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The Big Picture Panel - Did the NRA Kill Disclosure? Part 2

Andy Kroll, Mother Jones Magazine & Brian Darling, Heritage Foundation & Horace Cooper, National Center for Public Policy Research & special guest Adam Skaggs, Brennan Center, all join Thom Hartmann. How did we develop this two-tiered criminal justice system, wherein I go to jail for stealing a slurpee, but a banksters who steals billions gets to skate? The Senate failed to get enough votes to break a Republican filibuster of the DISCLOSE Act - a bill that would force organizations that are spending more than $10000 in our elections to disclose exactly where their money is coming from. In a letter to Senators last week - the NRA threatened those who support the DISCLOSE Act by writing: "Due to the importance of the fundamental speech and associational rights of the National Rifle Association's four million members, and considering the blatant attack on those rights that S. 3369 represents, we strongly oppose the DISCLOSE Act and will consider votes on this legislation in future candidate evaluations." As in, if you support it - we'll use our secret donors to destroy you.

The Big Picture Panel - Will Banksters escape punishment yet again? Part 1

Andy Kroll, Mother Jones Magazine & Brian Darling, Heritage Foundation & Horace Cooper, National Center for Public Policy Research, plus Congressman Dennis Kucinich, all join Thom Hartmann. Will the feds finally hold Wall Street accountable for the mess America is in - or will the billionaire banksters escape punishment yet again? We'll pose that question and more to tonight's Bigger Picture Panel.

Rep Dennis Kucinich Explains LIBOR

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH, 10th District) joins Thom Hartmann. Why should Americans be concerned about the LIBOR scandal?

The Big Picture Rumble - Implosion of the Romney campaign?

SE Robinson, Freelance Journalist, The Paul Revere Project & Marc Harrold, Libertarian Commentator / Attorney / Author-"Observations of White Noise...an 'Acid Test' for the First Amendment" & Nicole Williams, Democratic Strategist / Attorney all join Thom Hartmann. Can Mitt Romney survive the backlash from the latest Bain Capital attacks - or could we be seeing the implosion of his campaign? That and more in tonight's Big Picture Rumble...

Conversations w/Great Minds Lori Wallach - The Trans-Pacific Partnership Threat P2

Lori Wallach has been director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch division for nearly 20 years. She is an expert on the operations and outcomes of trade policies like NAFTA and the WTO - and currently is leading her organization's efforts to reveal the truth behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Lori has appeared on a variety of television networks - including CNN, the BBC and PBS - and she also the author of numerous articles and books - including her most recent book Whose Trade Organization? What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership - a so-called free-trade deal that the US is close to signing? What are the specifics of the deal - and just how much harm is it going to do to you and me?

Civil War - The Makers vs The Takers?

Fox News says that America is headed for a new civil war - a war between this nation's makers and takers. The only problem - Fox has it's sides mixed up. Fox so-called News is predicting a civil war in America. In an article published on Fox News.com - Arthur Herman warns that history is about to repeat itself and Americans will soon take up arms against each other. But this time it won't be North versus South. It will be the Makers versus the Takers. As Herman writes: "Call it America's coming civil war between the Makers and the Takers. On one side are those who create wealth, America's private sector - the very ones targeted by President Obama's tax hikes... On the other are the public employee unions; left-leaning intelligentsia who see the growth of government as index of progress; and the millions of Americans now dependent on government through a growing network of government transfer payments, from Medicaid and Social Security to college loans and corporate bailouts and handouts..." In other words - a war between the rich people like Mitt Romney, the Koch Brothers, and Sheldon Adelson - who Fox says are the so-called Makers - pitted against so-called Takers - or the rest of us Americans who aren't rich - the vast majority of us who go to work every day and will someday live off the Social Security we've paid into all our working lives. It's pretty obvious why Fox is doing this. Fox is owned by billionaire Rupert Murdoch, and run by multimillionaire and former ...

Conversations w/Great Minds Lori Wallach - The Trans-Pacific Partnership Threat P1

Lori Wallach has been director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch division for nearly 20 years. She is an expert on the operations and outcomes of trade policies like NAFTA and the WTO - and currently is leading her organization's efforts to reveal the truth behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Lori has appeared on a variety of television networks - including CNN, the BBC and PBS - and she also the author of numerous articles and books - including her most recent book Whose Trade Organization? What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership - a so-called free-trade deal that the US is close to signing? What are the specifics of the deal - and just how much harm is it going to do to you and me?

Full Show 7/13/12: So-Called Free Trade

Thom talks with attorney and activist Lori Wallach in tonight's "Conversations with Great Minds." Tonight's "Big Picture Rumble" panel discusses Romney's latest Bain Capital lie, the Republicans continued wasteful effort to repeal Obamacare and in tonight's "Daily Take" Thom discusses how Fox "So-Called" News correctly predicts a civil war in America, but get the sides wrong.

Full Show 7/12/12: Romney Lies...Again

Thom discusses Mitt Romney's latest lie on Bain Capital. Also discussed: the Senate Democrats latest efforts to overturn Citizens united, what's really behind the death of America's entrepreneur class and the latest from the LIBOR scandal. In tonight's "Daily Take" Thom gives examples of other ways Republicans could have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars instead of trying to repeal Obamacare 33 times.

How The GOP Could Spend $50 Million vs. Repealing Obamacare

I wonder if Republicans realize that the fifty million dollars they just spent trying to repeal Obamacare is equal to how much it costs to provide food stamp benefits to more than 31000 people for a full year? Or if they realize that the fifty million is also equal to more than 3000 Americans collecting unemployment benefits for a full year. Or if they realize that fifty million could have been used to send more than 6000 students to a public college for four years for free. Most likely no - they don't realize it because right after voting to repeal Obamacare for the 33rd time - they went ahead and wasted even more taxpayer money talking about golf. The second Democrats want to spend more money to help Americans - Republicans say no way. So maybe if we speak in their terms - if we tell them how that fifty million could have been better spent on things they care about - then they can really understand how much money they just wasted on their Obamacare crusade. For example - fifty million dollars could have bought ten new Mitt Romney McMansions - each complete with its own $55000 car elevator. Or - it could have purchased more than 33000 semi-automatic rifles for Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Southern border goon squad. It could have funded 80 more hours of witch hunts - 80 hours of Congressional hearings into Fast and Furious - or Planned Parenthood - or Islamophobia. Or it could have funded 416000 rounds of golf at St. Andrews - where the annual Congressional Golf Tournament can ...

The Good, The Bad and the Very Very Ludibriously Ugly!

The Good! *Texas District Court Judge Gisela Triana* On Monday - Triana ruled that the atmosphere must be protected for public use - just like water. In her ruling - Triana said air and the atmosphere are public trusts - and therefore must be protected for the well-being of the public. The Bad! *US Olympic Committee* The Olympics are just two weeks away - and over the course of a month - Americans will be filled with patriotism as they watch their favorite athletes compete. But - our athletes won't be wearing American-made clothing when they're walking the streets of London - because the offical uniforms of this year's olympians are made in China. And the Very Very Ugly! *Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler (R)* Gessler wants to make sure Colorado continues what Florida started. On Tuesday - he sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security - asking that they help verify the status of 5000 registered voters as part of Colorado's voter purge. And - just like in Florida - Gessler says he will sue the DHS if they refuse to help

Your Take/My Take - Ron on the Wealthy Elite

Thom answers questions and makes comments.

Geeky Science! The Brain & Altruism...Size DOES Matter

Why do some people give so much money to charity - while others don't seem to care about anyone but themselves? Well - it turns out brain anatomy has a lot to do with it. More on that in tonight's Geeky Science.

American Entrepreneurship has Declined 53% Since Reagan!

On Tuesday - in a rare-act of bipartisanship - the Senate passed the Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act. The legislation is aimed at giving some much-needed stimulus to America's entrepreneurs - by giving any small business that hired more workers in 2012 a 10% tax credit. It also gives away new tax credits for small businesses that invest in new major equipment. It's no secret that small businesses have taken quite a hit following the Bush Great Recession. But there's new evidence out now that suggests American entrepreneurial class has been suffering for a long time before Barack Obama - or even George W. Bush - moved into the White House. In fact - the evidence shows that American entrepreneurs have been getting pummeled for more than thirty years now. According to a new study released today by the New American Foundation, the number of entrepreneurs per capita has dropped by 53% since 1977. And since 1991, the number of Americans who are self-employed has dropped by more than 20%. In other words, Americans who use to be able to start their own businesses are increasingly being forced to join the ranks of the working poor. Our nation - quite frankly - has forgotten how to foster an entrepreneurial class over the last thirty years. So why is that? Could it have something to do with massive tax cuts for the wealthy and for transnational corporations that have made rich even richer and big corporations even bigger to force small businesses out of the marketplace? Or ...

ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World

Thom Hartmann has written a dozen books covering ADD / ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.

Join Thom for his new twice-weekly email newsletters on ADHD, whether it affects you or a member of your family.

Thom's Blog Is On the Move

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Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.

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