In a few weeks – the Gang of 12 “Super Congress” will meet to figure out a way to cut $1.2 trillion out of the deficit. So to figure out who’s going to win and who’s going to lose in a potential deal – we should follow the money – and in that case it appears Wall Street will once again make out like bandits. Banksters have given more than $11 million in campaign contributions to members of the Gang of 12 – so we might as well take closing the capital gains loophole off the table.

To make matters worse – the organizations that’s contributed the most to the Gang of 12 is the right-wing Club for Growth – a notorious anti-tax organization – headed up by Tea Party Senator Pat Toomey who someone find found a seat in the Gang of 12. So weeks before the Gang even meets – the deck is already stacked against the middle class.

Let’s hope these lawmakers look at the polls showing overwhelming majorities supporting tax increases on the rich and opposing cuts to entitlements programs – and not the billionaires who are giving them money.

-Thom

(Do you think they will? Tell us here.)

The Daily Stack

Quote: "No government is ever perfect. One of the chief virtues of a democracy, however, is that its defects are always visible and under democratic processes can be pointed out and corrected." -- Harry Truman.

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: "Radioactive tritium found in river near Vermont Yankee plant" by Reuters.

Article: "Tax Time? Not for Giant Corporations " by Bernie Sanders.

Article: "Evergreen Solar bankruptcy shows competitiveness of emerging solar industry" by Andrew Dodson.

Article: "Tax havens: Do companies pay their fair share?" by CBS.

Article: "23 Polls Say People Support Higher Taxes to Reduce the Deficit" by Bruce Bartlett.

Article: "Wall Street firms donated $11.2 million to members of debt ‘super committee’" by Eric W. Dolan.

Article: "The Big Money Behind Congress' New Super Committee" by Andy Kroll.

Article: "The Real Vacation Outrage: The U.S. Is The Only Developed Country Where Citizens Aren’t Guaranteed Paid Vacation" by Zaid Jilani.

Article: "The Massachusetts Miracle" by Middle Class Political Economist.

Site: "Move to Amend".

Article: "CNN's Soledad O'Brien Misses the Mark Completely in Special About Mountaintop Removal Mining" by Jeff Biggers.

Movie: "The Last Mountain".

Talk Radio News Segment: Victoria Jones, White House Correspondent

Article: "Syria protests: Deaths in anti-Assad demonstrations" by BBC.

Article: "A Businessman in Congress Helps his District and Himself" by Eric Lichtblau.

Article: "Darrell Issa Demands A Retraction From The NY Times" by John Hayward.

Article: "A Regulator, a Lawmaker and a Quandary" by Floyd Norris.

Article: "Former Treasury Official Lashes Out At Perry" by TRNS.

Hour Three: Is the SEC Covering Up Wall Street Crimes? Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi will be here...

Article: "Is the SEC Covering Up Wall Street Crimes?" by Matt Taibbi.

Law: Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1999).

Law: "Commodity Futures Modernization Act", 2000.

Article: "Republicans Ban Minor Parties in Ohio: Battle on to Repeal :Law" by Bob Fitrakis.

The good: "Rep. Ed Markey: Republicans ‘are allergic to science’" by Eric W. Dolan.

The bad: "Coburn tells Tulsa town hall crowd that debt crisis requires sacrifices" by Randy Krehbiel.

The very, very ugly: "Palin Agrees With Perry About ‘Treasonous’ Fed Chair: ‘Perhaps I Would Have Used Similar Terms’" by Pat Garofalo.

The bad: "Fox Nation: Obama's Hip-Hop BBQ Didn't Create Jobs" by Media Matters.

Article: "Pope demands greater ethics in economic policy" by Nicole Winfield.

Article: "Gov. John Kasich asks union leaders to compromise on Senate Bill 5; union group says repeal it, then we'll talk" by Reginald Fields.

Article: "The Real Vacation Outrage: The U.S. Is The Only Developed Country Where Citizens Aren’t Guaranteed Paid Vacation" by Zaid Jilani.

Article: "Dems cheer Obama’s more lenient rules on deportations of illegal immigrants" by MIke Lillis.

Article: "Warren launches website, exploratory committee" by Andrew Miga.

Site: "Elizabeth for MA" - Elizabeth Warren.

Article: "Donald Trump’s candidacy received three times more coverage than Ron Paul’s candidacy" by Eric W. Dolan.

Hour Two: What would one Tea Partier do if he were in charge? You won't believe it... Thom challenges Mark Williams, Former Chair-Tea Party Express

Hour Three: AT&T and T-Mobile...The Rick Perry connection - Craig Aaron, CEO/President of FreePress.net

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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