don’t ask don’t tell

”You can believe in the torture, or you can believe in the Jesus, but you can't do both." That's comedian and GRITtv contributor John Fugelsang's message to George W. Bush, currently on his image-rehabilitation tour. ; He also notes that Jesus never said anything about abortion, but was pretty clear on the death penalty.As the Deficit Commission report hits and Americans reel from proposed job cuts, Social Security and Medicare benefit cuts, and other slashes to the social contract, Fugelsang joins us to try and make us laugh about things that aren't funny--and to get serious about concern for the poor and the needy.It's Veterans' Day--originally Armistice Day, initiated to mark the ending of World War I and create a day "dedicated to the cause of world peace.”

“It's not an election, it's an auction,” says Mike Papantonio of the corporate cash pouring into elections around the country. ; Papantonio's home state of Florida has seen both its Senate and governor's races attracting national attention, as Tea Party candidates in both races argue for cutting benefits and wages in the name of deficits, and ignore crumbling infrastructure.Papantonio checks in with Laura via Skype to discuss the elections, Florida's generation gap and its effect on Tea Party support, and of course, BP, the Gulf, and claims that the oil is gone.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.When you hear about a $5 billion election year, you probably wonder where that money is going.

"The first step is to stop apologizing," says Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the Center for Community Change. "We have ideas; we are often cowed by the ferociousness of the argument from conservatives." Indeed, in the wake of Larry Summers' departure from the Obama administration--and the news that the administration wants to head off criticism that it's been anti-business--as well as the failure of Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal and the DREAM Act in the Senate, it often seems like conservatives are winning. But, Bhargava notes, ordinary Americans are organizing as well, and the One Nation march in Washington will be a start toward holding the administration accountable, and building a real bottom-up movement. Fourteen years ago this week, Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law. DOMA, as it is known, allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, and laid the foundation for marriage bans across the country. Charlene Strong has been fighting DOMA since the death of her wife, Kate Fleming, in a flood in their Washington State home. Strong faced discrimination at the hospital and the funeral home while dealing with the loss of her partner, and a documentary was made of her struggle. For My Wife is available now on DVD to buy or to rent, and she joins Laura in studio to remind us all what the denial of marriage rights really means to couples. Finally, Larry Summers is out, off to make more money off his own policies, presumably. But what's next, and how can we get progressive voices in? Laura has some thoughts.

"I have no regret to anybody in the military. This is clearly a failure of our government," says Iraq war veteran Dan Choi, who was discharged under "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell"; environmental activist Jerry Cope talks about his Huffington Post article, "The Crime of the Century: What BP and US Government Don’t Want You to Know"; Antonia Juhasz talks about BP’s "missing oil" that is washing up in St. Mary’s Parish, LA. "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour.