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tv   Politics Nation  MSNBC  June 11, 2012 3:00pm-4:00pm PDT

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in eulogies. as we would say here in chris' hometown, george herbert walker bush is good people. he was a president we didn't have to train. happy birthday, mr. president. that's "hardball" for now. "politicsnation" with al sharpton starts right now. welcome to "politicsnation." i'm al sharpton. tonight, what kind of country do we want to be? do we want a country that celebrates the people who put out our fires, respond to our emergencies, and teach our children? or do we want a country that minimizes their service? takes away their jobs. that's at the core of what this election is all about. mitt romney made it clear which side he stood on when he criticized president obama for supporting firefighters and teachers and first responders. >> he wants another stimulus. he wants to hire more government workers. he says we need more firemen,
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more policemen, more teachers. it's time for us to cut back on government and help the american people. >> today one of romney's top surrogates doubled down on that. revealing it wasn't a blooper, it was policy. >> there are places where just pumping money in is not what the taxpayers want. if there's fewer kids in the classroom, the taxpayers do want to hear that there will be fewer teachers. people ought to stop jumping on it as a gaffe and understand there's wisdom in the comment. >> there's wisdom in having fewer teachers, fewer firefighters, fewer first responders. is that what americans want? of course not. it's why president obama has renewed his call for congress to invest in creating and saving these jobs. >> right now congress should pass a bill to help states prevent more layoffs so we could put thousands of teachers and
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policemen and firefighters back on the job. that's been one of the biggest problems in the economy is all the layoffs at the state and local level. cops, teachers, firefighters all being laid off. now, those folks provide vital services. they protect us, they're teaching our kids. congress should pass a bill -- congress should pass a bill like i've asked them to do to help states like nevada put americans -- those american who is are doing outstanding service on behalf of our communities, put those folks back on the job right now. that's something we can do. >> last fall republicans rejected his plan to invest $35 billion to hire first responders and stop up layoffs of 280,000 teachers. that plan, the american jobs act, had overwhelming support. 75% of americans supported using
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federal funds to help states and towns hire teachers and first responders. 70% thought using federal funds to stop layoffs of teachers and first responders would be an effective way to create jobs. the fact of the market is they're not doing jobs we don't need. they're doing services that we really need. so we're not talking about b eliminating fat. we're talking about having people do a service that is so gravley needed in this country. joining me now is msnbc political analyst richard wolf. thank you for being here. >> thanks, reverend al. richard, let me start with you. what does this gaffe say about the gop view of government? >> well, a couple of things. first of all, i don't think republicans in general especially mitt romney have made the case of how he's going to
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create jobs by cutting jobs. you may think the private sector is the best way to create jobs, but in the short-term you've got to deal with creating jobs saying you know how to create job but advocating for cutting jobs. then there's this political tenure. remember troops, our soldiers in harm's way are government workers. and these people are brave public servants disparaging them is not good politics and it's not good policy at this time. >> now, alicia, disparaging of first responders, of teachers and as richard says even our military men and women, when you listen to rush limbaugh claiming that teachers and others don't contribute to economic growth. first of all, let me let you hear this as you giggle. it is preposterous but let's listen. >> nobody's supposed to cut
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firefighters or teachers but they aren't private sector jobs. they do not contribute to economic growth. >> now, i maybe missed something but i thought cops and firefighters and teachers go shopping and they spend money and they consume things like anyone else. i mean, what kind of world does he live in that only people with private sector job are consumers and contribute to the economic growth of the country but first responders i guess everything is home grown and just appearing in their homes by some -- i mean, what is he talking about? >> i think he lives in some type of la la land where you get a discount and don't have to pay sales tax if you're a teacher of police officer. absolutely. you laid out the first basic argument. these people provide important resources. they protect our communities and our streets.
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but there is a secondary purpose here which is that they build -- these are strong middle class jobs. they build a strong middle class in communities across the country. that is more than anything the value. and right now you have a clear choice between president obama who wants to spend as you said $35 billion investing in those types of middle class jobs. and mitt romney who says let's cut these people. as though somehow that is going to stimulate the economy. >> richard, i think that what i most question here is they act as though these are jobs and people that are marginal importance, that they're insignificant. just we don't need them. i mean, i think it is so unfair -- and it's the wrong picture to give our children that teachers are not really that necessary. and, you know, firefighters -- i mean, i think it is really an ugly picture of the country beyond the budgetary argument.
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what are we really saying when we say first responders are not a priority? >> romney's rhetoric is to invest in the future and things like education. i don't know how you do that without actually investing in teachers who are being laid off. if they want to see the result of these types of policy are and deficits are an issue. look at how if you go deficit first, where that takes you. you just have to look at europe. there's a bunch of conservative governments who have been doing this. and where are they? they're in a double dip recession. and no way out of it. again, if you say jobs are the most important thing and heaven knows voters have been saying it for years now, how do you create jobs by cutting jobs? >> well, alicia, the other thing that's amazing because at first everyone said it was a gaffe. now his surrogates like we saw are doubling down on it. no, it's not a gaffe. we mean it. this is policy.
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then he says that this is what the american people want. now, if you look at the polls, gallup 2011 says when asked about honesty and ethics, teachers 84% is what the american public saw. as the high rating. teachers 84%. police 54%. business executives who they want to give all the breaks to, to who they hold up, only 18%. so the american people want the opposite of what they want. they want to give business executives tax cuts and all kinds of cushions at the expense of first responders. the american public are the exact reverse. >> we know exactly what they're doing. they're hoping that the average american is so frustrated by the slow pace of this recovery they
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completely discount the role that government can play in creating opportunity. that's the choice this election is about. either you believe that government can take us to where we need to be that we should be at a time like this investing more in education, investing more in training a new generation of workers. or you believe that we cut, cut, cut our way out of this. and that's a choice. it could not be clearer. >> richard, when you look at the fact that ryan budget was endorsed by romney. and the firefighters union wrote a letter criticizing the latest budget cuts from paul ryan. balancing the budget on the backs of firefighters without requiring those who are well off in our society to share more of the burden is simply inexexcusable. even as the private sector recovers, state and local
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governments are still seeing losses among firefighters and other public sector employees. >> i mean, we're talking about firefighters. we're talking about people saving lives in emergencies no one sees coming. are we really at a point in politic where is we have to try and explain to people why we need firefighters to stay on the payroll? >> the firefighters language echoes another presidential candidate by the name of bush. when he was running, he said you shouldn't balance the budget on the backs of the poor. he was talking about the gingrich republicans. it wasn't that long ago republicans could look at these priorities and really these not not difficult decisions. you're talking about food stamps or jobs for firefighters. if the republicans spent the last several years as with the priority of getting this back on track rather than the number one to unseat president obama, we would be in a different position
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today. sadly they have changed as a party. that's what we're living with. >> richard wolffe and alicia mendes, thank you for your time tonight. >> thanks. ahead, when it comes to the president's health care law, all republicans want is repeal, repeal, repeal. today more evidence that the law is working, working, working. plus karl rove's group apologizes after mocking the secretary following an ugly car accident over the weekend. breaking news on friday, voter suppression plan. the governor of that important state is making a big move today, and you can be sure the obama administration will respond. you're watching "politicsnation" on msnbc.
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folks, have you checked us out on facebook? the conversation is going all day long. today the flood of voter purge was the story. pat says despite what anyone says the whole motive in florida is to simply stop as many democrats as possible from voting for the president. while chastity says it's hurting scott's chances of the election. outlook not so good. we want to hear what you think too. head over to facebook and search "politicsnation" and like us to join the conversation that keeps
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going long after the show ends. we hope to see you there. announ] this is genco services -- mcallen, texas. in here, heavy rental equipment in the middle of nowhere, is always headed somewhere. to give it a sense of direction, at&t created a mobile asset solution to protect and track everything. so every piece of equipment knows where it is, how it's doing or where it goes next. ♪ this is the bell on the cat. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪
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welcome back to "politicsnation." any day the supreme court will rule on president obama's historic health care law. and the well being of millions of people hangs in the balance. like the 14 million senior citizens who have already received free cancer screenings and other preventive services. 14 million people. or the more than 6 million young adults who signed -- gained coverage in the law's first year.
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this law is gaining momentum. another sign, today three of the largest largest providers announced they will offer several key provisions of this law no matter how the supreme court rules. make no mistake, this is progress. so here's all you can hear from the gop. >> the first item of a new senate republican majority would be the repeal of obama care. >> our pledge was to repeal obama care. >> we're going to take to the floor a bill that calls for the total repeal of obama care. >> i will repeal obama care. >> since when is coverage for young people a bad thing? when did cancer screenings become objectionable? does the gop really approve of denying health care to those with preexisting conditions? earlier this year i spoke with two courageous people who know what a lifesaver this law is. >> my life is literally being
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saved by the affordable care act. i'm halfway through my treatment now for stage three breast cancer. i'm responding very well. people do not have the facts. they're not informed. they're just holding on to these ridiculous talking points without thinking this stuff through. >> why they are able to stand there and say -- and wear shirts that say keep your hands off my health care. what about my health care? what about my children's health care? maybe they should take their hands off my health care and my children's health care. >> are we supposed to leave people without a life line? the gop can slam this law all they want, but it's literally saving lives. and because of that, it's a badge of honor for this president. >> i have no problem with folks saying obama cares. i do care. if the other side wants to be the folks who don't care, that's fine with me.
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>> joining me now is congressman jim mcdermott, democrat from washington. thanks for being with me tonight. >> it's a pleasure to be here reverend al. >> congressman, you're a doctor. you know first hand how important this law is. how would you assess the effectiveness of it so far? >> well, the american people already have discovered some of the positives. you've already mentioned that many parents worry about their kids and now they're able to keep their children on their health care until age 26. they've also made it possible for people to have preventive care without having to pay a copay. a lot of times if people have to pay a copay, they won't do it. these things -- and the biggest one is getting health insurance if you have a preexisting condition. that's the one that scares most people. because when you get to be 30, 40, the wheels start falling off
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the wagon and you're really worried. is my health care going to cover me when i need it? and the president has done a wonderful service for the country. and the insurance companies are scared to death now because they know that as they start pulling back those things they've got in there now, they're going to have problems. >> that's exactly right. and you mention the preexisting conditions which is very, very important. when you look at the polling on this, 85% of people polled support covering those with preexisting conditions. 77% support reduced drug costs for medicare recipients. so different elements of this bill had some support. some greater than others but the support is with the president. >> one of the things, al. you've got to listen carefully to the insurance companies.
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they say they're going to keep the kids on to age 26. they don't say all the kids on. right now if you have a preexisting condition and you're under 26, you can get on your parents' health care. they're not saying they're going to take kids who have a problem. so they are offering but taking away with the other hand. it is a very, very tough thing to be in the world today without health insurance. it can -- it financially can break you. it can rule the rest of your life. >> no doubt about it. when you look at the fkt that almost since the beginning, congressman, the republicans have called this a job killer. listen to this. >> the number one job killer in the united states -- do you know what it is? obama care. >> obama care didn't help create jobs. >> obama care is getting in the way of their willingness to hire more people. >> what we believe is that obama
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care has been a job killer. >> now, i play that to you because a new report out today from the nonpartisan urban institute throws water on thatm massachusetts achieved its goal of near universal health insurance coverage under its 2006 health reform initiative with no indication -- no indication of negative job consequences relative to other states. the evidence from massachusetts would suggest that a national health reform plan does not imply job loss and stymied economic growth. so again, all of this job killer rhetoric appears to be just that. rhetoric. >> it's all designed, al, to scare people. to scare people to vote against the president of the united states. he has done a real service by
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standing up and facing all kinds of untruths and everything. and he's pushed forward with his health care plan. and the republicans recognize they have to destroy it some way otherwise the american people are going to say yeah, we want him to finish the job in 2014. that's why we're going to re-elect him. they are afraid that he'll get re-elected and finish the job. and the american people will be eternally grateful to barack obama for bringing health care to them. that's the biggest fear the republicans have. that's why they said beginning in 2009 in january our number one job is to prevent him from getting a second term and finishing this project. >> now, maybe i missed something. but in all their criticism of president obama's health care plan, what is the republicans' health care plan? what is their plan to deal with securing the health of the american public? >> that's the greatest mystery in washington, d.c.
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is what would you have if they did repeal it? they never put a plan on the table. nothing about covering 30 million people like the president put on the table. nothing about controlling costs like the president put on the table in terms of various provisions in the bill. none of that. they simply want to repeal it and go back to the system where it depends on what plastic you have in your pocket. if you get sick, it will be on the basis of the plastic you have in your pocket what kind of health care you receive in this country. that's not just. >> it's not just. it's actually frightening. >> it is. >> thanks for coming on the show tonight. >> you're welcome. ahead, the election may come down to florida. we have breaking news on that state's voter suppression efforts. an important story to see.
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and the commerce secretary is under investigation for alleged hit and run accident. so why did karl rove groups mock the incident? stay with us. whoa. right? get. out. exactly! really?! [ mom ] what? shut the front door. right?
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folks, we're used to the
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right wing loose with the facts. and karl rove's group american cross roads is one of the most -- of the truth. but today they hit a new low. over the weekend there were several hit and run crashes. bryson is under investigation after found unconscious behind the wheel of his car. there was no question a terrible accident that needs to be fully investigated. but before any of the facts came out, karl rove's group was on the attack. they tweeted quote, how does commerce secretary have three car crashes in five minutes and alcohol not be involved? skills. that's bad enough. when they wrote quote, breaking, john bryson cited for reckless endangerment of the economy and failure to yield to common sense
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but he's doing fine. reckless endangerment of the economy. mocking the man after an accident, classy. the commerce department now says bryson suffered a seizure and that crossroads realized that wasn't funny. so they tweeted quote, earlier bryson's tweet attempted levity before facts known and failed miserably. we took it down and regret the tweet. well, but at least this time crossroads did set the record straight. recently they put out an ad claiming 85% of college grads are moving back with their parents. that's not true. they pushed the ridiculous idea president obama would give secrets to the russians and they slammed president obama's green energy law showing a company that also got support from mitt romney.
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we're back with breaking news in that voter purge in florida. let's go back to this scene from november of 2000. hanging chads became part of the american culture. for 35 days the country waited florida to find out who the 43rd president of the united states would be. the chaos of 2000 left a bad taste for millions of americans. that's why what's going on in florida is so disturbing. governor rick scott vowing to keep voter purge urging to get behind him. now the defiance is going with a lawsuit announced just hours ago. >> this afternoon we'll be filing a lawsuit to the florida secretary state's office will be
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filing a lawsuit against the department of homeland security to give us that database. we want to have fair, honest elections in our state. so we've been put in a place to sue the federal government to get this information. >> he's suing the federal government over a database. but it does not address the justice department's concern over this purge. here's what happened so far. 2700 registered voters were sent letters saying their citizenship was in doubt. they're forced to prove it or be thrown off the list. 87% of the people targeted are minority voters. and these 87% are more likely to be democrats and independents. more than 500 of those were who receive received letters are in
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miami-dade. throwing out legal voters is unconstitutional and un-american. this is bigger than florida. new voter suppression laws have sprung up all over in the last two years. rick scott can't get away with the suppression. it started in florida and it needs to end now. joining me now from tallahassee, florida, is ion sanchos and elizabeth mcnamara. thank you both for joining me tonight. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> let me start with you. what do you make of this latest move by governor rick scott to use the method of suing the department of homeland security? >> well, we saw that this was coming in the response that the state of florida made to the jus hit department letter sent by chris herring last week. and quite frankly i've taken time to read the lawsuit.
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and quite frankly it's embarrassing. they don't even address the legal issues that the department of justice asked. in law school we were taught when you have the facts on your side, argue the facts. but if you don't have the facts and you have the law on your side, you argue the law. and in this case the governor has neither the facts for the law on his side. and this is a political document. that's all i read it as. >> when you were on with me, we talked about the need for preclearance by the justice department because florida is a voting rights state. and the 90 days, you told me they're under the 90 days. so they don't even address that. let me go to you miss mcnamara. attorney general of the united states eric holder addressed the league of women voters nationally and he talked about equal protection and fair representation. let me play this to you.
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>> i realize that some have questioned your motives and mischaracterized your efforts. believe me. i know how you feel. but the clear and simple fact is that this work never has been and never should be about politics or partisan maneuvering. this work is about honoring our most basic principles of inclusion and opportunity. of equal treatment and fair representation. >> now, i think in that clip he's addressing the fact that the league has always been nonpartisan, always been respected historically by both parties, even hosting debates. i remember when i ran in 2004. hosted debates. now the the midst of all these changing voter laws, you are being portrayed by the far extremists as some partisan maneuver which no one has ever
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heard -- at least i haven't heard from most people in any way describing the league of women voters in that regard. >> that's right. absolutely. the league has always been an organization that focused on the issues, focused on citizens, focused on the voters. we do not support or oppose candidates. this issue is not partisan. this issue is about making sure that every eligible voter is able to go to the polls. we completely agree with the attorney general. the voter lists should be accurate. but these purges right -- within 90 days of the election -- of the primary election are in violation of the national voter registration act which the league worked very, very hard to pass in the early 1990s. and we want to make sure that florida voters are not unfairly
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burdened within this period of time before an election. and if we are cleaning up these lists we are doing it accurately, transparentally, and within the law. >> and i think that's important you're back in florida trying to register voters. let me say to you, mr. sancho. when you look at the governor he tries to justify. he came with a new spin yesterday. he says quote, the latest is who should get to vote in our state and in our country. people that are citizens of our country. it's very simple, right? who comes up with the idea that you get to vote if you're not a citizen. i mean, that's ridiculous. there's no one saying people that are not a citizen should get the right to vote. we're saying that citizens should get the right to vote but they shouldn't be taken off the rolls if they are citizens and
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being falsely or wrongly accused. and that the state of florida should abide by the laws of the united states and follow what they're saying to make them follow. >> and what was the cause of voter. that's what's happening to many in florida saying perfectly legal voters. and using the governor's own statement and data he brought forth today. they've identified 46 people he believed to have cast illegal votes out of a list of 2700. and what he also let out was 500 people they have targeted with these rather serious intimidating letters turned out to be actual legitimate citizens. so we're talking about a database here that could be 75% inaccurate. this is a sloppy database. we learned in 2000 that when you make sloppy databases, you disenfranchise people.
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and this state was forced to admit that thousands of legitimate voters were turned away from the polls november 7th. and that was for political reasons. the governor -- >> miss mcnamara isn't that the point out of the many hundreds they sent out these notices, only 46 people they found to be non-citizens that voted. 500 were voters that had to go through this back and forward. don't we want to not end up with a net negative or make it difficult for citizens to vote. isn't that the point of a democracy to protect voters? >> well, most importantly it's the point of the national voter registration act. that is why the national voter registration act prohibits these kinds of purges. within 90 days of an election. we want to make sure these lists are accurate. we want to do it within the law. and we want to have a transparent process.
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so that voters are uncertain. voters have an opportunity to go to the polls. and that they are not unfairly burdened with this -- with cleaning up with these lists. so absolutely. the voting rights act and the national voter registration act were designed to support this thing. if we follow the law, we can increase the number of voters turning out at the polls rather than decreasing them right before an election. >> ion sancho and elizabeth macnar mare ra, thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you. still ahead, we will expose the plot to expand stand your ground laws. a scheme that's led to concerns about protecting civil rights. my mother froze everything. i was 18 years old before i had my first fresh bun. mcnamara. steam is the key to a great hot dog. i knew it was going to be a success. the invention was so simple that i knew i needed to protect it.
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ahead, the corporate money behind a controversial gun law. that's next. [ female announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role
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we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. welcome back to "politicsnation." folks, remember in 1998 when hillary clinton said there was a vast right wing conspiracy? people ridiculed her for being dramatic. well, it's 14 years later and maybe her claim wasn't so ridiculous. here's a story we need to talk about. since it passed in florida in 2005, stand your ground has
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become law in 25 states. it removed any duty to retreat and gave the person a right to kill somebody if they felt threatened. the controversial law became a national debate when the trayvon martin case became the biggest story in the country. the florida law says quote, a person who is attacked has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force. pretty powerful language. but not unique to florida. here's georgia. a person who is attacked has no duty to retreat and has a right to meet force with force. south carolina. no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his ground and meet force with force. michigan. a person may use deadly force with no duty to retreat. 25 bills use the same language. folks, this is no accident.
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this is florida governor jeb bush signing the first stand your ground law in 2005. the woman next to him is former nra president and powerful lobbyist. after the bill was signed, miss hammer approached the corporate backed american legislate i have exchange council. and asked them to adopt florida's law as a model bill. the law was approved unanimously. it became a template that a.l.e.c. and the nra pushed across the country. a vast right wing conspiracy? there are powerful groups at work here. and it's time to do something about it. joining me now is adam wienstein. adam wrote a new article on how a.l.e.c. and nra helped spread stand your ground. and lisa gray. thank you both for being here.
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>> thank you. >> adam, let me start with you. how close is the relationship between nra and a.l.e.c.? >> well, al, what we found is we started doing research in florida is actually they're thick as thieves and there's blood ties. down here you won't find the nra. what you'll find technically is called unified sportsmen of florida. that's marianne hammer's organization she's run since the 1970s. on the board is one john patronis. his cousin is jimmy patronis in florida's legislature. he also happens to be a.l.e.c.'s legislator down here. he finds what's on the agenda to push across the country. and you can see these relationships have been pretty deep for quite some time down here. >> now, lisa, you and others are
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fighting and many of us in the civil rights community including me have asked corporations to look at what a.l.e.c. has done here. they've had stand your ground as a model bill which quote, based upon florida legislation enacted april 16, 2005. so when we say a model bill, they actually took this bill around the country as the template for other states to really duplicate this and pass legislation. >> that's right. a.l.e.c. is a group that calls itself the largest group of independent legislators in the country. 98% of funding comes from corporations and foundations. and when that bill came to a.l.e.c. in 2005 after it passed the florida legislature, the nra brought that bill to a closed door meeting in grapevine, texas, where that meeting was cochaired by walmart and other corporations were present. other legislators were present
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and it was adopted unanimously as a national model. after that time, a.l.e.c. extolled that as a bill. it counted it in voter score cards and it talked on nra radio about how close its ties were to the nra. after that happened, the nra became the co-chair of that task force for a.l.e.c. and at the same time walmart became the corporate cochair for the state of florida. >> now many of those corporations, some of them have withdrawn. i believe 22 corporations and over 50 legislators have dropped a.l.e.c. as sponsor and have actually really began hurting a.l.e.c. with their withdrawal. when you talk about the nra, let me go back to you, adam. you yourself have had family members that were years ago members of the nra. you argued the nra today is not the nra of your father or grandfather's town.
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>> that's right. i actually have a concealed weapons permit in the state of florida. i've had it for more than a decade now. you can imagine the laws have changed significantly. i'm taken aback by the liberties i'm allowed now that i didn't have a decade ago. part of that is the nra and the influence and the way it's changed. when marianne hammer who's responsible for stand your ground, she took over the nra nationally in the '90s. before that it was largely a sportsman organization. it was the organization my grandfather was a member of. it was about gun education and hunting. now it represents corporate interests. $39 million, that's the amount of money that corporations like beretta and colt are in. they're as cliekly to talk about gay marriage as they are about firearms today. >> it's about serious political
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issues. lisa, let me ask you because we're going to run out of time. they're hurting a.l.e.c. what's next though? they have other things they're representing. >> well, that's right. walmart did drop out of a.l.e.c. about a week ago with the other corporations you've mentioned. my organization and others are working to highlight corporations like johnson & johnson and coke industries that are standing by a.l.e.c. and its agenda. to make it much more difficult for american citizens to vote and making it harder to sue if a medication causes a death. it's really a corporate agenda to make it more difficult and put their thumb on the scale of justice in virtually every area of the law. that's why we're working to expose a.l.e.c. >> we're going to stay on this and we're going to have you back to talk more about this. adam, good article. adam wienstein and lisa graves,
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thanks for your time tonight. we'll be right back. i went to a small high school. the teacher that comes to mind for me is my high school math teacher, dr. gilmore. i mean he could teach. he was there for us, even if we needed him in college.
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you could call him, you had his phone number. he was just focused on making sure we were gonna be successful. he would never give up on any of us. but i tested it out, and bayer advanced aspirin relieved my pain fast. it helps me get back in the game. but don't take his word for it. put bayer advanced aspirin to the test for yourself at fastreliefchallenge.com. and he didn't stop for three days and nights as he escaped life as a child soldier. twenty years later, he was still running, he just had a different thing driving him. every step of the way. ♪ visa. supporting athletes and the olympic games for 25 years. join our global cheer.
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it's been 18 months since former congress woman gabrielle giffords was shot in the head in that horrific shooting in tucson, arizona. today she made a rare public appearance with former aide ron barb. barb was running in a special election tomorrow. she had a simple but powerful message. for her and barber's supporters. >> i love you a lot. >> giffords attended other events this weekend with barber. giffords is thinking about a return to public service. quote, at some point she could run. she's getting better all the time. it's certainly not going to be this term and i don't know after that. we're talking about it. she wants to get back in public
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service. whether it's elected office, i don't know. it's remarkable to see her out there. since the shooting which took place over a year ago and took the lives of six people, she's made few public appearances. but each one highlights her tremendous progress. they've also been opportunities to bring both the aisles together. last august in a moment of bipartisan unity, giffords returned to congress to a thunderous applause. and her resignation in january brought up more applause and tears from both sides. these moments with gabby giffords shows everything that's right about our democracy. no matter who wins this special election tomorrow, the winner should remember everything she fought for and we should remember those that did lose their lives so that we never deal with this type of acrimony again. thanks for watching.

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