Gary Weiss, author, Ayn Rand Nation: The Hidden Struggle for America's Soul," joins Thom Hartmann. Paul Ryan may have introduced a budget that destroys the middle-class - but his ideas aren't new. So where did he get all his crazy ideas about giving tax cuts to billionaires - eliminating Medicare - and robbing schoolkids of an education? Here's what Congressman Paul Ryan said about Ayn Rand.

James Hoffa, International Brotherhood of Teamsters joins Thom Hartmann to talk about the President's talk and The 99% Spring.

President Obama gave one of the strongest speeches of his presidency - slamming Paul Ryan and taking on the Republican Party. How the speech is a sign that progressive activism on the ground is starting to trickle up to our elected representatives.

Thom asks if Romney's platform will offer anything besides money and extremism, and what constitutes a conservative these days. Also discussed: why corporations are paying the lowest taxes in 40 years, the latest from the recall efforts in Wisconsin and in tonight's "Daily Take" Thom discusses the right-wing fear machine and the effects it has on the country.

On Sunday night - a homemade explosive device was detonated outside a window of a Planned Parenthood office in Wisconsin - but you haven't heard a peep about it from mainstream media. The Fear Machine is tearing apart American society. How can we turn it off and return America to the land of the free and the home of the brave?

The Good! *Aung San Suu Kyi* Kyi - the opposition leader in Myanmar - won a seat in the country's parliament following Sunday's elections. The Bad! *Texas Governor Rick Perry* Rick Perry and Texas are full-steam ahead in executing another potentially innocent Death Row inmate. The Bad! *Texas Governor Rick Perry* Rick Perry and Texas are full-steam ahead in executing another potentially innocent Death Row inmate. and the Very Very Ugly! *Arizona Superintendent of Schools John Huppenthal* Two years ago - Arizona banned the teaching of ethnic studies in K-12 education - and now it's going after universities too.

Hilary Shelton, Washington Bureau Director and Senior Vice President for Advocacy & Policy-NAACP joins Thom Hartmann. With the nation still trying to figure out what happened in Sanford, Florida that led to the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin back in February - and why George Zimmerman is still walking around as a free man - a new - and just as disturbing case is coming to light out of New York. It was there - that a 68-year-old African American man was gunned down in his own home by police officers who were responding to a false alarm. Ken Chamberlain, Sr. - a former Marine who suffered from a heart condition - had a medical alert system pendant - that when pressed would call for emergency medical help.

Proof - Easier to be hit by lightning or win the lottery

Lynn Parramore, Contributing Editor-Alternet joins Thom Hartmann. Corporations in America used to care about the best interests of their communities and country - but their role in society has changed. How have corporations become a predatory monster - preying on Americans and their wallets?

Graeme Zielinksi, Democratic Party of Wisconsin joins Thom Hartmann. Governor Scott Walker created a firestorm in Wisconsin with his anti-union law known today as Act 10. It subsequently led to over a million signatures being turned in to have Governor Walker recalled from office. But now it turns out that Act 10 is unconstitutional. Plus - what's up with the recall.

Thom Hartmann challenges Conservative talk show host Mike Slater. What kind of Conservtaive platform will Mitt Romney run on? Don't Conservatives pride themselves on preserving the status-quo - what works - and if so, why are they completely upending what was known to work for 40 years..the New Deal? Reagan raised taxes, Eisenhower supported the New Deal, Nixon created the EPA - what happened to the Republican Party?

A new study shows that when Americans don't have enough time or energy to give thought to a particular political issue - they tend to accept the Conservative argument more often. But what exactly IS the Conservative argument nowadays in America?

Thom talks with author and United for a Fair Economy's Executive Director Brian Miller in tonight's "Conversations with Great Minds." The "Big Picture Rumble" panel discusses the fate of Obamcare, Paul Ryan's radical budget and the latest from the Trayvon Martin case. In tonight's "Daily Take" Thom details what grown men do when they're unable to find a job.

Brian Darling, Human Events & Sam Sacks, The Big Picture producer, progressive commentator & Vince Coglianese, Daily Caller all join Thom Hartmann. Paul Ryan embraces austerity - destroys the middle class - and bankrolls Big Oil all in a hard days work. Also - It's been another week - and George Zimmerman is still a free man. Plus our quickfire question... What is Scalia busy reading instead of Obamacare? A. The Koch brothers manifesto B. The Supreme Court for Dummies C. The Hunger Games or stay tuned for my answer.

For a grim snapshot of America - check out the front page of today's USA Today. There - you'll see two stories - one above the fold - one below the fold - and both relate to the death of the American middle class. First - there's this story out of Texas - where Sheriff's deputies are trying to figure out a way to end a stand-off that's been going on for 12-years. John Joe Gray - a self-identified "Sovereign Citizen" who believes the government has no legitimacy and thus no authority - has been holed up in a fortified compound in the woods daring police to come and arrest him on felony assault charges that are more than a decade old. Back in 2000 - Gray wrote a letter to police reading, "If y'all come to get me, bring body bags." Police have resisted moving in on the compound - knowing that any attempt will certainly end in violence and death. For John Joe Gray - and many other Americans - the militia movement is their last refuge when they've given up on the American Dream - and realize the United States is not a land of opportunity like it was before Reaganomics took hold. These Americans - mostly men - watched their fathers and grandfathers come of age during the New Deal era in America - when men were able to raise families on a single paycheck working in a factory. They learned what it meant to be a breadwinner - to be a provider for their families. And whether it's politically correct or not - being the sole provider for the family - was an important part of what ...