Our democracy is screwed. It’s been long speculated that Republican state lawmakers are taking their orders from the shadowy right-wing think tank funded by the Koch Brothers and known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – and now there’s proof. It was discovered in Florida – when Republican State Representative Rachel Burgin introduced legislation in the state House back in November that - oops - still included ALEC’s mission statement at the top of the bill, reading: “Whereas it is the mission of the American Legislative Exchange Council to advance Jeffersonian principles...”

ALEC gathers lawmakers and corporate interests together to draft model legislation, which is then sent back to state legislatures to be passed. But usually, the lawmakers remember to strip out the ALEC branding from it. Everything from stricter drug laws that help the private prison industry – to anti-EPA laws that help the big oil industry – to voter ID laws that help the Republican Party are produced by ALEC. It’s become increasingly clear what’s going on: we elect representatives – and they represent corporations.

That’s how ALEC is turning our Democracy into a Corporatocracy.

-Thom

(What do you think can be done about this? Tell us here.)

The Daily Stack

Hour One: If it's Friday, it's "Brunch With Bernie"... the honorable Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joins Thom with all the news from our nation's capitol and as always he'll be spending the hour taking your calls and answering your questions too...
Follow Bernie: campaign site.

Article: "A Petition to Support the Saving American Democracy Amendment" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "Unemployment rate falls to 8.3%; fifth straight monthly decline" by Don Lee.

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission".

Article: "Sheldon Whitehouse tries for vote on 'Buffett Rule'" by Seung Min Kim.

Article: "Obama proposes refinancing plan for underwater homeowners" by Jim Puzzanghera.

Article: "With Tax Break, Corporate Rate Is Lowest in Decades" by Damian Paletta.

Article: "Patriot Act" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2011-308" by Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

Hour Two: Exposing $ in politics from the Kochs to Anita Dunn
- Lee Fang, RepublicReport.org

Article: "EXCLUSIVE: Koch Brothers Convene Ultra-Secret Billionaires Meeting To Raise Funds, Plot Strategy" by Lee Fang.

Article: "VIDEO: Anita Dunn Defends Her Dual Role As White House Advisor, Influence Peddler" by Lee Fang.

Movie: "You, Me and the SPP" (Security Prosperity Partnership).

Article: "The Townsend Plan".

Book: "Agrarian Justice" by Thomas Paine.

Book: "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations", Adam Smith, 1776.

Book: "Toward a Society of Leisure" by Joffre Dumazedier, 1967.

Video: "The Jetsons Intro".

Article: "FIRE economy" by Wikipedia (Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate).

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Victoria Jones, White House Correspondent

Article: "Bait And Switch: GOP Leaders Renege On Debt Limit Deal Defense Cuts" by Brian Beutler.

Article: "Jobless Rate Inches Down In January" by Geoff Holtzman.

Article: "Senate Republicans Move To Spike Defense Cuts" by Lily Benitez De Luna.

Article: "Obama plan would hire vets as cops, firefighters" by Reuters.

Article: "Obama: 'The recovery is speeding up'" by David Jackson.

Article: "House Republicans Find Gray Lining in Brighter Jobs Report" by Jonathan Weisman.

Article: "Israel defence minister warns it may soon be too late for Iran military strike" by Harriet Sherwood.

Article: "Def Sec'y Panetta: Pressure Must Be Kept on Iran" by Robert Burns.

Book: "Self Empowerment: Nine Things the 19th Century Can Teach us About Living in the 21st " by B. Anne Gehman and Ellen Ratner.

Article: "Eric Schneiderman files suit against nation's largest banks for foreclosure fraud" by Joan McCarter.

Article: "Komen Walks Back Decision To Defund Planned Parenthood" by Benny Martinez.

Article: "House committee approves measure to let Arizona public schools teach the Bible" by Howard Fischer.

Site: "Corporations Are Not People".

Site: Move to Amend

Article: "Worker falls into reactor pool at San Onofre nuclear plant".

Article: "Where Indiana Goes, So Goes the Nation" by Abby Rapoport.

Site: "AFL-CIO".

Site: "Think Progress: Economy".

Audio: "FDR "Let Me Warn You" (1936)" by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Book: "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" by Barack Obama.

Article: "VIDEO: Reagan Called For An End To ‘Crazy’ Tax Loopholes That Let Millionaires Pay Less Than Bus Drivers" by Pat Garofalo.

Article: "ALEC Exposed, for 24 hours" by Nick Surgey.

Article: "Senate approves bill banning insider trading by lawmakers, 96-3" by Alexander Bolton and Josiah Ryan.

Article: "'Occupy The Super Bowl' Will Protest Indiana's Right-To-Work Law " by Alexander Eichler.

Article: "Republicans refuse to put facts on the record" by Libby Spencer.

Article: "REPORT: Seniors Saving On Prescription Drugs As A Result Of Health Reform" by Fatima Najiy.

Article: "U.S. indicts Wegelin bank for helping Americans avoid tax" by Lynnley Browning.

Article: "New Planet Best Bet Yet for Water, Life" by UPI.

Hour Three: Are Americans stupider than ever?
- Daniel Flynn, Human Events.

We'll have the latest on the Nevada caucus results and how that may change the GOP field...

Plus, all the important news & information you need to know from around the nation and around the world....

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!!!!!!!!! (OCCUPY SOMETHING!!!!!)

Read an excerpt here, and buy the book!