POLITICS NATION
August 9, 2013
Guests: Nia-Malika Henderson, Goldie Taylor, Ryan Grim, Nancy Giles
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Between October 1st
into March, there will be an open enrollment period in which millions of
Americans for the first time are going to be able to get affordable health
care.
Now, I think the really interesting question is why it is that my
friends in the other party have made the idea of preventing these people
from getting health care their holy grail, their number one priority. The
one unifying principle in the Republican Party at the moment is making sure
that 30 million people don`t have health care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REVEREND AL SHARPTON, MSNBC ANCHOR: They are Holy Grail. Their
number one priority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The notion is simply that those 30 million people or the 150
million who are benefiting from the other aspects of affordable care will
be better off without it. That`s their assertion. Not backed by fact, not
backed by any evidence. That`s just become an ideological fixation. Well,
I tell you what. They are wrong about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: It`s an indictment of a party that has lost its way. And
would lead this country in a dangerous direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The idea that you would shut down the government unless you
prevent 30 million people from getting health care is a bad idea. I can
tell you that the American people would have difficulty understanding why
we would weaken our economy, shut down our government, shut down vital
services, have people who are not getting paid, who then can`t go to
restaurants or shop for clothes or all the other things that we`re doing
here because Republicans have determined that they don`t want to see these
folks get health care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Shutting down the government to prevent 30 million
Americans from getting health care. This is sick. And in recent days,
even some Republicans admitted it would be political suicide. But many
others are still caught in their own radical rage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will not vote for any continuing resolution that
funds even a single penny of Obama care.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The American people shouldn`t fund it. And so,
that`s what I intend to do.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: How can you be against Obama care but
vote for a budget that funds implementation?
SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: I think funding Obama care is a huge
mistake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: This is the broken logic of extremism. This is what the
president defiantly attacked today. And it`s the opposite of what
Americans want.
Joining me now is Ed Rendell and Nia-Malika Henderson. Thank you for
being here tonight.
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, POLITICAL REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Great
to be here.
ED RENDELL (D), FORMER GOVERNOR, PENNSYLVANIA: My pleasure.
SHARPTON: You know, Governor, the president seemed really unhappy
with this Republican game of chicken on shutting down the government. How
do you see it?
RENDELL: Well, I think the president`s dead-on. He is right to be
defiant. This is the law of the land. The Supreme Court with a
predominant number of Republican appointees upheld affordable health care
act as the law of the land. It`s over. They have tried to repeal it 40
times. It`s gotten nowhere.
Right now, they should act responsibly and deal with a responsible
budget, deal with the debt ceiling down the road, and get off this
ridiculous idea because the president talks about 30 million people that
wouldn`t get health care. But there is more than that, Rev. Do the
Republicans want to go back to the time when a person with a preexisting
illness could not get health care? Do they want to go back to the time
when someone who has health care but gets sick can be dropped?
SHARPTON: Right.
RENDELL: Do they want too back to the time when people have caps on
how much the health insurance companies have to spend --
SHARPTON: And where there is a limit on young people being cut off
early.
RENDELL: Right. They are crazy if they want to go back to that. And
the American people, first of all, they hate this type of confrontation.
If the Republicans in the house go through with this, Rev., they will pay.
And I believe they will lose the majority in the house in the 2014
election. It`s insane for them to do it. It`s strong for them
politically. But most importantly, it`s bad for the country.
SHARPTON: Nia, do you believe if they go through with this that they
will pay for it politically, that they are flirting with political suicide.
HENDERSON: Well, you know, it`s interesting. You have many
Republicans, including Mitt Romney who are making the very same argument
that you`re making here, that Ed Rendell is making here. You flash backed
to the last time this was happened to Republicans when Bill Clinton was in
office and they suffered at polls mightily because they shut down the
government.
This sort of brinkmanship, the public does not like. And this idea I
think that Obama framed it very nicely today when he said that they want to
shut down the government so that they can deny 30 million people health
care. I thought it was a really nice framing and sets the Republicans up
in the fall to figure out a way for it.
I think the majority of Republicans are very easily, especially in the
Senate side, don`t agree with Ted Cruz. They don`t think that the
government should be shut down, and in states all across the country, Obama
care is the reality. It might not be known as Obama care. It`s called
something else in Colorado and California and all of these other states
like Idaho. But the reality is it`s the law of the land. The Supreme
Court has ruled on it. So the question I think for Republicans is how long
are they going to keep wanting to fight the same old war?
SHARPTON: That`s a good question, Governor, how long? And Nia-Malika
gave a number of names of more moderate but big Republicans that have said
what this will do, including Mitt Romney. But speaker Boehner, the speaker
of the house, says he still hasn`t decided whether he`ll push for a
shutdown over Obama care. He has not said that this is political suicide
and we can`t do it. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: What do you think about the people who
are advocating the strategy shutting down the government to dun the health
care law?
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We made no decisions
about how we`re going to proceed with the CR.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: I mean, does this inspire or put fuel on the fire to these
extremists in his party?
RENDELL: Sure. It sort of gives them a permission slip to go ahead
and float this incredibly destructive idea. I don`t know, Speaker Boehner,
I actually like him personally, and I think he is a good man in general.
But boy, he is gutless in not confronting this terrible idea, terrible for
the party and terrible for the country.
You know, the problem is in some of the districts that the tea party
Republicans represent, their stand is going to be popular. It`s not going
to cost them at the polls. But we`ve got four moderate Republican
congressmen in the Philadelphia suburbs, and we`re going to go against them
next year. And we`re going to say look, Pat Meehan is a good guy. But you
can`t elect Pat Meehan, because that will keep control of the house in
Republican hands, and the tea party runs the show. So you can`t vote for
Pat Meehan, even though he is a good guy. And that`s where they`re going
to become a persuasive argument. And that is where they are going to lose.
They are going to lose control in those areas.
SHARPTON: Nia, the other reason that they will have problems is on
the very facts of the affordable care act. The president made a very
affirmative case defending the success of the affirmative health care act.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: As we speak right now, for 85 percent of Americans who already
have health insurance, they are benefiting from being able to keep their
kid on their plan if their kid is 26 or younger. You have got millions of
people who received rebates because part of the affordable care act was to
say that if insurance company isn`t spending 80 percent of your premium on
your health care, you get some money back. Folks who have been bumping up
with life-time limits on their insurance, that leaves them vulnerable, that
doesn`t exist. Seniors have been getting discounts on their prescription
drugs. Free preventative care, mammograms, contraception. That`s
happening right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: So we are really seeing, Nia-Malika, the president is
talking about an act that has helped millions of people and will continue
to do so as enacted. That clearly supposed to be the role of government.
HENDERSON: That`s right. It also contradicts Republicans.
Republicans have this idea that somehow they`re going to stop something
that has already happened. The reality is we already live in a country
where Obama care has already been implemented, and it`s already affecting
people`s lives. And the reality I think for Republicans is this is a last-
ditch effort, right? Come October, folks are actually going to be able to
sign up with those state exchanges. And then, you know, as things happen,
and I think there will be glitches in Obama care and Obama talked about
that, but once this rolls out, and it really begins to impact and affect a
wider slew of people in this country, it`s going to be harder for
Republicans to raise these same sorts of concerns.
But I think for now, they are very much looking at 2014 and really
exciting, their base, especially in some of these congressional races that
we`ll see in 2014.
SHARPTON: I`ve got to go. But I want you, Governor, to see what the
head of the Republican Party Rush Limbaugh had to say about when he insists
protection for people with preexisting conditions is too generous.
Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: They have high rates because
they already require insurance companies to cover a lot of the nonsense
mandated under Obama care, preexisting stuff, which isn`t insurance, that`s
welfare.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Welfare to help people with preexisting conditions.
Governor, that you mentioned the head of the Republican Party calls it
welfare. Just thought you should know.
RENDELL: Every other developed country in the world does it, protects
their citizens. And the greatest country in the world, the richest country
in the world has to be doing it. And the president passed a bill that
guarantees that we will.
SHARPTON: Governor Ed Rendell and Nia-Malika Henderson, thank you for
your time tonight. Both of you have a great weekend.
HENDERSON: You too.
RENDELL: You too.
SHARPTON: Coming up, they live in a right wing bubble of make-
believe. So today President Obama brought out the facts.
Plus, the tea party monster that just can`t be stopped. More town
hall video you need to see.
And it`s become a summer tradition like no other. Yes, it`s the
attack on problem`s vacation. We will do a little grilling of our own
tonight.
And have a question, a comment, e-mail me. Friend or foe, I want to
know.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: Too many Republican lawmakers now live in a fact-free
world. They get their ideology get in the way of good policy and common
sense. So now, part of the president`s job is to be the fact checker in
chief, debunking the latest spin from the right wing.
Here is his response today to a question from a reporter with FOX
News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: On September 11th we`ll have the first
anniversary of Benghazi, and you said on September 12th, make no mistake,
we`ll bring justice to killers who attacked our people.
OBAMA: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Eleven months later, where are they, sir?
OBAMA: Well, I also said we would get bin Laden, and I didn`t get him
in 11 months. We are intent on capturing those who carried out this
attack. And we are going to stay on it until we get them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: The president is going to stay on it until we get the
terrorists. His record backs that up even though the right wing spin
machine tries to ignore it. And here is the president using a specific
real world example to hit back against the GOP lies about health care.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I met a young man today on a bill signing I was doing with the
student loan bill who came up to me and said thank you. He couldn`t have
been more than 25, 26 years old. Thank you. I have cancer. Thanks to the
affordable care act working with the California program, I was able to get
health care, and I`m now in remission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: A young man with cancer now in remission. That is the fact
about the health care law. We can all have our own opinions, but we can`t
have our own facts. And sometimes the truth is the best weapon.
Joining me now is Melissa Harris-Perry, host of "Melissa Harris-Perry"
here on MSNBC.
Thank you for being here.
MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY, MSNBC ANCHOR, MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY SHOW:
Absolutely.
SHARPTON: Melissa, will the president`s fact-based argument reach any
of these right-wingers off in their alternative universe?
HARRIS-PERRY: You know, it is one of those challenges that the
president has. And I think we really saw it especially in the question
that came about Benghazi. So, on the one hand, there is the president
trying to address the NSA anxieties, which have mostly been a set of
stresses from the left about -- not exclusively, but about the idea that
the NSA is, you know, using this intelligence gathering information in a
way that is problematic for American citizens. And then he has from FOX
News a question about are you going to go get the terrorists. And you see
exactly what the president is trying to do.
SHARPTON: Right.
HARRIS-PERRY: Is manage, not just sort of the normal things that a
president has to manage about two sides, but the idea on one side that he
is soft on terrorism, but he is letting people get away. And on the other
side, that he is somehow, you know, in all of our e-mail inboxes.
SHARPTON: -- in all of our conversation. But he has also had to deal
with debunking the talking points on health care that are few glitches
makes the whole thing bad.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: There is no doubt that in implementing the affordable care
act. The program with this significance, there are going to be some
glitches. No doubt about it. That was true of Social Security. That was
true of Medicare. That was true of the children`s health insurance
program. That`s true, by the way, of a car company rolling out a new car.
It`s true of Apple rolling out the new iPad.
Our goal is to actually deliver high quality affordable health care
for people and to reform the system so costs start going down and people
start getting a better bang for the muck. I make no apologies for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS-PERRY: Right. So, again, the president has such a challenge
here because we know that there is a whole group of people who are willing
to allow their constituents, particularly if we look at Texas, for example,
if we look at somebody like Rick Perry, people who are willing to allow
their constituents to go without the benefits of health care simply because
they have a ideological anxiety about President Obama.
So you know, the fact problem is that you can`t get past what should
be the most basic fact, which is in a democracy the way it`s supposed to
work is if you get elected, you are supposed to be held accountable by your
constituents for whether or not the policies you make are good for them.
But in this case, what they have managed to do is to define anything that
is anti-Obama is good for you, even if in fact it`s exactly the opposite.
SHARPTON: And the facts speak -- for example, on Obama care, as we
call it, and as the president has called it, has given almost a million
young people coverage. He has helped more than eight million get rebates
from their insurance. He saves seniors on prescriptions, just on
prescription drug costs. So I mean, these are tangible facts.
HARRIS-PERRY: And this is where the Republicans are going to have a
tough time because now that there has been even partial implementation, now
rolling back Obama care means actually taking health care away from people.
SHARPTON: That`s right.
HARRIS-PERRY: Yes.
SHARPTON: And they have no plan. I mean, their whole plan is just
let`s repeal Obama care. Another thing that he did today, he signed the
student loan bill which you s him refer to.
HARRIS-PERRY: Thank you, Lord.
SHARPTON: I know you like that. And it helps make higher education
more affordable. And he had a message for Congress when he signed it.
Watch. This.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Just go, good signing bills. I haven`t done this in a while.
Hint, hint.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: How about a budget, Mr. President.
OBAMA: There you go. That`s what I`m talking about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: I mean, do Republicans understand that the American people
want to see more scenes like this, things being done, bills being signed?
Relief and help to the American people?
HARRIS-PERRY: Look, this student loan one is such a great example,
right?
SHARPTON: Absolutely.
HARRIS-PERRY: Because what we know, these two loans have this massive
impact across the economy. The first of all, when young people and their
parents are burdened with student loan debt, then they don`t have consumer
dollars to spend out to stimulate the economy.
SHARPTON: Which affects the economy.
HARRIS-PERRY: In massive ways, but then -- and then, this is the part
that like you would think that even alumni of conservative universities
would get on board. The university that is right next to mine, next to the
Tulane at Loyola, saw a massive drop in freshmen enrollment this year. Why
was there a massive drop in freshmen enrollment? So, normally say they
would get half the number of students, right, would come. Only about a
third of them came. Why? Because their parents are no longer eligible for
student loans under these new student loan eligibility requirements that
are tightened. What does that do? That puts Loyola, right, a catholic
mostly conservative university in a serious economic bind. So, what you
see here is Republican lawmakers willing to stand in the way of the
president, stand in the way of democratic lawmakers, being able to make
policy that is just good economic policy to take us back in a recessionary
mode.
SHARPTON: They hurt the country, and they hurt the people in the
country because of their whole hatred of this president. And it is amazing
the president also responded to critics of the GOP on immigration reform.
Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: What they may argue is it doesn`t solve the problem 100
percent. I don`t know a law that solves a problem 100 percent. Social
Security lifted millions of seniors out of poverty, but there are still
some poor seniors. The civil rights act and the voting rights act
drastically reduced discrimination in America, but there is still
discrimination. It doesn`t make bad laws. Don`t worry about your
Washington politics. Solve problems.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Solve problems. That`s the key.
HARRIS-PERRY: Absolutely. And, you know, what he didn`t say, but is
the other kind of underlying thing there is of course the voting rights act
was so successful in solving its problem that the Supreme Court used its
very success against it saying well, we now no longer need the preclearance
on the voting rights act because it`s been so successful. I mean, the
president by invoking Social Security, by invoking the civil rights act is
telling us sort of how historic and important immigration reform can be.
SHARPTON: No bill is perfect.
HARRIS-PERRY: That no bill is perfect. And also, that when they have
been perfect, when they have been really good, this Supreme Court has
actually used that against us.
SHARPTON: And politically, I don`t think it`s going to help the
Republicans. My mother used to say don`t cut off your nose to spite your
face.
Melissa Harris-Perry, thank you for your time tonight.
And be sure to catch Melissa Harris-Perry on Saturdays and Sundays at
10:00 a.m. eastern time.
Still ahead, Republican town brawls. The GOP lost control of the tea
party monster they created.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want Boehner up there to find this guy and say
we`re going to impeach them with you if you do not start obeying the laws.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Plus, remember all those time that FOX criticized President
Bush for going on vacation? Me neither. But the far right blowhards are
certainly going after President Obama. I will set the record straight
tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: Republican lawmakers have gone back to some tired old
talking points. With new attacks on the board. Check out what they`re
saying now about food stamps.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R), OKLAHOMA: Fraud. It`s 100 percent goal is
fraud. We shouldn`t be supporting those that won`t work. They`re spending
their money some place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As far as 50 million nutritionally deprived people
in this country, I beg to differ. I think there is 330 million starving.
At least two to three times a day. We call it breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. It`s not a lifestyle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Poverty is a lifestyle? One hundred percent of food stamp
use is fraud? The congressman should tell that to the nearly 48 million
Americans who rely on food stamps to help feed their families. We`re
hearing the same garbage from FOX News, which is airing a one-hour special
attacking the poor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Food stamp abusers, feeding on taxpayers. Inside
the waste and corruption. And where your money is really going. A shock
FOX News reporting, tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Shocking. Here is a fact that might shock the folks over
at FOX News. Food stamp fraud is practically nonexistent, one percent,
just one. One of the funds that are mishandled, one percent. That means
99 percent is going to people who really need food stamps, who need the
help to feed their families. But Republicans don`t care. They want to cut
$40 billion from the program. That`s taking away food from the most
vulnerable Americans, 45 percent are children, eight percent are seniors,
and 20 percent are in disabled households. Those are the facts. Food for
thought for the GOP. Did these right-wingers think we would ignore their
shameful attacks on the poor? Nice try, but we got you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: I`d like to take a moment to thank GOP Congressman
Markwayne Mullin. At a town hall yesterday, a self-identified birther
princess tried to spout nonsense about the president being born in Kenya.
But don`t worry, he was having none of it.
(BEGIN VIDEP CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: My question is what do you know about Obama`s
identification fraud?
REP. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R), OKLAHOMA: Let me just stop you right
there. Are you talking about the birth certificate?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Uh-huh.
MULLIN: We lost that argument on November 6th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Thank you, Republicans. That`s the way you talk to a self-
proclaimed birther princess. This is refreshing, isn`t it? Let`s hear a
little more straight talk from the congressman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MULLIN: I believe what you`re saying, and I don`t support this
president whatsoever. Who would ever thought we would actually be
questioning if we had a natural born president being president. I believe
it`s still there. But we didn`t prove it the first four years, what do you
think the chances are now?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: The chances are none. This is the problem with the GOP.
Instead of debunking the birther princess, they shine her crown. Wonder
why we see gridlock? Why there is so little getting done? It`s because
Republicans are embracing this rhetoric from their base.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I want Boehner up there defying this guy and saying
we`re going to impeachment with you if you do not start obeying the laws.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: The Republicans are too nice.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Listen, we`re dying out here, because you guys are
being nice guys. This is not a Boy Scout meeting.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: It`s not. And you`re acting like Boy Scouts.
You`ve got to fight.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I want to see more defiance.
ED HUNTER, MARYLAND RESIDENT: We`ve seen this dozens of times where
Boehner will not fight. Where McConnell will not fight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Are we talking about the same McConnell? Does he know a
different Boehner than I do? The problem isn`t that the right is not being
defiant enough, it`s that they`re letting their far right base drive them
right over the cliff.
Joining me now, Goldie Taylor and Ryan Grim. Thank you both for
coming on the show tonight.
RYAN GRIM, THE HUFFINGTON POST: Good to be here.
GOLDIE TAYLOR, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you, Reverend Sharpton.
SHARPTON: Goldie, let me start with you. Is that what all this
gridlock in Washington is about, appealing to this far right base?
TAYLOR: Well, it certainly is. You know, Reverend Sharpton, I`ve
been on campaign trails in and out for nearly 25 years. And this used to
be the stuff of whisper campaigns, the kind of things that you kept inside
of the campaign really at the local and grassroots level. We have watched
it sort of manifest itself on the national stage, you know, over the last
five to six years in ways that are really quite surprising to me, that
these kinds of rumors, innuendoes have taken on sort of mainstream
prominence.
And so you`re watching the Daily Caller. You`re watching news
busters. You`re watching websites out there that are pushing this stuff
actively. And then you`re watching it make it to mainstream media in ways
that the GOP establishment cannot contain really the way that they used to
be able to. This used to be a tool. And now it`s going to work to the
detriment.
SHARPTON: Now Ryan, by the way, this latest birther congressman I
played, he had this to say about his comments after they came out. The
spokeswoman releases the statement saying, quote, "he doesn`t support the
birther argument. He just misspoke when he said that. He, however, did
not misspeak when he says I do support this president whatsoever." I`m so
happy for the explanation, Ryan.
GRIM: Right. What you`re getting this summer at these town halls is
really the worst of all worlds for Republicans, because it`s just enough
crazy to embarrass the republican leaders back here in Washington. But
it`s not enough crazy to kind of derail say immigration reform. You know,
compare the energy around these town halls to what you felt back in August
of 2009 when there was that reaction against health care reform. You know,
a lot of those that was organized by Freedom Works and some of these other
-- group.
But it`s clear that if you compare it now, the intensity was so much
stronger. And they almost took down health care reform as a result of it.
You know, they took out the Senate super majority, so. But now you`re not
seeing that at all. And so people are going to come back to Washington and
say well, actually there wasn`t this crazy outburst about immigration
reform there is a lot of people that said a lot of idiotic things that
embarrassed us. But there was no kind of groundswell of opposition. So,
this is I think, it is really the worst of all worlds for them.
SHARPTON: You know, Goldie, GOP Congressman Steve Stockman said in an
interview that Democrats are winning the healthcare argument because of
wheelchairs. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STEVE STOCKMAN (R), TEXAS: One of the things that we`re doing
wrong is we`re accepting the argument when we defund Obamacare, that we`re
closing the government down. We`re not. In fact, we`re saving the
nation`s future by not funding it. As Republicans, we get out of
calculator real quick and show us that the bill doesn`t cost XYZ, and then
the Democrats will bring out somebody in the wheelchair and we lose the
argument on visuals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: I mean, is that insensitive? Is that gross, or am I
overreacting, Goldie?
TAYLOR: I think it`s absolutely incredible that he would say
something like this or think something like this in the public square like
this and not be outright embarrassed by it. You know, I`m still hearing
friends and neighbors really have some misconceptions about what Obamacare
and its tenets really are. And so there really is campaign that has to be
really waged in terms of just informing the public about what is available
and will be available to them under this.
Republicans have engaged in a misinformation campaign that really has
taken route. They`ve done at the grassroots in ways that really haven`t
affected this country and so I think there is a lot of work, you know, on
the democratic side to do that. But as for Republicans, they have really
have got to find a way to get this cat back in the bag. The 2014 midterm
elections are on the way, and I`m sure they want to fan the flames to this
vitriol and turn out their base. But this the process, you know, they
could, you know, just cut off their nose just to spite their face.
SHARPTON: Yes. Well, you know, Ryan, the base is what is driving the
problem. Sixty seven percent of republican voters think the party has
compromised enough or too much. Fifty nine percent say the party should be
the same or more conservative. So their base is driving this.
GRIM: And so you come to this interesting place where the republican
elected officials can`t actually ever be conservative enough to satisfy
their base. And, you know, they have themselves to blame for this, because
you know, they sowed these seeds over the last couple decades by, you know,
persuading the base not to trust the media, not to trust any institutions
in this country. So now they don`t trust them. In fact, a lot of the, you
know, rank and file members of the House don`t trust their leadership.
So what do you do then, you know, when you have riled up this base so
much that there is simply no way for you to satisfy them? You know, so I
think at some point Boehner, who might not stick around as Speaker next
term by his own choice, might just say look. These people can`t be
satisfied. And there wasn`t enough of an uproar against immigration
reform. Saying you know what? Let`s just do it. Forget about it.
SHARPTON: So do you think, Goldie, if Boehner says, let`s just do it,
that they would be able to get sufficient numbers of Republicans to come to
their sanity, or would he just be throwing a Hail Mary, knowing that he is
likely to not be able to move forward in terms of establishing real reform.
TAYLOR: I think running the math today, I don`t see a pathway
forward, even though this is something that Republicans truly need if
they`re going to really expand their tent.
SHARPTON: Right.
TAYLOR: It seems that the tent is getting smaller and smaller. And
so, I don`t see some of these Tea Party Republicans getting on board, no
matter what immigration reform looks like, if there is any pathway to
citizenship, if there is any pathway really to what they call amnesty in
this country. And so, I think that, you know, they`re in for a real
surprise. Over the past decades Reverend, as they have redrawn district
lines according to the census and reapportionment, they have literally
drawn themselves into more and more deeply red districts. And now they`re
finding it very, very difficult to satisfy those very districts.
SHARPTON: They say districts but they`re clearly districts that are
far, far right. Got to go, Ryan.
TAYLOR: Absolutely.
SHARPTON: Thank you for coming on. Thank you, Goldie. And both of
you have a great weekend.
GRIM: You too, Reverend.
TAYLOR: You too, Reverend.
SHARPTON: Coming up, President Obama and his family are ready for
their summer vacation. But some never take a vacation from their bubble.
We`re going burst it ahead, though. And President Obama dances into our
summer break. That`s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: We`re back with a pause from the political battles of the
day. A time to rest, relax, and recharge. That`s right. It`s time for
the POLITICS NATION summer break. From the dog days of summer to a dog
deli. At number three, a butchery in Berlin just for pups. That`s right.
This cold cut shop features 70 kinds of meat for your four-legged friends.
So you can treat your doggy to some antelope, ostrich, perhaps he is in the
mood for a little zebra or kangaroo? Here is reaction from first dog, Bo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I know, all right. You`re going to have to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: And at number two, we go from dogs to the bears. We`ve
seen bears falling out of trees and onto trampolines. And we have seen a
bears literally walk into bars in Colorado. Just last week, we showed you
this bear pulling dumpsters behind a restaurant. But how about a bear on a
jet ski? Yep. It happened in Alaska. This guy is making the most of his
summer vacation. Or maybe just trying to outdo the water skiing squirrel.
Finally, at number one, it`s the summer of dance I guess. This Ohio
traffic stop became a disco. A suspected drunk driver got down during his
sobriety test. In Ireland, these dancers just kicked their way to a world
record as the longest line of river dances ever. We even caught President
Obama grooving during his live visit to South Africa. But it wouldn`t be
summer break without a shameless toss to this guy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This man will never stop cooking, him jumping up
and down, ready to hop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: It`s a summer break dance-off. You can be the judge of
this one. And that`s today`s summer break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: We all love summer traditions, fireworks, barbecues, the
beach. And we`re seeing the return of a right-wing favorite, attacking the
President`s vacation. The first family is heading to Martha`s Vineyard
tomorrow and the right can`t stand it. The Drudge report blasted this
headline needs a break. Utah Congressman Chris Stewart said it was tone
dead, claiming most of the people in my district could never afford to
visit Martha`s Vineyard, a place that has a reputation for being for the
elite.
That`s right. When the President isn`t a thug, he is a snob. And of
course the propaganda wing of the party has been all over this story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: He is living a pretty extravagant
lifestyle, isn`t he? Martha`s Vineyard, big expensive vacations, Hawaii,
while 50 million Americans Dana are on food stamps.
Then he is off to Martha`s Vineyard for a vacation.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Yes.
HANNITY: And the mere mortals are upset because the roads are closed.
The President will hold a press conference tomorrow before he heads to
Martha`s Vineyard for a vacation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Love that accent. But let`s go to what those on the right
hate more than the bad sunburn, facts. President Obama has taken 92 days
of vacation since he was sworn in. How many did President Bush take by the
same point in his presidency? Three hundred and sixty seven. Yes, more
than a full year of vacation. And why don`t we just compare those two for
a second, shall we? It`s not even close. I know it`s the middle of the
summer, but nobody deserves a break from reality.
Joining me now is social commentator Nancy Giles. Thank you for being
here tonight.
NANCY GILES, SOCIAL COMMENTATOR: Thanks, Rev.
SHARPTON: Nancy, when the right attacks the president`s vacations,
are they suffering from amnesia?
GILES: You know, they`re ridiculous. OK? And to hear the FOX crew
among other people joining in and making fun of him taking a vacation, Sean
Hannity, Bill O`Reilly, these are bajillionaires and they`ve been making
tons of money for a long time. You want took about elite and about not
being in touch with real people, let`s start with those two. Even that
Representative Chris Stuart who said most of his constituents. Well, gee,
Congress has taken five weeks off. That`s more time --
SHARPTON: Now.
GILES: After doing nothing, after being the least productive Congress
we`ve ever seen.
SHARPTON: Well, I want to know what they`re taking a vacation from
since they haven`t been working.
GILES: Exactly. Yes.
SHARPTON: But, you know, the right started making this vacation
argument the President`s first year. Watch this.
GILES: Oh my goodness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BILL O`REILLY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: With the President paying so much for
a week of leisure, you might think about money a bit.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: That`s why the Marie Antoinette
joke of the Moochelle Obama. It is why some people say that it looks like
these two just wanted to be president for the perks.
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER GOVERNOR OF ALASKA: There he goes jetting off
tickle his toes in the sand of Martha`s Vineyard and probably burying his
head in the proverbial sand.
GLENN BECK, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Sixteen vacations, 90 rounds of
super golf.
HANNITY: Our dedicated commander in chief has since returned to his
wonderful vacation in Hawaii. Once again showing us all that he simply
does not have your best interests and mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GILES: Oh my gosh!
SHARPTON: So they`re not just attacking the President, but they`re
also attack his family.
GILES: Oh, yes, because they`re all up for grabs. And, again, these
are wealthy people that are making these charges. And Bill O`Reilly and
Glenn Beck, they also have radio shows. And, you know, I mean, the kind of
money and the kind of privilege that they have is amazing. Now, I will say
when George W. Bush was in office, I know a lot of people on the left made
fun of him, but they should have. He took almost as much as four times
off.
SHARPTON: Well, the President Bush actually took more vacation than
any modern president.
GILES: Right.
SHARPTON: He made 77 trips just to his Texas ranch, spending all or
part of 490 days.
GILES: Yes. Uh-huh!
SHARPTON: I mean, so vacations are fine as long as they`re in Texas.
GILES: Right. And can I also say about Martha`s Vineyard, because I
have relatives that live there. Anybody who wants to call it elitist is
crazy because it`s one of the few American vacation spots like summer
colonies that has had a tradition of being diverse. Black people have been
going there for vacation since the 1800s.
SHARPTON: Right.
GILES: And I happen to like that our commander in chief is living a
life as a leader and trying to lead by example and showing, hey, black
people, white people, all kinds of people can vacation together.
SHARPTON: No. It is an eclectic place, but very much diverse.
GILES: Right.
SHARPTON: And to be fair, presidents work on vacations.
GILES: Of course they do.
SHARPTON: But I don`t remember the right getting upset when this
moment happened back in 2002.
GILES: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FMR. PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH (R), UNITED STATES: I call upon all nations
to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now
watch this drive. Thank you. Now what`s his drive?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: Now, they got upset when President Obama seriously
addressed the issue of Russia on Jay Leno`s show.
GILES: Right.
SHARPTON: Here is a president talking about a terrorist attack, and
now watch this drive in golf, almost mocking his statement. Not a word.
GILES: No.
SHARPTON: Imagine if President Obama did something like that.
GILES: Not only if President Obama did something like that. As a
person in news, if you go from something serious to and now, here we are
golfing, you would be laughed at. And of all people, George W. Bush, after
while he was on vacation and he was given that very specific report, Bin
Laden determined to strike inside the U.S. and he didn`t really pay
attention, he really should never have said that.
SHARPTON: And his supporters ought to really chill, as the kids say.
Nancy Giles, thank you so much for your time.
GILES: Thank you.
SHARPTON: Friend or foe, I want to know. "Reply Al" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHARPTON: It`s time for "Reply Al." Remember, friend or foe, I want
to know.
Sharon writes, "Where can one find information on what is required for
voter ID in specific states?"
Great question, Sharon. A lot of our viewers have been asking about
this. You can go to NCSL.org to find all kinds of information about voting
in every state. So give that a try. Now, they just give you the basic
facts. They do not give you the emotion and the drive Republicans are
doing to try to drive these legislative changes through and really suppress
voters. In order to get, that go to POLITICS NATION every night. We`ll be
covering that every night.
James wants to know, "Rev, you should have called your show revved
up."
Well, you know, that`s not a bad suggestion. We had a lot of
suggestions. And who knows what lies in the future? But you got one thing
right. Everybody here is revved up every night. And if you want the stay
revved up, stay with POLITICS NATION. One thing we`ll never do is put you
to sleep early. And put you to sleep uninformed.
We want to answer your questions. E-mail me. Askrev@MSNBC.COM.
Remember, friend or foe, I want to know.
Thanks for watching. I`m Al Sharpton. Have a great weekend.
"HARDBALL" starts right now.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY
BE UPDATED.
END
Transcription Copyright 2013 ASC LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is
granted to the user of this material other than for research. User may not
reproduce or redistribute the material except for user`s personal or
internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall
user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may
infringe upon MSNBC and ASC LLC`s copyright or other proprietary rights or
interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of
litigation.>
PoliticsNation, Friday, August 9, 2013
Read the transcript from the Friday show