Marc Harrold, Attorney / Author-"Observations of White Noise...an 'Acid Test' for the First Amendment" joins Thom Hartmann. Thanks to the failed war on drugs - in the last thirty years the incarceration rate in America has jumped from 220 people out of every 100000 to 743 out of every 100000. That equates to 2 million more prisoners in America - a quarter of whom are non-violent drug offenders. And for the first time in history - both prison spending and student loan debt topped one trillion dollars. We haven't heard anything about the failed drug war yet at the RNC - and I doubt we will. But isn't it time we end it - and divert all the money wasted on it to sending more young Americans to college?

Congressman Chris van Hollen (D-MD, 8th district) joins Thom Hartmann. Paul Ryan addresses the RNC - but what can he possibly say - considering he's trying to destroy America?

Alan Colmes, Host-the Alan Colmes Show & Author-"Thank The Liberals... For Saving America, joins Thom Hartmann. At the GOP Convention Republicans are pretending to be the party of adults - willing to tell the American people the hard truths. Isn't the hardest truth to hear that our government has been completely overtaken by corporate interests thanks to the Republican Party?

Thom discusses the latest from the RNC Convention with Fox Contributor Alan Colmes and Rep. Chris Van Hollen. Also discussed: why Republicans want to spend more money on prisons than education, the plot to assassinate President Obama by US Soldiers and the alternative economies springing up through the austerity countries of Europe. In tonight's "Daily Take" Thom agrees with Chris Christie that the Republicans are good at saying no, but only to the sick and poor.

49 years ago today - Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech - a speech in which he envisioned a more equal and just America. Unfortunately - Republicans are gathering in Tampa this week to undo just about everything MLK dreamed of

Austin Petersen, FreedomWorks joins Thom Hartmann. Despite largely falling out with the Republican establishment - Ron Paul made a surprise appearence on the convention floor this afternoon. How is his presence affecting the convention - and what's the latest fight brewing between Paulistas and GOP officials?

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Broadcaster/Author, joins Thom Hartmann. How much money does it take to buy a seat in Congress? Well Shelden Adelson thinks $500000 dollars should do the trick. Who's he throwing his latest campaign donation at - and what does this say about Democracy in America?

The Good! *New York State Senator Daniel Squadron* Despite losing many of its members over the past several months - ALEC is still alive and well - and still influencing corporate-friendly legislation across America. And - since somehow ALEC is still registered as a non-profit group and not as a lobbying group - it can influence as much legislation as it wants without anyone knowing. However - New York State Senator Daniel Squadron - a Democrat - is trying to change that. He has created a webpage on his official site asking state legislators or candidates for state legislatures to sign a pledge - disclosing whether or not ALEC has influenced any legislation they may have sponsored or introduced. While the pledge is completely voluntary - it's clear Squadron is trying to put some transparency and accountability back in government - and that's exactly what America needs. The Bad! *Donald Trump* Trump - the darling of the Republican Party and Fox So-Called News - really doesn't like it when journalists call him out. In fact - he hates it so much that he calls them names on Twitter. Recently - Trump called Salon's Alex Pareene "a total joke in political circles" and Vanity Fair's Juli Weiner "a third-rate stalker." Well - this morning - the man with the world's worst hair plugs decided to lash out at Arianna Huffington. In a tweet - Trump said, "@ariannahuff is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man - he made a good ...

Thom Hartmann's crazy alert

In what could be the "smoking gun" proving the planet is rapidly changing as a result of climate change - sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is now sitting at its lowest recorded level ever - breaking a previous record set in 2007.

Greg Palast, Investigative Reporter-BBC joins Thom Hartmann. One of the speakers who took to the stage earlier today at the RNC was Congressman Tim Griffin - who really should be sitting in a jail cell right now. Why's that? Tune in...

Medea Benjamin, Code Pink joins Thom Hartmann. Medea Benjamin talks about Romneyville and protests.

Ellen Ratner, Talk Radio News Bureau Chief, joins Thom Hartmann. Mitt Romney is officially the Republican nominee for President. During a roll call vote this afternoon - he received enough delegates to secure the nomination - despite some gruff from Ron Paul supporters in attendance. Also today - the official Republican Party platform was approved - including a ban on abortions, a ban on same sex marriage - and a ban on pornography. But enough business - let's get down to the speakers tonight - some of the Republican Party's biggest celebrities.

Thom discusses day two of the RNC Convention with Talk Radio News Service's Ellen Ratner and on what's going on outside the convention with Codepink's Medea Benjamin. Also discussed: Ron Paul's surprise visit at the RNC Convention, Greg Palast on why Rep. Tim Griffin should be in jail instead of speaking at the convention and how much Sheldon Adelson is paying to put his guy in Congress. And in tonight's "Daily Take" - on the 49th anniversary of Dr. King's "I have a dream" speech Thom looks at what the Republicans are doing this week to undo everything King dreamed of.

So, next time you're in a job interview - and you get to the end of it, and the interviewer asks if you have any questions for him or her about the company - here's what you should probably think about asking: "What are your company's politics?" That might sound like an odd question - and maybe not the sort of impression you want to make in a job interview - but it could save you a lot of problems farther down the road. That's because - according to a group of commissioners on the Federal Election Commission - corporations - your employers - can force you to campaign for certain politicians - whether you like it or not. They can even fire you if you choose not to. In other words - a corporation can force you to spend your day phone-banking for - say, Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin. Or canvassing around the neighborhood for...I don't know...Michele Bachmann. Or standing on the side of the street with a sign telling people to vote for David Duke! Now I know this sounds crazy. Don't we as employees have a right to be free from coercion in the workplace - especially when that coercion pertains to our personally held political beliefs? You would think so - but not anymore in this post-Citizens United world. Now - the rights of corporations - like the right to use their employees as cogs in their corporate political speech machine - trump your rights as an individual in the workplace - a corporations right to free speech has become more important than your right to free ...