The weekend brought news from Libya… it looks as though Gadaffy will be going soon.  Although we don’t know what will take his place, I can’t imagine anything as bad as the mad man Mohammar.

I didn’t deal much with that story on my show this morning, as I couldn’t offer anything new.  But we’ll get the latest this afternoon when I guest host the Randi Rhodes Show…

This morning, my daughter Alison started her first day of 7th grade.  I don’t know how it happened.  It seemed like it was just yesterday we had moved back here to South Florida, just in time for her to start kindergarten.  Unfortunately, these very important learning years are being hampered by huge cuts to Florida’s education budget – and a concerted effort on the part of the GOP to undercut and destroy public education in America.

This morning, I was joined by Cynthia Liu, Founder and CEO of the K-12 News Network . We talked about the attacks on public education, the rise of charter schools, and the influence of Michelle Rhee…

Being Monday, I was joined by Crooks & LiarsNicole Belle four our “Fools on the Hill” segment recapping the Sunday talking head shows.  Here’s what she brought us today:

I don’t do it often, but this weekend I had the misfortune of listening to one of the three very conservative radio stations. After listening to the weekend host not only rationalize, but agree with Allen West’s “plantation” comments, I came to some conclusions: in order to be a conservative you either need to be completely heartless, or completely unable to think things through.

I’m not sure if it’s heartlessness or stupidity that gets Bill Kristol on Fox News Sunday every week. But he proves that once again, he is *NEVER* correct when he and Stephen Hayes agreed that it would be good for GOP presidential candidates to run on “entitlement reform”.

Ironically, the man dubbed “Bush’s Brain” has demonstrated time and again that he does suffer from that failure to cogitate that I think is indicative of the conservative mind. He insisted that Sarah Palin would run – and likely win – the GOP nomination. But he also tried to spin rather lamely the notion of ideological rigidity in the GOP into ideological rigidity in the Democratic Party. But former WH spokesman Bill Burton rightly told Rove that considering the Bush administration’s record, he was in no position to opine on good governance.

Speaking of Sarah Palin’s mythological presidential run, ever-present Sunday news show guest John McCain warned Norah O’Donnell (in for Bob Schieffer) that his former rogue running mate would make a “formidable” candidate. Uh huh. That is, until such time as she had to actually answer to her fellow GOP candidates in a debate. Then we’ll see her fold like a deck of cards.

But Democrats don’t get off too easily in this heart/mind lacking, especially if they are tacking as hard to the right as Harold Ford, who tells the Meet the Press panel that Wall Street *is* Main Street. For corporatists like Ford, that’s certainly true.

And finally, David Axelrod has nothing to do but deflect, deny and disparage when This Week guest host Jake Tapper asks him about Michael Moore’s question to the Obama administration about liberal disappointment.

As I said before, I’ll be on for Randi Rhodes this afternoon (tomorrow & Wednesday too!)

Here’s what’s on tap for today:

Heather Hurlburt – executive director of the National Security Network with the latest on Libya

Harry Shearer – actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host & director… best known for his work on The Simpsons, SNL, Spinal Tap & The Folksmen, and Le Show… But his latest work is his documentary The Big Uneasy (just in time for Hurricane Irene to be the first of the 2011 hurricane season to hit the US).

Joshua Holland –  editor and senior writer at Alternet.org (and author of The 15 Biggest Lies about the Economy: And Everything else the Right Doesn’t Want You to Know about Taxes, Jobs and Corporate America about “The Obama Wars: Why Do We Tear Each Other Apart Over Whether the President Is A Failure or Success”

Listen to the show live from 3-6pm ET via her website’s stream, XM radio channel 168, or any of the Randi Rhodes Show affiliate radio stations.