PoliticsNation, Monday, March 4th, 2013

POLITICS NATION
March 4, 2013

Guests: Donna Edwards, Patricia Murphy, Angela Rye, Margie Omero, Joe Madison

REVEREND AL SHARPTON, MSNBC ANCHOR: Thanks, Michael. And thanks to you
for tuning in.

Tonight`s lead, the budget cuts are here, for real. But do the Republicans
even care? After all, Wall Street is doing great. Stocks are nearing
record highs. Just take a look at the front page of today`s "New York
Times." Here`s the headline about corporate America. Recovery in U.S. is
lifting profits but not adding jobs. Wall Street is buoyant. But a more
troubling headline is buried inside the paper. As automatic budget cuts go
into effect, the poor may be hit particularly hard.

That`s the real story here. The rich are getting richer and these
Republican budget cut that will make the poor even poorer, as the president
is doing his best to soften the blow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are going to manage it as
best we can to try to minimize the impacts on American families. But, it`s
not the right way for us to go about deficit reduction. We are going to do
our best to make sure that our agencies have the support they need to try
to make some very difficult decisions. Understanding that there are going
to be families and communities that are hurting. And that this will slow
our growth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: This will hurt our families and slow our growth. But
Republicans refuse to admit it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID GREGORY, HOST, MEET THE PRESS: Is this going to hurt the economy and
it will hurt economic recovery?

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I don`t know if it`s going
to hurt the economy or not. I don`t think anyone quite understands how the
sequester is going to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: He doesn`t know if it`s going to hurt the economy. Two weeks
ago, Boehner wrote a column saying the cuts would quote "threaten U.S.
national security, thousands of jobs and more." So what happened in those
two weeks? Amnesia?

Folks, Republicans are just not being honest about these budget cuts. Look
at what Speaker Boehner said about President Obama and the Democrats?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOEHNER: Even today, there is no plan from Senate Democrats or the White
House to replace the sequester.

GREGORY: It`s just not true. They made it very clear, as the president
just did, that he has a plan that has put forward that involves entitlement
cuts, that involves spending cuts. That you made a choice as had
Republicans to leave tax in the polls in place and you would rather have
those and live with those.

BOEHNER: Well, David, it`s just nonsense. If he had a plan, why wouldn`t
Senate Democrats go and pass it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: There was a plan. Democrats did try to pass it. It was called
the American family economic protection act. The Senate held a vote last
Thursday and Republicans voted to filibuster it. They refused to allow a
vote on it.

These budget cuts are already kicking in. We`re seeing it at our air
ports, at our borders and our cities. We must hold the Republicans
accountable for them.

Joining me now is Dana Edwards, Democrat from Maryland and E.J. Dionne,
columnist for `the Washington Post."

Congresswoman, let me start with you. Are Republicans hoping the American
people don`t realize how bad these cuts are or why they are happening in
the first place?

REP. DONNA EDWARDS (D), MARYLAND: Well, I`ll tell you, Al, I can`t believe
that they`ve done this. I don`t know what they`re hoping for. But the
reality is that in every single community all across this country, people
are going to feel the impact of these cuts.

In my district alone, obviously, we have a lot in the metropolitan
Washington area. A lot of federal workers and federal contractors. And I
know that they are on pins and needles trying to figure out what`s going
on. But, in communities across the country that have military facilities,
with contractors, with civilian department of defense employees, school
children, head start, you name it, it`s going to be felt.

SHARPTON: Now, E.J., you know homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano
said this morning about how the cuts are already affecting lines to enter
the U.S. at our airports. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We will begin today sending
out furlough notices. We are already seeing the effects at some of the
ports of entry, the big airports, for example, some of them had very long
lines this weekend.

I would say 150 to 200 percent as long as we would normally expect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Now, will a Republican not care about these long lines at
airports until it starts affecting corporate jets?

E.J. DIONNE, COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: You know what, I think the
problem here Reverend, is this is not like a government shutdown where
everything shuts down right away and everybody notices. This is more like
first you create ramshackle government by sort of cutting back here and
there. But eventually, these cuts are going to bite. And I think the
Republicans are going to start getting into a more difficult position. I
think the whole Congress will.

When defense contractors, there will be cuts and defense here to start
cancelling contracts or start laying off people, when it takes a lot longer
to get flights in because they cut back on the air traffic control system.
And a lot t of money that being cut for poor kids in schools; that comes
out of the budgets of lots of school districts and has an indirect effect
on kids whether they are middle class rich or poor. I think it`s going to
take time before people fully realize what these cuts mean. But once they
start realizing it, I think there will be a reaction.

SHARPTON: Well, it`s going to take time for everybody to understand what
they mean. But some people are feeling it immediately. For example,
congresswoman, women. Twenty million dollars cut from the violence against
women act, 112190 fewer women helped by domestic abuse groups, 34,248 fewer
law enforcement officials get domestic violence training.

So I mean if you`re in the Beltway and have a nice house out in the
suburbs, it may take a while for you to feel it. But if you`re in a
certain area and you are depending on some of what has now been taken away,
it is a major impact to you right now, congresswoman:

EDWARDS: Well, that`s right. And I think about the 235,000 domestic
violence hotline call that are going to go unanswered because the money is
not there. But, E.J. is right. It won`t be felt right away. But there
will be a ripple effect down the line. And in just a couple weeks, you can
imagine, community starting to plan for next year for school, students
starting to get ready for figure out their financial aid packages, Pell
grants, student loans. It will be felt in every community.

And you know what, then I hope that people across the country are going to
make their members of Congress get their religion and get back here in
Washington to do their work. I mean, it is kind of unfortunate, one, we
haven`t even worked that much this year. But when we have, we`ve been
naming buildings and, you know, doing adjournment votes and voting on the
day`s proceedings where we actually haven`t done anything for the day.
It`s time for Republicans in the house. It isn`t just the Senate`s job to
do its work. It`s time for the house to do its work, too. And Speaker
Boehner is the one who controls the gavel in this house. He can call us
into session. He can help us stop this damaging sequester. And you know
what, he likes to look back and say well, the House Republican did x, y,
and z. That was the different congress. We haven`t done anything this
year.

SHARPTON: Now, E.J., you know when you look at the fact of outlining
women, look at what`s happening to poor people, 775,000 women and infants
may lose nutrition and formula aid with the WIC program, 125,000
individuals and families may lose housing assistant, 100,000 homeless
people may lose emergency shelters. I mean, the first line of a column you
wrote last week is this has to stop. It does and it`s only going to get
worse and worse and worse while we protect who? People with loopholes on
private jets and private yachts? This is absolutely obscene.

DIONNE: Right. I think that people, I think, don`t always realized, none
of us always realize exactly what government does out there. I mean, the
WIC program is a program that everybody, and by the way, particularly right
to lifers on abortion really should want to support because this is helping
the most vulnerable people in our society.

These aren`t give away programs. These are very basic things so that kids
have a shot of growing up healthy, so they can live decent lives and
contribute back to the society. And I think, I hope that this sequester,
if it does nothing else, begins to create a kind of public education
process where we say, well, we may criticize government in the abstract,
but there are a lot of these concrete things that government does that are
a real assistance to people and actually do something for the whole
society.

SHARPTON: Now Congressman, you are on the hill. What kind of insight can
you give us. Is there any movement at all? Are people dug in? I mean,
what can you tell us is going on with your colleagues?

EDWARDS: It does feel like my Republican colleagues have dug in their
heels. You know, Democrats have actually put forward a plan to end the
sequester and to take a balanced approach. The Republicans won`t even let
us bring it to the floor. And so, I mean, you can see that they dug in,
some of them are even glee fault (ph) that the sequester has taken place.

So, the real impact you have highlighted is really about women and I don`t
like to use the term war on women, but when you go after WIC programs, you
go after student loans, you go after housing, when you go after breast
cancer and cervical cancer screening, it sure does feel like a war and the
women are on the front lines and the Republicans want to keep it there.

SHARPTON: Well, congresswoman, you say that we haven`t done much work this
year. Somebody is doing a job on us.

Congresswoman Edwards and E.J. Dionne, thank you for your time tonight.

EDWARDS: Thank you.

DIONNE: Good to be with you.

SHARPTON: Ahead, inside President Obama`s tough new plan to shame the GOP
into a deal. He`s daring them to defy his wishes.

Plus, Mr. 47 percent is back. But another Republican is making real news
today. This GOP civil war is just getting started.

And congressman John Nurse is here of the civil rights movement moved to
tears by an apology. Why our march from Selma to Montgomery was not a
commemoration but a continuation.

Big show ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: It was the interview the whole world wasn`t waiting for. Mitt
Romney`s first sit down interview since blowing an election every
Republican thought they had in the bag.

Oh well, so good to see Willard again. And what an interview it was.
Here`s the part where he explained how he`s still relevant to the country.
Yes, not so relevant.

And here`s the trip where Romney offered his deep thoughts about the future
of the Republican Party.

Yikes. All right. Last chance.

Here`s the part where Romney finally gave us a meaningful apology for his
47 percent comments. I have to say it, those bars were more interesting
than anything Mitt Romney had to say. Forget Mr. Economy.

Romney is now Mr. Irrelevant. And, today, another Republican is stealing
the spot light. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush refusing to rule out a
run for the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Are you going to run in 2016?

JEB BUSH (R), FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: That`s way off into the future. I
have a voice. I want to share my believes about how the conservative
movement in the Republican Party can regain its footing because we have
lost our way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: But you will not definitively rule out a run
for president in the year 2016.

BUSH: I won`t. But I`m not going to declare today, either.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Jeb Bush is getting ready to roll forward. But the GOP is still
stuck in reverse.

Joining me now are Ryan Grim and Patricia Murphy.

Let me thank you both for being here tonight.

RYAN GRIM, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, HUFFINGTON POST: Thank you.

PATRICIA MURPHY, CITIZEN JANE POLITICS: Thank you.

SHARPTON: Ryan, Mitt Romney is irrelevant, but having his ideas, 47
percent make herbs and takers, have been absolved by this party?

GRIM: In a lot of ways, they have. And this is because they don`t have a
unifying philosophy anymore that they can -- that they can get behind that
they feel confident they can take with the American people and win a
majority. And so, that allows, you know, cranks from all different sectors
of the conservative movement to kind of push their pet theories to the
floor.

And, you know, whether it`s somebody saying, look, the only reason that
people voted for Obama is because he gave them gifts or, you know, or
whatever voter fraud allegations somebody might want to throw out. You
know, its license for all kinds of - for crazy hypothesis should be thrown
out there. Until they can kind get together and come up with a direction
that they can all poll in, then you are going to have this kind of Romney
doctrine dominating.

SHARPTON: Yes. The Romney doctrine dominating, Patricia. Isn`t that
right that they`re sort of, as a party, still marinating in Romney`s ideas
and what he`s projected as policy?

MURPHY: You know, I actually kind of think the reverse. I think that
Romney was sort -- is sort of tofu politics. He was just such a blank
slate that he just absorbed any idea that came his way. And that we saw in
a lot of those Republican primaries, he became more and more conservative.
The more the Republican right demanded that he become conservative. But to
Ryan`s point, there is no single government philosophy and there is no
leader, including Mitt Romney. And I think that he is not relevant today.
He really has never been relevant. He was a one-term governor of a blue
state and never led the party. The party was leading him. And that was
his problem. And I think until this party gets sort of a break out leader,
they`re going to be minored in this level of confusion for a very, very
long time. But, they are not solving the problem itself.

SHARPTON: You know, it is interesting, Ryan, is it reminds me of this
morning, "New York Times" in a front page story about there`s such disarray
in the party and fights on various issues like same-sex marriage and
immigration that the only one issue that they seem to be able to stand
behind is spending cuts. It reads on issue after issue. It is no longer
entirely clear what it means to be a Republican. The party is more divided
than ever and a debate is breaking out over how best to con figure the
conservative movement. Very interesting, Ryan.

GRIM: That`s right. But process of elimination is a very bad way to, you
know, to come to some type of consensus. It is like OK, we can agree on
these social issues. You know, we can`t agree on this. We can`t even
agree on taxes, so. Well, spending, how that? OK, that`s the last thing
we have. Therefore, you know, that`s the hill that we`re going to die on.

But that`s no way -- that`s no analytical process that`s going to lead you
to the right policy or to the right politics. But, you know, that`s the
process that they took. And so, here they are fighting on this hill over
the sequester. And you know, you had Mitch McConnell and John Boehner
going on the Sunday shows with different ideas about whether or not the
sequester is going to be a good thing for them. It`s not, you know,
because it is going to hurt people and they are going to be the ones that
are blamed for it. And it will also discredit the idea that the spending
is the problem. If our economy was being held back by government spending,
well know, we have got a good $85 billion of it out of the way, so the
economy should take off any day now. If it doesn`t, that under minds the
arguments they have been making.

SHARPTON: Now, Patricia, what is interesting, you have a popular
Republican like Chris Christie yet, CPAC, the big conservative veteran
doesn`t invite him. Jeb Bush who is now very publically refused to close
the door on `16 run is invited by CPAC. In fact, he was even questioned
about what he thought about Christie not being invited. Let he show you
what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I think there was some disappointment in how Governor Christie dealt
with the budget issues related to Sandy trying to advocate his position. I
can understand that.

Look, I love Christie. I think Governor Christie is a part of the future
of the Republican Party, for sure. And whether he`s going to CPAC or not
is not really changing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: So he can understand why CPAC didn`t invite him, but he loves
Christie. I mean, can Bush be the one to get some balance and lead this
party out of the wilderness, so to speak?

MURPHY: Well, I think your question answers itself. Can Bush be the one?
No Bush can be the one. I think it`s over for the Bush family certainly at
CPAC. Every CPAC that I have attended, at least since 2008, has spent more
time talking about how bad the Bush years were, almost how bad the Obama
years have been.

The very grass roots of the Republican Party that people most concern about
spending have as much as a Coral with George W. Bush as they do with Barack
Obama. And I can`t believe that the Republican Party doesn`t have somebody
not named Bush who can lead them out of this problem. And so, listen. He
doesn`t know why CPAC didn`t invite Chris Christie, but her is going to
CPAC himself. And I think we see him starting to position himself with the
conservative movement, more so than the Republican Party, at least to keep
the door open.

If I were Republicans, I would go strongly with Chris Christie. He`s the
kind of break out leader who can lead them out of this wilderness that
they`re in. But they have got -- he`s not going to be able to get through
the primary if he can`t even get invited to CPAC.

SHARPTON: I`m going to have to hold it there. Ryan Grim, Patricia Murphy,
thanks to both of you for being here tonight.

MURPHY: Thank you so much.

SHARPTON: Ahead, Republicans acted like bully who is wanted to fight. Now
they`ve forgotten. President Obama`s new plan. No more Mr. Nice guy.

And the blurb lines between FOX News and the Republican Party just got even
closer.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: This weekend, vice president Biden and civil rights leaders from
across the country commemorated the 48th anniversary of the voting rights
act. Despite how far we`ve come, the fight for voting rights is still very
much alive now. With the Supreme Court set to rule on section five of the
act in Selma, I spoke about how the fight continues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: We have come too far in 48 years as the children of those that
paid the price to come to Selma and allow them at the same time we are
remembering to dismember what we`re doing. We must make it clear that we
are not going to see section five defeated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: More on the march and the way forward coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Republicans are playing politics with the American people. The
budget cuts are hurting poor Americans and Republicans don`t care. But the
President has a plan to deal with it. Today, the New York Times reports
that with few avenues left for winning a comprehensive budget deal,
President Obama has begun reaching out to GOP senators in a bid to isolate
republican leaders in Congress and force a compromise.

This is the in your face President Obama. He`s standing up to the bullies
and shaming Mr. Speaker and Senator McConnell into a deal. It`s no more
Mr. Nice guy. The President is an ultra-assertive mood, practically daring
Republicans to defy his wishes. Good luck.

Would you want to defy this guy?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: 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`t do the same thing is mind boggling to them. It needs to
stop. It`s not fair. It`s not right. The American people don`t think
it`s fair.

Everybody here understands it. I mean, this is not a complicated concept.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: It`s not a complicated concept. Because the American people are
behind him and his working. Today, we learned the Senate has reached a
bipartisan agreement on gun trafficking. And suddenly, republican senators
are upbeat about immigration reform and to the growing list of GOP
governors embracing the President and the health care law. He`s landing
political punch after political punch. And the bullies can`t seem to get
up.

Joining me now, Angela Rye and Margie Omero. Thank you both for coming on
the show tonight.

MARGIE OMERO, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thank you, Reverend.

ANGELA RYE, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Thank you, Rev.

SHARPTON: Angela, the President is trying to isolate republican leaders
and force to compromise. Tough strategy. How is this in-your-face
approach working?

RYE: Well, Rev, I think that you can really see -- you can see the fruit
of his labor. Right now, the President has held a very hard line to what
he wanted to accomplish with the State of the Union Address. He was very
clear about immigration. About gun control about what we need to do to
rectify the state of the American economy.

And therefore, he`s telling the Republicans, look, I have the American
people on my side. You can either get on board or you go somewhere else.
I`m going to work very hard to ensure that these goals that I share with
the American people are reached. If he continues to hold this line, Rev.
I do think that we have a really strong chance of winning the 17 seats
required to gain the House back in 2014.

SHARPTON: Now, Margie, Angela used the term fruits of his labor. We have
seen the tax bill as well as the violence against women`s act actually get
through. Is this strategy beginning to work where he`s been able to get
some Republicans by some assertive way to go with him and push things
through? Well, I think Obama`s strategy in addition to the election and
the polls have really now forced some Republicans to recognize that the
American people are on the side of moving forward on a variety of issues.

That partisan gridlock in Washington is really coming to halt is not
furthering the goal of the American people. That doesn`t improve the
economy. It doesn`t help anybody struggling. It doesn`t make businesses
grow. It just makes people feel like Washington is not, can`t be trusted
anymore. That it`s not doing any good at all anymore.

So, what`s always been true about the President, I think this is important
to recognize. He`s always been in favor of working toward -- helping the
American people. You always got the sense that he was fighting for the
American people while you get the sense with Republicans, that they`re
really more concerned about the politics. That they wanted to have a
political fight because they thought that would help them electorally. And
it turned out, that didn`t help them electorally. And maybe some are
concerned about primary challenges, but really in the broad view, in the
broad look at it, it`s hurt them, the strategy really hurt them
electorally.

SHARPTON: Now, Angela, the American people have clearly gotten behind the
President, especially on big issues. Gun control, 92 percent support
universal background checks. On fixing out deficits, 76 percent support a
mix on spending cuts in tax increases. On immigration, 62 percent support
a path to citizenship. I mean, ever since inauguration, the President has
been taking his fight to the American people. These numbers show it`s
working. And he`s been out there working his plan and policies to the
American people. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: What I can`t do is force Congress to do the right thing. The
American people may have the capacity to do that.

We can fix this and we will. The American people demanded and so our
democracy.

(APPLAUSE)

I need you to keep up the fight. If you do, Congress will listen. If you
stand up and speak out, Congress will listen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: So is -- Angela, is it this combination of rallying the American
people that the poll numbers are showing has suddenly helped? And this
more assertive picking off some of these republican leaders, is this kind
of strategy put together the thing you`re talking about baring fruit?

RYE: Yes, Reverend. When you consider the fact that the President has
taking an all-hands on debt approach, and he`s saying, you know, if I can`t
get the republican majority in the house on board, I can certainly get
members of their districts on board because the American people at large
support the President`s agenda. Furthermore, when you look at what the
house is actually voting on, all they can really reach agreement on are the
naming in federal building and post offices.

Well, that`s not high priority for the American people. OK. So, the
President is saying, we`ve got large issues to address. I certainly need
everyone`s help and I`m going to continue to move forward this agenda until
we see some real movement here. So, the Republicans definitely have a
choice and I hope they make the right decision for the sake of the country.

SHARPTON: Now, Margie, the Washington Post talks about how the President
is looking towards the next election. The midterm elections next year.
Let me read a quote from the Washington Post. It says, "Obama, fresh off
of his November re-election, begin almost at once executing plans to win
back the house in 2014, which he and his advisors believe will be crucial
to the outcome of his second term. And his legacy as president.

You just heard a few moments ago, Angela saying that it`s possible to win
these 17 seats. Is the President moving forward in a way that he also has
an eye on if he can recapture 17 seats and take the House, this could
cement some of the things he wants for his legacy.

OMERO: It absolutely should be a goal. It`s absolutely something that
everybody is focused on. I think it`s also important because it shows that
there will be consequences for members who don`t vote and ways that their
districts agree. I mean, that number you showed about background checks,
90 percent that support background check. That`s been true for a long
time.

And now, you`re going to have voters really thinking about -- when they go
vote in 2014. And think about which party and which candidate is really
going to be fighting to make sure we don`t have guns in dangerous hands in
which party, it doesn`t even want to have that conversation. And I think
when you think of all of this issues, it`s important to highlight in every
contest, which candidate is looking to come to the table and fight for the
American people and which party is just looking to say no to avoid a
primary challenge.

SHARPTON: Well, I`m going to leave it there. Thank you, Angela Rye and
Margie Omero. Thanks to both of you for your time tonight.

OMERO: Thank you.

RYE: Thank you, Rev.

SHARPTON: Ahead, we know the right wing media is in the tank for the
Republican Party. But now, proof on live TV? And five decades in the
making, an apology brought civil rights hero John Lewis to tears. Stay
with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Still ahead, FOX News and the GOP are working it together. And
I mean working it together. A tale that`s too close for comfort, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Sure it`s lean times for the Republican Party. Everybody knows
that. But at least they have their pals at FOX News to cover their every
move or copy it. Just listen to how they embraced the GOP`s talking points
on wasteful spending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Apparently the federal government is paying for a
climate change musical.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Oh, yes, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands
of dollars for a climate change musical.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: The federal government is somehow paying a hundred grand
a year for hard alcohol.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We`re spending $325,000 for robotic squirrels?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Robotic squirrels. They`re looking for nuts in
Washington and it`s -- there. Musicals, liquor and squirrels, oh my. But
media matters noticed the pictures used in that FOX story were very
familiar.

They`re almost exactly the same images used in the national republican
Congressional committees` press release. On the Left is the FOX graphic
about a climate change musical. On the right is the one from the NRCC.
It`s the same story from the taxpayer funded liquor. And that robotic
squirrel is on double duty. We`ve heard of kissing cousins, but this is
ridiculous.

FOX and the Republican Party is working together. Two close for confidante
saying. Joining me now is Joe Madison. Joe, thanks for being here
tonight. I know they say imitation is the serious form of flattery. But
do these replicas of the GOP`s talking points cross the line?

JOE MADISON, SIRIUS XM RADIO HOST: Of course, it crosses the line, but
what`s new? They not only do it, does it cross the line, but Reverend
Sharpton, they are just stomping on the line. And it`s so unfair even to
FOX viewers. Because number one, those of us who are honest, we get
talking points from all kinds of sources. But don`t we always tell people
who the sources are so that if anything, they can get and look up
themselves, too. They can be critical thinkers so that they can consider
the source and know exactly where it`s come from.

But this is not new. FOX has been doing this. And it sort of reminds me
of the kid in the classroom who cheats and thinks that he`s getting away
with it, changes maybe a little bit here and a little bit there and the
teacher catches them because it`s almost identical and FOX doesn`t have the
decency to just simply tell everyone, look, this is where we got it from.
So, people can make up their minds.

SHARPTON: Yes, I mean, that`s the point.

MADISON: Yes.

SHARPTON: Because we all may have a preference we may say who we like or
support, but to actually deceive the public, I mean, in this segment, where
FOX recreated the GOP press release, the guest was Oregon Congressman Greg
Walden. He chairs the national republican congressional committee which
came up with those talking points. Now, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Wouldn`t it make sense for Republicans in the House to
come up with a list, push that list.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Over to the White House and publicized that list, point
list program like this and.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Now, Joe, this would be funny if it wasn`t so brazen. FOX News
basically takes the republican talking points and then asked the
Republicans about them as if he never saw them before. I mean, is this
serious?

MADISON: And gives the impression like, you know, I`m so studious and I`m
so intelligent. And, you know, I just happened to think this up and it
really shows how lazy they really are. I mean, they`re not even smart
enough and decent enough to be created. So who do they think they`re
fooling? Well, I guess they`re fooling people who are stupid enough to
accept it.

SHARPTON: Now, when you look at the history here, I mean, first of all,
look at the whole history of how it`s been clearly they`d been in the tank
with this party from before. After President Obama`s election, they
declared itself, FOX News, that is. Voice of the opposition. The parent
company donated a million dollars to the Republican Governors Association.

They supported anti-Obama Tea Party movement. So, clearly, they`ve made it
clear where they are. Even former Governor John Huntsman noticed a FOX
connection at the republican debates. Huntsman told Huffington Post,
quote, "I looked down the debate stage and half of them were probably on
FOX contracts at one point in their career."

MACEDO: They end up on the contract after their political career. You
know, this is the sad aspect of when the fairness doctrine ended. When I
first started off in talk radio, we had a fairness doctrine. And that is,
if you had one side on, you had to have the other side on. It meant that
you have to understand and be able to report and discuss both sides of the
argument. The sad thing now is, you know, you have, not only the
elimination of the fairness doctrine, but now you can own -- a town can own
-- as a matter of fact, all the media outlets in a single town and drown
out the other voices.

SHARPTON: Well, deregulation. I`ll tell you, I have nothing against
people having opinions. I certainly express mine. But to be reading other
people`s talking points, using their graphics and then asking them
questions like they don`t know what you`re going to ask what the answers
are, now, that is not an opinion. That`s trying to play the public as
being stupid.

MACEDO: Yes. You`re planning for a fool.

SHARPTON: Joe Madison, thank you for your time tonight.

MACEDO: Always good to see you. Like, in Selma, I really enjoyed it.

SHARPTON: Yes, it was great. In fact, talking about that, the fight for
voting rights honoring the courage and determination but why we must
continue to fight, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: This weekend, I was in Selma, Alabama on the 48th anniversary of
bloody Sunday. There were strong reminders of how far we`ve all come.
Saturday, the police chief of Montgomery Alabama apologizes to Congressman
John Lewis for failing to protect Lewis and other civil rights activists in
the `60s and gave the congressman the badge from his uniform.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF KEVIN MURPHY, MONTGOMERY AL PD: He did the right thing. To me,
freedom and the right to live in peace is a corner stone of our society.
And that was something that Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and -- Nixon,
and Congressman Lunas (ph) were trying to achieve. And I feel like what I
did today should have been done a long time ago together. It needed to be
done. It needed to be spoken. We have to live with the truth and this is
the truth.

We have to make the first move to build that trust back in our communality
that was once lost because we did it -- we enforced unjust laws. Those
unjust laws are immoral and wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Unjust, immoral and wrong. Strong words. Appropriate and, of
course, long overdue. Lewis said, it was the first apology he`s ever
received from any police chief in his 50 years of activism. And he was
deeply moved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: I teared up. I tried to keep from crying
and I accepted their apology. And I accepted the badge. I said I am not
worthy of it, but I accept it, but I`ll hold onto it and keep it. The
movement continued. That`s what it`s all about. To heal. To become one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: The healing does continue and so does the hard work. And that`s
why we are marching in Selma yesterday. As Attorney General Eric Holder
made that clear when he spoke at the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Although our nation has, indeed,
changed, although the south is far different now and although progress has
been made, we are not yet got the point where the most vital part of the
voting rights act, section five, can be deemed unnecessary. The struggle
for voting rights for all Americans does and must continue and it will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: It will and Joe Biden was the first sitting vice president ever
to attend the event. Great that he was there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: My mother, God love her, used to say the most important virtue
of all, Joe, is courage because all other virtues flow from it. And, my
God, did you show courage. As I sit here and think about it, John, you and
Jesse and Dr. King and others could not have failed to see the hatred in
the eyes of those who are trying to block you. To me, the real story here
is that courage and determination in the name of justice always, always
prevails. But it takes men and women as individuals to demonstrate that
courage for it to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: I spoke about the strides we`ve made in the last 48 years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: We come today as a recommitment. We come today as a
continuation. We do not come talking about the way we work, we`re talking
about the way it still is and the way, we`re going to make sure it
continues.

I want us to be determined. I want us to be clear. The only reason that
we have a Barack Obama in the White House is some of us were more
determined the key fight than those that were fighting against us. And it
is that determination that brought Obama to the White House. It is that
determination. We`re going to protect our vote in our House. So, let`s
get ready to march. March in celebration. March in determination and
march in continuation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: March in continuation. Because as far as we`ve come, there`s a
lot of work ahead. Tomorrow, in North Carolina, House Republicans will
unveil voter ID plans. In Wisconsin, Republicans proposed cutting early
voting hours and ending weekend voting.

And last week, we heard Supreme Court Justice Scalia calling voting a
racial retirement. There`s work to do. We will not turn back. Our
forefathers did their job. Now, it is our turn, it is our challenge.

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



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