the debt ceiling is really really becoming the elephant in the room on capitol hill why are the republicans continuing to be so difficult in passing a limit increase and the minimum wage salaries of corporate america's c.e.o.'s released why their so called money battles are insulting when compared to the middle class of america into that it's really. it's was it in time for the lone liberal debate or take on two expert conservative commentators on the week's top stories on our panels and i have a conservative strategist a managing owner of four forty group public relations and jeannie weinstein deputy editor at the daily caller welcome to both of you to be here great to have you both back with us republicans played a fun little game of political theater yesterday with the nation's debt ceiling starting with the house of. speaker of the house john boehner brought a clean bill to the floor raiser nation's debt ceiling exactly what most economists

have been saying needs to be done republicans had no intention of passing it boedi nearly unanimously against their own bill they just want to force democrats to vote for a debt limit increase so they could run campaign ads next year saying democrats support unlimited that this is. so why is it that when our nation is facing enormous challenges republicans are playing games in the house of representatives especially games that could collapse the entire global economy i mean this this is outlandish tom i know i'm i'm i'm astounded the fact of the matter is that republicans have stuck their neck out and supported something that's politically unpopular away even though he also to give me to let me finish but undeniably necessary and that is major in title and reform it is the democrats who have been demagoguing these issues so the republicans have been courageous led by paul ryan and this is not the end of the game we talk about playing a game but what the republicans want is they need to have one. on spending they

want to cut some programs the white house is saying no we're not going to do that so we have until august they know that the deadline approaching and they want to know why is that there was an offer so enthusiastic three years and the year before that and the year before that the year before that the year before that the year before that all eight years of the bush administration in passing a clean debt limit increase bill every single time and now all of a sudden they're hysterical because rating agencies are now talking about how big the rising level of our debt with fourteen trillion dollars in debt nearly you know continuing to rise a truly unfunded liabilities the debt ceiling is going to pass in fact in fact the house voted to raise raising the debt ceiling when they voted for the ryan plan it's going to pass but all they're having is worth let's start with major cuts now which are necessary while democrats get behind that because the cuts are insane we had we are right now at about ninety percent of g.d.p. our debt is about ninety percent of g.d.p. japan's of course two hundred eighty percent of g.d.p. but we were one hundred twenty six percent g.d.p.

after world war two we got out of that five years how do we get out of that good old fashioned republican to eisenhower poured money into a high national highway system into employment into the g.i. bill giving people free college giving people free government subsidized home loans and boom we grew our way out of that economy we want that you want to play these risky games i mean there's nothing risky because these editors are working the term called black swans where we don't know these type of financial crises arise and if you want to get up to that border thinking that you know we always want head around cut and then you have another crisis and we're you know we're greece or we're ireland read michael lewis's recent accounts from greece and ireland you travel he's probably the best financial probably best nonfiction writer there is out there it's scary we should be taking proactive steps to reduce our debt now thank god you know you don't know but you know right it really is meaningless you know the federal government thinks it can function differently from regular house i mean you know if if. i have

a credit card debt that is you know out of the roof and i do something about that guy and the federal government just says oh we can make more money i know i'm going to start actually ronald reagan said it's exactly what george herbert walker is as exact on george w. bush and this is this is been the plan ever since ever since seventy four when when what's his name came up with his his three are two santa clause theory and said you know we borrow like crazy when you're in power and scream about the debt when the democrats go by the way and this idea of republicans voting for debt increases and democrats also were opposed to getting freezes at one time and you know party switch power and you know there's some time to this political game changing but the reality is right now we need to start cutting we need to start reforming republicans have a plan where is the democrats going. that's that's a really good question we'll see where it goes voter's remorse a sweeping the nation a new poll by public the public policy polling shows that seven republican governors including wisconsin scott walker and i was john would lose big of last

year's election were held against him today also paul ryan's plan to privatized medicare was soundly rejected by voters last week and special election in new york's twenty sixth district and now house leader eric cantor is nickel and dime in tornado victims in joplin missouri saying that any relief package must be offset by cuts elsewhere take a look the families don't have unlimited money and really neither does the federal government but there's no question there's a federal role here to play congress will fund the money it will be offset and until the president never has our government been stingy when it comes to helping victims of natural disasters in america or elsewhere for that matter so how surprised are republicans that they're far right wing agenda is not resonating with the american people and how many republican governors will be recalled and twenty two of the one thing we don't have a month to month lease on our governors you know there's a reason why we elect them every two to four years who knows next month they might say we love our governor whatever reason and who's to say also the reason. they

don't like the governor this month is because they're quote unquote anti-abortion you know anti-union agenda coming from the stimulus right going for not just guys ran on what they're doing right none of them no you know i mean people progress the center for american progress went back and looked at all their campaign commercials none of these guys said that when they came into office they were going to bust a public employee none of that was the first thing you do either they can't i now think we're going to have in that case it was talking my point is i believe in a birkin style of representation well then let's go back to seventy ninety eight when. he was writing let me let me let me finish you know you don't have to go back in time he said principles that stand that are universally. going to refresh. and his principle was that. people will elect representatives and if you don't like them then they vote him out but they should act the statesmen and operate what is in the best interest of the country and that's what a lot of these governors are doing the taking difficult issues that are always

popular and you know. chris christie wasn't included in this poll but he has taken on those issues and his poll numbers have gone up which he's taken a great risk to go after these popular programs so we should applaud you why do i seem credible if you had a lot of reaction what you just said absolutely one of one of sir edmund burke's biggest principles that has become that was part of modern liberalism frankly as liberal as a liberal and what it was was that you know this whole concept that not only do we have representative government but that we don't elect leaders we elect representatives that our representatives are supposed to do what we want is actually actually wrong he gave a famous speech where he said you know they would he would be represented a town that he supported free trade and it was a port town they didn't want free trade and he said i'm going to go on my conscience if you don't like me next time out but yeah and he actually was elected in a different district he believe that states mean you had to operate. i read in his debate i mean i think if i also want to make sure that eric cantor is not the same . here too because you know what he said on face the nation was that you know that

federal government will take care of joplin but just as any family operation set aside ten thousand dollars to buy that new car that disaster happens you've got to revaluate where that ten thousand dollars goes to the new car or to address that disaster is exactly the federal government house to do we will help the people of joplin but we also have to realize that other things that we thought we were going to subsidize can't be done and that is a valid make a stooge the rule that says not sure he's exactly the word for that he sad that the people of joplin will be taken care of as a whole and already have asked him if you want to throw grandma off those you off the cliff that are no doubt your doesn't value that. because it is and exactly why you use you say that you know the medicare plan that ryan is not you know there's no work out here to vouchers you're going to see seniors die. when we're going to i what i was going to already happening are sort of the launch pad users will in fact the state of arizona is having some trouble meeting its medicaid obligations

earlier this year governor jan brewer removed certain life saving transplants from being covered under medicaid a decision that led to the deaths of at least two individuals now arizona has a new idea they want to change the charge childless adults who are on medicare an extra fifty dollars a year if they are obese or smoke currently about half of arizona's medicaid recipients either are smoking or are obese so when obese people are told that their medicaid costs are greater than their income and they fall off even that program and die for lack of health care generally charges and slaughter. i think is a thing that liberals you know they don't like smokers and they seem to have a problem with that idea you know because you don't smoke anywhere and they also restrict what you know what i think he you know you make sure that you labels right everything but when it comes to taking care of them health wise oh we have to you know i don't listen to that args in my face and i mean i'm not a fan this crack addicts one crack in my face either but i think it highly highly.

two things one again it highlights the serious problem we have with medicare which again highlights thank god we have only one made it medicare and medicaid thank god we have someone like paul ryan to put out a plan for just killed two people in arizona and you and your number of paul ryan's going to do the same thing. that's not over plan b. i don't know what i would like to see i do and i don't know guys agree with her and i but i haven't read it all but there's also interesting aspects i do agree with and those include the incentivizing of medicaid in the state where it used to be incentivized by how many procedures are done which is give a given set of doctors to keep doing procedures as opposed to you know treating the patients and i think the bigger issue too is that governors are having to make hard decisions but the reality is they are pressed for catch and so there has either any real interest taxes on rich people or corporations and it's not going to do what they might be unwilling to raise taxes you know how to cut spending what's wrong with that well the whole thing is i as a result of that i have a problem when i understand all i'm saying about health care and i know you should

be obese and i don't people to die either and that's why i think we need medicare reform because medicare reform medicaid medicare reform that will be there for those people if you don't if you don't address growing all those holes the republicans drilled into it three hundred twenty eight billion dollars is the amount that the federal government's going to spend that they wouldn't have to spend if they were able to negotiate the price of drugs that was something that was put in there by billy tauzin the republican majority so that so that the pharmaceutical company would get billions of dollars in thousand got to know your job it's not we need we need riders who are willing to make some hard why we can all just take on even that we don't want issues that are three hundred return to one issue billion i think all of his refusal is because. we're talking about it is right i think it's more complicated than that because the question is who is drug manufacturers if you if you go and get your marriage drugs that the drug manufacturers have invented and lifesaving drugs save people in the first place if we don't have more lifesaving drugs. then when one of your people die why do we

learn to be a buy from them at wholesale why do we let wal-mart buy from the wholesale why do you let walgreens buy from them a hole so difficult and i say difficult as it is you've got thirty companies you're going to want to drive you want is really not just any more you're not making huge profits compare making. percentage they're putting it back in research and development the three knows that the research and development pharmaceuticals they see paid for by you and me through the national institutes of health right a vast majority more than more than half of all their r. and d. that's done by drug companies is modifying existing drugs the original new drugs are coming out of out of universities that are paid for by us streams i do think that the government had given them more control over the health care system is ridiculous and the reality is we need leaders who are willing to say some difficult things and suggest reforms that are going to make us feel uncomfortable but i don't like making even one change in my daily schedule so i know it's hard before is difficult but we've got to do it where it is a party other than the other the other thirty three nations and thirty four

o.e.c.d. nations that all have universal health care are just wrong and we're just right here and they're enjoying our innovation they come here when they need real and when they need to get a m.r.i. they come here quickly so you get your experience you know it well you know i live in border states most of my life i never saw republican presidential hopeful herman cain although would want to did live in montpelier every saturday the bus used to fill up at montpelier vermont to go up to canada to buy pharmaceuticals or any other presidential hopeful herman cain released a music video yesterday of the videos and titled the herman cain train take a look. see. we. rocking out here is on the other republican candidates will steal cain's idea and make their own music. so which potential republican candidate for release the best

music video will be i'm a shell bachmann with crazy train no explanation needed or be newt gingrich with bling bling what else do you buy with a half million dollars a lot of credit to see mitt romney with mobile among both problems i would say that i have one for obama and that's how do you like now i think the american people going to say not so much but just to put a plug in for the daily caller we interviewed the singer of the herman cain train song on our site a couple days ago so please go to the site and read it it's very enjoyable. and well i think that you know you could have michele bachmann sing about the minnesota twins because she's talking about twenty and she running together the same times i'd like to see that they get are you going to mccain train. are you going to get on the herman cain train. you know i don't know if you're a good nelson was. ok my choice rick santorum would say my name you know to avoid people from google and so and you know sort of.

thank you for it. is time for our daily poll your chance to tell us what you think is today's question a new study shows the when the minimum wage is not enough to live on so is reagan's war against the working class or result in success choices are yes a resident of michigan has twelve dollars to house clothe and feed a well which is well over the seven dollars forty seven a wage no or no republicans will make the argument that they just need to get a credit card. don't you think the whole be open till. after the break it's a tale of two minimum wages and some nights daily take. let's

not forget that we have an apartheid regime. i think. one well. one of the government says there's safety ready because their freedom. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something

else and you hear or see some other part of it and realize that everything you saw you don't i'm sorry welcome to the big picture.

berlusconi alerts what do you do when you're a small time crook and former crew cruise ship lounge singer who went into business with a partner now in prison and bought a radio station a t.v. station then a newspaper then another radio station then another t.v. station then another newspaper that in the radio network didn't see the network and ended up owning about ninety five percent of all the media as seen in italy as the silvio berlusconi did and then he created his own political party ran for prime minister with his billions in the polls the board of his old holy on versions of radio. newspaper and surprise he won three times its own

prime minister silvio berlusconi's trial on charges he paid for sex with an underage prostitute and abused his power to cover it up resume yesterday a day after his party suffered sterling losses and local lections all across italy and his lawyers promptly requested that the trial be moved out of the chords and into a special ministerial tribunal considering there's been over a month since the last hearing the case the spectacle will probably continue to drag out for a long time but media outlets are reporting the trial and all the information that has surfaced about where it was going is now infamous bunga bunga sex parties is having a cultural backlash in italy or many say that the objectification of women as sexual objects has become mainstream because of berlusconi's media empire. some added exaction started going after companies that objectify women practice some say their list don't eat starting with his t.v. channels featuring lots of dancing girls and. it's very embarrassing that

this is an ad for a radio i scream you think stanley clad women come with cell phones in each of these naked women advertising pet food and this one for sausage is so sexual we can't show it because we have. a sentence and in. seeing. these means more or less the women piece too much he's really going to matter whether now these are really really. yeah or if he tells it finally decided that that's too much the end may be near.

there are two minimum wages in america there's one for working men and women that's roughly seventy dollars an hour depending what state you live in and then there's one for corporate executives that's about eleven million dollars a year including stock options and bonuses for example last week blue shield of california health insurance corporation made public the salaries of its ten highest paid executives turns out the head honcho bruce but bacon is bringing home about four and a half million dollars a year but that doesn't include bonuses or stock options. when you add it all together give a did would take and would probably be much closer to the national average of what top c.e.o.'s earn total compensation roughly eleven million dollars a year which is twenty two thousand dollars a week mentioning that kind of a paycheck or forty four thousand dollars a day if you like to get one of those checks every day you magine taking home a paycheck of forty four thousand dollars every single day and most of it at

a min at a maximum income tax rate of fifteen percent less than half the tax rate that your janitor would face if he were well paid forty four thousand dollars a day five thousand five hundred dollars an hour blue shield defended the lavish pay for this guy saying we offer a competitive compensation package to attract and retain top quality executives necessary to maintain a high level of performance and service as in they don't have a choice as the pair minimum they could pay to keep such a top quality guy person who decided to pay their executives just a few million dollars less then they could also give little suzy her life saving kidney transplant. but in today's economy eleven million dollars only gets you so far you know you could only buy so many summer homes in italy how many so nice only so many porsches only so many private golf course memberships only so many private

jets basically have to pick money out of a couch cushions to keep yourself and go on and keep your olympic sized swimming pool clean all right i mean that at some compassion for these guys on the other side of the coin what does the working person's minimum wage get them turns out not much the organization wider opportunities for women published a new report on the purchasing power of michigan's minimum wage which is seven dollars and forty cents an hour and whether or not it can buy the basic needs that a person requires like a roof overhead food on the table and clothes to wear the report found that a single mission to a single michigan resident needs to make more than twelve dollars an hour just to hollows clothe and feed him or herself twelve bucks an hour minimum wage in michigan is just seven forty an hour and that falls well short of meeting someone's needs all of the health insurance executives on this minimum wage makes about sixteen bucks every two minutes but when you throw children into the pictures even

grimmer a mother with two children needs to make about twenty four dollars an hour to meet their basic needs that's more than three times higher than the minimum wage i guess republicans will argue that they just need to move in with mom and dad or move into a park to tend to the park when i was thinking about the best way to walk it to show the difference between these two minimum wages. i originally wanted to show stacks of money on my desk you know one stack belonging to the working person and the minimum wage and the other belonging to the corporate executives their minimum wage and i figured i'd take a hundred dollar bill inside on top of a stack of one dollar bills frankly to get the point across i soon realized that even if i pretended the one dollar bills were hundred dollar bills and we did the math i discovered i need to get a hold of one hundred ten thousand and one dollar bills to make that stack it was

pretend hundred dollar bills to show the salary of that guy from from blue cross blue shield of the bank across the street and frankly my bank account can't really handle it the stack that the average worker earns would have been a bit over an inch high if a stack of the earnings of the health insurance c.e.o.'s would have been over thirty six feet clear up through a couple floors above us in this building i then thought about using these toy blocks to make the point. that the toys r us don't have eleven million and or even one hundred ten pao's toy blocks. so instead we're just going to go with this graphic and it looks like our graphics engine can't even illustrate the pay disparity between these two minimum wages even my one inch of hundred dollar bills vs thirty six feet of hundred dollar bills horse these two stacks are more than just numbers and pictures they translate into

a lifestyle in the case of this stack it's a lifestyle that means each and every month someone who's trying to raise their kids on minimum wage as to forgo dinner or rent electricity or a new pair of shoes just to get by in america we have people going to sleep hungry in this country the richest nation on the planet and in the case of this stack it's a lifestyle that doesn't have a financial care in the world. this seem right to you it looks to me like the war that ronald reagan started against the working class thirty years ago is arizonians success today but i haven't i had a turn idea to turn the tide how about instead of having the current corporate minimum wage every corporation figures you know we've got to pay at least eleven million dollars and some of them i mean you know like a united health care stephen hemsley making off with in the neighborhood of one hundred million dollars here how about instead you have a corporate naxa mode wage. i say we cut the pay of corporate executives down to

the one nine hundred eighty s. levels right eight hundred thousand dollars each and hold it there until the minimum wage for working people in america is raised high enough for everyone to meet their basic life needs is a simple way to do this by the way it was done up until ronald reagan became president and that is that you have a high tax rate on people after they make about three million dollars you know it used to be during the eisenhower administration truman administration the eisenhower administration the kennedy administration the nixon administration but the top tax rate. was when it was ninety one percent until l.b.j. came along and he dropped it down to in the seventy seventy four percent as i recall and so you know after three million dollars people just say well you know i want to call them i take more money i don't need it you know we need more than three million dollars to live on keep at my company grow the company and there's absolutely no reason why one minimum wage requires someone to make

a tough choice of paying the electric bill or paying the car payment while another with minimum wage requires someone to make tough choices over what color their twentieth jaguar should be once everyone gets a slice of the pizza once everyone gets a slice then the millionaires and billionaires can have their second and third fourth and fifth things after all isn't that what we were taught in kindergarten. that's the big picture for tonight for more information on the stories we covered visit our web site of thom hartmann dot com and archie dot com also check out our youtube pages each and dot com slash the big picture archie if you tube dot com slash tom parker and his tire shows available the free podcast i'd say and don't forget to mark receive begins with you when you show up and participate it all happens to your it assume.

more news today violence has once again flared up. and these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. for asians to rule the day. wealthy british style sun. times.