>> michael: another day of nsa revelations, nsa defenders and nsa leakers being threatened by those who want to keep on spying. who knew that the secret world of international intrigue could be so intriguing? i'm michael shure, "the war room" begins now. [ ♪ theme music ♪ ] >> michael: the nsa controversy continues to divide washington and the american people. but today the program got a vigorous defense from none over than the fbi. director robert moller called the nsa program legal. he said had the program had been

in place before the september 11th attacks, they could have been derailed. and after the boston bombings, it was used to track the friend of a bombers. and what would happen to edward snowden, the individual who leaked the classified documents. >> as for the individual who leaked the classified disclosures. these disclosures have caused an significant danger to our safety. we'll take all necessary steps to hold the person responsible for these disclosures. >> michael: peter king went further. on fox news yesterday he called for the prosecution not only of snowden but the reporter who leaked the story robert greenwald. >> in this case, when you have someone who discloses secrets like this and threatens to release more, then legal action

should be taken. this is an unusual case with life and death implications for americans. it bothers me when so many republicans and conservatives are talking about this spying and snooping. too many republicans and conservatives have become michael moores. >> michael: i don't see how one issue out of hundreds turns them into michael moore. "the guardian" glen greenwald defended himself over the phone with msnbc. >> i don't think there are many people who take peter king very seriously. i think most americans find repulsive the idea that journalists should be arrested and prosecuted for doing what journalists are supposed to do, which is reporting on what the united states government does in the dark. >> michael: and it appears he may be right. americans themselves don't seem to be upset over the leaks.

31% believe that snowden is a patriot while 23% believe he's a traitor. the largest group, 46% who say they don't know. the real outrage may not be the spying but who was doing it. after 9/11 the u.s. government went on a massive hiring spree of intelligence officers to uncover the next terrorist plot more than twice the size of washington, d.c. more than a third of all the people who have top clearance access aren't even government goesemployees at all. they're contractors and they make a lot more, nearly double. so there is added incentive for intelligence officers to work for one of these firms. but it's hard for the government to oversee what they do once they get there. here to tell us more about the intelligence contractors, lee

fang, he just came out with a story "how spy agency contractors have already abused their power." he joins us from san francisco. lee, welcome inside "the war room"." >> thank you michael, how are you. >> michael: i'm great. how big of a role do these contractors play in our national security. >> their budgets ballooned but part of the story is 70% of that money is spent on private contractors, so much of this work has been outsourced to various companies. many of them profit driven. the story that i wrote this week takes a look at a scandal that broke two years ago about three of these contractors that work with the intelligence agencies taking their government-funded technology, and offering it to various lobbyists and different corporations to use against journalists, activities, and labor unions. >> michael: what are the down sides of outsourcing

intelligence. we heard molar say this program might have averted 9/11. tell us what the bad side is, then? >> i don't think anybody argues with the concept that mass surveillance can help prevent terrorism. the question here is what are the safeguards that these cybertools are not being used in some type of abusive way? for these three contractors in the scandal two years ago they have very powerful technological weapons that can be used to spy including custom malware development, that's a virus you can put on the target's computer to read their e-mail, steal all the data from a private computer. this might be a very capable tool in the war on terrorism but the question is what if

these private contractors as this can't dal scandal shows in the private interest. >> michael: to use it in a way that would be untoward. even edward snowden said he could wiretap anybody even the president. >> i at my desk have the authority to wiretap anyone, you, a federal accountant to a federal judge to the president if i had his e-mail. >> michael: does that add to the laundry list of problems associated with these contractors? >> look at the scandal that broke several months ago showing chinese hackers breaking into american government computers, private corporations stealing not only trade secrets but taking issue of national importance in terms of trade secrets. the technology they're using

that's the type that is available to these various nsa contractors. this custom malware can be used to spy on anyone, and the government is developing these tools to use on the war on terror. will the corporations this use these tools use them or abuse them? in the scandal that broke two years ago if you look at the e-mailser in december of 2010 in the effort to build corporate campaigns they reached out to booz allen hamilton for the effort, we don't know what transpired. >> michael: are they just now developing the malware capabilities? >> no, they're developing it on past government to use for government priorities like the war on terrorism. these tools are in the hands of private companies. many of them are looking for

opportunities on the private sector as well as the government. >> michael: if snowden had been a government employee would there have been more recurs for him? could he have lodged an official complaint about the legality? >> there are a lot of questions about that. it's been reported a lot of these intelligence agency employees do not fall under the same whistle blower protections as many federal employees. there isn't much public accountability into these programs. we don't even know who receives these contracts because they're part of the black budget for the federal government, and we cannot conduct a freedom of information act request. >> michael: the whistle blower protection in this administration is a bit of a oxymoron. >> that's right. >> michael: there is that, too he would probably be afraid of doing that in the if in the first

place. so lee, we have a problem even you said earlier its important to be able to mine some of the data and surveil that. >> we really need campaign finance reform because of the problem large corporations that profit from these programs are spending the money for larger budgets for facebook and the nsa, that's the problem. this is kind of a self-perpetuating issue because these large contractors go to the trough and then expand the trough. >> michael: every problem we come up with tracks he's way

back to campaign finance reform. lee fang, thanks for stopping by "the war room" and actually being in "the war room." we're covering a lot of ground on "the war room" tonight. if this fine scandal has made you lose faith in the national security apparatus, you may want to take a deep breathe because it its worse. faith in congress has reached an all-time low. journalist george packer joins us. margie margolis, she lost her seat standing up for bill clinton, now she wants it back. and our own civil rights series, we look at the complicateed intersection between black americans and the lgbt. stick around. 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!

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>> michael: for some applications the trail back to the campaign front is a long journey. back in 1993 pennsylvania democrat marjorie march goalies did the unthinkable. she promised to vote no on the budget. but switched her vote to yes the last minute. and that one vote cost hermela aregawi election. she was in congress only two years. in 2010 she reflected on that vote in the "washington post" op-ed and said i was pressed on all sides. : now 20 years later march goalies is throwing her pat back in the ring.

she'll have to duke it out in the primary with five other democrats. margie margolis, professor at the university of pennsylvania. thanks for being with us in "the war room"," margie, we appreciate it. >> my pleasure. >> michael: let's go back to that crucial vote in 1992, i guess where you're starting your campaign. what made you change your mind there? >> well, first of all the campaign against me said that i had promised never to raise taxes, that just wasn't true. in my race i kept saying i wouldn't be as you may remember for those of you who are old enough i said i will not be the read my lips kind of candidate but with regard to the budget i had said that i was get certain things. it didn't go gather enough with regard to entitlements, suppressed them, itaddressed them

on the margins the cuts weren't deep enough, but we all knew that it had to pass. when i got there that night it looked like the republicans were-fiving, and the democrats were talking about switching the votes. when i talked to clinton on the phone, i said, look, i know this has to pass. i represented the most in the country. i will not let it not pass. i knew there had been only two votes like that in history. and that's what happened. they needed my vote. and so i voted yes. but i also knew i would have a heck of an election after that. but that was okay. >> well, that's okay because that's what people should do. as you said in your op-ed vote, do what is right at the time knowing that you're going to have a heck of an election. >> i think that's the way--i think the way the public feels. with the latest statistics only

10% of the public feels that those folks down there in washington are doing what they should be doing. the public justifiably is angry. i think they want people to go down there and vote the way they think they should as opposed to voting so they won't have a primary. >> michael: that's an important thing to point out. voting as if they have a primary, or voting as if they only care about politics isn't working. you just said it, 10% that speaks for itself. in order to get different results clearly they have to do things differently. before we get into the meat and potatoes of your race, you have you are chelsey clinton's mother-in-law. everybody has a complaint about their mother-in-law, maybe one. what do you think chelsey's

complaint about her mother-in-law margie is? >> well, let me just say i think she's awesome. but i'm so careful about not talking about the family. >> michael: i'm sure you are. >> she's fantastic. >> michael: do you call too much? do you want too many dinners? nothing? nothing? i'll let you off. >> i have no complaints. >> michael: no, no i'm asking if she has a complaint about you. >> i'm telling you she's fantastic. she's the best. >> michael: that's great. it's been 20 years since you were voted out of congress. what made you this time to decide back in the die i don't know's den? >> well, after i lost, i was head of the delegation in the beijing conference in china, an then i started the campaign women's international. i representative, allison decided she was going to run for

governor, i started to get calls saying look at this. why don't you get back into it. although it isn't seamless, these are issues i never have stopped dealing with. women, children, education making sure we've been dealing with literacy all over the globe, looking to strengthen income for families, education for girls so important. it seemed it was so much the right thing to do. i've never stopped working with applications or ngos so it's not a huge leap, jump. >> michael: you spent a lot of time on women's issues. you entered congress during the time popularly referred to as the year of the woman. >> with 365 days and died. >> michael: there is that, too but you know, congress now

boasts a record setting women in the house and in the senate. do you think the g.o.p.'s war on women has the unintended affect of women running? >> i hope so. we're more than 50% with regard to the population, and i do not think that we're better or worse. i think we're difference and that difference has to be respected. when we got down there in '92 we got a lot done. this was a class that doubled the number of women in congress. there were 29 in '90. 24 came back. weon both sides of the aisle. we passed medical leave. we passed the assault weapons ban, and we passed clinton's budget which by the way certainly set the stage for the fastest and most dramatic job growth since world war ii.

so i think we just make a difference. the other thing is we wanted to work with the other side of the aisle. that's what has to happen now. it's astonishing to me that anything could pass down there with not one vote from vote for a democrat or one vote for a republican, that's just dead wrong. >> michael: and before snowing what the issue is, they're going to vote know. i hope that's one thing that you endyoudo changing that attitude. how do you think you'll do that. >> we want to make the other side look bad, it's crazy. i think it's awful. >> michael: i will say this. there are a lot of people that were really happy that anybody with one vote who could get republicans stop high fiving on the floor will make them happy. hopefully you can do that again. >> when i went down there last time it never entered my mind

that i could make a difference. >> michael: and your one vote did. you're living proof that that's the case. i hope you get to vote again soon. thank you for coming in to "the war room." coming up, george packer tells us where we go from here. and brett erlich tells us why things are so gloomy. chris christie has released a new duet. >> as governor i have a responsibility to ensure the citizens in new jersey have a voice in washington. that's why this special election is hugely important. >> oh, yeah. >> 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.

>> i think it's brilliant. (vo) first, news and analysis with a washington perspective from an emmy winning insider. >> i know this stuff, and i love it. (vo) followed by humor and politics with a west coast edge. bill press and stephanie miller. >> what a way to start the day. you. >> michael: as previously referenced the new gallup poll shows that only 10% have confidence in our congress. not only is it a record low for

congress but it's also the lowest level of confidence down for any constitution ever according to gallop. that's incredible. at least congress is the best at something even if they're the best at being worst. some people would say that crumbling constitution matched with the warped financial system and celebrity had been on-obsessed culture has affected society. george packer is a staff rider his new book" unwinding." he joins us from new york. george, it's great to have you here in the war room. >> good to be with you. >> michael: your book covers so much ground covering almost every aspect of american life. bottom line, what is the un unwinding? >> the undoing of a deal that

used to exist among americans. when i was kid and before i was born, which said if you worked hard and did your job you would have a place, you would be recognized in society and your kids would likely have it even better than you did. it was the dream of equal opportunity and upward mobility. i think around the late 70s we began to see that deal come undone the social contract started to fray, and over the last two decades we more and more live in a society of winners and losers where some people have done extremely well, and a lot of people have not done very well, and most americans feel that they're on their own. the institutions that used to support the middle class no long work very well. >> michael: you based your book on three ordinary americans. how did you choose these three and what did you learn from

them? >> the three main characters are dean price, tammy thomas, a former factory work turned community organizers in ohio, and jess, a year insider who went between public service and private sector. i met them partly by accident, and partly i was seeking people who were willing to let me into their lives to the degree that is necessary for a book like this that is immersesive and deep study of america and people who represented different parts of the country. some more successful like washington and silicon valley, and some less. they came of age in the 70s and 80s and had to navigate these rough waters that came with the undoing of the social contract in different ways. >> michael: price is an

entrepreneur thomas works in a factory. conniff works in washington. what similarities did you find between all thee of thee of them. >> the book takes you through all through their lives and three celebrities since the late 70s. is reaches a crescendo in the year 2008 with the financial crisis which is a reckoning for all the characters in the book. they're all subject to the forces of history that have been so tumultuous. they also had a reinvent themselves. dean price went from owning a chain of truck stops and fast-food restaurants in north carolina to going bandore making bankrupt and and going johnny apple seed.

tammy thomas a single mother of three in the rust belt city that was dying around her managed to hold down one of the last good factory jobs. when that was sent to mexico, she had to find something to do. she became a community organizer, she led and trained her fellow people of youngstown to bring manufacturing back from the dead. and then jess onniff tried to bring real wall reform to congress and led a gallant losing fight to make the big banks pay for the financial crisis. they all have the resilience and resourcefulness to keep on changing with historical upheavals. >> michael: with the catalyst being the financial crisis. let's talk about the celebrities. you devote chapterrers to oprah

winfrey, newt gringrich sam walton and jay-z. nobody probably said those four names at once. >> that's why i wanted them. >> michael: why did you choose them? >> i wanted representatives of different sectors. newt gringrich more than any other politician has created the toxic politics that we're familiar with, and that began in the late 70s when the book begins. sam walton as a business mogul created an empire of retail that played a big part in shifting american from a manufacturing economy to a consumer economy with the depression of both prices and wages, a move toward a third world economy. and jay-z is a rags to riches story from brooklyn to the top of the business world and win at all cost success no matter what happens along the way. he celebrated for his ruthless

will to succeed. all of them i think follow this path from self invention to empire building, and then to a kind of decadence that sets in as they're more and more cut off from their fellow citizens and become a class unto themselves. it's a story of how elites have left the common mass of americans, and become kind of a god-like cluster on top of mount olympus having their own lives together independent of the lives of their countrymen. >> michael: as you talk about mount olympus i see this work as they would see in upton sinclair's work. is this the pantheon of americans living their lives. >> i love literature, both journalism and fiction. another writer whose trilogy

"usa" tried to portrait the first three decades of the century, and i tried to do that in the last three decades of the century. telling the stories of individuals and seeing their relationships with each other that's exactly what i've tried to do. there is a similar disen disenchantment of the american dream unwinding that you find in those earlier books. >> michael: i think it's absolutely on point. you wrote about the ethos of silicon valley. what role did business play in the unwinding? could they help to make things better? >> i think a lot of people wanted and thought silicon valley could bring the rest of the economy up with it. instead silicon valley looks more and more to me like this golden exception to what dominates the lives of many americans around the country. i was out there--i grew up there before it was even called silicon valley, and went back to

write about it for "the new yorker" as well for my book "the unwinding." what i found was splendid isolation from the troubles of the rest of the country where all problems had been solved. ordering your dinner getting the ride share and connecting with your friends. maybe the internet and the culture of silicon valley, the achievements of it have been overhyped because we've been looking for a success story and that's the most obvious one. >> michael: it made us think that general motors had the famous motto what's good for gm is good for the country. does that kind of thinking exist anywhere? >> in silicon valley. in facebook they talk about changing the world in a casual way by linking up with your

friends, you're creating a revolution. apple has the same ethos of being a revolutionary lifestyle. that's granny'sty. these are companieser they make products. some of the products are very good. but they have a very particular interest, and apple turns out to be a tax avoider among many others companies. i cecil con valley as an industry maybe better than wall street, maybe better than oil and gas but still an industry and we need to get over the illusion or to see it more clearly. >> michael: i have people yelling me that i have to make this quick. in the book you write: quickly, george, after all this work, how do you feel about the country? is there optimism? >> i feel optimistic when i'm with people like dean price tammy thomas and hearing their

stories, and seeing rather than having a grand idea for how to bring the whole country out of its stagnation or even its decline, they're doing it where they live, and finding solutions and improvising answers that fit with their place. i think that's probably happening everywhere, there are a lot of forgotten places because people no longer look to washington, wall street or any other center of power and influence for answers. they don't have answers. elites don't have answers. but i don't know that we're going to be--that a great new era of reform and prosperity can be the work of scattered individuals and scattered places. i think it will take something more coherent, and i don't know yet what that's going to be. >> michael: you've set us off on the road to figure that out. george packer, author of a book that sounds like a must-read" the unwinding." mash for civil rights goes on for gays and lesbians goes on

across america. >> everyone has gone along with the world saying this is okay. this is not okay. the bible doesn't change. the world may change but i'm not willing to change. >> 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.

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. >> michael: welcome back to the war room. i'm michael shure. today in our on going series the march goes on we talk about marriage equality. it is still a decisive issue within the afghanistan the african-american community. the lgbt have likened their movement to the civil rights movement even calling it the new plaque, but this comparison does not go over well with everyone in the community. exploreing the debate of this issue. let's take a look.

>> this there is a difference between civil rights and sacred rights. >> same-sex marriage will be put to vote here in maryland. >> many people in the state's religious community he was in african-american church oppose gay marriage and continue to fight against it. >> michael: the film chronicles the political campaign to win marriage equality in maryland and turns its lens on the homophobia in black churches that were pillars in the civil rights movement. a lot of people assumed and wrongly so, that when something like prop 8 came up that black americans would be behind it because, my god, it's the new civil rights movement, but not so true. >> yes i think there were a lot of assumptions as you just said that since discrimination and

oppression, something that the african-american community knows very well, that we would have a natural inclination to support other groups and other freedom movements. i think that was done in 2008 without really delving in to the issues--delving into what were the issues surrounding the support. how to make african-american communities to come out and support, and why it was something that they believe african-americans should support. and more work should have been done in the black community in california to create alliances. i don't think that was done. i think that changed a bit. >> michael: i suspect that was because they didn't think they had to make those alliances because they were already thought to exist. >> yes. >> michael: you know, you were making this film in 2012. president obama in 2008 said the marriage between a man and woman, while you were making the film he actually came out and publicly supported gay marriage.

how big of an impact did the president's words have in the community. >> i started filming this in 2010, so i was really able to see history being made throughout the filming of this, and one obviously was barack obama's support of gay marriage, also the naacp came out after, and that was a big deal. >> michael: it was their board that voted on it, which was more impressive because it was full of old people. >> yes huge, naacp is on the ground in these different states so that was a really big deal as well. and it was a big influence in the black community and it was also a big influence in america. just like a classic leadership position, the leader says something to push the issue forward, and oftentimes we as americans move forward too in the quest of equality. >> michael: your film draws a

connection between the civil rights movement but more "o" most importantmostimportant were the churches. >> you could go to a job and they call you boy and they call you jim then you come to your church, and your name is deacon james jones. and you sit in a seat up in the front with the trustees. you drive your chevrolet to church, and you wear your suit and you have a place of prominence that the world doesn't give. >> michael: what did you learn personally about the role of churches in the civil rights movement? >> well, you know, after americanafrican-american growing up in this country, something that i've always known even though i didn't particularly grow up in the church i knew the role that african-american churches had played in our freedom struggles. i watched a lot of

documentaries. i read about the issue my mom taught me about it. but what i learned in terms of the feeling of kind of irony this community, the black church community which had been a pillar of the civil rights movement these powerful members had come out against another person's rights, but it's also important to know, and i think the film shows it, there is diversity within the the church community. what i was reminded, and so many people that people need to be reminded of, during the civil rights movement there were chose in the church against the advocacies of martin luther king jr. and the leadership conference, they felt it was too fast. >> michael: there was a fear that formed that as well. >> yes. >> michael: no friends to the gay rights movement or the churches generally what parallels do you see between the

gay rights movement and the civil arts movement. >> julian bond said that civil rights are for everyone. no one owns it. we took our could could cues from gandhi in india. we were not allowed to have family black people. when we were brought to this country as slaves we were denied benefits and these are all things that the lgbt faces. when you look specifically at marriage the supreme court came down with the loving--around 46 years. we were not allowed to marry whom we could. now we're allowed to marry, how can you not be for other people to marry who they-- >> michael: that makes all the sense in the world. i want to play another clip.

lgbt canvassers approach people, let's take a look. >> i know that because a black man like yourself stood up for a woman like me. i got the same opportunities. you as a black man have an opportunity to stan up for somebody else. whether you're gay or not these are your brothers and sisters and they need to you to represent. >> who are you to say who you can't have sex with? who can you marry. >> do you find that homophobia is systemic in america? >> you hear this homophobic comment and then they engage, and then you see who puts it down, no, this is not right. i'm voting for this, for marriage equality.

>> michael: from a person. >> whom you'll never get to see a black male sitting on the streets of baltimore. but what i found homophobia is systemic throughout our country. what is also systemic is people working against it, and people who are changing and evolving. it's both of these things happening at the same time. which is why we live in such an incredible time right now. >> michael: it's an amazing time. the new black debuts tomorrow at the film festival. thank you so much for being here and making this film. >> michael: coming up after the break, brett erlich joins me to compare chris christie and john boehner's singing careers. you can change the volume but you definitely can't change the channel. we'll be right back.

>> 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. >> michael: welcome back to the war room. finally today let's check in on the lighter side of politics from a guy who just won't leave. seriously, i think he sleeps here which wouldn't be so bad except we don't have a shower here but here from a comfortable distance is brett erlich. >> moist towelettes. my secret is moist towelettes. we've got to get right to it. the theme is venus. first up, house minority leader ken ferdette is trying to wrap highs mind around obamacare and taps into a cutting edge book

from 1992. >> i can't help but think of a title of a book. men are from marchs, and women are from venus. from the other side of the aisle i hear the conversation about free. it's free. we need to take it and it's free. we need to do it now. that's theer fundamental message that my brain receives. my brain being a man's brain is if it's free is it really free? my brain there is a cost to this. >> michael: apparently pea brain. >> he's trying to say that men are from mars, and this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that mars does not support intelligent beings. we move on from venus to something roughly the sides of

venus, chris christie. who is trying to make the decision of filling the vacant seat with an appointment. he went on jimmy fallen and decided to slow jam the news ♪ that's why i'm ♪ throwing my full weight ♪ behind this decision ♪ oh, oh ♪ come on ♪ come on, krispy kreme ♪ donut? how are you ♪ going to be ♪ setting me up like that ♪ it's too funny ♪ >> isn't that what your audience says. >> they go back and forth. jimmy fallen making it safe to get support behind--any ways, the audience ate it up and chris christie was jealous because he was hungry. moving on from venus. >> michael: he sets the last stand. >> right moving on to another heavenly body, kate upton's

birthday. happy birthday. she's only 21 years old. she celebrated her birthday with her uncle fred upton. >> michael: congressman. >> while they were celebrating at a fundraiser john boehner thought it was a good idea to sing her "happy birthday," which we don't have video of, but it was reported which birthday song we gave. the boehner birthday song that he sang to ralph hall. we do have that video. >> not many of you know the boehner birthday song. it's simple ♪ this is your birthday song ♪ it doesn't last too long ♪ hey ♪ >> kate upton must have been so happy. >> who are you? and how much have you had to drink today? >> michael: he does look drunk. >> he sounds drunk. when he drinks he stops slurring

his words and stops crying. it's weird the opposite of most people. >> michael: brett erlich, it's been fun. i want to leave you an idea for the weekend folks write a letter, we don't do it any more. and since we're worried about our personal communication being monitored by big brother there is a way to stop that, take out a pen and paper, anyone, a letter. the united states postal could certainly use the business. you can find us online at current.com/"the war room"," and "the young turks" are next. have a great weekend. [ ♪ music ♪ ]

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?

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. [ ♪ theme music ♪ ] >> cenk: welcome to "the young turks." just before we went on air breaking news. the united states government has concluded that syria has fact used chemical weapons. they have crossed the red lines. will we be taking military action, that seems far more likely now. we'll get back to that story later in the program. we'll give you all the details on it, and discuss whether we should take military action in syria. but first we want to continue with our coverage of the nsa leak stories.