[ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> bill: what do you say? good morning everybody. it is thursday, june 13. how about it. great to see you this morning. and welcome to the "full court press" here on current tv. for the next three hours, we'll tell you what's happening around the country around the globe and right here in our nation's capital. not only that, we'll give you a chance to join the party by giving us a call, let us know what you think about the issues of the day. on your phone 1-866-55-press.

that's our toll free number. give us a holler. on twitter, let us hear from you at bpshow and on facebook at facebook.com/billpressshow. want to hear what your opinion is on the issues of the day. president obama back in the white house. after two fund-raisers yesterday. one up in massachusetts for edward markey where the president said i need ed markey in the united states senate. don't surprise us again massachusetts, by sending a republican to the u.s. senate. don't want that to happen. then the president went down to a fund-raiser in miami for the democratic national committee. meanwhile, peter king represented a republican from long island, said it is not enough to go after and arrest and prosecute edward snowden. we should also prosecute glen greenwald, the reporter for "the guardian" who broke the story. let me say this right now on

behalf of all of my brother and sister journalists, peter king is an idiot. more coming up on current tv. to the fire. are you encouraged by what you heard the president say the other night? is this personal, or is it political? a lot of my work happens by doing the things that i'm given to doing anyway, by staying in touch with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. in reality it's not like they actually care. this is purely about political grandstanding. i've worn lots of hats, but i've always kept this going. i've been doing politics now for a dozen years. (vo) he's been called the epic politics man. he's michael shure and his arena is the war room. >> these republicans in congress that think the world ends at the atlantic ocean border and pacific ocean border. the bloggers and the people that are sort of compiling the best of the day. i do a lot of looking at those people as well. not only does senator rubio just care about rich people, but somehow he thinks raising the

minimum wage is a bad idea for the middle class. but we do care about them right?

cenk off air alright in 15 minutes we're going to do the young turks! i think the number 1 thing than viewers like about the young turks is that were honest. they know that i'm not bsing them for some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know i'm going to be the first one to call them out. cenk on air>> what's unacceptable is how washington continues to screw the middle class over. cenk off air i don't want the middle class taking the brunt of the spending cuts and all the different programs that wind up hurting the middle class. cenk on air you got to go to the local level, the state level and we have to fight hard to make sure they can't buy our politics anymore. cenk off air and they can question if i'm right about that. but i think the audience gets that, i actually mean it. cenk on air 3 trillion dollars in spending cuts! narrator uniquely progressive and always topical the worlds largest online news show is on current tv. cenk off air

and i think the audience gets, "this guys to best of his abilities is trying to look out for us." only on current tv! >> bill: congressman peter king says we should not only arrest edward snowden but also glen greenwald the reporter who broke the story. next thing you know, he'll be saying we also should arrest everybody who read the story in "the guardian." why not? we're on a purge. god, what an idiot. what do you say? good morning everybody. good to see you today.

here we go on a thursday, june 13. coming to you live from our nation's capital as always, our studio here on capitol hill down the street from the united states capitol building. a couple of members of congress in studio with us today on their way to work. most importantly, we've got all of you with us for which we're very grateful. nice to have you on board and thank you for making us your choice of the morning to find out not only what's going on but to talk about what's going on. you know how to do it. on the phone, you can give us a call at 1-866-55-press. you can join us on twitter at bpshow and on facebook, all of our friends on facebook, welcome at facebook.com/billpressshow. on this thursday morning. sounds pretty bad. >> it doesn't sound good. who knows what we're going to

get in actuality. but they've already told some federal workers they could stay home today in anticipation of the storm. >> bill: either going to be a very wise move -- >> if you look at the radar there are legit storms moving across. >> i believe there will be some storms here today. >> bill: we've had some doozies in the last few days. and the tour -- the one that came through here that cut a pickup truck in half. peter ogborn and dan henning nice to see you this morning. alichia cruz on the phones and cyprian bowlding. we never see him. never hear from him. just wave. hope he's there. if you can see us on current tv, you know cyprian is on the job. >> that's right. >> bill: current tv. also your local progressive talk radio station. we're proud to start off their line-up every morning and on

sirius x.m. this hour only. i have to tell you you i think smartest politician the republicans have today is chris christie. >> yeah. >> bill: he's making all of the right moves unlike these jerks here in washington, d.c. if you look just compare chris christie's moves with john boehner and mitch mcconnell you know. look, i'm a democrat. i'll never vote for a republican. why do people like chris christie? because he's out there. he's doing good stuff. he's funny. he shows that he's willing to work together to get things done for the people of new jersey. work together with the president and others. and then you've got these sourpusses boehner and mcconnell, right? seriously. who don't stand for anything, aren't for anything. they grumble grumble grumble. you know --

>> i was about to say i would genuinely love to have a beer or two with chris christie. >> bill: amen. >> and you know, we would disagree on a lot of things but god, that would be fun. >> bill: it would be fun. i wouldn't walk across the street to shake hands with mitch mcconnell. why have an ice tea with mitch mcconnell. i tell you i wouldn't have -- i wouldn't start drinking with john boehner because he would drink you under the table. [ laughter ] >> bill: no doubt about that. >> there's no having a beer with john boehner. >> bill: no, there's not. the reason i started talking about chris christie, he went on jimmie fallon. this is like obama goes on all of the late-night shows. he goes on jimmie fallon and has a little fun with his bad decision i think to call a special election in october to elect the next united states senator from new jersey. but this is that slow jam the

segment of the show. >> which is a tremendous -- obama has done this exact thing. slow jam the news. >> bill: very, very, very clever. chris christie played along. they had a lot of fun. >> i know this election is going to cost tax iers some money but these costs can't be measured against the value of having an elected member of the united states senate. that's why i'm throwing my full weight behind this decision. >> come on, come on now krispy kreme doughnut? it's too easy. that's not even funny. >> isn't that what your audience says every night? >> yeah, that's right. it hurts. so step off brother. >> bill: step off, brother. >> isn't that what your bathroom scale says every night?

>> ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom. >> that's brutal. >> bill: but funny. >> it's funny. sheesh. >> bill: he set himself up for that. no kidding. john fuglesang, the only man funnier than chris christie is going to be here a little bit later in this hour. two members of congress, as i mentioned, keith ellison from minnesota and congresswoman martha fudge from ohio. she's chair of the congressional black caucus. and yes, the republicans can't stop talking about rape. they're at it again yesterday. but first... >> announcer: this is the "full court press." >> other headlines making news on this thursday, game one of the stanley cup finals last night was the fifth longest game in stanley cup history. the chicago blackhawks and boston bruins went to three sudden death overtimes before an

drew shaw deflected a shot after midnight for chicago to win 4-3. they lead the series 1-0. it is the first stanley cup series since 1979 where two of the original six nhl teams are playing each other. >> bill: so we've got nba finals and now the stanley cup. can't stand all of the excitement. >> two of the least-watched sports in the country by the way. basketball and hockey. >> i thought basketball had a lot of -- >> not so much. >> it has more than hockey. >> definitely more than hockey. football and baseball get ratings. >> a democratic senator who supports the keystone pipeline compared the project to an infamous celebrity. the hill reports north dakota senator heidi heitkamp says the pipeline needs to be built noting it the kim kardashian of energy. >> bill: what does that mean? >> she says kim kardashian of energy, i don't know why we care

meaning that kardashian as some people care about her but no one knows why. she's a meanless person. >> probably a buzzword some staffer told her to stay. >> bill: when i saw that, i thought that meant that heidi heitkamp came out against the pipeline. comparing anything to kim kardashian is not a compliment. right? there were lots of pictures of color and crazy socks posted on social media networks yesterday in celebration of former president george h.w. bush's 89th birthday. his presidential library asked folks to tweet photos of their own socks in honor of bush who was known for sporting colorful looking ones. he tweeted a photo of himself yesterday. he wore superman socks celebrating up at his house in ken he in bunk port, maine. >> i don't know what to say.

>> i like his socks. they're fun. >> just wear socks. >> i know that's his thing. it is a silly thing. >> bill: okay. happy birthday, mr. president. want to see my socks? no. yes, indeed, gotta start this morning with you know, you almost feel sorry for the republican party these days, don't you? they can't help themselves. so it was in march that the republican national committee came out with this report on what went wrong in 2012 and they said some good stuff, i thought. they had it right on. they should not have called the report. we've talked about this so many times, their autopsy report. because you don't do autopsies on people you expect to survive. you do autopsies on people who are already dead and ain't coming back. so despite calling it an autopsy report, they say look, we

recognize a party is out of touch. we recognize a party has some real problems. it's per received as being anti-women certainly anti-gay, anti-minorities and anti-young people. and we're going to have to change if we really want to come back and win the white house. well said. particularly the part about the war on women. and then just last month, the young college republicans or college young republicans whatever it is they came out with their report. it was almost an echo of the rnc report that said this party is old, out of touch basically run by old white men. and they gotta stop talking about abortion and get back -- talk about jobs. talk about the economy and things people care about. stop attacking women. stop attacking gays and stop attacking minorities and reach out to these groups. that's the only way we're going

to grow. basically what the rnc said. they were absolutely correct. so what happens yesterday? here we are. congress is in session. under house republicans they do, at the most, one thing at a time. meaning any one week, they'll take up one bill. and what is the big bill for this week? it's a bill to ban late-term abortions. abortion abortion, abortion. that's all the republicans can talk about. you know, i just -- whatever you think about it, i mean don't make that your number one issue but they cannot help themselves because they're controlled by the religious right. and these conservative religious crazies of this world. and so the republicans made that their one priority this week. now, that's bad enough. but then the vehicle for that was a bill by trent franks, congressman from arizona

probably heard about this, to ban late-term abortions across the board. well, all the democrats on the committee are against it but two of them tried to make it at least a little more acceptable yesterday. our good friend, john conyers and jerry nadler from new york. john conyers from michigan, offered an amendment saying let's have an exception certainly carve out an exception for women who are the victims of rape. trent franks says no, no, no, that's not necessary and here's why. >> before -- tried to make rape and incest the subject the incidents of rape resulting in a pregnancy are very low. >> bill: the incidences of rape resulting in a pregnancy are very low. here we go again! can you believe it? i mean has he ever heard of todd

aiken? >> right. >> bill: doesn't he remember todd aiken? we remember todd aiken said basically the same thing during his senate race last year. >> it seems to me, first of all from what i understand from doctors, that's really rare. if it is a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down but let's aschum that didn't work or something. there should be some punishment but it ought to be on the rapist. >> bill: something about the woman's body. that sperm comes up there and if the sperm is as a result of rape, the woman's body says uh-huh, no you don't shut that whole thing down. where does that come from? that comes from some crazy freakin' preacher in the south who doesn't know what the [ bleep ] he's talking about. and then the republicans pick it up and they repeat it. it is insane. all medical journals, all medical experts, all legitimate people, know anything about the human body said there's nothing to support that theory.

nothing at all. you know? there is not this little control mechanism inside a woman's body that can tell the real sperm -- the good sperm from the bad sperm. no. it doesn't exist. by the way according to the journal on -- of obstetrics and gynecology more than 30,000 pregnancies result from rape in the united states every year. so the point is they're just dead wrong. there is 0% but they keep talking about it. they can't help themselves. i mean this war on women is real. it continues. love to know what you think about it. 1-866-55-press we accuse them of waging a war on women, i don't think we're making it up. you heard it again from trent franks who is not some 90-year-old know-nothing.

>> is in his mid-50s. he should know better. >> bill: certainly after todd aiken, he ought to know better. let's talk about it. they don't ask me for my advice but i'll give it to them for free. if you want to really change the image of the republican party here's step number one. stop talking about rape, idiots. 1-866-55-press. we'll be right back. >> announcer: connect with the "bill press show" on twitter. follow us at bpshow and tweet using the hashtag watching bp. this is the "bill press show." >> only on current tv. 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.

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>> announcer: heard around the country and seen on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: hey here we go. 25 minutes after the hour now. breaking news. according to congressman trent franks from arizona this is a relief. isn't it a relief to know you really can't get pregnant if you're raped at least your chances are very, very low, he says. incidences of rape resulting in pregnancy very low. nothing to worry about. that's the official position of the republican party. they wonder why women are voting for democrats. >> one comment because we're tweeting at bpshow where you can join in the conversation there. wes ways says doesn't the case of the women in cleveland disprove their whole rape theory about pregnancy? they kept these women in the house and raped them and they all got pregnant.

the idea that they can shut that whole thing down was proven right there by a story in the headlines. >> bill: maybe you should talk to the kidnapper rapist in cleveland. tanya is calling from chicago. good morning. >> caller: good morning. all i wanted to say is i'm not surprised. these people do not believe in climate change. the folks that really should go back to basic science and start with the zygote and the egg. the most disturbing thing i've ever seen. i'm really scared a segment of the population continue to elect these people to handle major issues in this country. >> bill: and they keep -- i'm glad you made the connection with climate change. but they keep saying this stuff right? you know with zero medical or scientific knowledge or evidence at all right? and they try to then pass laws based on this mythology.

>> for me, what's even more disturbing is the intent of which they believe this. they're medical people that have the words mds that have looked at a woman's body and these folks pull it out of the air and say it with such fervor, they sound like they're either witch doctors or real doctors. it is absolutely scary as a woman to believe there is a segment of men in the congress who believe i have that in my uterus. a lot more calls here, we see. hang in there. we'll get back to you. we'll take a little break and get back and get your comments on how -- i mean, maybe -- here's the thing. there might be one extremist who might think this but this is the republican party. this is a house of representatives putting this forward. this guy is their spokesperson on this. the party believes this.

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." (vo) current tv gets the conversation started weekdays at 9 eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. the troops love me. tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. (vo) sharp tongue. >>excuse me? (vo) quick wit. >> and yes, president obama does smell like cookies and freedom. (vo) and above all, opinion and attitude. >> really?! this is the kind of stuff they say about something they just pulled freshly from their [bleep]. >> you know what those people are like. >> what could possibly go wrong in eight years of george bush? >> my producer just coughed up a hairball. >>sorry. >>just be grateful current tv doesn't come in "smell-o-vision"

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>> bill: can you believe it? here we are on thursday, already. june 13. we're talking about the republicans on -- they're still on the abortion parade. and the rape crusade. not knowing what the hell they're talking about. they can't stop talking about it. todd aiken wasn't bad enough. now we have trent franks. he's a member of congress, saying yesterday that women --

we don't have to worry about rape because women don't get pregnant when they get raped because their body knows to turn it off. 1-866-55-press the toll free number. back to your comment on that. but we just want to take a quick break this morning. we have a very special guest calling from moscow. there is a plan over there. for the world expo. moscow is competing with other great cities to host the world expo in 2020. our guest this morning president vladimir putin president putin why is it important to have the world expo in moscow? >> ladies and gentlemen i'm delighted to have members at the international exhibitions bureau. after the warm and rich experience -- >> bill: how about this.

>> >> bill: he sounds a little bit like borat. first time anybody has ever heard putin speak in english. >> that's fascinating. it is not bad. >> bill: he did this video for the people who are making the decision about where to send the world expo. >> after all of this time, russia has not hosted the world expo, not once. we look to change this. so we submit to host world expo in 2020, dynamic and promising city. >> i don't know. that's just too wild, man. >> bill: when you look at putin, i think -- i thought he would sound scarier than that.

>> we like the grand prix. you bring it to us. he speaks better english than trent franks does. at least he makes more sense than trent franks does. action ria says it is strange that the republicans are obsessed with women's issues. >> bill: their attitude toward women is about the same. i think the republican party is getting its policy on women from the taliban. tim is in shelby township, michigan. hey, tim, what do you make of this? >> caller: good morning, bill. it doesn't surprise me at all that trent franks would make a comment like that.

the republican party, they know what their problems are and everything but they continue to make these idiotic remarks that you know keeps him out of office. we ought to be glad of that, actually. >> bill: there is that side of it right? if they continue down this road, i think the party could really disappear at some point. >> caller: i've been through a lot of stuff in the detroit area plant closings, negotiating with these guys, it is unbelievable what they think is really happening in this world. i just can't believe it. the things they ask forte bargaining table. >> bill: i'll bet. my union brother tim. you know what? to me, if they have -- look, we can disagree. here's what gets me. we can disagree on the issues, right. but you ought to start with the facts. you have to start with the basic facts. when you start with stuff that

is simply not true and then draw your policy conclusions from it, you know, there's no hope for you. no hope. you can't deal with these people if they won't accept basic science and medicine. bill is in clifton new jersey. hello, bill, good morning. >> hi, bill. i wish that these congressmen would watch the incredible documentary called intended consequences, about the hundreds of thousands of women in rwanda during the war that were raped gave birth to 20,000 babies. >> bill: what's the name of it? >> caller: intended consequences. you can see it online. it's free. it is wonderful. and it is about the lives of these women. they were all raped in front of their children and their husbands before their husbands were executed in front of them. this was serious stuff. and it was organized.

it is an incredible situation. that should shut them up. >> bill: i hadn't heard about that documentary. the situation in rwanda, of course. that is just -- what can you say? there is no way to explain it. it defies imagination that anybody would say this in particular but especially today after, again in the context of these two leading republican reports that came out and said hey, you know, we gotta change. or else we're just not ever going to hope to get the votes of women or young people or lgbt voters or minorities. >> after the todd aiken comments, after it became clear that he lost that election -- >> bill: because of that. >> because of those comments, a lot of prominent republicans came out and said look, you want to have a conversation about abortion fine. we'll have the conversation about abortion.

but republicans need stop talking about rape. because they don't know what they're talking about. don't talk about rape. there's no excuse for it. there's no scientific evidence that shows that pregnancies won't result from a rape. stop talking about rape. shut up! >> bill: talk whatever you want but don't talk about that. jodie is calling from chandler, arizona. hello, jodie. he's your congressman or maybe he is. >> caller: yeah. i'm not saying i voted for him or claim him much. but i do want to say though i'm not pro-life, i am pro-choice. i do believe it is a woman's choice. i personally would choose one. but the fact of the matter is what i want to get into and this is what prompted my call, you had a caller that quoted about science and how nobody wants to look at the science of global warming. well, in that same turn, nobody

wants to look at the science of when exactly life begins and i had a girlfriend who was pregnant and at 20 weeks that baby is kicking inside. you can't blame that on gas bubbles or whatever because there's actually personality to that child. >> bill: jody, i don't want to get into a debate about abortion here. we're talking about the stupid comments from trent franks on rape and that -- the idea, we wouldn't even be talking about this if we hadn't made a statement that the incidents of rape resulting from pregnancy are very low. there's nothing to support that at all. there's nothing to support that. appreciate the call. linda from san san marcos, texas >> caller: everybody should be reminded they did not want abortion if a mother's life is in danger or if the baby is

nonviable. there is a woman outside the country who had serious health problems and the baby did not have a brain. and she was refused an abortion. >> bill: just recently. last week. the last week or so. linda, physicians are pretty extreme. and i understand that there are people who very seriously either for religious reasons or scientific reasons or whatever, who are very seriously against abortion. i understand that. i disagree. i respect that. but what we're talking about now is way beyond that. way over the line. to somebody to say as todd aiken did and now trent franks again yesterday, they just -- keep repeating this. for somebody to claim and to argue that we don't have to worry about women who are raped because their body is going to tell them this wasn't the real

thing. this was a rapist. therefore, we're not going to get pregnant. it doesn't work that way. john fuglesang guest of "viewpoint" every night on current tv, joins us in the next segment here. we'll get his take on all of the news of the day. so stay around here. and give us your call at 1-866-55-press. >> announcer: get social with bill press. like us at facebook.com/billpressshow. this is the "bill press show."

>> "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. you know who is coming on to me now? you know the kind of guys that do reverse mortgage commercials? those types are

coming on to me all the time now. (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. you would rather deal with ahmadinejad than me. >>absolutely. >> and so would mitt romney. (vo) she's joy behar. >>and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? >> announcer: heard around the

country and seen on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: okay, okay. 14 minutes before the top of the hour. you know, we are -- we're just -- the beginning of the best here on current tv. it gets better and better as the day goes on and we save the best whine until last, of course. that's mr. john fuglesang host of "viewpoint" on current tv. joining us on our news line this morning, good morning john. >> john: good morning mr. press. what a pleasure. >> bill: how are you doing? >> john: great to talk to you again in such a slow "newsweek." >> bill: we have breaking news this morning i want you to know we want all american women to know you can't get pregnant by being raped. we thanked congressman trent franks for this breaking news this morning. >> john: the only thing more fun than having white people say that redskins isn't offensive is having men say that rape isn't that bad.

>> bill: they keep saying it right? >> john: yeah. fantastic. >> bill: my god. but it is based, they say on science. doctors tell them this, john. can you believe it? >> john: yeah, i like how he says democrats are the ones who constantly want to inject rape into the abortion debate and have done so ever since the original roe v. wade case. men want to inject themselves into women and you're making it easier for reignists to pick out the mother of their child. >> bill: well said. >> john: isn't that what they're doing. when you're a republican trying to fight against women who have been raped having the option of terminating the pregnancy you're fighting for rapists to have the right to pick out the mother of their child. >> bill: here's what i don't get. i don't understand why there's not somebody, somewhere in the republican party who would stand up and say stop talking about rape! let's just all agree. we'll sign a pledge. we're not going to talk about

rape. because trent franks -- todd aiken, right they didn't learn the lesson before then. they should have learned it then. >> john: todd aiken taught women if they are god forbid ever being raped, they should take a minute and make sure their rapist is legitimate. and this whole thing -- this all ties directly to the fact that men don't take rape seriously. and that rape is a male problem as men started it and men are going to have to be the ones who finally end it. >> bill: amen. amen. well said. now, one congressman up your way, from new york, peter king. he's having a lot of fun these days. he says let's not only go out and arrest and hang edward snowden. let's arrest and hang glen greenwald, the reporter who reported it. what's next? >> john: you don't see that happening at fox, do you?

they repeat the talking point that frank lund says and call it journalism. >> bill: you know what they used to say about jesse jackson the most dangerous place was between jesse jackson and a tv camera. i think it is between peter king and a tv camera. >> john: i give peter king some points for telling people not to donate money to ted cruz after he fought sandy funds away from the tri-state area. king on terrorism -- he can't stand terrorists unless it is the '80s and they have cute irish brokes. >> bill: what do you think is going to happen to snowden? >> john: at this point the best thing edward snowden can hope for is that they'll find a dead hooker in the trunk of his car. that's what cheney used to do. i don't know how he thinks he can get away without the

government making a serious example of him. >> bill: i would get to iceland fast if i were him. >> john: he can't. we had young's daughter on the show the other day the member of iceland's parliament. the main problem is he just can't go to an icelandic embassy. you have to be on icelandic soil and seek asylum. i don't know how exactly he's going to make it. >> bill: do you think he did the right thing? >> john: it remains to be seen. we don't yet know if he's a patriot or a narcissist or both. you know, i loath the comments on whether he's a hero or a traitor just yet. i do think -- i appreciate what he did. i'm glad he did what he did. you know, i'm glad that we can have -- figures in the news who sound like game of thrones characters. >> bill: maybe you can -- this is a little conundrum for me.

how is it the same senators who oppose background checks for gun sales, because they don't want the government having that information, totally support the nsa having a record of every single freakin' phone call we make? do you see a little contradiction there? >> john: it is so save lives. it is all about saving lives. we can't have our personal rights infringed on. so, you know, it is again the same hypocrisy when you look at how many more people are killed by gun violence and terrorism in this country. >> bill: isn't it stunning? just stunning, the lack of logic here. lack of thinking. now, i know this it is totally off the wall. but did you notice, were you as stunned as i when you heard pope francis talk about a gay lobby inside the vatican? [ laughter ] >> there's gambling going on here? i'm shocked to see gam gelling

going on here. >> bill: more than gambling. it is a gay lobby. >> john: i'm appalled to think the men in dresses might be gay. [ laughter ] yeah, you know. >> bill: gay pride month too. >> john: if it weren't for homophobes who hate themselves, where would the vatican be today? but this pope, he might surprise us on gay issues, bill. remember a couple of years ago when argentina was having their argument over gay marriage and the homophobes who were followers of noted nonhomophobe jesus who never said a single homophobic thing were very upset. it was this pope when he was the cardinal, who was coming out and arguing for civil unions. so this time they really surprise us. >> bill: he might indeed. that comment has everybody really saying oh, my god what's going on inside the vatican. >> john: i've lived in apartment buildings in greenwich

village for most of my adult life. i've seen a lot of gay lobbies. >> bill: we'll look forward to seeing you tonight on "viewpoint" tonight at 8:00. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show."

about we have a big big hour and the iq will go way up. (vo) current tv gets the converstion started weekdays at 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv. this show is about being up to date, staying in touch with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. in reality it's not like they actually care. this is purely

about political grandstanding. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show" live on your radio and current tv. >> bill: congressman keith ellison in studio with us for the next half hour here of the "full court press." then energy policy expert denise

joins us to talk about wind and solar and all of the other good stuff. every time i say something nice about chris christie, i always get slammed by fellow democrats. dr. says christie, good? what the hell are you talking about? sounds like you're going down the toilet fast. stop trying to be funny and get serious. i am serious when i say what i said. number one i'm a democrat. i would never vote for a republican. number two if you compare today's republican leaders chris christie is a lot more attractive and fun -- it looks like he would be fun to hang around than mitch mcconnell and john boehner. >> damn straight. >> bill: if you don't agree with that, simple statement then something's wrong with you. >> you might be pretty boring yourself. take a look in the mirror. >> bill: if you would rather hang out with mitch mcconnell and chris christie, be my guest with turtleneck mitch mcconnell.

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[ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> bill: it's thursday morning. good morning everybody. june 13. great to see you today. this is the "full court press" on current tv. we're coming out to you live everywhere in this wonderful country of ours on current tv from our studio here on capitol hill in washington, d.c. good to see you today with a lot to talk about. there are days when there's nothing in the news. there are days and weeks when there is nothing but news to

talk about. like today where shall we start? president obama back in the white house today after two fund-raisers yesterday. one up in massachusetts for congressman ed markey. president obama telling the people of massachusetts, don't make another mistake. don't send another republican to the united states senate. i want ed markey to come down here. eth markey, really good man. the president was down in miami for a fund-raiser for the dnc. back at the white house today. peter king, congressman from new york, crazy as a loon says it is not only enough to go after and prosecute arrest and prosecute edward snowden the whistle-blower on the nsa. we should also, according to peter king, arrest and prosecute glen greenwald the reporter for "the guardian" who broke the story. i want to say on behalf all of my fellow journalists this morning, my brothers and sisters in the media peter king is a freaking idiot.

he's not the only one among the republicans in the house. how about trent franks from arizona. we'll tell you more about that right here on current tv. 1 thing than viewers like about the young turks is that were honest. they know that i'm not bsing them for some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know i'm going to be the first one to call them out. cenk on air>> what's unacceptable is how washington continues to screw the middle class over. cenk off air i don't want the middle class taking the brunt of the spending cuts and all the different programs that wind up hurting the middle class. cenk on air you got to go to the local level, the state level and we have to fight hard to make sure they can't buy our politics anymore. cenk off air and they can question if i'm right about that. but i think the audience gets that, i actually mean it. cenk on air 3 trillion dollars in spending cuts! narrator uniquely progressive and always topical the worlds largest online news show is on current tv. cenk off air

and i think the audience gets, "this guys to best of his abilities is trying to look out for us." only on current tv!

>> if you believe in state's rights but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv. you know who is coming on to me now? you know the kind of guys that do reverse mortgage commercials? those types are coming on to me all the time now. (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. you would rather deal with ahmadinejad than me. >>absolutely. >> and so would mitt romney. (vo) she's joy behar.

>>and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? >> bill: this is the "full court press." we're coming to you live on your local, progressive talk radio

station, coming to you live on current tv. bringing you the news of the day and most importantly giving. >> chance to give us your take on the news of the day. you know how to do it. give us a call at 1-866-55-press. you can join us on twitter at bpshow and for all of our friends on facebook, join the party at facebook.com/billpressshow. as we do every day we will let you know what's going on and again, take your comments. you'll join the team here in studio with us. with peter ogborn and dan henning. >> happy thursday. >> good morning. >> bill: alichia cruz has the phones covered. normally when she's not seating our guests. our guest who kind of sneak in here late. good morning congressman.

>> miss cruz had to give me towels. >> bill: what's going on? >> it is raining, it is humid. we're getting ready for that storm today. >> bill: probably just came from the gym this morning? >> i just got out of the gym so i was kind of warmed up. >> you're at the gym by 7:00 in the morning. >> then you're done for the rest of the day. >> you can live guilt-free. >> i'm ready to rock n' roll. >> let's do it. >> bill: now that you're all wiped down, cyprian bowlding can turn the cameras back on again. because you know, cyprian i'm sure he wouldn't have shown you on camera. with all of that. >> just see me dripping. cyp, my man, thank you. >> bill: there we go. i want you to know, congressman david letterman pointed out last

night, people were buzzing yesterday because suddenly, five years later the popularity numbers for george w. bush went up a little bit right? everyone said oh my god oh, my god, what's going on? david letterman nailed it. he said what we can attribute that to. >> experts believe the reason george w. bush is more popular now than ever, more popular now than not popular the reason they believe for this rise in his popularity is put up to a rare medical disorder known as forgetting. [ laughter ] >> absence makes the heart grow fonder. >> bill: forgetting all of that iraq war wiretapping. the torture. >> the tax cuts that landed us

in the big budget deficit hole. he was a swell guy, after all. and he was. he was affable. that wasn't the problem. [ laughter ] >> bill: congressman keith ellison from minnesota here with us this half hour. in the next hour, congresswoman martha fudge from ohio will be coming in studio to join us. and denise bode, energy expert will be here later in this hour. we'll get right to the news of the day with the good congressman from minnesota. but first dan with the headlines. >> other headlines making news on this thursday, the commissioner of the national football league is defending the name of the washington redskins. roger goodell sent a letter to congress yesterday after being urged to consider changing the redskins name because it was derogatory nature. he said the name redskins represents "a positive meaning" and is a unifying force that stands for strength, courage

pride and respect. >> bill: and racism. >> said the white man about the team owned by a white man who also defended the name redskin. >> bill: they've hired frank luntz. he's going to tell them how they can explain it to the american people in ways that we'll all support it. >> we also want to be called that, right? >> it might be the quickest transition from uniform to suit ever. jason kidd retired from the new york knicks on june 3rd after 19 years playing in the nba. now he's got a new job as the new head coach of the brooklyn nets. kidd tells -- he tells "usa today" he's been studying for a coaching role throughout his playing days and is thrilled to have this tremendous opportunity to return to that team for him back when they were the new jersey nets, he helped take them to two nba finals back in

2002 and 2003 which by the way he lost to the san antonio spurs. >> that's right. you know, i think that's a good move. he's always been a super super smart basketball player. >> another swimmer is attempting to swim from cuba to florida without the protection of a shark cage. 28-year-old australian chloe mccardell set out from havana in calm waters yesterday in hopes to complete the swim in 60 hours. you'll remember last summer, diana started the attempt but had to cut it short because of dehydration. >> i have bad news. broke not that long ago she has ended it. >> i missed that. >> it happened not that long ago. she ended her swim. the jellyfish won. she was stung by too many jellyfish. >> bill: not sharks. >> she's alive. she wasn't eaten by a shark but she was stung by so many jellyfish that she had to end

her swim. >> bill: i've been to havana. there are better ways to get there than swimming. and surer ways of getting there than swimming. congressman, let's start talking about nsa. the president last friday said that every single member of congress was informed and knew about the nsa phone tapping program. not phone tapping but phone record collection program. did you? >> no. and i -- let me just help folks understand the situation. so people who were on the intelligence committee probably were informed. they're not denying that. everybody other member of congress -- every other member of congress, we're look for the notice that we were given that they were collecting the 200 million phone records and you know, we have no such notice in our office. i haven't run into anybody who said oh, yeah, i knew. interestingly enough, as the

story has unfolded, after the fact, i've had some people say that there were stories in the press that alluded to this. but i can tell you that this is generally not known. and folks are a little shocked that this is going on. there is outrage. so i think that if they do anything and again i'm on a limb saying this even, they might have said there is a document you might want to look at. it is in some room halfway across the capital. take two hours no staff, no phones, no notes no nothing by the way, we can't tell you what it is but it's there. so that kind of thing. >> bill: might have happened. >> maybe. and you've been on the hill so you know if folks want to say they gave you notice but don't want to give you any that is so easy to do. everybody there is -- calendar is full, right? so unless you know to prioritize

something, you have too many other things to do otherwise. >> bill: i read in the hill yesterday where the former heads of the intelligence committee, jane harmon and pete, both of them also said that just because let's say a keith ellison asks oh can i see -- let's say we're not informed but you heard rumblings and you called and said i would like to take a look at this. that doesn't mean you would get access. >> absolutely. here's another thing. if anybody who claims that congress knew which it didn't i mean congress, select members knew. then just review what mr. clapper had to say. i mean, you know, are there any large scale collection of americans' telephone information, no. then they say oh, well, he had to lie because you know, he just -- i don't know. i don't know why you ever have to lie. the guy could have said this is

an unclassified briefing. you asked me a classified question. can't answer that. so then would we have been like oh what's all behind that? yeah, we would. at the end of the day, he would have been able to not mislead the u.s. congress. i mean they want to say on the one hand we knew. but then when the question is directly asked you know, somebody in the administration doesn't tell the truth. >> bill: so you didn't know about the program. now that you do know about the program, what do you think of what we know. do you think it's -- >> shocking. >> bill: necessary to keep us safe? >> no, i don't. as a matter of fact, you know, the way that we find terrorist threats, criminal threats is you do sort of keepy , you had human intelligence. your eyes, your ears open. you have relationships that you built. you hear about things. you get tips here and you get tips there and you follow them

up. and you do need to follow those tips up. you do need to ask questions. like this guy omar, the underwear bomber, his father called and said my son is radicalizing and dangerous. everyone knows we had certain reason to believe that mr. tsarnaev should have been looked into a little more. there's human intelligence out there. it's there. and so you know, there is this whole analogy of well, you know, terrorists are needles in a haystack. therefore we have to get the whole haystack. >> bill: that's the argument. >> so my thought is well, wait a minute. are we looking for a haystack or looking for needles? look for the needles. look for those things that tip you off as to where the trouble spots are. and then after they get all of the data, they want to keep it for a long time like five years. you know they don't -- they don't even get rid of it so that they don't have it anymore so

people -- i think it is outrageous for americans to know that the government can just look at the duration of your calls, who you called, who they -- i just think -- who have nothing to do with any wrongdoing. i just think it is a problem. i hope that people don't just sweep this one under the rug because i think there is some good reforms we can do now. >> bill: what does it tell you that 76% of americans in the latest poll say okay, no problem with this. >> what it tells me is that people think that, look, i'm not doing anything so it is not going to affect me but it can affect you. it still can affect you in many important ways. and i just -- so i think that what we should do is also remind everybody that the bill of rights is not really sort of a majority win sort of instrument, right? the bill of rights is about individual rights, right?

it is not about the whole group. it is about the individual person. and if we were to vote on the bill of rights, would it pass? i don't know. if somebody said that you have the right to practice any religion you want to and somebody said you can say what you want, criticize a government official somebody said you can -- somebody said you can -- the government has to have a reason before they go searching and seizing your stuff? maybe folks would say no, we don't want that. i'm sure the lobby -- there would be plenty of lobbyists who don't want it. >> bill: there would be qualifiers. so two things. edward snowden, did he do the right thing? >> i'll put it like this in regard to edward snowden. i cannot say that when you violate the law, there's not going to be any consequences to that. edward snowden knew that what he did was going to bring him law enforcement attention. best i can say for edward snowden is he should have a

right to a quality lawyer and have every protection. he should not be punished more than the law calls for. and that's what i can say. i'll say this. there have been people in the course of american history who have done the right thing a moral thing but in violation of the law. in those cases you know, you still have to deal with the law right? if he thinks that what did he was legally justified there may be a defense. a legal defense that he can mount. right? but i don't think -- you just ignore this. >> bill: now, one of your colleagues, peter king has said we should not only prosecute edward snowden. we should prosecute glen greenwald who broke the story. >> that's ridiculous. of course, look the american

people have a right to know, you know. so often the people who wrote the constitution knew that there was a tendency within human beings to feel that they know what's best for others. right? so we set it up so people would have individual rights. we set up checks and balances between the executive branch, judicial branch because the basic presumption of the constitution is that you can't really trust anyone with all of the power. so we made it so that everybody has a way to check everybody else. once you break that down, start prosecuting journalists for printing stories i mean now you're in rough terrain. now you're trading upon people's basic right to know. >> bill: next thing they're going to project it to people who read the story. >> why stop with the journalist who wrote the story. >> bill: congressman keith ellison from minnesota here in studio with us. glad to take your calls at

1-866-55-press. we'll be right back. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." with award winning documentaries that take you inside the headlines. real, gripping, current. documentaries... on current tv.

we have a big, big hour and the iq will go way up. (vo) current tv gets the conversation started weekdays at 9 eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. the troops love me. tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. (vo) sharp tongue. >>excuse me? (vo) quick wit. >> and yes, president obama does smell like cookies and freedom. (vo) and above all, opinion and attitude. >> really?! this is the kind of stuff they say about something they just pulled freshly from their [bleep]. >> you know what those people are like. >> what could possibly go wrong in eight years of george bush? >> my producer just coughed up a hairball. >>sorry. >>just be grateful current tv doesn't come in "smell-o-vision" >> oh come on! the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo)only on current tv.

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: here we go. 26 minutes after the hour. we'll switch and talk energy in the next half hour. right now, we're on the news of the day. particularly the nsa with congressman keith ellison here. from minnesota. peter, quick story? >> quick story because i wanted to get this in. say hello to phillip tuttle. phillip tutle is a lobster man in maine. he is 90 years old. when the rainstorms that came through maine from thunderstorm andrea came through it sunk his

ship and as the saying goes, a captain goes down with his ship. not phillip tuttle. he went into the water icy cold he swam to a nearby island and was there until he was found. he was found safe. he's okay. he's got some injuries that they're working on but he's 90. he said it is not my time to go. >> bill: he said it was not his time. he was not going to go down with the ship. unfortunately, congressman, it was time for one of your top aides who we got to know very well, first started got to congress and came in the studio here. rick. >> rick passed away at the age of 59. rick noland who is back in congress is about 69, 70. so rick was like the younger guy helping out the candidate. and when he ended his career, he

was like about 12, 13 years older than i am. he is sort of like my mentor. rick has spanned all of the minnesota delegation. he has alternatively worked to help support rick noland of the duluth brainerd area, betty mccollum of st. paul. bruce vento who died of cancer. and including jerry sikorsky. so he's helped all of us along the way. and did a lot of good -- helped a lot of interns along the way. a lot of young people know a lot about how to be effective on the hill because of rick joward. we said good-bye to rick last saturday in laverne, minnesota. which is a town very proud of rick. he'll be missed and he already is. >> bill: we remember him well. congressman, thank you so much for all you're doing and for coming in today. >> all right now.

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." to the fire. are you encouraged by what you heard the president say the other night? is this personal, or is it political? a lot of my work happens by doing the things that i'm given to doing anyway, by staying in touch with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. in reality it's not like they actually care. this is purely about political grandstanding. i've worn lots of hats, but i've always kept this going. i've been doing politics now for a dozen years. (vo) he's been called the epic politics man. he's michael shure and his arena is the war room. >> these republicans in congress that think the world ends at the atlantic ocean border and pacific ocean border. the bloggers and the people that are sort of compiling the best of the day. i do a lot of looking at those people as well.

not only does senator rubio just care about rich people, but somehow he thinks raising the minimum wage is a bad idea for the middle class. but we do care about them right?

>> announcer: like politics, then like the "bill press show." on facebook. this is the "bill press show." >> bill: continuing our look at the big stories of the day and the big issues of the day on this thursday morning. june 13. good to you have with us. you can join the conversation any time at 1-866-55-press. mayor michael bloomberg out in front on many issues. particularly gun safety and climate change. and he stirred up a lot of news

this week when he held a news conference a couple of days ago in new york and outlined a $20 billion plan to better prepare new york, i guess to withstand and get ready for major flooding or whatever, resulting from climate change. which raises the question about what do -- we know it's coming, what do we do about it? what do we do about energy policy? denise bode is right on top of that former ceo of the american wind energy association and energy policy expert and in oklahoma, she was head of the corporate commission of oklahoma for ten years. joining us in studio. nice to see you. >> nice to be here. >> bill: climate change is real right? >> right. >> bill: no matter what your senator from oklahoma, jim inhover says -- inhofe says. wouldn't it the best thing you

could do for climate change? do something for inhofe. >> you have to have both sides of an issue to be debated. >> bill: maybe start with the facts but it is a fact. climate change is here. it is not going something that's going to happen 20 years from now. >> the science is settled that temperatures are going up and have, an impact. >> bill: and one that we have to recognize and prepare for. right? >> absolutely. instead worrying about or fighting over the cause of it, we need to get -- we need to act now, you know, to try to solve the problem. we need to get tough. we need to toughen our infrastructure. respond. mayor bloomberg was providing leadership but there's a lot of leadership going on in the states. it is just -- it is patchwork. it is piecemeal. it is not being done on a comprehensive basis because there's not this recognition that we need to, you know, not just rebuild after we have a problem or a storm or extreme

weather. we need to actually replace and upgrade to prepare for what is getting to be worse and worse problem. >> bill: certainly the connection between climate change and energy production is a lot of our existing energy -- the power plants, the kind that we have right now are contributing to climate change and making it worse. so to continue the same means of energy production we have today is just compounding the problem. is that correct? >> yeah and we are changing, you know, in terms of new generation being built in the united states. last year, for example -- >> bill: are we changing? >> the new generation built in the u.s., over half the new generation bill was wind power. first time in history. >> bill: over half? >> over half of new generation. right behind that was natural gas generation. which basically is the lowest of the fossil fuels in terms of

emissions. very very important that the generation mix change because that's one of the largest impacts in terms of, you know, air pollution. so that is really one of the key factors that is happening but you know, the problem is that we have -- we can't just do that overnight, you know. it is going to take time to really change that mix because we have existing generation that will be phased out. it is being phased out. >> bill: now, is this happening, the emphasis of wind and natural gas, is that part of the obama energy policy and where federal money is going and investments are going? or what's -- >> absolutely. it is private sector. the utilities the utilities wind power is becoming more affordable than other generation. as the technology gets better and better. natural gas of course, the cost of natural gas with abundant supplies found in the u.s. has

brought the price down. the market is really leading that effort. and the states have been very active because the states regulate electricity. the states and utilities are making investments in what they think is an and an affordable better investment. >> bill: where is solar? >> solar has had dramatic increases as their technology has gotten less expensive. the renewable electricity standards in some states like california and elsewhere in the 20 or 30 states is driving deployment of more solar generation. so that has increased pretty dramatically. i think the first quarter of this year, they issued a report saying it was 700 or 800 megawatts of new solar generation which was historical. >> bill: are we making the solar panels here? is this still importing them from china? that's part of the problem. we're moveing in this direction,

we ought to be making those panels and whatever reflects here. >> the market is driving those prices and i think there's been a lot of back and forth between -- particularly, china in the u.s. >> bill: quality of the goods coming from china too. >> on subsidy. in the wind industry, for example, almost 60% of all of the component parts of wind turbines and towers are made in the united states. so it is not -- it's not something that's being imported. that makes sense because of, you know, the size of the blades and the towers. think about the cost of moving that across the country when it is the length of a football field. it really needs to naturally be manufactured close to where the wind farms are being put up. >> bill: one would hope. last week, secretary of interior sally jewel released i forget, how many hundreds of thousands of acres on the outer continental shelf off of massachusetts and rhode island. for a new wind energy farm. are we going to see more of

that? >> i think so. >> bill: is the potential there? >> absolutely. in fact, the whole mid-atlantic region has great potential because near shore on official land, there is -- on federal land there is tremendous interest. offshore drilling, it was more expensive than onshore drilling until the technology developed. you got the infrastructure in place. the pipelines and all of the infrastructure. it is the same with offshore wind development. you know, you have to start. it will be more expensive in the beginning but because its base load generation, the wind blows all the time when you get offshore. it is like base load generation for natural gas or coal or anything else. it can run pretty much all the time. and there's no cost to the fuel. so those costs will come down and as they build the transmission under water, they get the infrastructure in place. it will be a very affordable, close in source of new generation for the most populous areas in the country on the east coast. >> bill: won't they be ugly to

look at though? >> oh, my gosh. >> bill: do i want to lie on the beach and look out at some -- it is look liking at the drilling platforms off california which we finally got rid of. >> i think they put palm trees on them, didn't they? >> bill: they did in long beach. [ laughter ] >> very interesting. >> bill: it didn't fool anybody. are they going to put palm trees on the windmill? >> i don't know. when you actually look offshore, the wind farm that's being built near cape cod you know you can't see it from shore. you can see it when you're sailing out there but you really can't see it from shore. so, you know, they generally build them far enough out. i'm from oklahoma. i kind of like windmills and wind turbines. i think they're beautiful and they're amazing when you go throughout and actually -- i've been off copenhagen, they have a wind farm close enough you can just take your boat out and they're just amazing to see. >> bill: all right.

denise bodie energy policy expert on wind and solar and new alternative energies. your questions comments welcome at 1-866-55-press. now, we get -- i know we're going to get a question about this. i'm going to ask you. you talk about natural gas. i mean this does seem to be, you know much preferable form of energy than building new coal power plants, for example. the problem with natural gas is fracking fracking, fracking. it seems that the deposits, we've not yet tapped, the only way to get into them is fracking. and as you know, there is a lot of opposition to fracking. a lot of problems with it. do you think it can be done safely and cleanly? >> i do. you know, i regulated oil and gas. we actually had inspectors out at every single time a well was spotted. and would observe to ensure that the pipe, you know, was set

correctly so that there was no danger to any of the aquifers that the pipe was going through. so i think it can be done correctly. i think the question is, you know are there sufficient -- is there sufficient oversight either at the state or the federal level to ensure that it's done correctly. it is not really the drilling of the well that really is an issue or the fracking itself that is an issue. it is the volumes of water that are used which are very different than the traditional vertical wells and then how you dispose of the water which is in much greater magnitude than your old traditional wells where they were fracked too. it is really the water and how you dispose of it. i think the technology of recycling the water that you're utilizing as opposed to either injecting it in the ground or putting it through, you know, waste water facility, that's going to be the key and also ensuring that the chemicals that are used in the fracking fluid

are disclosed in a way -- in that there's transparency there. it is about good oversight. the states have that ability to do that. we, in oklahoma, had the federal lead on all of these things. the underground injection control, a lot of these laws are federal laws but what the e.p.a. does is basically you have to qualify as a state to take the jurisdiction and then you're in charge of managing that under the supervision of the e.p.a. so that has been the traditional regulatory structure and in looking at these new issues, i think that's the exact same thing that should be done. there should be a state and federal partnership in reviewing these issues so people feel comfortable that, you know, this is done correctly. >> bill: with all of the worries about climate change, this could be opportunity to really put us in the direction we've been talking about for a long time. away from fossil fuels and into new renewable source of energy.

denise bodie in studio with us. our calls comments welcome. we'll continue our conversation on the other side at 1-866-55-press. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> only on current tv. you know who is coming on >> if you believe in state's rights but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv. you know who is coming on to me now? you know the kind of guys that do reverse mortgage commercials? those types are coming on to me all the time now. (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers

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(vo) this afternoon, 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. (vo) current tv gets the converstion started next. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me.

the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv. >> announcer: heard around the country and seen on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: we're talking about energy, about wind, about solar particularly, about natural gas here with denise bodie. energy policy expert. former head of the american wind energy association.

denise, nice to have you in studio. peter, quick comment? >> you can join us on twitter at bpshow. join in the conversation. that's what rodeo gal did. she said bill, when i see wind farms, the word that comes to mind is not ugly. it is future. she cease the funeral when she sees wind farms so there you go. >> bill: when you go out, the one i'm most familiar with is coming into palm springs. get off highway 10 and go down. huge, big farm there, too. it is exciting to see. >> some of the first wind farms in the country were built in california and we call that -- we call that -- all of those wind farms outside palm springs sort of our museum because we have there probably every single type of wind turbine that was ever built so you can walk through there and see them. >> bill: some of the earliest ones and newest ones. >> what happens is they just replace the old wind turbines with new ones on the same

footprint. they can power it up to 15, 20, 30 times more powerful than the first one that went up. as technology advances, they repower. >> bill: before we get to your calls, denise, i want to ask you. from oklahoma, certainly dealing with tornadoes. these are -- we're talking about the connection with climate change. these big -- we see more and more of these killer storms, right? which really leak horrendous damage on our energy supply system. >> absolutely. you know i think the statistics just came out from national oceanic and atmospheric association. the two year total of events, that's the way they really identify now these weather -- severe weather events, have been over 25 in the two-year period. and they've caused up to $188 billion in damage, over a thousand fatalities.

two biggest were the drought. drought that covered 60% of the u.s. and is still in full storm out there. and then super storm sandy. and those two events were amazing. but 43 states were affected by billion dollar damage including -- that's last two years. this year, of course, we had the biggest tornado ever. and you know, which 200 miles you know, spread. 200 mile winds. >> bill: do we have the infrastructure to withstand those? i guess not right? >> well, no. you know. but you can harden things in terms of the whole infrastructure. instead of replacing you know, one of the big problems we have in the u.s. is most of our transmission lines are wooden towers. they're not concrete or steel. europe most of the rest of the developed countries have much stronger towers.

so we're doing it because they're cheap. you have a storm you replace it with an existing tower. do you go to concrete? well, you should, you know, this is going to happen again. it's getting worse so should you underground the transmission lines someplace? should you move your substation like in new york where they were all underground, you know. they basically were flooded. we need to make good decisions even though it costs a little more up-front, to basically make us more secure from the storms to the extent we can. >> bill: let's say hello to melody calling from columbus, ohio. what do you say? >> caller: hey. >> bill: hi. >> caller: i just have a quick comment and question. i found out a way near columbus, ohio, to actually buy my energy from a wind farm in colorado. >> bill: oh, yeah. >> caller: i was really excited about it. i'm very much into the environment, et cetera. but i had never known.

so my question is why can't we get more advertising out there for the general public that hey you can get your energy this way. you don't have to use coal. >> bill: good question, melody. i didn't know that either. we have less than a minute left, denise. how can you do it? >> most utilities do offer the opportunity to purchase renewable energy and so it may be a special rate or a special provision but if you call your local electric you on a tillingity or call your local public utility commission in ohio, they can tell you how you can purchase locally. it basically is through renewable energy credits or if you have local wind like ohio now has new -- a number of new wind farms. you will if you purchase basically electricity in ohio, you're very likely to have part of that electricity coming from wind generation. >> bill: you can say i want --

when i turn the lights on, i want to know it comes from a wind farm. that's cool. then the consumer can really drive this movement toward renewable energy. >> when i was in oklahoma, i was 100% wind-powered. >> bill: is that right? >> through my utility. >> bill: we have a house in california that's 100% solar powered. >> wow! >> bill: passive. >> you could end it on the grid. >> i'm stuck with pepco. >> bill: great stuff. good stuff that you're doing. thanks so much for coming in this morning. >> it was fun talking to you. >> bill: we'll be back and tell you what the president is up to today. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." i've worn lots of hats, but i've always kept this going. i've been doing politics now for a dozen years. (vo) he's been called the epic politics man. he's michael shure and his arena is the war room. >> these republicans in congress that think the world ends at the atlantic ocean border and pacific ocean border.

the bloggers and the people that are sort of compiling the best of the day. i do a lot of looking at those people as well. not only does senator rubio just care about rich people, but somehow he thinks raising the minimum wage is a bad idea for the middle class. but we do care about them right?

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 agenda, actually supporting one

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>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: indeed. president obama back in the white house after two campaign events yesterday. one up in massachusetts. of course for congressman ed markey. the next senator from massachusetts. one down in miami for the dnc. today, pretty easy day. they'll fill it up with stuff of course. he and the vice president get the daily briefing at 11:00. then, he will meet with congressman john dingell the longest-serving member be of congress ever. meeting in the oval office this morning at 11:40. this afternoon he will have a big celebration for lgbt month. lgbt pride month, i should say. in the east room of the white house, 5:00 this evening. jay carney with his daily briefing in the brady briefing room at 12:15 today. we'll be right back with

congresswoman martha fudge.

[ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> bill: good morning friends and neighbors. it is thursday, june 13. great to see you today. thank you for joining us on the "full court press" here on current tv. we're coming to you live from our studio on capitol hill, in washington, d.c. where we are keeping our eye on lot of big stories today and giving. >> chance to talk about them. 1-866-55-press. our toll free number. or you can send us, if you want to talk, get your comments on

the air or you can send us your comments on twitter at bpshow. and on facebook, all of our friends come on on facebook at facebook.com/billpressshow. president obama back in the white house for meetings today after being on the road yesterday for two fund-raisers. one for ed markey, democratic candidate for senate up in boston. then down to miami, a fund-raiser for the dnc. meanwhile, peter king, congressman, republican congressman from new york has said on the nsa we not only should prosecute and you know, throw the book, if you will at edward snowden the whistle-blower. he should also, peter king thinks we should also arrest and prosecute and throw the book at glen greenwald, the reporter for "the guardian" who broke the story. so much for the first amendment. peter king could throw it out the window. on behalf of all of my fellow reporters and journalists this

morning, i would like to say that peter king is one freaking idiot. doesn't belong in the congress. we'll tell you about that and more right here on current tv. to me now? you know the kind of guys that do reverse mortgage commercials? those types are coming on to me all the time now. (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. you would rather deal with ahmadinejad than me. >>absolutely. >> and so would mitt romney. (vo) she's joy behar. >>and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? (vo) this afternoon, 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.

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we have a big, big hour and the iq will go way up. (vo) current tv gets the conversation started weekdays at 9 eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. the troops love me. tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. (vo) sharp tongue. >>excuse me? (vo) quick wit. >> and yes, president obama does smell like cookies and freedom. (vo) and above all, opinion and attitude. >> really?! this is the kind of stuff they say about something they just pulled freshly from their [bleep]. >> you know what those people are like. >> what could possibly go wrong in eight years of george bush? >> my producer just coughed up a hairball. >>sorry.

>>just be grateful current tv doesn't come in "smell-o-vision" >> oh come on! the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo)only on current tv. >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio and on current tv, this is the "bill press show." >> bill: congressman peter king says it's not enough to prosecute edward snowden the whistle-blower. we also, he says, should prosecute glen greenwald. the reporter who wrote the story. i'm telling ya, next, they're going to come after the people who read the story. good morning everybody. it is the "full court press" here on current tv. and your local progressive talk radio station.

good to have you there on the radio listening in. good to have you on television watching in. and always good to have you sounding off about the issues of the day. whether you were listening or watching. let us know what you think about what's going on. we would love to hear from you on the phones at 1-866-55-press. look forward to your comments on twitter at bpshow and of course, our friends on facebook, tens of thousands of friends on facebook join us at facebook.com/billpressshow. coming to you live this thursday morning all the way across this great country of ours, coast-to-coast. and very honored to have in studio our second member of congress for the day i might add, she is the chair of the congressional black caucus. she represents the state of ohio. part of the state of ohio, at least, in the united states congress. congresswoman marcia fudge. >> good morning. >> bill: great to see you. >> thank you for having me.

>> bill: first of many visits, i hope. meet our staff team, peter ogborn. >> congresswoman? thank you for coming in. >> bill: our team members alichia cruz has the phones covered. >> hello. >> bill: cyprian bowlding keeps us looking good on the cameras. >> he has his work cut out for him. >> bill: so, you know, i just -- you guys are hard at work there in congress, right? >> we're working hard. i don't know how much we're doing but we're working. >> bill: 112th congress went down as the most do-nothing congress ever. this one looks like it could surpass it. >> this will be the worst congress probably in the history of the country. the least effective. we'll have done the least. passed fewer pieces of legislation. it is going to be a real travesty by the time we get to the end of this congress. >> bill: i remember the days it wasn't that long ago i might

add, when nancy pelosi was speaker. the congress was getting things done and complaining about -- we're here -- >> we're here too much. we're working too hard. >> bill: we're sending these bills over to the senate which is the graveyard because then the senate wasn't doing anything. >> now the senate is working and we're not. >> bill: is passing stuff. doing some good work. on good issues like immigration reform. >> the budget. a number of things that are happening that on our side are being held up. farm bill. we haven't brought one to the floor yet. so the senate really has taken the lead in this congress. i'm pleased about it. i'm just upset that we've not done what we should have done. >> bill: quickly before we get to the issues of the day congresswoman, the president was on the road yesterday, up in boston. he had a very important message for the people of massachusetts. >> obama: i need folks in the united states senate who every day are waking up thinking about the people who sent them there

and trying to figure out how do i make sure that they are getting a brighter future. that's who ed markey is. i need ed markey in the united states senate. >> bill: he gets in campaign mode. but you know what? of course, ed markey has a lead. he's a great guy. and he must be the next united states senator from massachusetts. but people keep remembering that scott brown thing. they're not going to take anything for granted. >> absolutelily not. it is my intention to go to massachusetts myself next week. >> bill: ed markey has been a colleague of yours. >> absolutely. i think he would be an outstanding congressman. senator. he was an outstanding congressman. he understands a lot of what is going on today. he could hit the ground running. he obviously has views that are very similar to my own views. i would like to have someone there who thinks like i think. i think he will be super.

>> bill: absolutely. congresswoman marcia fudge here with us for the first half hour. john nichols from the "nation" magazine will be along after the half hour. congresswoman, let's talk about one of the issues that you mentioned. the farm bill. the senate is also dealing with immigration, debate has started. 84 to 15 was the vote. talk about getting things done, to open debate on immigration reform. so there's going to be a bill, pretty clear there is going to be a bill coming out of the senate. can we expect anything out of the house? >> i think the house is going to pass a bill. >> bill: you do? >> i listened to john boehner. he said immigration is top on its list. he does believe there will be a bill for the president to sign. i'm hopeful that's the case. our gang of eight or seven now is kind of putting their legislation together. >> bill: one guy dropped out. >> raoul labrador dropped out. i'm hopeful in the next week or so, we'll start to see some

language as to what the house side is going to look like. but i am very, very hopeful and almost pretty confident that we're going to do something with immigration this year. >> bill: it may not -- it won't be the same as the senate bill but the two bills and then they'll go to conference and then -- right -- >> the house bill is going to be, i'm sure, much to the right of the senate bill. you know. our house is controlled by very conservative people. so i think that ours will be more to the right. but i do believe it will go to conference sometime after recess. >> bill: republicans have to realize if they want to have any electoral future, they have to do something on this issue right? >> they do. you have to realize a lot of people on the house side, unlike the senate look more at the smaller congressional districts. they don't feel a need to go beyond what they think is safe for them. they're not looking at national elections. they're not really looking at what we would be looking at or what the senate would be looking at. they're trying to save themselves.

so they play to their very small -- not small you know. district is 700,000 people. they play to that base as opposed to looking beyond their own districts. >> bill: well, maybe that explains what happened yesterday with trent franks. we heard a lot about -- from the rnc put out this statement in march saying republican party we're perceived as not reaching out, not caring about women. we've got to change. last month the college young republicans came out and said our party has a real problem. we're perceived that we don't care about women. we don't understand issues. so yesterday, trent franks has a bill. it is going to ban late-term abortion nationwide with no exceptions as if that's not bad enough and then john conyers and jerry nadler introduce an amendment saying well, this is a bad bill but at least let's try to make it more acceptable,

having an exception in there for victims of rape and here's what congressman trent franks had to say about that. let's let our listeners in. >> left side of the aisle here try to make rape and incest -- the incidents of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low. >> bill: the incidences of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low. where does he get his scientific information? >> i have no idea. it is just the same as the people who ran in the last election. >> bill: todd aiken. >> oh, my goodness. it is just a repeat. it is crazy. the first thing is trent franks is not listening to what his party is saying. they're saying don't mention the word rape. don't even talk about it. let's let women believe that we care something about their rights. let's just try to pretend. let's just pretend. he can't even do that. then he brings a bill that is

truly todd aiken bill. there is no data to show that that, in fact, is the case. it is just something they make up. they make it up. >> bill: make it up to -- it seems to please the religious right, right? they still march to that drummer. >> i think it goes beyond the religious right. it is just so far right that the majority of people in this country, religious right or not do not support what he's doing. sure, there are some people who do. but that's a very, very small minority of this country. so i don't know who he's playing to, quite frankly. >> bill: you have the republican party who said it is older white guys who know nothing and don't care, right about women's rights or women's control over their own bodies or the facts. >> just think about it. they won't even do simple things. they won't even pass an equal pay bill. what does it say to you about what they think about women. they don't care if women don't make the same amount for the same work. they want to control women's bodies.

these are the same people who talk about small government. government should not be in our houses. government shouldn't control what we do and they have had -- i guarantee you there have been probably at least eight or ten bills over the last couple of years that deal strictly with a woman's right to choose. this is their focus. it is not jobs. it is not getting a budget passed. it is not making the country better. it is how do we control women's reproductive rights? >> bill: they just can't get off it. >> they can't get off it. they're stuck. >> bill: there was a poll that i found pretty appalling. certainly surprising this week. one of the big issues in front of the supreme court is affirmative action. this is another issue. we clearly can't shake. rather than do the right thing and continue on. we keep coming back to question. 76 -- according to this pew research poll, 76% of the american people now do not support affirmative action. on the part of colleges or

universities for part of their admissions standings. so have we lost the battle on affirmative action? >> i think we've lost it to some degree. more importantly, i think it is how the question is posed to people. when you look at the polling the question sometimes are skewed in such a way that it would make a normal person say i don't like that. it is no different than the affordable care act. if you tell people what's in it, they like it. if you don't tell them what's in it, they hate it. so i think it is a lot of way it is posed. but i think also we have come to a point where the economy is so bad, you know. people are out of work. people are just struggling, trying to survive. it is a me, me, me, everybody out for themselves. i think if you were to take this same poll a year from now, it would be very different. i'm just hopeful that the supreme court will do the right thing. and i think that the nation will go along with it. >> bill: yeah. i do too. i'm really holding out on the supreme court. with this court you just never know. >> you can't tell. i happen to have been sitting in the courtroom when the section

five case was argued. i'm still not sure what the court is going to do. i watch the justices. still not sure what they're going to do. >> bill: i think you can sure where clarence thomas -- >> we can be sure. the person who has benefited most by affirmative action will probably vote against it. >> bill: the least likely to support it. >> absolutely. what a shame. >> bill: pretty sad. congresswoman, one program i know that you agree with is this question of lifeline, the phones. and during the last campaign the big issue that oh, my god obama's giving free phones to poor people. remember that little -- >> the obama phone. >> bill: yeah. that was the first time i had heard about this -- this program. so in terms of getting the facts, they don't have the facts on rape and on pregnancy what are the facts for this so-called obama phones? >> this has been around for a long time.

and it was part of a process by which, as we gave bandwidth et cetera, to the big companies to say you need to do something back for the communities because you're using a community asset basically. the phones have been around for some time. all of a sudden now, it is a big issue. >> bill: phones provided to low-income people. >> that's correct. at a very low price. so i don't know what all -- >> bill: do they pay for their own phone bill? >> some of them do. the phone bills run around $10 a month. something like that. they're basically set up for emergency calls. they're set up for those people who would not have the opportunity or the ability to otherwise have a phone in the case of an emergency. it is not something that we're giving people to just say i'll go around here and make all of the phone calls. >> bill: or by the way setting up doctor's appointments job interviews, things where you do need a phone. >> right. if your kid gets sick and

they're trying to call you on your job or they're trying to call you. you're out someplace your car breaks down. it is not what we would consider the use of a normal cell phone. this has been around. >> bill: did not start under barack obama. >> absolutely not. this started under -- i want to say the first bush. but definitely not under obama. >> bill: is the program still around? >> it is. >> bill: and still being funded or still -- >> it is. it is not being funded by the federal government. it is being funded by the communications companies. >> bill: oh, i see. so they're the ones who pay the bill. >> exactly. it is like a community benefit. it is not something that the federal government takes the responsibility of paying. i can't understand what the big -- all of the big hoopla is about quite frankly. >> bill: lifeline is the name of the program. >> that's correct. >> bill: i can see -- very important. i think congresswoman

honestly a lot of people see this as one more way to attack obama. >> there's no doubt about it. anything they think is bad in this country they blame on the president. >> bill: congresswoman marcia fudge, chair of the black caucus. congresswoman from ohio here in studio with us. we've covered a wide range of issues. more to come and your calls always welcome at 1-866-55-press. your question or comments welcome. >> announcer: radio meets television. the "bill press show" now on current tv. date, staying in touch with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. in reality it's not like they actually care. this is purely about political grandstanding.

cenk off air alright in 15 minutes we're going to do the young turks! i think the number 1 thing than viewers like about the young turks is that were honest. they know that i'm not bsing them for some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know i'm going to be the first one to call them out. cenk on air>> what's unacceptable is how washington continues to screw the middle class over. cenk off air i don't want the middle spending cuts and all the different programs that wind up hurting the middle class. cenk on air you

got to go to the local level, the state level and we have to fight hard to make sure they can't buy our politics anymore. cenk off air and they can question if i'm right about that. but i think the audience gets that, i actually mean it. cenk on air 3 trillion dollars in spending cuts! narrator uniquely progressive and always topical the worlds largest online news show is on current tv. cenk off air and i think the audience gets, "this guys to best of his abilities is trying to look out for us." only on current tv!

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: here we go. 25 minutes after the hour now. sorry. my voice -- i don't know what's happening to it. but we've got a little over half an hour. >> we can do it! >> bill: congresswoman marcia fudge here in studio with us. we learned during the break congresswoman, that forget this black caucus. you are chair, also, of the rock n' roll caucus. >> that's right. rockrock n' roll caucus. >> i'm a big fan of the rock n' roll hall of fame which is in your district. >> it is -- music is a universal language. we have members from both sides of the aisle who enjoy music we come together, no agenda other than to promote something that is very american. that is rock n' roll. >> bill: do you guys really kind of put the music on and get

down? >> oh, we do! oh, we do! [ laughter ] >> you know what i love is the president has really embraced music in roots music and he has concerts at the white house. it is awesome. plus we know he can sing. >> he can sing a little bit. >> oh! he sings al green pretty well. >> did he a good job. -- he did a good job. >> bill: in the media we latch on to one thing. we talk about it and beat it to death and then we move on. so here's a word i haven't heard for a month. sequester. >> sequester. >> bill: still out there isn't it, congresswoman? >> bigger than ever. >> bill: do you see impacts in your district? >> there are impacts everywhere. when you look at the fact we're cutting back on meals on wheels to some of our poor seniors cutting back on head start. cutting back on educational funding, title one the biggest thing though that people don't realize is that most people in my district who are receiving

any kind of worker's compensation benefits are going to lose $50 per benefit. because they're cutting 16% out of that budget until everybody is going to see a cut. >> bill: in worker's comp. >> unemployment. >> bill: but the problem -- so the impact is really being felt by the people who could least afford it. >> the people at the top aren't suffering. the other thing that's happening is as they cut back on public sector jobs, you know, private sector jobs are doing well. but the public sector is continuing to shrink. that takes average people like me, puts us out of work. we're furloughing people who work for the federal courts now. it's a snowball effect and no one wants to own up to it. >> bill: getting worse and worse. should never have happened in the first place. congresswoman, chair of the black caucus and chair of the rock n' roll caucus.

thank you so much for coming in this morning. >> my pleasure. thank you for having me. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> if you believe in state's rights but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv.

>> bill: 33 minutes here after the hour here on thursday morning. we're doing fine on the "full court press" about something got lost about ten minutes ago. >> i told you it would be a really bad idea to go outside and smoke that lucky strike. you had it sitting in your backpack for four years now.

and now you smoke that and now listen to you. >> bill: you mean i sound like john boehner? [ laughter ] >> bill: at any rate, we're here. a little scratchy voice here coming from somewhere here late in the show. but we are so -- it is such a week in washington, d.c. reeling from -- it keeps every day, there's more on the nsa story. first we found out about them. all of the phone companies. not just all of the phone companies. it is internet providers and then we find out it is edward snowden, the young man who came forward and said i'm the guy that wanted the american people to know about this. we have the justice department preparing to charge him as a traitor under the espionage act and now if that's not bad enough, peter king wants to also try the reporter who wrote this story under the espionage act. i mean next, they're going to come after talk show hosts who talked about it.

we need help. john nichols our good friend from madison wisconsin. hey, john, how are you? >> i'm very well, bill. i understand exactly what has occurred. the developments have left you speechless. >> bill: thanks. john has a new book called dollar okay rase it is hot off the press. first, let me get your take on edward snowden. is he the next benedict arnold or the next daniel ellsberg? >> reporter: maybe a little of neither. i think that edward snowden is a classic whistle-blower. and here's a little subtlety. it took me awhile to learn this

because i grew up as a kid in the watergate era so i kept telling everybody that anybody who helped to bring nixon down had to be a good guy. i realized no. the kind of people who leak and whistle blow, often aren't the greatest people in the world. daniel ellsberg who was an incredibly honorable decent man. sometimes they're like the guy who was mad at nixon for not making him head of the c.i.a. with snowden we don't know him well enough to know where he's going to fit in. he seems to have had a colorful life up to this point. he does seem to have political views. driving him. as opposed to a mere anger at somebody or a pettiness. so i think as time goes by, history will tell us whether edward snowedden is a good guy or bad guy or someplace in the middle. but that makes him a classic

whistle-blower. because at the end of the day whistle blowing is not about the person. it's about what they bring forward. what he has brought forward is consequential. picks up a dialogue that we need to o have. >> bill: he also, i think stands for a principle which i thought he summed up as well as anybody else could. when he said these are the facts -- no, this is the truth. this is what's happening. you, meaning the american people should decide if we should be doing this. of isn't that the bottom line that we were kept -- this was not only going on but we've been kept in the dark for the last seven years about it. why? >> bill, that is the only bottom line. that is the only bottom line about any information that comes out. and that is does it inform the people of the united states about what is being done in their name but without their

informed consent. we operate on the consent of the governed. if the governed don't know what is happening, not just to them but to others, then we're breaking a chain that really goes back to the founding of the republic. that's what made them different. we said that we trusted a whole bunch of people to be informed and then make decisions. former representative democracy and do all of the noble stuff that we hope we do. now, when we put it in that context, what i hope is this. that what snowden has brought out and what others are bringing out, he's not the only one. russ feingold has been talking about this for ten years. what's coming forward now here should open up a great dialogue about privacy and that dialogue will be failed. it will be almost meaningless if it only deals with the nsa. if that's all we talk about. what we ought to be discussing is the whole assault on our

privacy and our fourth amendment rights which, by the way, do not exist merely as regards to the government. they also exist as regards to corporations and political parties. we have basic rights to privacy. and what we need to do is leverage these nsa revelations into a broad national discussion about what the parameters should be for our privacy. in this new digital age. it doesn't mean that we're going to somehow put up all kinds of walls and limits. that's not going to work. but it should suggest a thorough rethink of where we're at both governmentally and in the private sector and the interesting thing about that is we did it once before in the 1970s. if you look at the real work of the church committee in the u.s. senate didn't just look at what nixon was doing. you look at the final report they came out with.

it was a broad survey of spying on us. monitoring us and doing things in our name without our informed consent. it was a very helpful very useful thing. we probably ought to do that about every to, 40 years. we happen to be at the 40 year mark. >> bill: you've writ been that in the nation. not just the nsa. politicians are data mining. the american electorate. and of course, so many companies, right particularly the internet companies are data mining all of us. every day. i want to come to the debate -- talk about this private sector thing in a second. but one thing that bothers me about -- you know, jay carney at the white house, for the last few days, he keeps saying the president wants this debate. we want this debate. of this balance and how we achieve this balance right between right of privacy and the need to keep ourselves secure. but you can only have that

debate if the government is willing to make some -- to join the debate, i guess. instead, all we hear from them is no comment. we don't comment. we can't comment on this. this is top secret. if everything's top secret, what's to debate? right? >> pretty awesome to have a debate. it appears people in the government are lying to you. >> bill: thank you. that makes it a little harder. mind you i understand in political debates, sometimes it is stretched. but here's the bottom line. say you want to have this debate. then let's take a couple of smart steps up-front. number one let's have some -- in the government, a clear definition of what we want to talk about. and that is privacy rights, the fourth amendment. this broad question of what is done with the data that we sometimes give up but one of the biggest lies is the notion that we've signed this all away.

there's immense amounts of data. we never signed an except agreement or tapped a button on a computer. what has happened is that the internet companies the tech companies now sit on massive mounds of data. they have information that literally would blow your mind. it is not just the precise data. information we have typed in. it is also the met da data -- metta data. that can really show immense amounts of information about the patterns of activity, both by individuals and by demographics. so they've got all of this. imagine that bill, that google building out there that's the top of the mountain. underneath it, biggest scene of gold in the history of humanity. that data is worth immense amounts of money. it also has the potential to define immense amounts of power in our society. and so if we understand -- we

just found this natural resource. it is us. we have fed into this huge mountain of data. now, we've got all kinds of miners showing up, they want to go into that mountain and mine it. shouldn't we have a few rules? a few regulations? a little bit of definition so that that mining of the data does not a have our government do things to us without any kind of limits on it but b have our commercial sector, you know, essentially use us to sell us things. can we start to talk about that? and this is actually, in my view, most important. have our political class mine our data and then come around with the most sophisticated propaganda in the history of

humanity. >> bill: right. >> they know what we're afraid of. >> bill: it is scary. it has to cover the entire waterfront, as you say or else we're not doing the job. john, we absolutely demand that the next time you're anywhere close to washington, you come in and we spend a whole bunch of time on the book. but give us a minute summary what's dollar okay rase all about so people can start reading it? >> you will be up to speed for the conversation. it is simple, bill. it is about what we were just talking about. what we're talking about in the book is we spent two years bob and i looking at the new political age. we threw aside all of the old assumptions and we said where do we live now? what's going on? who is mining our data? who is spending money? all of the rules have been changed. karl rove and people like that have more money than whole campaigns, completely top to bottom used to have. so we've got all of the new players, all of the new

political options and most importantly, bill, we talk about the fact that old media newspapers television, radio no longer does the job it used to do. we're ending up in a situation bill, where we teeter on the brink where our democracy could well become a dollarocacy defined by the power of the dollar much more than the power of the vote. >> bill: great stuff. great warning. very timely book as well. because of what was it? this was the billion dollar election in 2012. the next one will be the $2 billion election the way things are going. >> bill, i'm going to correct you. we established in the book without a question, $10 billion. >> bill: $10 billion. >> $10 billion without a question. >> bill: whoa! out of control! totally out of control. john nichols is sometimes out of control but he's right on this morning. john nichols washington correspondent for the "nation" magazine. good friend of the program. you can find him and follow him

at the nation.com and see him and hear him often on the "full court press." thank you, john. talk to you again soon. >> thank you. get your voice back. we're going to need it. >> bill: thank you man. >> announcer: go mobile with bill press. download podcasts at bill press.com and listen anywhere. this is the "bill press show."

this show is about being up to date, staying in touch with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. in reality it's not like they actually care. this is purely about political grandstanding. 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 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. >> announcer: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show." live on your radio and on current tv. >> bill: 11 minutes before the top of the hour here. wrapping up a thursday show. june 13.

and chris christie rockin' out last night. we'll tell you all about it. first, a little warning again about identity theft. take it from a case of up in syracuse new york, four people found out the hard way that identity theft can creep up on you when you're not looking. their identity was stolen by a 25-year-old syracuse woman. she's now serving five years in prison. they got her. but only after she had used information she got from these four people to open up loans and credit cards. in their names for her or in her name using their information. identity theft is everywhere you should be protected against it. i am with lifelock ultimate. the most chfers i.d. theft protection out there. and available. even monitors your bank accounts but of course, lifelock can't protect you or your bank account if you are not a member. here's what you do. visit lifelock.com or you can call and mention press 10.

you mention press 10, you get 10% off your lifelock ultimate membership. the number is 1-800-356-5967 for lifelock ultimate. so chris christie, now look, don't -- i'm not -- >> here we go. >> bill: i know, i'm going to get hammered for saying anything nice at all about chris christie. i disagree with him on a lot of the issues. i would not vote for him for governor of new jersey. but i think as far as republicans go, he is certainly one of the more attractive and more appealing and certainly a lot more attractive, i think and appealing to the american people than mitch mcconnell or john boehner who come across as big grumps and negatives and against everything.

you can't imagine mitch mcconnell or john boehner doing what chris christie did last night. he taking a page from barack obama, i might add. went on jimmy fallon's show to play along with slow jam. president obama's done that. it turned out to be pretty funny. talking about the special election he called in new jersey. here it is. >> now, look, i know this election is going to cost taxpayers some money. but these costs can't be measured. against the value of having the elected member of the united states senate. that's why i'm throwing my full weight behind this decision. >> oh, come on. come on, now, krispy kreme doughnut. how are you going to be setting me up like that. it is too easy. it is not even funny. >> isn't that what your audience says every night? >> yeah.

that's right. it hurts. so step off brother. >> isn't that what your bathroom scale says every night? >> ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom. >> christie kreme doughnut. >> bill: step off the scale every night. but he set himself up for that. he knew they were going to joke about his weight. >> he was up for the gag. >> bill: nothing's more effective than several deprecating humor. >> and to get back to your point, you won't see mcconnell or boehner going there. >> bill: you know what the test is? who do you want to have a beer with? who would you rather have a beer with? let me tell you something if the republicans were smart, they would nominate chris christie in 2016. i just hope they're not not that

smart. i got a parting shot left. you'll get it when we come back. >> announcer: heard around the country and seen on current tv, this is the "bill press show." >> if you believe in state's drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv.

(vo) this afternoon, current tv is the place for compelling true stories. >> jack, how old are you? >> 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. (vo) current tv gets the converstion started next. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me.

the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv. >> announcer: the parting shot with bill press. this is the "bill press show." >> bill: hey, remember back in march, the republican national committee issued its oops -- its autopsy saying the party was out of touch with women and the young. the college young republicans said basically the same thing but don't lose any sleep that the republican party might get

smart and change. no no, no, look what happened yesterday. house republicans put forth a bill to ban late-term abortions nationwide. even though there are so few of them. that was bad enough. but then trent franks of arizona, the bill's author, rejected an amendment for making an exception for victims of rape because he said incidents of rape resulting in pregnancy is very low. didn't he ever hear of todd aiken? and besides he's wrong. dead wrong! medical experts say that more than 30,000 pregnancies result every year from rape here in the united states. yes, no doubt about it. republican parties have to change if they ever want to get women's vote again. if they're ever going to change, rule number one is for republicans, stop talking about rape. folks, go out and have a great day. thunderstorms here in the east. come back and see us here again

tomorrow.

[♪ theme music ♪] >> stephanie: all right. karl frisch coming up right out of the box. hello, tv land. jacki schechner i see ed snowden has given another interview to talk about how he does not want to be the point of the story. >> yeah, he is laying low. >> stephanie: in fact he said that very thing in his latest interview, how he really does not want to be in the story, he said in his latest story. >> yeah, g