America's Democrats

The role of corporations is looming large in the presidential campaign. Today, we learn about the history of corporations from author and media theorist Douglas Rushkoff, who says since the Middle Ages, corporations have tried to prevent the rise of a middle class. A historian who writes about FDR links him to President Obama in terms of the paranoid hatred that both engendered among Republican extremists. And Bill Press talks with Congressman Peter Welch of Vermont and the National Journal’s Major Garrett about “sequestration” and the “fiscal cliff.”

Media theorist Douglas Rushkoff has written a book called, “Life, Incorporated.” In it he explains how corporations that arose in the Middle Ages have, through today, acted against the interests of the middle class. http://www.rushkoff.com/

Historian Sally Denton traces “the paranoid style” in American politics from FDR straight through to President Obama. While things were worse in the Thirties, she says, Obama was slow to recognize the depth of hatred emanating from his political opponents. http://www.sallydenton.com/

Bill Press talks with Congressman Peter Welch of Vermont and the National Journal’s Major Garrett about “sequestration” and the “fiscal cliff.” http://www.billpressshow.com/ http://welch.house.gov/

Who cares about swing voters? Why should taxes go up? Why did Barney Frank choose to get married now?

Alan Abramowitz is a professor of political science at Emory University and well known for correctly predicting most of the presidential election outcomes. He has not yet made his 2012 prediction, but he does tell President Obama to forget the swing voters and concentrate instead on turning out his base. http://polisci.emory.edu/home/people/abramowitz.html

Economist Simon Johnson explains the current fiscal crisis as one caused by Republican refusal to pay for Social Security and Medicare. If America doesn’t have a more informed debate, he says, the chances of a true fiscal disaster go up. His solution – re-elect President Obama AND resist extending the Bush tax cuts to everyone. http://baselinescenario.com/

Bill Press talks with retiring Congressman and newlywed Barney Frank on why he decided to marry his partner before leaving Congress, and on the nation’s fiscal crisis and congressional gridlock. http://www.billpressshow.com/ http://frank.house.gov/

Our first guest today is a truly great American, perhaps the leading progressive icon of our times. In honor of the centennial of the birth of Woody Guthrie, Pete has some fun telling stories on Woody, and revealing the history of the anthem “This Land is Your Land.” http://www.peteseegermusic.com/ http://www.woodyguthrie.org/

Fred Harris was a populist when he was the U.S. senator from Oklahoma. He still is, as a professor at the University of New Mexico. He talks with us about the legacy of Woody Guthrie and the lessons we have learned from the Dust Bowl Era of American history. http://www.ou.edu/special/albertctr/archives/harris.htm

Bill Press talks with the leader of the “Nuns on a Bus” movement of progressive Catholics who point out the immorality of the Republican’s proposed budget. http://www.billpressshow.com/ http://www.networklobby.org/

Immigration ruling an opportunity for Democrats. Jeffersonians and Hamiltonians still arguing. And things are worse than they look.

Mitt Romney says Arizona’s discredited immigration restrictions was model legislation. But now that the Supreme Court thinks otherwise, what is Romney’s backup plan? Nothing, says Congressman Raul Grijalva. He says the Supreme Court decision gives Democrats an opportunity to force Republicans into truly bipartisan moves to reform federal immigration policy. http://grijalva.house.gov/

Historian Michael Lind goes back into American history and explains how Americans contradict themselves. The political fault line is not really liberal versus conservative but Jeffersonian versus Hamiltonian. He says Americans are Jeffersonian in belief but Hamiltonian in practice. http://newamerica.net/user/91

Bill Press talks with political scientist Norm Ornstein about the historic level of vitriol and lying – mostly by Republicans – that is now paralyzing national problem-solving. http://www.billpressshow.com/ http://www.aei.org/scholar/norman-j-ornstein/

Making the world safe for Exxon, shining light on hidden government benefits, explaining the President's immigration policy shift, and Jim Hightower says it's time to focus on the "Doug Jones Average".

President George W. Bush threatened to designate an Indonesian group as terrorist unless it stopped attacking Exxon. Journalist Steve Coll paints an astonishing portrait of a corporation that tries to run not only the United States but the rest of the world. http://newamerica.net/

Political scientist Suzanne Mettler asks what happens when government benefits are hidden from view? She answer that the rich benefit and the rest of us don’t. http://government.arts.cornell.edu/faculty/mettler/

Bill Press talks with Michele Waslin of the Immigration Policy Center about President Obama’s action to defer action against young undocumented immigrants. http://www.billpressshow.com/ http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/

Why oil speculation raises the price of gasoline, why belt tightening is the wrong answer to the economy and what House Republicans are up to this week. Plus, Jim Hightower discusses diverting student aid money to big banks.

Former Wall Street regulator Michael Greenberger says gasoline could be two dollars and 50 cents a gallon … if it weren’t for outrageous and barely regulated casino gambling by oil speculators. http://www.michaelgreenberger.com/

Robert Shiller is a Yale economics professor and New York Times columnist. He explains why Keynesian economics is still the prescription and why “belt tightening” is the exact opposite of what the nation needs. http://www.econ.yale.edu/~shiller/

Bill Press talks with Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards about Wall Street, the economy and Republican attacks on Eric Holder. http://billpressshow.com/ http://donnaedwards.house.gov/

Many Americans fondly remember the late R. Sargent Shriver, who founded the Peace Corps and accomplished so much else in improving the lot of people in this country and around the world. His son, Mark Shriver, writes in a new book for Fathers Day, about how faith and maintaining a balance in life are the important lessons his dad bequeathed.

http://www.savethechildren.org/

America’s #1 populist gives us his Common Sense Commentary on the Wisconsin election results.

A journalist and senior scholar at the Wilson Center, has written a book about a powerful third force in American politics – the independent, or swing, voters. They may not make up their minds in the presidential race until it is almost over, but they will, she says, make all the difference.

http://www.lindajkillian.com/

Bill Press talks about immigration issues, the Latino vote and tax cuts with Congressman Henry Cuellar, a blue dog Democrat, from Texas.

http://www.billpressshow.com/

http://cuellar.house.gov/

A special replay of our post-election-day interview in Wisconsin with Democratic State Assembly leader Peter Barca. The news wasn’t all bad, he reports.

Wisconsin Representative Peter Barca of Kenosha is the Democratic Leader of the Wisconsin Assembly. Clearly a battleground state in November, Wisconsin just ended a tumultuous campaign seeking the recall of Republican Governor Scott Walker. Representative Barca talks with us about the results, and what it means for November.

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/contact/legislatorpages.aspx?house=assembly&district=64

The quality of jobs for non-college graduates is as low as ever, but young people feel they must go to college just to stay even. Then they pile up debt for a diploma that guarantees them little in the search for that first job. Author Tamara Draut examines the economics of being a 20- or 30-something in 2012.

http://www.demos.org/tamara-draut

John Halpin, a political analyst with the Center for American Progress reports that the 2012 presidential election will come down to 12 states or fewer and that President Obama can win the race, even if by only a narrow margin.

http://www.americanprogress.org/experts/HalpinJohn.html

Bill Press talks Wisconsin recall election with John Nichols, a correspondent for “The Nation”and with the National Journal’s Major Garrett.

http://billpressshow.com/

http://www.thenation.com/authors/john-nichols

Ohio State Senate Democratic Leader Eric Kearney talks about the importance of his state to President Obama in November and how Republicans are trying to suppress voting rights and women’s rights.

Website

Professor Jennifer Mittelstadt is writing a book about book on the relationship between the all-volunteer army, social welfare, and politics. She notes that the military has always been a social service agency and examines the role of medical, dental, educational and child care benefits in keeping the military services strong.

Website

Bill Press interviews Jeff Morley of Salon.com, who has been looking into the possible use of drones to spy on Americans.

http://www.billpressshow.com/

Jeff Morley