Tuesday & Wednesday- September 15 & 16 2009
By Louise
Thom broadcasts live from radio row at the annual "Hold Their Feet to the Fire" event in Washington DC where he'll be challenging conservatives from around the country on immigration reform www.fairus.org
Comments
#2
Rep. Barney Frank on MSNBC's Morning Meeting this a.m. reiterates Elizabeth Warren's plea for Americans to CALL CONGRESS to get legislation passed (video):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31510813/ns/msnbc_tv-morning_meeting#32858008
#3
I feel like Mike Malloy: I HATE THESE PEOPLE!*
*The corporate "masters" who control everything
#4
Rasta,
I have no idea what crawled up your butt but your comments about Thom are rude, Insulting and inappropriate.
Perhaps you can not make the distinction so I will explain to you some facts you might not be aware of. Amy Goodman and Naomi Klein are journalists. Thom Hartmann is a talk show host. Both Naomi Klein and Amy Goodman have been on Thom's program many times. They will be on his program again. If this article you are so upset about is an important news story they will probably be on his show soon.
I don't understand why people like you think you have to try to insult and belittle other people, It really does reflect poorly on you. it also diminishes any legitimate statement you were trying to make.
#5
Here is a behavior that will increase people to covert to Islam.
http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2009/09/14/where-are-the-peaceful-musl...
#6
You know, Rasta and Jsmith - it's very simple. If you don't like Thom, don't listen to the show! Why are you listening to him and commenting on his blog if he upsets you so??
I think we'd all be a lot happier if you just found another place to hang out.
#7
Thom,
You had a caller on Monday who said he spent three-hundred-some-odd dollars making the trip to Washington for the Million Moron March, and you complimented him on his activism having spent his own money rather that getting on the right wing bus.
I have a different take on his trip as well as why so many people are going out of their way, sometimes at their own expense - and here’s the key – spending their own time in an effort accomplish what is contradictory to their own best interests. It’s all about entertaining oneself. Our populace, aside from being “dumbed down”, is bored. And since the 1980’s the entertainment media, television in particular, has conditioned us to regard insults as comedy, lies as nothing more than a trivial offense and deception as valid means by which one can further their cause. What we saw in the healthcare town hall meetings is not unlike something you might expect when you tune into say the Jerry Springer show. What we continue to see out of our representatives as they promote outright lies and deception, is not unlike Tommy Flanagan, the Pathological Liar (Jon Lovitz – Saturday Night Live) “"Yeahhh! That's the ticket!"
Your caller paid for a holiday, a vacation to a theme park of sorts. And all these Tea Bagger’s and the like are doing nothing more than entertaining themselves, and doing so at great expense. Unfortunately all of us as a society will pay dearly for what is nothing more than a few hours, a few weeks or a few months of mindless entertainment.
#8
There are few dirty little secrets that you very rarely hear mentioned as a part of the debate regarding illegal immigrants.
Employers and big business are not the only ones exploiting these people, what about the billions of dollars generated through the use false social security numbers that line government coffers that illegal workers will never see a dime of?
If we really wanted to stop most illegal immigrates from coming to our country, it certainly would not be that difficult.
Just simply enact laws that would punish employers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants, and tighten up border security (wasn’t that suppose to happen back in 2001 anyway?).
#9
I don't know if anyone noted this already, but the PBS special "Sick Around The World" is available for viewing online:
#10
Had to share this with you Thom.
We're #37!
#11
Ok, you can't embed YouTube videos so here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVgOl3cETb4
#12
Thom is in D.C. for an immigration conference. Let me start with some truisms.
H1B visas have no limit on the numbers of immigrants entering our country.
Corporations control governments and they decide how many immigrants will enter our country. Corporations want cheap labor for profits and they keep the salaries down for profits. More immigrants can destroy the unions. Reagan's amnesty for immigrants opened the flod gates for more immigrants.
We have 40,000,000 legal and illegal immigrants in our country and that number will grow dramatically in the years to come. The United States can have a population of 650,000,000 by 2050 and over a billion population by 2100. Where will the jobs be for workers?
SSI benefits are given to grandparents who enter this country to be with sons and/or daughters who are legal immigrants in our country.
#13
. this country is being run by corporate power. we need a strong government that will put restrictions on corporations. corporations bottom line is profit . they will do anything for profit. they will pay fines and drag out court cases as long in the end they see profit. our country has lead coups based on corporate power. why do others countries may hate us i say its because our country has backed corporate power around the world.
#14
There is a book out, "I Hate People." It is a popular book because more and more Americans hate people. I have read parts of the book.
#15
Separate from the economics of the immigration issue, my experience with illegal or legal immigrants have been very positive and refreshing. I have had several building projects and have had both Caucasian Americans and immigrant contractors work for me. I cannot tell for sure if these immigrants were legal or illegal. In my experience, the immigrant contractors were not necessarily cheaper, but were definitely more honest, hard working, friendly, and timely. I preferred working with these groups of people over the "Americans". The American group were generally unprofessional, not as honest, messy, and not very pleasant to be around. This is just my experience. But I feel that we have forgotten what the real immigrant experience is. After all, in a historical sense most of us are immigrants.
#16
I would amend the citizenship clause in the 1st section of the XIV Amendment with this:
"All Persons born to two Citizens of the United States, or born within the United States to one Citizen thereof, are natural-born Citizens of the United States. All other persons shall not be citizens of the United States, unless naturalized according to procedure set by law, and subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States. Every citizen of the United States shall be a citizen of the State wherein he resides. The Congress may establish procedures for citizens to voluntarily forfeit citizenship, but no sentence in a court of law shall include loss of citizenship of a natural-born citizen."
To put it in simpler terms, there are 3 ingredients: the citizenship of each parent of, and the birthplace of, the individual in question. If any 2 of those are of the same country, the individual is a natural-born citizen of that country. If all 3 are different or if the individual wants to become a citizen of some other country, then the individual must be naturalized.
If every country used this rule, it would provide natural-born citizenship to everyone except a person whose parents are citizens of two different countries and who is born in a third (which should be rare). It also has the advantage of giving a Constitutional definition of "natural-born citizen".
#17
I am very concerned about the fact that the debate about whether or not health care will be provided to illegal immigrants has been stirred up by the right simply to further divide those in support of a public option. The Senate committee, President Obama, and just about everyone in favor of health care reform understands that illegal immigrants need to have health care, but they are being forced to argue this and put the no health care for illegal immigrants clause in this first bill.
I think that all of us need to stop talking about this issue because we will wind up having to remove health care for illegal immigrants from emergency room policies if we don't stop the discussion right now!
The right has succeeded in turning this issue into a wedge issue and we need to stop talking about it, and focus on the public option. We must debate health care for illegal immigrants after we get the bill out of the senate committee. We cannot let a bill pass without making sure illegal immigrants can see a doctor, but we also cannot allow the right to use this issue to slow the bill down again.
#18
Death Panels
The Nazi Party continues to say that the Dems health care plan will create death panels. Actually, it is our Nazi insurance companies setting up death oanels.
#19
Would there be some way to start a movement to boycott health insurance companies? If we could get everyone to line up with just one company, like Kaiser for example, then we could put everyone else out of business, without needing approval from the Senate Health Committee.
#20
Americans will never learn.
http://news.antiwar.com/2009/09/15/us-to-pump-thousands-of-combat-enable...
#21
Prospects for American fascism should be taken seriously.
http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2009/09/15/chris-hedges-dark-vision/co...
#22
Dave Belden's last two paragraphs of Chris Hedges' article, "Dark Vision!"
My own view, for what it’s worth, is that Hedges is a man to listen to very seriously, for circumstances could conspire to bring the darkest realities he fears to life. But I also think, on the basis of the seminar with him at Starr King Seminary in May, that he fails to understand how and why good has often prevailed enough to avert the worst. He approvingly quoted Paul Tillich to the effect that all institutions are demonic and Phil Berrigan’s “If voting was that effective it would be illegal.” I responded:
This was too much for me. Hedges had already spoken approvingly of habeas corpus, slavery abolition and something he called “functioning democracy.” But history teaches us that those were achieved by the exercise of power, by people who thought it worth acquiring power in order to hold the mediocrities in power to account. To say that institutions, which are ubiquitous in human society, are demonic, is too close to saying human beings are demonic, for me. There is a power dimension to everything we do, every penny we spend, every speech we give to students, every relationship in our lives: if we can’t have a theology or psychology of the good use of power, then we are lost as a social species.
#23
As we closely study American behavior in our lack of health care for all our citizens, our lust for wars and torture, our expansion of empire to control the human population, and in our distain for the environment, we ARE lost as a social species.
#24
#25
Roy Rogers' Horse Saves Health Care
Dear Friends,
The Senate cannot pass a health care bill with a public option. The House cannot pass a bill without one. The public wants a public option. The insurance industry wants a private mandate. The White House is in trouble on this and is calling upon the Senate to find a way out of this dark passage.
So, Boys and Girls, return with us now as the Senators will take a page from out of the old West. They are going to do what cowboy hero Roy Rogers did when he got in a jam: Call for Trigger, the Golden Palomino. Trigger, the trusty steed who road to glory against those phantom cattle rustlers who sold insurance against physical harm, provided however that the small town marks bought the stolen beef.
In this scene Trigger will come off his mount of glory at the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum in Branson, Missouri and gallop to the mount of glory on Capitol Hill, rear up a dazzling 24ft, and by his sheer electrifying presence rescue the US Senate and the Administration from today's rustlers.
It is Washington, DC, so they promptly slap on a confused Trigger a corporate blanket with corporate logos from insurance companies: Pre-Existing Trigger. Lower Cost Trigger. Patient Access Trigger. The Senators will jump on this horse and ride straight for the sunset. Giddy-up Trigger, past that broken down Public Option dray horse. Gallop into the conference committee with full force. Charge!
I am carried away by prospect of rescue by the one horse I can believe in. Sadly, Trigger will never save us from the rustlers. He'll just stand there, mounted, in all of his spectacular equine power ever poised to spring into action, ever ready to hustle out the rustlers, or something like that.
Thank you,
Dennis Kucinich
While the political process in Washington suffers through its grotesque pantomime on health care, let us prepare our neighborhoods, our communities, our states for the eventual triumph of single payer health care.
Sign Petition
ttp://healthcare.kucinich.us/petition
#26
Thom, ask the guy what he wants us to do with the illegals when they show up for healthcare after cleaning up and feeding us and picking our food for us - shoot them?
#27
Thom, I just heard Tancredo mention the ancient Lou Dobb's lie about "Leprosy".
#28
OMG- the Republicans want to 'deal' with us by having us give them what they want for immigration - ugly bastards. Bill Press has it right, this is the Ugly Party.
#29
On Monday night I attended our regular monthly meeting of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District Democratic Leaders. Our new representative from Organizing for America, (OFA), was introduced. O.F.A. is Obama's continuing campaign operation. This young man gave an enthusiastic review of the President's weekend visit here and of his health care "plan". He handed out petitions for everyone to sign extolling the virtues of the "plan". I refused to sign it. Some questioned why. I then was recognized by the Chair and told the young O.F.A. that much of what he said about the "plan", particularly the public option was not as advertised. I pointed out that 5% or less of people would be eligible etc. I explained that there were many good Dems on the left who wanted single payer and might have settled for a strong public option, who now felt disenchanted and betrayed by the results thus far. After sitting down, I was greeted by much glowering and frowns. The Chair seemed angry with me as did most others. They expect us to fall in line and hear no evil, speak no evil etc. Be a good "Stepford Wife". There is a lot to do before the Democratic Party becomes a real voice of the people and brooks any dissent.
I was spitting nails all the way home from that meeting. It would be so easy to quit. The way they tried to marginalize me for speaking out was disheartening. But since I have little heart, I'll soldier on.
I would like to offer two shameless plugs. One is for everyone interested in Michele Bachmann. There is a relatively new website that is gaining national attention for its great material, especially on Bachmann. It is run by a friend who tracks her everywhere. Check out www.dustytrice.com. Additionally he has some great material about the local Senator here running for Governor whom I've mentioned in a recent post. He is a climate change denier, has blamed cow farts for tornadoes, and recently had a run in with bats. Good stuff
My other shameless plug is for any readers in the Minneapolis area. Saturday there is a fund-raiser for local Democrats called the Beast Feast. An authentic whole hog BBQ dinner. Fantastic food and an interesting program. All but a few of the candidates for Governor and all who are running against Michele Bachmann will be there to talk to. No speeches by candidates!, only from our very qualified quest speakers who will speak about how to win in a lousy district. Come out Quark and any others nearby. It's from 4pm to 7pm at the Bunker Hills Activity Center in Andover Minnesota. If you come you will be able give me crap, I'll be there. You will be able to identify me without any help if desired...or not. Fantastic Food.... All you can eat .....for a great cause.
#30
P.s. Dusty Trice will be there as will Patty Wetterling and other special guests. A real chance to hob-knob with movers and shakers from the left.
#31
DRichards,
I love your trigger piece.
#32
Corner this guy on the socialism - our government gave loans, right?
#33
There was a time that fire departments were privitized and the same arguments against health care being used now were used then.
Hey, btw see the clip for Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films!
Trailer new movie. Fight back vs #healthreform care insurance lies: http://sickforprofit.com please Retweet!
#34
Yeah- get him Thom- who is funding this current birther witch hunt?
#35
The answer to the 'Birther' nonsense is pure and simple due process and privacy. The wingers got no farging right to ask for non-pertinent information. President Obama showed that he was birthed on American dirt and everything else is “take a hike – happy horse hockey”. President Obama has rights; the very same rights to the wingers claim for their personal/private information.
#36
President Obama made no promises regarding healthcare.
#37
From Jerome Corsi BORN IN THE USA?
Shocker! Judge orders trial on eligibility issue
Arguments planned Jan. 11 for major Obama challenge
#38
As much as I often feel a synchronicity with Thom I am just as often aware of what sets him apart from me and most others. Thom told a caller the other day that he wasn't that insecure when he was encouraged to fight back after his encounter with David Horowitz. I realized that Thom's weekend with the Dahli Lama probably explains his Zen like demeanor. What a gift. I'd bet he has the blood pressure of a juvenile female. About the only time he gets a little snarky is when he gets a racist or anti-semitic fool on the line. Rightfully so. I of course would want to throttle them. I may be a tiger but I would rather be a cool cat like Thom. I'll have to work on it.
#39
Are we taking over 16% of the economy or are we saving taxpayers lives (and income you fat pigs)
#40
This guy is a total jerk, I have to save for a million dollars to pay to the fat pigs who lie around smoking their fat cigars?
#41
A crime to provide health insurance on a profit making basis- where there is an incentive to keep me sick.
#42
I'll gladly take what he considers the less efficient public option - this guy doesn't have to take it, what...all of the sudden he cares about the quality of my health care? Inconsistent!
#43
hudson.org When they say they believe in the free market, what they really mean is hands off my stash- don't change a thing.
#44
Hi, Thom...just listening to you online to catch your "Rest Of The News" segment, and you had an item in which you utilized the word "corporatist". Obviously, that's not the first or last time that you or others have used the word. But it occurred to me that because wingnuts (and GOP lawmakers) have been freely misusing the words "fascist", "socialist", "communist", and "nazi", it would be a VERY good thing for us to use the word "corporatist" as often and as exclusively as possible, primarily because it's absolutely accurate. Glenn Beck? Corporatist. Rush Limbaugh? Corporatist. Rupert Murdoch? Corporatist. Dick Cheney? Corporatist. Unfortunately many of "our" own Democrats? Corporatists. And the 9/12 idiots who buy all of their nonsense? CORPORATIST DUPES.
We need to call these people, at long last, what they really are. And it rolls off the tongue, too. Just try it..."Corporatist Glenn Beck today lied about the number of protesters that turned out at the Corporatist-backed 9/12 rally in DC." See? Feels good! :)
#45
Re: Comparing the United States Postal Service vs FedEx
I am an authorized FedEx Ship Center. Cost to mail a letter to my home 7 miles away. United States Postal Service 42 cents. Cost to FedEx the same Six dollars and 40 cents.
Now you know why these folks want to privatize everything.
#46
Do we need to argue the US Postal Service/ FED Ex defense or is it another tactic to steer us off-course?
Here's my argument for why The Fed Ex does not justify avoiding a public option in our health care reform bill:
Part of the reason Fed Ex is efficient is that they must compete with the Post Office. If Fed Ex could charge whatever they want to for delivering packages, because the post office didn't exist, they would more than likely do it.
Can you imagine what our postal service would be like without The US Postal Service?Well. . . more than likely it would be just like our health insurance industry. If Fed Ex could refuse to mail packages that are unusual sizes, or refuse to deliver to rural areas far away, or to back countries where mail carriers must deliver mail through twelve feet of snow or 104 degree weather, they would more than likely avoid difficult areas, or charge unbelievably high prices for traveling there.
The fact that The US Postal Service exists assures us that we will have an efficient, cost effective, fair. delivery service.
#47
sorry, I meant back "counties." I need to start using my reading glasses:-)
#48
Isn't it amazing how slow witted people are. Health Savings Accounts? What a joke! I'm sure this guy's intentions are good, but he is totally blind to the fact that not everyone in this country makes enough money to save anything for health care or anything else. How many young people do you know who make enough money to pay the rent, buy the food, have a somewhat decent life, and then have enough left over to save for health care. If they are saving, it's for a "rainy day" or some future large purchase, like buying a car or a house. What planet does this guy live on if he thinks any of the dwindleing middle class has enough money leftover to save for more than one thing at a time.
It may have been possible when Thom & I were growing up, but not any more. These people live in a world where they & their friends can afford everything and don't understand they are in the minority.
To those who think we should organize against the Insurance Companies, get a grip. We need to organize a real "Public Option March on Washington"!! Take our butts out there and push hard. If these idiots can put on a "thousand moron march", why can't we get organized to do it bigger and better. It's what worked for Civil Rights and the Vietnam War and it will work again.
#49
Loretta
Of course it's a tactic to steer one off course. My point is that "that dog don't hunt".
The post office does an amazing job for 42 cents!
#50
DRichards, That's for sure! I hadn't read your post, but I'll so it right now.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
At Mondragon - both the mountain and the cooperative city - in Spain (written about in "Threshold" book)
Thom & Louise at a "private audience" with His Holiness Pope John Paul II at his summer palace, Castle Gandolfo, Italy
From Screwed:
"Thom Hartmann’s book explains in simple language and with concrete research the details of the Neo-con’s war against the American middle class. It proves what many have intuited and serves to remind us that without a healthy, employed, and vital middle class, America is no more than the richest Third World country on the planet."
From Cracking the Code:
"No one communicates more thoughtfully or effectively on the radio airwaves than Thom Hartmann. He gets inside the arguments and helps people to think them through—to understand how to respond when they’re talking about public issues with coworkers, neighbors, and friends. This book explores some of the key perspectives behind his approach, teaching us not just how to find the facts, but to talk about what they mean in a way that people will hear."
From Screwed:
"Hartmann speaks with the straight talking clarity and brilliance of a modern day Tom Paine as he exposes the intentional and systematic destruction of America’s middle class by an alliance of political con artists and outlines a program to restore it. This is Hartmann at his best. Essential reading for those interested in restoring the institution that made America the envy of the world."
Hey, it looks like THOM was correct to suspect some hanky panky with the tea baggers on the DC Mall--
[excerpt]
Teabaggers Epic Fail
Teabagger protesters trying to tout the size of their march on Washington last weekend have been passing around a photo of a packed National Mall. But the picture is years old.
Yet the photo showed the crowd sprawling far beyond that to the Washington Monument, which is bordered by 15th and and 17th Streets. Problem 1: The crowd only filled the Capitol grounds up to 3rd street.
Problem 2: The photo is missing a building; the National Museum of the American Indian which is loacted at 4th St. and Independence Ave. which opened on Sept. 14th 2004.
[end excerpt]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/14/912-tea-party-photo-false_n_286...