Democrats must embrace a pro-government platform, not run away from it.

Those were the sentiments of Senator Chuck Schumer today, in a speech given at the National Press Club. Talking about the reasons for Democrats’ losses on Election Day, Schumer said that those losses were proof that the American people and middle-class want a government that will work more effectively for them.

He went on to say that, for the first time ever, the middle-class has lost faith in the American Dream, and that in 2014, Democrats lost because Americans have lost faith in the party and the government’s ability to improve the lives of the middle-class. But it wasn’t always like this. As Schumer pointed out, a pro-government mentality dominated America and the political landscape from the days of FDR until 1980 when Reagan came to Washington.

With FDR's New Deal policies and programs, Americans saw that government can strengthen the middle-class, improve the economy, and protect everyone’s ability to live the American Dream. For several generations, Americans trusted our government’s ability to improve living conditions for the working-class. As a result, Democrats stayed in power for a long time.

Then Reagan happened, and everything changed.

Read more here.

-Thom

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Is Ferguson a reminder of Jim Crow? (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Be sure to check out our new videos: CARBON, LAST HOURS & GREEN WORLD RISING - narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio

Need to Know: Is Ferguson a reminder of Jim Crow?
- Manuel Rapalo, RT Correspondent
- Debbie Hines, Legal Speaks

Big Picture Politics Panel:
- Nate Sweet, Progressive Commentator
- Hughey Newsome, Project 21 / Move-On-Up
- Todd Gaziano, Pacific Legal Foundation-DC Center

Screwed: Is Walmart playing the hunger games with their employees?
- Cynthia Murray, OUR Walmart.

Tuesday's Daily Stack

Hour One: Ferguson...what happened?
- Osagyefo Segou, Ferguson Action

Article: "Ferguson Grand Jury Does Not Charge Darren Wilson" by Nicole Flatow.

Article: "Michael Brown's mother: 'They're never going to care'" by BBC.

Article: "Michael Brown's family: 'ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera' " by T.C. Sottek.

Article: "In Ferguson, volunteers have electronic eyes on police" by Molly Hennessy-Fiske.

Ferguson outcome...now what?
- Rashad Robinson, Color of Change

Video: Rodney King Beating (Full Version).

Quote: "Indict a ham sandwich" - Sol Wachtler.

Article: "It’s Incredibly Rare For A Grand Jury To Do What Ferguson’s Just Did" by Ben Casselman.

Article: "What Ferguson Demonstrations Looked Like Across the Country" by Kaveh Waddell.

Article: "Ferguson protests: Destruction, questions remain after violent night of demonstrations" by AP.

Article: "Chuck Schumer's Cure for Democrats" by Russell Berman.

Article: "Ferguson Grand Jury Faced Mass of Evidence, Much of It Conflicting" by Julie Bosman, Campbell Robertson, Erik Eckholm And Richard A. Oppel Jr.

Video: Ferguson, Missouri Grand Jury Decision Announcement.

Article: "Documents Released in the Ferguson Case".

Video: Bigger Picture P1 - GOP May Not Have Control of Senate w/o Voter Suppression.

Video: Bigger Picture P2 - Voter Suppression - The 4% Flaw in Our Democracy.

Article: "Macklemore Joins Seattle Ferguson Solidarity Protests - Pepper Spray & Civil Disobedience" by Mark Taylor Canfield.

Article: "Emmett Till" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Local police kill at least 400 people a year, mostly minorities" by RT.

Article: "New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Giuliani's black-on-black crime comments: What he got wrong (+video)" by Husna Haq.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Luke Vargas

Article: "Tunisia election: Essebsi and Marzouki face run-off" by BBC.

Article: "Ukraine to hold Nato vote when membership criteria are met" by BBC.

Article: "U.S. and Allies Extend Iran Nuclear Talks by 7 Months" by David E. Sanger and Michael R. Gordon.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Article: "TRNS News Notes 11/25" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "TRNS News Notes-11/24" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: Ferguson, 2016 elections and pot legalization
- Fmr. MN Gov. Jesse Ventura, Off the Grid

Article: "Darren Wilson Toxicology Report".

Article: "Bernard Kerik" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Is it worth it? Creatine" by Stuart Heritage.

Article: "Tamir Rice: 12-year-old boy playing with fake gun dies after being shot by Ohio police" by Lizzie Dearden.

Book: America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder by Bret Stephens.

Article: "1033 Program" by Wikipedia.

Article: "1967 Detroit riot" by Wikipedia.

Article: "St. Louis prosecutor has faced controversy for decades" by Nicholas J.C. Pistor.

Article: "Small Wages, Huge Pollution: New Report Exposes Walmart's Coal-Saturated Climate Destruction" by Jon Queally.

Article: "Bilingual People Are Like Brain 'Bodybuilders'" by Tanya Lewis.

Article: "5 Toxic Chemicals in the Products You Use Every Day" by Sage McHugh.

Article: "Texas Wind Powers 3.3 Million Homes" by Anastasia Pantsios.

Article: "Kisses transfer 80 million bacteria" by Jop de Vrieze.

Wednesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET

Author Dan Sisson, returns for Thom Hartmann University Book Club - The American Revolution of 1800 - Chapter 4.

And, 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"

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Do you agree with the Ferguson grand jury decision?

Vote here!

Are Killers Still in Charge of Our Healthcare?

To Win - Run as a Progressive & Bash the Kochs

So David - Why Do You & the GOP Hate Immigrants?

Revealed! 90 Pipeline Spills You Didn't Hear About

Is Obama “Pulling an LBJ”?

What Will Happen if Wilson Is Not Indicted?

The Good - the Bad - and the Very Very Phreaticly Ugly

Full Show 11/24/14: Man Details How Health Insurance Company Killed Him

Thom discusses what to expect from the grand jury decision in Ferguson with Attorney and Radio Host Mike Papantonio, Chuck Hagel stepping down as Defense Secretary with CODEPINK’s Medea Benjamin and Alberta, Canada’s oil spill problem with Public Citizen’s Tyson Slocum. In tonight's “Daily Take” Thom discusses how health care companies are still killing people despite Obamacare.

The Case for Trial in Ferguson...

Ferguson Outcome...Now What?

On the Ground in Ferguson...

Thom Hartmann on Science & Green News: November 25, 2014

EXPOSED: 90 Pipeline Spills in 4 Months...

Are Killers are still in Charge of our Health Care?

Why are the Oath Keepers going to Ferguson?