Source: thomhartmann.com

Our democracy is screwed.  It’s been long speculated that Republican state lawmakers are taking their orders from the shadowy right-wing think tank funded by the Koch Brothers and known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – and now there’s proof.  It was discovered in Florida – when Republican State Representative Rachel Burgin introduced legislation in the state House back in November that - oops - still included ALEC’s mission statement at the top of the bill, reading: “Whereas it is the mission of the American Legislative Exchange Council to advance Jeffersonian principles...”

ALEC gathers lawmakers and corporate interests together to draft model legislation, which is then sent back to state legislatures to be passed.  But usually, the lawmakers remember to strip out the ALEC branding from it.  Everything from stricter drug laws that help the private prison industry – to anti-EPA laws that help the big oil industry – to voter ID laws that help the Republican Party are produced by ALEC.  It’s become increasingly clear what’s going on: we elect representatives – and they represent corporations. 

That’s how ALEC is turning our Democracy into a Corporatocracy.

Source: thomhartmann.com

Anything Goes on Townhall Friday!

Hour One: "Brunch With Bernie" - Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) takes your calls

Hour Two: Exposing big $ corruption in politics - Lee Fang, United Republic

Source: thomhartmann.com

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels took his state backwards on Wednesday – signing legislation to make Indiana the 23^rd “right-to-work” state in the nation.  It’s the first state in ten years to go right-to-work and also the first state in the nation’s manufacturing belt to adopt a right-to-work law, which starves labor unions of much-needed funding.

So what can workers in Indiana expect now?  First off – lower wages.  It’s really right-to-work FOR LESS – as the average worker makes more than $5,000 less in wages a year in right-to-work-for-less states versus free-bargaining states.  They can also expect less healthcare – as 21% fewer workers on average receive employee-sponsored healthcare in right-to-work-for-less states.

And finally – workers can expect more workplace injuries.  Without unions to ensure safe working conditions – right-to-work-FOR-LESS states experience 51% more workplace injuries and deaths.  So the only winners here are transnational CEOs who don’t give a damn about their workers – and don’t give a damn about democracy.  That’s what unions are – democracy in the workplace – and they are just as essential to creating a stable middle class as democracy in our government.  So Republican Governor Mitch Daniels didn’t just declare war on unions in Indiana – he also declared war on the middle class.

Source: thomhartmann.com

Hour One: If you're Cold, Naked and Hungry - an IPO isn't going to help you! / Plus, San Onofre nuclear plant radiation leak...a warning?  Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear

Hour Two: Candidates or special interest groups...who's really running?  Paul Sherman, Institute for Justice / Plus, Geeky Science Rocks - Should sugar be regulated like alcohol & tobacco?

Hour Three: The Rapidly Expanding, Secret 'No-Fly List' - Nusrat Choudhury, ACLU National Security Project

Source: thomhartmann.com

No surprises - Mitt Romney on the Florida primary last night by 15 points over Newt Gingrich.  The Romney campaign – with the help of SuperPACs funded by Wall Street billionaires – carpet-bombed the state with TV ads – airing 13,000 TV ads, compared to Newt Gingrich who only aired 200.

But if Romney thought the race would be over soon – he thought wrong.  Last night, Gingrich gave a speech to supporters in front of a sign reading “46 states to go.”  And thanks to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision – Newt CAN keep running until the end of the primary race – as long as he has casino millionaires cutting him checks.

Meanwhile – in a victory interview with CNN last night, Romney admitted that he’s “not concerned with the very poor” in America because they have a “safety net there.”  Of course, it’s a safety net that Romney and Republicans in Congress are trying to get rid of.  Currently – almost half the nation is in poverty or low-income – meaning the Republican front-runner for President just admitted he’s not considered with half of all Americans. 

Source: thomhartmann.com

Hour One: Romney says he's not worried about the poor, they have a safety net...really?

Hour Two: Are Libertarians real conservatives?  Matt Welch, Reason Magazine

Hour Three: The Buffet Rule bill battle royale begins!  Curtis DuBay, Heritage Foundation / Plus, turning red states blue in 2012 - Congressman Steve Israel, Chair-Democratic Congressionional Campaign Committee

Source: thomhartmann.com

Today the Republican primary race for the White House hits Florida.  Polls indicate that Mitt Romney is headed for a victory in the sunshine state – but are voters this year really choosing candidates – or special interest groups?  Research shows that election spending by outside groups is up 1,600% this year in the Republican primary compared to 2008 – and about half of all the political ads on the air are paid for by Super PACs – those corporate front groups that came into existence thanks to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.

Most of the 13,000 television ads running in Florida on behalf of Mitt Romney are not paid for by the Romney campaign at all – but instead by pro-Romney Super PACs.  Because of Citizens United - we no longer have candidates running for office, we have INTEREST GROUPS promoting the candidates they like running for office.  Interest groups like Wall Street – big oil – and the for-profit health insurance industry that now have free reign to buy our elections this way.

So even though Mitt Romney will likely win Florida tonight by double-digits – the real winner will be Wall Street, which has already handed $3.6 million to the Romney camp.

Source: thomhartmann.com

Hour One: Who's really running for office...candidates or special interest groups?

Hour Two: Big Brother Is Now Your Diet Coach...should the government be watching your figure?  Greg Beato, Reason Magazine

Hour Three: Is Virginia investigating Gingrich's campaign for criminal election fraud?  Brad Friedman, Brad Blog

Source: thomhartmann.com

Multi-millionaire lobbyist Grover Norquist is calling for the impeachment of President Obama.  In an interview with the right-wing National Journal – Norquist warned that if President Obama wins re-election and decides to let the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% expire at the end of the year – then Republicans will “have enough votes in the Senate in 2014 to impeach [him].”

What does that mean?  It means that the super rich in America – and their political operatives like Norquist in Washington, DC – have now compared a tiny tax increase on the wealthy to high crimes and treason – the only Constitutional basis Congress can use to impeach a President.  It sounds like the oligarchs are now openly talking about a coup d'état in America.