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“We're all veterans of a war againt the poor in the United States. We have a tremendous opportunity to have a vocation as peacemakers," says Kathy Kelly, a veteran peacemaker herself. ; Recently returned from another trip to Afghanistan where she spoke to everyday citizens, including men and women, Kelly notes that the average person on the ground there has little awareness of the September 11 attacks, despite the rationale for the U.S. occupation.Kelly joins us in studio to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Obama's trip to India and arms deals, and why quoting Gandhi comes with responsibilities.As anti-abortion activist Flip Benham faces trial for stalking and violating a law against residential picketing, we zero in once again on the various tactics of the anti-choice movement. From "Wanted" posters with abortion providers' faces, names and addresses to the use of racially-loaded language by Frank Pavone and his Priests for Life group--a decidedly white organization claiming concern for African-American babies, Charles Stuart for GRITtv Digs keeps an eye on the movement in this third installment of "Conspiracy Tactics."Finally, as Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal stalls in Congress, Laura wonders what it is about our military that keeps it such a deadly place for women, as well as gay and lesbian service members.

Kate Clinton's trying to figure out just why LGBT Americans might be a little depressed this election season. Could it be Sharron Angle? Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Marriage equality? She tracks our country's up-and-down movement on her "It Gets Better" index, and reminds everyone to get out and vote on November 2nd.

It's become common to hear that the Republicans are just "the Party of No," with no ideas beyond obstructing the Democratic agenda. But Arun Gupta of the Indypendent has a new piece out at Truthout.org where he questions that view. The Republicans have deftly turned being the "Party of No" into a positive stance: They signal to their base they are working to defeat an alien ideology while defending real Americans and traditional values and institutions. Arun joins Laura in studio to discuss his piece, the "Party of No" strategy, and where the Left is in all of this. The popular TV show "24", which many argued was a conservative, pro-war and pro-torture program, had its finale this week. Barry Eisler, who used to work for the CIA, argues that the Right has done a better job of seeding its ideology into American pop culture, from television and movies to books. Eisler is now a novelist himself, and his new book "Inside Out" is based on real events involving the disappearance of videotapes documenting American torture of suspected terrorists. Eisler joins us in studio to discuss the way that the media is complicit in issues of war and torture, and how progressives can use fiction and art to fight for our own ideals. "This is my backyard, you shouldn't take a risk in it," says Troy Wetzel, Louisiana charter boat captain, to conservationist Rick Steiner of the BP oil spill. In this clip from our friends at Greenpeace, Wetzel takes Steiner out on his boat to see the immediate effects on the water and the community of the oil that continues, over a month in, to gush out into the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, it's over a year into an Obama administration, and already that word "compromise" has been heard too much. Yet when the news hit Monday night that the administration had agreed to a compromise that would see Congress voting on overturning "Don't Ask Don't Tell", hopes rose again.

This week in front of the White House, uniformed members of the United States Armed Services were arrested for handcuffing themselves to the fence in a call for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.