Thom looks at the Republican's hysteria surrounding the "fiscal cliff," and the history of the party's manufactured hysteria over fictional crises. Tonight's "Lone Liberal Rumble" panel discusses the "fiscal cliff," the real question that needs to be asked following the Gen. Petraeus scandal and why Republicans keep pushing to repeal Obamacare despite people's growing support of it. In tonight's "Daily Take" Thom explains the important differences between spending and investing.

America may be the "shining city on the hill" according to Mitt Romney - but it only takes 4 easy steps to turn our nation into a third-world country. I'll tell you what those steps are - and how we can avoid taking them.

It's clear Hurricane Sandy was not your typical hurricane - but instead a superstorm fueled by climate change and global warming. How can climate change deniers still turn a blind eye to global warming after seeing the devastation Sandy brought to the East Coast? We'll ask our panel in tonight's Bigger Picture Discussion: Climate Change - Debunking the Denial. Dr. Amanda Staudt, Senior Scientist in the Climate and Energy Program at the National Wildlife Federation, plus Dr. Joseph Romm - Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress & Editor, of ClimateProgress.org and Dr. Dan Lashof, Director of the Climate & Clean Air Program at the National Resource Defense Council - all join the panel w/Thom Hartmann.

It's clear Hurricane Sandy was not your typical hurricane - but instead a superstorm fueled by climate change and global warming. How can climate change deniers still turn a blind eye to global warming after seeing the devastation Sandy brought to the East Coast? We'll ask our panel in tonight's Bigger Picture Discussion: Climate Change - Debunking the Denial. Dr. Amanda Staudt, Senior Scientist in the Climate and Energy Program at the National Wild life Federation, plus Dr. Joseph Romm - Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress & Editor, of ClimateProgress.org and Dr. Dan Lashof, Director of the Climate & Clean Air Program at the National Resource Defense Council - all join the panel w/Thom Hartmann.

So, it appears there are tens of thousands of Americans across the nation who want their states to withdraw from the Union, a process called secession. Apparently because that whole secession thing went so well last time it was tried back during the Lincoln administration. Since the election, the White House's website has been inundated with petitions to grant peaceful secession to more than 20 states - mostly from people in the South, but also from right-wing wackadoodles in blue states like New York, New Jersey, and Michigan. As one petition from Texas, which has received more than 70000 signatures, reads: "Given that the state of Texas maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, it is practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union, and to do so would protect its citizens' standard of living and re-secure their rights and liberties in accordance with the original ideas and beliefs of our founding fathers which are no longer being reflected by the federal government,

Neal Asbury, Truth for America vs. Thom Hartmann. Republicans on Capitol Hill are opposed to letting the Bush tax-cuts expire at the end of the year - arguing that the expiration would cause tax-hikes for America's small businesses. Just a couple days ago - House Speaker John Boehner said quote, "Raising taxes on small businesses will kill jobs in America. It's as simple as that." Well - it really isn't that simple - in fact - economic evidence paints a much different picture. Under the Clinton presidency - the top marginal tax rate was 39.6 percent - or what it would be if the Bush tax-cuts expire at the end of the year. Despite that rate - small businesses were still able to grow twice as fast during the Clinton presidency than they did while Bush was in the White House. If Republicans really want to protect the interests of small businesses - and strengthen our economy - then shouldn't they let the Bush tax-cuts expire?

Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear, joins Thom Hartmann. You would think Japan would do everything it could to avoid another nuclear disaster - but you'd be wrong. What's the latest news coming out of Japan right now - and has America learned anything from the Fukushima devastation?

Mike Papantonio, Ring of Fire Radio, joins Thom Hartmann. Underwater homeowners in Spain - seeing no other way to survive mountains of debt - are taking their own lives - prompting Spain to stop all home evictions. Meanwhile - here in the US - American homeowners are taking their own lives too because of their debt problems. Why isn't Washington doing something to stop the suicides?

Joe Madison, Joe Madison Show, joins Thom Hartmann. Why are people upset with Republicans? Could it have something to do with their failed policies - or toxic addiction to Reaganomics? Not according to Paul Ryan. What did Ryan say about the election outcome - and what do his words say about the Republican Party as a whole?

Thom talks with radio host Joe Madison about Obama's second term and whether Conservatives will respect the mandate the election has given the president. Also discussed: Spain's efforts to prevent home foreclosure related suicides, an update on the Fukushima disaster and why slightly raising taxes on our nation's wealthiest will likely help, not hurt, small businesses. In tonight's "Daily Take" Thom discusses the more than 20 states that have made efforts to secede and how one town in Canada has opened their doors to these angry right-wingers.

CEO's believe they have the right to abuse their employees - and deny them basic rights - like access to healthcare. How do we change this mentality in corporate America - so that workers are again treated like human beings?

Suzy Spencer, A Year on the Fringes of American Sexuality, joins Thom Hartmann. So - we all know that Conservatives in Washington are obsessed with controlling other people's body parts - and controlling what goes on in the confines of their bedrooms. As a result - you would expect a Conservative to be a downright prude when it comes to everything sex-related - and be far from willing to get a little wild. Surely - there can't be any Conservatives in this country that have a deep burning desire to get their freak on - and follow Hugh Hefner's playbook - right? Well - if you think that a Conservative can't become part of the sexual fringe in this country - then everything you know is wrong!

Thom Hartmann's crazy alert

Jonathan Frieman, JD, joins Thom Hartmann. California law says that corporations are people - so shouldn't you be able to drive in a highway carpool lane - just you and your incorporation papers by your side?

Yates McKee, OWS organizer, joins Thom Hartmann. All across the nation - Americans are suffering from crippling amounts of debt - whether they're drowning in underwater mortgages or facing outrageous student loan bills. What is Occupy Wall Street doing to relieve all the pressure - and lift America out of the doldrums of debt?