Roger Hickey, Campaign for America's Future & Heather Cirmo, Conservative Strategist join Thom Hartmann. Today - the President unveiled his deficit-reduction plan - a proposal that will slash $4 trillion out of our nation's deficit over the next ten years - and completely pay for the "American Jobs Act" that was introduced in Congress last week. The plan does this primarily by ending special tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires - including the Bush tax cuts for the rich. In what's being called the "Buffet Rule" - the President's plan also forces the richest among us - from Wall Street billionaire hustlers to people like the Wal-Mart Walton Heirs and Paris Hilton who get most of their income sitting on their butts the swimming pool collecting dividend checks yet pay only a 15% tax rate - to pay the same rate as average hard working Americans. With a political showdown over taxes now looming between President Obama and Republicans - the American people have spoken. According to a new Gallup poll - nearly three-quarters of Americans support a balanced approach to deficit reduction that includes both tax increases and spending cuts - as the President proposed. In fact - only 26% - that's it - just 26% of Republicans support the spending cuts-only approach being pushed by Republicans like Paul Ryan - John Boehner - and Eric Cantor. So - did we just see the defining issue of the 2012 election campaign? To tax the rich or not tax the rich?

Thom Hartmann is joined by author and journalist Anthony Summers. His newest book examines the many conspiracy theories surrounding the terrorist attack of 9/11 and offers close examinations of document and evidences that had been held from the public. His newest book is The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden By Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan

Lucy Kafanov fills in for Thom Hartmann on this episode of the "Big Picture" In the first half hour, she discusses the latest developments surrounding the Libya uprising and later examines the obstacles surrounding Palestine's bid to join the United Nations.

For the last 30 years or so - Republicans have defined what freedom means in America. At the debate this week - Ron Paul told us what it means to be "free" in America. As in - freedom to die alone. Just like what happened to Ron Paul's campaigning manager - Kent Snyder - back in 2008 - when he contracted pneumonia - spent 2 months in the hospital - and died $400000 in debt - because he didn't have health insurance. Ron Paul doesn't even give his campaign staff health insurance - I guess because he wants them to be "free." We're free alright - free to go hungry - free to be poor - free to be jobless - free to breathe toxic air and drink dirty water - and free to get sick and die - and all the while, free from the government helping us. We need to once again ask ourselves what it means to be free - because for the vast majority of Americans - this new definition of freedom just isn't working. Anthropologically speaking - historically speaking - humans have never bought into this bizarre new Republican - or Ayn Rand - notion of "freedom." For thousands of years we've organized ourselves into groups - in families - in tribes - in cities - in nations - just so we could all collectively provide each other enough basic protections and safety to live more free lives. That's the point of a democratic government in a republic like ours - to guarantee our freedom both from government intrusion but also from want, destitution, disease, and from the corporate predators around us. It's ...