– but it likely won’t be able to overcome a unified Republican filibuster. President Obama’s proposal would force millionaires and billionaires like Warren Buffet and Mitt Romney to pay at least the same tax rate as working Americans. Currently – America’s super rich take advantage of loopholes created by the Bush tax cuts – and pay far lower rates than even a lot of middle class Americans.

Making the rich pay their fair share in taxes has been a rallying call by both Democratic and Republican Presidents in history – from Franklin Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan to now Barack Obama. Unfortunately – now that the rules of the Senate have been changed by the Republican minority to require 60-votes to pass anything – and now that the most-corporate friendly House of Representatives elected by over $300 million in corporate spending in 2010 – refuses to consider any sort of tax increases because multi-millionaire lobbyist Grover Norquist won’t let them – then it looks like America’s oligarchs will be let off the hook again.

Republicans are more focused on a $600,000 GSA scandal and whether or not Secret Service Agents cavorted with prostitutes, than actually making our economy work for the middle class again.

-Thom

(Do you think it will pass? Tell us here.)

Hour Two: Why a liberal education is a must...
- Professor John Ellis, CA Association of Scholars (CAS)

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

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Friday's 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: "The Rich Get Even Richer" by Steven Rattner.

Article: "Michael Moore says 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined" by PolitiFact.

Article: "Workers Rally To Save U.S. Postal Service" by Marissa Bodnar.

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" (2010).

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

Article: "Vermont Senate Votes to Overturn Citizens United" by Bernie Sanders.

Speech: "Address at Worcester, Mass. October 21, 1936" by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Speech: "50 - Fireside Chat April 14, 1938" by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Article: "Speculation In Crude Oil Adds $23.39 To The Price Per Barrel" by Robert Lenzner.

Fireside Chat 15: "On National Defense (May 26, 1940)" by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Article: "Court of Appeals Strikes Down Communications Act Ban on Political and Issue Advertising on Noncommercial Broadcasting Stations - Analyzing the Issues" by David Oxenford.

Suit: "Minority Television Project Inc. v. FCC,".

The Big Picture
- Sam Sacks, The Big Picture producer, progressive commentator

Book: ""Dosed: The Medication Generation Grows Up" by Kaitlin Bell Barnett.

Article: "The voice of today's GOP: Allen West says Democrats are commies" by David Horsey.

Event: "2nd Annual Stroud Foundation 5K Walk, Run,‘N Roll", 14 April, Registration is at 7:30am, race at 8am - Capital Crescent Trail in Georgetown, DC.

Site: "We Act Radio", Anacostia.

Event: "UMEN + 8 + Anacostia.", a noon to midnight festival of light, art, music and fun! April 14.

Article: "Yes, Virginia, This Is Obama’s JOBS Act" by Matt Taibbi.

Higgins alert: "Romney Backer Under Fire For Involvement In Ancient Canine Cookout" by Hunter Walker.

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

Article: "Drug war, including legalization, hot topic at Summit of the Americas" by Mariano Castillo.

Article: "Obama order coordinates federal oversight of 'fracking,' gas development" by Andrew Restuccia.

Article: "Iran nuclear talks 'positive' after 15-month break" by BBC.

Article: "WH Official: President Opposes Decriminalizing Drugs" by Benny Martinez.

Article: "'Swastika on the ballot': American Nazi Party gets its first lobbyist" by Ian Johnston.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Hour Three: Buffet Rule
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Article: "RI Sen. Whitehouse pushing hard on 'Buffett Rule'" by John E. Mulligan.

Article: "The Buffett Rule: Your Straight Deal on Taxes " by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

Site: "Make the Buffett Rule a Reality".

Article: "The Buffett Rule: A Reagan Initiative" by DPCC.

Speech: "Remarks at Northside High School in Atlanta, Georgia", Ronald Reagan, June 6, 1985.

Event: "Earth Day 2012", April 22 2012.

Book: "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Revised and Updated: The Fate of the World and What We Can Do Before It's Too Late" by Thom Hartmann.

Book: "Maybe One: A Case for Smaller Families" by Bill McKibben.

Site: "Bill McKibben".

Article: "Marc Abrahams Makes Science Improbably Funny" by NPR, April 13, 2012 (Peter Principle).

Cheesy news alert: "Charles Manson Denied Parole, Effectively Ending His Bid for Republican Presidential Nomination" by Andy Borowitz.

Book: "Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes" by William H. Gates Sr. and Chuck Collins.

Article: "Ann Romney rejects Democratic pundit’s claim that she ‘never worked a day in her life’" by Philip Rucker.

Article: "26 Big US Companies Paid No Federal Income Tax From 2008 To 2011" by Ashley Portero.

Article: "Every Small Business In America Would Have To Pay $2,116 To Make Up Revenue Lost To Corporate Tax Havens" by Pat Garofalo.

Article: "Mitt Romney plays to NRA interests in bid to win over conservative base" by Ed Pilkington and Ewen MacAskill.

Article: "Iowa Republican State Senator Proposes Drug Testing Child Support Recipients" by Pat Garofalo.

Article: "US in Flames: Global Warming, 'Perfect Recipe for Fire'" by Common Dreams.

Article: "Pakistan calls for end to U.S. drone attacks" by Richard Leiby.

Article: "Vermont 'Almost Lost The Governor' To Bears" by AP.