Dennis Kucinich

"Republicans are moving an agenda to defund programs and agencies that they've never supported," says Bill Fletcher, Jr. "They're not discussing where we get the money to attack Libya if we're broke." Bill, past president of the TransAfrica Forum, says that it's hypocritical of the U.S. to get involved in Libya's conflict while ignoring tyrants in other parts of the world.Bill joins Laura via Skype from Washington, D.C. to discuss the conflict in Libya, the ongoing workers' struggles at home, and his hopes for tactics both at home and abroad."We have to change the balance here and the way you change the balance is a conceptual shift in what you see as the purpose of a nation. The purpose of a nation isn't to make the rich richer or to make the poor poorer, it's to make sure that you have a vibrant economy where there's room for everyone," says Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich.Laura sat down with Rep. Kucinich in Madison March 12 after his speech at a rally hosted by The Progressive magazine and discussed the attacks on public sector workers and what a real economic democracy would look like--full employment, universal health care and education, and a commitment to peace.Then, with all the talk about attacks on unions recently, Laura reflects on the other jobs unions do for us--including help serve as public education.

"We don't write about class struggle in the US so it's hard for us to see it elsewhere," says the Huffington Post's Ryan Grim on the failings of the US media around issues in Egypt. And Katrina vanden Heuvel notes that Islamophobia in the US leads many to focus on fear of the Muslim Brotherhood rather than understanding the ways that Islam and democracy coexist and complement one another.Here in the US, too, there were big media stories, as the Huffington Post merged with AOL, and Keith Olbermann signed up with Al Gore's Current TV. What's in those stories for independent media? Ryan, Katrina and Laura discuss.Karwan Abdul Kader left Iraq when he was 7, seeking refuge from Saddam's attacks on the Kurds. But he faces a different kind of attack in the U.S., as this next clip from our friends at Breakthrough shows. He shares his story of dealing with racial profiling after escaping a dictatorship.As the news comes that Mubarak may be gone from Egypt, attention has turned to his newly appointed Vice President (and possibly soon President) Omar Suleiman. Suleiman came up through the ranks of Egypt's intelligence service, and Jane Mayer and others have pointed out his role in American rendition programs. Meanwhile at home, several former CIA officers involved in some of the most egregious human rights offenses of the "war on terror" have not only not faced charges--they've been promoted.To discuss this and more, we have former US Air Force interrogator and author of the new book Kill or Capture , Matthew Alexander.Finally, speaking of the "war on terror," parts of the PATRIOT Act came up for renewal this week--and were shut down in the House by an oddly bipartisan coalition. A Tea Party revolt? Laura has some thoughts.

Are we possibly going to see an end to the endless health care debate this weekend? With recent reports saying Dennis Kucinich has decided to vote for the bill, signs are pointing to yes. But without a public option, is this really health care reform we can believe in? Here to discuss--and make us laugh at--the fate of the bill, financial reform, and who the members of Congress are that we can count on to keep fighting for better reform is Stephanie Miller, host of The Stephanie Miller Show. Kate Clinton is back with a serious call: to fill out your census form and show America that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are diverse, live all over the country, and have families. Check out our Take Action link for more! Recently, we featured the documentary American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein, a documentary about scholar and professor Norman Finkelstein's struggles with the larger intellectual community--and the U.S.'s Israel policy. Finkelstein joins us to talk about the film, the current state of U.S./Israel relations, and his new book. Published by Or Books, This Time We Went Too Far explores the possibility that the December 2008 invasion of Gaza has caused a significant shift in the international community--including the American Jewish community--opinion of Israel. Finally, Laura discusses the real "femivore's dilemma."