They simply scrub them away from the view of the public. With the main debate in Washington these days centered on how much the rich should pay in taxes, the Congressional Research Service issued a report last September on the effect of upper income tax rates on economic growth. The CRS report found that low taxes on the rich did not spur economic growth – but instead fueled wealth inequality. Republicans – led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – protested the report since it undermines their main political talking point that rich people are “job creators” who need to be coddled with low tax rates.

CRS bowed to the pressure and withdrew the report this week. However the reports author told TPM on Thursday that he had nothing to do with the decision and the he continues to stand by the finding in his report. Democratic Congressman Sander Levin released a statement in response to the scrubbing of the report saying, “It would be completely inappropriate for CRS to censor one of its analysts simply because participants in the political process found his or her conclusion in conflict with their partisan position.”

Whether they’re facts about taxes, climate change, healthcare – you name it – if they don’t jive with the Billionaire Class – then Republicans just ignore them.

-Thom

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The Daily Stack

Hour One: Express lanes...for the billionaires only?
- Randal O'Toole, CATO Institute / Author "The Vanishing Automobile and Other Urban Myths"

Book: "The Vanishing Automobile and Other Urban Myths: How Smart Growth Will Harm American Cities" by Randal O'Toole.

Article: "HOT Lanes Make My Blood Boil: Fast Tracks for the Rich on the Rise" by Salvatore Babones.

Article: "Tragedy of the commons" by Wikipedia.

Article: "The Tragedy Of The Commons" by Garrett Hardin.

Book: "Unequal Protection: How Corporations Became "People" - And How You Can Fight Back" by Thom Hartmann - new updated version out now!

Article: "NYC Mayor Bloomberg endorses Obama" by David Jackson.

Article: "A Vote for a President to Lead on Climate Change" by Michael R. Bloomberg.

Article: "Taxes Don't Drive Out California Rich: Study" by CNBC.

Article: "Sherman Antitrust Act", 1890.

Movie: "In Time".

Book: "Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.

Movie: "HEIST: Who Stole the American Dream?".

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

Movie: The 11th Hour (DVD), Leonardo DiCaprio.

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.

Movie: "Dalai Lama Renaissance" documentary. Narrated by Harrison Ford. Featuring Thom!

Movie: "The Corporation".

Movie: "I AM", Directed by Tom Shadyac.

DVD: "I AM", Directed by Tom Shadyac.

Hour Two: The Feudal Lords are Back
- Peter Ferrara, Policy Director-Carleson Center for Public Policy / Attorney & Author "America's Ticking Bankruptcy Bomb".

Article: "Paying Taxes to Your Boss: Another Step Toward 21st Century Feudalism" by Tim Price.

Book: "The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use "Plain English" to Rob You Blind" by David Cay Johnston.

Article: "PA law would make workers pay taxes to their boss" by Daniel Denvir.

Article: "Major Retailer Urges Workers to Take "Civics Course" With Anti-Obama Content" by Adele M Stan.

Article: "Economist Stands By Tax Cut Study After GOP Successfully Demands Its Withdrawal" by Sahil Kapur.

Article: "Grover Cleveland’s Hurricane" by Matthew Algeo.

Get out the vote
- Hon. Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio, TX

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

Case: "Bush v. Gore", 2000.

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

Article: "Bloomberg Endorses Obama" by Geoff Holtzman.

Article: "Our American endorsement: Which one?" by The Economist.

Article: "International observers: States out of line" by Bobby Cervantes.

Article: "President Obama's remarks at Green Bay, WI, campaign event", November 1, 2012.

Article: "Ryan, Romney Tag Team to Mock President on New ‘Secretary’" by Shushannah Walshe.

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman.

Site: Governor Don Siegelman.

Petition: "President Obama: Please restore justice and pardon my dad!" by Dana Siegelman.

Article: "Nate Silver Bets Joe Scarborough $2,000 That Obama Wins" by Jack Mirkinson.

Article: "Barack Obama to be re-elected President in 2012".

Article: "Mitt Romney to be elected President in 2012".

Book: "Earthquakes in Human History: The Far-Reaching Effects of Seismic Disruptions" by Jelle Zeilinga de Boer and Donald Theodore Sanders .

Book: "The Fourth Turning" by William Strauss, Neil Howe.

Article: "Articles of Confederation".

The good: Celina High School Students: "Celina High School Students Told To Remove Pro-Gay Rainbow T-Shirts, ACLU Calls Move Unconstitutional".

The bad: Conservative Pundits: m"Conservatives Bash Christie For Cooperating With Obama Post-Sandy" by Annie-Rose Strasser.

The very, very ugly: Bishop Daniel Jenky: "Catholic Bishop Who Compared Obama To Hitler Orders Anti-Obama Letter Read From Pulpit" by Ian Millhiser.

Article: "The Detroit News Endorses Romney".

Book: "Threshold: The Progressive Plan to Pull America Back from the Brink" by Thom Hartmann.

Case: "Buckley v. Valeo", 1976.

Case: "First National Bank Of Boston V. Bellotti", 1978.

Article: "'My party is full of racists': Former Colin Powell aide blasts GOP after Romney adviser says ex-Secretary of State is only supporting Obama because he's black" by Sam Adams and Snejana Farberov.

Get out the vote
- Gov. Ted Strickland, former Governor of Ohio (D)

Video: "Who Will Do More? " by Mitt Romney.

Article: "Chrysler CEO Reiterates Jeep Production Staying in U.S." by Craig Trudell.

Article: "Automakers: Romney’s China claims come from ‘parallel universe’".

Article: "Dream Act" by Wikipedia.

Letter: "to Edgar Newton Eisenhower, November 8, 1954" by Dwight Eisenhower. "Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

Article: "Super PACs, Nonprofits Favored Romney Over Obama: Citizens United Decision Helped Romney Neutralize Obama's Fundraising Advantage" by Michael Beckel and Russ Choma.

Article: "Court rules against counting ballots cast incorrectly in Ohio" by David G. Savage.

Article: "Superstorm Sandy: Death toll spirals as scope of devastation grows clearer" by Edith Honan.

Article: "Mitt Romney Finally Answers the FEMA Question" by Dashiell Bennett.

Article: "Colorado, Washington and Oregon votes on legalizing marijuana may affect Mexico drug trade" by Diana Washington Valdez.

Article: "Iran's hospitals feel pain of sanctions" by Soraya Lennie.

Article: "Green Party Candidate Jill Stein Arrested Protesting Keystone XL Pipeline: ‘I’m Here To Connect The Dots’" by Katie Valentine.

Hour One: If it's Friday, it's "Brunch With Bernie"... the honorable Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will be here 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...

Hour Two: Get out the vote...
- Stephen Stills, Musician, Singer/Songwriter (Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young) / Buffalo Springfield)

Jobs, Citizens United
- Senator Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senator (D-OH)

Hour Three: Get out the Vote / Closing argument for Obama
- Stephanie Cutter, Deputy Campaign Manager-Obama 2012

Plus, it's "Anything Goes on Townhall Friday"...you choose the topics

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"...

Election day 2012 is almost here...we'll have a look at the key issues at stake along with the latest from the campaign trail...

Plus, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...