We’ll discuss the ongoing, endless battle over control of Congress, with pundits and pollsters taking bets over which party will emerge victorious in the mid terms this fall. This fall. Months away, and it’s all the mainstream media – and the politicians – are discussing now. Meanwhile, what is getting done for the American people?
Will we see any answers on health care reform? Don’t ask-don’t tell? Closing GITMO? Bringing home our troops? Solving the economic crisis? Advancing education reform? It’s like the issues that matter most to us are locked in a pile of partisan concrete.
Oh, there is one area where Washington is ready to take action . . . . building new nuclear power plants. Great.
We’ll discuss the freeze in Washington – and we’re not talking about the weather – on the program tonight! 877-996-2556!
Mike, I ahave been a huge fan of yours since 2004. I am a podcast subscriber and haven’t missed listening to even one show (even the encore shows). I saw you on Shuster’s show yesterday and I must say that I thought you might be losing it. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was listening to one of those “MORANS”.
I’m hoping that it was a problem with meds and not that you have finally had enough.
It is hard to argue with an idiot.
Obama needs to be kicked in the balls. If he has any, that is.
what we have in this country, folks, is the corporate party, comprised of the democrat and republican wings.
the purpose of the corporate party is to divide up our tax money, for their benefit. politics is nothing more than the struggle over whose donors will get a bigger piece.
we need term limits and public financing. we will never get these things from the corporate party.
so – let’s vote out all incumbents. always. no exceptions. all federal offices. losing the very few good is the price of dumping the many, many bad.
this philosophy will make the stealing less efficient. the lobbyists will go mad. let’s give it a try. what do we have to lose?
Does anyone have a url for the Shuster interview? I can’t find it.
Malloy is an extremist. So is Limbaugh. Both are equally insane. One can afford a better house. Becoming a zombie-like follower of either side is such utter nonsense.
Mike!
I listen to your show on occasion, and sometimes you are very accurate. Other times it seems like either you are being paid to say something negative or you are the most fickle bastard on earth who needs a big dose of mental health.
If the world ran according to your every whim, I`m sure the dark ages would return and then you will really have something to complain about.
please, let’s hear from the intelligent ones in this audience, it makes a bad impression when it’s over half dumb-asses who write here. Of course Mike is not always right on. How many can be like Thom Hartmann? I’m pretty sure Mike is often holding back to not be written off as a nut case. Telling it like it is today makes one sound like a nut. Honesty is not always the best policy.
what I’ve seen Mike miss:
global warming: there’s no definitive proof that we’re doing harm with co2 emissions.
vaccines: he says there’s no profit in it. Probably true. Good reason to have the government buying those vaccines and taking bids from everybody who can do it. I think they’d line up for the contract. We can choose to pay more to not use heavy metals as a preservative.
Thanks for your show Mike.
Mike seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I hope that’s not the case.
Jay’s correct in that today-when you REALLY listen to some of these RW OR extremist LW Nuts, and delve into the research of what they are trying to say. For the past almost 22 weeks, I “HAD” to watch/listen to Fox on a 48in flat screen turned wide open. I was in dialysis and that unit was the only one I could go to. There were usually 2 nurses and one other patient–the “Democracy” was that the Nurses decided the 90-something yo man “NEEDED” to hear the “news”, and they knew I was NOT a Fox Fan. (On my 2nd day I’d complained when Beck was on and you couldn’t even get the Nurses attention they were so glued to the damned TV. The result? “Fine, pay $200/day for a taxi to the next closest unit with an opening.”) Basically-they thought it was funny and reciprocated by being complete A**HOLES for 3 1/2 months!! Considering I’m one of only *3* Progressives left in the COUNTY, (SMALL town NEPA=ULTRA-Conserv/Beck & Limbot Zombies), believe me, living here is hard enough. My dialysis was 6 hours 4 days/week–I saw a LOT more Fox than I care to see for the rest of my life.
Becks show was the worst hour. One nurse would even take notes–DURING COMMERCIALS!! THEY were the ones who, impressed with the fact I seemed to be listening and taking notes right along with them; they told me that if Beck isn’t the next President, surely he’ll be as respected and admired as Walter Cronkite. Apparently they didn’t notice my “notes” were in a Twitter App-(on my iPod), while I live blogged the shows–when I could stomach it anyways. Other times I’d play games with headphones and VERY Loud electronic music–my meditation music just didn’t drown out the barking & off-the-wall animal imitations. They Adore Sarah, think she’s the most intelligent woman they’ve ever seen in politics, obviously worshiped Beck, and even seemed to think, (WARNING: Next Statement is NOT for Weak Stomachs),
that Cheney was one of the SEXIEST Men they’d ever laid their eyes on!!??!!
Yes, I live in the Twilight Zone. And almost 4 months of this crap, PLUS Fox on in every other medical office in town, has nearly caused me my sanity. I FINALLY got my local Senator to make some calls to approve transportation for me to another Unit, in a larger town, with actual people. IF I could afford to leave-believe me, I would. My kids are trying to help by saving up money to move me so I can actually escape from Zombieland. In this town, White is Black, (well, perhaps that’s not QUITE right-there’s one Black family in this Country-a SMALL family who were sponsored by a local church and brought here after a “Mission” to Africa. Even then, you RARELY see them except during the summer when the City people and Camp Counselors come to town), but up is down, right is left, light is dark. This town is FILLED with 12 churches, (2 for each denomination–one for Irish and Italians, the other for Germans and Poles–and “n’er the two shall mix, lest there be a battle”.),filled with so-called Christians who seem to need to use the F word in every sentence. The also fill the MANY bars in town-lunch and most every night with a break, (for some), on Sunday. The local Judge and a member of the School Board wear ankle bracelets, (DUI’s). There were more effigies of Obama, racist signs, “IMPEACH” sign, etc. at the Tea Party in April than people that live in the town. I’ve seen more Confederate Flags, skinheads, trucks with rifle racks blaring Dixie HERE, in the past year, than I saw in North Florida and Alabama in *40* Years!!
And this horrible Dis-Ease seems to have reached Pandemic Proportions across the Country. On top of the Fox Virus, we have SO MANY other things going on, today, here in this Country. Granted-many other Countries are also suffering. It all this world-wide economic crisis has just magnified the greed and ignorance in the world; NOT brought out the best characters of Humanity. There is something going on right under Americans noses in a US Territory-a forcing out of homes, land and businesses of an indigenous people, by “support personnel”, (Read: Xe), with the “promise” of “reparations”. They’re STILL waiting for the LAST “Reparations” from 40-60 YEARS AGO!! See, it’s a Military Invasion,..uhm, I mean, “Necessary Build-Up” of Guam. (Since Japan and S Korea are kicking the troops & “support people” out.). The Chamorro people pay taxes. However, they are not “allowed” to vote for a US President. Their Congressional Representatives are basically for “show” only-they are not allowed on committees nor can they vote–even on matters concerning their Island. They have an unemployment rate of over 25%, yet the “Support personnel” will be filling thousands of jobs to expand the bases and destroy hundreds of Chamorro businesses.
YES, this Country has gone MAD. And it seems the rest of the world is following. I VERY much appreciate Mike’s Brute Honesty & Total Devotion to his Principles.
Were there hundreds more like him, with the money behind them like the Corporate funded Rt WingNut screamers-we wouldn’t be in this position today-about to be “Fundamentally Transformed”, (A Fav Obama Quote of Beck’s), into a Fascist, Corporate Theocracy. And it just Astounds me, that these misinformed, brainwashed Psuedo-Christians, are blindly supporting the Destruction of their Country. And WE will be the ones blamed. (Not to mention the ones expected to try and put the pieces back together.)
Sorry-this should have been a blog-but hey, the wackos are too lazy and ignorant to read through my post, so…
PS-if you want anymore information on Guam, since the Mainstream Media doesn’t seem to think it’s “important”-lv a msg for me. My Son is a Student there and was formally “adopted” by the Chamorro, his fiance is a Native.
Be careful of Hartman as well…he is very intelligent and is a master of the English language…but he is as, or more extreme than Mike. His logic has tons of holes. He is just an old hippie who has had the same blinders on he has had since he was protesting pretty much everything in his youth. I was there. It was the birth of a culture of protest. It became an addiction for some. They started just started protesting everything, blindly. Wild idealism is childish and counter-productive. He throws the baby out with the bath water. As a result of his uber-focus, his unquestioning belief in his position, he often misses the opportunity to gain real credibility, at least in my mind. He spends all his time trying to prove his ideas. I believe that all wise men question themselves. He seems to do very little of that. Just because he doesn’t sound like he is on the verge of a stroke does not make him any less extreme in his beliefs. And, extremism is the enemy. On both sides, friend.
Elaine, if I understand your point (if there was a central point to your obviously frustrated post) it is that Mike is one of those heroes of history who stand up and shout that the emperor has no clothes. Yes, there is a need for heroes and leaders to every so often rise to the occasion to effect change, but just as often, the hero turns into a demon and the change is not for the better. (Hitler? No, America did not all of a sudden, just recently become a big, bad monster. She did not just recently lose her way. Seems that way to you, but you are obviously not a student of history. She, and all other civilizations from the present to the beginning of time have had issues with justice and fairness for all. We are all at the very beginning of our history as a species. The United States is a concept that deserves to continue. It deserves our strength of dedication to giving it every opportunity to succeed. Just because some have abused the system, is not a good enough reason to indict the system. It is an opportunity to help us perfect it. My friend, I understand the frustration you have living in your redneck hell. But, let me give you some advice my mom gave me many years ago: “Never, ever argue with an idiot. No one will be able to tell the difference between the two of you.” I think you knew the nurses there were right-wing nut jobs. And you made it clear to them you disagreed. Why? You knew it would be a fight. You chose to argue with them. What, you thought you were going to educate them? No, you are frustrated and it was just a way to vent. That, my friend is a mistake. Just ignore the TV, them and everything else. Don’t blog about Beck as he is spewing. All you end up with is a knot in your guts. Read a book with a positive message. Do not show your hand. Be inscrutable. If they ask you to join in on the fun, just smile and nod or shrug or something but do not give them a hint if you agree or not. Laugh and say that your mama told you never to discuss politics, religion or sex with strangers…then tell a joke about a cat. Change the subject. Do not waste your breath on unwinable arguments. Save your opinion for the rare time it might make a difference. Choose your battles more wisely. Just my two cents, friend.
I”d like to hear more details about how Hartmann’s logic is flawed. I’ve never been out of his spell, but my mind is open. thanks.
OK, for example he often uses hyperbole…he says stuff like “War is mass murder” but that presumes we don’t have a right to defend ourselves. I am not advocating for war, obviously, but just a blind, blanket statement like that is the logic of a child. He hates it, he hates it, he hates it. (Stamps his feet!) Dumbass Limbaugh does all of that same stuff, but on the reverse side of the coin. This is a huge indication of his lack of faith in his message. (The gentleman doth protest too much, me thinks…) He also uses cloudy language like “working people” as if at some point, when you have busted your ass to get somewhere in life, and you have a business and employ a handful of folks and maybe can buy a nice house and car, etc, somehow, you become not a “working man”. Well, I will tell you, my father worked hard (In to the office first, last out)and employed many people and gave tons of money to charity, but many left-wing nuts just see his Land Rover and want to kill him. So wrong. Another thing Thom does is exactly what he accuses the right of doing. He scares the crap out of everyone with comments like “The ruling makes corporations into people.” Well, even if I disagreed with the ruling, which I don’t, I would not use that argument. Any educated individual knows the ruling did not give any group the right to vote. All it said was that corporations are groups and both individuals and groups of individuals (like unions and corporations) have the right to express a political opinion. If we want campaign finance reform, great, but not in a way that is unconstitutional. Again, I am not giving an opinion on the relative merits of international groups being allowed to influence our elections. The ruling was strictly and narrowly commenting on the constitutionality of limiting speech. But left wingers are freaking out that the corporations are too powerful, so of course they hear what they want to hear and then go overboard accusing the other side of all kinds of fantastic, fanatical plots to dominate the world. There are also some kooks on the right, just as there are kooks on the left, but just focusing on the kooks as good, common examples of people on the other side is something both Thom and Rush do. Here is a silly Thom Hartman quote: “Conservatives view the world as a dangerous and evil place and believe people to be fundamentally selfish… Liberals view the world as a natural and harmonious place and believe people to be fundamentally good.” Most reasonable folks will recognize the generalities and hyperbole in that statement. Most folks understand that the world is both dangerous and beautiful. But, Mr. Hartman oversimplifies because it makes good radio, and folks think he sounds knowledgeable, but he is tapping into the same frustration the right wing talk show arsewipes tap into. They say the exact same thing about the lefties. Rush says lefties are ignorant, naive tree-hugging imbeciles. My point, friend, and thanks for asking is that these radio folks have agendas. Both sides. It is a mistake to blindly believe any of them about anything. Listen to all sides. But, be very careful about jumping to conclusions regarding the relative wisdom of anyone who thinks he’s got it all figured out. Like Thom Hartman and Rush Limbaugh and Randi Rhodes and Shawn Hanity and on and on. Don’t cry about the apparently unfair nature of the way information is delivered. Today, there are many more sources of information than there has ever been. So, I mean, really, you gotta question some of these points that these talk show crazies are hitting so hard. They hit them so hard because they strike a cord, regardless (and maybe, ironically because of) their proximity to reality.