Today Sam spoke with conservative talker, Malcolm Out Loud about "tough decisions" and the Ryan budget. Things didn't get very specific. Sam wondered if Romney picked Ryan because he thinks he is going to lose and asked why getting tough always meant punishing the middle class and the poor?

On the Better Half: was the Ryan pick a way to distract people from Romney's taxes? Also Tim Pawlenty was vetted by the Romney campaign and he said that he needed to hand over several years of tax returns to the Romney people (interesting). Also do Democrats have more details on Romney's shady taxes that they haven't leaked yet?

8/7/12

On today’s show, Journalist Elizabeth Cline, revealed some of the many costs of our addiction to cheap fashion. Sam talked with BuzzFeed’s Rosie Gray about the inner workings of the Tea Party and from the Majority Report archives, Professor David Graeber, talked about debts, markets and Occupy.

And from the Air America days a beautiful performance from the Cowboy Junkies.

Members make the Majority Report possible.  Please join us by becoming a MEMBER.  You can also show your support by clicking thru to the DONATE button for a one-time donation — anytime.  Thanks!

On today's show political maestro Cliff Schecter and Sam talked about why Senator Joe Manchin is just awful, the new employment numbers and why Harry Reid's attack on Mitt Romney is so smart. We also learned something unexpected about Cliff's past.

Sarah Silverman talked with Sam about his hair therapy regimen, meeting Al Gore after eating a pot cookie and recommended three movies: The controversial documentary the Staircase, the 1960s comedy Where's Poppa (or Going Ape), the indie drama Jesus's Son (with what Sarah says is an incredible performance from Dennis Leary) and Nora Ephron'sHeartburn.

And Sam took your calls and IMs, got an update on the possible endorsement of President Obama by former Republican Governor Charlie Crist and more comments on the job crises.

Glenn Greenwald was on the program today, talking about his new article the "Normalization of Extremism." Glenn and Sam talked about how policies once thought to be well outside of the mainstream such as torture and kill lists have become normalized in today's politics and how some of our worst cultural nightmares of a surveillance state are becoming true.

On The Better Half:

Sam talked about "hate a Gay eat a plastic chicken day" or as its also known Chick-fil-A appreciation day, Mitt Romney's absurd new ad on the auto bailout and reminisced about interviewing Gore Vidal and other greats in the Air America days

Former Tarp Inspector General, Neil Barofsky joined Sam to talk about his new book “Bailout: An Insider Account of How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street.” Neil and Sam discussed the widespread fraud in the TARP program, how the HAMP program was designed to provide a "soft landing" for banks the revolving door between Washington and Wall Street and getting a "Bullet or Bribe" Colombian Drug Cartel Style offer from the former head of TARP Herb Allison

On the Better Half:

Sam talked about why you may be getting a rebate check from your insurance company because of the Affordable Care Act, the Romney campaign hits the trifecta with a new oversees embarrassment, Romney also took some time out to praise Israel's progressive National Health Care system and two new Appellate Court Rulings are in favor of the public not corporate special interests.

Members make the Majority Report possible.  Please join us by becoming a MEMBER.  You can also show your support by clicking thru to the DONATE button for a one-time donation — anytime.  Thanks!

Former NY Governor and host of View Point on Current TV, Eliot Spitzer discussed Tim Geithner's testimony at the LIBOR hearings last week, explained why self regulation of Wall Street is a failure and commented on former Citi CEO Sandy Weill''s voicing support for breaking up too big to fail banks. Also Mitt Romney is the most "awkward politician" Eliot Spitzer has ever seen.

In the better half: Sam celebrated the 47th anniversary of Medicare, discussed the fake Bill Keller column on Wikileaks and a real Bill Keller column calling for slashing social security. The fake one makes a lot more sense than the real one, and in Mississippi a Church refused to marry a black couple.

Cliff Schecter talks with Sam about Mitt Romney's week of disaster oversees and revisits the Chick-Fil-A saga. Film Guy Matthew recommendeda couple of gritty Brazilian movies, Elite Squad 1 and 2 that brought out his inner right winger.

In the Better Half: Sam talked about what might be an absolutely brutal leadership fight after the next election between Eric Cantor and John Boehner and your calls and IMs

Members make the Majority Report possible.  Please join us by becoming a MEMBER.  You can also show your support by clicking thru to the DONATE button for a one-time donation — anytime.  Thanks!

Matt Taibbi talks with Sam about the Audit the FED bill that passed the house and the lack of media coverage the last time around, why Guy Lawson’s book Octopus is so good atexplaining how Wall street works and a revealing interview Thomas Friedman did with a tough radio host in New Zealand.

On the better half
After calling for a Police general strike in favor of gun control, Mike Bloomberg endorses anti gun control Scott Brown for Senate. A new study concludes that Medicare saves lives (shocker) and 2012 is the hottest year on record in the United States. You will never believe what Mitt Romney said to the Brits about the Olympics.

On today's show Sam discussed the string of scandals rocking the Philadelphia charter school system, Pennsylvania Republicans continued to push voter purge bills And Peter Orszag writes an incredibly disingenuous argument for privatizing the Postal Service.

In the better half, Sam talked about Romney backer Suzy Welch saying Obama comes from the "other" America and a Romney aide speaking off the record in the UK saying that Obama doesn't respect our "Anglo Saxon Heritage." Wonder what they're referring to?

Hullabaloo blogger Digby (@digby56) joined us today to talk the Dems plans for the fiscal cliff showdown, and the renewed drive to cut Social Security and Medicare.

In the better half, Sam talked the surge in gun sales in Colorado, Fox hosts two little girls to explain Republican economic policy and Bloomberg calls for a strike.