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Guest host Sam Sacks talks with investigative reporter Lee Fang about Obama's decision to get in on the Super PAC game. Also discussed: Twitter censorship, our nation's infrastructure problems and Thom's "Daily Take" on the rich seceding from the country.

President Obama reversed his opposition to campaign support through super pacs. On Monday, his campaign urged wealthy donors to support a super pac called Priorities USA Action. Obama's campaign manager, Jim Messina said, "we're not going to fight with one hand tied behind our back. With so much at stake, we can't allow for two sets of rules. Democrats cant be unilaterally disarmed."

In his daily take, Thom explains how ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Counsel is leading America into a corporatocracy, which means that elected officials represent corporations instead of people. ALEC joins with CEOs and lawmakers a few times a year to draw up legislation approved by the corporations. Florida Republican State Representative, Rachel Bergen, proposed legislation to reduce corporate taxes.

The Huffington Post reports that conservative billionaires Charles Koch and David Koch recently held a three day retreat in California to raise money to help defeat President Obama. Those who attended the retreat pledged to give $100 million. Charles Koch himself pledged $40 million and David $20 million.

Occupy Oakland debates the question of non-violence in this clip.

The Stream shows a clip of Robert Reich, the CEO of Common Cause explaining the implications of the Citizens United ruling through a illustration/animation video. The video says the court ruling basically decided corporations were people, that super PACS are expected to shatter all spending records on political ads, and that corporations that caused a failed economy that caused Americans to lose their jobs and homes are the ones that are drowning out peoples voices in elections.

NJ Republican Governor Chris Christie says he made a deal with the gay man, Bruce Harris, who he nominated to the state's high court to recuse himself on the same-sex marriage case! Christie wants to put gay marriage rights to a popular vote-and says that it is too bad Mississippi and Alabama could not have had state referenda on civil rights for African Americans in the 1960s. The Republican presidential contest gets wackier and wackier.

The Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox was handcuffed and arrested Wednesday as he attempted to film a congressional hearing on the controversial natural gas drilling technique known as fracking, which the Environmental Protection Agency recently reported caused water contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming. Fox directed the award-winning film, "Gasland," which documents the impact of fracking on communities across the United States, and is now working on a sequel. Fox says he was arrested after Republicans refused to allow him to film because he did not have the proper credentials.

On last night's The Big Picture Thom Hartmann explained how interest groups and the wealthy people giving to those special interest groups are running this election. He illustrated that point by first showing the decrease in spending by candidates in political ads from 2008. The candidates spent $48.7 million at this point in 2008. This year they have spent $13.7 million. That is because special interest group's spending has gone up from $1.8 million at this point in 2008 to $15.2 million this year (a 1600% increase in the amount of ads run).

Journalist Jesse Eisenger from ProPublica talks on Democracy Now! about an article he wrote that appeared in NPR News about Freddie Mac betting on struggling homeowners. They would lose money if a lot of people were able to get refinances. At the same time, they made it harder for people to get those refinances because they are key gatekeepers of who gets loans, even though they are suppose to exist to help people get loans.

Thom discusses Grover Norquist's call for impeaching Obama if he wins and doesn't extend the Bush tax cuts. Also discussed: the latest from the occupy movement, California's efforts to move to a single payer system and Thom's "Daily Take" on how Michigan and Greece's economic and democratic problems are oddly similar.

On January 20, occupiers across the country rallied together in protest against the insidious influence of corporations over the judiciary. Shortly before the rally in Foley Square, New York CIty, Lawrence Lessig and Chris Hedges met in front of Occupy TVNY's cameras to discuss their vision of change. Lawrence Lessig: "I have enormous respect for what you've done, but don't stop with this symbol of corporations are not a person.

"I support the Occupy Movement, but I'm afraid to lose my job" is a common refrain in Wyoming and Idaho. Yet occupations have taken root, and some are even thriving, giving hope to many for progressive social change in the reddest of the red states.