The Congressional Budget Office issued a warning to the Gang of 12 Super Committee yesterday – arguing that the nation is on the verge of another recession – and the Gang of 12’s actions could make it worse. “If policymakers wanted to achieve both a short-term economic boost and medium- and long-term fiscal sustainability,” CBO chief Doug Elmendorf told the committee, then they would have to put in place, “changes in taxes and spending that would widen the deficit now but narrow it later in the decade.” Elmendorf’s message is back-dropped by troubling Census data reports showing the income of a typical American family has dropped for the third year in a row – and inflation-adjusted earnings for men who work full-time jobs have dropped down to levels not seen since 1978. Not to mention that yesterday brought us news that the United States – the wealthiest nation on the planet – just got a heck of a lot poorer – with more than 15% of our people living in poverty.

That’s 46.2 million people in poverty – the most ever recorded in the history of this nation. So the point is – Bush and Reagan’s economics of tax cuts for the rich and screwing over working people got us into this mess – and it’s up the Gang of 12 to NOT use the same misguided policies to get us out of it. That means they need to tax the oligarchs – just like FDR did – just like Truman did – just like Eisenhower did – just like Kennedy and Johnson did – just like Nixon and Ford and Carter did – and just like Bill Clinton did.

Let’s hope they get the message.

-Thom

(Do you think they will? Tell us here.)

"Registering Poor Voters Un-American?"

The Daily Stack

Hour One: New plan to keep Social Security solvent revealed. Congressman Peter DeFazio, (D-OR, 4th District)

Site: callcongress.org.

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

Article: "Democrats Introduce Bill To Safeguard Social Security".

Article: "CBO chief says austerity bad for economic recovery" by Joan McCarter.

Article: "U.S. poverty rate hits 15%" by Karin Kapsidelis.

Article: "NY, NV special elections: A big victory or no big deal?" by Paul Steinhauser.

Article: "Reason #438 to stay away from hypotheticals" by Jed Lewison.

Article: "U.S. poverty rate hits 15.1 percent, new Census data show" by Diane Stafford.

Article: "DeFazio: Rails against the Job Creators myth on the Floor of the House" by jamess.

Article: "With Record Number Of Americans Falling Into Poverty, Rand Paul Says The Poor Are Getting Rich" by Tanya Somanader.

Hour Two: Troy Davis...an innocent man may DIE...abolish the death penalty? Larry Cox, Amnesty International

Article: "September 12, 2011: Reps. John Lewis and Hank Johnson Urge Clemency For Inmate Troy Anthony Davis".

Article: "Georgia sets execution date for Troy Davis" by Amnesty International.

Cheesy news alert: "In Compromise, Republicans Allow Obama to Create One Part-Time Job" by Andy Borowitz.

Article: "At Ohio Rally, Obama Says Jobs Plan ‘Isn’t About Giving Me a Win’" by Devin Dwyer.

Talk Radio News Segment: Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief

Article: "Democrats Dismiss Loss in NY-9: Not a Bellwether District" by Devin Dwyer.

Article: "Rabbonim Issue Letter: It Is Forbidden to Fund, Support or Vote for Weprin" by Shmiel Gellman.

Article: "RNC Outraises Democratic Counterpart by Wide Margin in August Haul" by Niraj Chokshi.

Article: "Poll: GOP Voters Don’t Consider Social Security A Ponzi Scheme" by Justin Duckham.

Article: "Lawmakers Want To Abolish Debt Ceiling" by Janie Amaya.

Article: "Minnesota Mom Calls On Bachmann To Condemn Anti-Gay Bullying With 130,000 Signatures" by Zack Ford.

Article: "White House orders agencies to pay small businesses within 15 days".

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Hour Three: Tuesday's special elections...who won and what it means John Nichols, The Nation Magazine

Article: "Two elections testing Obama, GOP strategies" by John Nichols.

Crazy alert: "Eel removed from man's bladder after entering penis during beauty spa" by Mark Pangallo.

Article: "Special Report Transcript * Tuesday, September 13th" by Katy Ricalde (includes Darrell Issa on News Corp phone hacking allegations).

The good: "Ralph Nader: Americans ignore the cause of 9/11" by Eric W. Dolan.

The bad: "Former Lobbyists Working for Congress Outnumber Elected Lawmakers" by LegiStorm.

The very, very ugly: Drudge Report for linking to a story with the headline "Revenge Of The Jews; Dem Seat Turns In NYC".

Article: "Kucinich plans to stay in Ohio for re-election" by Ciera Lundgren.

Article: "Democrats turn the tables as $7B bid to boost disaster aid clears Senate hurdle" by AP.

Article: "Rep. Issa hit with ethics allegations" by Alexander Bolton.

Article: "Elizabeth Warren enters Mass. Senate race" by AP.

Hour One: It's a special Thursday edition of "Brunch With Bernie"... ...America's Senator... Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will be talking about the week's most important issues and taking your calls too...

Plus, Geeky Science rocks...the secret to a longer life revealed!

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... TAG, YOU'RE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read an excerpt here, and buy the book!