>> michael: coming up, new developments in syria means monumental decisions ahead for president obama that only he can make. lucky he spends the day with only four people in the world who knows what that is like. i'm michael shure. you are in "the war room." >> michael: today the so-called most exclusive club in the world met in texas. the pfeiffer current and former presidents gathered in dallas for the first time since president obama's first election, this time for the dedication of the george w. bush library.

president bush himself offered reflections on his ten tenure as decider in chief. >> not always popular but whenwhen future generations come to this library they'll find out that we stayed true to our convictions. >> michael: even if those convictions were wildly wrong irresponsible, and maybe even criminal. president obama also spoke. he spoke about his help with a.i.d.s. in africa and where he did his best. >> there are moments you make mistakes. there are times where you wish you could turn back the clock. and what i know is true about president bush and i hope my successor will say about me is that we love this country and we do our best. >> michael: the president is now doing his best to comfort the

country and keep it safe. even if the wake of a major workplace disaster and the worst terrorist attack on u.s. soil since 9/11. the president went from dallas to west, texas, to comfort people there. and the bombers say they wanted to do more damage than they actually did by detonating their remaining bombs in times square new york. now the hope is that parents can answer more questions about their bloodry rampage. their father may come to the united states this week, possibly even as soon as tomorrow. their mother has not said if she'll accompany him. she is wanted on shoplifting charges and may be arrested on her return. she claimed that the incident was staged. >> i feel very interesting vigil

last night. >> michael: that wasn't blood it was fake blood she's saying. wow. in a press conference today she claimed that the police had killed her older son after capturing him alive. >> this whole world. what have you done with my sons? it was a lie. request did they need to kill him. why did they kill him? why? why--why did they have to kill him. they got him alive right? they had him in their hands. >> michael: there is, i should point out any indication that

any of that was true. he was run over by his brother as he need the scene. they spoke to someone who was thought to have a big impact on them. their uncle misha. >> there is a person of armenian descent. took his brain washed his brain completely. >> michael: around that time federal investigators did start to look into tamerlan's possible connection into extremists on advice of russian authorities and the c.i.a. and the fbi both put him on watch lists but they could not come up with anything definitive and stopped tracking him. senator land lindsey graham

criticized for not doing more. >> tamerlan may be dead, but there is more in our backyard. the administration has oversold bin-laden. >> michael: now they're facing the threat of grandstanding g.o.p. senators. that's just great. there is some good news out of boston massachusetts' largest healthcare insurers are planning to wave out of pocket fees for the bombing victims and three of the city's hospitals are promising to delay billing the patients. that is great. in a letter to congress today there is evidence that the syrian regime has used chemical weapons against its own people. this is a very serious development because president obama has said repeatedly the use of chemical weapons would cross a red line and the u.s.

would take action. chuck hagel in abu dhabi today. >> confidence that the syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale. >> michael: hagel went on to say that the administration's primarily concern is keeping those weapons from ending up in the hands of terrorists. now on cap pal hill surprise, surprise, lindsey graham and john mccain are demanding action. >> the president of the united states said if they used chemical weapons it would be a game changer, that it would cross the red line. i think it's obvious that that red line has been crossed. >> michael: it's not just republicans calling for action. senator dianne feinstein said it's clear a red line has been crossed and action must be taken to prevent larger scale use. the administration has not yet

made a decision but in a letter to senator carl levin today it called for an u.n. investigation. and the u.n. is already on it. secretary ban ki-moon has called for a task force to look into the allegations. but the only problem syria president omar bashar is not letting them in. be still the white house says it is waiting for more concrete evidence before making a decision. "the new york times" quoted a senior official saying, it is precisely because this is a red line that we have to establish with air tight certainty that this happened. the bar on the united states is higher on anyone else both because of our capabilities and because of our history in iraq. joining me now lawrence korb, senior fell low at the center for american progress and former assistant secretary of defense he joins us from washington, d.c.

larry, welcome inside "the war room"." >> it's good to be back. >> michael: how much does the legacy of iraq weigh on him in syria? >> i think a great deal. again if you take a look at what the letter to senator levin said, it basically looks like it, it's sort of a high degree of confidence, but we haven't established a chain of custody. yes, there is evidence that sari sarin was used. this could have been used by any of the groups who are anxious to get us in. and in iraq the inspectors were back in, they couldn't find anything, but bush went ahead any way. i think that's the case. then we found out too late after we're already in there with 150,000 men and women and devastated iraqi society. >> michael: do you think then,

senators graham and mccain are jumping the gun crossing the led red line too quickly or is this the proper thing for the white house to look into or are they asking for action without looking further into it. >> you would think with their stand on iraq they would be more cautious. the president did use the term red line so they wanted to go to syria before this. they're using this, if you will, a reason to say that the president ought to follow their advice. it's amazing to me you would think, you know, after the debacle in iraq that people would be much more cautious. again when you cross the red line, does that mean you want to send 1,000 ground troops establish a no-fly zone, what are you talking about? >> michael: that's important to think about as well, what that would me. politico is reporting that some members of congress were briefed

on this as early as last week. why do you think chuck hagel made his announcement today? >> well, for two reasons. one, the letter has become public. what he said exactly, he quoted exactly from the letter to senator levin, and then the other is that while he was in israel the israelis joined the british and french saying it had been used, and everyone was asking him well did they tell you ahead of time? did you know about it? what your position. he basically had to say something. >> michael: now, i want to go back to something that you said at the top or just a moment ago in what the options are here. we're clearly, i would guess not sending 100,000 troops on the ground into syria. what is on the table for president obama here in the national security staff? >> i think one thing he could do is the border with jordan and with turkey establish some sort

of safe zones, and basically then use either the patriot missiles or airplanes to make it a no-fly zone. if we know where we think the chemical sites are he could authorize airstrikes or missile strikes to take them out. that would be another case, or he might even want to use special forces to go in and dismantle the site. he has a lot--i mean, there are many military options that he has. >> michael: so you know, tell me a little bit then, larry about syria. what makes syria so important for people who don't follow this on a daily basis and what makes it less important than it did in iraq? >> well again syria is important than iraq is the importance people are putting on it one both the russians and the iranians and hezbollah have influence in that country and

assad is kind of their guy. so they're saying if you get rid of assad then it's kind of a two-fer. you take care of iranians, hezbollah, and you send a message to the russians. that's one thing. the other is obviously if assad goes and you have a fundamentalist regime take over, we do know that a group affiliateed with al-qaeda is joined the rebels there just as they did in iraq. so you could have this become a haven for you know, terrorists with a global reach. that's the other thing. finally just the human issue is really becoming, i think incredible. 70,000 people dead. 1 million displaced. you go back in the 90s that's what got us to go in the balkans. it was not a strategic move for the united states. tony blair convinced president

clinton about the responsibilities to protect. >> michael: do you think at all the president is motivated to act in syria because of what happened in boston, this terrorist attack in the u.s.? >> no, i don't think so. again, i think if iraq had not happened, then the debate about syria would be much different and i think people might be more willing to take military action. but as one general told me, if you like iraq, you're going to love syria in terms of how much more complicated it is. no, i don't think so, in terms of what happened in boston. when you get into it to the extent that chechens are upset they're more upset with what the russians did to them, and obviously, from what we know they're saying they're not happy with what we did in afghanistan and iraq, i'm reminded much of what don rumsfeld said. you kill one terrorist and you create six more. this is a rollback particularly

with iraq. >> we heard that with a yemeni testifying yes where these drone strikes created more anger with the u.s. than existed before the drone strikes. you painted different countries being involved and having interest there. do you see the president building a coalition and with your expertise, what do you think is going to happen? >> i think it becomes pretty clear. say the u.n. can't get in there but a foreign intelligence community gets better evidence, i think what you will see probably is a no-fly zone over certainlycertain protected areas rather than you know, us getting involved in the country. and then i think it will probably try to get commitments from countries like the british and the french that when assad goes that in fact, you know, they will be willing to contribute some forces to help stabilize the country because this is not something that we want or really are equipped to

do right now given all the other commitments we have. >> michael: that's why the president is such an important thing and needs to be handled so responsibly. lawrence korb former assistance secretarysecretary of defense. we welcome you in "the war room" room." for me the unveiling of presidential library is like the nfl draft of a football fan. i can't get enough of it. and since today is the draft and i am a football fan, it is a pretty cool day all around to be me. we'll have more on the bush library with historian alan lichtman after the break and then a little later a very special guest myrllie everies williams widow of the slain civil rights leaders medicine medgar

evers. we'll be right back. young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

>> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> with a distinctly satirical point of view. if you believe in state's rights but still believe in the drug war you must be high. >> only on current tv. >> franklin roosevelt once describe the dedication of a library as an act of faith. i dedicate with library with unshakeable faith in the future of our country.

it's the honor of a lifetime to lead a country as brave and noble as the united states, whatever challenges come before us, i will always believe our nation's best days lie ahead. god bless. [applause] >> michael: an emotional former president george w. bushed a the dedication of his presidential library in southern methodist university in dallas, texas. it's not every day that all the living former presidents get together. it's a very exclusive club. the first rule of of the president's club is only to say nice things about the president's club. >> mr. president thank you for the contributions you have made to the most needy people on earth. thank you very much. >> god bless america and thank you very much.

[applause] >> a couple of times a year in his second term george bush would call me just to talk politics. and a chill went up and down my spine when laura said that all their records were digitized. dear god i hope there is no record of those conversations. [ laughing ] >> michael: man would i love to hear some of those conversations of course jimmy carter was talking about the civil rights record and the human rights record of george w. bush in africa and he underscored there that today. he's hoping history will judge him kindly. >> in the end leaders are defined by the convictions they hold and my deepest conviction, the guiding principle of the administration is that the united states of america must strife to expand the reach of

freedom. >> michael: so how will history look at this president? will he be remembered with the fondness given to f.d.r. or the vitriol of mixon. joining me now is alan lichtman, alan is joining me from washington, d.c. welcome, alan. >> thank you. >> michael: first let's hear how george w. bush summed up his own legacy. >> we expanded freedom at home by raising standards at schools and lowering taxes for everybody. [applause] that we liberated nations from dictatorship and freed people from a.i.d.s. and when our freedom came under attack we made the tough decisions required to keep the american people safe. [applause] >> michael: so it's obviously a day of great pomp, but alan, are these delusions of grandeur on the part of the president? >> i think they probably are.

look, we don't know yet how history is going to judge this administration. the library is just opening. most of the records are not going to be fully available for decades. we all may may have passed before there is full consideration of this administration. but the president left office with the lowest approval rating at the end of his presidency right there with richard nixon in his disgray of the watergate scandal. by any standard, growth in the gdp, growth in the stock market his rank very near the bottom but rank very high when it comes to spending and building up of the deficit. even today so many years later americans are very skeptical about his interventions in iraq and afghanistan and the results of those two wars both at home

and abroad. certainly there are things that can be celebrateed some that can be mentioned, h.i.v. and other health initiatives in africa. many firmly believe the tax cuts were good for the american people. but it's going to take quite a twist of history to turn this legacy into a positive one. >> michael: yes, you mentioned the intervention it's hard not to talk about those. as much as you know in the pantheon of presidents who served in a war, how is he as a war-time president. even now you have to step back and look back at a time when we might not all be here, but right now where does he stand with those presidents? >> well, these are bitterly unpopular, costly wars with the results still absolutely unclear. he may not stand towards the bottom with lyndon johnson and richard nixon in the conduct of the vietnam war but he is

certainly nowhere close to abraham lincoln and his leadership in the civil war or franklin roosevelt in world war ii or harry true many in the korean war another failed war although there was some successes. >> michael: it was a day of celebration as something that we do in america as a matter of course. george w. bush was a president as having established a.i.d.s. relief. both jimmy carter talked about it and here is perform president bill clinton on that same thing. >> first i want to thank president push for passing. i have personally seen the face of people who are alive today because of it. >> michael: millions of people who are alive today because of something that george w. bush did as a president. we focus about the people who

aren't because of george w. bush. is this a substantial enough silver lining to his presidency, alan? >> i think it is a very important positive development. i don't think it youth weighs all the other problems that i've set forth before but here is something to celebrate. but here is the twist and ironry here. what are we celebrating? a big government healthcare program, the very thing that george w. bush and his party are blasting here at home. >> michael: that is such a fantastic ironry, i didn't even think of that. thank you so much. it's really true. that's exactly what he did. he did it in another country because he didn't want to do it here. let's talk about the bushes. you saw poppy bush up there with his son, 41 and 43. on the today show barbara bush said that jeb was the most qualified republican to be president but he had one big caveat. >> it's a great country. there are a lot of great

families and it's not just for families or whatever. there are other people out there that are very qualified, and we've had enough bushes. >> michael: wow, that's his mom. did george w. bush damage the dynasty enough to keep jeb bush from running at any time and now his mother doesn't want him to, either. >> if you believe barbara bush, that's absolutely extraordinary. look go back to the 2000 republican primary election. how often did they mention george w. bush? it was as if george w. bush were dead and ronald reagan was the immediate past president. they all talked about being reagan republicans. nobody but nobody, even to this day talks about being a george w. bush republican. forget what the liberals say. forget what us professor say

look at what members of his own party say or more to the point don't say. >> michael: allan lichtman you know so much about the subject. it's a pleasure having you on the show. up next the face of facebook is sticking his nose into the immigration debate now and we'll look to mark zuckerberg and the tech industry's political push. and the silver civil rights push continues. we'll be right back.

very, very excited about that and very proud of that. >>beltway politics from inside the loop. >>we tackle the big issues here in our nation's capital, around the country and around the globe. >>dc columnist and four time emmy winner bill press opens current's morning news block. >>we'll do our best to carry the flag from 6 to 9 every morning.

>> they need political cover and he's providing them that, and then he's providing liberals with the political cover that they need all under one umbrella. it's kind of genius, we'll see if it works. >> michael: yes, there is a little bit of genius, subtle genius. the lead in for senator begich. forward u.s. is using it's subsidiary to rally support for republicans. what do we really know about these side groups? >> well, we know that the republican is run by some haley barber some former bishop aides. >> michael: it's amazing that those people are now rhinos when you think of what they were in the past. they were the people criticizing the rhinos.

that's so far to the right the haley barbers of the world are now known as rhinos. >> mark zuckerberg, the fact that he chose this crew, they've proven to be out of touch with the base the last two collectionscollectionelections.we'll see how good they are to provide that cover that the group is trying to give to republicans on this issue. >> michael: i want to take a look at an ad out of south carolina. we'll talk about it after the ad. >> when lindsey graham is in washington what does he do? he stands up for south carolina values. >> change you can believe in after this healthcare little debacle is an empty slogan and has been repliesed by seedy

chicago politics. >> michael: there is no mention of immigration in that entire one-minute ad. is there a concern about not having an anti-immigration message. >> they're making a choice by not having an immigration message. maybe i don't agree with lindsey graham on immigration issues, but he hates obama to, so i won't primary him. we'll see if it works out it also seems that lindsey graham's friends made an ad to cheerlead for lindsey graham, i'm not entirely sure how effective it will be. >> michael: it does look like something that was a rally call for lindsay graham. grace wyler thank you for joining us in the war room. you can kill a man medgar evers

said, but you can't kill an idea. myrllie evers will join us to talk about her husband his legacy and so much more. stay with us. young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

(vo) later tonight current tv is the place for compelling true stories. >> jack, how old are you? >> nine. >> this is what 27 tons of marijuana looks like. (vo) with award winning documentaries that take you inside the headlines, way inside. (vo) from the underworld, to the

world of privilege. >> everyone in michael jackson's life was out to use him. (vo) no one brings you more documentaries that are real, gripping, current. >> michael: outraged by the failure of the senate to pass even minimal gun control legislation, a coalition of gun control activists led a march in washington, d.c. today. they marched on k street holding up a giant symbolic checks made out to key lobbying firms from the nra and delivering crime-scene photos of victims of gun violence to those firms offices. the graphic artist accept heard fairy also unveil a new poster emblazoned with the chilling words america the land where god saves and satan invests in vault weapons and high capacity magazines.

consider the silver rights era and the assassinations of martin luther king jr. and medgar evers, june 12th will mark the 50th anniversary of medgar evers death. he was shot in the back while standing in his driveway. for three decades his we widow fought for justice. barren de la beckwith was finally convicted of killing evers in 1994. we welcome myrlie evers williams to the "the war room"." >> your family was the target of multiple attacks including a molotov cocktail thrown at your house. what was it like raising a family under such threatening conditions then?

>> threatening conditions is correct, and it was not easy. but first of all let me say that there was a lot of love amongst us protectiveness protectiveness that medgar had of me and his children, and the understanding that the children had what was happening even at the ages 9, 8, and 3. that's because medgar took so much time with them and explained to them the work he was doing. things that the children could understand, why they could not go to movies, why they could not go to certain restaurant, to the zoo, the libraries, so many things that so many people took for granted. our people and our children were not able to access those benefits even though we paid taxes. so that was intellectual component.

then there was the physical because medgar made sure that the children knew what to do in case they heard gunfire or someone tried to enter the home or whatnot. he was really excellent in training them in terms of what they should expect and what they could do, how they could protect themselves and their siblings. i'll give you an example. they made a game. what's the safest place in the house if someone were to shoot in the house? and medgar and the children decided that the bathroom was the safest place in the house and in the tub. when he was shot that's exactly what the children started moving toward. they pulled their little brother down off of the bed and started crawling to that bathroom to get in that safe haven of the tub. of course, my screams stopped

them i guess in their tracks, and they ran out to see what was wrong with us. but there were so many children, so many families who went through that kind of training because it was imperative. >> michael: it's an amazing anecdote that you paint. in our recent past, and 50 years is recent, that there was a time when there was a game that was played in your home of where to hide go someone shoots at us. that is an amazing picture to have. did you have reservations as a mom of the work that your husband was doing? >> of course i did. it was almost a constant with me, the concern because i loved my husband terribly. he was out front in this movement. that's something i want to emphasize because many people don't realize that medgar, not alone, but he spearheaded the

move in mississippi that later went through out the rest of the country. he knew what the problems were. he was willing to put his life on the line. he trained his children as to what to expect. for me, it was extremely difficult because i really wasn't so sure initially that i wanted to be involved in that kind of life or livelihood for my children. we had some interesting conversations about his work and he was very up front with me about that as i was with him. he said myrlie, this is what i'm doing. i'm doing it for you our children and all the other wives and the women and their children. either you are with me or you are not. that's a decision you have to make. i told him when i make a

decision i'll let you know. and he said, but there's not much time. i told him i'll take as much time as i need. well, you know, i never went answer where. he steady there, and he was his help meat and--help mate and support all the way through it. but i hope that tidbit that i gave you helps you understand that they should be real about the movement and not romancize it. because it was very difficult to make decisions to put your life on the line, and your family could be eliminated at the same time. i mean, what can i say? i loved him. i stayed. i worked along side of him i'm so thankful that i had the sense to do that. >> michael: you know, it's a trite question and one that we ask people of martin luther king jr.'s day. what would martin luther king jr. think when he came back. the people we ask and the people we talk to on television and

newspapers, they weren't people who knew him. you knew medgar evers. he were alive today. if he came back and saw mississippi in 2013, what do you think he would say myrlie. >> good, but there's still so much more to do. he wanted to clean up--if i can use that phrase--the state in which he was born, and that he loved. surely we have broken so many barriers, and medgar's work and his life as well as his death helped move mississippi forward. but if we look at not only mississippi but other parts of this country particularly in the south with this last election the strategies and techniques have changed to keep people from registering and voting but the nuances of all of those things that some people feel should not exist are still there.

so it's about being aware. it's about developing programs. it's about for youth in particular to help educate them. there's too much left to do to simply say that happened 50 years ago. what a tragedy it would be if we simply let things slide as they are now and not continue the fight. but not only medgar, but so many brave people gave of themselves and their families. i often say that prejudice and racism is still very much alive. we don't see the wearing of white sheets and hoods--well maybe some places we do, but not with great prevalence. jim crow has learned how to dress.

he or she dresses in brooks brothers suits today and much more difficult to determine who what he is. so it means being aware. it doesn't mean that one should go around looking for trouble here and there but when you find students who are negative in voicing their opinions in almost a riotous state in some of the universities in mississippi, that's when obama was re-elected president you know, it's still there. it's still there. >> michael: and we are so fortunate that you are still here, and you are able to tell your story and share it with so many people. really myrlie evers-williams, you're an extraordinary person. we appreciate your time in the

war room. when we come back brett erlich has his chance to weigh in on the unveiling of the george w. bush library. i'm betting this is good. stick around.

alright, in 15 minutes we're going to do the young turks. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us. >> michael: and now for the best of the rest stories i don't want you to miss on this progressive thursday. good news lovers of all things golden, creamy and processed twinkies are back. the family-owned company behind

that other classic american standard pabst blue ribbon has been given the go ahead to purchase host hostess out of bankruptcy. there is bad news, too. the wall street wall street journal reports that they will not be represented by organized labor. maybe bill clinton can sweet talk them into changing their mind. after all he felt the twinkie was iconic enough to be placed in a time capsule. do you remember this moment with stephen colbert. >> you do not presently tweet. well, sir, i took the liberty of opening you a twitter account. >> michael: the format prez billy jeff. just got a call from chelsea

ready to start twitter lessons tonight. so you're looking for lessons on twitter etiquette. here is some unsolicited advice from yours truly. keep it short, keep i'm talking about former new york congress anthony wiener who resigned after activitying a shot at a woman and everyone else. he told "new york times" magazine by definition when you are a politician you want people to like you. well likability is important but you know what helps neither your likability nor your chance of being governor of new york, admitting there might be more naked photos of you floating around. wiener said. >> reporters want to find more, i can't say that they're not going to be able to find another

picture or another person who may want to come out on their own. >> michael: i'm not sure if he's admitting that more photos exist or offering to provide some himself. either way i doubt he'll be tweeting from city hall any time soon. brett spent his day following the opening of the george w. bush presidential library online online. everybody live because brett's talking. >> oh, hi, sorry the george w. bush presidential library was dedicated today so i was on instagram looking at all the photos the attendees were up loading. here is one taken by someone in the crowd of george h.w. bush telling a story. they overred him saying i don't have a favorite son but i definitely love jeb way more. here is one that george took

himself. too bad you can't extradite someone for being a sleaze-ball. here is silvio on the italian version of instagram. new mom jenna bush. now that jenna is not pregnant i find her way less attractive. that's just creepy. here is one one of colin powell. it really hurts that colin hurts a costume to avoid having ever been affiliated with my administration. frown face: mitt romney tweeted this photo. dudes, check me out i was totally there. i wasn't photo shopped at all. sure. this is hillary clinton crowd surfing and a sneak peek inside the exhibit showing the first book he ever read all by himself, curious george with the caption, i remember reading this

like it was yesterday. probably because it was yesterday. it looks like a lot of fun. you go online and look up more photos yourself. i personally am done talking now. >> michael: thank you brett. well, someone is always in offer war room. check it out at out. thanks for being on "the war room." and have a great night. you [ ♪ music ♪ ]

[ ♪ theme music ♪ ] >> cenk: welcome to "the young turks." we've got an awesome show for you tonight. we have light stories serious stories. are we going to go to war with syria. i think maybe we should, what? we'll discuss that later in the program. and then george bush library. come on, come on. he gave a speech in the words of bush today it was awesome. okay. and then we've got more light stories that rent is too damn high. speaking of the mayoral race in new york anthony wiener said by the way i might have done a