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

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Community Square

"Rage Against the Machine"

The Daily Stack

Quote: "We have weapons of mass destruction we have to address here at home. Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction. Homelessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Unemployment is a weapon of mass destruction." -- Dennis Kucinich.

Hour One: Want to vote in Ohio? GOP won't tell you where... Cliff Schecter, National progressive PR strategist, author

Book: "The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't" by Cliff Schecter.

Article: "Ohio GOP Weakens Election Law By Allowing Poll Workers To Refuse To Inform Voters Where They Can Vote" by Tanya Somanader.

Article: "John Kasich: The New York Times smooth operator" by Bob Fitrakis.

Article: "Minn. Residents Want Government Shutdown To End" by NPR.

Clip: "Paul Weyrich - "I don't want everybody to vote" (Goo Goo)".

Article: "Howard Dean Guest-hosts Topic [A] With Tina Brown", August 8, 2004.

Article: "Charter School Lawsuit: An Old Complaint But A New Attack".

Article: "Once-powerful nursing homes take a 6% hit in new budget" by Catherine Candisky.

Article: "Ohio Capitol Building Adds Bar" by WLWT.

Video: "Thom Hartmann: Republicans have destroyed The American Way".

Article: "How the Democrats Have Lost Ohio and the Presidency" by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman.

How to fight back against the war on Labor and Minnesota shutdown Joe Burns, Attorney, former Union leader and author.

Book: "Strike: How Working People Can Regain Power and Transform America" by Joe Burns.

Article: "Minnesota shutdown drags on" by Rachel Weiner.

Cheesy news alert: "CNN to Cover New Casey Anthony Murder Trial When Nancy Grace Kills Her" by Andy Borowitz.

Article: "Obama cites progress in deficit reduction talks" by Andrew Taylor.

Site: "Ur Union of Unemployed".

Hour Two: Media tried/convicted Casey Anthony...jury found her innocent Tommy Christopher, media correspondent and White House reporter for Mediaite.com

Article: "Casey Anthony Acquitted In Daughter's Death" by TRNS.

Article: "What's really scary about the Casey Anthony verdict" by Sarah Ibarruri.

Article: "The snigger heard 'round the world - Casey Anthony verdict a victory for American Justice" by nashville_brook.

Video: "Video Compilation: Boehner And GOP Reject Acting Like ‘Adults’ To Play Childish Games With Debt Ceiling" by Jeff Spross.

Video: "In The Know: Coal Lobby Warns Wind Farms May Blow Earth Off Orbit" by the Onion.

Coverup in the Siegelman Case Now Extends to the U.S. Senate Andrew Krieg, Executive Director of the Justice Integrity Project

Article: "Coverup in the Siegelman Case Now Extends to the U.S. Senate" by Legal Schnauzer.

Article: "Justice Irregularities In Alabama Continue Disgrace " by Andrew Krieg.

Article: "Strong Senate Oversight Is a Consumer Issue" by Andrew Krieg.

Site: Governor Don Siegelman.

Crazy alert: "Watch: Jimmy 'Rent Is Too Damn High' McMillan Gets Documentary Treatment" by Olivia B. Waxman.

Talk Radio News Segment: Victoria Jones, White House Correspondent

Article: "White House Press Gaggle" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "Bill Clinton Compares GOP Backed Voting Regulations To Jim Crow Laws" by TRNS.

Article: "Bill Clinton likens GOP effort to Jim Crow laws" by Darren Samuelsohn.

Article: "U.S. Will Now Send Condolence Letters To Families Of Soldiers Who Commit Suicide" by TRNS.

Article: "Mexican National Set for Execution in Texas Despite Obama's Pleas for Delay" by Ariane De Vogue.

Article: "Scenarios: Debt talks put pressure on corporate tax breaks" by Kevin Drawbaugh.

Hour Three: Is it time to bring back "The American Way?" Thom confronts Matt Patterson of the Capital Research Center.

Article: "The American Experiment Is Failing" by Matt Patterson.

Article: "American System".

Article: "Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act".

Book: "Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country" by Thom Hartmann.

Article: "How Grover Norquist hypnotized the GOP" by Deval Patrick.

Article: "Mitch McConnell: I Want To Be Senate Majority Leader In Order To Make Obama A One-Term President" by Faiz Shakir.

The good: Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy: "Shocker: A Governor Scores a Big Victory for Workers' Rights" by Andy Kroll.

The bad: "McCotter: Both Obamacare and Romneycare are ‘inhumane’".

The very, very ugly: "Limbaugh: Strauss-Kahn Is A "Ruling-Class Guy" Who Normally "Gets Away With This" -- "A Ted Kennedy Kind Of Guy"" by Media Matters.

Article: "GRAPH: Contrary To GOP Claims, U.S. Has Second Lowest Corporate Taxes In The Developed World" by Marie Diamond.

Documentary: "Hot Coffee".

Site: "The Equality Trust".

Book: "The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger" by Richard Wilkinson, Kate Pickett.

Article: "Law professors want to kick PROTECT-IP to the curb" by Darlene Storm.

Article: "Tiny Texas city lays off entire police force" by CBS News.

Coming up Thursday on The Thom Hartmann Program

Hour Three: The deadline is looming for raising the debt ceiling...can the President get Republicans to blink first? Thom challenges Stephen Moore, Editorial board member and senior economics writer, The Wall Street Journal

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.

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