>> bloodbath, disaster, drubbing, those are some of the nicer terms used to describe the democrats on tuesday's mid terms. we'll hear from congressmen on both sides of the aisle. award winning cheryl atkinson, how she believe the obama administration put her under surveillance for investigating the president. i'm antonio mora, those stories and much more. on "consider this." >> republicans now control the house and the senate.

>> the era of the obama gridlock is over. >> we're going to make them squeal. >> american people have spoken. they've given us divided government. >> they expect the people they elect to get the job done. >> just because you have divided government doesn't mean you don't accomplish everything. >> i look forward to working together to deliver for the american people. >> former cbs reporter cheryl atkinson said her reporting was stonewalled. >> alex rodriguez confessed to using steroids to federal officials. >> his credibility was pretty shattered already. >> recovered safe and sound. >> we begin with president obama's response to the historic republican blowout victory in the mid term elections. >> the american people sent a message.

one that they've sent for several elections now. the they expect the people they elect to work as hard as we do. they want us to get the job done. it doesn't make me mopey. it energizes me. because it means that it's democracy working. >> even sow, the president remained defiant that tuesday's elections was more about dizzy function in washington than his policies and leadership. but he said he would find new ways to reach across the aisle. >> if the ways that we're approaching the republicans in congress isn't working, you know, i'm going to try different things, whether it's having a drink with mitch mcconnell or letting john boehner beat me again at golf. >> he also promised to go forward with unilateral executive action on immigration before the end of the

year. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell who is likely to become majority liter. >> the americans have spoken, given us divided government. the question for both the president and the speaker and myself and our members is, what are you going to do with it? >> joining us from des moines iowa is tom leigh latham who announced last year he would not seek reelection. congressman congressman latham, good to have you with us. president obama was pretty defiant saying americans showed they wanted to get things done. do you think there's any chance we will see congress and the white house will work together? >> i think there is.

first of all when you talk about funding for ebola, when you talk about fightin fighting the war r with i.s.i.s, things like that, i think the debate will be had on the minimum wage. if that were to be paid for for small businesses, to be able to afford it. but i think he'll poison the well if in fact he does some action like immigration , that would totally change the dynamic in the relationship. i think we have an opportunity going forward here. if he does that he poisons the well. >> in fact mitch mcconnell who also spoke today, said, made a pretty interesting comment about the president moving unilatera unilaterally, he compared that to waving a red flag in front of a bull. so what do you expect republicans to do if he does come out? and take aggressive action on immigration by himself? >> well, i think you're going to

see bills pass, that with the version of immigration reform that we'd like to see as far as securing the border. addressing then later on the status of the people in this country that are here illegally. but that i think would totally destroy any opportunity for tax reform, comprehensive tax reform, for actually getting spending bills done on a timely basis. really, as far as efforts throughout congress, to actually get things accomplished, the president has an opportunity here. but as something like unilaterally doing something on immigration i think would totally destroy any effort going forward. >> let's listen to something else mitch mcconnell who is likely to be majority leader of the senate, said wednesday. >> earlier today i got a call from the president also from senator reid and the speaker, and ted cruz too.

all of them i think have the view we ought to see what areas of agreement there are. i always like to remind people that divided government is not unusual in this country. we've had it frequently. >> you know the reference to cruz is because cruz didn't come out and immediately support mcconnell for leader. cruz has been the person personifiation of the party of no. espite mcconnell being conciliatory on obamacare, there are republicans like cruz who don't want to find or don't seem to want to find much agreement with the president. are those deep divisions among the republican party going to continue to be an issue? >> i don't think it's general in the gop but there are individuals who really don't want to govern. who have their own agenda out there.

whether they be running for president, and that's probably the biggest problem they're going to have is that there are two, three, four senators who think they're the next president of the united states and have maybe their own agenda rather than trying to move legislative actions forward. you know, this election i think was unifying for republicans in that the president's agenda was on the ballot, the president said so himself, that the policies he put in place were what people were voting on yesterday. but i think there are individuals certainly that have their own agendas out there and that's going to make it very tough for mitch mcconnell. >> could it also be more unifying for republicans because few of the more extreme tea party candidates who were blamed in part for the poor showing of the party in 2012 were really a factor this time around? so are we seeing a strong statement

for establishment republicans? >> well, and i think the type of candidates we had generally speaking, across the country, were candidates who actually want to rein in spending, get get the government under control, but that can be done i'm an appropriator, as a way to reigrein in the federal governmt and control bureaucracy. ted cruz was the big push behind the government shutdown. that didn't work out well. so i think the group of people generally speaking that were elected are people who actually want to go to washington, be part of a constructive process, and get things done. >> republican won the seat that you're vacating there in iowa. >> uh-huh. >> and one of the big wins last night was iowa was supposed to be one of the states in the

democratic fire wall and you now have a ernst. where does that say where iowa is, because it has famously a purple state, somewhere in between republicans and democrats. >> right. well, this is a major sea change in the state of iowa with now two republican senators. we picked up not only defended my house seat but also picked up bruce braley's old house seat in northeast iowa, we have gained a house member and a u.s. senator. i think it really shows that iowans were disgusted in what they see in washington. the president's agenda was what they were concerned about. bruce braley was seen as being in lock-step with the president. and i think that's really the difference in the race. so when you look at iowa today, i don't know if it's really much has changed other than individual candidates that were out there.

and they ran tough races. but i think the message got through that one was going to be an agent of change, the other was going to support president obama up and down the line. >> quick question for you what do you think this means for 2016? >> well, it depends on how the agenda is put forward in congress. whether the house and the senate can actually get together to put together good legislation. you know keystone pipeline, reining in spending and the government controlling the bureaucracy, we'll see what the president does with that legislation that goes to his desk. but the big problem again is going to be that you've got three, four u.s. senators that would like to be in the oval office. and what that dynamic has, as far as affecting legislation, is really going to be the big question. but i think we're in good shape

going into 2016. >> congressman tom latham, have good to have you with us. >> great to be with you. >> exceeded many expectations, winning governor seats in states where nobody thought they could win. earlier i had a chance to speak with brad miller, a senior fellow for the center for economic progress, he represented north carolina in congress between 2003 and 2013. i also spoke with rick wilson, a media currently. >> is there any doubt this is a very clear message to the white house and to the democratic party? >> it was a bad night for democrats no doubt about it. there's truth to it that it really was a base election, that was largely thought ou

-- fought out six years after an election had gone well for democrats so there were a lot of democratic senators who had won in 2008 who would not win in ordinary circumstances. >> but we saw a lot of governor seats too. >> like i said, it was a bad economy and i think the way people bet on the economy, there's a saying in sports always change a losing game, never change a winning game and since nobody really understands how the economy works anyway that's how voters vote on economics. and they thought that the economy right now is a losing game. but i think more broadly that lets democrats off too easy. i think we've got too parties that have become identity based parties which is very troubling for a democracy. and neither party has a coalition that can gof govern. >> in that context rick republicans have really been seen as a do-nothing party and as part of a do-nothing congress. now they'll have control of both houses on capitol hill.

so a big responsibility comes with that. are republicans ready to govern, and to compromise? >> let me make something very clear. the house has passed more legislation in the last few years than people give them credit for. the real roadblock has been harry reid who is the worst obstructionist, i like to roll the words around in my mouth, minority leader harry reid. he is now a man, he exercises the power of his position to block anything that came out of the house. it was always his way or the highway. we are going to see folks in the senate address things with the white house -- harry reid is their ally,. >> but reid did say no to most things that came out of the white house. >> economic catastrophes that are waiting to happen.

the one signature bill that was passed bowk, all the stuff that's been pushed back into november of this year with obamacare starts to hit american consumers. what you've got here is an opportunity for republicans the do things like keystone and to do things like reforming the tax system and do things like addressing a lot of the systematic abuse of power that the administration is engaged in a whole host of agencies under barack obama. you're going to see a lot of this coming out of the congress, you're not going to like a lot of it and it's going to go to barack obama's desk and he's going to kill it. >> they don't see this as a rejection of the president or the white house policies. what world could they be living in? >> i think they should pause and look hard at the economic policies and how well they've worked for most americans. i understand exit polling showed 67% of voters thought the economy was rigged against

working people. that should be an electorate that democrats win overwhelmingly. >> and red and blue states. >> sure, that's one issue of which we address economic concerns of americans but it's not enough. and most americans are not working for the minimum wage. that really helps the bottom 20% or so. but the people making 40, 50, $60,000 a year sort of think nobody's really doing anything that's going to help them. it's true the house has passed a lot of stuff, most of it is repeals of the affordable care act. but there really has been no compromise. they have passed things that are intentionally an anathema. >> maybe the republicans have said, maybe the white house will work with us, the white house has said, maybe the republicans will work with us. the rhetoric on the republican

side from people like ted cruz is already pretty heated. >> i'm going to quote barack obama back to the white house when he sat with paul ryan john boehner and the republican leadership when he won in 2009, he looked them in the eye and said, "i won." that was his my way or the highway moment, his electoral decision validated his policies and his beliefs. last night, republicans swept the board, we have had the largest majorities we've had in 100 years, we had a crush defeat of the democratic agenda, these are people that have been absolutely devastated by this and they recognize now, in the corner. there is a republican majority in the senate, a large republican majority in the house. they've got to face political reality and look they're famous for not facing political reality.

but if they don't face it barack obama's last two years are going to be a very unhappy time now. >> let me stop you, we only have a minute left. i want to get a reaction, north carolina, kay hagan was ahead but thom that. what happened? >> it was essentially dead heat, a poll showed her with a very slight lead, and summing that 21% would be african american which was a huge assumption. an election to an electorate that's very concerned about the economy and very frustrated. >> rick, charlie crist in florida, rick scott ended up winning the race, why? >> very simple.

rick scott's people put up a better field operation at the end of the day and charlie crist could not recreate the bowm administration hispanic voters to come out for him. he campaigned with the clintons, he campaigned with every other democratic surrogate he could get his hands on and nothing created the magic. charlie crist is a sociopath, and people recognize it. >> i'm thank you very much. >> coming up our coverage of the mid terms continues with last night's big winner in the house. is the government tracking its opponents in unprecedented ways? cheryl atkinson said she was tracked by our social media producer, hermela aregawi is tracking the top stories. what's trending? >> according to the latest

tally, the mid terms may have a record below turnout but evidence could turn out it could be worse without facebook's intervention. check on upcoming episodes, we're on twitter @ajconsiderthis

real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> democrats expected losses on election night but not on the scale we have seen. it turned out to be close to the worst case stair co-for president obama. not only did democrats lose races, but coast to coast, earlier i had a chance to speak with mark pokem, a convincing

68% of the vote, that southern district carries southern wisconsin and includes the capital, madison. senator, congratulations on your win, you are the exception to the rule, you are now a democrat in the republican congress that hasn't seen the same since the trueman administration, is it realistic to say that we'll see some change? >> i hope so, the excuse has been for the last two years that somehow the senate democrats were not going to work with the house republicans, now they have no excuse. it is republican control in the agenda. where are they going to be on health care, where are they going to be in helping the middle class and they can no longer be pointing a finger at anyone. it's time to put up or have to show where they're really going in the direction. so i'm looking forward to see what they want to do. as always i'm

willing to, we saw this in the messaging through election cycle and let's see if the republicans actually have a positive agenda to promote. >> you are a part of a group in congress called the problem solvers bipartisan group. do you think you'll be able to reach some compromises. >> well, you know i think real question that we've had in the last two years was really the tea party holding up everyone else. so i think the republicans are really going to have to face that. i felt the leadership in the republican party had their hands full. you had ted cruz in the senate and a number of people in the house who don't fundamentally believe in government. they stopped the activity that should have happened in the last two years and that's not going to change. the real challenge is are they going to stand up to some of their own members so we can put the agenda forward, we can restore the highway trust fund and get past the budget impasse,

we have heavy things to lift together. that takes democrats and republicans. but if they continue to let that tea party division the tail wag the dog even if they're in control of everything i think that people of america are going to look at them and really want a whole lot more. >> but clearly that didn't seem to hurt them in this election. so why did things go so badly for the democrats? >> well, this is the mid term elections. i think generally we lose about 29 seats in the house and we're not even at half of that. so in many ways it's just a low percentage -- >> than an average mid term year? >> right but also if you look at turnout across the country one of my colleagues in california a friend of mine i looked at the total votes cast by democrats and republicans and it's way less than my republican opponent got who got 32% of the vote. they had 20% of my turnout in wisconsin. across the country we saw low turnout, that is one of the factors in mid term. when the president's in power

for one party it hurts us in the mid term election. we're going to do whatever we can to try work with republicans the actually get something done because congress has been really broken the last two or three years. >> you were in wisconsin, one of the big races, scott walker has been a bit of a lightning rod especially with antiunion position he he's taken. democrats thought they could boot him out of the state house but instead he won comfortly. wha comfortably. what happened? >> in 2010 we elected scott walker and ron johnson to the u.s. senate. in 2012 we elected tammy baldwin, and now we reelect governor walker. we have a tendency to go back and forth between these election cycles and we are a very purple state for those reasons. i look at this as a challenge to

see we are a state that has democrats and republicans. you can't just govern in one party and hopefully now this gives him an opportunity to find issues that the public agrees with us. they strongly agree with us in schools. this is an opportunity to get past some of those divides that we've had in the state and instead get something done. >> we hope something will get done, congressman really a pleasure to have you. thank you. >> turning now to what the mid terms mean, we're join from washington, d.c, by christina ballentoni. i'll start with you. the conventional wisdom going into the election was this would be a mixed election with republicans possibly taking control of the senates senate but losing governor seats.

instead, republicans adds governor seats, including the bluest massachusetts, maryland. >> coining this term the shellacking a second coat since president barack obama referred to it as a shellacking in 2010. this solidifies holds on a lot of state legislatures, which is going to affect a loll of regular voters in regular states not to mention what happens in congress. the gubernatorial races, rick scott is one of the luckiest men in america, this wave carried him to reelection when all signs pointed to the fact he wouldn't be able to do this. in maryland, the results were extraordinary. when it comes to congress voters did send a clear message they are tired with gridlock and very frustrated with nothing getting done and the republicans acknowledged that, making a statement to say we have to find compromise and we recognize the different.

how long that lasts we don't know but they are making overtures. >> david, president obama said in a radio interview that it was a bad group of states when it came to democrats, the worst since eisenhower. that wasn't true with governors, we saw the republicans add governor seats. do you agree with christina? >> absolutely. i think the governor results went against what the president was saying on that radio interview. seemed like he was trying to lay the groundwork as sort of a fluke, which if they would lose the senate by a lot and they have, there is reporting that the white house doesn't believe they need a big shake up, that they put out policies that the american people agree with, even though results go against that. we'll see how much introspection the president has in his remarks. as christina says, republicans

are making the overtures, saying we need to communicate. i think president tried call mitch mcconnell, i don't think they have connected yet. the president is going forward on big executive action on immigration, and attorney general nomination. that will moi poison the well, and the white house is aggressive and the base is calling for it that could set another bad tone for the next congress. >> the scope of this massive republican win i mean in the house they're going to have the most wide majority they've had since 1949 for the republicans, and that is actually takes i think some of the blame off of the president in a way because you've got just everybody lost. i mean every race even the ones that looked like they would be trending to the democrats in the end. >> how does that take blame away from the president? >> because it was a massive wave. there was nothing that anybody

could have done. >> what caused the wave? >> the general sense was his popularity what republicans ran largely against right? >> and democrats seemed to localize the races and republicans nationalized. which saved pat roberts kansas. >> when you look at the issues on the ballots, minimum wage, marijuana, restriction rights on abortion rights, almost in every one of those cases it went for the position, the liberal position in the vote, david. >> i think it's not news that there's two sort of different prevailing philosophies in many of the states and that there are really red states and blue states despite what the president had campaigned on ages ago. for white house that is the disappointing notion that they believed all along and they believed that their policies and positions on a lot of the issues, pay for women and minimum wage are on the general

side of the public ledger but somehow since they weren't able to get the policies moving whether it's republican opposition, whether it's the president's mismanagement of the issues, whether it's world politics that got in the way, reacting negatively to washington as a whole. the president clearly as chief executive took a lot of the blame and that's where we are now. >> christina, the democrats were really focused on the war on women they were really pushing for gender gap to continue to expand instead of contract. back in 2012 it was 55% for the democrats, now that dropped to 52%. >> well, a product of what a mid term electorate looks like. i will fully expect the war on women to stay alive, particularly actions in these state legislatures, i suspect if hillary clinton is on the democratic ticket this issue

will not go away, this is the campaign successfully in 2012, when they look at a national electorate they'll see this as a winning cycle because they need to get unmarried women to come out to the polls and vote for them. that's one thing to motivate them. the democrats are still saying the middle class is their top election issue but the war on women becomes a dominant issue everywhere. >> the split of the electoral in 2012 that minorities were going, african americans have stayed about the same but there was a significant drop in latinos voting this time around and asians pretty much split down the middle so that democratic conventional wisdom has been thrown out? >> custom of things. one is how much for example the growing latino vote that really backed president obama in 2012 and looked like they were totally breaking democratic.

i think there's frustration on immigration. some of the senate races maybe didn't have as many minorities or hispanic candidates except in colorado. luis gutierrez, said the president took a gamble and it didn't work, now you're about to lose hispanic support. >> according to preliminary numbers from the associated press this year's mid terms may have had a record low turnout but could it have been worse without facebook? for more on that let's check in more with hermella. >> antonio social media is having an increasingly larger role in elections. a new study from the pew research center sound that nearly three times as many registered voters used social media to follow candidates this year than in 2010. 16% compared to 6%. the increases among all age groups but is especially

pronounced in 30 to 49-year-olds. 21% use social media to track campaigns compared to 6% two years ago. voters in this age group are now using social media nearly the same rate as 18 to 29-year-olds. facebook recognized this trend and in the 2010 mid term elections they conducted an experiment. they planted three things in some users news feeds. a place to look up polling places and six friends who had indicated they voted. research found that a users would be more likely to vote if they found their friends about hypothesis cast ballot were .39% more likely to vote. this year facebook put the i'm a voter button on everyone's page. directly influenced 539,000 more voters to cast a ballot this

year. so the turnout wasn't good but antonio it may have been worse without facebook. >> social media peer pressure to vote. interesting. thanks hermella. >> you're welcome. >> now for more stories from around the world. we begin on wall street where the stock market responded to the landslide republican victory with a record day. beau the dow and s&p 500 grew by .6% as both hit all time highs. the nasdaq had a very minor dip. interestingly, analysts at s&p capital i.q, following elections where the democratic president followed a unified congress, the s&p grew 15.5%. next we head to jerusalem in the west bank. two palestinian drivers rammed their vehicles into israelis on

wednesday in who israeli officials are calling terrorist attacks. a warning to viewers, some of the images may be disturbing. killing at least one and injuring 13 before being shot dead by police. later in the west bank another palestinian injured three soldiers when he slammed his car into them at an israeli checkpoint. the incidents followed a similar car attack last week. jordan has recalled its intor for the first time since 1994. protesting israeli vials at the al-aqsa mosque. we end in jessop maryland, where authorities found carlesha gather alive. video shows her being abducted.

the 22-year-old found inside a parked car. delvin barnes was arrested. the search had shifted to maryland where the her atm card was used and a picture of gather was captured. that's some of what's happening around the world. journalist cheryl atkinson said the obama administration targeted her for investigating them. again, president obama's power questioned, a high profile power ranking doesn't put him on top. alex >> al jazeera america presents the best documentaries >> i felt like i was just nothing >> for this young girl, times were hard >> doris had a racist, impoverished setting

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>> on the next "talk to al jazeera", legendary tv host dick cavett. >> steve jobs said, "how does it feel to be dick cavett"? about the only question that's ever floored me, you know?

>> "talk to al jazeera". saturday. 5:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. >> the obama administration has again called the most hostile to journalists in a generation by pulitzer prize winning author james risen of the new york time. trying to control the media narrative. according to a new book the government's attempt to control the media go beyond just freezing access to reporters and reach right into the newsroom, the author, a well-known television correspondent, who ended up on the administration's bad side, said she was even under surveillance. cheryl atkinson, stone walled, my fight against the forces of obstruction intimidation and harassment of the obama administration. us.

>> thank you for having me. >> your book reads like a spy novel, phones turn on and off, tapped, more, when you were digging into the attack on the benghazi mission, you think the government was actually looking into what you were doing? >> i can tell you the computer forensics investigations showed me that the, predated benghazi when i was working on fast and furious and green energy problems that had a source that was using software proprietary to a government agency one of the four, three-letter agencies. >> and those are other stories that the obama administration was not happy you were so focused open. >> that'rks fox e-focused on. . >> all found three separate things? >> three separate forensic examinations and all of them

fairly quickly concluded that there had been long term remote intrusions into the computers with the highly sophisticated attempt to cover up what had been done and to remove material. but fortunately that act of removal leaves in and of itself a track and a trail and two of the forensic examiners that were able to go the furthest both found government related, indications of government related connections to it. they as you said in the book had a key stroke program where they could monitor all of my key strokes, they had my password to activate my skype conversations. >> cbs one of the investigations was by cbs folks. and they found all of this. >> and their company confirmed all of this yes. >> why can't we find out what actually happened? if you could think the government was doing this on purpose they needed to get a warrant for it. >> if it was a legal action by the government they would have

to have a warrant or authority and two of my sources says there is no patriot act order out on me. as far as i know there was no legal order to do anything like this. >> and you at first didn't really think that something like that could be happening. this all was before the edward snowden revelations. >> of course not. it would never occur to me that the don't was surveilling me. i had well trusted sources, saying yes, and once the revelations were made on government cracking down on reporters and leakers, it made sense. >> james rosen, fox news, getting information about the nsa's phone calls. >> doing what it was doing to americans. >> and who has faced the possibility of prison for not

revealing one of his sources. >> not going out on a limb that says there's a consensus express, new york times, wapt, abs, nbc, fox many, everybody, washington correspondents, the photographers association we've all commented this has been the most difficult administration for freedom that we have dealt with, i think that's a consensus now. >> even though you've been complimentary of cbs in recent times you felt there was a change there was a bias and also a desire or lack of desire to offend the government in any way. >> i describe in some detail, the complex set of factors at play. it's not as civil as some people have reported liberal ideologic concept at play, not wanting to hurt certain interests or advertisers or sponsors, that's what i gleaned. there is also a general sense that all of the networks and some of the national press and

even local to not go after powers that be. so we may be talking about corporations not even government. they're very uncomfortable or i'd say increasingly uncomfortable in taking on important powers. >> and why? because we have seen an abandonment of investigative journalists, at broadcast networks, less so in cable television news. >> there are two separate theories. where do we get our money? by making corporations and businesses happy, and the advertisers if they get mad at something you are reporting you allow them to have some sway or say over what you report that could be an influence. also there's some ideologically ideologic, ideological, not a brand-new phenomenon, the idea they would rather be patted on back, they'd rather the white house say, pat on the back,

you'll be the first on the next interview, they don't want the access that's complaining about the reporting. >> what do you say to your liberal critics that say you have a conservative bias? >> i think that's a propaganda campaign of its own. anybody who bothers to do a google search will see a very strong record of holding accountable republican powers, water winning reporting, a lot of people doing their own research are succumbing to the propaganda effort. most people in middle america don't feel that kind of way but without doing their own research and fact checking i understand that. >> cheryl thanks to have you in new york. >> thank you for having me. >> stone walled, on sale at bookstores and online.

>> coming up, one of baseball's biggest stars, what alex rodriguez told the dea. >> after president >> saturday on tech know. a brutal killing. a thorough investigation. >> we're pushing the envelope. >> but this is no ordinary c.s.i. >> what went on right before that animal died? >> hunting the hunter. >> we're gonna take down the bad guys. >> solving the crime. >> we can save species. >> tech know's team of experts show you how the miracles of science. >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can affect and surprise us. >> don't try this at home. >> tech know, where technology meets humanity. saturday at 7:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

one year ago america tonight brought you the story that shocked the nation sex crimes on campus: >> i remember waking up and he was trying to have sex me... >> now we return has anything changed? >> his continued presence on the campus put the entire

community at risk >> for the better... >> i was arrested for another false charge that she had made up... >> america tonight's special report sex crimes on campus: one year later on al jazeera america

>> the saga of alex

rodriguez and steroid continued wednesday. repeated and forceful denials of the yankee from star, he admitted using steroid between 2010 and 2012. confessed to the dea ha that hed used performance enhancing drugs provided by biogenesis. to keep it all a secret he reportedly paid his cousin some $900,000 to buy his silence. for more we're joined from silver spring maryland by al jazeera contributor dave zyron, host of edge of sports radio. dave, always good to see you. i know this is one of your favorite topics. according to the herald, while rodriguez was complaining about the witch hunt, he was admitting to practically everything behind closed doors.

firm, what does this do to him -- first of all, how does this do to him? >> how do you get lower than an ant's toenail, it is a philosophical question. not only did alex rodriguez admit to what he had been denying publicly back in january, but all throughout this year, in 2014, he has continued to deny it. for months and months and months, as if what he said in january would never get out which is almost like living in an un-reality. like the idea that that would never see the light of day that he said that in january. >> just like lance armstrong did. >> very similar to lance armstrong. this is something that not even lance armstrong had with you which is a little wrinkle. not only did alex pay his cousin $900,000 plus for his silence, he gave testimony against his

cousin last january and that very testimony is what secured alex rodriguez immunity, against his cousin. that means that alex rodriguez cut a deal so his cousin who got him his steroids is going to be produce cuted. >> and alex rodriguez may have to testify in that trial. what does this do to major league baseball? his suspension is over we could see him in spring training, three months from now. >> it's very interesting because a the yankees don't have a better option at hird base and and -- at third base and that morning anything else is going to bring alex rodriguez back in a major league baseball uniform. in that major league baseball

has already deemed alex rodriguez a steroid user even though he denied it the same way as nfl passed judgment in ray rice and ray rice is an arbitrator's court, just to finish on this case it's so interesting that major league baseball cannot now resuspend alex rodriguez nor can can the yankees. it's already been decided, they owe him $63 million, he's on for three more years, he's going to play. >> major league baseball bear some responsibility here. >> they bear some responsibility on the issue of performance enhancing drugs for a generation. it's stunning to me now that bud selig, leaves the commissioner of baseball office, saying i cleaned up the game, when he oversaw their entry into the game. as much as we can shine the light on major league baseball's

issues on profound hypocrisy. the better for major league baseball fans. >> nfl commissioner roger goodell, to have initially suspended ray rice for two games and changed the suspension to being an indefinitely suspension, showing him hitting his girlfriend inside an elevator does rice have a case here? >> he absolutely has a case here. the case whether roger goodell could sell the idea that he was lied to by ray rice and genae rice, what went on on that elevator, that was new information, which is why he gave the longer indefinitely suspension. while the nfl players association sarg with witnesses

that no no, wait a minute, ray rice was honest about what happened from the start, about the nfl trying to massage its own image much more than it had anything to do with new information coming forward. >> and rice claims he was totally forthcoming with goodell when they first talked. is this really about what the nfl knew when they knew it and because the reality is, even that, i mean how does that matter? because everybody knew what happened in that elevator even before we saw that video. >> no absolutely. 100%. it really comes down to when ray rice spoke to the commissioner in his office with his -- with his wife genae rice did he say to roger goodell that it was a scuffle that got out of control, we were both at fault? which is at odds to what's on the video.

with alex rodriguez, these things have a way of leaking out. the question is will people who have said pretty much off the record with executives of the baltimore ravens, that ray rice actually told the the treus with goodell, if it does it will be a massive credibility hit to roger goodell. >> two massive black eyes to two of our biggest sports. thank you. >> that's it for "consider this." fighting civil rights abuses without any weapons. a hard hitting look at terrible atrocities, including james foley, one of the american reporters beheaded by i.s.i.l. and the battle many veterans face when they come home, fighting off an addiction to war war. sebastian younger joins us. and the conversation continues,

we're on facebook and twitter, @ajconsiderthis and you can tweet >> almost $4 billion. that was the price tag of the midterm election. i'm looking at what that money bought for you. hard working americans who are worried about immigration and the cost of energy. we'll look at the 2016 race for the white house, the campaign without a single declared candidate yet, but tens of millions of dollars spent. plus how the plunging price of oil has sparked a different kind of war in the middle east. a price war. i'm ali velshi. this is "real money."