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>> this will certainly shock you. but government may be abusing the patriot act. in our fourth story on the "countdown." mark udall and ron wyden have urged the obama administration to release document of surveillance under the operator act. patriot act, writing, we believe most americans would be stunned to learn the details of how these secret court opinions have interpreted section 215 of the patriot act. as we see it there are now significant gap between what most americans think the law allows and what the government secretly claims the law allows. section 215 allows the covert surveillance court tribunal to

authorize warrants. and while it may compromise security, wyden and uda larks claim this comes as a surprise to us as we're initially inclined to take the executive branch' certifications of the importance of this operation at face value. let's turn to john dean, author of "broken government," and "countdown" contributor. good evening. >> good evening. >> the aclu suggested it received the first batch of documents affirming the opinions about this section 215 exist and they're not holding their breath for any meaningful explanation from the government. do we expect to learn anything from these documents about what 215 is used for. >> given the time it has taken to produce these documents they've probably been busy

redacting these documents and there won't be much there to glean much from it. this is a way to keep a law that they believe means one thing very secret, and they're doing a god job of it. >> clearly senators wyden and udall think they know what they think they know, and they must be disturbed to want to go public in this way. a, will we ever find out what alarmed them. b, what do you think alarmed them? >> i think they do get briefings as part of the oversight committee, so they probably have a pretty good sense of what is going on. while they don't want to disclose sources and methods they're seeing a product that is chilling them. and we have some canaryies right there in the shaft who are singing still, and we don't often have that in these situations. the fact that they're being ignored by people who should be listening to them is startling. whether we'll ever know, history teaches us that we will know. every president who has tried to

do this by his own interpretation of the law since the intelligence community was first formed has always been pulled up short and had a very unpleasant surprise when the american people learned what they're up to. >> the gist is we do what we do know is that section 215 is read one way and the government reads it another way when they use it to spy on citizens that would make us mere citizens think that's got to be illegal but the government doesn't think so. >> yeah, 215 if you recall the debate on it, it was very alarming the time it was in the law. it's a provision in which nobody is told if they are the subject of this kind of inquery this kind of warrant that gathers information from their library records, to their bank books internet service provider, whoever it is, and the senators have seen something more striking than some of the issues that came up during the debate that has troubled them. so we're all curious to know

what it is, but i don't think we'll know by the release that is coming out right now. >> civil liberties were not marginal issues during the 2008 presidential campaign, and they were explicit about closing guantanamo bay and revisiting theacts. do you have a sense that this issue has flat lined? >> i'm stunned at the obama administration. i keep scratching my head trying to figure out what is going on and i'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt given the campaign positions they took. i'm wondering when george bush with ashcroft and then gonzalez, that that's what they're dealing with, and that's influencing their decision-making. they can't get these people out of the system, and they're afraid to take them on in an election year. who knows what is going on. but i don't know what is going to happen on this one.

>> well, surely we know that every president has found out that the intelligence agencies--i call them intelligent, but they have a life of their own and a will of their own, but surely a president and an attorney general could fight back against them, couldn't they? >> to some degree. in a real sense, keith, a president, any sitting president is something of a captured person by the intelligence community and the national security community he inherits. those don't turn over very quickly. they're mostly clear positions while the policies makers are setting the policies that day-to-day grind of the activity is career people. there is not a huge influence. i don't know why obama has not been stronger in this area and more sensitive to civil liberties but his record is not very good. >> unfortunately, he'll always be the candidate with the best

record on it. a "countdown" contributor, thank you. >> thanks. >> a year after scott walker's overreach the republicans have just lost their majority in the wisconsin state senate.

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>> at least one recalled republican in wisconsin gives up and goes home, and lewis black is here. first the sanity break in 1884 was born the actor harrison ford. that is not a typo. the first harrison ford leading man who made his broadway debut in 1904. apparently no relation to the current harrison ford and the first who died in 1957 doesn't need the connection. the star on the hollywood walk of fame in front of that reads harrison ford. that's for the first one. time marchs on. we begin with the adorable clip

of the day. look, bubbles. and if this doesn't make you smile nothing, frankly, ever will. [baby laughing] >> went on that way for 12 days. that's the same way wall street acted in the real estate bubble. in sports, tara holloway is performing the star spangled banner, ours and o canada. the "star spangled banner" goes off without a hitch. and o canada gets started well until it gets to the part in french..

[singing] >> thanks to that help from the crowd she steered away from the verse about do you have any grey p po opon. this is what i hope is a school experiment. it's heated up with water and it should implode in place when put in the tub of ice. the barrel is moved to the tub. nothing whatsoever happens. add a little water, and then boom goes the barrel filled with steam. i think it goes without saying don't try this at home. time marchs on. the rights right's war on women our special guest joins us presently. stay tuned for the answer.

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>> you can't recall me. i quit. in our third story on the "countdown," republicans lose the majority in the wisconsin state senate as one of the recall targets pam galloway resigns. earlier this week, it said it had enough petitions to hold a special election forcing galloway and other senators from their seats. galloway cited multiple health issues in her family for reasons to step down even though three days ago she had given no hint of her resignation. >> the reason why i'm recalled is because the democrat party is

trying to change of the composition of the legislature. >> it splits the senate down the middle between republicans and democrats and puts a temporary power share in place. they'll colead the chamber until the june 5th elections. a year ago the republicans had the majority and they put strict curbs of collective bargaining of public employees. galloway drafted a law that allowed gun owners to carry concealed weapons. the recall elections will go forward without galloway on their ballot including walker, and three other republican state senators including scott fitzgerald. joining me is communication of the democrat party of wisconsin. graham, good evening. >> good evening, keith. >> fitzgerald was quoted aas

aing that the recall had no, sir to do with the decision of galloway to resign. was the timing extraordinarily awkward for them? >> you would have to ask senator galloway. our thoughts and prayers are with her, but she was going to lose her election. 29,000 people called for her recall. there was very little chance she would defend this seat. and she sided with scott walker on the agenda. it leads to a total break down of the agenda in wisconsin. >> what exactly happens? does he have to shut that whole thing down as far as the recall vote if not longer? >> his big pieces of legislation, terrible budget roll backs like voter i.d. that has passed. they just had a legislation where they focused on floating port paport-a-potties. they did not focus on jobs. what happened over the last several hours they canceled the hearings on mining legislation that scott walker failed to get

through this past session, and there is no chance of a special session for scott walker to ram through any nutty stuff. this has had consequences in the last couple of hours, and we expect there to be more. it will change the composition of the finance economy and the senate organization committee. this is unchartered waters. wisconsin has never been here. the fact of the matter democrats are going to win that seat in june when we have the election and we have every anticipation that we will be in control of the senate entirely at the end of the june 5th general election. >> what happens to that, the recall vote now. do your resources reallocate it? it goes on as planned but what happens in her district and relative with what you can do with resources throughout the state? >> resources? well, go to www.wisstem.org to learn more about resources. they'll put another extremist up

there. we have an excellent candidate a strong advocate for women so she's going to be still running that race, and we expect her to win that seat. but we still have to run a tight race up there. they have ten times more money than we do. scott walker is out there with his palms out in places like palm beach and new york and everywhere. they're going to have money, and we're going to have to fight for every single thing that we win. we fully intend to win that seat and we'll fully intend to be in charge of that governorship. >> ultimately he that the koch brothers and other people funding him and the republican party in wisconsin have tied to do to the state of wisconsin has really--it's been like a playground. it bounces off of them and off of you and sticks to them. they have been the engine of positive change in wisconsin ultimately, certainly it's those have been the early designedders dating back to the dates of the extraordinary protests of last

winter, have they not? >> well, it's been a logical palooza. just had a 30 hour session in the assembly where they made it harder for 12-year-old girls who have been raped by their father to seek medical attention. some of this nutty stuff that you have seen. they have doning in on jobs, and had a jobless even with all their pro business legislation. the koch brothers still have their dirty little fingers in our state. they're pouring money on behalf of scott walker. he still has his hands out to hedge fund managers and oh by the way he set up a criminal defense fund, the first governor in wisconsin history to have a criminal defense fund so he can pay for his mob lawyers when they come out of jail. it will be an interesting period. >> they may have been pro business, but it does not mean that they're pro people who work for business. that's an entirely different thing. >> the businesses that they

favor are bumper sticker manufacturers, and criminal defense lawyers. >> high-end defense lawyers. graham, director of the democrat democratic party in wisconsin have a good weekend. >> happy st. pat's. >> how could there be a republican war on women when republicans take women to dinner. there is a deep disconnect going on inside that mind. i'll ask lewis black what it might be. at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ ♪

>> we got a lot of questions to ask lewis black, but usually i just ask one question and then we go in whatever direction the conversation takes us. promoting the contents of this segment is pointless. we'll just do it next. current tv. a former two term governor. >>people like somebody who's got a spine. >>determined to find solutions... >>we need government to ensure that people have freedom. >>driven to find the truth... >>what's really going on? >>fearless, independent and

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epics. >> a group of peer parent, leaders can convince a group of folks who barely have a pot to piss in that the rich shouldn't be taxed that is leadership. these are leaders who--who live in the past, and yet wanted to side with--wanted to decide what we do in the future. that doesn't even make for a good movie. >> joining me now with some still some voice left, comedian and author lewis black good to see you, sir. >> good to see. >> you the war on women that the republicans are waging, it seems that today's headlines seem designed to promote your latest book. but they're digging themselves in a hole deeper in the second

half of a subway construction. rush limbaugh denied there is a conservative war on women because--let me play this just to get your reaction. >> republicans date women. they marry women. they have children with women. they take women to dinner. they buy women diamonds, and they open car doors for women and so, yet there is this republican war on women. >> so because they open doors still for women there is no war on women, there is a disconnect in this man? what is this? >> the possibility is that aliens are trying to communicate with us through him. [laughing] and its screwed his wires. so the result he's kind of living in this place. there is no--i don't know what the part of the memory--he has got his memory, but there is no sense of today. there is--there can't be any sense of now. maybe he's like in a permanent groundhog day. he wakes up and it's always

1959. >> august 3, 1959. >> i mean, because it's really--to live through this--to listen to this stuff again this is stuff that when i was young--this is what we were supposed to have worked through, then we go back through it every so often. i really did think once--you look at the calendar, oh, it is the 21st century. we're supposed to be--we're in the 21st century. this is buck rogers time for god sake. >> we're still looking forward to it when it will all be better. i was talking to someone who says, who follows republicans very closely and has contacts and sends notes over and gets them back that the leadership of the republican party does not want this war on women. they think it's a disaster for them at all levels of the election for them, the senate, the house and of course the presidency. they're trying to tamper it down. i don't think they're doing a

good job. the transvaginal ultrasound for god's sake. >> we didn't even know what it was. >> and someone thought it was an airline, transadvantagal. >> and someone said it was their favorite rock group. it's unbelievable. they consider--they just--how did this--how does it work that they end up--why not force women out. i'll say this. if you can send a group of women out who will talk like that and say, you know, i love--then i'll listen. i will sit there, and i will listen. but to have men basketballing this nonsense, no, send out the women who believe this. women who like to be at home and that men are the provider. >> august 1959. what about the senator who said they don't have to watch the

ultrasound. they can keep their eyes closed. what about to women's health and abortion, keep your eyes closed. but they can't. they have to interfere. >> i don't understand why if they feel the need to be involved. if it's on religious grounds, if i was a--let's say i was a catholic, and really liked santorum, a real catholic, and i believed in the almighty, the pope, and all of it, then nothing would thrill me more than to sit back and watch all of these people who i know are going to hell. [laughing] i would have more time. i would think, what is there to worry about for? if you believe in this god that is going to send these people and punish them, why do you need to be involved? >> right, just cross them off the list. okay, next who do i talk to who

is more reasonable. >> and look, if we work over and over to get to this point where women have this right of choice. you know, why are you--you know--your--so we have to go back and say, can you remove the tripwire. >> i want to talk about the republican campaign, and i want to sell some stuff. >> let's sell some things. let's sell transvaginal ultra sounds. >> there may an sponsor. let's sit back and see who the sponsors are.

>> we rejoin you as we promised with lewis black.

we talked about the war on women. let me ask you about the g.o.p. race. rick santorum's statement on porn the same day this photograph is taken. taken by a guy on an all-gay cruise. like if i dreamed this stuff up i would never come up with that last punch there. but he ways, pornography causes profound brain changes in children and adults resulting in widespread negative consequences. he wants to have women stop having babies, sex and men stop having porn. what kind of world is he planning on. >> it's going to be a long day for most of us. you'll get a lot more done. i mean. [laughing] >> the back of your head just booms out. >> porn of all things. at this point in time. seriously, on the internet that is just making gazillion i

mean couples send things out. and if you want to do that, you know, i read the article and said, if you want to do that, if you want to go after him tax them. don't say we're going to get rid of them. we'll tax it. you want to see this, then you can tax it. then you're raising funds. i don't know what else he's doing except wandering around like in the desert. it's like having this weird prophet who is kind of like in the wrong decade. >> we're going to put all the toothpaste in all the tubes in the history. because if they tax it, then the budget deficit would be closed in an hour and a half. right after the first day of the revenues. that's mr. santorum. mr. romney, who by the way could close the budget deficit by himself. do you think he would be doing better if he didn't remind people once a week how much money he had? >> it's really--how does he not learn that after a while? you have gone through this.

you've gone through one campaign, and then at some point it doesn't stick. you know, it's just--he has been a part of that club for so long. >> and they all think it's a great thing. that's the only thing that matters. >> my feeling that i've been saying and not many people agree, but i really--i liked his dad. i think his dad, even though he's dead, he may be a better candidate and be in better condition than the guy left running. >> compassionate after this. i keep saying that the seamus the dog story--we haven't seen the beginning of this. most people don't have any idea that he tied this animal in a little kennel on the top of the roof and drove all the way to toronto with the little guy on top, and he was scared to death and crapped on himself and had to be washed off. >> in the times, in everything she's written in the past eight

months she always puts it-- >> and letter men. the same thing every night. >> you got to. it's like you put him on top of the car. [laughing] >> and something bad happens. that's clearly how dogs react to terror. what do you do, you put him back on after you hose down the car and the dog. if the president of the united states did this, he would be impeached. >> yes. >> and this would be grounds and politicians would never know what hit them. why did they impeach him? he did that to the dog. two words to remember, michael vick, and people's reaction to michael vick. >> yeah, that's true. >> you're the guest and i spent the last 40 seconds talking. >> i really liked hearing it. i'm glad somebody is putting it out, it was unbelievable. if it was a cat. >> the cat would get down and drive the car. in god we rest premieres tomorrow on epics. lewis black always a pleasure,