As voters in the US prepare for the midterm elections, is the process being hijacked by corporate interests and political extremists on both the right and the left?

The conservative opposition Republican party is expected to make major gains against the ruling Democrats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives on November 2.

A major factor in this election campaign has been the rise of the ultra-right wing Tea party movement.

It has relentlessly campaigned against the policies of Barack Obama, the US president, including the healthcare reform, the Wall Street bailout and the infrastructure stimulus.

But many on the left argue that Obama needs to do more to protect the faltering US economy from slipping into a depression.

On Thursday, joining us to give us their take on the upcoming election will be PJ O'Rourke, a political satirist and author who believes in minimum government and maximum personal freedom.

We will also have with us Ted Rall, the syndicated political cartoonist and war correspondent who says Americans must build a more equitable society.

This episode of Riz Khan aired from Thursday, October 21, 2010.