Cliff Schecter, talked about Republican hypocrisy on Hurricane Sandy relief, the core lack of compassion and empathy in the Republican Party, Jonathan Alter’s obnoxious new piece, phony figures on life expectancy, who really threatened the passage of Health care Reform and what leverage progressi...

The Huffington Post’s, Ryan Grim, explained what was in the fiscal cliff deal, he and Sam wondered if the Democrats really did cave? Will Obama hold firm on the debt ceiling? why Ar Fleicher may not be able to give as much to charity this year and what if anything the bill got right.

Digby explained how the beltway media test bad ideas, why elite Democrats are pushing for raising the eligibility age for Medicare, Digby still thinks President Obama wants a grand bargain and why pressure from the grassroots could save Medicare and Social Security.

Sam held it down on his own today, explained what is really happening with the fiscal cliff, praised Obama and Pelosi for holding firm on tax increases for the top two percent, but worried that hacks like Steny Hoyer keep calling for cuts in Medicare and Social Security and checked in on the late...

Welcome back everyone! On today’s show strikes, cliffs and treaties. More news on the fast workers strike, the latest on fiscal cliff negotiations and the Republicans reject a treaty to protect the disabled.

Cliff Schecter explained by President Obama’s opening offer on grand bargain negotiations was hugely encouraging, how progressives are flexing more musclewhat does Obama’s new more aggressive negotiating strategy mean for his second term? Sam and Cliff chuckle over  charles krauthammer Civil War ...

The New America Foundation’s Lina Khan explained, the growth of agricultural monopolies, why farmers are serfs on their own land, how CongressionalRepublicans killed the Obama Administration’s efforts to reform the industry and why the Administration folded on the issue and Sam and Lina map out w...

Professor Stephanie Kelton explained the origins of the Bretton Woods system, why US policy makers still make policy as if we were in a gold standard world, why we will not become like Greece, what really creates hyper inflation, why the US can easily reach full employment

Cliff Schecter and Sam explained why Simpson-Bowles would tank the economy, where we can make smart cuts, all the money we waste on the Drug war, is Social Security safe?, are progressives drawing a line in the sand? a much more forceful President Obama and the Real John McCain.

The National Priorities Project’s Mattea Kramer explained the biggest misconceptions Americans have about the federal budget, what makes up most of the federal budget, why now is a great time for infrastructure investment, the best ways to deal with the deficit, why the fiscal cliff is a myth and...

Former governor Eliot Spitzer on Dems strong negotiating position in face of fiscal cliff; expiration of Bush tax cuts and debt ceiling vote, especially given Republican discomfort with current deal triggering automatic cuts to federal spending.  To Obama he says, layout firm agenda, promote Dems...