PoliticsNation, Monday, February 11th, 2013

POLITICS NATION
February 11, 2013

Guests: Nia-Malika Henderson; Chaka Fattah; Kirsten Gillibrand, Maria Teresa Kumar, Angela Rye, Joe Madison, Dana Milbank


REVEREND AL SHARPTON, MSNBC ANCHOR: Thanks, Chris. And thanks to you
for tuning in. (INAUDIBLE) on gun control. Today, vice president Biden
who`s leading the White House committee on gun violence pounded the message
and called for action today in Philadelphia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We cannot wait. The
images of those innocent little children being riddled with bullet holes,
has gripped the conscience of the nation. And the nation is demanding that
we act responsibly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: We can`t wait. We are seeing and hearing the call for
action from the White House.

Today, first lady Michelle Obama announced her guest at the state of
the union will be this woman, Cleo Cowley. She is the grieving mother of a
15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton. Hadiya Pendleton was the honor student who
was just laid to rest after being shot and killed in a Chicago park, days
after attending the president`s inaugural festivities.

An urgency is building in Congress. We learned today a bipartisan
group of senators is closing on an agreement over how to expand background
checks. And the list of Democrats bring victims of gun violence to the
state of the union is growing. Over 30, including the brother of this
hero, Victoria Soto, the Sand Hook teacher who died protecting her
students.

Meanwhile, Gabby Giffords, the face of courage, released this ad today
calling for action and saying, let`s get this done. This is a fight for
all courageous victims of senseless tragedies and it`s personal for this
president.

Over the weekend at Hadiya Pendleton`s funeral, this hand written
message from the president appeared on the program. It`s a message to
Hadiya`s family. In it, the president says that he is heartbroken by
Hadiya`s death and he vows to fight to the end of senseless violence.

This issue is personal for the president and for millions across the
country. And we`re seeing real urgency and more momentum.

Joining me now is Congressman Chaka Fattah, Democrat from Pennsylvania
and Nia-Malika Henderson from "the Washington Post."

Let me go to you, congressman, first. You were at the round table
with vice president Biden today. It seems the energy is not letting up, is
it?

REP. CHAKA FATTAH (D), PENNSYLVANIA: We had with the vice president
today, the police commissioners from New York City, your hometown,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlantic City, Wilmington Delaware where there was
a shooting today in Delaware which three people lost their lives and two
others were injured at the courthouse there.

But there was a real focus and a detailed discussion of multiple hours
about how we move forward and how we make sure that what we do is truly
effective. I think the vice president who said that every single
recommendation he`s made to the president, the president has adopted and
embraced that they are very, very serious about making sure that the
country takes a turn for the better on this issue of gun violence. And I
believe that we`re going to get it done. I believe that not only universal
background checks, but I think we can do even more than that. And I think
a large part of what the president`s recommended can become the law of the
land.

SHARPTON: Nia-Malika, when you start seeing a face put on this kind
of vicious and despicable acts that we are seeing from Newtown, the
Chicago, I think that it helps to really bring home to people that this is
not about partisan politics. This not about ideology. We`re talking real
life and real death.

For example, when you look at the mother of Hadiya Pendleton, the
young 15-year-old killed in Chicago. She talked about the pain of losing a
child as the first lady attended the funeral. She was on this show last
week, but she talked at the funeral about the pain of a mother. Her,
losing a child. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLEO COWLEY, MOTHER OF HADIYA PENDLETON: You don`t know how hard this
is. And those of you that do know how hard this is, I`m sorry. No mother.
No mother, no father should ever have to experience this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: This is not a party leader. This is not a political
activist or politician looking for votes. This is a mother who`s dealing
with a 15-year-old child who did nothing wrong. Gone. Honor student.
Baby is killed in Newtown. Do you think, as the human faces have been put
on, Nia, it changes how the American public responds to this issue?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, POLITICAL REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST:
Absolutely. I think that has been the brilliance of this campaign for so
long. And we have seen the victims of violence particularly in inner
cities really ends up being greased in newspaper, articles or maybe aligned
in the evening news. But here, they`ve really been front and center. And
we will see that over the state of the union address tomorrow with the
president - the first lady having this mother there and the president --

SHARPTON: You know, the father will be with the first lady yet.

HENDERSON: Exactly. And then some other folks in Congress, I think
or so legislators there, will also have victims of gun violence, whose
family members have been possibly gunned down by gun violence. And I think
that`s what`s been so effective with this campaign is frankly it remind me
of what you saw happened in the `60s around some of the violence, for
instance, when there is four little girls were killed in Birmingham church.
It really brought home the severity of a need over some reframing of the
debate for some legislative action.

And the president has had I think, a lot of momentum and really have
taken a lot from the NRA. They have a situation, I think, a lot of their
members have rhetoric around or the government being gun grabbers and
coming into their houses and grabbing guns. But the president had instead,
a highlighted real tragedy, real effects of this violence and the effects
it`s had on families.

SHARPTON: Now, congressman, when Nia-Malika mentions the NRA, a
lobbyist appear in the NRA Wisconsin convention this weekend, and he
predicted all the attention on gun laws will fade away. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB WILSON, NRA LOBBYIST: We have a strong agenda coming up for next
year, but of course a lot of that is going to be delayed as the Connecticut
effect has to go through the process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Delayed as the Connecticut effect. I mean, almost
dismissive. We are talking about 20 babies. Connecticut effect goes
through the process. They think it`s just going to fade away, congressman.

FATTAH: They are dead wrong. And you know, I have to give credit to
someone who was not at the meeting, but who has been ever present everyday
on every issue. And that is your mayor, mayor Bloomberg who has been a
true hero in making sure that these issues can be bought to the light.

You know, when we see the TV commercial during the super bowl, when we
see the mayor putting together in financing the mayors against illegal gun,
literally, some 700 mayors cross the country that are fighting on this
front.

And now, you will see tomorrow Congresswoman Giffords who has an
organization, they will be been running and ad right before the state of
the union which is so important that we go and communicate with the public
because the NRA, they may love their guns, but the country, they -- we love
our children. And I think that you are going to see a real fight here to
the finish. And I believe we are going to be successful.

SHARPTON: You know, Nia-Malika, you know every time I think I heard
it all, I hear something else. And the today, we learned that Republican
congressman Steve Stockman would bring Ted Nugent to the state of the
union. That Nugent who got the secret services` attention last year after
making the following remarks during the NRA rally. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED NUGENT, RADIO HOST: Barack Obama becomes the president in
November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: This is the man that Congressman Stockton is going to sit
among the victims tomorrow night at the president`s state of the union
address.

HENDERSON: You know, I`m speechless in some ways. I don`t think
Republicans had realized that a lot of these divisive rhetoric and divisive
people who they have been braved, at least in the case if Stockman,
actually ended up helping the president`s cause. I mean, here you have a
man who`s spoken this way. And then, on the contrary, you will have all of
these people who have been victims of gun violence and that`s a sort of
contrast, I think that is ultimately will help Democrats and the folks who
want to push forward some gun control legislation. You know, and with
someone like the spectacle and we will talk about it on cable news. But
ultimately, I think it will damage Republican`s cause and their efforts to
reframe and rebrand their party.

SHARPTON: I think we can digs agree, but the be that insensitive and
arrogant to bring someone like that to the state of the union when the
victims are going to be there, I think it sends a whole lot about those
that oppose this.

Congressman Chaka Fattah and Nia-Malika Henderson, I`m going to have
to leave it there. Thank you both for your time tonight.

HENDERSON: Thank you.

FATTAH: Thank you.

SHARPTON: Coming up, new congress, same destructive war on women.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on the fight. That`s ahead.

And, they whipped him, smeared him, blocked him, and it`s still
happening. But it`s his turn. He`s ready for the bully pulpit.

Plus, what happens when someone talks down the bully? Bill Maher
destroys Donald "Birther King" Trump.

You really need to see this one.

The Monday show coming your way. Stay with us. Don`t go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Have you joined the "Politics Nation" on facebook yet? We
hope you will.

Today, that conversation focused on the state of the union. Across
MSNBC, we are asking our audiences to finish the iconic sentence that the
president traditionally uses in his annual speech. The state of the union
is blank.

My response? I say the state of the union is depending on us.

Ed says, it is on the mend.

Rodney says, it is better than the cynics would like for us to
believe.

And Diane says it`s a new beginning.

We`ve got a whole lot more about the bull`s speech President Obama`s
expected to make tomorrow coming up later in the show.

But, first, we want you to tell us what you think the state of the
union is, too. Head over to facebook page to answer that question. That`s
facebook.com/politicsnation and be sure to like us to join the conversation
that keeps going long after the show ends.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Tomorrow, the Senate is expected to renew the violence
against women`s act expanding this critically important law with new
protections for women all across the country.

But over in the house, GOP leaders are refusing to say if it will even
get a vote is a stunning display of extremism on that what should be a bill
that everyone can support. The violence against women`s act was renewed by
an overwhelming majority in 2000. And then this year again in 2005. But
this year, while the ill has 193 Democrat co-sponsors, it has zero
Republicans. Zero. None.

The big sticking point is that Republicans don`t want to extend
protection for Native American women. In fact, some conservatives are even
claiming that the violence against women`s would somehow hurt men. You
can`t make it up, folks.

Joining me now is Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. She has
been a fierce advocate of for the violence against women`s act.

And I`m glad to have you with us, senator.

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D), NEW YORK: Hello, Reverend. How are you?

SHARPTON: Great.

Let me ask you this. I know the senate is going to vote on this. But
the House Republicans, I mean, why in the world would anybody vote against
this kind of legislation? I mean, how could someone be opposed to the
violence against women`s act?

GILLIBRAND: Well, I don`t know, Reverend. This has been a bill
that`s been bipartisan year after year. It is something that
overwhelmingly is supported in both the House and the Senate. But for some
reason, these Republicans, they`re unwilling to protect women and protect
their lives. Every year, a thousand women are killed by their spouses or
partners. There is violence gets women and assault and rape, 600 case
every single day. It is a huge issue and we need to have the protection in
place to protect women and girls.

SHARPTON: Now, the right wing group, Heritage Action, is actually
lobbying against it saying it hurts men, the act hurts men. And let me
read you a quote, they say.

Under the against the women` act men effectively lose constitutional
rights. It is unprecedented, unnecessary and dangerous. I mean, what are
they talking about?

GILLIBRAND: Well, it is simply not true. There are protections in
place. And what they`re talking about, specifically is women who live on
Indian reservations. And there are protection that constitutional right in
place if that woman is assaulted or rape. But there has to be some
accountability for someone who engages in that violence against that
particular woman.

SHARPTON: Now, the senator, GOP senator John Cornyn agreed, really.
The sat on the floor last week quote "the violence against women act is
being held hostage by a single provision that would take away fundamental
constitutional rights for certain American citizens."

Now, are Republicans really claiming that they`re protecting women
somehow, violates the constitutional rights of men?

GILLIBRAND: Look, Reverend. I don`t think Native-American women
should be treated as the loopholes by society. They should be protected
like every other woman in our country.

SHARPTON: The whole defense of this and trying to distract the issue,
I think in 2013, is almost unthinkable. To think that - and that is one of
the reason that I respect how you have been such a fierce advocate for this
one debut on the show, to think that we would even debate this, fairness
against women, I think most Americans would feel this is unfathomable.

GILLIBRAND: It`s unconscionable. And I think we should come together
around a common sense principle which Democrats and Republicans have long
supported that every woman and girl in America has the right to be free
from violence.

SHARPTON: Now, when you look at the data, the effect that this had on
they had on a women facing violence situations and violence incidents in
the past, has shown that this legislation has been effective and that is
why we need to continue to have it enforced and have it --

GILLIBRAND: Re-authorized.

SHARPTON: Re-authorized, correct.

GILLIBRAND: That is exactly right. What this bill does is provide
the resources necessary for the program and support helping women, making
sure that they may have rape kids on immediately after being rape. But
there can be accountability. And our law enforcement needs the resources
that are provided by this act. So, there can protect women and the girls
throughout society.

SHARPTON: Now, they had a retreat recently at the Republican party
did and at their retreat, house Republicans had a workshop. Listen to
this, senator, on how to talk to women and minorities. I think they flunk
the class. They may need a refresher course.

GILLIBRAND: Well, elections do have consequences. And you saw on the
last election, Reverend, the women`s vote mattered. When women voted, they
over whelmingly elected Democrats who share their values to put women`s
rights at the top of the agenda, who believe in equal pay for equal work;
who believe that women own businesses to get access to capital. The
women`s agenda is very important. Their safety, well-being and their
ability to earn for their families is all highly important to America`s
women and that is why the outcome of the election was it was.

SHARPTON: Violence against women`s act, here`s what they`d be voting
against if they vote it against in the house. They would be voting against
expanded protection for immigrants, Native Americans and LGBT victims, for
college campus, sexual assault provisions and new housing protection for
victims.

I think that it`s something that we need to all call our house
representative and senator about.

Thank you, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for being with me tonight.

GILLIBRAND: Thank you, Reverend.

SHARPTON: Ahead, President Obama`s big Power Play against
Republicans. He won, they lost. And they`re about to hear all about it.

But first, can you believe this? Dick Cheney is talking bad about
President Obama`s national security. It`s almost too easy. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Former vice president Dick Cheney sure has been busy
lately. Last month, the man who wants shot his friend in the face, said he
was worried about President Obama`s gun safety proposals. And now he`s
criticizing the president`s national security nominees.

Cheney says quote "the performance now of Barack Obama as he staffs up
the national security team for the second term is dismal. Frankly, he has
appointing - who he has appointed a second-rate people," end of quote.

Second-rate people. Now, the former vice president is certainly able
to disagree with the policies of the president`s nominees. But what is
possibly second-rate about John Kerry, Chuck Hagel or John Brennan? Kerry
and Hagel are Vietnam veterans and Brennan even worked in the CIA under
President Bush. And, anyway, who is Mr. Cheney to criticize on national
security issues? Let`s take a look at his first rate record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Simply
stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass
destruction.

What we did in Iraq was exactly the right thing to do if I had to
recommend all of them. I would recommend exactly the right same course of
action.

Things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the stand point of Iraqi
people. My belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Did Mr. Cheney think he could call President Obama`s team
second rate without reminding us what he`s done?

Nice try, but we got you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: I will not negotiate around
the debt ceiling. They will not collect a ransom in exchange for not
crashing the American economy. Ordinary folks, they do their jobs. The
notion that our elected leadership can do the same thing is mind boggling.
It needs to stop. Everybody here understands this. I mean, this is not a
complicated concept.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Since the re-election, the President has made one thing
clear. He is not backing down to Republicans. In fact, he`s bringing the
fight to them. Today, we learn these weighing executive actions on
housing, gay rights and other issues.

A gig move to bypass do-nothing Republicans in Congress. And
political says, the State of the Union tomorrow night will be in a word
aggressive. Quote, "Less a presidential olive branch than a Congressional
cattle prod."

Priding Congress to pass his agenda and he`s getting help of the
American people to prod them, too. After his speech, the President is
doing a conference call with grassroots organizers. And those same
supporters will launch a public outreach campaign to promote his agenda.
Then he`ll take his message on the road laying out his vision in Ashville,
North Carolina in Wednesday and in Atlanta on Thursday and in Chicago on
Friday.

Because as the President has said, change doesn`t come from inside.
It comes from outside Washington. It comes from the people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed
when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it.

We, the people still believe that every citizen deserves a basic
measure of security and dignity. The election four years ago wasn`t about
me. It was about you.

My fellow citizens, you were the change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: We, the people helped bring about change before and we the
people can do it again.

Joining me now are Maria Teresa Kumar and Angela Rye.

Angela, how important is it for the President to go outside the
beltway to create change inside Washington.

ANGELA RYE, IMPACT STRATEGIES: Hi, Rev. It`s very important. I
think that we have seen now that public pressure is the best way to move
this Congress forward. Public pressure because the President has got to
continue to emphasize that we, the people, are the United States of
America, not the divided states of America, right? At some point, we have
to heed the public pressure. We have to heed the public outcry for what is
needed to really move this country forward.

SHARPTON: You know, Maria Teresa, the White House views the
inauguration and the State of the Union as cut from the same cloth. The
administrative officials call the two speeches two acts of the same play.
Does that mean we`ll see the same focus we the people in the State of the
Union tomorrow night?

MARIA TERESA KUMAR, PRESIDENT & CEO, VOTO LATINO: I think what we saw
in inauguration was him moving the country more towards a progressive
agenda and the voters wanting to do that. And you saw that with the
increase and this is on gun control, violence against women`s act. The
fact that it`s gone to the social media waves and people are really
galvanizing behind it, you`re going to see the exact same thing as he`s
laid out his agenda tomorrow.

Whether she talks about the economy. It`s a perfect time for him to
talk about sequestration and really talk about who are the people that are
blocking the potential cuts to government. Whether you`re talking about
the violence against women act. He actually has a bully pulpit that you`re
going to have over 40 million Americans tuning in tomorrow to say, you saw
me in act one with my inauguration speech.

This is act two, and act two is not only am I going to talk to you
tomorrow, but I`m going to talk to you for the rest of the week and I`m
going to go down into North Carolina and other parts of the country. We`re
talking people-to-people so that you can galvanize and make sure that your
contacting your legislators and your representatives to make sure that our
agenda of the people passes.

SHARPTON: That is what`s interesting to me, Angela, he`s going right
after the speech on a conference call with grassroots organizers around the
country. They`re the next day to North Carolina. The day after that, to
Atlanta, the day after that, to Chicago. It`s like he`s campaigning all
over again. He`s in campaign mode to pushes agenda.

RYE: It definitely a form of campaigning, Reverend. I think that at
this point, the administration is clear on the fact that not only does the
President has to say in his words, State of the Union, but also with his
actions immediately after the State of the Union.

Listen, I`m going to get out here and I`m going to move. I`m going to
continue to act. I`m going to continue to line-up the American people on
my fight on the messaging because they are my side on the issues. And so,
the President will continue to apply some -- pressure to Congress to say,
I`m going to continue to move. Where are you on tax reform? Where are you
on immigration reform? Where are you on electoral reform? I`m fixing
elections and I don`t mean fixing innocence that we`ve seen in the past.
Right?

SHARPTON: Be clear, Angela, be clear.

(LAUGHTER)

Now, Maria, let me ask you this. I saw "USA Today" made a point. You
just mentioned 40 million people are expected to watch the State of the
Union Address tomorrow night. But USA Today said today that yes, he`ll be
playing to the 40 million people. He`ll be trying to reach them and deal
with them.

But he`ll also be speaking to four individuals, Senator Diane
Feinstein on gun policy. Congressman Paul Ryan on the budget and Justice
Anthony Kennedy on the same-sex marriage. How important is what these four
come away with? How important is that to the President`s agenda and the
future of the country?

KUMAR: Well, he needs to make sure that he brings folks like Rubio
who right now is really out on a limb with the citizenship from
immigration. He needs to basically show an olive branch to him that he`s
going to help him along. With Senator Feinstein, he needs to basically do
the exact same thing in saying, I`m going to stand next to you because I
know what you`re trying to do and incredibly difficult.

But with Kennedy, it`s going to be curious. Because he has to drill
into Kennedy that Kennedy can be the vote that basically cements his legacy
of whether or not he did decide to pass same-sex marriage. And Kennedy
recognized that this might be his legacy. The more he can emphasize that
tomorrow, the President on the State of the Union, I think can move him
along to make sure that he does the right thing, as well.

SHARPTON: Now, Angela, there`s been some tension among the democratic
circles and the laugh about whether they will going to play with age
requirements for Medicare. The White House, today, took that off the
table. They ruled out raising the Medicare eligibility age to cut
spending. How significant is that to calming down some of the tensions on
the center and the left?

RYE: I think very important. Again, when you look at what this White
House continues to do, the employees, the President, the Vice President
continue to listen to what the public is saying. What really matters?
What are the things that we can`t afford to compromise on and what are the
things that we can afford to compromise on.

Also, just going back to the last point on, who the President needs to
speak to at the State of the Union, there`s something else very important
about the State of the Union and that is, who is in attendance? Sometimes,
the most important messaging aspects at the State of the Union are who is
in the room? And who are the chosen invitees?

I think it`s critical that you even look at the speaker -- not the
speaker anymore but democratic leader Pelosi and who she`s inviting to the
State of the Union. There`s a fourth grader for Newtown who she`s invited.

SHARPTON: Right.

KUMAR: Not from the school but that says, you know, I want Congress
to act on gun control measures. And I think that there`s a lot of that
Democrats can do to watch out for messaging in the State of the Union. Not
only the address but also the participants including what`s going on with
Medicare and Social Security.

SHARPTON: Yes, and to have that fourth grader there and -- Ted
Nugent still bothers me, but I`ll leave that alone. But let me ask you
this, Maria. When you look at the fact that Senator Rand Paul was asked to
give the Tea Party response. Now, it would be seen as divisive given that
there`s already a republican response. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: To me, I see it as an extra response. I don`t see
it as necessarily divisive, you know, I won`t say anything on there that
necessarily is like, oh, Marco Rubio is wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Not necessarily divisive.

KUMAR: Right.

SHARPTON: Doesn`t it hurt the GOP message and as a result really
helps the President.

KUMAR: Well, if you really recall, Michelle Bachmann say something
very similar and it`s disastrous. I mean, if you recall, she was looking
at the wrong teleprompter. That`s how off she was with her message. But
what Rand Paul is demonstrating is that the Republican Party can`t get
their act together. They can`t go fire in the rank.

And that`s why even though they keep trying to say that they want to
rebrand, they keep having the squeaky we have. And basically reminds
everybody how extremist their party really is. And that, I think, is only
detrimental to the Republican Party.

SHARPTON: Well, Maria Teresa, you know, how much I respect you but
the wrong teleprompter wasn`t all that was wrong.

(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)

KUMAR: I thought that was the beginning. Maria Teresa Kumar and
Angela Rye, thank you both very much for your time. And we`ll be here for
all the fun tomorrow night all night long.

RYE: Thank you, Rev.

KUMAR: Ahead, the right wing arrangement is over. You think so?
Think again. A major figure has an explosive statement a day before the
big speech. What happens when the birther bully goes down? Bill Maher
unloads on Donald Trump. It`s must-see TV. That`s next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KUMAR: Still ahead, the Donald goes down. Trump`s birther crusade
runs smack into Bill Maher and the take down is one for the ages. Stay
with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: The birther bully goes down. Remember when Donald Trump
was the toast of the GOP? The birther king. He went on air on the crazy
and got all kinds of attention for it. Days before the election, he went
after the President`s academic records.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: All he has to do to get $5 million for
charities of his choice is get his colleges to immediately give his
applications and records. And, also, to release his passport records.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: I wonder why he would want the President`s college records.
Comedian Bill Maher mocked him on national TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL MAHER, COMEDIAN: We did a new rule, one week that suppose that
perhaps Donald Trump had been the spawn of his mother having sex with an
orangutan. The color of his hair.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

MAHER: And the color of an orange orangutan is the only two things in
nature of the same color. I mean, Jay, I wonder what that was for today.

I`m not saying it`s true. I hope it`s not true. But unless he comes
up with proof, I`m willing to offer $5 million to Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: And then, this actually really happened. This is not the
onion. This is real. Trump`s attorneys sent a letter to Maher asking for
the $5 million because Trump`s father was French, not an orangutan. And
attached to it was this. The Donald Trump`s birth certificate. There it
is. Yes, this actually happens. So the lawsuit from Trump is now
official. But the bully met his match. The birther king went down. Mr.
Maher, what do you say about this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHER: This is known as parody. And it`s a form of something we in
the comedy business call a joke. Public figures of course don`t always
like everything said about them. But that`s how we roll here in America.
We love our free speech and we love celebrities getting taken down a peg.
So, Don, just suck it up like everybody else.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

But now, his lawyer sent me a letter that says, and I quote, attached
here too is a copy of Mr. Trump`s birth certificate demonstrating that he
is the son of Fred Trump and not an orangutan. Do this more runs even know
that it`s impossible for people on `80s to produce offspring?

(LAUGHTER)

And look at the lawyer`s signature. It just kind of trails off, as if
to say I`m too embarrassed to even finish this. And don`t forget, this is
not a libel case. No, no. They seem to be trying to set a bold new
president that jokes on late-night talk shows are now legally binding
agreements. Between the comedian and the person they`re making fun of.
Yes, I`m sure this will go all the way to the Supreme Court.

(LAUGHTER)

You know, I`ll tell you something, the legal system in this country,
it`s not a joke. It`s not a toy for rich idiots to play with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Who else could we possibly turn to on this one? Joe
Madison and Dana Milbank. Thanks, guys.

Joe, before I start, I`m looking at Dana`s background. I was a little
sick and hoarse on Friday night. Did I miss some that Dana gets appointed
to the U.S. Senate or Congress or something?

JOE MADISON, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: You`re talking to me? I can`t
stop laughing, man. I mean, you know, they ought to disbar the lawyer for
even taking this case. I mean, this is, can you imagine having your lawyer
do this? I mean, the lawyer is the one who should have said get out of my
office with this. But here`s the other thing. Donald Trump --

SHARPTON: There`s his birth certificate. I`m showing the birth
certificate of Donald Trump. They actually sent a copy of Trump`s birth
certificate to Bill Maher.

MADISON: Donald Trump should have learned his lesson at the White
House correspondence dinner a couple of years ago when President Obama
jammed him up -- and I mean embarrassed him and with parody, also. It`s
absolutely ridiculous and can you imagine now the course that you`ve got to
spend money filing these papers.

SHARPTON: Yes.

MADISON: I would love to see how much it cost the New York legal or
court system and that`s what they ought to do? How much does it costing
taxpayers to go through with this ridiculousness? But one thing finally
the Donald Trump should learn is something that newspaper people have
learned years ago, you do not argue with people who buy ink by the barrel,
you do not argue with the comedian who has millions of people in their
audience. And you have only an audience of one. And that`s the person
you`re looking at in the mirror.

SHARPTON: Dana, let me ask you this. You know, and I`m joking with
you about you there and the tellers of Congress --

DANA MILBANK, COLUMNIST, "WASHINGTON POST": I`m a shadow senator,
Reverend.

SHARPTON: Yes, I want to almost say shadow Senator Milbank. But we
had some fun, you know, with Donald Trump`s birth certificate when the
Donald released it. But Bill Maher is the real comedian. Listen to what
he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHER: Here`s what you put out. It`s the short form certification of
live birth. Not a birth certificate. It was clearly made on a dot matrix
computer printer and it includes a scannable barcode to technologies that
were hardly around in 1946. Where`s the original long form certificate? A
short form copy of a birth certificate unsigned by an attending physician
isn`t proof of anything. You know who I learned that from?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: You know, it`s kind of funny, but when the roles are
reversed, you see not only how you can take things and do what you want,
Dana. It also shows how ludicrous some of the things they did to the
president was.

MILBANK: Yes, Reverend Al. And I think that Bill Maher is onto
something here. And it may be more scandalous than you realize. Now, I`m
a TV guy, I`m a print guy, so I don`t have $5 million to throw around. But
I`m willing to give a hundred dollars to a hair salon of Donald Trump`s
choice if he can prove that in fact that birth certificate was not forged
by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. And America of a county sheriff Joe
Arpaio. I hope that`s not true. But I have not seen any evidence that
it`s not true.

MADISON: I`ll tell you what --

SHARPTON: Again, please Dana.

MILBANK: I`m offering cash here.

SHARPTON: I just want everyone to be clear that he`s got the hundred
dollars. Go ahead, Joe.

MADISON: I`ll match it. I`ve got a hundred here. I`ll match it.
That`s a hundred.

MILBANK: I`m in the capital, Reverend Al. They just throw cash
around here.

SHARPTON: But I mean, here we have all of these wages. But, you
know, on a serious note --

MADISON: Watch out, it`s legally binding.

SHARPTON: The birthers really throw around a lot about rages and
unbelievable things over the past few years. Look at this, Joe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: All I want to do is see this guy`s birth certificate.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: It`s not the piece of garbage that Obama provided
during the 2008 election.

REP. MIKE COFFMAN (R), COLORADO: I don`t know if Barack Obama was
born of the United States or not.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I cannot in good faith report to you that these
adopts are authentic.

TRUMP: You are not allowed to be a president if you were not born in
this country. He may not have been born in this country.

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: All the President has to do is
show --

REP. CLIFF STEARNS (R), FLORIDA: All I can tell you is that the
general consensus is that he has produced a birth certificate. The
question is, is it legitimate?

TRUMP: Perhaps it`s going to say Hawaii. Perhaps it`s going to say
Kenya.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Joe, will these birthers ever give up this whole birther
quest?

MADISON: Not as long as Barack Obama is black. And let`s be honest.
Let`s just be straight forward about this. We live in a country where
you`re cultural conditions that if you`re black, you`re undervalued,
underestimated and marginalized. And that`s what they`re trying to do with
this president. They can`t live with the fact that he`s smart, he`s
bright, he call caught Bin Laden. He`s done things that the other
administration tried to do and couldn`t do.

And quite honestly, I think it`s about time to just simply put these
guys to rest. Call it a day. Call it what it is. And the reality is that
this is what it`s all about. They just won`t say it straight out like I`m
saying it. But everybody else knows that this is true. And I`m really
tired of beating around the bush. Here`s like Ted Nugent, here`s a man who
says, he`s either going to be dead or in jail within 60 some days.

SHARPTON: Yes.

MADISON: I personally don`t care which. I really don`t. He
shouldn`t even be up there in that gallery.

SHARPTON: I don`t really want to see him in jail but I`m sure want to
see him sitting among victims of violence tomorrow night.

MADISON: Let`s see if he`s a man of his word.

SHARPTON: Dana, let me say this to you as we get ready to go with
your wages. Do you think this whole climate has now shifted with
reelection of the president and on most Americans on dismissing these
birthers as the clowns of the politics of 2012?

MILBANK: Well, certainly, I think the birthers are yesterday`s news.
But it`s move on to other things now, you know, did they photo shop the
skeet shooting photo? You know, there`s just always been this conspiracy
theory element that`s always been on the fringes. What`s happening now is
you have mainstream, or what previously had been mainstream figures like
Donald Trump bringing this obscure out there theories into the mainstream.
That`s what`s different now.

Joe Madison and Dana Milbank, next time, you guys tell me what you
really think.

Thanks for your time tonight.

MILBANK: Thanks, Reverend.

MADISON: Thank you, Reverend.

SHARPTON: We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Tomorrow night, we`ll see the President on one of the great
stages of American politics. The State of the Union. It`s a chance to
unite the country, to talk about the core values and issues that should
bring us together. But some people on the other side of the aisle are
doing the exact opposite.

In a brand new interview, the CEO of FOX News said, quote, "The
President likes to divide people into groups. He`s too busy getting the
middle class to hate rich people, Blacks to hate Whites. He`s busy trying
to get everybody to hate each other."

Really? The President, a divider? That`s not the guy most of us have
been watching. He`s not the one questioning the patriotism and even the
citizenship of his political opponents. He never said that defeating
Republicans was quote, "his top political priority," and he didn`t hatch a
plot to bring them down on the very first night of his inauguration.

No, Mr. President, ignore the head of FOX News and go for uniting
Americans. Bring us to a place of hope and a place of action. You rise up
and be the president. Those of us that are active and on the ground.
We`ll do our job. We`ll keep trying to keep the FOX out of the hen house.
Pun intended.

Thanks for watching. I`m Al Sharpton. "HARDBALL" starts right now.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY
BE UPDATED.
END

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