest of us are confident that we can get through this, I’m sure you can too. Boehner sobbed “I’ve spent my whole life chasing the American dream.” Yeah, so you could tackle it to the ground. Luckily, so far the American dream has managed to out run you. The good news is that the Democrats held on in the Senate, despite Republican gains. The bad news is that the Republicans had pretty much managed to render the Senate impotent with the seats they already had. Great. We have a majority in the house of Congress where a majority isn’t enough. Harry Reid always seems to find a way to win. This year, that way was Sharron Angle. Reid had a strong showing among Latino voters, or as Sharron Angle refers to them, Asian voters. Memorable moments: Carl Paladino wielded a baseball bat during his concession speech! What exactly was he conceding—that he was in fact a dangerous lunatic? Chris Coons beat Christine O’Donnell by 17 percentage points. I guess if you’re abstinent, that’s about the only way you’re going to experience a damn good thumping. “I’m not a witch.” You’re not a Senator either, sweetie. Go on over to Fox News and fill out your new hire papers. Where do we go from here moving forward? Let’s fight to make sure it’s forward.

Today’s Homework Discuss

Thom's blog
This is the End of the Republican Party
Whoever is saying that last night was the demise of the Democratic party - they're wrong! In reality, it's the end of the Republican party. As the money in this election points out, the party of (old republicans) is now the party of (CEOs). So how much does it cost to buy the House of Representatives? Try over $300 million dollars - $123 million of which came from anonymous donors. That's how much money was funneled into this year's elections by outside groups. In a full assault on our democracy, the Chamber of Commerce and its big business associates rained down millions in hit pieces to knock off Democrats around the country. Also in the game, Super PACs - or front groups for billionaires - like Karl Rove's "American Crossroads" and Norm Coleman's "American Action Network" tossed in over a hundred million dollars to ensure that Republican corporate puppets are elected to Congress.
The puppets now control the House with a likely 50-seat majority. And now in power, they have to live up to their end of the deal - legislate on behalf of billionaires like the Koch brother who want massive tax breaks, freedom to ship jobs overseas, and freedom to irreparably pollute our environment - in other words, freedom to finish off the dismantling of the middle class. Corporations were successful in knocking out good guys like Russ Feingold in Wisconsin, Alan Grayson in Florida, and Tom Perriello in Virginia - replacing them in each case with millionaires who adamantly oppose middle class policies like raising the minimum wage and extending unemployment insurance - millionaires who have promised to sell their votes in Congress to the highest bidder.
What does this Congress look like when it's bought and paid for by big business? Look no further than Rand Paul in Kentucky who made these comments this morning, "there are no rich. There are no middle class. There are no poor...We all either work for rich people or we sell stuff to rich people. So just punishing rich people is as bad for the economy as punishing anyone..." He practically spelled it out for us. Not since 1906 has our country witnessed this type of special interest subversion of our democracy. Back then, it only took 2 years to neuter the fat cat CEO's and keep them out of politics when Teddy Roosevelt worked to get the 1907 Tillman Act passed out of Congress - an act that stopped corporations from messing around in American politics. Now, over 100 years later and a Supreme Court decision in Citizens United - our country has regressed back to the age of the robber barons of the late 19th century.
http://thomhartmann.com/

Randi Rhodes: It`s Election Day - VOTE!

HOUR THREE GUEST: Gov. Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

It’s Election Day! Though if you like, you can think of it as one final poll… with 100 percent accuracy. I like to think of it as the night of the much anticipated “Chuck Todd TV Spectacular.” Election Day is a day that people all over America eagerly look forward to… if only because it means that they’ll finally stop seeing that avalanche of political ads on TV.

What’s at stake? Republicans are vowing “no compromise” for the next two years if they win the House or Senate. If Republicans are in charge, Congress won’t address the problems facing America, Congress will just become another one of the problems facing America. The Republicans will go from obstructionism to outright destructionism. There are plenty of important races. You might want to keep your eye on Alaska tonight. Actually, since they have to count write-in votes, you might want to keep your eye on Alaska for the next several weeks. And after tonight, we might have the very first member of Congress who enjoys dressing up as a Nazi… at least the first who does it in public. I have no idea what Tom DeLay liked to do in front of mirrors behind closed doors.

What impact will the Tea Party have? Tonight this Tea Party could end up being one of those parties that goes on into the wee hours, keeping everybody up all night. 138 candidates for the House and Senate claim support from the Tea Party movement. If they all go to Washington, there are going to be a lot of little towns all across America who will be missing their village idiot. Well, if the Tea Party candidates get elected and start writing laws, I at least hope that they’ll start checking their spelling a little bit better. I don’t want Tea Party politicians in Washington sponsoring “lejislayshun.”

We’ve already seen what happens when rightwing principles are put into action, with that poor guy whose house burned down because he didn’t pay his $75. The bottom line is this—if Republicans are in charge and America catches fire, nobody is going to put it out. You can help prevent that fire. Get out and vote today.

Today’s Homework Discuss

Thom's blog
Who's screwed if the Republicans take control of Congress?
Who's screwed if the Republicans take control of Congress? Labor unions, that's who. Well, I guess you can argue we all might be...but organized labor - the last big funder of Democrats left standing - feels they will surely become public enemy number one in a Republican controlled Congress. On the agenda will be two anti-union pieces of legislation dealing with "card check" and limits on election spending - yes, the Republicans will consider pushing legislation limiting election spending by unions, can you spell hypocrisy? While Democrats failed to pass organized labor's top priority "card check" bill that allows for easier organization in the workplace through potential members simply by signing pro-union cards, Republicans will be sure to pass legislation of their own ensuring that card check never comes to fruition. In other words, they want to make it easier for your boss to intimidate you and squash any organizing attempts. And, to ensure they hold the upper hand in future election spending, Republicans will forbid unions from using members' dues for electioneering unless the individual members provide their consent. Yet Republicans are adamantly opposed to limiting corporate election spending without a vote of shareholders. Unions were able to provide a meager balance in their financial support for Democrats this election cycle, but still paled in comparison to the avalanche of money thrown at Republican candidates by unknown billionaires through the Chamber of Commerce.

http://ThomHartmann.com
(Who do you think is screwed if the Republicans take control of Congress? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Giving Insanity a Day Off

This weekend was the big Comedy Central Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear (video). It was just nice to be able to go somewhere and indulge in a little good-natured mockery without getting your head stomped on. Conservative estimates put the size of the crowd at well above 200,000. Of course estimates by conservatives were a lot lower than conservative estimates. In any case, there were easily over twice as many people at the Rally to Restore Sanity than there had been at Glenn Beck’s rally. Still, given the relative ages of the attendees, I’m sure there were much longer lines for the port-o-potties at Beck’s rally. The attendance was so much larger than what Comedy Central had planned on that much of the crowd was beyond the reach of the loudspeakers and video screens. So a lot of the crowd had no idea what was going on. Of course you could say the same thing about any Tea Party gathering. The Rally to Restore Sanity did a lot better job of reflecting reality than the right’s “real” rallies. But then Tea Party rallies aren’t designed to reflect reality. They’re meant to deflect reality.
The 2010 election could end up costing $4 billion. And if the people spending most of the money win, it’s going to end up costing us a lot more. Nobody hates it more than the people all this money is going to. Senator Evan Bayh is retiring just because he’s sick of constantly having to raise money. His job essentially consists of begging, and you don’t need a job to do that. If politicians could spend as much time and effort raising money for the country as they do raising money for themselves, we could wipe out the federal deficit. To even begin doing that, even Ronald Reagan’s budget director says we have to raise taxes. David Stockman says if we don’t do something quick, we’re going to “destroy the economy, and render the federal government insolvent,” or as today’s Republicans refer to it, “Plan A.” And David Stockman spent the 80’s slashing taxes on the wealthy. Nothing else anybody did during the 1980’s ultimately did more damage to America. And I’m including Kenny G, Christopher Cross, and Milli Vanilli.
Today’s Homework Discuss
Arguably, one the best moments Saturday’s rally was also the most serious one. Here are Jon Stewart’s closing remarks:

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear
Jon Stewart - Moment of Sincerity
http://www.comedycentral.com/
Rally to Restore Sainty and/or Fear The Daily Show The Colbert Report

Thom's blog
28th Amendment - Free Speech for People
In our "you need to know this" news, with the midterm elections tomorrow, the first ever corporate funded campaign season is finally winding down - at least temporarily. And now, many Americans are looking ahead to prevent another onslaught of spending from unknown and foreign sources influencing our future elections. A group of more than fifty legal scholars including former state attorneys general have started the Free Speech for People coalition in hopes of passing a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling. The proposed 28th Amendment would affirm that the basic right to free speech applies to people, not corporations. Given that 75% of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court's ruling, and a same majority also fear that the Congress will not work to overturn it, the coalition has already started grassroots movements in many states to get local government to pass similar resolutions to eventually put pressure on the federal government to act on passing an amendment. In a similar vein, Representative Peter DeFazio from Oregon wants to prevent future corporate funded rulings on the Supreme Court through another strategy - Impeachment.
Referring to the claim by Justice Stevens that the Citizens United case was not brought before the court in a proper fashion, Representative DeFazio said, "It was the most extraordinary condemnation I've ever read of a perverted majority on the Supreme Court, at least in recent years." DeFazio is also claiming that Chief Justice John Roberts is guilty of perjury for insisting during his Senate confirmation hearing that he would act on legal precedents and not become a judicial activist. John Roberts not an activist judge?! The Citizens United Ruling overturned a century of precedents in campaign reform law and as we talked about last week, the Supreme Court's support for the Chamber of Commerce has increased dramatically in recent years. Something must be done to combat corporate personhood and this court's radical rulings.
http://ThomHartmann.com