January 18 – Obama Rejects Keystone and Opens Big Oil’s Coffers; Hungary’s March to the Right; Mitt’s 15% Tax Burden

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with today’s rejection of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline by the State Department that is bound to become an election year issue. Joining us are Elizabeth McGowan and Lisa Song with Inside Climate News.org. Elizabeth McGowan covers the U.S. Capitol and environmental politics for “Inside Climate News” and Lisa Song writes about the impact of the proposed pipeline on the states it is supposed to cross from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada to the refineries of Texas.

Part 2

Then we look into the contentious appearance of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban before the European parliament where he was accused of taking the country on the wrong path towards authoritarian rule. Daniel Keleman, the Jean Monnet Chair and Director of the Center for European Studies at Rutgers University joins us to discuss the right wing direction of Hungarian politics and efforts by Orban’s ruling party to suppress press freedom, take control of Hungary’s judiciary and Central Bank, and perpetuate their own rule.

Part 3

The finally we discuss Mitt Romney’s tax returns, which the Republican front-runner appears to be reluctant to release. One of the country’s leading experts on taxation and tax law, David Cay Johnston joins us to discuss the growing controversy over Romney’s tax returns and the 15% rate that he admits to paying which drew ridicule from his rival Newt Gingrich.