PoliticsNation, Monday, August 25th, 2014

POLITICS NATION
August 25, 2014

Guest: Patricia Bines; Antonio French; Charlie Dooley, Joan Walsh,
Clarence Page, Patrick Murphy

ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC ANCHOR, THE ED SHOW: That`s "the Ed Show." I`m Ed
Schultz. "Politics Nation" with Reverend Al Sharpton starts right now.

Good evening, Rev.

REVEREND AL SHARPTON, MSNBC ANCHOR: Good evening, Ed. And thanks for
tuning in. I`m live tonight in St. Louis.

Tonight`s lead, remembering Michael Brown. Thousands of mourners gathered
at a St. Louis church today to say good-bye to 18-year-old Michael Brown.
The young man shot and killed by a police officer more than two weeks ago.
His killing sparked weeks of protest in Ferguson and across the country.
Prompting both President Obama and attorney general Eric Holder to speak
out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: You`ve got to deal with the streets in Ferguson in St. Louis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: The Brown family asked me to give the eulogy today. And I
explained how I first took a call from Michael`s grandfather after seeing
video of his grandson`s body on the ground. For what ended up being more
than four hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: When I saw Michael laying there. I thought about how many of us
were just considered nothing. How we were just marginalized and ignored.
Whatever the circumstance and investigation lead to, to have that boy
laying there like nobody cared about him. Like he didn`t have any loved
ones. Like his life value didn`t matter. And I said to his grandfather, I
don`t know are what happened. But whatever we can do, I`ll be there to do
it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: The whole country has watched Ferguson. And we watched Michael
Brown`s parents, even if their unimaginable grief, they have acted with
Grace and dignity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: To know Lesley and Michael, Sr. will have to do something that
is out of order. They will have to lay their son to rest. Order says that
children bury their parents. Right, it is out of order for children to be
buried by their parents. We should not sit here today and act like we are
watching something that is in order.

In all of our religious and spiritual celebration, let us not lose sight of
the fact that this young man should be doing his second week in college.
They had to break their mourning to ask folks to stop looting and rioting.
Can you imagine? They are heartbroken, their son taken, discarded and
marginalized. And they have to stop mourning to get you to control your
anger like you`re more angry than they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Their grief is unimaginable. But unfortunately there are
families just like the Brown family all over the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: What does God require of us? In three weeks, we saw Marlin
Penek (ph), a woman in Los Angeles laid out on the freeway, Congresswoman
Maxine Waters. A California highway patrolman hit her 15 times on video
with no weapon in her hand, nothing. No threat to her.

Right after that, a man, they said he had loose cigarettes. And they put
an illegal choke hold on him. A man videoed it, 11 times he said I
couldn`t breathe and the man, the policeman wouldn`t let him go.

Later that week we see Michael, laying on the ground. America, it`s time
to deal with policing. We are not the haters. We are the healers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: We can`t ignore what we have seen. That`s why we must continue
to peacefully protest and get the change this country needs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: I sat up in the hotel and took out my bible. I turned to the
end of the book. I don`t know how long the investigation will be. I don`t
know how long the journey will be. But I know how this story`s going to
end. The first will be last. The last will be first. The lion and the
lamb will lay down together and God will, God will, God will make a way for
his children. I have been to the end of the book. Justice is going to
come. Justice is going to come. Justice is going to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: When I was a young activist and studying ministry, there was a
famous theologian who said the arc of the universe is long but it bends
toward justice. Dr. Martin Luther King used to say that. But it doesn`t
bend without the participation of all of us. I hope that with all of the
trauma and all the reaction that we do our part to bring justice for all
sides, not against police, but against wrong, if they are wrong. And the
elements in the community that also need to understand violence is not the
way.

Joining me now are Antonio French, a St. Louis alderman, and Patricia
Bines, committeewoman of Ferguson township. Thank you for being here
tonight.

PATRICIA BINES, FERGUSON TOWNSHIP COMMITTEEWOMAN: Thank you for having us.

ANTONIO FRENCH, ST. LOUIS ALDERMAN: Thank you.

SHARPTON: Alderman French, let me go to you, fist. You have been on the
ground so much in Ferguson. What`s the mood like today after the funeral?

FRENCH: I think it`s somber. You know, this was an opportunity for people
in the community to come out, show their support for their family, help
them mourn and show them that we do have their backs for the long haul in
their fight for justice. As you know, it was a very well attended funeral.
Hundreds, thousands of people came. And I think it was a strong show of
support for the family.

SHARPTON: Patricia, let me ask you. You were there with us this morning.
What`s next for the town?

BINES: Well, Reverend Al, first, thank you very much for your words. They
were healing, not only to the family but to the community. It was a
message that we need to hear. And I want to thank Antonio so much for
helping and coming out and helping us here in Ferguson.

Because what`s next is the hard work where we are rolling up our sleeves.
Now is the real strategy meetings. And we`re going to be focusing on voter
education. We have had a lot of registration. And now, we want people to
understand what they are voting for and what their vote impacts. We are
going to be working to make sure their businesses want to come back and
invest in Ferguson. And this is the hard part. This is the part where all
of us are going to get involved and turn this around.

SHARPTON: Now I want to ask you this, Patricia. The shooting after the
shooting happened. I referred to it in the eulogy. Michael Brown`s body
was left in the street for more than four hours. "The New York times" put
together a timeline of what happened.

At 12:07 p.m. on Saturday, August 9th, county police received a report of
the shooting. A paramedic arrived at 12:10, checked for a pulse. Officers
arrived at 12:15 and used a sheet to only partially cover the body.
Detectives didn`t arrive for more than an hour at around 1:30. And it was
another hour, around 2:30 before forensic investigator arrived. The body
was finally checked in to the morgue at 4:37.

I mean, can you talk about how upsetting this was for the family and the
community for this young man to lay there over four hours -- Patricia? I
don`t know if she can hear me.

BINES: Now I hear him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got you back.

SHARPTON: I don`t know if she can hear me. But I think --

BINES: I can hear you now.

SHARPTON: -- a lot of people did not get how this, in many ways was what
outraged a lot of the young people in the community is that he laid there
for four hours and his family and everyone coming out, coming around. And
they wouldn`t move the body. Wouldn`t let -- they roped it off. Wouldn`t
let the family near him. And he`s just laying there.

And Patricia. I think this timeline of him laying there. You`re back with
me. I think this is what really outraged a lot of the neighborhood and the
community. And really added to the pain of the family.

BINES: You`re exactly right, Rev. When I got to the scene, his body had
just gotten picked up. And people were outraged. I heard them say things
like they treated him like he was trash in the middle of the street. They
wouldn`t let a dog lay down in the middle of the street that long. That`s
where the outrage is coming from. So when people don`t understand why
people in the community are so angry and this happened so openly, in broad
daylight, in front of their homes. People couldn`t leave their doors and
look out their windows without seeing this. This is what the outrage is
for -- for the lack of human respect that seemed to have taken place
regarding the way this happened. This is what the outrage is really about.

SHARPTON: And Antonio, you know, another really startling front page, this
in the "St. Louis Post Dispatch" this weekend showing the disparity between
the percentages of black residents in local towns compared to the
percentage of the black police officers.

In Ferguson, 67 percent of the residents are black compared only to seven
percent of the police officers. But that`s not alone. In Belle Fontaine
which neighbors Ferguson, 73 percent of the residents are black compared to
just three percent of the police. In River View where 70 percent of the
blacks are residents, there are no black officers. In 30 of the 31
communities the paper looked at, the percentage of black residents is
higher than the proportion of black officers. What kind of problems does
this cause, Antonio?

FRENCH: It causes a huge problem. You know, the situation in Ferguson is
not unique especially for communities out here in north St. Louis county.
You have a lot of cities that are largely African-American with largely
white police forces. And those white police officers are not even from
that community. They come from other communities to police those
neighborhoods. That creates a great deal of tension, especially among the
young African-American men who are disproportionately the ones that are
pulled over, the one that are arrested, the one that are charged and often
the one that face abuse.

And so, this, you know, hopefully we are about to turn this moment here
into a movement and try to repair injustices and inequalities that occur in
St. Louis and hopefully across the country.

SHARPTON: I want to say quickly Michael Brown`s father spoke eloquently at
a peace rally last night. I want to play quickly what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BROWN SR., MICHAEL BROWN`S FATHER: Tomorrow all I want is peace
while my son is being laid to rest. Please, please take a day of silence
so we can lay our son to rest. Please. That`s all I ask. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Do you think that, Patricia, the community will hear his appeal
to remember his son in peace and to pursue justice but not do it with
violence?

BINES: I do. I even noticed last night there weren`t as many people out.
Right now, there aren`t very many people out. And people want to respect
the family`s wishes. Do I do believe tonight will be very silent. But we
are a community that we bounce back. So tomorrow, don`t be surprised if we
are back out in the streets. Because this is where the real hard work
begins.

SHARPTON: All right. Antonio French and Patricia Bines, thank you so much
to both of you for your time tonight.

FRENCH: Thank you.

BINES: Thank you.

SHARPTON: Coming up, should a special prosecutor take over the Michael
Brown case? New questions tonight about that and about the grand jury.

Also, what the White House is doing about all this military hardware in our
police departments. It`s a big push to make sure our streets don`t look
like war zones.

And President Obama returns to the White House with key decisions on ISIS
and immigration. What will he do? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: That was -- today the family of Michael Brown laid their son to
rest seeking peace and justice in his death. We`ll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN CRUMP, BROWN FAMILY ATTORNEY: We declare here today as we pay
final respects to Michael Brown, Jr., that he was not three-fifths of a
citizen. He was an American citizen. We will not accept three-fifths
justice. We will demand equal justice for Michael Brown, Jr.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: That was attorney Ben Crump demanding justice for Michael Brown
at his funeral today. That call for justice is echoing across Ferguson and
the entire nation tonight. Right now the criminal investigation remains in
the hands of the St. Louis county prosecutor. While calls for it to be
handed to a special prosecutor continue to grow.

Joining me thousand is Charlie Dooley, St. Louis county executive. Thank
you for being here tonight.

CHARLIE DOOLEY, ST. LOUIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Thank you for having me,
Reverend.

SHARPTON: First, I want to get your reaction to the funeral today. Do you
think this service will help the town to move forward?

DOOLEY: Let me say this first, Reverend. I think you did an outstanding
job in your remarks. They were right on point. It made sense. It was not
just to the family but also for the entire community. It was simply
outstanding. It`s about how we move forward. It`s about justice. It`s
not about pro police. It is pro justice for all U.S. citizens.

SHARPTON: Thank you. How do we move forward? We have serious questions
being raised in the community about this prosecutor. Do you feel, and we
talked about this before, do you feel it would add to a feeling of
stability and that justice can be achieved no matter what the answer may
end up being if this prosecutor was not the one conducting the
investigation?

DOOLEY: Reverend, I believe that Mr. McCulloch is the wrong prosecutor for
this case. An example, he has done nothing to reach out to the community
at large or to the family to say his condolences or anything that makes
sense to the family. He`s the one that`s responsible for the prosecution
of this case. But yet he`s done nothing to reach out to the family members
themselves. That speaks volumes to this community. This community has no
confidence in that individual prosecuting or investigating this case.

SHARPTON: But this weekend, Governor Jay Nixon was asked if he had
confidence in St. Louis prosecutor Robert McCulloch. Here is his response,
Charlie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAY NIXON (D), MISSOURI: I think that clearly he has experience. He
has the office. The people here elected him. And you know, you don`t want
to prejudge any of this. I do know everybody is working hard. I think the
justice department being involved. The local prosecutor, the investigators
being involved. There are a lot of folks working on the street out there
to make sure they get this one right. And I think with that attention, I
think they will move this case forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: What is your reaction to what the governor said?

DOOLEY: My reaction is this. If we really want to get it right you can`t
use a person that`s a part of the problem. And that`s Bob McCulloch. I
believe he cannot do the right thing in this case, has not shown
sensitivity to the African-American community. They have no faith in his
type of justice.

Again, it`s the wrong person at the wrong time. I believe a special
prosecutor will doer more for justice, just as the justice department comes
in with the FBI and a separate investigation that gives credibility. Mr.
McCulloch has no credibility in the African-American community. He has
done nothing to reach out to the community to soothe the family or the
words he`s spoken have said nothing to the outrage of the African-American
community.

Again, that`s how people feel. If that`s how they feel there is nothing he
can do about it. What will cost him to step aside for one investigation?
What will cost him to step aside for one prosecution to get an independent
prosecutor would be the right thing in the community. But even more
importantly, it would show the African-American community their voices are
being heard and that`s important to them.

SHARPTON: Now I understand you have been talking to the justice
department. Can you share with us anything about those discussions and
what you hope to get out of that cooperation?

DOOLEY: One of the things we have been talking about in the department of
justice, how do we move forward? What strategies to bring our community
together? And one of the top strategies is getting young people involved
in the process. If they are not part of the process there will not be a
good solution. So we are in the process in getting the entire community
involved in this process. We want transparency. What we know we want the
public to know. But again, it will be a long tedious task. It won`t come
overnight. But one of the major obstacles is how to build confidence in
justice in the St. Louis metropolitan area? How do you get back the
credibility with the police department?

Because let me tell you this. African-Americans do believe in the police
department. We do have great police officers. But when we have those that
don`t do what they are supposed to do, something needs to be done about
that.

SHARPTON: St. Louis county executive Charlie Dooley, thank you for your
time this evening, Charlie.

DOOLEY: Thank you, Reverend.

SHARPTON: Straight ahead, images that shocked the conscience of the
nation. Local police armed with military equipment. Now a federal review
is coming.

Plus, Congress is still away on vacation, but today the president is back
at the White House and tackling his agenda. Details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: We`re back live from St. Louis with big news tonight about the
military hardware we have seen on the streets of Ferguson after the death
of Michael Brown. The "New York Times" reports President Obama has ordered
a comprehensive review of federal programs that helps state and local law
enforcement get that military equipment. This military gear left many
residents feeling like their neighborhoods have turned into a war zone.

A local college student and film maker named Bradley Rayford (ph) has been
recording those scenes and talking to people in Ferguson. He shared his
footage with MSNBC in an exclusive interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This video shows the police -- I have never seen in all
my years police in full riot gear as they were.

That was a moment where I was transported from Ferguson, Missouri. I felt
I was in a different country that was war-torn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re burning that bad boy to the ground. The police
department won`t come down there. This is like living in Beirut. My house
is under siege.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ferguson, Missouri, is replicated throughout the entire
country. So if you are in disbelief it`s happening and here, it can happen
there, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Police armed with military weapons on the streets of an American
City. If it can happen in Ferguson, it could happen anywhere.

Joining me now is Joan Walsh from Salon.com and Clarence Page from "The
Chicago Tribune." Thank you both for being here.

CLARENCE PAGE, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Thank you, Reverend.

SHARPTON: Clarence, what was your reaction to President Obama`s review of
this military gear in our police departments?

PAGE: Well, I`m glad to see they are finally doing it. I mean, people for
years have been saying, do the local police departments only need to have
armored personnel carriers and -- not just the humvees but the large MRAPs,
these are mine resistant vehicles. They are helpful in a flood if you want
to, you know, clear some trees and timber and all that. But to haul out
what looks like the 82nd airborne for a peaceful demonstration.

I haven`t seen that kind of site since 1968 in Chicago which was later
called a police riot by reviewing commissions. We have learned a lot since
the `60s in most cities. But there in Ferguson we see this kind of scene
that conservatives and liberals alike have been upset about. That`s why we
see this new dialogue now about maybe we grow a little bit too far in the
kind of surplus weaponry that we give to our police departments.

SHARPTON: You know, Joan, the White House review of the militarization of
police would look at whether police departments should be receiving the
gear in the first place, how that gear is currently being used and whether
the officers are being properly trained to use it. Do you think that scope
is broad enough?

JOAN WALSH, SALON.COM: Well, I think that`s the beginning, Reverend Al. I
think there probably needs to be more than that. Because this had a long
history, you know? Clarence is right. We saw something like this as a
result of the student riots and the urban riots of the 1960s, but not with
this kind of equipment. And you really have a long story here that
involves people moving out of the city. White people moving out of cities.
The police force stays white. Then the police force moves out of the city
and polices a city or neighborhoods that they don`t live in. That`s
already a bad situation. That in itself causes friction and distance. But
then you impose this unbelievable weaponry.

You know, both the artillery, the MRAPs, the vehicles, these armored
vehicles and all the teargas. And suddenly, you have a police force that
is acting as an occupying army that is perceived as one. And then goes
even further and begins to criminalize the daily lives of the people that
they are supposed to be serving, so that we see the scandalous number in
Ferguson of people who`s been stopped for kind of routine traffic arrests.
And they can`t, they don`t pay the fines that they are supposed to pay and
they build up.

So you have the criminalization of the whole population. Policed and
enforced by these terrifying vehicles. And I think a lot of journalists
saw it up close for the first time in the last couple of weeks. And the
president is rightly concerned about it. But we`re going to need more than
just a review, it starts with the review but it needs to continue with a
change of policy.

PAGE: Yes. One thing I haven`t thought about until just the last couple
of days that`s been brought up by some observers that why do we have this
militarization of the police? It`s really the function of the
militarization of our society.

WALSH: Yes.

PAGE: I mean, you go back to the National Rifle Association -- saying, the
best way to confront a bad guy with a gun is a good way with a gun. This
has become a mentality now. Our police forces for years have been upset
about the heavy armaments that street gangs and drug gangs have saying,
well, we`ve got to get bigger armaments than they have got.

WALSH: That`s right.

PAGE: And so, you get everything up to of unfortunately not so far --
caliber machine guns that close to it.

WALSH: Right.

SHARPTON: But we`re talking about more than just bigger guns. We`re
talking about humvees. We`re talking about armaments. In fact, former New
York City Commissioner Raymond Kelly, someone that I disagreed with on stop
and frisk. He even raised questions about these programs that have local
forces and it being reviewed. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMOND KELLY, FORMER NEW YORK CITY COMMISSIONER: I think the military
equipment, the distribution of excess military equipment has to be
examined. The optics is the -- are not good. People get uneasy when they
see humvees. Military vehicles. Heavy weapons. I think the fundamental
question is, what is the need? Do we need that equipment? And does it
make them feel like the police is an occupying army.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: So, Clarence, even Ray Kelly who was I said, we quarreled about
stop and frisk tactics in New York. Even he`s questioning this. And he is
a man who had vast police and military experience.

PAGE: Yes. You know, when you think about it, back when republicans
around the White House, conservatives were very upset about the idea of our
getting too militarized in our policing. And so, that`s a consistent thing
now that we see emerging in this era. But it took Ferguson to bring it
out. The fact that just the optics, as they say of those militarized
police on the street. For what was essentially sort of what began as
peaceful demonstrations then after chaos broke out. More chaos causers
have a way of finding their way in. But obviously, this kind of heavy
armament is not what you need in an urban setting.

WALSH: Right.

SHARPTON: You know, Joan, this is not just Ferguson. The federal
government has a surplus of military equipment. It`s been sending to
police departments around the country. Since 2006. Four hundred thirty
five armored vehicles. Five hundred and thirty three aircraft. Over
93,000 machine guns and 432 mine resistant armored trucks. I mean, why
does the Police Department need a mine resistant armored truck?

WALSH: I don`t know, Reverend Al. I mean, couldn`t you imagine like
decommissioning some of this stuff? You know, turn them into big urban
planters. Maybe amusement park rides, something for the kids. Something
at day care centers. Paint them pink. Make them less scary. But send
them to the police force so that they can used to prey on citizens? It`s
surreal. Just because the military doesn`t need it doesn`t mean that
somebody else needs it. I don`t need -- you know, it`s like what kind of
mindset leads you to that conclusion?

SHARPTON: I`m going to have to leave it there, Joan Walsh and Clarence
Page. Thank you both for your time tonight.

WALSH: Thank you.

PAGE: Thank you, Reverend.

SHARPTON: Still ahead, are more U.S. airstrikes on tap for the terror
group ISIS? President Obama is back with a key meeting today at the White
House. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Last night, the Michael Brown tragedy came to MTV. Millions of
people watching the VMAs saw the hip-hop artist comment speak out and call
for a moment of silence. MTV also add a public service ad with a quote
from great Harlem writer James Baldwin set to the sound of protests in
Ferguson. Brown`s death has sparked a national conversation. We`ll have
more on the search for justice ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Now to President Obama back at the White House today tackling a
busy agenda. Including big decisions on how to confront the growing threat
posed by the Islamic militant group known as ISIS. This morning the
president met with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to review military
options against ISIS in Syria. The meeting came after ISIS tightened
control of a key region in the Syria/Iraq border. Capturing one of Syria`s
largest military bases on Sunday. After the execution of American
journalist Jim Foley last week, President Obama warned that ISIS cannot be
allowed to spread.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: From governments and peoples across
the Middle East, there has to be a common effort to extract this cancer so
that it does not spread. There has to be a clear rejection of this kind of
nihilistic ideologies. One thing we can all agree on is a group like ISIL
has no place in the 21st century.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: But today, as President Obama considers policy options, we are
also seeing the politics unfold with republicans and Congress once again
pouncing on a serious international challenge to insult the commander-in-
chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: This is an administration which the kindest
word I can use is feckless.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: And the problem is, the president quite frankly, he says
all these things and he never does it.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: Candidly Bob, I don`t want to hear from the
president how he`s reacting to events like the Mosul dam. What I want to
hear from our commander in chief is that he has a strategy to finish ISIS
off.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: My concern is that the president`s strategy of leading
from behind and light footprint has failed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: And late today, Senator Lindsey Graham kept at it saying, quote,
"The president is becoming derelict in his duties as commander in chief."
The same GOP war hawks whose disastrous vision led the U.S. into the region
in the first place are beating the drums again. But President Obama
appears determined to look before he leaps back into a war.

Joining me now are former democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy, the first
Iraq war vet elected to Congress and MSNBC`s Krystal Ball. Thank you both
for being here.

KRYSTAL BALL, MSNBC HOST, "THE CYCLE": Thanks for having us, Rev.

FMR. REP. PATRICK MURPHY (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Thanks, Reverend.

SHARPTON: Congressman, how can any law maker says, the president is
becoming derelict in his duty for taking a cautious approach to bombing
halfway around the world.

MURPHY: Right, Reverend. In most cases the same folks that were the
biggest cheerleaders for the Iraq war which was a strategic blunder that
cost over 4,400 Americans their lives. Reverend, what you see here is the
wardrooms beating again. Let`s be very clear, the air strikes that we did
near Erbil in Northern Iraq against ISIS was because we had Americans in
imminent danger in that region, that consulate and military advisers. The
Republicans are now making a major policy shift to say, look, they are one
plane ticket away from hitting us here in America. We need to do more. We
need to do more. It`s those wardrooms.

And, you know, of course they don`t want to talk about, you know,
authorizing the president to act. They don`t want to, you know, look at
the war powers act, they don`t want to give an authorization. Because
frankly the authorization for use of military force was back in 2001 and
2002 was only against al Qaeda, not against ISIS. So, they don`t want to
debate that. They are not trying to get responsibility. They just want to
throw stones at President Obama.

BALL: Yes.

SHARPTON: You know, what is your take on this derelict of duty, Krystal?

BALL: Well, I think Congressman Patrick Murphy is absolutely right. I
mean, the bottom-line is here, they love to throw stones, they love to
criticize. But what is their solution? I have yet to hear that. And
there is never any foresight of, OK, so let`s say we go back in. Let`s say
we bomb ISIS. Let`s say we go into Syria which by bombing ISIS in Syria we
are indirectly partnering there with Bashar al-Assad who, if we haven`t
forgotten, is also not such a great guy who we were just recently thinking
of taking military action against. So what then? What happens then?

You know, do we have a power structure in place in Iraq that`s ready to
actually take control and have a population that comes together and forms a
unified Iraq? Do we have an alternative in Syria? What`s going to happen
there? So, they are always quick to go for the military action. But there
is no foresight of what`s going to happen next. I love Lindsey Graham`s
comments there, both the derelict of duty but also saying that the
president`s policy of a light footprint has failed. How about the last
policy of the heavy footprint? How is that worked out? Because that`s
what`s created the whole vacuum to start with. It`s not like our previous
interventions in the Middle East have worked out great for us.

SHARPTON: Yes. You know, Congressman, GOP Senator Kelly Ayotte was asked
whether Congress could come together on a policy on ISIS in Syria. Listen
to her response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KELLY AYOTTE (R), NEW HAMPSHIRE: I do think Congress can be brought
together. First of all, it starts with presidential leadership.
Absolutely the Congress has to come together. And I think it starts with
presidential leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Do you think republicans really want their fingerprints on this?
I mean, wouldn`t they just rather blame the president?

MURPHY: They would rather blame the president, Reverend Al. And they do
it time and time again. They did it with immigration. The Senate passed
immigration bill. The House didn`t even vote on one. They did on a
transportation bill because they didn`t vote on one. Even though, the
Chamber of Commerce is for it and labor unions are for it. That will be
the biggest jobs bill we could do and infrastructure bill. So, time and
time again, they continued to punt and they continue to blame the
president.

The senator from New Hampshire, Senator Ayotte, she is saying, we need
presidential leadership. They are all busting his chops for being on
vacation for two weeks. Well, they have been on vacation for five weeks.
Why aren`t the Senate and the House back in Washington right now to tackle
these issues, to debate these issues? And give the American people their
ideas on how to solve these problems.

SHARPTON: It`s not like they were getting much done when they were in
vacation, Congressman. But in the meantime, Krystal, as the president
considers action in Syria, the House GOP is still suing him for taking
action on health care here at home. Today they announced they`ve hired a
law firm for $500 an hour with legal costs running up to $350,000. I mean,
is this going to be the GOP strategy through late summer into fall? More
gridlock, more talk about lawsuits and impeachment?

BALL: It`s the only thing that they`ve got. They don`t agree. The party
is split on things like immigration. They`ve got no plan there. Lord know
they have got no plan for getting our economy back on track and strong wage
growth for folks who are struggling at the bottom of the economic ladder.
They have got no idea in those realms. So, the only thing that they can
come together around is their dislike for this president. Now, John
Boehner thinks that he can throw bone to the base with this lawsuit to
quiet the talk of impeachment. So, he doesn`t have to go down that road.
At this point, I guess that`s what counts for being moderate in the GOP.
Just suing the president rather than calling for his impeachment.

SHARPTON: Congressman Murphy, do you believe that they would sue?

MURPHY: They`re going to sue, Reverend Al. They do this time and time
again. And the problem with this is, it`s wasting taxpayer dollars. The
same exact people that are so upset about the national debt and the
deficits have no problem with the war funding. They have no problem with
these lawsuits that go nowhere. It`s just like the Benghazi special
investigation. It went nowhere. It was a falsity. There was no
controversy. We had four Americans that were killed. It was a tragedy.
But there was no cover-up, there was no special investigation.

They are wasting taxpayer dollars time and time again for their pet
projects, for things they care about which don`t help the everyday American
family and that`s why the American people are sick and tired of what`s
going on in Washington right now and the House of Representatives and the
Senate. Because the republicans are just standing in the way.

SHARPTON: I`m going to have to leave it there. Former Congressman Patrick
Murphy and Krystal Ball, thank you both for your time tonight.

BALL: Thanks, Rev.

SHARPTON: And be sure to catch Krystal on "THE CYCLE," weekdays at 3:00
p.m. Eastern right here on MSNBC.

Still to come, finding strength in pain. How Michael Brown`s parents are
fighting for justice despite their grief.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Still ahead, turning private grief into a public cause. What
the parents of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and too many
others can teach us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Finally tonight, remembering the grief of Michael Brown`s
parents. Today the nation watched as they laid their son to rest, long
before his time. It`s a grief that is shared by too many parents across
the nation who have formed their own community of tragedy. Michael Brown`s
parents received special support from the parents of Trayvon Martin who
joined the rally in Ferguson yesterday. They spoke about their shared
experience in an interview with my MSNBC colleague Craig Melvin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BROWN, SR., FATHER OF MICHAEL BROWN, JR.: Seeing him in the casket
today made it reality.

CRAIG MELVIN, MSNBC CORRESPONDENT: What`s going to be the hardest part?

LESLEY MCSPADDEN, MOTHER OF MICHAEL BROWN: Walking away. Walking away
from that casket.

SYBRINA FULTON, MOTHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: It doesn`t get easier. But what
we have done is found ways to divert the negative energy into something
positive because there is going to be negative energy.

TRACY MARTIN, FATHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: There are good people out there
like Mr. Brown and Ms. McSpadden that were praying for us. So to come back
here and try to be -- try to let them lean on our shoulders for a little
strength, I think it was real important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: These mothers and fathers speak with a unique kind of moral
force using their personal grief to start a public debate. The mother of
Eric Garner who died after a police chokehold marched in his memory this
weekend. She was joined by the mother of Amadou Diallo who was killed by
41 bullets fired by police. These parents are seeking justice and change
despite their own personal grief.

I, as president of the National Action Network, have been working with all
of these families and they think I have helped them. They really helped
me. To watch them up close bear their pain, bear their grief with dignity
and not succumb to the temptation of wayward words and inflaming tensions
has made me a better activist, a better person, a better communicator. I
thank these families for making it a better America.

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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