Questions you won't hear on any other political show: Is Nancy Pelosi too conservative?
Rep. Nancy Pelosi's proposed tax cut plan would grant "middle class" benefits to anyone making under $1 million. Cenk asks his Power Panel -- David Pakman and Lenny McAllister-- whether this is far too conservative -- and expensive -- a plan to take seriously. Pakman says, "It's about 23 times the average per capita income in the U.S., and that's not going to be stimulative tax cuts." McAllister says, "With the presidency at stake, this is something where both sides unfortunately are playing politics to try to trap each other into soundbites that can be used in the election season." http://bit.ly/Lf5n7N
Mitt Romney's got a new education plan -- but he should really look to Finland if he wants to be improve our schools
Schools in Finland are among the best in the world, whereas the U.S. routinely ranks somewhere down around 25th or 30th. Cenk talks to reporter Anu Partanan about her coverage in "The Atlantic" that explains how one country is getting an A+ in education. "It really starts with the teachers," Partanan says. "It's very hard to get into university to become a teacher... It often seems that the Americans get it the wrong way around. It's not that hard to be a teacher in certain states. As I understand it, in Texas you can take a three-month online course." Cenk says, "You'd be surprised how easy it is to get any job in Texas -- you should see who they hand their governorship to." http://bit.ly/JqPpbh
Online PACs aren't letting SOPA sponsor Lamar Smith off the hook in the Texas primary
Rep. Lamar Smith sponsored the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA -- and two different online groups are mobilizing billboards and TV ads to at least slow down his bid for a 14th term. Cenk says, "Congress messed with the internet, and the internet is messing with them back. I love this." http://bit.ly/KYc0sm
Cenk asks his Power Panel -- Andy Kroll from "Mother Jones" and GOP strategist Jack Burkman -- whether Mitt Romney's foreign policy is a failure because he's surrounded himself by neo-con advisers. When Burkman points to "the brilliant success" of the war in Iraq, Cenk loses his mind. "Is this a character? Is this a put on? We spent over a trillion dollars in Iraq and it was a gigantic, colossal mess." Kroll points out, "Anything that draws attention to who he's got on his foreign policy roster is something that Mitt Romney doesn't want."
Price of gas goes down -- so Romney should be giving President Obama a high-five sometime soon, right? Right?
Remember when Newt Gingrich and other conservatives convinced seemingly everyone that President Obama could single-handedly control gas prices? Even Mitt Romney said that Obama should get "full credit or blame" for the cost going up or down. The average cost of a gallon has dropped 25 cents since April, and yet Romney hasn't come forward to congratulate anyone. Cenk says, "Have you heard it yet? I haven't heard it yet... I just want to remind you one more time how clownish all these conservatives and these Republicans were when they were claiming that gas prices were all Obama's fault and he deserved all the blame." http://bit.ly/JANKdW
Cenk slams tea party for being 'sell-outs,' 'hypocrites' and 'frauds' who now protect bankers, especially 'tea party whore' Joe Walsh
Cenk gets all worked up about a Think Progress report by Josh Israel, "How Banks Bought the Tea Party." Cenk says, "Every one of those 15 tea party freshman, forget criticizing banks and the bailouts. You frauds! You hypocrites! You sell-outs!" The most guilty, Cenk says, is Rep. Joe Walsh, who yelled at a constituent for asking about whether banks were at fault for economic problems. "You see how he got in her face? That's a constituent that put him in office! And he gets in her face: 'How dare you ever say anything about the banks! Don't you know I'm a tea party whore and my job is to protect those guys?' You sicken me the way you sold out your cause entirely." http://bit.ly/L4ru0A
Power Panel: Will independent voters be turned off by attacks on Romney's business record, or do they already?
Cenk asks his Power Panel -- Karl Frisch and Linda J. Killian -- whether attacks on Mitt Romney's business record will appeal to independent voters, who make up about 40 percent of the electorate. Killian says, "Independent voters say they don't like negative ads, but they work when they take advantage of something that's already in voters' minds, and they obviously already have in their mind that Romney isn't like a real person, and that he doesn't care about average people." Cenk says, "And that's why we call him 'Robocorp.'" Frisch says, "We're going to see this going back and forth. If Mitt Romney's going to get up there and demonstrate his experience as an executive... then he has every right to expect that we're going to talk about Bain and what he did there." http://bit.ly/L4rqxS
Police presence in Chicago for #NATO summit rivals war zones, Hastings says, and anarchist protestors encouraged violence
Michael Hastings of BuzzFeed.com joins Cenk from Chicago to give an update on Occupy protests at the NATO summit, where a handful of activists have been charged with conspiring to commit domestic terrorism. "There was a massive, massive police presence in Chicago," Hastings says. "I've never seen anything like it in an American city. I've barely seen it in the middle of war zones. Now, 85 or 90 percent of the crowd was peaceful. But there was an element to the crowd that wanted to push and push and push until some kind of violent reaction happened," Hastings says. Cenk says, "Those anarchists drive me crazy." http://bit.ly/KZ3onM
Of course Cory Booker defends private equity! It's a quarter of his campaign finance!
Cenk tears into Newark, N.J., mayor Cory Booker for defending Bain Capital and other private equity backers after an anti-Mitt Romney ad criticized his connections. Cenk says of Booker, "I'm the kind of Democrat you can give money to, because I'll never do anything about the corruption on Wall Street, ever!" http://bit.ly/KtVdgS
Power Panel: Can any Mormon or Muslim run for office in this country and get a fair shot?
Cenk asks his Power Panel -- Dean Obeidallah (who also happens to be a Muslim) and BuzzFeed's McKay Coppins (who also happens to be a Mormon) -- whether Obama adviser David Axelrod is right to say that Mitt Romney's religion should be off limits for political ads. "Any Mormon who sees Mitt Romney and watches him in action knows that he's been shaped by his faith," Coppins says. "Do we see any evidence that Mitt Romney wants to apply Mormon teachings and Mormon principles in the way he governs? I don't know that we do, but that's a fair question." Obeidallah says, "President Obama's not even a Muslim, yet in two states in the South -- Alabama and Mississippi -- half the Republicans think he's a Muslim because they hate Muslims." http://bit.ly/KHc5UU
[WEB EXTRA] Epic Politics Interview: Julian Bond says NAACP's support for same-sex marriage helps dispel myth that blacks are hostile to gay rights
Michael Shure talks to the NAACP's chairman emeritus, Julian Bond, about the board of directors' historic vote in support of equal marriage rights. "The black community has been -- unfairly, I think -- characterized as being overwhelmingly hostile to this idea of gay rights and gay marriage," Bond says. "Even though we didn't time this to fit with President Obama's statements on gay marriage, his statements helped us enormously. When he said he believed in equal marriage, it made it okay for ordinary black people to say, 'I believe in it too.'" http://bit.ly/MdaPqA
What is the politics, if any, of The Avengers? Is government secrecy killing us, and is the Obama administration going after whistleblowers like Bradley Manning? Are people naturally good or evil and can we all be happy? Cenk Uygur (host of The Young Turks) leads this weeks panel to discuss these issues and more with Patrick Meighan (writer - Family Guy), Kinsey Schofield (correspondent, Young Hollywood), and Shari Young Kuchenbecker (psychology professor and author of 'Raising Winners'). Special thanks to Chase Madar (author of 'The Passion Of Bradley Manning'), and Philip Zimbardo (professor emeritus at Stanford University and founder of HIP*) for sending in points.
[WEB EXTRA] `TYT' Trending Topic: JPMorgan loses big money, but not President Obama's support
JPMorgan lost at least $2 billion in derivatives trading, and CEO Jamie Diamon's trademark blunt assessment of the mess wasn't enough to save the company from a deluge of media attacks, including Cenk's commentary on "The Young Turks." Cenk says, "We found out last Friday it's a casino, and [Diamon] is the guy running it. They made a bad bet, and they lost a tremendous amount of money." http://bit.ly/KZnNZm
In Trayvon Martin shooting, there is absolutely one guilty party: Guns
Cenk is ready to declare a guilty verdict in the Trayvon Martin shooting, but it isn't a person. "To me, guns are the biggest problem," Cenk says. "That kid would be alive today if George Zimmerman didn't have a gun... Your fetish for guns and feeling so manly over having a gun is killing people, it's killing thousands of people... We turned a whole country into an OK Corral... The country is sick with it... I know, progressives aren't supposed to fight back on this. Nobody's supposed to fight back. We're just supposed to lie down and go, 'OK, NRA, I know you represent the gun manufacturers.' But at least someone's got to stand up to you, and it's going to happen right here." http://bit.ly/M2TAYR
'Professor Cenk' breaks down Bain Capital's buyout of GST, which it drove into bankruptcy
"Professor Cenk" breaks down the "vulture capitalism" behind Bain Capital's leveraged buyout of GST, which it bought in 1993 and declared bankrupt in 2001. "What Republicans and conservatives often say is, 'Hey, listen, we're making the markets more efficient. We're creating jobs. We're creating all these great things for the economy.' That's one way you can make money, but another way you can make money is by shifting costs around, by putting the burden on other people and taking the money for yourself." http://bit.ly/JWymw2
Gayest president ever, biggest bankster 'bad apple' of the year & other stories you missed on 'TYT'
If you weren't watching "The Young Turks" on Current TV this week, you missed Jerry Springer, guest TYT Supreme Court Chief Justice, ruling who was the gayest president ever, Cenk & co. excoriating JPMorgan CEO Jamie Diamon for the companies multi-billion dollar losses on risky trading and much more. Be sure to tune in every night at 7/6c, and go to current.com/GetTYT to find Current on your TV. http://bit.ly/L5QDEw
Right-wing plan to bring back failed Rev. Wright strategy assumes America is as hateful as Joe Ricketts & co.
Cenk tears into the super PAC plan funded by Chicago's Joe Ricketts, which calls on Republicans to find an "extremely literate conservative African-American" who can help in attacks against President Obama. "That disgusts me," Cenk says. But the plan's suggestion to use Rev. Jeremiah Wright doesn't add up -- in 2008, $7 million worth of ads already made the most of the "radical" minister's influence on Obama. "It didn't work, you knuckle heads. Fox News gave them all the free advertising in the world -- they ran it over and over again. But the assumption with Joe Ricketts and these guys is, 'God, if only America knew how angry his black pastor was, maybe they would hate him like we do!' No, because America isn't as hateful as you are. That was your miscalculation." http://bit.ly/LYDxLK
I didn't feel safe under my own government,' #NDAA plaintiff tells Cenk
Tangerine Bolen, a journalist and founder of Revolution Truth, joins Cenk to talk about the National Defense Authorization Act's indefinite detention provision, which was struck down by a federal judge. "I didn't feel safe under my own government," Bolen says. "We are completely prepared to fight it in any way we need to legally," even if appealed to the Supreme Court. "We have a lot of people in the wings to become plaintiffs." http://bit.ly/JApptg
GOP quickly replaces Boehner-care back-up health care plan -- to be used if Affordable Care Act gets repealed -- with a 'vision'
Current correspondent Jacki Schechner joins Cenk to talk about the GOP's backup plan in hope that the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act. But "Boehner-care" was immediately considered too controversial, so Republicans back-tracked and said if the ACA is repealed, they'll introduce their "vision" for health care reform. "Not an actual plan, but a unicorn and fairy dust vision," Schechner says. Cenk says, "Because what we needed was more Republican visions." http://bit.ly/KdCLsT
[WEB EXTRA] Michael Shure shows you how to quit Ameritrade in protest of Ricketts' racist super PAC plan
Michael Shure calls TD Ameritrade to cancel his day trading account in protest of founder and CEO Joe Ricketts' plans involving an anti-President Obama super PAC. http://bit.ly/Lc0oAu
Cenk on Mitt Romney's proposed budget: 'You, dear sir, are a liar. You wouldn't help the deficit at all.'
Cenk breaks down Mitt Romney's proposed budget, which is full of what we'll call "wreckonomics." Cenk says, "Mitt Romney would not decrease the deficit, he would increase the deficit by $8.8 trillion. You, dear sir, are a liar. You wouldn't help the deficit at all. You would just simply take the money and redistribute it to the very top. It's your own tax plan. So please stop lying to the American people." http://bit.ly/JkGvGY
Power Panel: Can Sarah Palin's support make or break a GOP candidate's race?
Cenk asks his Power Panel -- James Poulos of "The Daily Caller" and Benjy Sarlin from "Talking Points Memo" -- how much of an impact Sarah Palin's robo-calls supporting Deb Fischer affected the Nebraska GOP primary for Senate, which Fischer ultimately won. "Give her some credit," Poulos says. "There is evidence that Palin's endorsement didn't hurt." Sarlin says, "There's so much going on already, it's hard to tell what the decisive factor was." http://bit.ly/JhRCXB
Actor Richard Kind on closing tax loopholes: 'Sometimes you have enough money'
Cenk talks to actor Richard Kind about his White House Correspondents Dinner rant about the economy -- captured on camera at a party that weekend -- and the insidious evil that are tax loopholes. "I'm not a politician," Kind says. "I'm a guy who lives a nice life. But what I do believe is that sometimes, you have enough money." http://bit.ly/KR4m4X
[WEB EXTRA] Cenk mocks 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' cable host contestants -- but can't perform under pressure when quizzed by Epic Politics Man
As "power players" take on "Celebrity Jeopardy!" this week in Washington, DC, Cenk and Michael "Epic Politics Man" Shure revisit the absolute worst cable news host in "Jeopardy!" history -- Wolf Blitzer -- and some of the low-lights from Chris Matthews and Dana Perino this week. Shure quizzes Cenk with a few of the recent questions, causing Cenk to completely freak out and forget every capital of every city he ever knew. http://bit.ly/Junne4
Special TYT Supreme Court Chief Justice Jerry Springer rules: 'Obama is, in fact, the first gay president'
Cenk convenes a very special TYT Supreme Court with Michael Shure, Ana Kasparian and Jayar Jackson under the jurisdiction of guest Chief Justice Jerry Springer to determine whether Salon.com's assertion that James Buchanan was actually the "first gay president," as Newsweek has also said of President Obama, because of his support for same-sex marriage. Citing Abraham Lincoln and stories of other 19th century men who often shared beds, Springer says, "It is true, Obama is, in fact, the first gay president." Cenk appeals, Shure argues context, Jackson says who cares and Springer asks, "Is there any point at which this matters?" http://bit.ly/KZrjAj
Louisiana is the prison capital of the world, and its own sheriffs are the ones who profit
Ana Kasparian tells Cenk about the real (only) winners behind Louisana's unfortunate designation as the "prison capital of the world": the local sheriffs' departments, which run the jails. One in 86 Louisana residents in jail -- the highest in the U.S. and three times the incarceration rate in Iran and seven times China's. "There are some things that should not be for profit, and imprisoning our own citizens is definitely one of them," Cenk says. http://bit.ly/KrBtxN
Cenk slams Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin for skipping out on tax bill by renouncing U.S. Citizenship
In advance of Facebook's big IPO, co-founder Eduardo Saverin -- who was sympathetically portrayed in the film "The Social Network" by Andrew Garfield -- has renounced his U.S. citizenship and will become a resident of Singapore. As an immigrant and internet entrepreneur, Cenk has something to say about that: "Classy, really classy. Without the U.S. justice system you would have been nowhere. When it comes time to pay your taxes, you're going to run away to Singapore and not pay. We really appreciate you appreciating this country. Jesus Christ." http://bit.ly/Ku8c4m
JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon says we shouldn't blame the industry for a few bad banksters, but he's the one running bad bets
Cenk tears into Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan who is supposedly the exception to the bankster rule. "It's a casino," Cenk says, "and he's the one running it. It turns out he didn't have it figured out." http://bit.ly/JyfHXd
Cenk and Lawrence Lessig: Can a presidential candidate without a party get on the ballot?
Cenk interviews Harvard law school professor Lawrence Lessig about Americans Elect, which is working to allow the online selection of a nonpartisan presidential candidate who would be included on every state ballot in November. "[The candidate] would put the issue of money and politics right back at the center of this election," Lessig says. http://bit.ly/J6w8Mp
Affordable Care Act premium rebate checks will soon be in the mail. How do you like that Obamacare now?
Cenk talks to Current TV's Jacki Schechner and Michael Shure about rebates that many Americans will receive under the Affordable Care Act's provision that health insurance companies must spend 80 to 85 percent of your premium on actual health care. "What experts are hoping is that this will be an incentive for insurance companies to keep their expenses in check," Schecter says. Shure says, "There are so many people that are going to be getting checks. And when a campaign or a president is able to say, 'The check is in the mail,' that is an unbelievable advantage." Cenk says, "It's another thing to say, 'I told you that they were making too much profits.'" http://bit.ly/JgSkCh
Mitt Romney was a bully in high school, and he hasn't learned a thing since
Michael Shure, Michael Hastings and Tricia Rose track what looks like a lifelong pattern of Mitt Romney's mean-spirited behavior, from allegations of bullying a prep school peer, taunting a blind English teacher, hazing classmates at Stanford, and, later, pressuring a pregnant woman whom he counseled not to have an abortion, even if it risked her life. "How scary is it that everyone has to look like Mitt Romney to survive high school?" Rose asks. With a history like that, saying "I like being able to fire people" almost seems nice. Shure says,"You see a portrait of someone who grew up entitled, who grew up believing this is just the way things worked -- you go along with the crowd, you go along with the masses. There's an insensitivity that bugs me, and it made me think that he hasn't changed." http://bit.ly/Kr28sU
President Obama's big gamble on same-sex marriage risks backlash from religious voters, but may not damage Latino support
After President Obama's big gamble that standing up for same-sex marriage would be a political win, guest hosts Michael Shure, Michael Hastings and Tricia Rose talk about the role played by LGBT and other progressive groups in keeping constant pressure -- especially when it comes to donations -- on Obama over the last few years. http://bit.ly/KU9C4e
After worst day of violence in Syria, is it time for the U.S. to intervene?
Michael Shure asks his Power Panel -- Judd Legum from American Progress and Michael Hastings from "Rolling Stone" -- whether the worst day yet of violence in Syria means it's time for the U.S. to take action. Legum says, "This is a really complicated situation -- even more so than in Libya. There might be a risk of starting a civil war." Hastings, who was in Baghdad in 2009 when there were massive, similar bombings, says, "The fact that the government is so unstable that they're no longer able to prevent these attacks from happening, and you can have an attack in the capital city of Syria that does this much danmage -- to me, would suggest that if they are not already in a civil war, they're on the brink of some pretty massive violence." http://bit.ly/IXdMx6
Romney takes 'a lot of credit' for auto bailout, despite saying then 'let Detroit go bankrupt'
"Where would we be without Mitt Romney saying 'let Detroit go bankrupt'?" Michael Shure demands as Romney takes "a lot of credit" for the auto bailout despite all evidence to the contrary. "You can take all the credit you want," Shure says, but there are a few financial advisers and unions who will completely disagree. http://bit.ly/J2Mbc1
In Pakistan, do the estimated 800 civilian deaths 'for one possible bad guy' killed by a drone actually prevent terrorism?
Michael Hastings, author of "The Operators," tells Michael Shure and Tricia Rose about U.S. strikes in Yemen and Pakistan that have killed far more civilians than military targets. "Did these drone strikes create more terrorists or are they preventing more terrorists?" Hastings asks. "What's the long term impact of these sort of mistakes even if there's the occasional success?" http://bit.ly/KDL2uM
Noah Wyle on 'unsexy' Medicaid activism and how George Clooney and other 'E.R.' actors got so politicized
Michael Shure, Michael Hastings and Tricia Rose talk to "ER" and "Falling Skies" star Noah Wyle about his recent arrest with the group ADAPT (Americans with Disabilities for Attendant Programs), which was in Washington, D.C., protesting Medicaid cuts. "It's usually a very unsexy kind of issue," Wyle said. "This isn't really a medical issue. This is a civil rights issue. It's for everybody who is planning on getting old." Given Wyle's former castmate George Clooney's activism, Shure says, "What was in the I.V.s on 'E.R.'?" Wyle says, "I give George all the credit in the world -- he walks the walk as well as talking the talk. He always singles out the underdog and champions the underdog. It being a medical drama...we all got politicized earlier on than most people do on their TV gigs." http://bit.ly/LIYlcs
Cenk interviews `Playboy' founder Hugh Hefner (part 1): GOP `war against sex,' Obama and banning banksters from the Mansion
Cenk interviews Hugh Hefner, founder of "Playboy" magazine, about the right-wing's "war against sex," where President Obama has fallen short, and criticism from some feminists for exploiting women. Hefner says, "I'm on the right side of the sexual revolution, too. I know what the world was like before 'Playboy' -- and repression is very hurtful. If we're not free in or own skins, if we're not free in our own bedrooms then we're not free at all." Plus Cenk challenges Hef to ban banksters from the Playboy Mansion. http://bit.ly/KBi8eC
Obama will endorse same-sex marriage soon, says adviser on gay issues to President Clinton
Richard Socarides, who advised President Clinton on gay issues, tells Michael Shure, Michael Hastings and Tricia Rose that he believes President Obama will come out in favor of same-sex marriage before the Democratic National Convention. "I'm actually surprised he's waited this long," Socarides says. "I think that he is ready to go." http://bit.ly/JRyqxz
Gen. McChrystal's off-the-record Yale course is latest try to 'rehabilitate' image, says 'Rolling Stone' reporter
Michael Shure, Tricia Rose and "Rolling Stone" contributor Michael Hastings take a hard look at a "New York Times" piece about Ret. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who is now teaching an "off-the-record" class at Yale. "This has been part and parcel of this larger rehabilitation campaign...to whitewash his image," says Hastings, whose reporting about McChrystal's loose talk on President Obama played a major role in getting McChrystal fired. "This is a cleaning-up campaign that benefits the government as well as his own pockets," Rose adds. http://bit.ly/IDP53V
[WEB EXTRA] 'SNL' plays it safe (again), but FunnyOrDie.com wins with 'GOP in my vagina' viral video
Michael Shure, Michael Hastings and Tricia Rose talk about a trio of allegedly funny pieces of political satire: a "Saturday Night Live" sketch about "Fox & Friends," an "SNL" cold open that didn't end up airing and a FunnyOrDie.com clip where Kate Beckinsale and other women plead for the GOP to get "in my vagina." Shure says, "That's what 'Saturday Night Live' is not doing." http://bit.ly/IQTs07
Starting Monday, watch Cenk interview "Playboy" founder Hugh Hefner about President Obama, the GOP's "war against sex" and how his civil rights work in the 1950s is awfully similar to politics today. Go to current.com/GetTYT to find Current TV.
Navy SEAL Ryan Zinke: Use of bin Laden's death 'struck a nerve,' but won't last through election
Michael Shure, Michael Hastings and Tricia Rose talk to former Navy SEAL and Montana state senator Ryan Zinke about the use of Osama bin Laden's death in ads supporting President Obama. "When you attribute a specific mission of this type to a specific unit, you open up Pandora's box," Zinke says. "The American public prefers the military to be neutral and not be used as a political tool one way or the other... I think that it has struck a nerve. I think the administration and the military has learned their lesson yet again [but] I don't think there will be a lot of rumblings from the SEALS to go any further." http://bit.ly/JZHkdE
Power Panel: President Obama 'won't have the guts' to come out for same-sex marriage
Epic Guest Host Michael Shure and his Power Panel -- BuzzFeed's Michael Hastings and Lucia Graves of "Huffington Post" -- talk about whether President Obama's pro-gay accomplishments can outweigh his reluctance to further "evolve" on the question of same-sex marriage. "I think he actually has an opportunity here to make ultra-conservatives look like cave men on this issue," Graves says. "The question becomes, should he stand up for what he believes in?" Hastings says, "He's sort of saying, 'Look guys and gals, read between the lines.'" Shure asks whether Obama might still come out in favor of equal marriage, and Graves responds, "I think he won't have the guts." http://bit.ly/Klv0lk
Who really runs the Republican Party? It's a short, surprising list
Cenk talks to David Frum, a GOP outcast and author of the novel "Patriots," about the Republicans squeezing out Mitt Romney's gay spokesman, Rick Grenell and who really runs the party. "There's probably two dozen people on that committee... Rush Limbaugh would be on it, Roger Ailes would be on it, Edward Fuelner, head of the Heritage Foundation, would be on it, certain large donors would be on it, Karl Rove would be on it. They don't all share the same point of view... Until Romney becomes president, he needs them as much or more as they need him." http://bit.ly/K5nDPB
Stand Your Ground' is a 'white guy's law' that somehow doesn't help a black Florida woman
Cenk talks to Ana Kasparian, Jayar Jackson and BuzzFeed's Michael Hastings about an African-American woman who drew a gun on her abusive husband -- but whose legal argument to use Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law discussed in the Trayvon Martin shooting has not been successful. Hastings says, "Stand Your Ground is a white guy's law." Cenk says, unlike with George Zimmerman, "In this case, we assume that you are going to do serious damage, we're going to put you in jail right away." http://bit.ly/Iw62SG
From iPad factories to dissidents, what U.S.-China policy should progressives advocate?
Cenk asks Power Panelists David Sirota and Cliff Schecter to help him determine a U.S.-China policy that progressives can truly advocate. "The last people who want any dissidents in China to raise questions about human rights are the corporations that are doing business in China," Sirota says. Schecter adds, "Of course we need to take a tough stance on shipping jobs over there, something that frankly neither party has been willing to do." http://bit.ly/J16bsX
Resignation of gay Romney advisor exposes GOP enthusiasm for hate and backfires on campaign
Cenk talks to Sirius XM radio host Michelangelo Signorile about Richard Grenell, Mitt Romney's foreign policy advisor who resigned due to pressure from anti-gay conservatives. Signorile sees this development as victory for progressives because what Romney hoped would be a savvy political move has backfired instead. 'He thought he could get some mileage out of this, really play it to independents and make him look like a moderate. He was using him as cover now that he's moving into the general election...He's been exposed.' http://bit.ly/JOXC5k
Politics of Afghan war have Cenk 'dumbfounded' by Donald Rumsfeld and deciphering Obama's double play
Cenk tackles political reactions to President Obama's address from Afghanistan on Tuesday calling out former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for minimizing Obama's decision to capture Osama bin Laden yet Rumsfeld ignored his opportunity to do the same. Cenk also talks to author Michael Hastings about how the president is playing both sides of the political aisle by saying the war in Afghanistan is over but US troops will remain until 2024. Hastings says, "If you're an American soldier...the president leaves and you got a year left where people are shooting at you and there's going to be hundreds of more Americans killed with this light on the horizon.' http://bit.ly/KSnEZf
Weak Democrats just stand by and let FOX News 'crucify' the messenger
Director Josh Fox joins Cenk to discuss how the resignation of EPA official Al Armendariz demonstrates that Democrats are too cowardly to stand up to the GOP and FOX News. Cenk says, 'Here's a crazy idea! Why don't you actually fight back?...No, of course, tuck tail and run. Classic Democrats.' http://bit.ly/IsBmlr
WEB EXTRA: Occupy May Day: Voices from the LA protests
Participants in the May 1st "Occupy" protests in Los Angeles speak out on greed in America, the struggles of the working class, education cuts, and how the 99% can continue to make positive progress. http://bit.ly/IFCgfp
CNN just had their lowest ratings in a decade. They are in disastrous shape. When I was on MSNBC, we would beat them with a stick. Even after "pro-CNN" stories like revolutions in Egypt and Libya, Japanese nuclear meltdowns and the killing of Osama bin Laden (CNN does much better when major news or international stories break out), we still beat them. Now they're doing so poorly I might even catch them on Current.
We started at almost nothing on Current, but we have been steadily improving our numbers. Why are we getting traction? Because people want an alternative -- the real news. So, I should just stay quiet and let CNN drive off that cliff. By the way, when I catch Erin Burnett -- which is not that far off because I'm beginning to see her in the distance in the demos -- everyone will know it. Who knows, that might be the event that precipitates CNN re-thinking their entire model. Imagine if a network that started at nearly nothing catches CNN within a year.
But I am not going to wait until then to give them some friendly advice. I know they won't perceive it that way, but I am actually trying to help them. So here it is -- for the love of God, stop doing "he said, she said" crap that doesn't actually deliver the news to anyone. Democrats said this and Republicans said that -- who cares? What is the reality?! Your job is supposed to be to bring us facts, not what official spokespeople told you in their press releases and talking points.
The problem is that CNN doesn't have the courage to do this. They're afraid it might offend some folks if you tell the American people reality. I want to be clear; I'm not saying they should give us opinion. There's plenty of that in other parts of cable, including my show. They're never going to out-opinion me. But if Mitt Romney says his proposal balances the budget, well, why don't you crunch the numbers and tell us whether that's true or not? Of course the reality is that it creates trillions of dollars in deficits just so that the rich can have more tax cuts. But CNN would consider reporting those facts as being biased.
If the Giants play the Cowboys and beat them silly, it is not biased to report that they won. You don't have a pro-Giants bias if you report the score. I'm a progressive but I have no interest in CNN skewing issues in favor of Democrats. By all means, call them out just as aggressively. The Democratic Party takes huge amounts of cash from corporations and unions to vote a certain way. My God, CNN doesn't even cover the role of money in politics. They take politicians at their word. Are you kidding? It seems like the people who work at CNN are the last people in the country who actually trust our politicians. Congressional approval ratings were recently at 11 percent. How well do you think you're going to do on television if you're sucking up to those guys?
By the way, following along with artificially created Fox News scandals doesn't give you balance. It makes you sad and pathetic. There are plenty of real Democratic scandals without falling into the rubbish Fox talks about. How much money does Chuck Schumer take from Wall Street? What favors does he give them in return? Why do Democratic leaders keep writing legislation rigged against the Internet -- could it have something to do with the tremendous amount of cash they take from Hollywood companies? Why does President Obama get a free pass on following George Bush's civil liberties abuses like warrantless wiretapping and indefinite detentions?
In other words, do your job -- report the news. The real news, not dueling talking points and manufactured controversies. My God, where is your investigative team? What's the last story you broke? Of course, the reality is that you don't want to break stories about Washington because that might offend some people. What kind of a so-called news operation is this afraid of their own shadow? "Oh my God, what if we offended someone in power. They might not come on our shows anymore and they might call us biased." Or they might call you journalists.
Sam Donaldson was on our show a long time ago and told us a really cool story about his old boss at ABC News, Roone Arledge. He said when he was covering the Reagan White House (and later the Clinton White House, too), whenever the administration called up to complain about him, Arledge would give him a raise. How far away from that model are we now? When politicians call up to complain now, "news" executives wet themselves in fear. Stand up to them! Do journalism! Challenge government!
And you know something amazing might happen -- people might actually watch you again.
Why the Occupy Wall Street movement exists: 'The system is rigged'
Cenk details why the Occupy Wall Street movement exists for anyone who still fails to understand the reasons protesters are so angry. Over the last 40 years, the average American has lost $3,000 per year in income while the wealthy few have gained $14 million per year. "We're mad that the rules got rigged so that they pay less and we pay more," Cenk says. "That's why we're in the streets." http://bit.ly/JdtBMx
'The Young Turks' cover Occupy May Day from the streets as police move in
TYT correspondents Ana Kasparian, Jayar Jackson and Lucas Lilieholm cover the action during the May Day Occupy LA protests from right alongside the protesters. They tackle a variety of reasons why participants are demonstrating and discuss how the movement has grown since 2011. One protester tells Ana, "It's successful because I know and you know -- everybody knows -- what the '99 percent' is, and this is something that was never before used." http://bit.ly/JdtCQC
Obama says the Afghanistan war is ending? Cenk says, 'No, it's not'
Cenk reacts to President Obama's address from Afghanistan. One year since the death of Osama bin Laden, Obama says the war was over but US troops will remain in Afghanistan until 2024. "That was a pretty speech and I hated it," Cenk says. "The military industrial complex will continue to hum on. They will continue to make billions of dollars. This is not what the American people want.' http://bit.ly/IR5keg
CIA official Jose Rodriguez is 'stupid' for torturing terrorists repeatedly and 'should be in jail'
Cenk responds to the CBS "60 Minutes" interview with CIA agent Jose Rodriguez, who oversaw the "enhanced interrogation" tactics used against terrorists under the Bush administration. Rodriguez's methods included subjecting prisoners like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to routine waterboarding and sleep deprivation for up to 180 hours. "This man should be in jail right now," Cenk says. "Not on a book tour." http://bit.ly/Jmks24
Cenk to Rodney King: 'Do you ever think 'Maybe it was worth $3.8 million'?'
Rodney King, victim of the police brutality scandal that sparked the 1992 L.A. riots, shares his views on the chaos and why he famous pleaded with the public to get along. "You can fight violence with violence and expect a good result," King says. Cenk boldly asks King if, after winning $3.8 million in his civil suit, he ever had a moment where the beating felt worth it. King says he can sometimes joke about his experiences now that it's so far in his past, but he's careful not to trivialize the injustice. "I was just inches away from death," King says. "I wouldn't wish that on anybody." http://bit.ly/IQUdFt
John Singleton on the L.A. riots: 'Hip hop was the precursor and the voice'
Director John Singleton talks to Cenk about his new documentary "Uprising: Hip Hop and the LA Riots" and how rap music paved the way for the resistance. Singleton also recalls his fury when four LAPD officers were found not guilty for the beating of Rodney King. He says, "I thought 'This is bullshit! I can't believe they let those motherf*** off!'" http://bit.ly/IDjVfR
