Topic: Erskine Bowles

The hosts analyze the impending "fiscal cliff," involving the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts and the onset of sequestration. They play clips of Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson explaining the potential for a stock market crash and a return to recession. The segment explores how both political parties might view "going over the cliff" as a tactical advantage.

Erskine Bowles, a former Clinton chief of staff, has joined the board of directors at Facebook. The discussion links this to several former Google employees now working in the Obama administration, suggesting a coordinated effort to use private demographic data for political targeting and election messaging.

The membership of the fiscal reform committee is scrutinized for ties to the military-industrial complex and major corporations. Members include David Cody of Honeywell, Ann Fudge of General Electric, and Erskine Bowles, a board member of General Motors. The presence of these individuals suggests that military spending and corporate interests will be protected while the public faces tax increases.