As debt-limit talks stall - the economy hit a wall. Economic growth in the second quarter of this year was less than expected – only 1.3%. Not only that – first quarter economic growth was revised downward showing that our economy grew by less than a half-point at the beginning of the year – just .4%. The reason why our economy stalled is consumer spending which only grew by .1% - the slowest growth rate in two years.

That means are economy is tanking because people don’t have enough money in their pockets to buy stuff, and it's made even worse by a half-million government employees - workers with paychecks - being laid off in the government sector over the past year-and-a-half, mostly in those states with Republican governors. Yet – Republican in the House have not passed ONE jobs bill or stimulus measure to get money back in the hands of Americans to spend it. Instead – we’re all stuck relying on the millionaire and billionaire so-called “job creators” who, like Jeff Emmelt at GE, who just this week announced he's moving his X-ray machine division to China, are busily creating jobs in other countries.

Trickle down economics isn’t working – it’s only turning us into a nation of peons.

-Thom

(How does the economy look like to you? Tell us here.)

The Daily Stack

Quote: "True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Hour One: If it's Friday, it's "Brunch With Bernie"... the honorable Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joins Thom with all the news from our nation's capitol and as always he'll be spending the hour taking your calls and answering your questions too...
Follow Bernie: campaign site.

Article: "Why Americans Are So Angry" by Senator Bernie Sanders.

Article: "Fuel Standards" by Senator Bernie Sanders.

Article: "Real GDP grew 1.3 percent second quarter" by UPI.

Article: "Legislation to Phase Out Private Military Contractors is Filed in Senate and House" by Senator Bernie Sanders.

Article: "Poll: Tea party splits Republicans on debt debate" by Peyton M. Craighill and Scott Clement.

Article: "Boehner Tweaks Debt Bill to Include Balanced Budget Amendment Provision" by John R. Parkinson.

Hour Two: Toxic Tea (Party)? Robert Knight, American Civil Rights Union

Hour Three: Free Trade is killing American jobs Bill O'Shaughnessy, Coalition for a Prosperous America and Manufacturing

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program... your media support group for we the people.

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