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Thom's blog
The Real War on Christmas...
You need to know this about the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires – the American people don’t want them. A new CNN poll shows that 64% of the population does not want to see tax cuts extended for millionaires and billionaires. Now – it looks like Democrats in Congress are starting to listen. After a meeting with President Obama – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid said they are both planning to hold votes that would extend tax cuts only to the middle class – leaving taxes to on the rich to return to Clinton-era levels, when the Rich were doing just fine. While the bill could potentially pass the House – it will still have an uphill battle in the Senate where a unified Republicans opposition will most likely filibuster it. Still – this is the right move. Let the Republicans explain to the American people why they are blocking a bill that will lower taxes for 98% of the population. To put it in perspective – Congressman Alan Grayson – who lost his re-election bid 2 weeks ago – took to the House floor yesterday to illustrate what millionaires can do with their new $86,000 annual tax cut courtesy of the Republican Party. Every year for the next ten years – they could buy a new Mercedes Benz E-class – or they could buy 20,000 jars of Grey Poupon mustard – or they can just buy 800 luxury cigars and light each one with a hundred dollar bill. Actually – all those purchases would stimulate the economy more than what millionaires will actually do with another $86,000 – invest it with their buddies on Wall Street – providing no stimulus to the economy whatsoever. Instead of the give-a-away to the rich - It’s time we as a country think of a far better way to spend $70 billion a year. How about using it to extend unemployment benefits so those out of work can celebrate the holidays?
-Thom
(Who should get what for Christmas? Tell us here.) |
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 "Mass Deception" exposes the new George W. Bush memoirMass Deception, the bold and critically acclaimed new book by criminologist Scott Bonn, reveals that the Bush administration lied about the threat from Iraq and committed war crimes throughout the invasion and occupation. Order it today on amazon.com. Visit and "like" the Mass Deception fan page on facebook. |
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Tonight on The Big Picture Will anything come from Bush's Waterboarding "Confession?" Watch on RT TV at 9pm and 11pm (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT, and catch past shows on Youtube)
"Conversations With Great Minds" Guest: Michael Ratner, President of The Center for Constitutional Rights who is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Will anything come from Bush's Waterboarding "Confession?".
Thom Hartmann asks Dan Gainor - Why is Faux News running a Republican primary? Dan Gainor, from The Business and Media Institute.
Blogger & Mom Erin Chase explains how the TSA touched her private parts in public. Thom and Erin discuss the new passenger screening process. Is the TSA hiring perverts? Also, Ron Paul is introducing The American Traveler Dignity Act, and encourages TSA Opt Out Day.
Green Report: Shop til you drop...from lead poisoning. Shoppers shrug off fears about toxic reusable bags.
Crazy Alert! Consumer madness. Black Friday.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly And the very, very ugly…Sarah Palin played the race card against President Obama and the first lady claiming their world view is shaped by the Reverend Wright and his, “rants against America and white people.” See Sarah – you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say his views were shaped by a Reverend and at the same time hint that he could be a Muslim. Pick one racist attack and move on. And hopefully the American people can move on too – from you.
Daily Take: Why did 1 in 5 Americans have mental illness in 2009?
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Highlights Of The Upcoming Week ... Nov 22nd - 26th, 2010
Monday
Today is the 47th anniversary of the murder of President John F. Kennedy... and Leonard DiCaprio will be starring in a movie about it based on a book that I co-authored. Lamar Waldron, JFK Historian and my co-author on " Ultimate Sacrifice" and " Legacy of Secrecy" will be here...
Tuesday
Hour Three: What It Really Means To Make End-of-life Decisions Frontline Producer Karen O'Connor joins Thom.
Wednesday
Hour Two: right and left ask what are you thankful for?! With Dan Gainor of the Business and Media Institute.
Thursday and Friday
Happy Thanksgiving! - enjoy Thom Hartmann recycled.
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Read Thom's Book for Free!
Now you can read all of Thom Hartmann's "Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country" for free online. Truthout is publishing weekly installments over the next 12 weeks.
The introduction is already up, and each week we will be publishing another of the proven 11 steps to restoring America. |
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The Daily Stack 
Quote: "Our government... teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy." -- Louis Brandeis.
"Brunch With Bernie". Senator Bernie Sanders, (I-VT) spends the hour with Thom discussing the issues and answering listener questions.
Hour Two: Fighting for our rights in the House Thom is joined by Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH, 10th District).
Hour Three: Medicaid Prescription coverage for all? Find out what Montana's Democratic Governor is doing to help citizens his state! Governor Brian Schweitzer joins Thom.
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Watch & Listen to Thom
Is Justice blind or available if the price is right?
F is for FOX
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Oil for transport
Shifting our transportation sector away from oil has been the essence of T. Boone Pickens’ rant, although the eccentric oil billionaire is now a natural gas billionaire, and he’s suggesting that we convert our truck fleet in this country from oil to natural gas, which is nearly as bad a source of greenhouse gasses as is oil. He’s right that such a change would make us stronger and safer, both militarily and strategically, but he misses the global warming part of the equation (which is also increasingly becoming a strategic issue, as global climate deterioration leads to crises both at home and abroad).
Europe, Japan, and China are moving fast to shift their transportation sectors from oil to electricity, mostly through the use of trains. Brazil now provides nearly half of their transportation needs with domestically grown ethanol made from sugarcane, by mandating flex fuel cars at an additional cost of about $100. Stupidly, we have no import tariff whatsoever on oil, so there is nothing to discourage American drivers from using foreign-produced oil products to fuel their cars and trucks, but we charge an import tariff of over a half a dollar a gallon on ethanol, discouraging Americans from using the fuel and discouraging the more than 100 countries in the world where there’s enough intense sunlight and sugarcane grows well from becoming net fuel exporters.
In the United States, fully half of all automobiles are driven fewer than 20 miles in any given day. This is an easy range for an electric-only or a plug-in-hybrid car, and by moving to the latter immediately – mandating them – we could shift the entire US auto fleet to consuming 50 percent or more electricity instead of gas/diesel in less than a decade, stripping oil of half its strategic importance. And while we offer billions in tax breaks and incentives to oil, gas, and coal companies in the US, we don’t subsidize or support with tax subsidies (as the Danes are doing) electric or part-electric cars, either in their production or on the consumer end.
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Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow urgently. Please help if you can. |
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Show Info
Call Thom on the show at 1-866-987-THOM (8466) (0870 974 9686 from the UK, +1 503 796 2324 from outside the US or UK).
Sign up for Thom's podcasts.
Come on over to the free chat room, where Thom hangs out during the show.
Join in the discussions on Thom's free message board.
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