Charell -- That would be an interesting discussion. I told myself that Current TV was losing money, and Al Gore was offered $20 million by Al Jazeera. Al Gore probably did not have enough money to keep Current TV running at a loss and could see no future where Current TV would make money. Murdock was able to afford a $100 million a year loss for 5 years and saw a future for that large investment i.e. billionaires would pay large to run their propaganda.

I am amazed at the positive responses when I wear my Bernie for President shirts. I have used all my Bernie buttons, T's, and bumper stickers; I am awaiting an order of buttons, T's, stamp. I have a Bernie bear. I find myself "campaigning" rather it is educating and reporting events not covered by most media. I do this at community meetings, awaiting trains, trolleys and buses, on the Capitol Limited, and the farmers' markets, especially the one at South Station, Boston, the former site of Occupy Boston

This insider-outsider stuff is great to hear. I think I've been an outsider in every organization I've been in, including school, friends and family.

I know Thom believes we need to also support Hillary even if we want Bernie to win. I do not agree with you saying Hillary is progressive, I think she is way inside, far more than.Bill was. I live in Portland, Oegon and I recall hearing about Hillary Clinton and Vera Katz,.when she was an OR legislator, asking all the major corporations what skills graduates needed to possess to be good employees. The answer was something like; "Employment units must have the following 5 skills, be able to operate a keyboard, a calculator and the remaining 3.were behavior related, like working in a team and able to go along with the conscientious of the group...This was part of the Carnegie Group when she was governor' s wife. I wanted to tell you about his and while looking for when this happened i found a letter wrtten to Hillary right after bill was elected as President, on Nov. 11, 1992 from National Center on Education nd the Economy written by Marc Tucker..This letter was put into The Congressional Record on Sept. 17, 1998.
After reading this letter in it's entirety I believe Thom will have a different view of Hillary. It begin with...Dear Hillary, I still cannot believe you won. But utter delight that you did pervades all the circles in which I move....
He goes on about the Rockefeller's and the subject they were discussing was what you and Bill should do now about education, training, and the labor arket policy. "Our purpise inbthese meetings was to propose concrete actions that the Clinton administration could take between now and inaugration, in the first 100 days and beyond."
This is a very lengthy letter that states many House and Senate Bills in places and what needs to be done, "to advance the agenda on which you and we have all been working..."
I really hope after Thom reads this and takes a minute to check out Marc Tucker and his background maybe you can discuss his on your show? And, please Thom, if I am wrong and misunderstood this letter I really want to know your thoughts. I value your opinion and look forward to hearing back re this letter
Thank You,
Terry

Cartoon character oligarch versus toxic clown oligarch... Whup-ti-friggin' do.

Medicare is a success, its shortcomings can be measured by the depth of the dichotomy whenever it has been in question, from its inception to the present day. That my friends is the democratic process.

The reason Trump is outpolling the other Republican presidential candidates is precisely BECAUSE he doesn't need to "kow tow" to the morally depraved wishes of the Koch Brothers, Wall Street banksters, or any other billionaire. The rest of the Republican field of presidential candidates (and the RNC) are little more than "mindless avatars" of those millionires and billionaires. So it appears that even 20 percent of our nation's right wing Republican voters are fed up with politicians who have clearly "sold their souls to the highest bidder."

Its either Donald or Bernie that will win overall.
Hopefully Bernie. He has a heart.
Donald is too much business and not a people person.
Just an opinion. Miss Hillary superpac lady is a not likeable,
Again all money and no heart . We will see.

Taking advantage of anything goes Friday.

Bernie reports that CNN’s latest poll projects Bernie handily beating the lead Republicans whereas Hillary is trailing them. We MUST get Bernie nominated. Debbie Wasserman-Schults knows exactly what she’s doing, so does the Hillary campaign. Corporate Dems would rather have ANY republican than Bernie Sanders. I predict there will be no democratic debates if at all possible, despite the rhetoric promising them. If they are forced to debate, it will be heavily controlled and watered down. If Hillary takes the same positions as Bernie on the issues, it will be strictly rhetorical. I think it would be astoundingly naive to presume her progressive rhetoric sincere after candidate v. president Bill Clinton and then candidate v. president Obama’s stark contrasts in rhetoric as compared to policy. Hillary is projecting the air that it really doesn’t matter how, or even if she campaigns. If push comes to shove, there’s always electronic election fraud. Any Michon, MI5 whistle blower, when interviewed by Abby Martin, discussed how British intelligence, as well as NSA and corporate security contractors reroute internet traffic in order to control poll results and even elections. Obviously, we must vote for Hillary if she is the nominee, but I feel in my gut that the multi-national corporate security contractors together with the rest of the oligarchs will install whom they want. If the TPP passes, it may not matter. I realize this sounds hyperbolic, but if corporations can sue to have minimum wage laws repealed, what’s to stop them from being able to sue over having to pay any wage? -or having any protections for what will become a planet of slaves?

Thom once remarked on how he likes to catch up on the news on weekends. Maybe he should binge watch democracynow.org. At this point, I consider all american commercial media and NPR a waste of time.

I really think it’s our civic duty, especially those with a microphone, not to smear, but to speak honest truth to power during the primary, while we still have a chance. Remember the Honduran coup that led to the women and children refugee crisis at our boarder? Amy Goodman: “While the United States publicly supported Zelaya’s return to power, newly released emails show Clinton was attempting to set up a back channel of communication with Roberto Micheletti, who was installed as Honduran president after the coup. In one email, Clinton referenced lobbyist and former President Clinton adviser Lanny Davis. She wrote, "Can he help me talk w Micheletti?" At the time, Davis was working for the Honduran chapter of the Business Council of Latin America, which supported the coup. In another email, Thomas Shannon, the State Department’s lead negotiator for the Honduras talks, refers to Manuel Zelaya as a "failed" leader.”

In a related story from Amy Goodman “"Deplorable": Federal Judge Condemns For-Profit Texas Detention Centers for Immigrant Families”

According to Lee Fong, these same for profit prison lobbyists are also Hillary's biggest bundlers.

and

“This is Child Abuse: Social Worker Breaks Silence over Conditions Inside Immigrant Detention Center”

and

Salon: Hillary Clinton sold out Honduras: Lanny Davis, corporate cash, and the real story about the death of a Latin American democracy.

Also, I’d love to see David Sirota on Thom’s program to discuss the following objectively.Truth Dig published an excellent expose by David of Hillary’s SD’s 165 billion in arms deals to 20 nations some of whom had civil rights records well below the standards set by a 1995 directive designed to keep arms out of the hands of despots. (ISIS, anyone?) Many of these nations and defense contractors also contributed to the Clinton Foundation and paid lucrative fees to Bill for speeches he gave.

To me, the circular firing squad only applies if insiders take pot shots at insiders and outsiders at outsiders, not when those responsible for choosing a candidate for a job raise legitimate concerns about a given candidate. As a registered Democrat, I would sooner vote for a progressive republican (if one existed) than a corporate Dem. Principals are more important than party. The Democratic party is split. We can’t be so afraid of the ultimate Republican evil that we cling to the lessor of 2 evils. I would hate to see an insider with progressive principals sacrifice their integrity and shirk their civic duty to speak truth to power just to maintain their insider status. Like Mike Pap said recently on the Big Picture; “…eventually, you just have to stand for something.”

Annuities were popular in Thomas Payne's era. Since they were paid for the life of the beneficiary, people often bought them for their children. That's probably why Paine thought it would be a good idea for everyone to have an annuity from birth. The uncertainty in life expectancy (not just its variability, but also the difficulty in developing the math of statistics at the time) is probably why they fell out of favor and governments now issue bonds, which pay out for a particular amount of time, whether the original beneficiary has died or not.

OurSELVES have Ourselves Screwed

. . . .

OurSELVES have ourselves quite vigorously screwed -

- by energy-fuels and adulterated food,

and by enchantment with Trump

[the Right’s elephant’s rump],

and by the Right’s touting values which are badly skewed.

===================

Simple again, Thom. The economy serves the trust fund babies who own it.

Roland