PoliticsNation, Monday, November 11th, 2013

POLITICS NATION
November 11, 2013
Guest: Gerald Thurswell, Randall Hill, Cato June

REVEREND AL SHARPTON, MSNBC HOST: Good evening Ed, and thanks to you
for tuning in. I`m live tonight from Dallas. Tonight`s Lead Sarah Palin
and the extreme takeover of the GOP.

Just days after another Election Day rejection of the Tea Party
candidates, look who is back. Sarah Palin, the queen of the Tea Party was
out in Iowa this weekend where she compared the federal debt to slavery
insisting the comparison isn`t racist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: Our free stuff today is being paid for by taking money from
our children and borrowing from China. When that note comes due -- and
this isn`t racist. So, you know, try it and try it. But, it is going to
be like slavery when that note comes due, right? We are going to be
beholden to a foreign master.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Our federal debt is like slavery? Slavery was horrific,
vile, a vile practice that was explicitly based on race. So, it`s hard to
avoid sounding racist when you make comparisons like that. This kind of
talk has no place in our political debate. But Palin doesn`t seem to care.
She only cares about throwing red meat to the right wing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: The president now broadcasting his sham-wow style
infomercials. The far left stifling, strangling, shackling agenda.
Leaders who would exempt themselves from the laws they force on the rest of
us, that`s dictatorship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: A dictatorship? This stuff might work with the rabid right
wing audience, but not with the rest of America. In swing states, Palin`s
approval rating now stands at just 26 percent, 26 percent. But here`s the
thing. Republicans in Congress have been having their cues taken from her
for years. In fact, they sound just like Sarah Palin. Listen to how they
repeat her talking points.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: Of course there are death panels.

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: It will be very unpleasant if
the death panels go into effect.

PALIN: Obama care in our businesses and our individual lives and that
will suffocate enterprise and industries.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Threat of Obama care
continuing to hang over our economy like a wet blanket.

PALIN: Pulling out any who abuse our military, our vets as pawns in a
political game.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: Our veterans should be above politics.
Enough games.

PALIN: Barack Obama is a socialist. He believes in socialism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wants to implement his socialist programs and
that`s all he knows.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: It`s hard not to see the pattern. And that`s the real
problem here. It`s one thing for Sarah Palin to have low approval ratings,
but the tea party`s approval rating is even worse, just 21 percent
nationwide, a record low. And the Republican Party`s approval rating is
also at a record low, 24 percent. It`s time for the GOP to reject Palin`s
brand of extremism instead of copying in. Until then, they`ll just keep
walking and waking up after elections wondering why they`re losing.

Joining me now are Joan Walsh and Cynthia Tucker. Thank you both for
being here.

JOAN WALSH, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, SALON.COM: Thanks, Rev.

CYNTHIA TUCKER, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Good to be here, Reverend.

SHARPTON: Cynthia, let me go to you first. Why won`t Republicans
comparing the debt to slavery when we have GOP presidents with a federal
debt?

TUCKER: You know, Reverend Al, the extreme right wing of the GOP has
certain verbal ticks that they just can`t seem to leave alone even though
these ticks always get them in trouble. There are certain things they
should know by now they should not discuss. They should never discuss rape
because if they do, they`ll say something stupid. They should never
discuss slavery, because if they do, they`ll say something stupid.

As you said earlier, slavery was a horrific institution. Nothing else
like it in the history of the country. Debt does not allow a slave to
legally rape his property. Debt does not allow us -- excuse me, a slave
master. Debt does not allow a slave master to take away your children. On
top of which, the federal debt is actually falling. So Sarah Palin is
wrong on all counts.

SHARPTON: And the federal debt has been falling every year for the
last five years.

Joan, let me ask you. You know, Sarah Palin was on the "Today" show
just this morning. And she explicitly rejected the idea Republicans need
to temper their extremism. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: If you look at the result of the
election, isn`t the message to the tea party that the middle ground, not
the far right, is the most fertile ground for upcoming elections?

PALIN: You know, when you stand in the middle of the road, you`re
going to get hit on both sides of the road.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: You know, isn`t Joan, isn`t Palin really driving the party
of the Republican party into a ditch with this kind of stuff?

WALSH: Hey, look, Reverend Al. Sarah Palin actually is the
mainstream of the Republican Party. She really is. We don`t want to think
that. We want to give them more credit. And, you know, we bend over
backwards pointing to people like Chris Christie who is severely
conservative, but isn`t quite as nasty about it. But she`s playing a game
here that`s becoming increasingly popular, you know.

First of all, to my white brothers and sisters, when you`re tempted to
preface something by saying this isn`t racist, maybe, you should probably
check yourself and think about it because it probably is.

And second of all, she put on a clinic in white privilege, because
really, white privilege is many things. But one of those things is letting
yourself stay ignorant enough to use slavery as a metaphor for something
you don`t like about government.

As Cynthia said, the debt does not let someone rape their slave. So
the debt does not come and take her child piper out of her arms. So, you
know, this is -- the white grievance industry where she is also, she does a
really fun thing in there, you know, where she`s like go ahead and try.
Because being told that you shouldn`t use slavery as a metaphor, that`s
discrimination. That`s racist against white people. My God. What are you
guys doing to us?

SHARPTON: Yes.

Well, let me ask you this, Cynthia. You know, a recent poll shows how
extremist rhetoric fuels right wing conspiracy theories. This is very
disturbing, 44 percent of Republicans said President Obama secretly wants
to stay in office beyond 2017 for a third term, 42 percent said Muslims are
implementing Sharia law in the U.S. courts. And Republican officials
pander to that base. Here`s Republican state senator Owen Hill who`s
running for the U.S. Senate in Colorado talking about his visit to Kenya
recently. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE SEN. OWEN HILL (R), COLORADO: One kid told me he wanted to be
president of the United States. And I held back my snarky comment that
said well, we already have someone from Kenya.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: I mean, this is the kind of stuff that`s fueling these
conspiracy theories and these birther stuff. And this is real bad stuff
when you look percentages of Republicans that are starting to at least put
this out in conversation as they believe it -- as if they believe it.

TUCKER: Absolutely. Reverend Al, to listen to any right wing radio
or television, to read any right wing websites is to wonder like Alice down
the rabbit hole into an alternative universe of the craziest conspiracies
you have ever heard. And not only does the base believe that, politicians
pander to it, you know.

Joan, may be right that this is now the actual middle of the
Republican Party. But one thing you can say about Chris Christie, he may
be right wing, too, but he knows the facts. And that`s why I think a
politician like Chris Christie would have a very hard time getting the
Republican nomination. He`s going to stand up and say things that are
factually true for the most part and the base has rejected that. They have
gone off in a different direction saying Obama was born in Kenya.

SHARPTON: But the problem is going to be, Joan, and let me throw this
at you quickly about Chris Christie. Is can he win a Republican nomination
without changing, modifying, or become silent on some of what makes those
that call him moderate, call him moderate in the first place.

Let me give an example of the alleged moderate Republican Christie.
Because he is already shifting on immigration. Listen to what he said
about the path to citizenship in 2010 and what he said this weekend. It`s
a remarkable change. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: The president and the Congress
have to step up to the plate. They have to secure our borders and they
have to put forward a common sense path to citizenship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Including the path to citizenship.

CHRISTIE: I don`t get to make those determinations. I could have an
opinion of lots of things, George. But we`re not going over all of that
this morning, are we?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: So, he goes 2010 saying the president and the Congress
needs to step up, needs to stand up to this weekend. I don`t get to make
those decisions. I`m just a governor of New Jersey. I have a lot of
opinions. Is he beginning to show this political moonwalk?

WALSH: Yes. That is a good way to put it, Reverend Al. I have to
say, I was frankly shocked by his performance this weekend. The one thing
he has going for him and it brings in Democrats as well as Republicans is a
reputation for putting the cards on the table, for straight talk, for not
being afraid of the repercussions, you know. If you like me, what you see
is what you get.

This was a guy all weekend long dodging, dodging, dodging. I`m not
going to play that Washington game. I don`t have to have an opinion. I`m
not the best informed person as governor of New Jersey. My, God, man. You
are part of this political culture. We`re all expected to be informed.

I thought that was surprising and possibly more damaging than a shift
to the right or a firm, yes, I`m going to stake out this line on
immigration. I think there should be a pathway to citizenship. That was
not Chris Christie in my opinion and it was very dangerous.

SHARPTON: It`s amazing when people don`t want to play the Washington
game while they`re trying to get to Washington.

Joan Walsh and Cynthia Tucker, thanks for your time tonight.

WALSH: Thanks, Reverend Al.

TUCKER: Good to be here, Rev.

SHARPTON: Ahead, honoring the troops on Veterans Day. President
Obama is keeping his promises to our Vets. Why Republicans are just
revealing their own hypocrisy.

Plus, the player behind the NFL`s racially charged bullying scandal is
breaking his silence. And defending his action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHIE INCOGNITO, NFL PLAYER: I`m not a racist. And to judge me by
that one word is wrong. And my actions were coming from a place of love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: And we`ll tell you about the Republican politician who used
the dirty tricks campaign to convince African-American voters that he was
black.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: I`m here in the great state of Texas tonight, and I invite
all of "Politics Nation" to my book signing. I`ll be talking about and
signing copies of "the Rejected Stone." That`s tonight at the friendship
west Baptist church in Dallas. And the program starts at 7:30 p.m.
Reverend Freddy Haines is hosting.

And tomorrow night I`ll be in Miami. Hope to see you all at the new
birth Baptist church at 7:30 eastern where Bishop Victor Curry is our host.

We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That`s our promise to
you and all who`ve served. To be there, to support you when you come home
every step of the way. And as a nation, we will strive to be worthy of the
sacrifices that you`ve made. That`s what we owe all our veterans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: That`s what we owe all our veterans. President Obama on
this Veterans Day honoring all those who served our country promising to
bring our troops home. And take care of them once they are back. The
American people know this commander in chief is looking out for our
veterans. And they also know when politicians are just paying lip service
to the troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRUZ: Can`t we all come together in a bipartisan manner and say we
support our veterans?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They should be able to take action to support our
veterans.

BACHMANN: To protect and honor America`s brave men and women in
uniform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Republicans are always eager to pose for photo ops with
veterans. But when it comes to policies, the GOP track record speaks for
itself refusing the Medicaid expansion, leaving thousands of Vets
uninsured, slashing unemployment benefits, holding up a bill that would
support disabled veterans, blocking a Veterans jobs bill, voting down
funding for VA hospitals. And on the first of November, 900,000 veterans
saw their food stamp benefits cut.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get a receipt, tell you how much you got left. I
had like 15 cents left. It said you will not receive any more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s crazy. We`re not getting enough now to get
by through the month. That`s why we are having to go to outside
facilities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Places are not hiring right now. And I go looking
every day. I have no income coming in, no food stamps, and how am I
supposed to live?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why take it away from us? I mean, we were there
for them. Why can`t they be there for us?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Every person you just heard from, everyone is a veteran
who`s not getting the help he deserves from his country. America is better
than that. As the president said, we need to honor this service, not just
with photo ops and sound bites, but with real intangible support.

Joining me now is former Congressman Patrick Murphy. The first Iraq
war Vet elected to Congress.

Thank you for being here, Congressman.

PATRICK MURPHY, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks for having me back on, Rev.

SHARPTON: First of all, thank you for your service on this Veterans
Day. How can Republicans claim to honor vets while cutting the programs
they depend on when they come home from war?

MURPHY: Well, Rev., as you know, actions speak louder than words.
And President Obama is raised by his World War II Veteran grandfather. As
commander in chief, he has been a steadfast supporter of our troops with
the Democratic congressmen. When I was there, we passed the largest
increase in Veterans benefits in the history of our country. We also
passed a new post-9/11 GI bill.

We`ve done these things because it was the right thing to do after 12
years now in war when less than one percent of America has carried
unbelievable burden. About 2.5 million Veterans have served in Iraq and
Afghanistan. You know, goes back to the old says, Rev. Fool me once,
shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

SHARPTON: Yes.

MURPHY: And after the government and Republican shutdown a few weeks
ago, as you know, our Veterans didn`t get the death gratuity benefits.
Now, starting November 1st and now ten days into this, 900,000 veterans are
affected by those cuts to the SNAP program or food stamp program.

Rev, you know as well as I do, we`re talking about $4 a day to live on
for these Veterans, $4.

SHARPTON: And they cut that as of November 1st. But, it`s not only
that. Look at the budget cuts for Veterans programs the GOP has advocated
and pushed through. Cuts to a labor department, a job training program for
Vets cuts to housing Veterans vouchers for Vets, cuts to mental health
counseling for Vets, and an increase in the waiting time for burial at
Arlington National Cemetery. I mean, these are directly at Vets, yet they
claim to be the party of the military.

MURPHY: And I was on Rachel Maddow a few months ago talking about
what the day that they voted against the GI jobs bill. Republican senators
who were co-sponsors of that exact bill, they have no attachment to it,
they were co-sponsors, they voted against it because they didn`t want to
give President Obama or Harry Reid any credit. And that is playing
politics with men and women who have sacrificed so much.

So, on this Veterans Day, let`s not just say and talk about it twice a
year when it is Veterans Days and Memorial Day. Let`s make sure we are
steadfast and true to these heroes as they come back home every single day.

SHARPTON: Yes. Now, that`s an excellent point.

And you know, when you think about when they come home, the kind of
challenges they face, Congressman. Nearly 250,000 recent vets are out of
work. Nearly a million live in poverty. 62,000 vets are homeless, and at
least 20,000 lost their homes in 2010 0 due to foreclosures. I mean, these
men and women need our help. Where is the GOP?

MURPHY: Well Reverend, let`s hope there`s a new spirit in Washington.
And hoping it is not a false hope. But let`s get folks to come together as
America to put our country first. That whole selfless service that our
veterans teach us should be a lesson learned out in Washington. And I`m
hopeful. But I`m not naive.

And I will tell you that there has been great strides made. Let`s be
clear, great strides made when it comes to our veterans. But there`s so
much more work to be done as you just put in that graphic, Rev. Every
night in America, 62,000 veterans are homeless. Every day in America, 22
veterans commit suicide. Ten percent jobless rate with the post-9/11
veterans, my generation of veterans coming back home. We need to do all we
can. We need to come together. And let`s be straight, Rev. We just can`t
say federal government, that`s your job. It`s the public sector. It is
private sector, it`s all of us as a country, as a community coming together
to put these heroes first.

SHARPTON: Congressman Patrick Murphy, thank you so much for your time
tonight.

And again, thank you for your service to the country.

MURPHY: Thank you, Reverend. I appreciate it.

SHARPTON: Coming up, a deadly shooting in Michigan is drawing
comparisons to Trayvon Martin and the tragedy in Florida. Why was a 19-
year-old killed? Why was there no arrest?

And more on the NFL bully scandal. The man at the center of the
controversy speaks out on that racially charged voice mail. Two former
players are here live.

And Senator Lindsey Graham loved talking about that bogus "60 Minutes"
Benghazi report. So where`s the apology? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: The hits just keep on coming for Republicans who were
hoping "60 Minutes" could help them revive their so-called scandal about
the terrorist attack on our consulate in Benghazi. We told you on Friday
how "60 Minutes" pulled the report and admitted the heart of the story was
based on a lie. Well, last night, they apologized to a national audience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We end our broadcast tonight with a correction.
On a story we reported October 27th about the attack on the American
special mission compound in Benghazi. The most important thing to every
person at "60 Minutes" is the truth. And the truth is we made a mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: They made a mistake, a big one, which is bad news for
Republicans like Senator Lindsey Graham who are trying to gin up a scandal
against the Obama administration. Graham sprinted to cameras just days
after the initial "60 Minutes" story citing that report as the source of
his renewed outrage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: After the "60 Minutes" show
Sunday, that just falls completely apart. You got "60 Minutes" now
validating it. What did the "60 Minutes" show tell us?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Senator Graham even threatened to put on hold all of
President Obama`s nominees until he gets answers about Benghazi. So what`s
Graham saying now that "60 Minutes" has admitted that their story is bogus?
Is he apologizing and backing down? Nope.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: The "60 Minutes"
story was not true. Will you now end your threat to place a hold on the
president`s nominees?

GRAHAM: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: No facts, no problem. Senator Graham, did you think we
wouldn`t notice that you`re not letting the truth get in the way of a good
bogus scandal?

Hear that, senator? The clock is ticking and we`re still waiting for
an apology. Until then, nice try, but we got you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Now to a deadly shooting in Michigan drawing comparisons to
the Trayvon Martin tragedy. It`s raising serious questions and calls for
justice. One week ago, 19-year-old Renisha McBride was shot in the face
and killed in the early morning of November 2nd. McBride was in a car
accident in Detroit. Her family says her cell phone had died and they
believed she started knocking on doors for help.

A few hours later, she came to this house. The owner shot her in the
face. He says he thought Renisha was trying to break into his house and
his gun went off accidentally. Prosecutors are reviewing evidence, but one
week later and the shooter has not been arrested. Renisha was remembered
at her funeral Friday as an outgoing woman who loved cars and shopping and
thought of becoming a police officer. Her family is struggling to
understand what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: My cousin didn`t deserve it. She was a beautiful
girl. And she would not have hurt anybody. There was no threat, she
didn`t have any weapons or anything.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I need peace. I need justice for my niece
Renisha. My nice didn`t deserve to die like this. This was senseless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: A senseless death. And a family that deserves answers.

Joining me now is Gerald Thurswell, the attorney for Renisha McBride`s
family. Thank you for being here. First of all, my condolences to
Renisha`s family. This shooting happened more than a week ago. Is the
family concerned there hasn`t been an arrest, attorney?

GERALD THURSWELL, RENISHA MCBRIDE`S FAMILY ATTORNEY: The family wants
a conviction. And if it takes the prosecutor a week or two to gather all
the evidence to ensure a conviction, the family is reassured with that. We
understand that the prosecutor is doing her own investigation separate and
apart from the police department. The prosecutor is a woman of integrity
and her reputation is such that she builds these cases to get convictions
and she takes her time. She`s demonstrated that in other cases here in
Detroit.

SHARPTON: Attorney Thurswell, as you know, I`m an activist and a talk
show host, and I believe in the cases you must respect the family. They
are the once that are the primary seekers of justice. So you`re saying the
family is satisfied at this point with the prosecutor Kym Worthy.

THURSWELL: Yes. Especially since we learn that the prosecutor
herself is using her own investigators to make sure that she obtains all
the evidence to get a conviction. The family is interested in a
conviction. Just to charge this man is not sufficient. They need a
conviction in order to have justice. This was a senseless, senseless
killing. There was no reason for this 19-year-old girl to die. None
whatsoever.

SHARPTON: Now, police say the shooter told them the gun accidentally
discharged. But his attorney also said, quote, "I`m confident when the
evidence comes it will show that my client was justified and acted as a
reasonable person would who was in fear for his life." I mean, what was
it? Was he acting in fear of his life, or was it an accident? What do you
make of these statements?

THURSWELL: Well, there were two questions that you raised. One was,
was it an accident? If it`s a shotgun, it has a safety on it. So I can`t
see how that was an accident. Second, he was in his own home. All he had
to do was call 911 if he was in fear of his life. And instead of coming --
instead of calling 911, he comes outside with a shotgun, puts it in her
face and blows off her head.

SHARPTON: Let me ask you this, attorney. There`s a stand your ground
law in Michigan. Are you concerned that if this person is arrested and
charged, that they will use stand your ground as a defense?

THURSWELL: They use stand your ground as a defense, but it`s not
going to hold any water. She had no weapon. She`s 5`4" and she`s tall,
he`s got a shotgun. He has to show that he`s in imminent fear of his life.
How is he going to show that? All he had to do was stay in his house. And
if he came outside with a shotgun, he didn`t have to pull the trigger.

SHARPTON: Well, we`ll be following this case very closely. Gerald
Thurswell, thank you very much for coming on tonight and giving us light on
this.

THURSWELL: Thank you.

SHARPTON: Ahead, new details in the NFL bullying scandal. As the man
at the center of it all says he`s not a racist.

Plus, we`ll tell you how a GOP politician used a dirty tricks campaign
to convince African-American voters that he was black. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Now to the man at the center of that NFL bullying
controversy. Suspended Dolphins player Richie Incognito is speaking out
about the alleged threats against former teammate Jonathan Martin. He
admits to using the "n" word, but defends himself against charges of
racism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHIE INCOGNITO, MIAMI DOLPHINS: I`m not a racist. And to judge me
by that one word is wrong. In no way, shape, or form is it ever acceptable
for to use that word even if it`s friend to friend on a voice mail. My
actions were coming from a place of love. No matter how bad and how vulgar
it sounds, that`s how we communicate. That`s how our friendship was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: And a friendship with teammate Jonathan Martin is the way
he describes it. Even though the voice mail he left him said, quote, "hey
what`s up you half "n" word piece of (blank.) I`m going to slap your
(blank) mouth. I`m going to slap your real mother across the face.
(Blank) you. You`re still a rookie. I`ll kill you. And despite his
abrupt departure from the team, Incognito says, Martin text messaged him
four days later after he left.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INCOGNITO: Jon left the team on Monday. We played a game on
Thursday. I spoke with Jon on Friday.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: You spoke with him?

INCOGNITO: I texted with him. I text message him. I just spoke with
him through text messages. And he text me and said I don`t blame you guys.
I blame some stuff in the locker room. I blame the culture. I blame what
was going on around me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Martin allegedly blames the culture for leaving the team.
A culture Martin`s attorney paints as an out of control animal house with
malicious physical attacks and vulgar sexual threats to family members.
But Incognito alleges Martin also sent him a threatening message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INCOGNITO: For instance, a week before this went down, Jonathan
Martin text me on my phone, "I will murder your whole f-ing family." Now,
did I think Jonathan Martin was going to murder my family? Not one bit.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: So he left that text for you?

INCOGNITO: He texted me that. I didn`t think he was going to kill my
family. I knew it was coming from a brother, I knew it was coming from a
teammate. That just puts in context how we communicate with one another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: For now there are more questions than answers. But that
may change soon because Martin is expected to release a video statement.
Maybe as soon as this week.

Joining me now, Randall Hill, a former Miami Dolphin and Cato June, a
former Indianapolis Colts and a Super Bowl champion. Thank you both for
coming on the show tonight.

RANDALL HILL, FORMER MIAMI DOLPHIN: Thanks for having me.

CATO JUNE, FORMER INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Thanks for having me.

SHARPTON: Randall, we had you on Friday. Has your opinion of this
story changes now that you`ve heard from Richie Incognito?

HILL: No, sir. Because, you know, I still like to know what the
intent is. And of course the language is definitely out of bounds and you
shouldn`t talk like that whether it be to a friend and/or foe. But what is
the intent? And I know that it`s usually a brotherly love that goes on in
those locker rooms. So, you know, if the intent was, you know, evilness,
then you know, so be it and then you know, have at it. But if not, maybe
it`s a generational gap that we all must look at.

SHARPTON: But let me ask you, Cato. You know, Incognito opened up
about a prank that led to Jonathan Martin`s taking a leave of absence from
the Dolphins. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INCOGNITO: We had 12, 13 offensive linemen sitting at the offensive
line table. We have our special table in the lunchroom we eat at every
day. And there was one seat open at the end of the table. And I told the
guys, listen, when Martin sits down, we`re all going to grab our trays,
we`re going to put them away and leave him there sitting by himself. Jon
comes. He sits down, we all get up and grab our trays. We`re all taking
off and laughing and carrying on. And Jon grabs his plate of food, chucks
it on the floor, runs in the locker room, grabs his keys and he`s gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: I mean, is this typical, Cato of NFL locker rooms? Or is
this something above and beyond what is normal?

JUNE: Well, I would imagine that every locker room is different. The
locker rooms I was in, people played jokes. People laughed and joked. But
I think at the end of the day it`s about a line of respect, you know? You
have to respect the man that you`re next to. You know, this is still your
teammate. This is supposed to be your brother. You don`t want them to
feel uncomfortable or feel like they don`t belong. You want them to when
it`s time to go out in the fourth quarter, you`re in the trenches, you want
this guy to stand next to you and be able to go out there and make plays.

You don`t want them to feel uncomfortable. So, I don`t think it`s
just as simple as hey, this one little trick or this and that. I really
think that there`s more to it. But at the end of the day, I think also
with that, you know, playing professional football, you have to be mentally
tough. And there are things, you know, outside of just actually, you know,
the teasing of the teammates. This back and forth. But you know, a mental
toughness that goes along with trying to perform and trying to exceed
expectations from the cultures as well.

SHARPTON: You know, Randall, the 800 pound gorilla in the room is the
racism. Because the "n" word was used. And as you talk about intent. Is
there a real problem when someone uses racial language to another teammate
from a different race in the locker room? Would this have the same kind of
interest if we were not talking about threats and talking about the use of
racial language?

HILL: Well, when you talk about that specific word, you know, and I
alluded to it earlier, there`s a generational gap. When you talk about
older people such as myself, I`m calling myself old, yes I am. And my mom
and my dad, you know, you`re not necessarily -- you`re not going to get a
warm, fuzzy friendly feeling. But when you talk about some of the younger
guys, some of the youths of the United States, you know, it happens. And
it`s like common language. But when you talk about, you know, as he
alluded to before in reference to, you know, make someone feel a certain
way. The only way you know how someone is feeling is if they speak up.
You know, stand tall, stand proud, say it loud, and if you`re upset and
something bothers you say it. You can`t just run away from something that
is actually bothering you.

SHARPTON: Yes. But let me push you on that a little. Because the
Martin and Incognito are the same generation. There`s no generation
problem there. And it seems as though Martin is saying that this was wrong
and this was something that bothered them. So, we`re talking about your
mother and father, we`re talking about Martin and Incognito who are the
same generation.

HILL: Right. And you`re absolutely right. But what I`m pertaining
to is how we`re looking at it from the outside in. You know, everyone has
come to, you know, Rush to judgment without even knowing all the facts.
And, you know, by nature I`m a fact finder because of what I do. And, you
know, bottom-line is, you know, that generation, you know, they use those
types of words. And I`m not agreeing with. I`m not agreeing with it at
all. But, you know, we have to sit back and say what type of relationship
did they actually have with each other. Because what I`m understanding is
that that type of language was actually going both ways now. So, again,
what are the facts?

SHARPTON: Yes. But we -- and we need to know the facts. We`ve not
heard even Incognito say that racial language was used against him. But we
need all of the facts. And we are being told, Cato, that he was considered
-- Incognito was considered an honorary black in the locker room. I mean,
what do you make of that? He was an honorary black and do honorary blacks
have the right to use the "n" word? I mean, what does that mean? What
goes with the honor?

JUNE: I don`t know what that means. I`ve never been in a situation
where I felt comfortable using racial slurs with, you know, with white
people and white people using racial slurs with me in a locker room setting
or anywhere. So I really don`t have any sympathy towards somebody that
feels like using that type of language is acceptable. I think that you
should, you know, ultimately respect one another. The beauty about the
locker room is that you have people from all backgrounds, all economic
backgrounds, religious beliefs, you know, spiritual beliefs.

And you can all come together in the locker room and speak about it
and speak openly. Whereas in, you know, the corporate world, you may not
be able to have these conversations. So, I think it`s a good thing that
you can openly speak about how you feel and stand your ground about what
you believe and have a respect line at the same time. So I don`t think
there`s any place for using racially, you know, I mean, language that`s
racially offensive.

SHARPTON: Randall Hill and Cato June, I`m going to have to leave it
there. Thank you both for your time this evening.

CATO: Thank you, sir. Thank you for having me.

HILL: Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.

SHARPTON: Coming up, imagine a politician pretending to be black to
win an election. Well, it happened right here in Texas. That`s next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Lots of people are talking about a story out of Houston,
Texas, today. A Republican named Dave Wilson just won a race for a seat on
the Houston Community College Board of Trustees. From a heavily African-
American district. After leading voters to believe he was black. This
story is troubling. Racial politics at its worst. Just listen to the
radio ad Wilson ran in his district.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Girl, have you been keeping up with the HCC
district two race?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: The one between Dave Wilson and Bruce Austin?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I`m voting for Dave Wilson.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Dave Wilson, isn`t he the --

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Yes. Dave Wilson is the man who is fighting for
our neighborhoods.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Wilson also sent out a series of misleading fliers. In one
he claims he was endorsed by Ron Wilson. But not the well known Texas
politician Ron Wilson who debated David Duke and led the fight for Texas to
recognize Martin Luther King Day. If you read the fine print, the Ron
Wilson who endorsed Dave Wilson is his cousin who lives in Iowa. Wilson`s
shady campaign tactics were the subject of a local news report over the
weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Wilson sent out a bunch of these direct mail pieces
implying that he`s African-American. His fliers depicted smiling African-
American faces. The words said please vote for our friend and neighbor
Dave Wilson. The pictures he admits were just lifted off the internet.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: All these supporters are African-American.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: What a coincidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: What a coincidence. Dave Wilson used these tactics to beat
a 24-year incumbent by just 26 votes. There are now calls for a recount in
this race. We`ll be watching this story very closely.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Finally, honoring our veterans on this Veterans Day. In
Arlington National Cemetery today, President Obama singled out one veteran
in particular. And it was remarkable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: It`s like Richard Overton who
served in the army in World War II.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: One hundred seven-year-old Richard Overton, the oldest
living veteran. He volunteered in 1942 for an all-black unit. Seventy
years later, our first black president is saluting him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Today our message to all those who`ve ever worn the uniform of
this nation is this. We will stand by your side whether you`re seven days
out or like Richard 70 years out. Because here in America we take care of
our own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: We will stand by your side. Thanks for standing by ours,
Richard and all veterans out there. And speaking of our military heroes,
right now over 8,000 miles from our shores, the United States military is
providing humanitarian aid in the Philippines. Our military is responding
to the unspeakable devastation the typhoon left. Over 1700 have died and
the death toll could surpass 10,000. Nearly 10 million have been affected
and over 615,000 have been displaced. In the last 24 hours, 38,000 pounds
of relief supplies have been flown in.

And the United States government is providing $20 million in aid. If
you want to donate, go to redcross.org or our site.
Politicsnation.msnbc.com. We`ve posted information about how you can
donate. Our military keeps people safe in all parts of the world. We
should tonight take a moment to think about these troops. There and
elsewhere. There are days when we should put aside our political and
partisan differences and forget the differences of race, religion, and sex
and gender. And this is one of those days we should remember the veterans
that make it possible for the rest of us to engage in what it is that we do
as Americans.

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


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