The birth and death of political movements – and takes on the immigration debate.

Author and political analyst EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON on why clamping down on illegal immigrants won't end discrimination against African-Americans. Then, as Africa captures its most wanted war criminal, why W. keeps sheltering the West's worst terrorist, with ANN LOUISE BARDACH, one of the nation's best-known journalists on the Cuba-Miami-Washington nexus, and attorney JOSE PERTIERRA, who is representing the Venezuelan government in its case to extradite Luis Posada Carriles. Finally, what's happened to the American labor movement, with ROBERT FITCH, author of "Solidarity for Sale: How Corruption Destroyed the Labor Movement and Undermined America's Promise."

Plus Native American women's health care advocate CHARON ASETOYER announces her campaign for South Dakota state senate. Send support to: Campaign for Change, Box 472, Lake Andres, South Dakota, 57356.   

Guest-hosted by NED SUBLETTE!

We begin Air America Radio’s third broadcast year and mark April Fools Day, starting with fallout from the Senate hearing on Sen. Russell Feingold’s presidential censure resolution.

Then front line reports from New Orleans. Legal Defense Fund attorney Damon Hewitt on Saturday's civil rights march and rally at the Crescent City Connection Bridge and the voting rights struggle in the city. Then Sharon Gordon on efforts to save NOLA's St. Augustine Church, the oldest African-American Catholic church in the U.S. Finally, Kevin Phillips, author of "American Theocracy: The Perils and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century." on the radical clerics on these shores.

Guest-hosted by Ned Sublette.

Are we a nation of immigrants? What kind of society pursues policies that break up families and criminalize hope? AARTI SHAHANI of Families for Freedom on the weekend's protests, current immigration policies and what's proposed in Congress.

Then, who are the REAL Feminists and Environmentalists? On our media roundtable: Nation contributors ESTHER KAPLAN and SILJA J.A TALVI and Bitch magazine's LISA JERVIS on media that wage the Right's war on women. Then, Grist magazine's KATHRYN SCHULTZ on its series on poverty and pollution, with Kentucky's BERNADINE EDWARDS and Georgetown professor and author CHERYLL CASHIN on one surprising solution. Plus commentary from DAVID MOBERG.

This weekend, progressive voices that won't be silenced. CECELIA FIRE THUNDER, Oglala Sioux Tribe president on its plans to open a women's health clinic performing abortions on the Pine Ridge Reservation in defiance of South Dakota's new anti-abortion law. Congressional candidate CHRISTINE CEGELIS and political strategist STEVE COBBLE on the future of grassroots campaigns and the Democratic party. Then playwright, PETER MORRIS, ‘The L Word’s KATHERINE MOENNIG (and Golden Globe nominee LEE PACE on GUARDIANS, the new play that looks at politics, morality and torture.

Who says the left has no alternatives to war? Nation author Christian Parenti on why Europeans are doing a better job than the U.S. in Afghanistan. Carol Bellamy, former UNICEF director, the Peace Corps director, and now CEO/president of WorldLearning.org, on avoiding war and building civil societies. A media roundtable with Kristina Borjesson and Newspaper Guild-CWA President Linda Foley. Plus Elissa Montanti of The Global Medical Relief Fund on treating wounded Iraqi children.

Three years after invading Iraq, DC Dems are running from censuring W. As Bush defends first-strike war and says Iran is next, who will say 'Not so fast Mr. President?' Conscientious objector Camillo Mejia on Iraq War veterans marching to New Orleans. The Nation's Alexander Cockburn puts the president in his place - in history and more. Kaveh Ehsani, editor of Middle East Report on Iran. Plus an update on NYC's "Bring 'Em Home Now" peace concert from Run-DMC's Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels, and singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson. 

Welcome back Mike Malloy truthseekers to the RadioNation with Laura Flanders blog! We're guest-hosting for Mike and can't wait to blog and talk to you.

Laura is back from Montana, where she keeps tracking down Dems and progressives who know how to win office and have an impact. But now that she's back in New York City, she can't ignore how Russ Feingold is being dismissed... how insurance companies want access to your paychecks to pay their bills... how a big oil spill is getting covered up - not cleaned up - in Alaska. Plus plans for anti-war marches this week and a report from the frontline of accountable elections, Election Supervisor Ion Sancho of Leon County, Florida - who dared to show how Diebold machines could be hacked and now is facing the wrath of Jeb Bush's cronies.   

Day two of the America is Purple tour in Montana. Going deeper into who and what made the difference in returning Democrats to power, we go to the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN) and talk to: MHRN co-director and state Senator KEN TOOLE; MHRN co-director CHRISTINE KAUFFMAN; Montana Women Vote's TERRY KENDRICK; actress and activist, MARGOT KIDDER of MontanaWomenFor.org, state Rep. MARY CAFERRO and WEEL state welfare specialist; THERESA KEAVENY of Montana's League of Conservation Voters, and HELEN WALLER of the Northern Plains Resource Council. If you want to be part of our audience on Sunday, call the Montana Human Rights Network on 406 442 5506 for address details.

The America is Purple tour continues in Montana to hear from Democrats who are in power and activists making a difference.  From the Montana Democratic Party's Mansfield-Metcalf dinner at the Civic Center in Helena, MT, we talk to JIM FARRELL, Montana Democratic Party executive director; political pioneer DOROTHY ECK; U.S. Senate candidate JON TESTER, Governor BRIAN SCHWEITZER, congressional candidate MONICA LINDEEN, state Rep. KEVIN FUREY, an Iraq War vet, legislator and student; activist-author DAVID SIROTA; ANNA WHITING SORRELL, gubernatorial advisor and member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and others. Stay tuned..  

What kind of White House is this? Yawning as Hurricane Katrina approaches and giving away nuclear technology while fighting a global war on terror? And what kind of Congress is this, with Republicans running away from the White House?

The war as seen by Iraqi women, including EMAN AHMAD KHAMAS,traveling with Code Pink's MEDEA BENJAMIN. Then acclaimed author, WALTER MOSLEYon his latest call to political activism. All that and your calls.

The New Orleans Public Library is asking for any and all hardcover and paperback books for people of all ages in an effort to restock the shelves after Katrina. The staff will assess which titles will be designated for its collections. The rest will be distributed to destitute families or sold for library fundraising. Please send your books to:

Rica A. Trigs, Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112

If you tell the post office that they are for the library in New Orleans, they will give you the library rate which is less than the book rate.
 

The president tours Asia. Is he becoming the world's nuclear weapons proliferator in chief? Or trying to create a new nuclear power cartel to outdo OPEC's lock on oil? Or both?

ARUNDHATI ROYon Bush's nuclear ambitions and trip to India and Pakistan. JOHN BONIFAZ on the Supreme Court's most important election case in decades. VAN JONES on the realities of a president who let a city drown. And Hip Hop pioneer and Rock Steady Crew member JORGE ‘POPMASTER FABEL’ PABON on the Smithsonian Museum’s new Hip Hop collection and Def Jam Poet, ISHLE YI PARK on Hip Hop and truth.

The New Orleans Public Library is asking for any and all hardcover and paperback books for people of all ages in an effort to restock the shelves after Katrina. The staff will assess which titles will be designated for its collections. The rest will be distributed to destitute families or sold for library fundraising. Please send your books to:

Rica A. Trigs, Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112

If you tell the post office that they are for the library in New Orleans, they will give you the library rate which is less than the book rate.
 

Welcome Mike Malloy truthseekers to the RadioNation with Laura Flanders blog! We're guest-hosting for Mike and can't wait to blog and talk to you.

Political corruption is not a victimless crime. Randy Cunningham is going to jail, but the Bush mob is helping to spread the proliferation of nukes in southwest Asia, as its generals in Iraq say everything is normal and its attorney generals in DC say the ban on torture doesn't apply to Gitmo!   Tonight, we check in on with South Dakota's Charon Asetoyer on the state's new, cruel anti-abortion measure that's about to be signed into law. In hour two, Indian author and activist, Arundhati Roy, on Bush's trip. And hour three, Oakland, CA's Van Jones on the impact on Black America when a president doesn't care about the death of New Orleans.

The status quo and political dead ends. What will it take to stop the cycle of violence in Iraq and endless incompetence by the Bush mob at home? More apologists or honesty and fresh faces? Our media roundtable features New Orleanian JORDAN FLAHERTY and "Information Is Power" reporter TERRY ALLEN. Then grassroots and the Democratic Party. From Chicago's suburbs, congressional candidate CHRISTINE CEGELIS on her-up-from-below primary campaign and JIM DEAN, chair of Democracy for America, on why the Democratic Party needs the real thing, not astro-turf.

Read Bill Quigley's article on who was left behind in New Orleans. 

Do progressives need a new strategy in the culture wars? From South Dakota, where the Legislature just passed the nation's most restrictive abortion law in a decade, Kate Looby, Planned Parenthood's state director, Lynn Patrow of National Advocates for Pregnant Women and Charon Asetoyer of the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center. Plus an Oscar preview with The Nation's culture-watcher Richard Goldstein and filmaker Marshall Curry, on his Oscar-nominated documentary, "Street Fight," about running for mayor in Newark, N.J.