Jonathan Tasini

Jonathan Tasini, labor activist and president of Economic Future Group, and Arun Venugopal, WNYC reporter, discuss the protests on Wall Street.

Brace yourself: the phony debate about the government’s deficit and debt “crisis” will kick into overdrive this week as we hit the December 1 deadline for the federal deficit commission's final recommendations. We’re being told it’s time to tighten our belts because the government is spending too much money. But the debate is an illusion and false: there is no government deficit or debt “crisis.”

The race is on for New York’s 15th Congressional District Democratic Primary, which will take place on Tuesday, September 14. We talk to five candidates:

• Incumbent Congressman Charles Rangel (Rangel for Congress Website)
• Jonathan Tasini (Tasini for Congress Website)
• Joyce Johnson (Johnson for Congress Website)
• Vincent Morgan (Morgan for Congress Website)
• Adam Clayton Powell IV (Powell for Congress Website)

Labor activist Jonathan Tasini, who is challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for the Democratic nomination for Senate, comments on the Goldman Sachs testimony and his run to unseat Sen. Gillibrand.