>> bill: hey, here we go. it's a thursday morning. thursday, june 27. good morning everybody. great to see you this morning. no matter where you happen to be in this great land of ours, we're there with you on current tv with the full "full court press." welcome to the program this thursday morning. we'll bring you up to date on everything that's happening around the country around the globe and right here in our nation's capital that's where you'll find us on capitol hill. in our studio down the street from the united states capitol building. and we'll let you know what's

going on and give you a chance to sound off about it by phone at 1-866-55-press. on twitter at bpshow. and on facebook at facebook.com/billpressshow. the supreme court wrapped up its 2013 session yesterday with fireworks. indeed. striking down the defense of marriage act by a 5-4 decision. and invalidating proposition 8 in california, making california the 13th state now to recognize same-sex marriage. 13 states plus the district of columbia. and governor jerry brown gave orders to start -- resume same-sex marriages in california as soon as possible. meanwhile, president obama had a busy day of activities on his second day of his -- first full day of his state visit to senegal. cnn is bringing backcrossfire.

aaron hernandez dropped by the patriots for good reason. all of that coming up 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 there is any chance we'll ever hear the president even say the word "carbon tax"? >> with an opened 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) >> cutting throught the clutter of today's top stories. >> this is the savior of the republican party? i mean really? >> ... with a unique perspective. >> teddy rosevelt was a weak asmatic kid who never played sports until he was a grown up. >> (laughter) >> ... and lots of fancy buzz words. >> family values, speding, liberty, economic freedom, hard-working moms, crushing debt, cute little puppies. if wayne lapierre can make up stuff that sounds logical while making no sense... hey, so can i. once again friends, this is live tv and sometimes these things happen.

>> watch the show. >> only on current tv.

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! >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio and on current tv, this is the "bill press show." >> bill: the supreme court says very simply, you're free to marry the one you love. historic day here in our nation's capital, good morning good morning, good morning everybody. thursday june 27. how about it. this is the "full court press" on current tv, on your local progressive talk radio station and on sirius x.m. this hour

only. great to see you today. thank you so much for joining us and being part of the program as we boom out to you live all the way across this great land of ours from our nation's capital. right here on capitol hill, just down the street from the united states capitol building. we've got it covered. we'll bring you up to date ond you can bring us up to date on what you think about everything that's going on. big news day yesterday. boy, i'll tell you for the middle of summer, we've got a lot, lot lot to talk about today. let's get right to it. don't forget, you can call at 1-866-55-press. you can tweet us give us your comments on twitter. twitter went wild yesterday after the supreme court decision. your comments on twitter here welcome at bpshow. and then on facebook, facebook.com/billpressshow. where all of the friends of the "bill press show" gather every day. you should be one of them, in you're not already.

you could be a member of the team here if you're not already. team press this morning. in almost -- almost in full force here. peter ogborn and dan henning hello, guys. >> hey, hey, hey. >> good morning. >> thank you so much for having me. >> bill: nice to have you here. by the way we haven't had the whip here in quite awhile. >> we've been working on it. stay tuned. stay tuned. >> bill: congressman clyburn. alichia cruz is off with her family this week so javon paris is here. we appreciate that. filling in on the phones for us and of course, we couldn't get by without cyprian bowlding because otherwise you wouldn't be able to know what we look like nor what cyprian looks like. he's got the cameras covered on current tv. yes, how about it. paula deen finally showed up -- you know, "the today show's" a little more forgiving than we are. when we have guests, who are

booked and then don't show up, you know, our attitude is screw you. >> let this be a lesson. >> bill: you had your shot. you didn't show up. shame on you. you ain't coming back. >> that's right. one strike, you're out. >> bill: that's our motto. she stiffed them last week but this week, they took her back yesterday and she was same old kind of treekly form. first of all she said i don't hate anybody. >> i believe that every creature on this earth every one of god's creatures was created equal. no matter who you choose to go to bed at night with, no matter what church you go to pray, i believe that everyone should be treated equal and that's the way i was raised. and that's the way i live my life. >> bill: everyone should be treated equal. oh expect those people with black skin. she forgot to add that.

yeah, right. and then, you know, matt lauer did ask her if she's a racist. she said all of this is what this is all about is hateful people coming after her and telling lies. and it upsets her. >> these people, horrible, horrible lies is all -- when all you have to do is ask the people around me. because i live my life the way i believe. and like i said, if you've never committed a sin please pick up that rock, pick up that boulder and hit me as hard as you can. >> paula deen, thank you. >> bill: oh, god! er well, right after she was -- she was off tv a couple of hours and walmart dropped her and then another company. i forgot what the name of the company, dropped her as well. it did not go over that well yesterday. >> the thing with her is i don't

think she realizes what racism is. she sort of said in that statement, ask anybody around me. i've known some of the sweetest, nicest women who in close company say the most awful racist things i've ever heard. and they could be very nice people. >> bill: i grew up in that environment. >> i'm talking about some of my family members here. >> bill: i'm talking about my family members too. delaware is not as far south as south carolina. but let me tell you delaware city is a southern town. segregated town. there a chapter of the kkk in delaware city. >> they don't think it's racist. that's the problem. she doesn't realize what she did was classically racist. it is a racist thing to do and say. >> bill: i thought the best advice i read yesterday one of these people that counsel people who get in trouble and what to

do about their public image the best thing paula deen could do is shut up and go underground for awhile. she's got a thing going. she's got a restaurant. and just lay low for a little bit like tiger woods almost, right? then you can come back but you need a little time and people don't want to hear that sobbing and weeping on television. >> yep. >> bill: hey coming up, john fuglesang on a thursday. coming in with his take on the news of the day. host of "viewpoint," of course, here on current tv. congressman peter welsh from vermont will be joining us from vermont's one and only member of congress. he'll be joining john nichols bureau chief fore the "nation" magazine who will be in studio with us as a "friend of bill." lots of exciting stuff coming up. but first... of. >> this is the "full court press." >> other headlines making news on this thursday, the new england patriots took the opportunity yesterday during the breaking news of supreme court

decisions to quietly dump the news that they were releasing their star tight end aaron hernandez after he was arrested and charged with murder a week after the body of a friend was found near his home. hernandez was quite a career, played in the 2009 bcs national championship for florida was crofted by the pats in 2010, made it to the pro bowl two years into his nfl career and was in the middle of a five-year, $40 million contract, the highest paid tight end in the nfl. >> bill: you know, innocent until proven guilty but man what i read about that, what they're saying about his connection to this murder, that guy is in serious trouble. he had everything going for him. >> he really did. >> bill: $40 million deal. great big home. girlfriend. they just had a baby together. >> he's on one of the best teams in the nfl. >> you gotta think that whatever they have on him is pretty

convincing or else the patriots wouldn't have released him without a trial. >> bill: they didn't say we're going to suspend you. like a hot potato. >> get out. >> a shocker at wimbledon yesterday. seven time schp roger federer lost to sergei. you don't know him because he's ranked 116th in the world. lost in four sets. federer has made it to the quarter finals in tournaments 36 consecutive times now the streak is done. this comes just a couple of days after another top-ranked player, ran fael nadal also lost to a high seed. >> bill: unbelievable. and the heat is on across much of the country while places in the mid-atlantic will see a loss to humidity, highs in the low 90s today, it is not the story out west. phoenix, arizona expected to hit 116 degrees today. death valley, california may peak at 127 degrees fahrenheit

this afternoon. palm springs could also be about 118. >> bill: yeah, but there's no humidity. >> it makes it all better. >> actually it does help a little. >> i'm telling you right now, i was just out in -- >> bill: not 127. >> no but it was 106 where i was and i went hiking in 106 out in utah. i would rather spend an hour or two hours out in that heat than 10 minutes in the humidity here in washington. i'm not kidding. >> bill: it was oppressive yesterday. >> i agree. >> bill: it just drains you. >> you just sort of steam. even if you get in the shade you feel like you're baking. >> bill: it was a big news day yesterday. i'll tell you that. one you're going to want to talk about. history, we saw it being made. all this week, actually, at the supreme court first their decision on affirmative action which was not the strongest decision on affirmative action. but basically told the

universities you can continue to use race as one factor in deciding your admissions as long as you have a tough test and try everything else before you get to that. on the voting rights act very disappointing decision on them to basically invalidate the voting rights act and say congress has to change it and bring it up to date as if -- talking about paula deen we made so much progress in the south. yesterday was the big day. yesterday, they really hit a home run. yesterday was the fireworks at the supreme court on the issue of marriage equality. and you know, it is worth taking a moment to reflect how far we have come so fast on this issue. yesterday's ruling invalidating the defense of marriage act think of this, it came ten years to the day the very day ten years to the day that the supreme court ruled in lawrence v. texas striking down all of the anti-sodomy laws in this

country. in other words ten years ago it was illegal to have homosexual sex. it was illegal for any two men or any two women to have consensual sex. in most states in this country. ten years ago. a crime. right? nine years ago is when the right-wingers put on the ballot in 11 states, measures, constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage. right? yeah, nine years ago. there were 11 of them. every one of them passed. the average vote was 70%. >> is that right? >> bill: yeah. 70%. and now nine years later, the supreme court is saying same-sex marriage should be the law of the land. didn't quite go that far. first of all, on the defense of marriage act what the court said 5-4 is the federal government can simply not

discriminate when it comes to federal laws and the benefits in federal laws and this makes so much sense. you can't say oh we've got all of the benefit tax benefits, retirement benefits, healthcare benefits but for couples but if you're married to a man -- you're a man married to a man or a woman married to a woman your marriage has to be treated differently. justice kennedy -- justice kennedy, right, this is not ruth bader ginsburg said that's just not fair. it is unconstitutional. that federal statute he said, exists for no legitimate purpose. it overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and injure those whom the state by its marriage law sought to protect in personhood and dignity. so, in other words, if the state says -- now, this is limited

here but if the state says and now we have 13 of them, the state says we recognize same-sex marriage the federal government has to give same-sex couples in those states every benefit under the law. that is huge. there are over a thousand federal statutes that apply meaning over 1,000 benefits. over 1,000 benefits that same-sex couples will now be eligible for, they were not eligible before yesterday. that's huge. huge. and it hit home to me. my cousin, who lives on the eastern shore of maryland and maryland now recognizes same-sex marriage and i talked to her and asked her if she and her partner were going to get married. they've been together for 25 years. she said no because of doma. without doma, it doesn't really count. as soon as i heard the decision yesterday, she was so excited and happy. damn right. now, they feel they will be able to get married and they will get married.

very, very exciting. so it hit home to me. then there was the prop 8 decision. the prop 8 decision, the supreme court said okay, in california, you had that proposition 8. no, no no, no. the lower courts have already invalidated proposition 8 and so we turn -- we accept the lower court's decision in other words and turn down the appeal of the decision because basically the only people who were appealing the decision were catholic bishops and the mormon church. and the five justices of the supreme court said yeah, no, you don't cut it, right? you don't have a real -- no real harm has been done to you here. we're going to let same-sex marriage resume in california. not in all 50 states. i wish they had gone that far. they didn't. yes, in california. now, we'll have 13 states plus a district of columbia where same-sex marriage will be recognized as legal and

celebrated. and in those states, the defense of marriage act is gone. all federal benefits must go to same-sex couples. must apply to same-sex couples. and in california, as soon as the federal court issues a stay or vacate or whatever they do, that last decision, governor jerry brown gave the orders yesterday to start same-sex marriages up again as soon as possible. we'll give you some of the reaction when we come back from people supporting same-sex marriage and those who are still fighting the losing fight against it. but it was a great day for america. great day for the constitution. a great day for equality and a great day for sure, for all of our lgbt friends. we'll be right back and take your calls at 1-866-55-press. what's it all mean to you? going to get married now? >> announcer: radio meets television. the "bill press show." now on current tv.

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>> did anyone tell the pilgrims they should self-deport? >> no, they said "make us a turkey and make it fast". >> (laughter). >> she gets the comedians laughing. >> that's the best! >> that's hilarious. >> ... and the thinkers thinking. >> okay, so there is wiggle room in the ten commandments is what you're telling me. >> she's joy behar. >> ya, i consider you jew-talian. >> okay, whatever you want. >> who plays kafka? >> who saw kafka? >> who ever saw kafka? >> (laughter). >> asking the tough questions. >> chris brown, i mean you wouldn't let one of your daughters go out with him. >> absolutely not. >> you would rather deal with ahmadinejad then me? >> absolutely! >> (singing) >> i take lipitor, thats it. >> are you improving your lips? >> (laughter). >> when she's talking, you never know where the conversation is going to go. >> it looks like anthony wiener is throwing his hat in the ring. >> his what in the ring? >> his hat. >> always outspoken, joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? >> only on current tv.

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: all right. 26 minutes after the hour. there was a lot of immediate reaction, of course, even president obama from air force i picked up the phone after he heard the supreme court's ruling yesterday and called some of the plaintiffs in the case. my favorite reaction, i must admit, came from congresswoman michele bachmann. i knew -- i knew the supreme court had done the right thing when michele bachmann came forward to denounce the court. here she is. >> they attacked something they have no jurisdiction over

whatsoever. the foundational unit of our society which is marriage. that is something that god created. that is something that god will define. >> bill: no, the justices have no jurisdiction whatsoever over the constitution of the united states? they were exactly on point. there's nothing to do with the bible. nothing to do with somebody's twisted religious beliefs. believing in a god that discriminates, believing in a god that thinks some people are better than others. that's -- >> careful. >> bill: that's b.s. but you know, she doesn't understand what the court's all about. the court is applying the law of the land and the constitution of the united states. >> my favorite comment was from comedian dave holmes who quickly tweeted out as we celebrate today, let's spare a warm thought for our opponents who have lost absolutely nothing. you know? supporters of traditional marriage, they don't lose

anything. their life goes on for them. >> bill: quickly, here's kurt from grass valley, california. up in the gold country. hi curt. >> bill: what's going on? >> caller: first of all, i support gay marriage 100%. i think they should be as happy or as miserable as the case may be, as the rest of us. >> bill: there you go. >> caller: i'm not sure the supreme court thought it through because -- well, let me tell you this. i have some friends that have a very big cattle ranch. they have two undocumented aliens and do a lot of the work forvery cheap. one of the guys on the ranch is already contemplating and is going to ask one of the guys to marry him. so that he can stay in the united states legally. if they give him any beef, he's going to sue for discrimination. >> bill: i'm not sure where you're going with this story but there is a link here with this decision and immigration reform. we should talk about that after the break.

we will. >> 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: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show." live on your radio and on current tv. >> bill: all right. 33 minutes after the hour now. on a thursday. june 27. it is the "full court press." and we're celebrating the supreme court's big -- two big decisions yesterday. on marriage equality. coming to you live from our nation's capital brought to you today by the united steelworkers and their international president leo gerard. the united steelworkers, north america's largest industrial union representing 1.2 million

active and retired members. weigh in on what the supreme court ruling means to you at 1-866-55-press. back to your calls and back to your comments in just a second. if you were in the houston area police put out the word. they're looking for a woman who's opened up fraudulent bank accounts in the houston area using the names of victims victims who had their purses stolen out of their vehicles and opening up credit cards in their names. another case of identity theft gone wild. it is happening everywhere. you should be protected against it. with lifelock ultimate. the most comprehensive i.d. theft protection available. but, of course lifelock services can't protect you or your bank accounts if you're not a member. so here's how you sign up. visit lifelock.com and enter promo code press 10. or go to the phone call, give

you the number in just a second and mention press 10. you'll get 10% off your lifelock ultimate membership. the number is 1-800-356-5967 for lifelock ultimate. peter, on the social media. >> quick story because we continue to watch the health -- for updates on nelson mandela. his daughter, recently just visited him overnight and spoke said it is only -- it's only god who knows when his time is to go. we live with the hope until that final end comes. he is still there. he might be waning but he is still there. so for now he's stable but still critical. >> bill: the president of south africa visited him yesterday. on the reaction to the supreme

court ruling, we talked about michele bachmann. those who brought these cases were ecstatic at what the court did yesterday none more so than edie windsor a woman she and her partner together for decades, her partner died and then she was stuck with a $363,000 property tax bill which she would not have had to pay if her partner had been a man edie windsor, her reaction. >> i cried. i cried. i'm thrilled, obviously. but yeah, immediate reaction was just tears. >> bill: one point has to be made about the defense of marriage act. this is one of the reasons -- the reason that john roberts gave for voting to overturn it. was because there was nobody there to defend it. it is the law of the land. and so the administration would not defend it. even bill clinton who signed it would not defend it.

>> when it was ruled unconstitutional, he put out a statement. great day. >> bill: he applauded the court for overturning the law he signed. he never should have signed it in the first place. let's not let him off the hook too easily. the obama administration wouldn't defend it. the only people defending defense of marriage act in the supreme court were the house republicans under john boehner. and as john roberts conservative, chief justice said, you need to have more than disagreement over an issue to be able to apply it to the supreme court, to overturn a law. to uphold the law. this was not sufficient standing. the other reaction came from the two couples in california who brought this case saying we should be allowed to get married in california. paul khatami sees the occasion opened up by the supreme court. >> today is a good day. today i finally get to look at the man that i love and finally

say will you please marry me. >> bill: i think he said yes. [ cheering ] >> bill: and the female couple, if you will, kris perry and sandy steir, they were giving their comments when chad griffin said of the human rights campaign, standing nearby, gets a call on his cell phone from the president who's on air force i. he walks over to the couple and says hey the president wants to say hello and they had this conversation with the president. chad's got a cell phone on speaker. and the president starts having a conversation with him carried live on msnbc. >> griffin from the nrc talking on the telephone which i believe is with president obama. chat is right there. >> the president's on the line from air force i. go ahead. >> hello mr. president, this is kris perry.

>> this is sandy steir we thank you so much for your support. >> we're prowferred you guys and we're so glad for california. >> bill: you can barely hear the president there. but the president is saying we're proud of you guys and very happy for california. that was a rare moment. >> you don't see that every day. >> bill: my cell phone goes off, it is the president of the united states. >> how you doin'? >> bill: great day indeed. lot of celebration in front of the supreme court. kim is calling from modesto california. hey, kim. >> hey torks the most intelligent man on the planet. >> bill: there you go. >> caller: welcome back, peter. missed you last week. >> thank you so very much. >> bill: we all did. >> caller: here's my question. i met my wife in '92. we got married in '04 and they said a couple of months later they went oops, we made a

mistake. instead of giving you your money back, we're going to donate it to the city of san francisco. she unfortunately passed away three years ago. i was told that if california ever passes that law that i can get her social security. am i not going to be eligible for that? because i was with her 18 years. >> bill: i think you are. i'm not a lawyer. >> caller: does that mean it is retroactive or are they going to say oh, well, if you get married now, you'll be able to -- >> bill: no. i think it is retroactive. that would be my reading of the decision, kim. i think you have to check obviously, a good lawyer there in modesto. and there will be a lot of people helping same-sex couples through this whole process. but all of the benefits under federal law, social security is a real big one do apply in the states that recognize same-sex

marriage. california remember, under gavin newsom was the first. i'm sure that's when you guys got married. so i think you qualify. i would step up and get the benefits and unfortunately your partner is not around to share of the benefits with you. i think you're on. you tell the lawyer bill press said, damn it, give you that money. >> you might end up finding yourself as a witness in a trial here. >> bill: i might indeed. 1-866-55-press toll free number up in amherst mass. hello, dave. >> caller: hello,. >> bill. >> bill: big week, huh? >> caller: humanity just got better and the proof is we get to celebrate death to doma day. it is going to increase a business by the greeting cards can have dust to doma day and

i'm in for buying one. >> bill: you know what? i love that. death to doma day. and i love the fact that doma died again. ten days to the day that the supreme court passed lawrence v. texas getting rid of the anti-sodomy laws. a lot of good vibes that came together yesterday indeed. all across the country. now, the big challenge of course, is going to be look, 13 states. 1/3 of the population now live where same-sex marriage is legal. but that means that 37 states, it's not. there's stale lot of work to go. i must tell you that i actually agreed with something that justice scalia said yesterday. >> mark the time and date. >> bill: because scalia said mark my words this is just a first step. we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop. we know the other shoe will drop

when same-sex marriage will be made legal in all 50 states. i think he's right. i think he's right. i think that will happen. it can't happen soon enough but the next challenge to the supreme court is to say you can't do this mickey mouse thing of letting the states decide to discriminate or not to discriminate. you've got to get rid of the discrimination nationwide. but this certainly is a huge, huge victory. huge step in the right direction. and this opens the door to that 50 state ruling. won't be long in coming. john fuglesang host of "viewpoint" on current tv joins us every thursday morning. and we'll be right back with mr. fuglesang. >> announcer: like politics? like the "bill press show" on facebook. this is the "bill press show."

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>> announcer: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show." live on your radio and on current tv. >> bill: 13 minutes before the top of the hour here on the "full court press". mr. john fuglesang may be missing in action here for a minute or so. i think heals in the middle of a diaper change. >> that's right. he's up with the kid usually. >> bill: the kid joined us on the phone last week. >> oh, really? >> bill: yeah, he did. it was his first -- debut on national television. first appearance. and usually john changes the diaper aver he does our segment so maybe this time -- little out of sequence here.

>> maybe. >> bill: okay. we'll still keep trying to get him there. meanwhile, we'll continue our conversation. 1-866-55-press. about the real impact of this decision. it is a real world impact. think about it. over 1,000 benefits from social security to taxes i mean basic stuff that we all kind of take for granted, same-sex marriage partners, could not apply for or qualify for until yesterday's decision. and the other thing is, of course, meant to mention this earlier, there is a real tie between this and immigration reform because that amendment that democrats were not able to get on the immigration reform bill which would extend the opportunities under immigration reform, even to same-sex couples so they could bring their partners here and live together and be married and enjoy the benefits of citizenship

together. we couldn't get that in the immigration bill. the supreme court took care of it yesterday. and now that will be the law of the land. peter? >> one comment i wanted to throw in because we're tweeting at bpshow, at bpshow. you can find us there. join in the conversation that we're having. just a little word about some of the previous decisions of the supreme court had made from nknwa says this is great that doma has been struck down but when will all eligible people be able to vote? reminding us just the day before yesterday, we had the big voting rights gut from the supreme court. >> bill: disappointed more than they really gave us reason to celebrate this week. but just speaking about yesterday's decision, even though -- nobody expected them to say same-sex marriage has to be recognized in all 50 states, they didn't go that far but they did invalidate doma and they did

put california back on the list, that's where it started with gavin newsom years ago. now, california becomes the 13th state plus the district of columbia and we learned that the diaper has been properly changed and applied. the baby is happy and the proud father, john fuglesang joins us on our news line this morning. hey, john, good morning. >> john: good morning gentlemen. pleasure to be with you. >> bill: we were stalling there, giving you time to complete the diaper change. >> john: thank you. >> bill: this was a big day yesterday no matter what mechele bachmann says, right? >> john: it is incredible. it's so historic. i want to straight marry gay marriage. it was wonderful. >> bill: think about just first of all how fast, i think the country has changed on this topic. and for the supreme court basically to say no, you can't

treat same-sex couples differently under the constitution of the united states. yeah, in our lifetime -- >> john: isn't that fantastic? somewhere, scalia is still seething about it. we had john roberts' cousin on who is an lgbt activist from san francisco. the most remarkable thing about it, i think, is that these cases were both heard before the supreme court easter week. because when you think back to the a.i.d.s. crisis, bill, i know your show is popular with the teenybopper set and the justin bieber listeners, but those of us old enough to remember the a.i.d.s. crisis, that was when the lgbt community came together. it was a great example of the people lead, the leaders will follow. gays and lesbians, waiting for the government to do something about a.i.d.s. and they got organized. they came together and they began acting up. i got to -- you know, i was a teenager. i got to live in greenwich

village at the beginning of a.i.d.s. activism period. to see the most depressed minority group in history come together and demand equality, demand rights and then within 25 years, a quarter century, you see them going from the most oppressed minority group where you can't reveal you're gay to having a president saying he thinks gay people should be allowed to marry to then this marriage i thought -- it is so inspiring to me when you are looking for some reason to be proud to be an american, look at that. swiftest gain in civil rights by any minority group in history and it happened because of a plague. >> bill: yeah, yeah, that's the sad part about it. i remember the group, you mentioned act up. i thought they were great at the time. but by the way scott pelley started the cbs news off last night with something that stunned me when he said do you realize that ten years ago just ten years ago to the day ten

years ago in this country, it was a crime, it was against the law fortwo men or two women to have consensual sex. >> john: under the sodomy laws. sodomy referring to a disgusting unholy, vile activity engaged in by gay men with gay men or straight men with wonderful understanding spectacular women. >> bill: we have different standards there. almost out of time but i can't let you go without asking you is anthony weiner going to be the next mayor of new york? please say yes. >> john: i don't know. it is going to be interesting. you know, everyone thought christine quinn had it locked up but you can't keep weiner down. [ laughter ] gentlemen, start your puns, you know. he deserves it. listen you're allowed to make anthony weiner pun jokes because the greatest sex scandal in d.c. history with no actual sex but

he came out and tried to say because he has this silly last name people hack him and send these pictures out. i'm like whoa, anthony weiner, my name is fuglesang. it very well may happen. clearly, he's the most charismatic of the candidates. people are starting to remember why they enjoyed watching him on cnn. >> bill: absolutely. nobody fought harder for a lot of the issues you and i believe in. if he gets there i think he will do a good job. john fuglesang, proud to be part of your team, my friend. >> john: thanks so much, bill. >> bill: john fuglesang host of "viewpoint" on current tv. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show."

this show is about analyzing criticizing, and holding policy 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 am given to doing anyway. staying in tough with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. 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? vo: the war room tonight at 6 eastern (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: take your e-mails on any topic at any time, this is the "bill press show". live on your radio and current tv. >> bill: the supreme court's decision, if you don't like the rulings of the supreme court five of those justices were appointed by republican presidents. chief justice was appoint by george w. bush. so now let's hear republicans blame democrats for what republicans gave us. they'll try. then we'll get away with it. remember, dick cheney's gay daughter was raised by a republican. not a democrat. lots to celebrate. we'll continue here on the "full court press" with john nichols from the nation as a "friend of bill." peter we cansh congressman from vermont joins us as well.

two good reasons to hang around.

>> bill: good morning, good morning. it is thursday june 27. great to see you today. and welcome to the "full court press" here on current tv. coming to you all across this great land of ours from our studio on capitol hill in washington, d.c. bringing up to date on the news of the day and giving. >> chance to talk about what it all means to you. what you think about what's going on. you know how to do it. join the conversation by giving us a call at 1-866-55-press.

give us your comments on twitter at bpshow or go to facebook, all of our friends on facebook and send us your comments at facebook.com/billpressshow. the supreme court wrapping up its 2013 season yesterday with fireworks. striking down the defense of marriage act by a 5-4 decision saying every married couple in states that recognize same-sex marriage deserves -- deserve the same federal benefits applicable and available under federal law. the court also, of course invalidated prop 8 making california the 13th state to legally recognize same-sex marriage plus the district of columbia, of course. meanwhile, president obama his first full day of busy activities in senegal. the official state visit there. cnn is bringing backcross fire

and the patriots have dropped tight end aaron hernandez now charged with murder. find out about all of that and more here on current tv. but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think there is any chance we'll ever hear the president even say the word "carbon tax"? >> with an opened 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) >> cutting throught the clutter of today's top stories. >> this is the savior of the republican party? i mean really? >> ... with a unique perspective. >> teddy rosevelt was a weak asmatic kid who never played sports until he was a grown up. >> (laughter) >> ... and lots of fancy buzz words. >> family values, speding, liberty, economic freedom, hard-working moms, crushing debt, cute little puppies. if wayne lapierre can make up stuff that sounds logical while making no sense... hey, so can i. once again friends, this is live tv and sometimes these things

happen. >> watch the show. >> only on current tv.

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! >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio and on current tv, this is the "bill press show." >> bill: the supreme court with a very radical notion yesterday saying you are free to marry the person you love. isn't that pretty basic? it took this long to get there? we're here. good morning everybody. what do you say? it is thursday, june 27. this is the "full court press." we're coming to you live on current tv. we're coming to you live on your local progressive talk radio station. so proud to be with you on local

progressive talk radio across the land. if you're lucky enough to have a good progressive talk station in your community support them every way you can. because they are few and far between. they're powerful voice and proud to be part of the line-up. we are coming to you live from our nation's capital here in our studio here on capitol hill where every once in awhile, you know, president obama is on a state visit to senegal. that's important. that's not quite as historic as john nichols is on another state visit to washington d.c. the correspondent for the "nation" magazine. we love it when he comes in town because he always lets us know. we roll out the red carpet. >> the carpet is sort of an off brown. [ laughter ] >> bill: i don't want anyone to see our carpet. >> bill: nice to see you. all the way from madison wisconsin. 92.1, the mic.

>> i often speak to you from the schoolyard dropping my child off. much to be said for being here. i will have to tell you, i think the president's visit to senegal and to the rest of africa might take precedence. [ laughter ] >> bill: maybe a little bit. >> although, i felt for the president a little bit. i know he's got this visit. it is an important visit because he will end up in south africa. he will be -- he will go to mandela's bedside. there's some moving, powerful stuff that's important. but i tell you the first president to endorse marriage equality, i think he missed some pretty big parties last night. around d.c., there were some celebrations. >> bill: indeed, there was last night. rightfully so, all over the country. i saw a lot of shots from west hollywood where i used to live and boystown, they call it in los angeles. and then there were celebrations, of course, in san francisco.

>> i thought it was really important as some minimal historian that there was a celebration at stonewall at the neighborhood there. and you know, bill, this is a big deal. it is very rare in the history of any country where you can have a celebration at the place where the movement started with people who were there. in '69. still alive. celebrating this incredible progress. can you imagine anybody in 1969 outside stonewall it had been raided so often by the cops thought they would have the u.s. supreme court say they can get married. >> bill: no. there have been very few issues in terms of changing the social fab be rick of the country that have moved as fast as lgbt equality. john nichols is here with us as a "friend of bill" this hour. our regular team of course in place. peter ogborn and dan henning. >> hey hey hey. >> bill: javon paris has the phones this week with alichia

cruz having the week off. cyprian bowlding, our videographer on the job as always keeping us look good on current tv. john, political news out in new york city. first, they said this is a joke. this is a joke. come on, anthony weiner. what are you doing? the latest poll shows you have to be careful about using the phrase weiner poll. shows that he is number one. up in the polls. here is david letterman bringing his take on it last night. >> according to the polls anthony weiner is the favorite to become -- how many of you have seen the weiner poll? [ laughter ] [ applause ] anthony weiner is out front. isn't that what got him in trouble in the first place? going to be a long campaign, all he has to do is stick it out.

[ applause ] i hope the guy does get cocky. [ applause ] weiner has a firm lead and his popularity is -- [ applause ] >> bill: it goes on and on and on. i think he got them all done. >> no, he did not. he did not. you know -- >> bill: you know what? i think he's going to be elected. i think he will be a damn good mayor of new york. >> anthony weiner is almost uniquely -- it is like of all of the skills, probably being mayor of new york is where he's best suited. i say this bluntly because i've covered him in a lot of ways. as a member of congress, he was a lightning rod. he was outspoken. he was not considered to be the greatest legislator. this is a guy who is a big personality. in a city where basically, what you ask for is a big personality mayor. >> bill: exactly. >> in the fine new book,

dollarocracy which will make a great holiday gift, one of the things we talk about in there is that in this new age of media where we've had a real standing down of old-fashioned political coverage, we don't do as much of it as we used to. we have to start rethinking how you rise politically and one of the things is being a big personality. even if there is controversy or scandal allows you to soar over the news cycle. so weiner, far from being harmed by his controversies is, in some ways helped. >> bill: look at herman cain and donald trump. >> mark sanford. a big scandal. all i'm saying is this isn't necessarily -- i actually think weiner would be a decent mayor. this is not necessarily a healthy thing but the old thing of plotting along becoming the county clerk and becoming the state rep and stuff today

partially because our media has changed, big personality gets you big places. weiner is benefitting from that. >> bill: john nichols here as a "friend of bill." we'll be joined by peter welch congressman from vermont in about 20 minutes. in the next hour, the acting secretary of labor, seth harris, congress won't confirm the president's nominee but acting secretary of labor is going to be in studio with us, as well. so we're talk historic decisions yesterday. before we get to doma, as you and i both salute and celebrate the voting rights act huge, huge disappointment on the part of this. on the part of this court. what are they thinking? >> they weren't thinking. that's the important thing understand. let me put it differently. about two weeks ago maybe the most important speech a senator gave. she gave it to the american constitution study i believe.

she talked about the politicization of the u.s. supreme court. she made an nearing that speech about how this court seems to have a specific agenda, very much an act of this court. and i think that was so much on the mind of the court. now, on doma, gay marriage, marriage equality, that's an issue where corporate america is divided. the voting rights act unfortunately, this has become an issue where a lot of the political class, the economic, political class really doesn't like high turnout elections. very controlled politics. and this frankly this decision on the voting rights act allows states to diminish the extent of their democracy. >> bill: you and i have talked about this before, with all of the attempts on the part of the state, the last time around, to suppress the vote, basically what the supreme court is saying you've got a green light to do even more of this.

>> i couldn't agree with you more. and it is -- the green light is less about voter i.d. now, because many of the states that we're talking about have already moved through some sort of voter i.d. although in some cases, it will be freed up to come forward. i have to say i think it is much more about redistricting. it is the kind of golden -- redistricting in the southern states and the 15 states involved was run through the department of justice. it had to be. it was a very meticulous process. we may not have liked how it turned out. it was designed to maximize participation by folks who had historically been marginalized. and this has blown that apart. i give your -- your listeners have a new hero, wendy davis in texas. she's a rock star hero. everybody loves her right. i should say everybody who listens to bill press. understand wendy davis is now

targeted for gerrymandering. >> bill: you bet. and there is a genuine chance i guarantee that she won't have a district come the next election. so you understand, that's whats what has happened. wendy davis is a white woman. how does the voting rights act -- no, this is going to affect the drawing of the lines in all sorts of states and it is going to allow for a -- trying to think of the right word here. a very meticulous and crude redrawing of lines that just couldn't happen if you had to run it through the justice department. >> bill: in so many ways, the redistricting las given us the tea party and the tea party members of congress whom we can never dislodge, right? and has forced a lot of moderates to go further to the right. challenged by a tea party person in their primary and then passage of all of the laws like

the stand your ground. still fighting this sore throat. the stand-your-ground laws and voter registration laws. >> and the other thing is -- the other way to put it for listeners, i think redistricting is -- i understand, it is something where the eyes glaze over. >> bill: totally. >> people need to understand redistricting and gerrymandering, this is fate in politics. it matters more than money. if matters more than personality because if i give you a 65% republican district, you are going to win unless you blow up. and the other element of that. the other element is the only election that will matter going forward is your primary. that makes you a different legislator no matter what you believe, no matter who you are. >> bill: part of the impact of the voting rights decision by the supreme court. not to mention the total illogic of -- depending on congress to

fix it. >> bill: you could say there is a certain logic to say we're going to continue the restrictions. we're just going to update them to the criteria because this is 35 years later. 50 years later whatever it is. but to count on this congress, this congress, all they can do is name post offices. >> they don't do very well on that. they couldn't do a farm bill. the farm bill is giving away money. this congress can't give away money. how do they sort out something that has been all of the partisan overlay of it. for this congress on this issue is it's not like 2006, ancient history. this congress, there is a heck of a lot of people in there who know they're there because of the gaming of the system. there's going to be a much greater disinclination. >> bill: so the sweep of -- let's go to yesterday's decision right? on doma and to a certain lesser extent on proposition 8, in our

lifetime this will be remembered as one of the most historic decisions of the united states supreme court. >> partly because of how we understand the supreme court. the supreme court is an evolving entity. it is different today than it was 100 years ago and 200 years ago. its modern evolution since the 1950s has been as sort of the point person, if will you. the point agency on defining rights. defining what our rights are. has done this historically sometimes in the criminal justice area but generally it's been civil rights. and this is -- i don't know that this is brown v. board of education. i think it is a step below that. >> bill: i do, too. it is not in all 50 states. >> but it certainly is -- it fits in that sort of place. for the lgbt community which has fought a -- a shorter but i

think in many ways, more rapidly intensified campaign, this is amazing. it is an amazing thing. and this will do something that's a little unsettling. this is going to lock in this red state blue state thing even deeper. because it did push so much back still to this date. we're going to frankly have some states that are probably discriminatory. other states that are probably in favor of equality. it will be a wrestling match and i guarantee the court is going to have to deal with this again. >> bill: we were talking about that earlier in that justice scalia said something yesterday which i actually agreed with when he said it. it is only a matter of time -- he said we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop. the other shoe meaning we're not going to setting for just 133 states. we're going to say this has to be the law of the land. >> discrimination in the workplace. there's a lot coming but scalia also said and let's not forget, this is not the court's

business. the court ought not be meddling in areas like this. one day after meddling in the lead of voting rights. >> bill: it is okay to meddling in voting rights. you know, he is so out to lunch on this issue and he's frustrated by it because he knows he's lost this issue. we have to take a break here. john nichols here for the whole hour as a "friend of bill." lots more john nichols coming up. join the conversation. the voting rights act and the defense of marriage act. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." documentaries... on current tv. for true stories. with award winning documentaries that take you inside the headlines. real, gripping, current.

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>> did anyone tell the pilgrims they should self-deport? >> no, they said "make us a turkey and make it fast". >> (laughter). >> she gets the comedians laughing. >> that's the best! >> that's hilarious. >> ... and the thinkers thinking. >> okay, so there is wiggle room in the ten commandments is what you're telling me. >> she's joy behar. >> ya, i consider you jew-talian. >> okay, whatever you want. >> who plays kafka? >> who saw kafka? >> who ever saw kafka? >> (laughter).

>> asking the tough questions. >> chris brown, i mean you wouldn't let one of your daughters go out with him. >> absolutely not. >> you would rather deal with ahmadinejad then me? >> absolutely! >> (singing) >> i take lipitor, thats it. >> are you improving your lips? >> (laughter). >> when she's talking, you never know where the conversation is going to go. >> it looks like anthony wiener is throwing his hat in the ring. >> his what in the ring? >> his hat. >> always outspoken, joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? >> only on current tv.

>> bill: john nichols author of dollarocracy about what's happening to poisoning of american politics. john, always good to have you here. peter, what's happening? >> you guys are covering a variety of topics and we're taking -- >> bill: john and i we go anywhere. >> we're taking comments on twitter at bpshow at bpshow where people can join in the conversation there. steven says when its's all said and done, the roberts court might have been every bit as defining as the obama administration. you talked about redistricting and gerrymandering. rodeo gal says redistricting is

not democracy. it's cheating. and ripa says redistricting will lead to fewer minorities being elected as democratic strongholds are weakened. >> bill: true, true. >> find us at bpshow on twitter. >> bill: we haven't had a chance to talk about this. so i want to ask you there's nobody more liberal as a guest of the "bill press show" than john nichols. >> i'm the outer edge. [ laughter ] >> bill: washington correspondent for the "nation" magazine for god's sakes. >> i don't even call myself a liberal. i proudly embrace the progressive term in the 1912 variation. >> bill: so i want to know what you think of edward snowden. >> sure. >> i could care less about edward snowden. i don't say that casually. i say that with some thinking. edward snowden is in a very, very long tradition of whistle blowing. he is a whistle-blower. i don't care whether you like

him or not. because you find me an honorable, lovely, decent whistle-blower. is that often the case? most people who come forward and leak and tell you things are folks who got something going on. if may be ideology, it may be a grudge. you know, mark felt who was deep throat in watergate, he was not the loveliest player ever. so put that to the side. put the personalities aside and let's think what did he bring forward? it is not quite the revelation some people think. because russ feingold said in 2001 this is what's going to happen. russ feingold said in 2006-2007 we should censure george w. bush for doing this stuff. so that's -- that put in perspective. it has opened a dialogue which should not stop here. >> bill: you've got it. peter welch congressman from vermont has a lot to say about what's happening with the nsa. we'll continue the conversation on the other side.

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: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show" live on your radio and on current tv. >> bill: you got it. 33 minutes after the hour on this day. the day after -- thursday, june 27, the day after the supreme court basically almost, almost made same-sex marriage the law of the land. they came as close as they we could expect them to, i guess. great day to celebrate. not to celebrate the day that not to celebrate the day that

texas executed its 500th person rick perry setting a new record even for the state of texas. we're the "full court press" coming to you live from our nation's capital and brought to you today by afscme. the good men and women of afscme under president lee saunders, the largest public employee and healthcare worker's union in the entire country. for more information about the good work that they do out in the forefront of many important issues for working families, go to the web site, afscme.org, afscme.org. john nichols washington correspondent for the "nation" magazine here as a "friend of bill" this entire hour and we are joined by a friend of all of our from the state of vermont congressman peter welch. good to see you. >> great to be here. >> bill: thanks for getting up early. joining two of your fellow liberals here this morning. i think we're sort of honorary vermonters. >> we think so. >> bernie does, too.

>> you go back a decade or so, look at the state that was in the forefront. actually had some pretty bitter elections on -- >> civil unions. >> first state. it was amazing. in fact, some republicans and some democrats lost their seats on it. and you know -- >> civil union. >> vermont was the first one. it was a debate nobody wanted and it came in the legislature and it is just every day people who were in the state house. and there's one -- >> bill: were you in the legislature? >> i was not. i was not in the legislature. i was watching and it was incredibly intense. but it was an interesting thing because people knew each other and there was one republican whose vote was quite critical. he was going to lose his seat. he had been for years and years. he had a friend who was gay who came up and helped him move. this is a man who is like a janitor in a school. and there was nothing in his life that would suggest that he would vote for civil unions but he knew this person and he knew

he was a good person. and he just couldn't understand why he couldn't have the same rights as others. so a lot of every day vermonters. we passed civil unions and the world went on. >> bill: yeah, right. well the world caught up. >> rutland win the pulitzer prize for their editorials on it. >> i think they did. >> less than a decade ago or barely a decade ago, writing editorials about civil unions was something that would get you the pulitzer prices. >> that is right. >> now we think of civil unions as a baseline. >> bill: i mentioned this earlier in the show, ten years ago to the day yesterday, it was still against -- it was still a crime for two men or two women to have consensual sex in this country. >> bill: lawrence v. texas

decision came ten years to the day that the doma decision yesterday. nine years ago is 2004 when there were 11 anti-same-sex marriage amendments, constitutional amendments on the ballot in 11 different states. think about this. every one of them passed. average vote, 70% for. how far we've come since then. >> it makes you believe in progress. >> bill: it does. progress on some other issues like climate change one of these days. >> what's vermont doing this year? >> what can we have eight years from now? >> well, we're working on single payer. >> bill: that's one we've got a long way to go. we should have started there with single payer and followed vermont's lead. congressman, i have to ask you we were talking about the break about edward snowden. to me, i think john agrees, edward snowden, i wrote a column on this, edward snowden is not

the issue. the issue is what nsa is doing. that's what we ought to be talking about. >> that's exactly right. the law will work its way -- with mr. snowden. and that's a separate issue. but bottom -- there are a couple of questions i think. one is an interesting contractor question. why is a low-level employee have access to highly-classified information? >> like 700,000 people have access to this information. >> bill: so these -- these independent contractors are almost in charge of our national security. >> well, it's true in that booz allen made about $6 million 90% from the taxpayer of the united states. obviously they're pushing product. this is one of my frustrations and complainting about a secret budget. they're going to push product and tell us if we just do this billion dollar project we'll be absolutely safe and secure. well, you gotta kick the tires on that. leave aside the first amendment questions. there are some fiscal realities. are we getting our money's

worth? does this make sense or something that's lining the pockets? so that's -- the secret budget is one of great concern. >> bill: great point. >> the second issue is if there's a policy where we're going to have the big data mining, that's not about a specific investigation, you know person a up to where we've got some probable cause. that's got to be secret. but the policy of gathering all of this information, having it available, why is that not a public discussion and a public debate. there's no need for secrecy when it comes to the overall policy. >> bill: yeah. i couldn't agree more. it seems to me -- that's why i think edward snowden performed a public service. whatever he broke the law whatever happens happens. but i want to know. >> i want to know. on this, we have a right to know. if we're going to spend taxpayer dollars and we're going to put in a data bank, all of our e-mails and telephone calls

that will be available through a fisa court rubber stamp procedure. the fact that we're gathering it and we're spending our money should be a public debate. >> i think the fact you're not gathering it, that's the most important thing to understand. you're getting access to a server. >> that's a good point. >> one of the things i think is important in this is that we don't stop the discussion about the loss of our fourth amendment rights which should extend across all areas, not just what the government does at what washington is doing. i'm very interested in the question of what, in the private sector is happening as regards to the data mining. what in the political sector is being done? political parties are now data mining to figure out how to push you or to get -- and bottom line is i think we ought to have a great, big national discussion. let's do it. let's have congress debate about the status of the fourth amendment in a new digital age. >> bill: here's the problem.

i agree and president obama has said we need this debate. this is good we're having this. we wouldn't have the debate i might add. if it weren't for edward snowden. here's the problem with the debate. one side keeps saying can't tell you. it is a big secret. and then on top of that, you've got our intelligence officials lying to members of congress. james clapper lied to ron wyden and this week, the nsa had to take down his web site because they lied on the web site about how often i guess, they can get access to listening to the content of your phone calls. so they're not telling the truth. >> there is another frustration. we in congress can get classified briefings but then when we get a classified briefing, we can't talk to the citizens we represent and tell them what we found out. >> can't talk to each other about it? >> we can talk to each other. bottom line, my view on something like this data mining, the american people need to be briefed. >> bill: yes. >> not just members of congress.

>> bill: dick durbin was on the show last week. i asked him, do you approve of what nsa is doing? he said no. here's my frustration. i've known about this for seven years. i go into a briefing. i get briefed on it. they tell me, you can't walk out of here and talk about it. said i'm really disturbed about it. i know it's not right. i know what we're doing is not right. i can't do anything because i can't even complain about it. >> that's something members of congress have to reject. you know, when i first got to congress the iraq war was still on. big issue in the campaign. i remember going to the classified briefing and then going up to get the classified report. you have to hand in all of your cell phone and everything else and sign an oath you won't say anything. what i read in the classified reports -- >> bill: you sign a note? >> you sign a -- this is criminal liability. so it is serious. we can't disclose it. but what i read in the classified briefing room was

what i read in "the new york times" before i came. >> could you then discuss? >> no, you can't. because then you get into this question about whether -- what you're disclosing, what's the origin of it? is it "the new york times"? i actually see that that's kind of handcuffs on the public discussion and debate. >> in this country today we have polling that will show us sometimes we're down to 8% of people like congress. and -- >> we're in double digits. >> but this is an important thing. the founding concept of the american experiment was we sent our representatives to washington to be our representatives there. part of that is to tell us what's going on. when we set up this situation where they became high priests not you but you know what's going on. you can't talk to us about it. i think that creates a division between the people and the representatives. >> that's right. here's the thing. there is a distinction between something that is a specific

operation or plan or investigation and that has to be secret. you can't disclose that. in fact, i don't want to know about it. >> if there is an on-going investigation, it is not for me to know. and i don't want to know. but if there is an on-going policy that affects the people i represent, i want to know and i want them to know. that's really where the distinction is. >> bill: absolutely. all right. and now something that we haven't talked about in a couple of days, i want to take -- get your take on this. president obama may go down in history as the president who stopped two wars in the middle east and started a third one? what are we doing in syria? 1-866-55-press when we come back. >> announcer: get social with bill press. like us at facebook.com/billpressshow. this is the "bill press show."

(cenk) it's go time! it's go time! it's go time! go time. you know what time it is. go time! it's go time. it's go time. what time is it rob? here comes the young turks go time! it's go time. oh is it? oh, then it's go time. anybody? anybody? what time is it? oh, right. it's go time! current tv is the place for true stories. with award winning documentaries that take you inside the headlines. real, gripping, current. documentaries... on current tv.

>> bill: 12 minutes before the top of the hour. the conversation never stops here even during the break here on the "full court press." it is good to you have back here with congressman peter welch from vermont. you can follow him on twitter at peter welch. how about that. and john nichols washington correspondent for the "nation" magazine. out with a great new book, dollarocracy. john nichols in studio, follow him on twitter at nichols uprising. real revolutionary. nichols uprising. congressman, what are we doing in syria? are we doing the right thing and

are we going to be able to hold the line in supplying just small weapons only? >> it is tough to see us holding the line there. here's the thing. number one, there is the humanitarian catastrophe there. there is enormous desire. i was at a syrian refugee camp on the turkish border, there's no men there. young men are off fighting. the husbands are fighting. the women don't know if they're safe or dead. you see children who have been burned from assad bombs. so there is this impulse we all have. john mccain and lindsey graham, give them some credit, they care about these folks but that, we have -- a humanitarian concern doesn't mean we have a practical means of affecting an outcome that makes it better as opposed to worse.% this is essentially a sunni shiite civil war and there is a fight now. we all don't like assad. we like him to be gone but the folks who were fighting to bring him down are going to start settling their own scores, ultimately successful. and the worst thing we can do is

americanize the civil war. and we're making a major decision when we're starting to arm directly groups of rebels. there's no way we'll be able to have confidence about who gets what. the other issue here is that small arms aren't going to make the military difference in this. it is a military step, you know. immense political pressure on the president. but will it make a significant military shift in the balance of power? i doubt it. then finally, there is a congressional issue. when are we going to learn that congress is not involved in essentially the steps of going to war and congress won't be involved at all. and it is time for us in congress to -- stand up and exercise our responsibility to be involved in this debate. so i'm introducing along with chris gibson and michele bachmann and rick noland, the senate bill sponsored by chris

murphy and paula among others. we're doing that today. we're having a press conference with rand paul. he's coming over to the house side. it is about saying before we can weaponnize this, congress has to weigh in. >> bill: in other words maybe follow the constitution? >> yeah. >> bill: there is a radical idea. >> it is a big deal. >> bill: you're right on. although the president has already done it. by executive order. >> he's doing it. the president -- yes. we saw the star in the times. he's made the decision. by the way, i admire the president's restraint on this up until now. he's been restrained and i think is mindful of the risk to the national security here and that once america is in that effort, in that war it becomes a different event. we saw it in iraq and

afghanistan. >> congress needs to grow up. >> we do. you're right. since 1941, we have not declared a war. wars that people are proud of. wars that people want and wars people don't like. our congress has not done it. and i will -- we have people up there who will talk every day about benghazi. right? go on and on about it. well, when our president was involving us in libya, there were a handful of members who say we ought to be weighing in. when you don't weigh in at the start point and things you don't like happen, you have seeded an immense amount of space as regards holding things to account. and i don't want that to happen to syria. >> that's right. there has to be a self-conscious discussion and debate. look, you know, there is a humanitarian issue. it would be better if assad was gone. but there are real implications of getting involved in a military way that are quite a bit different than the

humanitarian assistance, aggressive diplomacy that secretary kerry is trying to pursue. and you know, we just have to look at iraq and we have to look at afghanistan. iraq is -- you know, iraq now is the ally of assad. and iran. it didn't really work out for the strategic sense for the u.s. afghanistan, once we went through the nation-building situation, we find ourselves basically propping up and very corrupt government. >> bill: right. what happens after we leave afghanistan is a real big -- i think we know what's going to happen. >> it isn't pretty. >> bill: no. >> the thing is there's a great president, lost to history. john quincy adams said america goes not abroad searching for monsters to destroy. very important message. he said we may actually be very sympathetic to people but if we go out around the world looking for trouble that's going to come home to us.

1821 we knew that. >> very good advice for 2013. >> bill: congressman peter welch, we're glad you're on the job. there is hope, right? people like you fighting the good fight. john nichols you and i can keep working and making a difference in our own way. thank you for being here. congressman, great to see you. >> this is the "bill press show." >> asking the tough questions. >> chris brown, i mean you wouldn't let one of your daughters go out with him. >> absolutely not. >> you would rather deal with ahmadinejad then me? >> absolutely! >> (singing) >> i take lipitor, thats it. >> are you improving your lips? >> (laughter). >> when she's talking, you never know where the conversation is going to go. >> it looks like anthony wiener is throwing his hat in the ring. >> his what in the ring? >> his hat. >> always outspoken, joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking?

>> only on current tv.

this show is about analyzing criticizing, and holding policy 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 am given to doing anyway. staying in tough with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. 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? vo: the war room tonight at 6 eastern (vo) current tv gets the converstion started next. >> you are. >> the troops love me. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv. >> bill: another big hour coming up.

elizabeth wydra is with the constitutional accountability center. here to talk about the historic supreme court decisions of this week. and then we'll be joined by the acting secretary of labor, seth harris. filling the shoes of hilda solis until the new labor secretary is confirmed. president obama i gotta tell you, you don't want to go on vacation for him. he -- with him. he works too damn hard. in senegal today, he's got a whole series of meetings he's already of course with the time change, in the middle of them. started with a bilateral meeting then a press conference with him. met with some judicial leaders to talk about the rule of law. he and the first lady and their daughters over to gory island to visit the former slave headquarters there. then he meets with u.s. embassy personnel this evening and big working dinner tonight. i'm tired just thinking about all of that.

come on back for another hour of the "full court press."

[ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> bill: good morning everybody. happy thursday. it is thursday, june 27. here on the "full court press" coming to you live on current tv. all across this great land of ours wherever you happen to be, we are there with you bringing up to date on the news of the day. and, of course, giving. >> chance to comment on what it all means to you. you can do so by phone at 1-866-55-press. give us your comments on twitter at bpshow and on facebook at

facebook.com/billpressshow. the supreme court wrapping up its 2013 session yesterday with historic rulings. first of all dumping the defense of marriage act by a 5-4 decision saying that all same-sex couples in every state that recognizes same-sex marriage should qualify for all of the benefits under federal law that straight couples do. the court also, of course, invalidating proposition 8 in california which makes california the 13th state soon, at least will, to recognize same-sex marriage. governor jerry brown has given orders to resume marriage equality in that state as soon as possible. meanwhile, president obama a busy day on his first full day of the state visit to senegal. cnn is bringing back

"crossfire." and the patriots have dumped tight end aaron hernandez after he's charged with murder. all of that coming up right here 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 there is any chance we'll ever hear the president even say the word "carbon tax"? >> with an opened 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) >> cutting throught the clutter of today's top stories. >> this is the savior of the republican party? i mean really? >> ... with a unique perspective. >> teddy rosevelt was a weak asmatic kid who never played sports until he was a grown up. >> (laughter) >> ... and lots of fancy buzz words. >> family values, speding, liberty, economic freedom, hard-working moms, crushing debt, cute little puppies. if wayne lapierre can make up stuff that sounds logical while making no sense... hey, so can i. once again friends, this is live

tv and sometimes these things happen. >> watch the show. >> only on current tv.

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! >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio and on current tv, this is the "bill press show." >> bill: very radical opinion from the supreme court yesterday saying you are free to marry the one you love. whoa. what's wrong with that? hello, everybody. it is thursday, june 27. so good to see you today. and thank you for joining us here on the "full court press." we're coming to you live from our nation's capital and our studio here on capitol hill in

washington d.c. with the news of the day. and it was a big news day yesterday. particularly here in washington, d.c. the supreme court coming down with historic decisions on the defense of marriage act and on california's prop 8. we'll tell you what's going on all across the land here as well as in our nation's capital. and around the country where president obama, the first full day of his state visit to senegal today. we'll not only tell you what's going on. give you a chance to weigh in and ask questions or make your comments at 1-866-55-press. that's our toll free number. looking for you on twitter too at bpshow and on facebook at facebook.com/billpressshow. and whenever we get into legal territory, particularly regarding the supreme court we reach out to a good friend of ours who knows the issues better than anybody. this is her work. she follows the court. the chief counsel at the constitutional accountability

center, elizabeth wydra. thanks for coming back in this morning. >> it is great to be with you bill. >> bill: seeing a lot of you lately. >> that is good. i didn't break the show today. >> bill: no. the lights stayed on, second time in a row at least so far. >> for now. >> let's hope you don't get a cough. i feel like i'm cursing you whenever i come on. [ laughter ] >> bill: while the lights are on, take a good look at the team here. peter ogborn and dan henning. >> hey hey hey. >> bill: javon paris is here taking care of the phones. alichia cruz got the week off. cyprian bowlding is on the job as always keeping us looking good on current tv. yesterday, in the house of representatives, a hearing regarding some contractors particularly this was a contract i think got a special federal contract for the i.r.s. by pleading a military disability.

and this gentleman maybe didn't realize he was going to be up against a member of the committee. congresswoman tammy duckworth from illinois who really has a severe and serious military injury -- lost both of her legs and almost one arm in a helicopter crash in iraq. this gentleman lost -- had his so-called military injury. he sprained his ankle while playing football in high school. and claimed that as a military disability. >> good grief. >> bill: tammy duckworth jumped all over him. >> i hope that you think twice about the example that you're setting for your children. i hope that you think twice about what you are doing to the nation. this nation's veterans who are willing to die to protect this nation. twisting your ankle in prep school is not defending our serving this nation. >> bill: she was on fire.

>> that's hard core. >> bill: this creep twisted his ankle in a high school football game and applied for a contract and got a special contract as a -- disabled veteran. unbelievable. you lie about that. you're pure scum. elizabeth wydra here for the first half hour then we'll be joined by the acting secretary of labor mr. seth harris. a lot to cover. let's get right to it. but first... >> announcer: this is the "full court press." >> check of other headlines making news on this thursday. the new england patriots took the opportunity yesterday during the big breaking news of the supreme court decisions to quietly dump the news that they were releasing their star tight end aaron hernandez after he was arrested and charged with murder a week after the body of a friend of his was found near his home. he had quite the career. played in the 2009 bcs national championship for florida. was drafted by the patriots

patriots and was in the middle of a five year, $3 million as the highest paid tight end in the league. >> bill: from what i read, this guy better get a good lawyer man. it was more than he just happened to live near where the body was found. >> walmart became the latest major company to drop paula deen. yesterday they said they would not sell anymore of the celebrity chef's products beyond what they have already committed to. this comes after smithfield dropped its endorsement of deen and the food network dropped her program as well. that being said, nine smaller companies that do business with the embattled chef did voice their support for her yesterday following her apology. also for what it's worth donald trump praised her for stepping up and apologizing as well. >> bill: oh, good. oh good. yeah. there's a pair. >> finally cnn announced who will host the new version of

"crossfire" that it's bringing back. cast includes stephanie cutter and former green energy adviser van jones on the left. msnbc's newt gingrich on the right. "buzzfeed" joins us in on the phone to say what it thinks are the hottest hosts. when the show ran from 'er 92 to 2005 and bill press ranked number four on the list. tom braden. number two -- >> bill: that was novack. >> number one hottest crossfire host, a tie between mary and james caravel. >> bill: oh, get out. come on. >> for what it's worth i think you're way harder than caravel. >> did you beat out sununu.

>> paul, handsome man. >> the list is up on our facebook page. tucker is down at number nine, by the way. >> ouch. >> bill: by the way don't take this the wrong way. bob novack, i loved him. he's a good friend of mine even though we disagreed on everything. in a sense i'm glad he's not alive today. if he were alive today and he had come up, scored higher than i on the hot list, i would never hear -- he would never let me forget that. no. so all right. >> i'm proud to be number four anyhow. good of good luck to the new crossfire. before we get to yesterday the big decisions on marriage equality. earlier in the week, the justices on voting rights seem to say hey, you know, these are new days, new times. we needed a voting rights act.

we don't need it any longer. >> yes. you know, justice ruth bader ginsburg put it really well. getting rid of this key provision in the voting rights act is throwing out your umbrella because you're standing under a thunderstorm and not getting wet. it has been arguably the most effective tool in preventing racial discrimination in voting. >> bill: the first civil rights act passed by the congress. it's worked, right? >> it has worked extremely well. even chief justice roberts in striking down section four of the voting rights act which says which jurisdictions are required to go through important preapproval process for any voting changes any changes in voting laws. and he said most of the progress in the south is due to this provision. of the voting rights act that requires jurisdictions with the history of racial discrimination in voting to get preapproval from the government. so it is sort of a victim of its

own success to the majority. and it honestly, it is a ruling that makes very little sense both common sense and from a constitutional lawyer standpoint, i can't find where he specifically pinpoints which portion of the constitution this supposedly violates. >> bill: well also then, it says he makes a point well, but it's worked so well. it needs to be brought up to date right? so we'll just ask the congress to fix it. as if this congress could do anything. agree on anything. particularly something as substantive as this. >> it is also not -- you know, not his job. the constitution in the enforcement clauses to these very important post-civil war amendments that do things like the '50s amendment of the right to vote free from racial discrimination, they give congress the express power to enforce the provisions of those laws. and there is a reason that the drafters of the 15th amendment wanted congress to not

support -- either one chiefly responsible for protecting this precious right. because congress is better at fact finding because congress is closer to the people. congress amassed nearly 15,000 page record supporting the idea that we still need this particularly strong measure of protection in these areas that have this concentrated problem and racial discrimination in voting. it continues to be a problem there. we found this last election. that it continues to be a particularly acute problem in places like texas and south carolina. an important laws were blocked by this provision of the voting rights act. voter i.d. in texas and south carolina. texas redistricting plan that was shown to be in federal court to be intentionally discriminatory. now with the supreme court's ruling in the voting rights act case, we no longer have that protection until congress makes the legislative fix and

unfortunately, we could be waiting a very long time. >> bill: absolutely. so a big disappointment with the voting rights act. but they redeemed themselves to a large extent yesterday. >> well, some of them. >> bill: some of them did right. on the same-sex marriage. i was surprised that both of the decisions were 5-4 and also surprised as we talked during the break about how some of the 5-4 lined up. at any rate, let's start with the defense of marriage act. this is pretty sweeping across the board, right? over 1,000 federal statutes and over 1,000 benefits now applicable accessible to same-sex couples. >> yes. this is a very important ruling. justice anthony kennedy writing for himself and four other justices, struck down the provision of the so-called defense of marriage act. that denied more than 13,000 federal benefits to legally marry gay and lesbian couples. these are couples that are recognized by their states to be legally married and the federal government said for the purposes

of federal law, marriage is between a man and a woman. and justice kennedy's opinion yesterday struck that down as violating the constitution's guarantees that the quality and liberty for gay and lesbian couples and their families. and he could have written it more narrowly. a lot of people expected him to do this sort of on, you know, very narrow federalism grounds saying states can do it. federal government can't. and while the ruling doesn't affect whether or not states can ban marriage equality, it does have language that is very encouraging. he talks about how laws that are based on a pure hostility or disapproval or -- run afoul of the constitution. i think we've seen a lot of the state bans on gays and lesbians getting married are based just on that. based on a desire to make the relationships second class. >> bill: one fact i want to -- i want to make sure i have correct here. so that if you're in a state

that -- where same-sex marriage is illegal right -- >> yes -- >> bill: and you are a couple living in that state who went to like california and got married and came back, in that state your home state, you would not qualify for the federal benefits, correct? >> it is a little bit tricky. you know, i think we'll get some guidance from the federal government. we're also getting yesterday even after the ruling, we had some statements from the defense secretary saying that he would give -- he would make sure that the military benefits -- including burial rights, we're talking about -- very sort of deep emotional -- it is not just about money. you know, it is about a lot of dignitary and emotional issues as well. and he said that he would give those to the fullest extent of the law to legally married couples. so we'll have to -- >> bill: in any state. >> i think that's what it means there. we'll have to see how the

federal government interprets this. but i do think that there is a lot of hope for the obama administration to give as many benefits as possible to legally married couples. >> bill: even in states that have not recognized it. >> yes. >> bill: then that gets to the next question -- which is in his dissent of this, justice scalia said here's the problem. this only goes part way and we know they're not going to be satisfied with this. it is only a matter of time before the other shoe drops. meaning where another supreme court decision will say it has to be the law of the land like in lawrence v. texas the anti-sodomy laws, all 50 states. i think scalia is right on that. >> i do, too. i've been saying there is a lot of encouraging language in justice kennedy's opinion and you know, all you have to do is look to justice scalia's dissent

to see that's true. i think he's right on that. when you're talking about respecting the equal dignity of the relationships, that applies to the states as well. >> bill: that's right. it can't be a patchwork thing. it has to be in all 50 states. it didn't go that far yesterday. it is only a matter of time. it won't be long. 21 minutes after the hour now. elizabeth wydra from the constitutional accountability center. the supreme court historic decision a great decision on doma yesterday. even president clinton who signed it into law said thank you, thank you for overturning this thing i signed into law. sorry that he did so. your questions your comments at 1-866-55-press. we'll be right back on the "full court press." >> 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." for true stories. with award winning documentaries that take you inside the headlines.

real, gripping, current. documentaries... on current tv.

>> did anyone tell the pilgrims they should self-deport? >> no, they said "make us a turkey and make it fast". >> (laughter). >> she gets the comedians laughing. >> that's the best!

>> that's hilarious. >> ... and the thinkers thinking. >> okay, so there is wiggle room in the ten commandments is what you're telling me. >> she's joy behar. >> ya, i consider you jew-talian. >> okay, whatever you want. >> who plays kafka? >> who saw kafka? >> who ever saw kafka? >> (laughter). >> asking the tough questions. >> chris brown, i mean you wouldn't let one of your daughters go out with him. >> absolutely not. >> you would rather deal with ahmadinejad then me? >> absolutely! >> (singing) >> i take lipitor, thats it. >> are you improving your lips? >> (laughter). >> when she's talking, you never know where the conversation is going to go. >> it looks like anthony wiener is throwing his hat in the ring. >> his what in the ring? >> his hat. >> always outspoken, joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? >> only on current tv.

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: all right. 26 minutes after the hour. the "full court press." continues here with elizabeth wydra from the constitutional accountability center. we were brought to you today by sherwin williams. yes, make the most of your color with the very best paint. any painting questions ask sherwin williams. peter, a little breaking news here? >> yes indeed. the president met the press and was asked about edward snowden because, as we talked about if he does fly to cuba, he might fly over some american airspace and what happens to the airplane, the president said i'm not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker.

so in other words snowden might not be the biggest deal in the world to president obama right now. >> bill: i think john kerry said that to basically with questions about syria afghanistan, iran, they've got more important issues perhaps with russia to deal with. so elizabeth on proposition 8 in california, how soon before we see same-sex marriage resume in california? >> i think it is just a matter of, you know days or weeks. you know, it is really just -- there are some sort of procedural matters where the ninth circuit lift its stay. legal hurdles to go over. >> bill: just routine stuff though. >> just routine stuff. what the court did by finding that the backers of proposition 8 -- finding they didn't have the legal right to appeal the decision from the district court which struck down that proposition as unconstitutional, what that does is leave in place the federal district court in california's ruling that

proposition 8 is unconstitutional and that marriage equality should resume. so, the upshot of the court's ruling yesterday is that marriage equality is once again the law of the land in california. >> bill: as you point out standing issue in california where basically they said well, the only ones that oppose to what the lower court did are still supporting prop 8 are the mormon church and the catholic bishops, right. they don't have standing. but in the defense of marriage act, sustaining issue too in the fact that the administration, the department of justice was not defending the law of the land. it was only the house republicans and john boehner. right? >> right. >> bill: left defending the defense of marriage act. >> you know, the bipartisan -- bipartisan you know legal group which went by the name blag, saying it was how i felt about it. blag. but you know -- >> bill: i gotta stop you. we're out of time. such important decisions and so

good to you have here to tell us about it. >> 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: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show." live on your rodeo and on current tv. >> bill: here we go. 33 minutes after the hour now here on the "full court press." this thursday morning. june 27. we're coming to you live from our nation's capital, our studio on capitol hill. brought to you today by the american federation of teachers. good men and women of the aft under president randi weingarten making a difference in america's classrooms every day. you bet. you can find out more about

their good work by going to their web site, aft.org. just a few of the aft members part of america's great army of working families. represented. and fought for every day here in our nation's capital by the department of labor. the acting secretary of labor seth harris joins us in studio this morning. mr. secretary, nice to see you. >> bill, great to be with you. >> bill: when she was their reigning secretary hilda solis was in the studio here once a month to talk about the new job nonetheless to came out. we have a good relationship with her and with you. >> great. it is a pleasure to be here. i'm going to try to live up to the standard. >> bill: she did. tom perez is still hovering sort of like a plane over o'hare waiting to land. >> waiting for him to get there. >> bill: good man. >> fantastic public servant. he cares about working people. got a great agenda that that's going to bring with him to the

department. we're going to be a great team. i'm looking forward to working with him. >> bill: one of the issues republicans seem to have against him from what i see is the minimum wage. he's been a real champion of raising the federal minimum wage which is something that you've been talking about particularly a lot this week with the 75th anniversary of the fair labor standards act. which was adopted then under president -- what would that make? >> president roosevelt. >> bill: fdr. >> francis perkins had worked with him in new york state on improving working conditions for working families in new york. and when he asked her to join his cabinet and to become the first ever woman to serve in the u.s. cabinet she said i'll do it if you'll allow me to work on a law that will set a floor on wages, a soft ceiling on hours and will outlaw exploiting child labor. the labor department drafted the fair labor standards act. president roosevelt pushed for it and put in place the first

ever national minimum wage at 25 cents an hour. >> bill: no. i was going to ask you what it was at that time. imagine that. that's probably still what it is in bangladesh. >> i'm not sure there is a minimum wage in bangladesh right now. >> bill: where are we today? the president has made a proposal. and is congress anywhere close to taking action on it? >> i'm actually optimistic. we had a hearing earlier this week chaired by senator tom harkin who is a leading advocate. has been for decades. so we had a hearing. i think there's hope that the proposal will move. the president's proposed increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $9 an hour and then indexing it to the cost of living. so 15 million americans would get a raise under the president's proposal and it will lift a lot of people out of poverty. what the president said in the state of the union address is no american living in the richest country on earth should work full time and still be stuck in poverty. and so this increase will help to lift them out of poverty.

>> how many people would benefit from that? >> 15 million. >> 15 million! >> that's amazing. >> bill: why is it congress makes it so easy to extend tax cuts for the wealth yers of americans and so difficult to talk about a minimum minimum wage for 15 million americans? >> exactly right. i've been traveling around the country meeting with minimum wageworkers, trying to give them an opportunity to tell me their stories and try and make their stories central to the debate here in washington because so often, you know, political discussion quickly gets off into these abstract policy concepts. i wanted the lives of these families to be right at the core of the discussion and the stories they told me were poignant, powerful stories about excruciating choices they have to make between buying fresh food for their kids or buying clothes for their kids. do i fix my car so i can get to work or do i fix my heat so my family will be warm in the winter. not one of them has said i have savings so that if i have an

unexpected expense i can you know, cover it. it is not a problem my car breaks down. many are living on the edge. some are over the edge. one woman patty federico in boston said to me, i said to her well you're living paycheck to paycheck. she said no, i'm not. living paycheck to paycheck would be an improvement in my life. she's struggling to get by on the basic necessities. >> bill: i can't do the math in my head that quickly. i was never that good at math anyway. if you're getting -- the minimum wage is $7.25 today. so if you're working a 40 hour a week, what are you making roughly a year? >> this increase would get you an additional $3500 a year. right now if you're working full time you're making about $14,500 a year. this would take you to about $18,000 a year. let me say by no measure easy street. >> bill: i was just going to say. we're quibbling about people not even wanting -- not even making $18,000. imagine trying to make it with a

couple of kids on $18,000 a year. >> that's right. they're struggling. we brought them to the white house. we had an event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the fair labor standards act. vice president biden got up. gave an impassioned speech about -- he's been terrific. he also told the story let me say about his mom and how she had been taking care of by a home health aide and talked about how outrageous it is that home health aides in america don't even get the minimum wage. they're not protected by the fair labor standards act. no minimum wage. no guarantee of overtime. we're working on a rule right now with the white house to change that so that the two million mostly women mostly women of color will get this raise, get this protection under the law and will really have an opportunity to move into the middle class. >> bill: that's one group that afscme particularly i've talked to president lee saunders about that trying to organize to help them. get their rights. so come back to congress. you had a hearing this week.

i just lost track of it. has it moved out of either house? >> it hasn't yet. we're talking now with senator harkin and his staff about the strategy for moving the bill to a vote. there would be a markup in the senate committee i expect first and then we'll get to action in the senate. you have to remember that this has long been a bipartisan issue. you know the minimum wage and you've watched this very closely. >> bill: a lot of stuff used to be bipartisan. >> that's true. remember back in the mid 1990s when dick armey republican majority leader said they'll pass the bill over my dead body. then under newt gingrich's leadership, we were able to get a minimum wage through a republican conservative house of representatives. george w. bush no screaming radical, he signed an increase in the minimum wage for five years ago, that was the last increase. i think there's hope here. i think there's enough people of goodwill on both sides who care about giving a raise to america that we're going to see a minimum wage increase sometime in the next year.

>> bill: seth hair sit acting secretary of labor here for the united states. he's in studio with us. the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour, president obama's proposal. your thoughts, comments welcome at 1-866-55-press. what about the -- sort of -- goes hand in hand with this. the extension of unemployment benefits which is another unresolved issue right? because it gets all tied up in the -- budget negotiations and everything. >> this ends up being part of the end of the year struggle over fiscal policy and monetary policy that we see in congress. right now, we have extended unemployment benefits for millions of american workers. we're going to have to have another discussion about whether we extend them further or scale them back. big challenge is to get people back to work. we still have 11.7 million unemployed. 4.4 million unemployed for six months or longer.

almost a third -- more than a third actually of people who are unemployed right now are the long-term unemployed. one of the interesting things about the long-term unemployed is they're not any different from the short-term unemployed. they're not older less educated. they're just like the short-term unemployed, they got hit by a wave in this terrible, great recession back in the end of the bush presidency and they couldn't get back to the beach. and they're struggling now. we're working on strategies for trying to get them back to work. >> bill: is there any way we'll ever be able to retrain the workers for different lines of work? either the resources -- are they interested in it? >> i think they are interested. we're seeing a lot of enthusiasm around the country. we're right now engaged in a $2 billion initiative that the president got included back in 2010 to give out $500 million a year for four years to community colleges, to get them engaged with employers so that they can

create programs that help workers who are out of work or trade affected to get into jobs that are in demand, in their local economy right now and will be around into the long-term. >> bill: to give them the skills that the employers are looking for. >> exactly right. a lot of long-term unemployed have lost some of their skills or they -- their skills are now obsolete. in a lot of industries, health carry-on baggage being a good example, the skill demands change. new technology comes in. we've got cutting edge programs that have been funded by the labor department under president obama to develop really sophisticated programs in mech tronics and bioscience and advanced manufacturing and healthcare that are helping thousands of workers get back into the labor market and to succeed in these cutting edge jobs. >> bill: jobs, jobs, jobs. that's what we ought to be talking about. not talking enough about lately but we are this morning with the acting secretary of labor seth

harris. not very often that you get to pose a question or make a comment to a member of the president's cabinet. here's your opportunity to do so here on the "full court press" at 1-866-55-press. we'll be right back. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show."

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the secretary of labor acting secretary of labor seth harris, in studio with us. mr. secretary, honor to have you here this morning. peter, what's going on? >> a couple of moments go, south african president spoke to the media saying nelson mandela's health improved overnight which is very good news. his condition is still -- they're still classifying it as critical. he's stable. he did open his eyes more. he was a little more responsive. so we'll take the good news. >> bill: i think the president goes to south africa -- president obama after senegal doesn't he? or does he go to tanzania next? >> i'm not sure. >> bill: certainly, they're keeping a close watch on the hospital in pretoria. in connection with president obama's visit to africa. our plans for the president to visit nelson mandela as long as he's still able to receive visitors. mr. secretary, we've been talking about the other big news this week and it's related to

the minimum wage is action on immigration reform. certainly looks like there's going to be a bill in the senate. how does this impact -- how will this impact the whole job market? >> this is one of the surprising untold stories of the immigration reform debate is that comprehensive immigration reform is a jobs bill. it is a bill that's good for our economy. so the congressional budget office has put out an estimate that says that it will help -- it could help our gross domestic product to grow by 1.3% which means $200 billion a year additional coursing through our economy. that will help to create jobs. it will bring down the budget deficit by a trillion dollars almost a trillion dollars over the course of 20 years. >> bill: how is that so? where is that coming from? spending more money? >> there are several things that happened. so first of all this bill will help to bring in and keep in the united states, a lot of very highly-skilled immigrants from

all around the world. the ph.d. and masters degree candidates from -- who were foreign-born studying in american institutions, so hard for them to get a green card to stay here right now. the system is so badly broken that it badly needs to be fixed. we're working on -- with the senate right now in this bill, to create what's called a stem stapling strategy which is if you get a ph.d. or a masters in a stem field engineering or mathematics, you goat stay in the united states. you get a green card as soon as you get your diploma. those folks will help innovation. we don't talk about this. quarter of small businesses started by immigrants a. quarter of high tech businesses started by immigrants. so these folks are driving innovation in our society. but there are other things this bill will do. it will create a lot more taxpayers. we have 11 million undocumented. most working in the united

states millions not paying taxes. this bill will require them to pay taxes that will strengthen social security and medicare. it will strengthen our -- it will bring our deficits down overall. but also strengthen it will force those who quit cheating their competitors. we have low-wage employers who hire undocumenteds specifically for driving down the wages and driving down their working conditions. that's bad for u.s. workers and competitors and it hurts our economy. all of the things taken together will help our economy to do better and create all of the additional wealth. >> bill: there has been this fear though that having comprehensive immigration reform and allowing so many people to stay here, to come here, stay here who came here originally will take -- will hurt american workers and take jobs from american workers. >> right. we hear that argument every time we talk about immigration. the fact of the matter is those undocuments are already here. most of them are already working

here. the question is what's the competition going to look like? is everybody going to play by the same set of rules or are we going to let some employers get away with break the law and cheating these workers and cheating their competitors. this bill will significantly increase on those who hire undocumented. it will establish a national everify system so it will be harder to hire undocumenteds. it will bring 131 million people out of the shadows so they have the protection of american law and give them an earned pathway to citizenship. >> bill: the labor unions are okay with the senate bill the way it is now? >> the afl-cio the service employees union afscme, have enthusiastically endorsed the bill. they engage in negotiations with the chamber of commerce to come to an agreement about nonimmigrant workers which is, in an era of partisanship, as you were saying before, that's a stunning accomplishment. i congrat late tom donahue from the chamber and rich trum ca

they did a fantastic job. lee saunders has done a fantastic job. i'm proud of them because they've come together on this difficult issue and they are all standing behind the president standing with the senate to get this bill passed. >> bill: all right now, next friday is the first friday in july. and that's when the job numbers will come out. >> i can't tell you what they are. i don't know. i'm not going to scoop you. >> bill: i don't want to wait until next friday. you're here now. so let's get it out of the way. tell us what the jobs numbers are for june. >> i'm not even going to guess at it. you get in big trouble if you do this. >> i like this job. i don't want to get fired. >> bill: i like this job by getting people fired. anyhow, well, we'll wait then. next friday. and maybe you can come back in and talk to us about it. great to see you. thanks for the great job you're doing. >> thanks, bill. >> bill: i'll be back with

today's parting shot. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> (singing) >> i take lipitor, thats it. >> are you improving your lips? >> (laughter). >> when she's talking, you never know where the conversation is going to go. >> it looks like anthony wiener is throwing his hat in the ring. >> his what in the ring? >> his hat. >> always outspoken, joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? >> only on current tv.

this show is about being up to date, staying in touch with politically and putting my own nuance on it. in reality it's not like they actually care. this is purely about political grandstanding. 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. >> announcer: the parting shot with bill press. this is the "bill press show." >> bill: on this thursday morning, june 27, my parting shot for today, it was a big news day yesterday. president obama arrived in africa. aaron hernandez was charged with murder and the supreme court in effect, put its stamp of approval on same-sex marriage. but we can't forget one other big story. cnn announced it was bringing backcross fire. good. too bad they canceled it in the first place.

it won't be exactly the same. no bob novack or geraldine ferraro, they're dead unfortunately. no pat buchanan, tucker carlson mary madeline or me, bill press. but newt gingrich on the right. stephanie cutter on the left. we don't know for sure but it probably won't be the same format either. it shouldn't be. new times call for a new look and new ideas. but what the new "crossfire" can provide is just what the old one did and what we desperately need on television today a lively, informed, intelligent and colorful, not mean, but colorful debate on the issues of the day every day. yes, i'm happy "crossfire" is coming back and i wish the new team best of luck and i will always be proud to have been part of the original line-up. from the left, i'm bill press. good to see you. we'll see you back here again

tomorrow. have a good one. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show."

♪ theme ♪ >> i permanently have no idea what year going to talk about today. it was a dead news day. >> dead newsweek, really. >> dry as a bone. jacki: yeah. >> it was page 20 on the newspaper looking for some shred of something to discuss. i don't know. may