President Obama took the stage at the DNC on Thursday night and instead of talking about change – he talked about choice. The President said, “when all is said and done – when you pick up that ballot to vote – you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation.” You know, it’s easy to resign into cynicism and attack both parties as tools of the corporate elite. But the President’s speech last night revealed that there are still enormous differences between himself and Mitt Romney – differences that will affect the lives of tens of millions of Americans.

As the President outlined, it’s a choice between hiring teachers or firing teachers. A choice between making the rich pay their fair share or shifting more of the tax burden onto working Americans. A choice between doing something about climate change, which the President said “is not a hoax,” or continuing to do nothing as the planet gets dangerously too hot. It’s a choice between relying solely on big oil to energize our nation or adopting clean energy. It’s a choice between Medicare and no Medicare. It’s a choice between getting the healthcare you need or being denied health insurance for pre-existing conditions.

Ultimately, it’s a choice between having a middle class in America – or not. And even though the president didn’t mention it, this election will be a choice between having a Supreme Court for the next generation that sides with working people or having a far-right Supreme Court that sides with corporations. Many progressives are disappointed with President Obama – and have good reason to be.

But if we sit out this election, then the oligarchs will only tighten their grip on power in America. That’s what’s at stake.

-Thom

(What is most at stake for you? Tell us here.)

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Thursday's Daily Stack

Hour One: student loans & rising tuition
- U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL, 9th Congressional District)

Speech: "Acceptance of the New York Liberal Party Nomination" by John F. Kennedy, September 14, 1960. "I believe for these reasons that liberalism is our best and only hope in the world today".

Article: "Video: Wednesday night's DNC speeches" by NBC.

Article: "Undocumented woman Benita Veliz makes Dream Act speech to DNC" by Ed Pilkington.

Video: "Sister Simone Campbell Speech at Democratic National Convention – 9/5/12".

Site: "Progressive Democrats of America".

Article: "Kathleen Sebelius DNC speech (text, video)".

Video: "Bill Clinton's 2012 DNC Speech Video And Full Text Transcript" by Connor Adams Sheets. "In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president's re-election was pretty simple: we left him a total mess, he hasn't cleaned it up fast enough, so fire him and put us back in."

Article: "DNC 2012: Sandra Fluke’s speech at the Democratic National Convention (Full text)".

Clean energy key to global competitiveness
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)

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

Case: "Plessy v. Ferguson", 1896.

Case: "Lochner v. New York" by 1905.

Case: "Dred Scott v. Sandford", 1857.

Education, President's student loan plan...
- Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education-Obama Administration

Site: Hunter School.

Article: "If your student loan debt is high but your income is modest, you may qualify for the Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR)." by Federal Student Aid.

Jobs bill, farm bill...convention overview
- Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

Article: "Robert Draper Book: GOP's Anti-Obama Campaign Started Night Of Inauguration" by Sam Stein.

Article: "Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan & Kevin McCarthy: Plot To Sabotage US Economy with Frank Luntz" by keepemhonest.

Book: "Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives" by Robert Draper.

Hour Two: Romney-Ryan BAD for working families
- Lee Saunders, President-AFSCME

Article: "Michigan Collective Bargaining Initiative Will Be on Nov. Ballot" by CWA.

Article: "Michigan Emergency Manager Law Referendum Will Go On November Ballot, Supreme Court Rules" by AP.

Living wage for working people
- Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH, 10th district)

Site: "Kucinich Action".

Article: "National Emergency Employment Defense Act of 2011" (NEED Act) by Dennis Kucinich.

Case: "Buckley v. Valeo", 1976.

Case: "Roe v. Wade", 1973.

Case: "Bush v. Gore", 2000.

General overview of convention, last night's speeches, President tonight
- Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY, 8th District)

Article: "Romney, Ryan Double Down On False Welfare Attack Clinton Decried" by Benjy Sarlin.

Clip: Phone conversation between President Lyndon Johnson and Sen. Everett Dirksen (R) Illinois, November 2, 1968.

Article: "Republican budget plans require only slim majority" by Stephanie Kirchgaessner.

Live at the DNC, new series "Chasing the Hill"
- Actor Richard Schiff

Site: "Chasing the Hill".

Article: "David Harbour, Richard Schiff & Jeremy Shamos Join Al Pacino-Led GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS on Broadway!" by BWW.

Book: "On Politics and the Art of Acting" by Arthur Miller.

Hour Three: Live at the DNC
- Congressman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.)

Video: "James Taylor's Full Performance At The DNC".

Article: "Deval Patrick: ‘It Is Time For Democrats To Grow A Backbone’" by Annie-Rose Strasser.

Catholic morality and the political parties
- Sister Simone Campbell, Nuns on the Bus

Citizens United / Ohio Secretary of State refuses to restore early voting pending appeal
- Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Site: "Sherrod Brown campaign site".

Article: "26th Amendment". Vote for 18 year olds.

Article: "Eve of Destruction (song)" by Wikipedia. "You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’".

Article: "DISCLOSE Act" by Wikipedia.

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

Live from DNC, on Mitt Romney
- Tim Murray, Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor

Article: "Reinstating Jerusalem, "God" language met with boos at DNC" by CBS.

Article: "Germany, Most Robust European Economy, Headed For Recession - Economists" by Eleazar David Meléndez:.

Article: "Institute of Medicine US Healthcare Report: 75,000 Unnecessary Deaths, $750 Billion Wasted Each Year" by ForexTV.

Article: "Hackers Steal Romney's Tax Returns?" by Craig Blaha.

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: DNC & her speech
- Elizabeth Warren, Candidate for U.S. Senate (D-MA) / American bankruptcy law expert & Harvard Law School professor

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!!!!!)

The conventions are over and the campaign trail to election day begins...we'll have all the latest info for you...

Plus, Americans for Prosperity is spearheading the campaign against extending tax credits for wind energy...sound like more hot air? I'll challenge Phil Kerpen...

And we'll have 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"...TAG, YOU'RE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (GET OUT THERE, GET ACTIVE AND OCCUPY SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)