Randi Rhodes Show And Thom Hartmann - April 13 2011

The Randi Rhodes Show

Today President Obama addressed the nation on his plan to deal with the debt.

Full speech video

Expect the Republicans to attack if there aren’t a lot of details in Obama’s proposals. Oh, and also expect the Republicans to attack any details that are in there. Obama needs to find a number of dollars to cut that’s not too high for liberals, but not too low for conservatives. The problem is that virtually any number he comes up with falls into both of those categories. Obama wants to trim the debt while still growing the economy, which is a lot trickier than the Republican goal of slashing the debt while crippling the economy. Will the President offer the Republicans an olive branch? If he does, you know the Republicans will try to cut it.

It won’t be easy for the President. Speaker John Boehner has already said “tax increases are unacceptable and are a non-starter.” Did you ever notice that before Republicans will even come to the table, they present a list of things that they refuse to have on the table? John Boehner is taking a tough stance. Of course when you drink like John does, you have to adopt that “feet apart” sort of stance, or you tend to fall over.

Obama has been trying to cast himself as the adult in the room. That’s not difficult to do when the plan from the other side has been presented by Eddie Munster. Obama’s speech will come eight days after Paul Ryan unveiled the House Republican budget proposal for 2012. Paul Ryan’s budget is a tough act to follow… in the same sense that no act in the circus wants to follow the elephant act. You don’t want to be trying to do your act after an elephant left a giant calling card in the middle of the circus ring.

Thom Hartmann Program

Hour One: Is the American empire dead?

Hour Two: "Urban Roots" - Leila Conners, Tree Media Group

Hour Three: "Divinity of Doubt: The God Question" - Vincent Bugliosi