PoliticsNation, Friday, June 13th, 2014

POLITICS NATION
June 13, 2014

REVEREND AL SHARPTON, MSNBC ANCHOR: Good evening, Dr. Dyson and thanks to
you for tuning in.

Tonight`s lead, Republicans rewriting history on Iraq. Eleven years after
President Bush invaded Iraq, Republicans are now trying to blame that mess
on President Obama. Right now an army of Islamic extremists is driving
toward Baghdad after taking control of huge parts of the country. Today,
President Obama talked about what the U.S. will and won`t do in response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will not be sending U.S.
troops back into combat in Iraq. But I had asked my national security team
to prepare a range of other options that could help support Iraq security
force. And I`ll be reviewing those options in the days ahead.

Nobody has an interest in seeing terrorists gain a foot hold inside of Iraq
and nobody is going to benefit from seeing Iraq descend into chaos. So the
United States will do our part, but understand that ultimately it`s up to
the Iraqis as a sovereign nation to solve their problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: No troops on the ground. No more Americans in combat. We won`t
repeat the mistakes of the past. This new crisis is a direct result of
Bush`s 2003 invasion, which ignited religious and ethnic tensions between
Sunni, Shiites and Kurds in Iraq.

The Sunni extremists are pushing south, now just 40 miles from Baghdad.
And the north, the Kurd is seizing territory of their own. And in the
center, the Shiite-led government is bracing for battle. Led by a failed
prime minister who was put in place by the Bush administration.

It`s a mess, but it`s an Iraqi mess. U.S. troops left nearly three years
ago. But now Republicans are using that crisis to try and rewrite the
history books, and even claim we should still be in Iraq, starting with
Senator John McCain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We had it won. Thanks to the surge and
thanks to general David Petraeus, we had it won. And then the decision was
made by the Obama administration to not have a residual force in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the definition of winning? Does it need having
a residual force basically without ending? I`m just a little bit confused.
I want to know what victory is to you, senator McCain.

MCCAIN: I think you are confused. A residual force would have stabilize
the country. Most military experts would tell you that. So I`m sorry
about your confusion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it`s opened case if that`s the case because we need
to have a residual force there that are to prop up the Maliki government
indefinitely. Is that how you see it?

MCCAIN: You know, I see that about Japan after World War II. I see that
about Germany. I see that about the 38,000 troops we have in Korea. I say
that about the troops we left behind in Bosnia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Japan and Germany? We kept troops there for 50 years, is that
what he wants in Iraq?

At a town hall meeting in 2008, he talked about his vision for the
occupation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Bush is talking about staying in Iraq for 50
years.

MCCAIN: Maybe 100.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: A hundred years? That`s what McCain wanted. Why stop there?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You say it could be 100 years. Explain that.

MCCAIN: It could be 1,000. It could be 1,000 years or a million years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: A thousand years, a million. Enough is enough. Right now,
President Obama is considering what action to take. But he`s definitely
not listening to this so-called advice from hawks who turned Iraq into
America`s worst foreign policy disaster since Vietnam.

Joining me now is former congressman Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy.
The first Iraq war vet elected to congress and MSNBC.com`s executive editor
Richard Wolffe.

Thank you both for being here.

PATRICK MURPHY, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you.

RICHARD WOLFFE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, MSNBC.COM: Thanks, Reverend.

SHARPTON: Congressman Murphy, what`s your response when you hear right
wingers say we should still have forces in that country.

MURPHY: Well, it`s the same cheerleaders, the biggest cheerleaders in the
Iraq war to begin with are the ones that are trying to rationalize it now.

But Reverend, this is one of the most strategically colossal mistakes in
American history in the Iraq war. And it pains me to say that, Reverend.
You know, I served there ten years ago. I lost 19 men. But the reality of
it is this. It was wrong, it was the wrong war, it had nothing to do with
9/11 nor weapons of mass destruction. And these cheerleaders who can`t see
reality, the American people have spoken. We should not have our troops
there right now in the middle of harm`s way in a religious civil war
between the Sunnis and the Shia.

I`m glad that they`re home. It was about time it took the leadership of
Barack Obama to make that become a reality.

SHARPTON: You know Richard, the soldiers did their job, it was a terrible
policy. But the soldiers did their job. But if you change the premise,
you get to the wrong conclusion. We were not in Iraq to stabilize a civil
war. We were there because we were told there were weapons of mass
destruction. And they now made the premise something that was never the
reason we were there in the first place. And President Obama said he won`t
sign off any plan without a serious political commitment by the Iraqi
government. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The United States is not simply going to involve itself in a
military action in the absence of a political plan by the Iraqis that gives
us some assurance that they`re prepared to work together. We`re not going
to allow ourselves to be dragged back into a situation in which, while
we`re there, we`re keeping a lid on things and after enormous sacrifices by
us, as soon as we`re not there, suddenly people end up acting in ways that
are not conducive to the long-term stability and prosperity of the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Now, the language is striking, Richard. He won`t let America
get dragged, he said, back into a bad situation.

WOLFFE: Right. What he`s really getting at there is that the Iraqi prime
minister, Nouri al-Maliki who is a Shiite, has taken on himself this
persecution, this hunting down of his Sunni enemies. And so, he has made
it much, much worse. The sectarian tensions that were always there in
Iraq.

Now, before you get Nouri al-Maliki, who by the way was supported very much
by President Bush. But before you get to that point, not only what Patrick
Murphy was saying was correct, not only was the invasion a mistake, but key
decisions made by American officials in the Bush administration made those
sectarian differences, those tensions, the strife much, much worse. And
that was about ejecting the (INAUDIBLE), that was ejecting the Sunni elite
out of power. All right, of what you are seeing, those chickens come home
to roost. So when the president says tactfully, well, we have to be sure
they can get things together on the ground, that`s really important. Not
only are the Iraqis finding it difficult, but the current Iraqi prime
minister finding it impossible with his current policies to keep that
country together, but when we were in control, we couldn`t do it as well.

SHARPTON: You know, talking about Bush`s people, congressman, today,
former Bush press secretary Ari Fleisher tweeted, quote, "regardless of
what anyone thinks of going into Iraq in 2002, it`s a tragedy that the
successes of the 2007 surge have been lost and abandoned."

Now first of all, the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, not 2002. But does this
reveal the real effort on the right? They know the Iraq war was an epic
blunder and now they`re trying to shift blame on to Democrats and President
Obama, Congressman.

MURPHY: This is a brazenly, political attempt to rewrite history. But the
American people are not stupid. They understand that it was the Bush
administration cheerleading in this war, which had nothing to do with 9/11
or Afghanistan and got us into this war which cost at least $6 trillion of
American treasure, at least 4,486 Americans to give the ultimate sacrifices
who never made it home. And over 100,000 Iraqi civilians who lost their
life because of their mistake. Now for them to try and rewrite history is
immoral and wrong and they know it and it`s too late. The cat is out.
They will go down in history with their blood on their hands.

SHARPTON: You know, Richard, the head of the Republican party, Rush
Limbaugh says that the president is letting Al Qaeda win in order to damage
President Bush`s legacy in Iraq. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: The opportunity here to secure defeat
in Iraq, have it overrun by Al Qaeda. Buck up Taliban people in
Afghanistan, essentially get out of there and hand that country over to
them. What have you done? You have proven in your mind for the rest of
time that George Bush`s wars were all for nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: I mean, it begs to ask the question for some on the write, is
this Iraq just another reason and another way to launch an ugly attack on
President Obama?

WOLFFE: I don`t know if Rush Limbaugh believes this stuff or whether he
believes others to be stupid enough to believe that. He can construct any
fantasy if you like, but if anyone tuned in who listens to Rush Limbaugh,
if everyone tuned into the president`s comments earlier, they would have
heard him saying, we`re not going to let Al Qaeda come back. This is a
threat to our interest.

But we`re also not going to put troops on the ground. So I guess that
would have to be a double bluff by a double agent who happens to be the
president of the United States when he says he doesn`t want these
terrorists forces to take over Iraq.

SHARPTON: Congressman, there`s no appetite for it. A recent NBC poll
asked should the U.S. be more or less active in U.S. world affairs, 47
percent said less active, just 19 percent said more active. There`s no
appetite among the American people for what a lot of these on the right are
advocating. The appetite is not there.

MURPHY: That`s right. They want to nation build here at home with our
roads and our bridges and our education system which needs propping up,
which needs to be invested in so we have a strong economy, or even a
stronger economy moving forward and not engage in religious civil wars in
the Middle East where we have no economic interest and no business. We are
a country that is the reluctant warrior. And that was a fight we should
have never fought.

SHARPTON: Former congressman Patrick Murphy and Richard Wolffe, thank you
both for your time tonight.

And I must say, we went into Iraq under the premise that ended up being
flawed. Fool me once, it is on you. Fool me twice, that`s on me. We
should be very cautious and very careful before we repeat errors that have
cost lives.

Coming up, it`s fitting because it`s Friday the 13th. Because it`s been a
horror show week for the Republican party. And today, it got worse.

Plus, and before father`s day, President Obama opens up about his own
childhood without a father and his passion for fatherhood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I made a decision in young adulthood that it was going to be
important for me to make sure that I was there for my kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: And there was no way to segue into this. Chris Christie dad
dancing with Jimmy Fallon and is speaking all kinds of -- it`s really
igniting all kinds of 2016 speculation.

Big Friday show ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Just when you thought you had seen it all in politics, here
comes Chris Christie dad dancing on "the Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon.
It has a lot of people talking about a possible presidential run. Is it
the beginning of a comeback for the embattled bridgate governor? Or just
another blip?

That`s tonight`s question. Can Chris Christie revive his 2016 presidential
prospects? Yes, no, or too soon to tell. The poll is live on our facebook
page and on twitter. So vote now. And be sure to leave a comment. We`ll
have your answers later in the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: After five years as being hailed as a prisoner of war by the
Taliban, sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is back in the United States. He`s arrived
at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, early this
morning. Sergeant Bergdahl is beginning what officials call a
reintegration process including therapy and counseling. Bergdahl`s parents
say they`re overjoyed hat he`s back in the U.S. but it`s not clear when
they`ll see his son. Army officials say he`s in stable condition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reintegration of sergeant Bergdahl is a
comprehensive process. There`s no set time line for any phase of
reintegration.

COL. BRADLEY POPPEN, ARMY PSYCHOLOGIST: What we`re trying to do to get him
to recognize that the coping skills he used to survive this long five-year
ordeal may not be healthy and functional now and get him that transition
back to a normal, healthy, lifestyle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Army officials will begin debriefing sergeant Bergdahl,
investigating how he went missing. We still don`t know what happened. But
check out the latest expert that FOX News invited to weigh in on Bergdahl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Joining me now to react to that much more,
author of "Member of this Pact" when John Kerry was running for president,
unfit for command, swift fold that is the truth. Anyway, John O`Neill is
back with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: That`s right, the man who literally invented swift boating. The
smearing of John Kerry`s military service is now talking about Bergdahl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN O`NEIL, AUTHOR: I have a lot of feeling for these guys in Bergdahl`s
platoon. When they come forward and tell the truth, then they`re slandered
by lightweights in the department of state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: The members of his platoon have been slandered? Right wingers
called sergeant Bergdahl a deserter, a Jihadi. They said his father looked
like a member of the Taliban. We don`t know what happened back in 2009.
That`s why the army is investigating. And that`s why the investigation is
so important. But right now, an American soldier is home and all the right
can do is find new ways to attack.

Joining me now is MSNBC`s Melissa Harris-Perry.

Thanks for being here.

MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY, MSNBC ANCHOR, MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY SHOW: Absolutely,
thanks.

SHARPTON: Melissa, I mean, there`s still so much we don`t know about
sergeant Bergdahl. Let`s start there. So why is the right`s immediate
reaction to try to discredit him?

HARRIS-PERRY: Well, you know, I`m beginning to feel like all of the rules
that I grew up with in American politics have suddenly changed and I wasn`t
even sentimental about them. And one of them is in a moment like this, you
pause. It doesn`t mean you want 100 percent trust everything you hear, but
you pause. You pause because we`ve been in a long war, because we were
misled into the war in the first place, because Americans have died in the
context of that war, and because in this moment, a man who appears to have
been a prisoner of war is home back on American soil.

Still going through a process, as you heard there, from the military
officials of even figuring out sort of where he is in the world, right,
after five years of a coping process that they suggest may no longer be
appropriate for what his new life will be.

And after everything that we`ve heard from veterans affairs over the course
of the past several weeks, the difficulty that we know our soldiers have
had, the idea that there is an attack, an attack that occurs before we even
have information really is breaking all the rules of how we engage in our
political world.

SHARPTON: Now, you saw I show the swift boat founder and on FOX, he also
attacked the deal that was made to get Bergdahl free and back home. Listen
to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O`NEIL: What the Bergdahl deal does, trading Bergdahl, a deserting private
for five generals, it says to the Afghans, you mean nothing to us. We`re
going to desert you. It says to the military guys in Afghanistan, we`re
pulling out, we`re losing, we`re betraying you. That was a bait and
switch. That`s what it says. It is a disaster. A disastrous breach of
faith.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Now, you`re the professor. Explain to me how is this bait and
switch? I mean, isn`t it the U.S. keeping its commitment to its men?

HARRIS-PERRY: Absolutely.

SHARPTON: In the military?

HARRIS-PERRY: Leave no man behind, and this notion that the primary
responsibility of the U.S. government is to the Afghan people as opposed to
the American people is an odd one to hear, particularly from a relatively
conservative commentator.

Now, I`m not saying the American government has no responsibility to the
Afghan people. We certainly do, as a result of our long engagement there.
But we also have a fundamental responsibility to our servicemen and women.

And again, I think part of what I want to suggest here is caution and time,
that we don`t know all of the information. And simply to be willing to say
we don`t yet know all the information, and as a result, we will reserve
judgment, not that we will say if this is definitely wrong or definitely
right.

SHARPTON: Now, and then you go even further with Speaker Boehner saying
that we will not have immigration reform because of the Bergdahl deal.
Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The issue of immigration
reform has not changed. The president continues to ignore laws that he
signed into law, violating his oath of office. He did it again with the
release of these Taliban five. And I reminded the president again
yesterday that every time he does this, it makes it harder to gain the
trust of our members to do the big things that need to be done around here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: So because of sergeant Bergdahl, we`re not going to get
immigration reform?

HARRIS-PERRY: This is very, very dangerous business that the speaker is up
to here. I don`t think I can emphasize this enough. That this discourse,
that we have a president who is somehow out of line with our government of
laws, that we have a president who somehow is out of line with our
constitution is extremely dangerous. It is dangerous to who we are as a
people. Even when we disagree on a partisan perspective or on an
ideological world view, we have a responsibility to tell the truth about
the fact that, well, this may not be what I agree with, these are not the
actions I would have taken, but that does not make those actions illegal.

And part of what has been so troubling about the discourse from the right
with President Obama is that they have not been willing to say well, I
disagree with the president. That`s now how I would govern. What they say
is this president is illegitimate. You cannot consistently say in the
world that your president is an illegitimate leader. That threatens the
safety of who we are as a country.

SHARPTON: Over and over and over again.

HARRIS-PERRY: Yes.

SHARPTON: Melissa Harris-Perry, thanks for your time. And thank you and
have a great weekend.

HARRIS-PERRY: Thanks.

SHARPTON: And you be sure to watch Melissa Harris-Perry weekends at 10:00
a.m. eastern right here on MSNBC.

Still ahead, the president`s emotional comments about growing up without a
father, and watching his own daughters grow up. It`s a father`s day
interview you won`t want to miss.

Also, Chris Christie decides to bust a move. Is this part of a political
two-step for 2016?

And Friday the 13th Republican horror show. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: It`s almost father`s day and President Obama is opening up about
what being a father means to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: That`s the stuff you`re going to remember is taking them to the
park and pushing them on a swing and hearing them laugh. And that`s going
to be what`s most precious in your life. And you just don`t want to make
sure you don`t miss out on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: More of that emotional interview, and the president reflecting
on how growing up without a father changed his life, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Boo! It`s Friday the 13th, a day of fear and superstition. It
goes back to medieval time when a lot of bad things, like hangings and
executions happened on Fridays. But this one today is different. For the
first time in nearly a century, there`s a full moon on a Friday the 13th.
It`s a pretty fitting end to a horror show week for the Republican Party.

In the wake of Eric Cantor`s stunning loss, the Tea Party is on a power
grab. They`ve been emboldened to take over the party. Today, Tea Party
Congressman Raul Labrador is making a play for Cantor`s house majority
leader position. Labrador rode the Tea Party wave in 2010, part of a group
that have created chaos for the establishment. And this news comes as the
biggest Tea Party stars are flexing their muscles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: We`re saying liberty under assault. We`re
seeing an administration trampling our constitutional rights, disregarding
the rule of law. It is waking people up. You look at the results in
Virginia last night. Dave Brat was outspent almost 50 to one.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Yes.

CRUZ: And yet the people woke up and said we`re tired of business as
usual.

SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: I think people are over thinking
this and those who are absolutely shocked that this could ever happen must
not have their thumb on the pulse of what many Americans are thinking and
that is the status quo has got to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: So forget the full moon, forget Friday the 13th. This isn`t a
superstition. This is real life. A real life nightmare for the GOP. They
better hope they wake up from to it.

Joining me now political strategist Angela Rye and MSNBC contributor Jimmy
Williams. Happy Friday the 13th to both of you.

JIMMY WILLIAMS, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Happy Friday the 13th.

ANGELA RYE, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Boo, Rev.

SHARPTON: Angela, is the Republican Party about to become a victim of the
Tea Party body snatchers.

RYE: Not body snatchers, but maybe elected office snatchers. I think that
what we can definitely learn from the Tea Party is that this should be the
new normal. You hold people accountable to what they say they`re supposed
to do. Eric Cantor was very transactional with the Tea Party. He assumed
a position like he was a Tea Party member. He used them and then he threw
them away. And there were consequences to that. This isn`t about the
spending. This isn`t even about much except for how to manage
relationships with both and how to really demonstrate leadership. He said
to all of our chagrin that there wouldn`t be an immigration reform bill, it
would be piecemeal after Boehner said there would be one.

So even he undermined the speaker. So in a lot of ways, I think that those
of us that follow politics and certainly want to hold our elected officials
accountable, we can learn from this. This is a great example of what
should happen when people do not allow their actions to match their words.

SHARPTON: Now Jimmy, we, as I said, we`re hearing that Congressman
Labrador is challenging Mr. McCarthy for the leadership position that
Eric Cantor step aside. I mean, the Tea Party is rallying around this
Labrador. And tell us something about McCarthy. You know a lot about his
background and the type of person he is and why would the Tea Party be
after McCarthy. Why would they not want to support unity at this point?

WILLIAMS: Listen, I think you have to understand, come from the premise
that the republican house caucus is very divided. You have, you know, 30
or 40 of these folks, men and women that are just rabid, rabid right
wingers. Tea Partiers, they`re just Republicans. Let`s just remember
that. But the more important they don`t understand is, you have the rest
of them, you have the other 200 or other 190 of them and they`re all
conservative. There`s zero moderates left in the house. So, what you
basically have is you have this sort of animal planet moment in the House
of Representatives within the republican caucus where they`re circling each
other like wolves on the prairie or something.

Cantor is out. He`s been killed. So now they have to put the next guy up,
which is McCarthy. The Tea Party has to mount a challenge to him, but the
bigger problem with that is the McCarthy is just as much of an
establishment guy as anybody and he`s got the votes to win. So, what
they`re going to do is they`re going to prop this guy up and they`re going
to let him fail. And then when he fails they`ll have new leadership
elections in December after the elections. And then they`ll put in two or
three Tea Party guys going down the ballot. But the great funny thing
about all of this --

SHARPTON: So, let me get this right. They`re going to put McCarthy up in
hopes that he fails?

WILLIAMS: No, I think that the establishment will put him up and watch him
fail.

SHARPTON: Right.

WILLIAMS: Listen, this is a guy who has brought so many bills to the floor
that didn`t have the votes, they had the pull the bills. That`s just not
OK. You either, you know you`ve got the votes in the majority of the house
for a bill or you don`t. So, why in the world would you ever bring a bill
up? That`s happened three or four times under McCarthy`s watch. And that
is not lost on his caucus. I can promise you that.

SHARPTON: Now let`s get out of Washington in a minute, Angela. Because
the next big Tea Party fight is in Mississippi where all eyes are on Chris
McDaniel. He`s a Tea Partier going for the Senate seat and he said some
pretty far out things. He`s called Katrina victims well-fed dependent
citizens of New Orleans. He`s attacked movie industry for never portraying
Muslims as villains. He even called the democrats the party of sex on
demand for their support of same-sex marriage. Now with all of that and
other issues, a new poll has McDaniel with an edge in the race. A new poll
put McDaniel ahead of incumbent Cochran by two percentage points, Angela.

RYE: Yes, Rev, there`s another poll that has Thad Cochran behind by eight
percentage points. And I think the biggest threat here is the fact that
people are not taking these Tea Party candidates serious. They don`t have
the funds. They have this energy that is driving people to the polls. And
we know, Rev, that the midterms and these primaries are some of the most
important elections that we can ever participate in. The reason why there
are all of these Tea Party challengers and the reason why they can win
these races is because of the 2010 census, the year of that midterm is when
those districts were drawn and they were drawn to be very republican.

So republican, in fact, that the incumbents wouldn`t be able to stand up in
them. And that`s the same thing that`s happening everywhere. Now of
course, with Senator Cochran, it`s a state-based race, but still he`s not
paying attention. He didn`t even know that Eric cantor lost his race. So
he`s definitely got to wise up and wake up. This is a real thing. Like
Jimmy just mentioned even about Kevin McCarthy. This is an all-American
conservative guy. But he`s still not conservative enough for the Tea
Party.

SHARPTON: Now, one thing is evident, Jimmy, is that Cantor`s loss has
emboldened the right wing talkers who really helped the candidate, Mr. Brat
beat Cantor. Now they`re even more emboldened. And they`re really taking
on whatever dimension they want. And they have to be credited with
Cantor`s laws. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLENN BECK, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: You don`t have to convince me that Eric
Cantor is a guy who has sold us a lot of goods.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: What do you think Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, one of
them wins primary, which candidate do you (INAUDIBLE) why do they want Eric
Cantor to win?

MARK LEVIN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Dave Brat is the conservative and Eric
Cantor is not. Eric Counter is a flounder, it`s flipping and flopping and
flopping and flipping. I listen to the guy and I look at the guy and I
say, who the hell is this guy. He doesn`t strike me as particularly
bright.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: So those are examples of how they helped take Cantor down. Now
they`re emboldened since clearly it worked. And they`re emboldened when
you look at Mississippi and other races where Tea Partiers are extremely
threatening or in the case of McDaniel`s actually ahead in two polls.

WILLIAMS: Two points. First of foremost, if I`m an incumbent right now in
Washington, D.C., I don`t care what district you`re in. I would be utterly
terrified. That goes to the Democrats, too, by the way. The American
people pretty ticked off. But the most important thing to take out of this
is talk radio is listened to by one group of people in the United States of
America, crazy old right wingers. That`s who listens to that kind of
stuff. And guess what Eric Cantor`s district was made up of mostly? Those
people.

So, at the end of the days, those districts are drawn, they look exactly
like talk radio, and that`s who listens to that kind of stuff. So Angela
is right. The district -- the 2010 census redistricting, that gave us
these crazy right wing districts. But even then, you have people that are
upset with conservative Republicans because they`re not, quote,
"conservative enough." And so, I mean, how much more conservative can you
get? The Republican Party is going to die and if they`re not careful, they
will kill themselves off, and that will be sad.

SHARPTON: Well, I`m going to have to leave it there. Angela Rye and Jimmy
Williams, thank you, both, for being on the night on Friday the 13th.
Don`t believe any of that superstition stuff. Just check when you get home
to make sure all your brooms are in the closet.

WILLIAMS: That`s right. Exactly.

SHARPTON: Have a great weekend.

WILLIAMS: You too, thanks.

RYE: Thanks, Rev.

SHARPTON: Coming up, President Obama gets personal on being a father and
growing up without his own dad in his life. But first, Chris Christie
dancing. Bridgegate and 2016. That`s next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Since the bridgegate scandal broke six months ago, Chris
Christie has kept an unusually low profile, but last night, he made a very
high profile appearance on "The Tonight Show." And Jimmy Fallon asked
about his political future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, "THE TONIGHT SHOW" HOST: Hypothetically you run for
president.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Hypothetically.

FALLON: Hypothetically Hillary Clinton runs for president.

CHRISTIE: Hypothetically.

FALLON: Hypothetically, do you think you could beat her?

CHRISTIE: Hypothetically, you bet.

FALLON: In a dance-off?

CHRISTIE: That`s what I was talking about. What were you talking about?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: What dance-off? This one, the evolution of dad dancing.

(Men dancing)

Yes, that actually happened on national television. Did you catch that
last dance? The "This bridge is closed" dance? The dances are fun, but
what will really matter is what the investigations into bridgegate show.
But what does the POLITICS NATION audience think about it? We asked you
tonight. Can Chris Christie revive his 2016 presidential prospects? Six
percent said, yes. Seventy two percent said, no. And 22 percent said too
soon to tell.

Thanks to all who voted. You can join the conversation by heading to our
Facebook page to make your predictions. We want to hear what you think.
Still ahead, a special Father`s Day interview with President Obama. And
POLITICS NATION`s tribute to the class of 2014. The most amazing and
inspiring commencements speeches of the year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: He`s President of the United States, but his most precious title
is father, father to 15-year-old Malia and 13-year-old Sasha. And his
passion for fatherhood is very personal to him. Because of his own
upbringing, his father was never part of his life. Father`s Day this
Sunday, he sat down with "Today Show" Jenna Bush Hager for a candid
conversation about his passion and how not having a dad in his life changed
his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: I made a decision in young
adulthood that it was going to be important for me to make sure that I was
there for my kids. I really tried to make sure that I didn`t miss parent
teachers conferences, that I didn`t miss the ballet or the soccer games. I
tried to be disciplined about if I`m in town, being home for dinner every
single night. And I think it`s made a difference. You know, the one thing
the girls know about me is I love them to death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: His journey helped shape and inspire his my brother`s keeper
initiative for young minority man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: And the truth is, is that a lot of young men of color aren`t doing
well, partly because they don`t have dads in their lives, partly because
they don`t have networks of support. It`s important to me partly because,
you know, I grew up without a dad. And, you know, I knew that I went
through my own struggles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: He also talked about how he thinks his girls would describe him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I think they would say that I am a good, fun dad who teeters on the
edge of being embarrassing sometimes. We set some pretty firm rules early
on in their lives about cleaning up after themselves and making their beds
and waking up on time.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Even here?

OBAMA: Even here. You know, they`ve got their acts together. And we
really don`t have to check on their homework or nag them too much about
stuff. They handle their business. So we`re really proud of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: He`s proud of them. And he should be. Happy Father`s Day Mr.
President and to all the dads in POLITICS NATION.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: There`s an annual right taking place all across the country
right now. The yearly send off for our nation`s students, so without
further (audio gap) as of 2014.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHONDA RHIMES, SCREENWRITER: Lesson one, I guess, is ditch the dream and
be a doer, not a dreamer. Dreams are lovely. But they`re just dreams,
fleeting, ephemeral, pretty, but dreams don`t come true just because you
dream them. It`s hard work to make things happen. (audio gap) So you
think I wish I could travel. Buy a car, a plane ticket, go to Bangkok
right for you. Want to be a writer? Start writing. Don`t have a job?
Get one. Any job. Don`t sit at home and waiting for an opportunity for
you. Get a job, go to work.

KATIE COURIC, TALK SHOW HOST: Changing the world doesn`t happen all at
once. It isn`t a big bang. It`s the sum of a billion tiny sparks. And
some of those sparks will have to come from all of you.

PEYTON MANNING, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: One regret that I`ve always had
here is I never got to throw any football here on this lawn, so if you`ll
indulge (audio gap) there is no pressure here at all. If you drop it, it
will not be on YouTube, I promise you. So, easy pass.

(APPLAUSE)

JOHN LEGEND, SINGER: All right. Love calls you to open your eyes, to
seek, to search, to wonder. Love is all consuming. It infiltrates your
body and allows you to experience bliss, joy and true friendship. You`ll
be more disappointed when something goes wrong. You might fall harder, but
the only way you`ll reach any height in life and in love is by taking that
chance that you might fall.

ANNOUNCER: Mrs. Michelle Obama!

MICHELLE OBAMA, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: My parents never went to college. But
they were determined to see me and my brother and all the kids in our
neighborhood get a good education. So my mother volunteered at my school.
I would walk by the office and there she would be. I would leave class to
go to the bathroom, there she would be again. We can never forget that we
didn`t get where we are today all on our own. People who never dreamed of
getting a college education themselves but who worked and saved and
sacrificed so that we could be here today, we owe them.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: My daughter does not know I`m coming today. She she`s
going to be very surprised when she sees me.

Congratulations. I`m so proud of you. I love you so much.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: The question we face, the question each of you will face is not
whether America will lead but how we will lead.

There`s no sign that says white men, colored men, (audio gal) colored
waiting. I asked my mother, my father, my grandparents, my great
grandparents why. They would say that`s the way it is. Don`t get in the
way. Don`t get in trouble. I come to you this morning on this beautiful
campus with a great education, you must find a way to get in the way. You
must find a way to get in trouble, necessary trouble.

DIANA NYAD, LONG DISTANCE SWIMMER: What a goal it would be to say that you
did all of it, this college experience and all the rest of your lives so
that you just can`t do it, even a fingernail better.

BILL NYE, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-LOWELL: Every one you`ll ever meet
knows something that you don`t. This is trouble for many of us know-it-
alls.

CHARLIE DAY, MERRIMACK COLLEGE: People will tell you to do what makes you
happy. I don`t think you should just do what makes you happy. I think you
should do what makes you great.

JIM CARREY, COMEDIAN: My father wanted to be a great comedian but he
didn`t believe that that was possible for him. And so, he made a
conservative choice. He got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was
12 years old, he was let go from that safe job and our family had to do
whatever it took to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father,
not the least of which, you can fail at what you don`t want, so you might
as well take a chance at doing what you love.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Class of 2014, you are dismissed!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: That piece was put together by POLITICS NATION producer Jen
Mulraney, one of hundreds she`s done for this show over the last several
years. And now she`s moving on. She`s a POLITICS NATION graduate and we
wish her the best of luck in all that she does. Goodbye, Jen. We`ll
always miss you.

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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