you next fox news sunday. tonight on huckabee, president obama backing off religious institutions after their protests on his controversial birth control ruling. >> religious organizations won't have to pay for the services. no religious institution will have to provide these services directly. >> are catholics satisfied with the president's shift? what about individual states who called the mandate unconstitutional? will they move ahead with the threat to sue the administration. plus, republican national committee chairman on how his party can go head to head with the obama reelection machine. ladies and gentlemen, governor mike huckabee.

>> mike: thank you. thank you very much. and welcome to huckabee. from the fox news studios in new york city. you know, if i say anything nice about barack obama on this show, some of you get angry and send me nasty e-mails because you think we ought to never say a kind word about the man. i better warn you now. you might not like what i'm about to say. with ubecause i want to publicy thank president obama. he has single handedly done more to unify and energize the republican party than all of the presidential candidates combined. [ applause ] >> mike: because his decision a little over a week ago to force catholic hospitals and universities to provide contraceptive and abortion pills in direct conflict of the long standing position of their faith win over about as well as

michael moore at an nra convention. even loyal democrats and bona fide liberals were running from the exits to get away from him before he self-come busted from the heat he got and i'm not just talking about from the catholics. it is an issue that is much bigger. it threatens the very essence of liberty by allowing government to dictate matters of individual discretion. even if there wasn't a direct and holy unconstitutional assault on the religious convictions of catholics it is simply not the government's right to demand i give my employee something. if the president can demand that i provide contraceptives or abortion today next he might demand unlimited mental health or some other form of health coverage. he could then insist that employees be covered for dental

work or cosmetic surgery. maybe a face lift for this old mug. might need some improvement the presidents it lame and. laughable attempt to make things better by playing the shell game biomorphing from the cross of holy cross to blue cross is unacceptable. not just about adding forced insured benefits for people. it is about taking away the rights of self-determination from people. no president has been granted that level of authority or power from the constitution and it simply fails to meet the test of the concept of the governed. i'm not even a catholic but i'm unmoveably prolife and i, too, object to the know objection i would be required by the dictates of one branch of government without constitutional or legislative process to surrender the terms of my faith and freedom to satisfy left wing robbing life

lunatics. i just won't do it. nancy pelosi was right about at least one thing -- >> that we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it. >> mike: well, they passed it and now we know. here is what i would do. i would call upon speaker boehner to put th entire obama care bill back on the table for another vote this week. let's find out who will is willing to put his or her name on it now that we know what is in it. it is time for obama to respent and congress to repeal. that is my view. if you would like to speak to me, do so by going to mikehuckabee .com and click on the fox news feetback section injuries also go to my fabricio page and sign up to -- to by facebook page and sign up to follow me on twitter. congress could use lessons right now in simle government.

it is out in paperback. not only in paper. such a simple easy book my grandson chandler has been out shopping for it and if he can understand and read it as you can clearly see i'm sure you will find it a helpful book as well. on friday, president obama back tracked on his order mandating religious institutions to provide contraceptives to their employees. >> if it is a charity or a hospital that has a religious objection to providing contraceptive services as part of their health plan the insurance company not the hospital, not the charity, will be required to reach out and offer the woman contraceptive carefree of charge without copays and without hassles. >> mike: catholics were among the president's biggest critics on the issue. are they satisfied with his what he calls accommodation? joining me is fox news contributor monsignor jim lasonte. i want to ask you about the

catholic church response to the so-called accommodation that the president mentioned yesterday. >> i think we are not completely satisfied obviously and we want to see more and hear more. it is important to say, governor, the catholic church has been a supporter of national health insurance in making sure that the people who aren't protected are protected. we don't think birth control and sterilization are healthcare and we don't want to pay for are it. when they say that we will have the insurance companies handle it, free isn't free. who is going to pay the premiums on the insurance companies, we are. so one way or another as a catholic or any christian or person of faith is still asked to support something that we believe is morally repugnant to us. >> mike: a point to make. healthcare, you are sick with cancer versus contraception. pregnancy is not a disease. people i understand may want to

practice contraception and that is their right as an individual and an american and i'm fine with that. unless it is aborted. i'm totally opposed to that because that is destructive. take it in the general sense. the question is whether as a catholic institution you should be forced to provide something that goes against a religious spiritual and frankly common sense doctrine for not only catholics but evangelicals and others who are prolife. >> as a catholic priest i'm aware of the fact in the history hospitals came into being because the church thought of them and universities came into being because the church thought of them. now, that the obama administration is using the hospitals and universities as a place to promote contraception and abortive drugs and sterilization is contradictery. it is not just about catholics. they came for one group and i

did nothing. they came to me and there was is no one to h help me stand. >> mike: that is one of the reasons yesterday when i was at cpac i made the comment, we are all catholics now. that is the way i feel. this is one of those times when people of faith and people who are prolife must stand together. you have, however, had some significant blowback even to the public position that you have taken. i want you to describe some of the sort of things that have been coming at you as a result of taking the stand that you have taken. >> well, it goes through i think our whole politics now as you know is very much divided and i think we have a respectable position saying we are not going to participate in the giving out of the drugs and abortive patients. having said that the calls came in and the e-mails you people don't like obama. it is not about the president, liking him or not liking him. a fine and intelligent and articulate guy but i think on policy he is all wrong. sister kathleen who heads up

the catholic hospitals said as a matter of policy it is bad policy. as a matter of morality it is bad morality and needs to change. which is why i think the president had the press conference and said we are backing off. you still leave us responsible for helping to pay the insurance companies that in turn are going to take our money to pay for things we object to moreally. this is not new as you well know, having been through state government. in new york state imi as a taxpayer are am paying for 43,000 abortions through medicaid. the only thing i think the american bishops in the end will embrace is the idea that he rejects and turns back the mandate. there is no compromise on this. >> mike: that is the important point. people say catholics just don't like obama. catholics voted overwhelmingly for obama by a 9 point margin in the last election. in ten of the last elections the way that catholics voted tended to tip the election one way or the other. five times they voted over

whelmingly for democrats. five times for republicans but you in every case it was a turning point for the election. will this have a big political impact on the president by november? >> i think what you saw yesterday was the president recognizing that he has opened up a wound. you know, for the past couple of weeks we are allowed in church to speak about moral issues. not suppose to the endorse particular candidates. we have been saying wait a second, you need to know our government is trying to make us pay for a service we object to. some people say lots of catholics use birth control. that is not the point. as i said once before many of my jewish friends are mixed on israel. churches say wait a second if you take away the rights of catholics to have respect for their faith and religious liberty you hurt everyone ultimately. i think it does h hurt president obama and he knows we have been talking in churches about this. he doesn't want to lose votes. "new york times" today front

page says kathleen sebelius is the secretary of health education and welfare. she is a catholic. but there is catholic and there is catholic. nothing she has done or said indicates that her faith is very important to her. >> mike: a pleasure to have you. ing thank you very much. it is important to mention it is one thing if an individual catholic is at odds with his or her church but it is a significant issue when the government is at odds with the church in direct violation of not the third, the fourth or the sixth or the 10th amendment but the first amendment. the government cannot prohibit nor prefer a religious practice. that is why this issue is important. several states threatened to sue the obama administration on the president's earlier policy that would have forced catholic hospitals and universities to violate their religious doctrine. will they stay take that position

♪ >> mike: this week the attorney general of nebraska and colleagues from texas and south carolina sent a letter to health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius threatening to take legal action against the administration contraceptive mandate. attorney general john bruning joins me from nebraska. great to have you here. why have you and your colleagues threatened to sue the obama administration. what is the legal basis for the potential lawsuit? >> well, it it is a war on religion. this is a violation of the first amendment. freedom of religion is what this country was based upon. you had people that came over on boats all the way from england to worship freely and now you have a federal government trying to tell people they have to violate their conscience when they provide insurance. this is very problematic. we will sue. nothing has changed in this

so-called compromise. >> mike: i think that was my next follow-up because the president walked a little back yesterday. although i'm not sure that he did. but he appeared to be pushing it now off on insurance companies. you still think the legal issue remains. so, the basis of the lawsuit, how will you approach this? >> well, think about for example a catholic diocese that is self-insured so they put their money in a pool and have whoever might administer the pool but it is still their money and when you shift it from the employer to the insurance company it is still their money and they are not going to use their money for something that they believe is immoral nor should they have to. that is the basis of the first amendment. what about an insurance company like catholic mutual. under the new rule they are supposed to just shut down. it is troubling and when you think about it i met with a couple of the bishops here in nebraska and we talked about this issue. they have so many services for the poor that they will be forced to shut down because

they will not violate their conscience and all of the poor people have to be taken care of some where and they will end up on the state medicaid rolls. this is a morass that i don't think president obama had any idea about and if he did it is unconscionable. >> mike: you been joined from texas and south carolina and i understand you have other states that have now joined with you in the potential lawsuits. how many attorneys general are already part of your action? >> just a couple of days, governor, we are at 12 states and i think this will be similar to our obama care lawsuit which you know will be heard in the supreme court next month. 2010artd that lawsuit in 21st with 13 states and now at 26. this lawsuit which is similar because a group of states pushing back against the federal government's overreaching. we are starting with 12 now but could be by the time we file the lawsuit could be 15 or 20

states and who knows how many by the end. >> mike: describe the difference between this lawsuit and the original lawsuit against obama care? some are going to say i thought you guys were already suing the obama administration. what is unique? >> westerlies the obama care lawsuit is based on congressional power under the commerce clause. can congress mandate the purchase of insurance. that is the obama care lawsuit the heart of it. it is not just about health insurance. it is about the breadth of congressional power. can they make us eat broccoli for breakfast because it is healthier than the doughnut i like to have. this is also about congressional power but focused on the first amendment and freedom of religion. there it is reason it is in the first amendment. there is nothing more important in this country than the freedom to worship as you see fit and not be forced by the

government to violate your conscience. this is not about contraception or abortive patients. that is part of it. it is bigger than that. it is about government intervention in religion and the government needs to leave us alone and allow us to worship as we see fit and not force people to violate their consciences. that is what the lawsuit will be about. >> mike: i appreciate your being here today. i wish you would promise you will keep us posted on the progress of the lawsuit because we want to be following it it. it is of great interest to every american even if they disagree with my point of view i think it surely is a point they have to be interested in. thank you for joining us to describe it today. >> thank you, governor. >> mike: last week we took you inside president obama's reelection head quarters and showed you a well oiled operation. what will the eventual republican nominee do in order to compete? i'm going to ask rnc chair

♪ >> mike: politics is pretty simple. would you want to win an election you got to get voters mowty slated to come to the polls and vote for you. last saturday we spoke to news week's and drew romano about the effort to reelect president obama and how you social media could be the key to victory. it the republican party ready for that kind of battle? let's ask the rnc chairman. last week when we talked with andrew he had been in the belly of the beast. had gone inside the obama operation to see some things that were pretty enlightening. here is one of the things he said. i will have you react to it.

>> they are really focused on technology as a way to turn out voters and get votes on election day. you know, we saw some of this in 2008 but i think what you are going to see this year this is a quote from the campaign. it will make 2008 look prehistoric. sign in with facebook and get access to the information from the social network there and use that to target messages. instead of sending a message to all your friends, they say send it to your five friends in the swing district in pennsylvania who are really concerned about taxes. >> mike: it is obvious there is a sophisticated technological approach to the election from the obama cam pape. arcampaign. are the republicans ready to match this sort of effort? >> absolutely. besides the money side i know you are asking about your technology. you have to have the money and infrastructure to put together that type of operation.

social media or microtargetting through the use of social media. we have the money to be able to do that this time around. more than that, i think you know this, governor. you have to have the right message and the infrastructure. the republican national committee is focusing in on both of those things so when it comes to it the digital reach we can compete. the message this time around of liberty and freedom and the big issues facing america those are going to be the issues that are going to drive the electorate. if you don't have the message they can talk all day long that they will make 2008 look miniature in comparison. if you are on the wrong side of the message you can have all of the infrastructure in the world but it is not going get you over the finish line. the key it to do both. we have the money and people in place and infrastructure to do it. what is the most important thing in politics in winning is being right on the message and that is where we going to be

and that is where we are going to win. >> you may have heard in wisconsin growing up, reince, a company developed wonderful dog food and great technology and marketed successfully but the company went out of business because the dogs wouldn't eat the stuff. ultimately comes down to will the american people eat this stuff they will be served up by the obama machine. take a look at another comment romano made and wehough made will get you to respond to it as well. >> 50,000 square feet of office space. at the time they had more than 200 staffers in the headquarters. for comparison romney's campaign had about 98. go back to bill clinton in '96 or george h.w. bush, about 10 or fewer at this point. they are really ramped up early. and so the scope of it is really impressive. >> mike: you know, reince when republicans hear this sort of

thing and see the huge staff that the obama organization has and look at the republican candidates and even romney who has the most advanced operation is no where near that level of staffing. explain to people how the rnc does provide an infrastructure of staffing as the republican nominee is eventually chosen. >> you bet. the first thing i hear are that we have a president just in love with campaigning. i wish he was 25% in love with being president and leading this country as he was in campaigning. besides that i will tell you that the republican national committee is unique under the law. we are the only organization in america that can take the money that we raise and legally combine it and coordinate it with the presidential nominee and we are prepared to do that. we actually have more cash in the bank than the democratic national committee. for as much fund raising as the president is doing the rnc is doing better and so we are

proud of that. just remember and i caution people to get too caught up in this because hillary clinton and barack obama you remember in '08 they he nearly gouged each other's eyes out fighting before the end of june before a national convention, splitting the party nearly in half and guess what all of that drama and that tough primary actually helped their side and it helped barack obama and he won pretty easily. so the idea that barack obama has a 50,000 square foot building and a bunch of employees and our candidates are still in a primary race history shows it is an advantage to our party to have this debate. i will tell you, governor when you were running and stayed in the race it provided excitement on our are side. when you got out of the race we he put everyone to sleep and everyone was talking about hillary clinton and barack obama for the next four months. there is a value you to having the serious debate in this country. not about the republican party or the democratic party, but by the very idea of america and freedom and what we want in

life and whether we want a cradle to grave society or whether we want an america based on the concepts of individual freedom and liberty and that is a debate worth having. >> mike: i want to thank you for making that comment because there were a lot of people that asked me to get out earlier. i want to quote you, reince that i should have stayed in even longer. >> i remember rallies that you had, governor, and what people don't realize is that the rallies even though we were neutral in the race, everyone that came into the rallies we got e-mail addresses and figured out whether they wanted to help us down the road. helped us recruit people. all that stuff helps the message and the movement and that is something that people can get lost -- can get lost if you don't really follow this stuff in the weeds. >> mike: a great point to make. and reince priebus thank you

for being here. come back soon. >> i would love it. >> mike: coming up we will be grading the president's latest flip flop on super pacs. the report card is back. hope you will be. p@?ñm ñoy.

now, back to huckabee. >> if you would like to comment on tonight's show e-mail us at huck mail @ fox news .com. >> mike: pack to school and time for the report card. the panel is editor of above the law. former advisor to hillary clinton and fox news contributor jahmu green and the ever so mild and just mild mannered in every way andrew breitbart is with us today. let me show you an interview with a cpac protester yesterday. >> are you getting paid right now? >> we are getting paid for this. >> how much are you getting

paid? >> $60 per head. >> how did they find you? >> we are all the people out of work right now. have been out of work about a year, something like that. >> they just found you guys. >> there is a list. >> a list of people. oh, my god, okay. >> basically all the people out of work for awhile for the locals that is who we are. >> and you are part of a union, though. and do you know what this is? >> no, i have -- >> you don't know what the event is cpac. me, you wanttold meow want to to make 60 bucks. >> mike: i'm all about helping people find work. to round them up and pay them to protest injuries you were down there andrew and spoke and had a little let's call it a conversation. confrontation. andrew confrontation, of course not. a little conversation with the folks. tell me about the exchange. >> i had just spoken at cpac and as i left into the lobby area there was a lockdown.

the police were out and separating people from cpac from the protesters outside so nobody could leave. there were many young people at cpac, 18 and 19-year-olds. they are scared like what is going on out there and you could hear chants, chants, chants. this is private property. it is on a driveway. you have to walk up a private property driveway and these people are threatening people there doing what they are constitutionally they have the right to do and they are threatening and menacing. they have often attacked. this is the occupy movement. do you remember when dissent was patriotic during the antiwar movement? but the tea party has been deemed by these shock forces they have been deemed an unconstitutional group. you are not allowed to speak and they shout us down. i went throughout and started to confront them because i'm -- >> mike: because you enjoyed it. >> i'm mad as hell and not going to take it any more.

[ applause ] >> mike: people have a right to protest cpac and i get that and i'm okay with that and that is what makes america a wonderful country. if the union is going to recruit and pay people to protest shouldn't they he train them so they know what the heck they are upset about. >> someone got paid $60 and hopefully now he won't have to worry about where his next meal will come from. he says he has been out of work for a year. at the end of the day, the fact that they are dirty and they stink and they don't look like you andrew, does that take away from the fact that ceos make 300 times more than the employees? when the economy was working they made 20 times more. inequality. >> mike: we have to get the report card. we have to go to the report card. the thing i want to say, if the unions are going to pay they ought to pay them a living wage and give them more than $60 and

give them $600 to go out there and do the wonderful look. take a look. this is the president, let's see, january 2010. >> the last thing we need to do is hand more influence to the lobbyists in washington or more power to the special interests to tip the outcome of elections. >> mike: that is then and this is now. the president says he will be happy to see a super pac formed on his behalf. is the president doing well, flip flopping. ellie, you give him an a. >> i give him an a. it is unamerican to turn down free money if people are legally giving it it to you. i understand the president has done everything he can to argue against citizens united from his constitutional office but now that the republicans have to run against him now they want him to run with one hand tied behind his back. andrew will tell us next that the president can't vote for himself. you have to let the president play. >> giving him a b plus. not the best decision.

an a plus would be if he fought against the special interests and the tsunami of money that is going to be spent against him with super pacs, what is he supposed to do, see the tsunami coming and pull out the surf board and say let's ride the wave. he did the only right thing because the supreme court justices he will appoint in the next administration are the only way we turn citizens united around. >> mike: is this not simply a way to level the playing field by having the super pacs? >> look at the budgets. i think if you compare. >> mike: i have. andrew, let me give you -- >> actual people make up unions. >> mike: you mean people don't work at the companies. are exxon and the other companies -- i have to give you a chance. we have to go to the break. >> i will say this. >> mike: you give him a c. >> i'm kidding. i will say this, the president can't vote for himself. i'm kidding. that was what he said i would say so i thought i would

indulge him. c minus. average par for the course. a media presidency. he knew he could get millions of dollars of free advertising to get millions to think he is idealistic on this issue and nobody will know come election time that he went against his principle. this was a media play. that is why he mentions this and goes out to citizens united and the justices in the supreme court. all about knowing that the media will not hold him accountable for his hypocrisy. when the money is spent against you, you will wish you had some to fight back. that is the way politics work but i think it is disingenuous to act about he is against it but write the check and send it in today. all right. is the president throwing israel under the bus. we will grade his handling of we will grade his handling of our mid east alle

ll be right he, waiting for it. who wouldn't want more cash? [ insects chirping ] i'll take it. i'll make it rain up in here. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? sorry i'll clean this up. shouldn't have made it rain. when i'm on overtime. when i'm in over my head. when i have to be sharp... no matter how many time zones i've crossed. when i'm on my feet for hours. when it's game time. when the day's only half over but my energy is all gone. when i need the energy to start exercising. every day. every day. every day is a 5-hour energy day. 5-hour energy. every day.

[ applause ] >> mike: more on the report card. this week rick santorum had a rather provocative statement. we will have the panel react to it. >> this is a president who is not standing by our allies, is trying to appease, trying to find a way to allow clearly to allow iran to get the nuclear weapon. he is doing absolutely nothing

in a consequential way to make sure that they do not get this weapon. >> mike: let's grade both president obama and his dealing with israel quickly and then grade senator santorum and his rhetoric about the president. start with president obama. andrew, i will give you the first opportunity for that one. >> this is a high, i went to hebrew school and the only letter i remember from 30 years ago. >> mike: translate that to english. >> i would give him an f on israel. there is a tape, i live in liberal west side los angeles and i have very many liberals who are jewish who are shivering under the table wondering what on god's green earth this president is doing with israel and throwing them under the bus as relates to iran especially. >> mike: how do you grade the president? >> i gave him an a not with my words but actually in the words of prime minister netanyahu who said we have an ironclad

commitment from president obama that this relationship is unprecedented. andrew, you may have different thoughts. what do you know that netanyahu doesn't know? >> mike: all right,. >> i give the president a greater than. throw is israel under the bus is greater than the republicans throwing cap and trade under the bus. greater than the energy policies we seen out of the republicans thus par. as far as andrew living in los angeles, i live in new york city. the secular jews i know call him a real muench. >> mike: which is a compliment. >> he is trying to be an honest broker in the middle east which is what they need for the long-term stability of our greatest ally there. >> mike: a grade for you on senator santorum. i have been to israel so many times and going back in another week. i do not get there is a great

confidence about the united states. every week i talk to friends in israel and they are scared to death about the relationship with this administration like they have never been before. whatever may be publicly said, privately israel is concerned. let's give the senator a grade, okay. >> i'm giving santorum an a. i'm happy that he is angry at somebody else now. >> an f for the politics and fear and lack of creativity because he can't find anything else on national security to hit the president on. >> i will give him an a plus. one of the most authentic candidates tou out there. his clarity on the stage on israel is absolute and it is one of his greatest strengths. >> mike: i appreciate all of you. a pleasure to have you. thank you very much for being here. >> there are bass players and then there are great bass players and then in a league all by himself there is victor wooten.

when you hear him play next, you will know why. stay with us.

>> mike: my next guest is a five time grammy award winner. he is considered by many in the music industry as the best living bass player in the world. and no, i'm not even on that list. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome victor wooten. victor, what a pleasure is. the honor is mine. i have been messmerized by your bass playing throughout the years. you have an ability to do things with a bass guitar that no one ever does. i want to talk about your music and the remarkable new cd that you got but i want you to play

first. once people hear what you can do with a bass guitar i will quit and then i will come talk to you. a great arrangement of one of my favorite hymns, "amazing grace." ladies and gentlemen, victor wooten and "amazing grace." ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ [ applause ]

>> mike: that is simply amazing. >> thank you. >> mike: i want to talk about the book you have written called the music lesson. a spiritual search for growth through music. for you music is a spiritual experience. tell me what you mean by that. >> it can go on forever. to me, everything is spiritual. a lot of things something that you can't touch but you you know is there. sometimes that can convey more than what you can see. and music to me is the perfect example of that. >> mike: tell us about the new cd. you playing like we just heard. solo bass after all this time. >> i did the cd called a show of hands. i reissued it 15 years later an enhanced version with extra tracks.

but i just wanted to see if i could do it. make a statement that someone would listen to. no overdubs and get someone to listen to it for half an hour. >> mike: how many hours a day does it take to be able to play like that? >> that is a good question. everyone will be able to play like that. i don't know that answer. >> mike: it as gift from god and you a remarkable gift. it is unbelievable. i hope people will get the cd or the book. show of hands the cd. victor wooten .com. if you go to that you can get all of the information you need. i love this guy. fantastic. makes me want to quit but i willle keep trying. >> please do. >> mike: i will never play that well but marvel that someone can take that same instrument and do that with it. we had a blast. until next time, we hope that you will just keep smiling. america is a great place to

live. from the fox news studios in new york, good night, god bless. see you next week. captioned by closed captioning services, inc.