PoliticsNation, Friday, October 10th, 2014

Show: POLITICS NATION
Date: October 10, 2014

Guest: Emanuel Cleaver, Seema Yasmin, Mark Claxton, Joy Reid, Mark Hannah,
Seema Iyer

REVEREND AL SHARPTON, MSNBC ANCHOR: Thanks to you for tuning in.
Tonight`s lead, how Democrats can win by standing with President Obama.
We`re now less than a month from the midterm elections. In Kentucky,
democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes is taking on GOP Senator
Mitch McConnell. It`s a tough race in a red state. And Grimes made
headlines when she wouldn`t say whether she voted for President Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you vote for president Obama in 2008 and 2012?

STATE SEN. ALISON LUDERGAN GRIMES (D), KENTUCKY: You know, this election
isn`t about the president. It`s about making sure we put Kentuckians back
to work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you vote for him?

GRIMES: I was actually in 2008, a delegate for Hillary Clinton, I think
Kentuckians know I`m a Clinton democrat true and true. I respect the
sanctity of the ballot box. And I know that the members of this editorial
board do as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you`re not giving an answer?

GRIMES: Again, I don`t think the president is on the ballot as much as
Mitch McConnell might want him to be. It`s my name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Grimes is trying to win in a red state. And it led to an
awkward moment. But there`s a better way to handle it. When you disagree
with the president, say so. But when you know he`s right, don`t back down.
And don`t give in to the GOP`s distorted narrative about the president`s
record.

Here`s the cover story in "Rolling Stone" in defense of Obama, Paul Krugman
writes, quote, "Obama has emerged as one of the most consequential and,
yes, successful presidents in American history. He calls the affordable
care act a huge step forward. Notes that economic growth is much better
than in any other advanced country." And says his work on the environment
is a major legacy. Quote, "this is what a successful presidency looks
like. Democrats should be proud of that record, and the president`s agenda
for the future also.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let`s agree that nobody who
works full time in America should ever have to raise a family in poverty.
Let`s give America a raise. It will make the economy stronger.

Let`s catch up to 2014. Pass a fair pay law, make our economy stronger.
Let`s enroll six million children in high quality preschool. That`s an
achievable goal that we know will make our workforce stronger.

I`m not on the ballot this fall. Michelle`s pretty happy about that. But
make no mistake, these policies are on the ballot, every single one of
them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: These policies are on the ballot. And Democrats should embrace
it, even in red states. Even in red states, there are people working for
minimum wage, who want to see it lifted. There are women who don`t make as
much as men for doing the same job. And there are people with preexisting
conditions who need healthcare. That`s the case democratic candidates
across the country need to be making.

Joining me now is Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, Democrat of Missouri and
former Pennsylvania governor and former DNC chairman Ed Rendell. Thank you
both for being here.

REP. EMANUEL CLEAVER (D), MISSOURI: Thanks, Rev.

ED RENDELL (D), FORMER GOVERNOR, PENNSYLVANIA: My pleasure.

SHARPTON: Congressman Cleaver, you`re a Democrat in a red state. Don`t
Republican voters need jobs and health care just like Democrats?

CLEAVER: Absolutely. And when you think about the fact that 26 percent of
the uninsured are now insured, it goes across political boundaries.
Everybody needs that. Being a woman is no longer a preexisting condition.
You know, having a heart attack may be, but having a baby shouldn`t be.
And I think that sells anyplace. And I think we have to stand up and tell
the truth.

Things are better. And you know, Reverend, you and I both have probably
heard many times, people will say, well, things have not gotten better for
African-Americans. That`s a lie. And we need to shut it out whenever it
happens. Things have gotten better. Maybe it`s not perfect.

But for people to go out and say things have not gotten better, when the
economy has been reversed, that was going down the toilet, and when you
look at the fact that more people are now insured, things have gotten
better, and it`s a disservice to the nation to say otherwise.

SHARPTON: Governor Rendell, isn`t there a way to frame President Obama`s
policies in a way that will appeal to moderates and independents, and maybe
even a few Republicans?

RENDELL: Sure, there is, Rev. There`s no question. And I think Alison
Lundergan Grimes is in a spectacularly talented young woman who is going to
make a great senator. But I think she whiffed on that answer. What she
should have said, yes, I voted for him, that doesn`t mean I agree with all
his policies. We disagree on coal. We disagree on guns.

But let me tell you, he`s done some very good things for this country and
he`s fighting for ordinary working people. He`s for the minimum wage, the
Republicans aren`t. You can`t live on $7.15 an hour, if you have a family.
He`s fighting to extend unemployment compensation, and that`s important, to
tens of thousands of Kentuckians. Those are the answers she should have
given.

And President Obama`s not perfect. But you have to go long and hard to
find a perfect president. Maybe Abe Lincoln, who knows. And we made a
mistake in 2010, and Congressman Cleaver knows, all of our blue dog
Democrats ran from the affordable care act, instead of standing and
defending it, and saying, hey, what`s wrong with getting rid of the ban on
preexisting conditions? What`s wrong about seniors getting $1,000 to fill
the hole -- the donut hole?

SHARPTON: Right.

RENDELL: What`s wrong with allowing your kid to stay on your health care
until they`re 26? We could have defended it.

SHARPTON: Not only 2010, governor. Congressman, the governor was talking
about the Grimes race in Kentucky. You know, she should have talked about
the affordable care act in Kentucky.

CLEAVER: Yes. It was a huge success.

SHARPTON: In 2013, let`s talk about the affordable care act in the state
she`s running in. In 2013, before the law took effect, the rate of
uninsured in the state was about 20 percent. Since the ACA went into
effect, it`s fallen to 11.9 percent. Isn`t this a story she could have
used, and Democrats in a lot of states can tell, Congressman?

CLEAVER: Absolutely. And the governor from her state came to the
democratic caucus meeting in Washington and talked about the program now.
The key here is, they`re not calling it Obama care in Kentucky, I think
it`s called something like Kai care or something. It is Obamacare, but
they gave another name to it.

Yes, but it`s working, and it`s working fabulously. I think she should
have said, look, the ACA isn`t perfect, but it`s unimpeachable because all
we have to do is look at the fact that more people are insured, more people
are being saved from bankruptcy, which is the number one cause of -- health
care is the number one cause of bankruptcy.

SHARPTON: Now, Governor, the other thing that I noticed in the Krugman
piece that stood out to me is that the right-wing and Republicans have been
the great deficit hawks. And they`ve said cuts to Medicare and Social
Security are need because of the deficit. But under President Obama, the
deficit has been dropping rapidly, as a share of GDP is now just 2.8
percent. And in terms of the economy, we continue to see employers hiring,
55 straight months of private sector job growth. Why doesn`t this
administration get the credit it deserves on the economy, governor?

RENDELL: Well, again, Democrats don`t talk about it, 248,000 new jobs in
the past month, unemployment under six percent, those are great factors.
The stock market reached 2,000 a couple weeks ago. Those are great
invidious (ph) of an economy on the rebound.

And as you said, Krugman pointed out, our recovery has been much more
robust than any developed nation in the world. And we should be talking
about that. The president got beat up when the economy wasn`t doing well.
Well, the economy is taking off. He should get the credit for it. There`s
no question about it. And we should be talking about it.

And you know, unemployment cap, minimum wage, jobs from infrastructure,
those aren`t democratic proposals. Those are proposals that Republicans,
independents and Democrats, polls show, all agree with. So are Democrats
who cowering in the corner, afraid to mention the name Obama? They`re
missing the boat. We have a chance to talk about the good things, the
growth, the progress, and say, yes, I don`t think the affordable care act
is perfect. It needs to be amended. But you want to go back to the old
way? Are you nuts?

SHARPTON: Well, congressman, are some Democrats -- let me be very blunt.
Are some Democrats cowering?

CLEAVER: Absolutely. And you know, I`ve been a Democrat all my life.
I`ll never change parties. I`m going to be a Democrat and I embrace
Democrat principles. Sometimes Democrats are so careful, maybe too
careful, and I think that works to our disadvantage. If we believe we are
right, we ought to stand up and say it. If we think that the policies we
supported have been right and helped this country, we ought to say it. And
that`s what`s happened under the leadership of the president.

Republicans will stand up and say something that is absolutely wrong, but
they`ll say it with conviction and they will stick with it no matter what.
And we`ve got to be able to stand up and say, we are right. And the
American public supports what we do, over any other party`s positions.

SHARPTON: No, I agree, and I agree with the governor. In fact, I think
we`re seeing a season of political bullying. And if we would fight, we
would find out the bully`s not that tough at all. They`re not winning in
the polls where they are winning or making it close because they have a
message or because they have something to campaign on. They`re winning in
many places because we`re running away from the fight. Take the fight to
them.

RENDELL: And Rev., you`re absolutely right. Because what happened in 2010
to all those blue dog Democrats who ran from the affordable care act,
instead of standing and defending? They all lost.

SHARPTON: That`s right.

RENDELL: They all lost.

SHARPTON: I believe in fighting, and if you get in a fight with me, I may
lose, but you`re going to know you were in a fight. They`re going to have
to wake you up in the dressing room and tell you, you won on points.

Congressman Cleaver, Governor Rendell, thanks for your time tonight. Have
a good weekend.

CLEAVER: You too, Reverend.

SHARPTON: Coming up, America on edge over Ebola. A team ever hazmat
officials remove a man from a plane after he joked he had Ebola.

And this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, look! (bleep). Hey, don`t move!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: A police dog on the loose and biting a suspect, pleading for it
to get off. And it`s being called the thriller in Wasilla. We have the
police report from the Palin family brawl.

And legendary Smokey Robinson joins us. It`s a big Friday show. Stay with
us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Ebola has been a big topic of discussion on social media all
week. Today, a lot of talk about a man in Philly who was taken off a plane
after joking that he had Ebola. Instead of taking off, passengers got a
visit from hazmat suits.

Ilene says, that`s as dumb as falsely claiming you have a bomb.

Marie posted, it was a joke, lighten up.

Curbside wrote, some people just need to drive where they are going.

We have more on this story and developing news tonight on the investigation
into Thomas Eric Duncan`s death. Some growing questions for the hospital.

But first, let you know what you think. Keep chatting with us on facebook
or on twitter, @politicsnation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: We`re learning troubling new details about how the treatment of
Thomas Eric Duncan, the Ebola patient who died Wednesday in Dallas. The
A.P. reports medical records show Duncan`s temperature spiked to 103
degrees when he first went to the hospital on September 26th. He also told
a nurse he`d recently been in Africa. But his doctor wrote a note saying
he was negative for fever and chills.

Duncan was prescribed antibiotics, told to take Tylenol and sent home.
Duncan wasn`t re-admitted to the hospital for days, raising serious
questions about whether this country is prepared to deal with Ebola.

Five airports are set to start screening passengers coming from West Africa
for symptoms. But Duncan`s death has ratcheted up fears about the disease.
And those fears were on full display on a flight this week from
Philadelphia to the Dominican Republic. A passenger reportedly sneezed on
the plane and said, I have Ebola, you`re all screwed. Here`s what happened
next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s going to look worse than t is, OK? I really
want you to remember, is the depth of my being. I`ve done this for 36
years. I think the man that has said this is an idiot. And I`ll say that
straight out. If you hear me, that`s fine. I want you to keep your wits
about you. We have people coming on, we`ve all been watching the news. So
they look like they`re in the bubble.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Take a look at what followed. A hazmat crew came on board,
wearing plastic protective suits and breathing equipment. They went to the
back of the plane to talk to the man who made the joke.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I was just kidding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: He may have been kidding, but he was escorted off the plane and
examined at the airport`s medical center. Because to most people, this is
not a joke.

Joining me now is Dr. Seema Yasmin, public health professor at UT Dallas
and a staff writer for the Dallas morning news. Thank you for being here.

DR. SEEMA YASMIN, PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSOR, UT DALLAS: Thank you.

SHARPTON: What did you think when you saw the plane video? Is that the
right response?

YASMIN: Reverend, this is an infectious disease, but it`s very much a
global health security threat. So in the same way you would not make jokes
about a bomb, you cannot make jokes about Ebola. It`s a very, very serious
issue. And of course, airline personnel and security personnel have to
treat that as if somebody may potentially actually have Ebola. It`s a very
serious condition and it cannot be joked about.

SHARPTON: You know, Doc, another plane was quarantined in Las Vegas this
morning after reports that a passenger who had been to Africa recently,
vomited on board. The passenger was then cleared. Will we likely see more
cases like this?

YASMIN: We probably will because now everybody is on high alert. Ebola is
on the radar. This outbreak is not going anywhere soon in terms of the
spread in West Africa. As long as it keeps to spreading in West Africa,
Reverend, there will be more imported cases to America, to other parts of
Europe and because people are on high alert, we`ll probably have more Ebola
scares as well.

SHARPTON: Now, a lot of concerns about Thomas Eric Duncan`s treatment.
The Associated Press said, quote "the hospital was repeatedly changed in
its account of what the medical team knew when it released Duncan from the
emergency room early on September 26th. And today a spokesperson for the
Duncan family spoke about what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No explanation at all on why they sent him home with
103-degree, I mean, with temperature. If you went to the hospital right
now and your temperature was 103 degrees, no doctor would send you home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Should the hospital have known better, Doctor?

YASMIN: This is really troubling information, Reverend, for two reasons.
One, the family needs closure and they need information about how their
loved one was treated. But there`s also a second wider issue. We need
transparency and clear communication here so that if there were mistakes,
if things were missed, other healthcare facilities and healthcare workers
can learn from this. We`ve now had so many contradictory statements from
this hospital about what happened on September 25th, when Mr. Duncan first
went to the hospital. We need to know exactly what happened. And as I
said, not just to assign blame, but so we can learn from there.

SHARPTON: Now, we`ve seen predictions that there could be between 500,000
and 1.5 million cases of Ebola by January 2015. What`s your response? Do
you agree with this?

YASMIN: So, some of those models, reverend, they actually look at the fact
that many cases go unreported. So, for example, for every one case of
Ebola that we hear about right now, there may be as many as five or six
that we are never told about. Those people may die. They`re just never
registered as an Ebola case.

So there`s potential that there`s more spread even now, which is very
troubling than we are hearing about, and of course the less and less that
we ramp up efforts, the longer that we take to deal with the situation,
there`s potential for more spread in these countries and possibly farther.

SHARPTON: Dr. Seema Yasmin, thank you for your time tonight.

YASMIN: Thank you so much.

SHARPTON: Coming up, in Ferguson, protesters kick off what they`re calling
weekend of resistance.

And caught on tape, a police dog attacks a suspect. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: We`ve seen some dramatic developments in voting over the last 24
hours. First the Supreme Court struck down Wisconsin`s controversial voter
I.D. law. At virtually the same time, a federal judge in Texas struck down
the harsh voter I.D. law in that state. These rulings affect 300,000
voters in Wisconsin and 600,000 voters in Texas, mostly blacks and
Hispanics. Altogether, there is nearly a million people who will find it
easier to vote in November.

Now we`ve seen a mixed bag from courts this year, when it comes to voter
suppression. Some laws are struck down, and some are kept in place.
That`s why it`s so important to keep up the pressure, get registered, and
get out there to vote.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

AL SHARPTON, MSNBC HOST, "POLITICS NATION": It`s been two months
since the Michael Brown shooting and last night, we saw more unrest in the
streets of the St. Louis area. There`s no excuse for violence. And today
Michael Brown`s parents released a statement about protests set for this
weekend. Quote, "It is our hope that those coming to Ferguson to protest
the shooting of our son this weekend do so peacefully and lawfully." The
Brown shooting two months ago sparked a national conversation about
policing, and it put a new focus on how video from cell phones and body
cams can help raise awareness of these issues. Check out this new video
from Arkansas. Police were called in after a report of a possible
disturbance involving a gun. A sheriff deputy DJ Harlan showed up with his
K-9 while officers on the scene were handcuffing the suspect. The dog got
loose and attacked the suspect for a minute and a half. All of it caught
on the officer`s body cam.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Hey, look at! (bleep).

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Hey, don`t move. (bleep).

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Ow, ow, ow! (bleep). Get the dog off me!

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Stop moving.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Sorry, I`m sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Please, please, please. Please pull that dog off
me.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Tyson, no!

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I can`t be still much longer. Please do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: For 90 seconds, the police K-9 was attacking the
handcuffed suspect with the officer doing little to remove the dog`s grip.
Videos like this can help the public understand what`s happening on the
streets. Earlier this week we saw video of a New York Police Department
officer appearing to knock a teenager unconscious for smoking a cigarette
the officer believed was marijuana.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: It`s just a cigarette. Mister, mister, it was
just a cigarette, oh, it was just a cigarette.

Oh!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: And in another incident in New York, an officer appears
to be stealing from a man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAMARD JOYE, COP TOOK $1,300 FROM POCKET: You see this, look. You
see this? You see this? (Bleep). Give me my money, man. Give me my
money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: These videos can help the public and police be more aware
of what`s really happening in our communities, and change that relationship
for the better.

Joining me now is Mark Claxton, a former police officer and director
of the Black Law Enforcement Alliance. Thank you for being here with you,
Mark.

MARK CLAXTON, BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT ALLIANCE DIRECTOR: Thanks, Rev.

SHARPTON: Now, in that video from Arkansas, we`re now hearing other
police officers critique the K-9 officer`s reaction. Won`t these videos
help officers self-police and adjust their tactics?

CLAXTON: We hope that the videos will provide that opportunity for
there to be increased, you know, effective policing, but too often, you
know, departments and individual officers will tend to be in denial about
what`s obvious on videotape.

SHARPTON: Now, last night, Mark, we showed a video of police stopping
a disabled African-American man in an affluent community in Washington,
D.C. A bystander recorded the incident and got involved. Watch this clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: He`s coming. We have a burglary. He`s
coming with bags, he gets loud and boisterous. Of course I want to know
who he is.

WESTBY: Because you`re accusing him.

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: I didn`t accuse him of anything.

WESTBY: I`m sorry, but I`m videotaping this. Come on, Dennis, he
said you can go. Come on, you`re coming. Come on.s

STUCKY: (INAUDIBLE) I`m disabled.

WESTBY: Come on. You just come with me.

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: No, stop.

WESTBY: She doesn`t have the authority to stop him and you need to
tell her that. Because I`m reporting this. I am an attorney and this is
wrong. Now, please leave our neighborhood. Come on.

Just because he`s black, doesn`t mean he`s here to rob a house. He
works for us, he`s been in this neighborhood for 30 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: What`s your reaction, Mark, when you see that video?

CLAXTON: It`s a fascinating -- really, what that is, it`s really a
sociology study all compacted in one incident. I mean, you have a class of
race, an economic class, and structure there, all in one video itself. And
what`s interesting about that video, it shows -- it demonstrates there and
you can see it clearly, that there`s a vastly different reaction from
police, as far as accommodating the request of civilians, when it appears
that this may be, you know, a professional person. This woman happened to
be an attorney, this white woman happened to be an attorney, in defense of
this black man on the street. Something else that`s been introduced into
this conversation which is very important about the video is that you`re
talking about two black police officers involved in this incident.

SHARPTON: And I think that`s important because many people don`t
understand that people like you and I, that raise questions on policing,
raise it against police no matter what their color, and many of them behave
differently to blacks, even if they`re black. I mean, the Sean Bell
movement in New York that I was in the leadership, it was two of those
three cops that shot him were black, and we marched on them. I think you
were right to point that out.

CLAXTON: Yes, and also, Rev, I think what people often times miss, is
that when introduced like yourselves organizations that I`ve been
affiliated with are addressing this issues, that deal with the police
service, we`re really looking at the larger issue of criminal justice
reform.

SHARPTON: That`s right.

CLAXTON: And our interest and our concerns have always been color
blind and consistent. I think what makes people uncomfortable is that
when you see there`s a pervasive problem, it appears, in different
communities, where you have that color dynamic going on, but in fact, you
know, the interest that we have is about improving and reforming criminal
justice matters and law enforcement being one major component of that.

SHARPTON: Now, how can police use videos like this for training? How
can this be used in a way that is constructively trying to deal with the
police culture and train police?

CLAXTON: Well, one thing for sure, police departments cannot remain
in denial, or I call it refusal, when the evidence is obvious and it`s
before you, in a video forum and audio forum, and still you stick to a
particular story that suits your needs. So I think the first component is,
that police department, police agency, law enforcement agencies, have to be
willing to accept when they make mistakes, when they error and they have to
be accepting of the penalties that come with that. If you`re not
acknowledging the reality and the facts that you`re seeing right before you
in video and audio, then there will be no progress based on those videos.
So it`s important to incorporate those videos in the training process
without a doubt that everyone use additional training. But more
importantly, we have to be realistic and honest about what we`re seeing and
the impact that these incidents are having on communities throughout this
nation.

SHARPTON: Mark Claxton, thank you for your time this evening and have
a great weekend.

CLAXTON: Thank you, Rev.

SHARPTON: Coming up, we have the police report from a Palin family
brawl at a summer party.

And Microsoft CEO is trending today after saying women should hope for
a raise, but not ask for one.

And wobble politics. "Conversation Nation" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: We`re back now with "Conversation Nation." Joining us
tonight, MSNBC`s Joy Reid, democratic strategist Mark Hannah, and trial
attorney Seema Ayer. Thank you all for being here tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Hi, Rev.

MARK HANNAH, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thank you, Rev.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Great to be here.

SHARPTON: We start with Microsoft CEO trending worldwide today. At a
women`s conference, Satya Nadella was asked how women should ask for a
raise. Here was his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SATYA NADELLA, MICROSOFT CEO: It`s not really about asking for the
raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you
the right raises as you go along. Um, and that I think might be one of the
additional superpowers that, quite frankly, women who don`t ask for a
raise, have. Because that`s good karma. It will come back. Because
somebody`s going to know that`s the kind of person that I want to trust.
That`s the kind of person that I want to really give more responsibility
to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Karma will take care of it? After a lot of criticism he
put out a statement saying, quote, "I answered that question completely
wrong. I believe men and women should get equal pay for equal work. If
you think you deserve a raise, you should just ask." Seema, your reaction
to this?

SEEMA IYER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well Rev, it`s a cultural
thing. And myself and that gentleman, we`re from the same culture. Any
anybody`s going to go about karma, it`s a Hindu. However, I`m a woman, I
disagree. I find it offensive. And I think that we`ve changed. Right?
Let`s hear from Joy Reid, Rev.

SHARPTON: Joy and I come from the same church denomination and if I
say you reap what you sew --

(LAUGHTER)

SHARPTON: Go ahead.

JOY REID, MSNBC HOST, "THE REID REPORT": No, I mean, it goes along
with sort of the kind of advice like, always be a perky and snappy dresser,
always be nice, smile at your boss, wear a lot of skirts, show a little
leg. It`s so offensive and it`s so anti-modern that I can`t believe that
the head of a technology company thinks in that retched way. And by the
way, it`s just waiting for people to notice how great you work, people
wouldn`t have a pay gap.

IYER: But that`s our culture.

HANNAH: Completely agree. And it`s not just because I`m surrounded
by women that I`m taking this position. But it helps and no, he completely
stepped in it. The fact of the matter is, you know, cultural, not
cultural, where he is at his level, he`s working in a capitalist system
where the people who are asking for raises that are getting ahead. And so,
the president of Harvey Mudd College who asked him that question on this
interview was on air today on NPR defending this cultural aspect, but the
fact is, like, she wouldn`t be where she was today if she hadn`t asked for
these raises.

SHARPTON: But Seema, doesn`t it really go to a deeper problem, two
for one, that women that ask are considered aggressive and not lady-like,
and B, the fact that a CEO of a major tech company could even be
comfortable saying that without thinking about it?

IYER: He is comfortable Rev, because it is engrained in our culture
for men to think that way. However, we are seemingly aggressive, but I
don`t think to everyone. I think that society has changed, employers have
changed and they expect women to ask for what we deserve.

REID: And by the way, that industry, the tech industry is probably
the least diverse, has the least number of women moving up. So there`s
already a problem in the industry that he`s a part of.

SHARPTON: Yes.

REID: And so trying to encourage women to be even more -- or even
less aggressive, doesn`t make sense.

SHARPTON: Let me move on to the brawl.

REID: Let`s, brawl, Rev.

SHARPTON: From Sarah Palin`s family. It sounds like a wild scene
according to the police report. The fight happened last month at a
birthday party in Alaska. Sarah Palin, her husband Todd, their daughters
Bristol and Willow, and son Trek arrived in a white limo. According to the
police report, there were two fights. The first fight started after
Bristol, who police say was heavily intoxicated, went after a woman who had
allegedly shoved her younger sister Willow. When they were asked to leave,
Bristol allegedly said to the homeowner, who are the expletive are you?
And told him she would kick his blank before she hit him five or six times
in the face. At that point, she was shoved to the ground and people pulled
her around on the grass by her feet.

Police say, the second fight involved Trek. After he claimed some
guys were talking rudely to his sisters, making them cry, he was allegedly
beaten by four people and appeared shirtless and bloodied. At that point,
Todd and Sarah Palin were there asking, what happened? And the homeowners
told them to leave. No arrests were made, and police say no charges were
filed.

Joy, some may laugh, but Sarah Palin is still a force in the GOP.
Will stunts like this hurt her political capital?

REID: You know what, the sad thing about it is, you know, I think
every time something happens, embarrassing with the Palins, John McCain
should be asked to apologize because he said that very credibly that she
should be the vice president of the United States. So, I`ll start with
that. But I also think to myself, if an African-American prominent
political family, if the Obama family had incidents like this, what the
right would do to them, the way that they would tear them apart. Remember
the New York magazine, our New Yorker cover with Mrs. Obama with the afro
and the afro pick, and trying to depict her as this angry, scary, black
woman. And I think it`s remarkable on the right that they don`t have this
sort of self-reflection about the people that they respect. That there is
no self-reflection about whether or not they --

SHARPTON: Well, but we are talking in fairness about her children,
not her. Though, you know, some people as Joy say, get it no matter what.

HANNAH: Well, she made a decision to put her family in the public eye
when she ran for office. That was a decision presumably she made with her
family.

REID: And got a reality show.

HANNAH: And got a reality show. So, I mean, I was surprised, when I
read about this story, I was wondering where the cameras are, they`re just
doing this for the ratings.

SHARPTON: And they were there, I mean, as Todd and her were there in
the car.

HANNAH: Sure. Sure.

SHARPTON: It`s a controversy I wasn`t even at. I mean, I was later
miles away. But go ahead.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNAH: But they had the cameras there and if this was done for
entertainment television, that`s a shame and that`s horrible and
horrendous. Because, you know, what? Other countries are looking at this
too and they`re thinking to themselves, this is who America nominates to be
their vice presidential candidate. This is who the best and the brightest
of the United States? So, I don`t think it`s, you know, I`m embarrassed.

SHARPTON: And they would have been the second family of the country.

IYER: And thank God they`re not. Right. But I also think that Sarah
Palin is not under the spotlight that she was several years ago, right? So
she`s not much in the daily conversation. And she tries to put herself
back into it with the reality show, and maybe stunts like this.

REID: But every time there`s a conservative conference, she`s still a
huge draw. She`s still the person that CPAP wants to have come out on the
scene.

IYER: But no one`s going to criticize her.

REID: Not at all.

IYER: The GOP won`t criticize her or her family.

REID: They will not criticize her or her family.

IYER: Right.

HANNAH: And they`re going to probably criticize after criticizing -
-

(CROSSTALK)

SHARPTON: Finally, we know it`s close to the midterm elections.
But Senator Mary Landrieu has a new way to attract voters. The wobble.

(LAUGHTER)

We are out of time.

IYER: No!

SHARPTON: No wobble.

HANNAH: We are going to wobble on the way out.

SHARPTON: Joy Reid, Mark Hannah and Seema Iyer, thank you all three
of you for your time. Have a great weekend.

REID: Thanks, Rev.

SHARPTON: Watch Joy Reid on "THE REID REPORT" weekdays at 2:00 p.m.
Eastern.

Coming up, the one and only Smokey Robinson on his new album, and what
it`s like to discover Diana Ross. You don`t want to miss the living legend
himself, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: For half a century, Smokey Robinson has been one of the
greatest singers, songwriters, and producers in American music. As the
front man for the miracles at Motown, Smokey gave us huge hits, like tears
of a clown, I second that emotion, and the tracks of my tears. Now, he`s
revisiting some of his favorite songs in duets album, featuring artist like
Mary J. Blige, Elton John, and John Legend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I`ve been exposed to Smokey`s writing since I was
a very young child. It was highly influential to me.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I was happy enough to pick "Tracks of my Tears"
because I`ve always loved this song.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: It`s the classic opening line for a song. I don`t
like you, but I love you. Seems that I`m always thinking of you. What?
Just brilliant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: This amazing artist has written more than 4,000 songs.
And how he`s writing a new chapter in his iconic career.

Joining me now is the one, the only, Smokey Robinson. Thanks for
being here.

SMOKEY ROBINSON, R&B SINGER: Oh, it`s my pleasure. All the time,
man, it`s good to see you.

SHARPTON: It`s great to see you, and it`s amazing how you just keep
coming. I mean, you don`t get tired.

ROBINSON: Well, I get tired, but I`m trying to keep up. It`s
possible.

SHARPTON: Let me ask you, on this new album, duets album, what was it
like to work with all these other artists and help them reinterpret your
music.

ROBINSON: They picked these songs themselves. So the ones that you
hear them singing on are their favorite Smokey Robinson songs.

SHARPTON: Wow!

ROBINSON: And what we did is we let them do their interpretation of
it first. I heard John Legend sing "Quiet Storm" about five years ago in
his live show. And I told him, man, you should record that. He said, oh,
man, that`s a good idea. It ends up, we`re recording it together.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SHARPTON: Are you saying, without John on "The Tracks of my Tears,"
and we just heard him talking about it, what surprised you if anything
about working with him?

ROBINSON: I had no idea, he felt like that about "The Tracks of my
Tears." But what surprised me the most about him was the fact that, when
you listen to his interpretation of "The Tracks of my Tears," he`s growling
and he`s soulful. I mean, he`s throwing down. And I was surprised to hear
him sing like that.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SHARPTON: You`re actually also a talent scout for Motown. You
discovered some of the talent including like Diana Ross in the supreme. I
mean, tell us how that happened.

ROBINSON: Well, Diana and I grew up down the street from each other.
She lived four doors down the street from me as kids, growing up. And
eventually she moved away to -- in Detroit. And I hadn`t heard from her
for a while. After he started Motown, she called me and she said, hey
Smokey, I got a group, I want you to listen to us. She said he`s up in
Motown. I said, OK, they came by and sang for me. They were called the
Primeetts (ph) at that time. They came by and sang for me and I loved
them. So, I had to wait until Diana and the girls graduated from high
school before I could sign them. And when they did, I got them signed up.

SHARPTON: And the rest is history.

ROBINSON: Yes.

SHARPTON: Will you ever retire?

ROBINSON: I tried and once fail. I really did man, I tried. When
I left the miracles, I tried retirement. I was just going to the office
everybody and do my vice presidential thing, blah, blah, blah, and I did
that about three-and-a-half years, and I was miserable. So, no, I don`t
plan on retiring again at all. It`s not in my plans right now.

SHARPTON: On behalf of millions of your fans, I can tell you, we
don`t want you to retire.

ROBINSON: Well, thank you.

SHARPTON: Smokey Robinson, congratulations on the new album. Thank
you so much for your time tonight.

ROBINSON: Thank you, Rev. Always good to see you.

SHARPTON: Always great to see you.

Coming up, an extraordinary person doing extraordinary things. Why
she`s an inspiration to us all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: Finally tonight, an ordinary young woman doing the
extraordinary. At 17-years-old, Pakistan`s Malala Yousafzai became the
youngest person to ever be awarded the Nobel Peace prize. Two years ago,
she was shot in the head for simply going to school, and advocating
children`s rights to education. Doctors removed the bullet and she fought
to the recover. Last year, she spoke at the U.N., dedicating herself to
the fight for education, knowing she could be killed for it. Today she
accepted her award. She talked about moving forward together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALALA YOUSAFZAI, NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT: This award is not
just a piece of metal, or a medal that you would wear, or an award that you
would keep in your room, but this is really an encouragement for me to go
forward and to believe in myself, to know that there are people who are
supporting me in this campaign. And we are standing together. We all want
to make sure that every child gets quality education.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: And it was fitting where she was when she found out about
the news today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOUSAFZAI: When I found that I have won the Nobel Peace prize, I
decided that I would not leave my school. Rather, I would finish my school
time. I went to the physics lesson. I learned. I went to the English
lessons and it was totally like, I considered it as a normal day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: A normal day? Maybe for her. Her courage and resolve is
an inspiration to all.

Thanks for watching. I`m Al Sharpton, have a great weekend.
"HARDBALL" starts right now.

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BE UPDATED.
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