WATCH HERE! With or without a government shutdown, Republicans have already won the debate on our nation's budget. Why? Because the corporate media is on their side.

Make the wealthy pay their fair share.

Please welcome David Sirota, host of the David Sirota Show on Denver's AM 760 Colorado's Progressive Talk station in for Thom today!

Hour One: Why didn't we leave behind Bush's "No child left behind?" Dr. Diane Ravitch / Plus, latest on the war on democracy - John Nichols, The Nation Magazine

A government shutdown at the end of the week looks all but certain now. Yesterday – a meeting between Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid failed to produce a budget deal. Due to procedural rules in Congress – a deal needed to be reached by last night to allow for a vote before Friday when the government runs out of money.

Speaking of Wisconsin – a little-known provision in Scott Walker’s anti-union bill converts 37 government workers into political appointees to be handpicked by Walker himself. So what can we expect form Walker’s choices? Apparently not much…the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported yesterday that Walker handed over an $81,500 job overseeing state environmental regulations to the son of a wealthy campaign donor in what looks like a quid pro quo.&nb

Get the new IPhone App for Thom Hartmann

Check out the new movie I AM (Thom is in it) here and see an interview here and here....

In Japan – officials estimate that 7 tons of radioactive waste is flowing into the ocean every hour at the crippled Daiichi nuclear facility. The source of the leaking waste appears to be reactor 2. Attempts to clog the leak with cement have failed – and new attempts to plug the hole with a “junk-shot” of saw dust – chemicals, and shredded newspaper doesn’t appear to be working either.

Truthout proudly presents Thom Hartmann's book, "Unequal Protection" Click here for the latest chapter

Hour One: Democracy for sale? Dr. Ed Shadid / Plus, latest on the war on democracy - John Nichols, The Nation Magazine

Watch the TRUE Story of the Tea Party here!

Yesterday – a District Court Judge in Wisconsin blocked implementation of Scott Walker’s union busting bill while arguments are heard that the bill violated the state’s Open Meeting laws. Since Republicans passed the bill with less than a one-hour notice – in the dead of night – they essentially broke a state law that requires at least a 24-hour notice. But with Wisconsin’s anti-labor bill tied up in the courts – Republicans in *Ohio* are one step closer to busting up unions in their state.

Negotiations in Congress to prevent a government shut down have reportedly fallen through. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid placed the blame on Tea Party Republicans who are refusing to compromise in budget negotiations saying, “The infighting between the tea party and the rest of the Republican Party…is keeping our negotiating partner from the negotiating table."

Truthout proudly presents Thom Hartmann's book, "Unequal Protection" Click here for the latest chapter

Hour One: Latest on war - John Nichols, The Nation

More than 500,000 people took to the streets of London over the weekend to protest the British Government’s proposed austerity program that will cut $130 billion in spending and lay off nearly 500,000 public workers. All walks of British life are expected to be affected by the cuts to childcare services, retirees, public safety programs and sets the nation’s single payer healthcare system on the road to privatization. London hasn’t seen a protest