|
Thom's blog
New class of GOP power players
You need to know this. The GOP elected their new Committee Chairmen last week. They will be the primary lawmakers in charge of crafting legislation and holding hearings when the House of Representatives reconvenes for the 112th session of Congress next year. And the new roster of leaders could spell trouble for the country moving forward. Heading up the Appropriation Committee – Kentucky Rep Hal Rogers. Don’t anticipate any reduction in pork spending and pet projects under the new Republican Congress – as Rogers is known as the “King of Pork” on Capitol Hill. So let the wasteful spending continue. The new head of the Budget Committee is Paul Ryan from Wisconsin. Ryan has already declared war on seniors and now has the purse strings to enforce it. His “long-term budget roadmap” includes privatizing Social Security and drastically cutting Medicare. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will be the Chairwoman of the Foreign Relations Committee – and she’s not exactly a fan of diplomacy. Back in 2006 – videotape surfaced of her advocating for the assassination of Fidel Castro. So much for restoring America’s image around the world. The Homeland Security Committee will be now be headed by New York Congressman Peter King. He recently has declared wikileaks a terrorist organization. And – when Attorney General Eric Holder said he would be investigating CIA interrogation tactics – or torture – King quickly expressed his discontent calling the oversight “bull – ‘crap’”. And finally – to make sure nothing gets done in Congress next year – Republicans elected Darryl Issa to head the Government Oversight Committee. Issa has already pledged to investigate President Obama on a variety of issues from a Joe Sestak job offer to ACORN. Curiously though – back in 2007 – Issa was opposed to investigating Blackwater after the mercenary group killed countless Iraqi civilians in a massacre. Looks like Issa isn’t motivated by justice – he’s motivated by politics. Also – looks like there is plenty of corporate cash behind the new roster of Committee Chairs. USA Today is reporting that nearly 1.2 million dollars was donated to 7 new Chairmen by special interest PACs. Oh – and the majority of their new staffers are former lobbyists. There you have it – the Republican Committee leadership of the 112th Congress. Bought and paid for by corporations to do the bidding of the rich and legislating of the irrational.
-Thom
(Why do you think Republicans choose people who are so opposed to what they should be doing? Tell us here.) |
|
|
|
Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 9pm and 11pm... New class of GOP power players... (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT, and catch past shows on Youtube)
Need to Know: New class of GOP power players
Screwed! Economics, China, Korea trade agreement. With Eamonn Fingleton, business/economics journalist; author "In the Jaws of the Dragon: America's Fate in the Coming Era of Chinese Dominance", and Jane Hamsher, editor Firedoglake.com.
Banksters profits are up again. With Stephen Moore, Economic writer/policy analyst; member WSJ Editorial Board and co-author (w/Arthur Laffer) of "The End of Prosperity" and it's sequel "Return To Prosperity".
The Best of the Rest of the News...
Federal Judge in Virginia rules Obama Admin's health care law unconstitutional With Carrie Lukas, Executive Director-Independent Women's Forum.
It’s risky for a black man to express anger — even a president. What Progressives Don’t Understand About Obama. With Professor Ishmael Reed, Poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, and musician; publisher-"Konch" Magazine; recently retired after 35 years teaching at UC Berkley; his latest book is "Barack Obama and the Jim Crow Media The Return of the Nigger Breakers" and the forthcoming novel "Juice".
Green report Climate summit wrap up with Brad Johnson, Reporter/Blogger-Think Progress.
Crazy Alert! The stripper-mobile is back in Las Vegas.
Daily Take: Obama Tax deal.
|
|
|
|
|
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 12 weeks. Read Chapter Five: Medicare “Part E”- for Everybody today. |
|
The Daily Stack 
Quote: "History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance" -- James Madison.
Hour One: How should Progressives respond to the Tax compromise?
Hour Two: What Progressives Don’t Understand About Obama. With Professor Ishmael Reed, poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, and musician; publisher-"Konch" Magazine; recently retired after 35 years teaching at UC Berkley; his latest book is "Barack Obama and the Jim Crow Media: The Return of the Nigger Breakers" ( www.barakabooks.com) and the forthcoming novel "Juice". http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/opinion/12reed.html
Book: " Juice!" by Ishmael Reed.
Hour Three: The Madness of Obamanomics?! Thom debates Peter Ferrara of the American Civil Rights Union.
Site: Joe Madison, Host of Joe Madison - The Black Eagle - Weekdays 6a.m.-10a.m. XM Channel-THE POWER 169. |
|
|
Coming up on The Thom Hartmann Program
We'll have the latest news on the WikiLeaks controversy...
Hour Three: "The Conservative Case for Wikileaks" with Jack Hunter, columnist for The American Conservative Magazine and contributor to Fox Business News.
And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program... your media support group for we the people.
|
|
|
|
|
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.
Blog or upload videos or audios at Thom's community.
|
|
|
|
Watch & Listen to Thom
DREAM Act - is it creating cannon fodder for the Military?
Save the Planet or Die Trying?
|
|
|
The “Disadvantaged” Corporation
In 2008, a right-wing group named Citizens United put together a 90-minute “documentary,” a flat-out hit-job on Hillary Clinton (then a Senator and presidential aspirant), and wanted to run commercials promoting it on TV stations in strategic states. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) ruled that the movie and the television advertisements for it were really a "campaign ads" and stopped them from airing because they violated the McCain-Feingold law (aka the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002), which bars “independent expenditures” by corporations or unions or other organizations 30 days before a primary election or 60 days before a general election.
McCain-Feingold was a good bipartisan achievement by conservative Senator John McCain and liberal Senator Russ Feingold to limit the ability of corporations to interfere around the edges of campaigns. The law required the “I’m John McCain and I approve this message” disclaimer, and limited the amount of money that could be spent on any federal politician’s behalf in campaign advertising. It also limited the ability of multimillionaires to finance their own elections.
But the law offended the members of the economic elite in this country who call themselves “conservatives” and believe they should be able to spend vast amounts of money to influence electoral and legislative outcomes.
Citizens United sued the Federal Election Commission and the result, as they say, is history, leaving corporations far from disadvantaged.
|
|
 Would you like to help give a child with a very troubled background this feeling of peace? Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village (NESCV) in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow. Can you help? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
