With the continued growth and convergence of corporate and government power, there's plnety of room for dialogue and cooperation between historically divergent points on the political landscape.

But first, a word to the extremists:

Those who insist that most government programs are worthless and that most government workers are lazy haven't taken a serious look at the services we all depend on, or the people who work hard to provide them.

Those who regard all taxation as thievery, like the two people who called into our show last week, are just being silly.

Those who condemn “gummint” period — yeah, we're talking about you, Einstein —  should just come out of the closet as anarchists.

But it's increasingly clear that government is laden with tremendous waste, from the bloated Pentagon budget to subsidies for wealthy farmers to handouts and bailouts for corporate executives and powerful interests.

It should be equally clear that many government rules and regulations further concentrate power in the hands of the rich while dumping more nit-picky regulations on small businesses and average people. That's not to say we don't need a fair, functional regulatory framework to assure that everyone can compete in our economy, nor that we don't desparately need to restore anti-trust laws.
But what we have now in terms of government regulation is often neither fair nor functional.

For example, today, Monday, we disucss the horrible problems a couple of goat farmers in western Iowa have faced dealing with DNR rules that forced them to spend $8,000 to address issues that no sensible person would consider problems. Senator Hubert Houser and Representative Donovan Olson join us along with one of the farmers affected.

Tuesday, we talk with Dr. Charles Goldman about the controversy surrounding Dr. Donald Berwick, who was chosen to head-up the health care reform effort by President Obama. Republicans criticized Obama's choice because Berwick has talked of his admiration for the British National Health Service. Oops, we forgot: speaking favorably of another country's health care program is un-American. Sorry.

Wednesday, we discuss the incredible story of Pvt Anthony Smith, whose refusal to attend a taxpayer-funded concert featuring an evangelical Christian band at Fort Eustis resulted in him and 79 others being disciplined by their commanding officers. So, wait: a privately funded mosque proposed for Manhattan is bad and this is good? Anyone else see a problem with that?

Thursday, Francis Thicke (farmer and candidate for Secretary of Agriculture) joins us to talk about the controversy over A.J. DeCoster's egg factories, DeCoster's long history of immigration and environmental violations, the 550 million eggs that have been recalled due to salmonella, the 1,200 illnesses tied to that recall, and the way political contributions help enable corporate crooks like DeCoster.

Our Thursday give-away is a $20 gift certificate toward a Yankee Doodle Dandy tattoo. As a bonus, find out whether Ed, Lynn or anyone on our production team has a tattoo, and if so where and of what genre. (Hint: Ed hates needles.)

Ed and Lynn Fallon