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Thom's blog
Will the billionaires buy another election?
You need to know this...The 2014 midterm elections are officially the most expensive midterm elections in American history. According to the Center for Responsive Politics around $3.67 billion will be spent this election cycle - beating out the previous record of $3.63 billion spent in the 2010 midterms.
To put that number in perspective, CNN estimates that if all the money spent on the midterms was spent on something else - it would be enough to build and operate 100 Ebola treatment centers in Africa.
It would also be enough to fund the K through 12 education of 12,000 American kids - or enough to buy 25 fighter F-18 fighter jets to help in the fight against ISIS. If it wasn't already obvious before - it should be now.
We have the best democracy money can buy - and if there's one story about this election cycle that everyone should be talking about - it's that. Yes - the possibility of a Republican takeover of the Senate gets all the headlines - but the fact that billionaires like the Koch Brothers can now throw money at whatever race they want without any checks on their spending whatsoever is even more important - especially when you look at the big picture of what's really going on here.
What we're seeing with all the record-breaking spending in this year's midterms isn't an accident - it's the perfection of the brave new world of money in politics.
The Supreme Court opened the floodgates four years ago with Citizens United - and then it opened them a bit a more with its McCutcheon decision earlier this year. This gave the right-wing money machine power like it never had before - and now - in 2014 - that machine has fine-tuned its strategy - creating a monster.
-Thom
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Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Midterms 2014 - Special Election Night Special Coverage (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)
Need to Know: Big Picture on nationwide races & issues- Reporters Alexey Yaroshevsky, Lindsay France, Manuel Rapalo and Ameera David, RT America 
Plus, the latest on marijuana legalization- Gabriel Sayegh, Drug Policy Alliance
The Best of the Rest...
Plus, Third party candidates / legalizing pot- Jesse Ventura, former Governor of Minnesota
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Tuesday's Daily Stack 
Quote: "Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Hour One: It's election day 2014...have you voted?
Talk Radio News Segment:- Luke Vargas reporting on the election from New Hampshire
Hour Two: Chasing dark money- Brendan Fischer, Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) Speech: " A Rendezvous With Destiny", 27 June 1936 acceptance speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt. " An old English judge once said: "Necessitous men are not free men.""
Hour Three: How Mitch McConnell Is Bending Every Last Campaign Finance Rule- Lee Fang, The Nation & Republic Report Bible: " 1 Corinthians 11:3-9" ...But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.... Talk Radio News Segment:- Justin Duckham covering the election live from Kentucky Science and green news |
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Wednesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET
We'll be catching up on the results so far of the elections, and discussing what they will mean.
And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"
And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...
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Order The American Revolution of 1800 by Dan Sisson with Thom Hartmann at Amazon or Barnes & Noble now! |
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Thom's Poll
Will Republicans win control of the Senate?
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Pre-order Thom's forthcoming book, Death in the Pines: An Oakley Tyler Novel, at Amazon or Barnes & Noble now! |
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Watch & Listen to Thom
Watch the Full "Big Picture" Show...
Full Show 11/3/14: Republicans Don't Want You to Vote
In tonight's midterm election special Thom talks tomorrow's Congressional and Gubernatorial races and the 146 ballot measures Americans will be voting on with Progressive Christy Setzer and Conservatives Neil McCabe and Tyler Harber.
Is Mitch McConnell breaking election laws?
Fighting the Dark Money of politics
Protect your vote!
Thom Hartmann on Science and Green News - November 4, 20134
What happens if the GOP takes the Senate? |
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The Thom Hartmann Program is a Charity Wine Partner with the Organic Wine Company. Purchase any wines and they will donate a portion of the proceeds to The Hunter School for children with autism, ADHD, and other learning challenges.
One of my favorite wines is CHATEAU VERONIQUE 2011 - The wine that started the Organic Wine Company. Subtle and sophisticated, this wine will complement any table.
Thom
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 Would you like to help give a child with a very troubled background this feeling of peace? Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village (NESCV) in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow. Can you help? Now on Facebook. |
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The Thom Hartmann Program |
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