My favorite video story in the wake of the Moore, OK tornado was not the elderly woman’s dog emerging safely from the rubble during her interview (though it did warm my cockles), or of the teachers who risked their own lives to save the children in their care, or the many images of children and parents reuniting.

No, it was Wolf Blitzer showing his true ineptitude when he said to a woman who escaped harm, “You got to thank the Lord, right?”   When she didn’t respond to his expectations (I guess he though she should drop to her knees in prayer and gratitude), he demanded, “Do you thank the Lord?”

Kudos to that woman for her reaction and her honesty.

Unfortunately, the two US Senators from Oklahoma wouldn’t know honesty if it hit them with a tornado.  These asshats are demanding cuts to the measly funding and few programs left in place in order to pay for the disaster aid needed in their state in the wake of a massive natural disaster – an occurrence that will likely be more commonplace in the future as the planet continues warming.

Meanwhile, workers being paid measly hourly wages by big corporations who won lucrative government contracts went out on strike yesterday, as the masses continue fighting back over income inequality and less than good working conditions.  Josh Eidelson has been writing about the many strikes that have popped up by low-wage workers since the Walmart Black Friday strike for The Nation, and he joined me this morning to talk about yesterday’s action.

While I had him on the phone, I asked about the trend toward cities closing lots of public schools and diverting funding toward charter and other schools, and the effect it’s having on teachers and their students.  Stay tuned on this one….

We need some changes in this nation now.  Each Wednesday morning, my friend Amy Simon of She’s History joins in to bring us some fabulous female facts, and today she told us about Eleanor Roosevelt who really changed the role of the First Lady.  Among the long list of items Eleanor Roosevelt was responsible for, she presided over the committee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly Resolution 217 on Dec. 10, 1948, and re-affirmed by all the governments of the world in 1993:

1. Every person is born free and equal in dignity and rights.

2. Every person has human rights regardless of race, sex, language, belief or religion.

3. Every person has the right to life, liberty and security.

4. Slavery and the slave trade are prohibited.

5. No person shall be subjected to torture.

6. Every person has the right to recognition as a person before the law.

7. All persons are entitled to equal protection before the law.

8. Every person is entitled to the aid of law when not treated fairly.

9. No person shall be subjected to arbitrary detention.

10. Every person is entitled to an impartial hearing.

11. Every person shall be considered innocent until proven guilty.

12. Every person has the right to protection of his or her privacy.

13. Every person has the right to travel freely within a country and to leave and return to his or her country.

14. Every person has the right to asylum from persecution.

15. Every person has the right to a nationality.

16. All adults have the right to marry of their own free will and to found a family.

17. Every person has the right to own property.

18. Every person has the right to freedom of religion.

19. Every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

20. Every person has the right to freedom of personal assembly and association.

21. Every person has the right to take part in the government of his or her country.

22. Every person has economic, social and cultural rights.

23. Every person has the right to work, to just pay, and to form and join unions.

24. Every person has the right to rest and leisure.

25. Every person has the right to an adequate standard of living.

26. Every person has the right to an education.

27. Every person has the right to participate in cultural activities and benefit from scientific advancement.

28. Every person is entitled to a social order in which these human rights can be realized.

29. Every person has duties to the democratic society according to the law.

30. No person can take away these rights and freedoms.

Perhaps the people in DC should go back and read all of that again.

We wrapped up the show with Crooks and Liars’ John Amato and a discussion about yesterday’s election of Eric Garcetti as the new mayor of Los Angeles, and Anthony Weiner throwing his hat in the ring to be mayor of NYC.