welcome po "politicsnation," i'm al sharpton. tonight's lead, 99 days until the election. it's exciting. election day is just around the corner. it's when we start to hear the fancy music. ♪ i love elections. i love voting. and no matter who you plan to vote for, the fact that millions of americans are voting is a victory for our democracy. except this year is a different year. there's a shadow over this election. since 2010, 19 states have been

enacted laws designed to make it harder to vote. the vast majority of these were driven by republican governors and republican lawmakers. even as many of them admit there is little or no evidence of voter fraud at all. and some of their actions, some of their justifications are getting desperate and down right weird. in south carolina, attorney general allen wilson is defending his voter i.d. law by pointing out it would not stop voter fraud. >> if alan wilson goes in and uses a fraudulent voter i.d. card in the name john smith and then i leave the polling place. you cannot go back in time and prove the negative. it is impossible. >> i think he'd like to go back in time and make that answer make sense. what's he saying? that we need voter i.d. laws to

stop fraud even though voter i.d. laws wouldn't stop fraud? this is the same guy who insisted that hundreds of dead people were voting in south carolina. of course, the state election commission later said all those folks were in fact alive. today there's a growing -- also a growing concern about florida. the state that made hanging chads household phrase. republicans have had their slew of bills designed to limit voter turnout and participation. a movement even the state's former gop governor charlie crist criticizes. >> in florida, we have a history of having some pretty close elections. i think everybody remembers 2000 and how close that was. and so every single vote really matters. and the notion and the idea of making it more difficult to exercise this precious right that so many people have fought and died for for our fellow

americans and my fellow floridians is unconscionable to me. >> and now the chair of florida's republican party is saying that officials held meetings to talk about depressing the black vote. more on that in a minute. but perhaps the most blatant attack on voting rights is in pennsylvania. where right now governor tom corbett's voter i.d. law is literally on trial. accused of violating the state constitution for that trial which is now in its fourth day, state officials have made a stunning admission. they acknowledged quote, there have been no investigations or prosecutions of in-person voter fraud in pennsylvania. respondents will not offer any evidence or argument that in person voter fraud is likely to occur in november. in the absence of the photo i.d. law.

folks, voter fraud is the entire rationale. why are they doing it? we don't have to guess. there's one top republican in pennsylvania who accidentally let the truth slip out. >> voter i.d. which is going to allow governor romney to win the state of pennsylvania, done. >> joining me now is christopher broach, an elections inspector in pennsylvania who says he'll refuse to ask voters to take their i.d. -- or had he will refuse to get this i.d. at the voting polling place even if it's upheld in the court sessions. also with me is rod smith, chairman of the florida democratic party. thank you both for joining me tonight.

>> good to see you. >> chris, why are you taking such a firm stand against this law? >> reverend, sharpton, this goes to my core beliefs in values that if a government can ask citizens to violate a law which is a civil rights act in order to enforce a law, then that law is no good. >> so you see this as a law that is really a law you have to stand up against because it violates voter rights and civil rights? >> absolutely. >> now, what is interesting to me is that when you look at the fact that the governor of your state in march claimed that voter i.d. laws would not interfere with people's right to vote -- let me play to you what

he says. >> contrary to some claims, this bill does not interfere with anyone's legal right to vote. it prevents people from cheating in our election. some have argued there is no evidence of voter fraud. i don't necessarily agree with that. this is a law of prevention. it is to prevent voter fraud. >> it's a law of prevention, he's saying. which is conceding there has not been widespread voter fraud. we can't find any. but now in court they're saying they don't expect voter fraud. so what are they preventing? and when he says it doesn't prevent people from voting, we have as a fact that 758,939 voters in pennsylvania don't have the voter i.d. that they have this so-called voter i.d. law for.

that would impact 9.2% of the voters that voted in the state. that is, to me, amazing, chris. >> well, it's actually more amazing to me, reverend sharpton, that this same governor who can make all the statements that you just mentioned actually did not know himself what forms of i.d. were required to go vote. how could he make a claim this is going to protect voter rights and protect voter fraud when he himself didn't even know if he had the right kind of i.d. to be able to go vote? >> so let me show the country what you're talking about. when the governor was questioned about the initial claims of voter i.d. fraud being no big deal. he said quote, studies show that 99% of pennsylvania's eligible voters already have acceptable photo i.d.s. when the fact is as we just showed you, it's 9.2% who don't.

which going to you as a chair in florida, when you look at that figure 9.2% of the voters in pennsylvania don't have the voter i.d., will you look at it and find out 758,939 people don't have the i.d. in a very key and critical swing state, this could make a big difference in the presidential election in november. and then when we come down to your state of florida where we see the same kinds of problems, this could be decisive and undermining the democratic process in this election. >> absolutely. the numbers are going to be close in the number states. florida being one of them. it is always close in florida. if you can move the numbers just that much and that's what the republicans have plan to do. they've been planning to do. that's what they're trying to

do. then they could make the difference in the election and ultimately who becomes president of the united states. but obviously we're trying to prevent that as quickly as possible and using some tactics that i think will work and strategies that should work. >> now, i know of a lot of those strategies. i've been on the ground in florida. i'm coming back this week. let me tell you something that really caught my eye. former florida gop governor jim greer. in a deposition that has gone public, he says and i'm quoting from the deposition that he stated under oath, political consultants and staff were talking about voter suppression and keeping blacks from voting. he further states about not letting blacks vote and minority outreach programs were not fit for the republican party. this is a very significant statement for a former state

chair republican party of florida to make under oath. i understand there's questions he's facing legal questions and all. but to say it's under oath is extremely troubling, wouldn't you think so? >> it's troubling. most troubling thing is it's consistent with what's actually happened. there has been -- this chairman was there at a time when he observed people making those kinds of statements. we know that's likely to have been the case. since 2010 there's been a consistent effort in florida to suppress the vote particularly aimed at the groups he's believed at the time were being discussed and says were being discussed. so if you see the results and they're consistent with what he said, i find it highly credible and troubling. troubling in the sense that anybody would sit down as a party and talk about ways in which they could suppress votes or eliminate people who were otherwise qualified voters. that's a sad commentary on

politics. >> you know, chris and rod, we watched the olympics all day here today. let's go to the data. everything is down to numbers. in your state of florida, rod, out of 37 million votes cast, 179 allegations. that's 0.0005%. and in your state, chris, we have 13 cases out of 31 million votes cast. that's 0.00004%. so we have a solution looking for problem. we have some real attempts to undermine in my opinion the democratic rights of all voters. white, black, asian, latino in those states. and i think it has to be resisted. >> i absolutely agree with you. in fact, one of the things nobody has been talking about that i'd like to bring some attention to is the fact that no one's questioning how one is to

submit an absentee ballot. myself, i served six years in the united states military and i've got a son right now just came back from afghanistan. he's stationed in colorado. he'll be voting absentee ballot this year. how's he going to do that without identification? so i'm wondering if there is a sub blimal message that says if they're going to get away with this, are they going to get rid of absentee ballots also? >> it's a good question. i don't understand why didn't they have i.d. laws in the republican primaries we had a couple months ago. oh, but there was no fraud. christopher broach and rod smith, thank you thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you, too, reverend sharpton. big news about bill clinton's role at the democratic convention and why policies matter. plus happy birthday, medicare. a big day for nearly 50 million americans.

but the programs under the greatest assault we've seen since reagan. and we've got the gold medal feud going on inside the republican party. dick cheney says picking sarah palin was a mistake. oh, yeah. this is about to get good. you're watching "politicsnation" on msnbc. what's with you? trouble with a car insurance claim. [ voice of dennis ] switch to allstate. their claim service is so good, now it's guaranteed. [ normal voice ] so i can trust 'em. unlike randy. are you in good hands? yeah, and i took on all the bigger, tougher ones. but now that mr. clean's got this new select-a-size magic eraser, i mean, he can take on any size job.

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folks, have you joined our community on facebook yet? the conversation is going all day long. today we were all celebrating medicare's 47th birthday. tina says i'm very thankful to

our government for giving this small bit of security when we really need it. elsie had a warning for 234e program saying quote, run from the gop, medicare. run as fast as you can or you'll be chopped. and lashanda says i promise it will be here for more years to come. there are many who need this to stay healthy. we want to hear what you think too. head over to facebook and search "politicsnation" and like us to join the conversation that keeps going long after the show ends. you'll be glad you did. helps lol as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

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"politicsnation" with mitt romney's big trip. no, not his trip around the world. i'm talking about his latest trip over his own tongue. romney has ignited another international controversy with a speech in jerusalem. talking about the economic differences between the israelis and the palestinians. he said quote, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality. and then he began citing a theory about -- a theory about how culture defines economic success. saying quote, culture makes all the difference. and as i come here and i look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, i recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things. romney's comments came just hours after he met with the palestinian prime minister. so as you might guess, the

palestinians were not happy about it. a top official said quote, today he referred to us as an inferior culture. i've never heard such a racist statement from any israeli. this man needs a lot of education. this man managed today to harm american interests more than anything i've witnessed in the last three years. but this wasn't romney's only fumble over the weekend. he was actually caught off guard when asked about his tax rate. >> was there ever any year when you paid lower than the 13.9%? >> i haven't calculated that. i'm happy to go back and look, but my view is i have paid all the taxes required by law. i haven't looked at the tax rate paid year by year. i know that i pay a substantial amount of taxes. in every year since the beginning of my career so far as i can recall.

>> joining me now is former pennsylvania governor ed rendell, now an nbc news political analyst. and michael steele, msnbc analyst and former chairman of the rnc. thank you both for coming on the show. >> good to see you, rev. >> governor, let me start with you. how's the romney overseas trip going so far to you? >> well, the governor is the gift that keeps on giving. president obama doesn't have to do very much. just sit there quietly and listen to the governor. look, the problem with what the governor said is the american president has to take a lead role in trying to negotiate an eventual settlement with the palestinians. as an american jew i want to see that crisis settled. israel can't go on forever in a state of alert and war. they've got to get some stability and security. that means keeping lines of

communication open with both sides. appearing to be an honest broker with both sides. that's what made president carter so successful and president clinton almost pull off the feat that would have been a near miracle. and governor romney has with that statement -- and i don't know if he thought it out or meant it, cast so many aspersions on the palestinian culture that it's going to be tough to recoup. again, if he gets elected president can he try to walk these things back and make it up? maybe, but he's starting out in a deep hole. >> michael steele -- >> yeah. >> how you doing tonight? >> i'm good. >> you still with romney? >> oh, yeah. that's my man. absolutely. >> would you explain to me -- >> we'll fight through it -- >> would you explain to me what he was thinking when he said today about the culture difference. that's your man. explain it to me. >> no, no. i understand the point, and i would agree with the governor's assessment at this point.

even the campaign, andrea herself did not go into explanation of what the governor meant and why he said what he said. again, those type of tripups make it more difficult in the longer scheme of things to really approach coherenccoheren. even a departure from this administration's foreign policy if you will, even though that foreign policy has been consistent with what republicans are going back to george bush have tried to accomplish there. i think overall whenever you give them these topics, you just met with the prime minister. don't do the analysis and tie into other things. that's where it becomes a greater slippery slope. as we even saw on the olympics last week. i can't really offer, to be very honest, any assessment because i wasn't there, don't know what the thinking was. even the campaign at this point

have not given that clarification. >> but let me ask you michael. i understand you don't know what the thinking was, but do you think he owes the palestinian people an apology? >> i don't know -- yeah. you need to clarify. when anyone takes your remarks as an aspersion against them, i think the aide to the president was clear how they felt about those remarks. particularly on the heels of after meeting with mr. romney. you need to come back and either give it context or an outright apology just so that you don't want to start off your presidency should you be elected with that kind of unnecessary tension. there's enough tension in the middle east. you don't need to give great excuse for newer tensions. so i think that there should be some kind of walking back, some clarification there. you were not attacking the culture. you were not saying that you were less capable -- >> even though you were.

>> again, without the context, rev, i can't really say. i don't know. >> all right. i understand. we don't have the context, but we have the words. governor, with the olympics it was this. with the culture it's this now, not knows about his taxes. how is he doing on the big stage? this was supposed to be the trip to show the american voters he could handle the big stage. he could handle international diplomacy. how did he do, governor? >> he graded president obama once earlier in the campaign. he gave them all "f"s. if there is a grade this is f-minus. these gaffes individually aren't crushers, they're not game changers. but i said on friday that eventually they start to add up and it almost becomes a

caricature of who you are. it becomes what people know about you. and i said on friday that governor romney is coming close to reaching the saturation point. if i were governor romney, i'd pray you wake up tomorrow and it would be the conventions. he gives his speech, the debates. a chance to do something in the significant arenas. in these day to day things, he's just terrible. and i say that with someone from someone who knew him when he was governor. had respect for what he did including his terrific health care plan. it's getting to the point again where these aren't lasting and aren't game changers and that's true. but the cumulative weight of them, it's going to put in america's mind that he's not ready. that's a difficult hole to dig out of. >> i have a question for you, michael. an easier one because i know you weren't over there and couldn't

possibly explain that one. he also told abc news last night that he'd been audited by the irs. quote, from time to time i've been audited that i think happens to other citizens as well. clearly millions of us are audited. but then he also told them that he was careful. let me let him say it and you explain to me what this means. >> all right. >> i don't pay more than i legally do. and frankly if i had paid more than are legally due, i don't think i'd be qualified to become president. i think people would want me to follow the law and pay only what the tax code requires. >> so he doesn't pay more taxes than he legally should because people wouldn't think he'd be qualified if he paid more. so he tries to pay less. >> well, he pays what he's required and legally obligated to pay. i mean, that's the -- >> but he won't release them for us to see. >> again, that's a legitimate

question that a number of people have asked asked yourself included. and me included. i think at this stage of the game, you know, the politics of this is so overwhelmed the facts here that you just release the things and move on. this dancing on the pinhead to the governor's point is like the death of a thousand cuts. it's just one more self-inflicted wound. one more reason to talk about the taxes. one more reason to cast doubt on his efforts. and i think the campaign starting with this trip last week was hoping for a fresh start. this has now become more muddled and more complicated than it should have been and unnecessarily so. hopefully the conversation as it comes to the tail end of this thing will turn and revert. answering questions like that without the evidence and the proof to show your point meaning the tax returns, just makes it much more of a talking point for others to talk about. >> we'll see what he does before he gets home, michael.

thank you governor ed rendell and michael steele. michael i was hoping you'd be in the new york studio tonight because you're one of my favorite republicans. today i felt you needed a hug. >> thank you, rev. coming up, bill clinton's big role at the democratic convention. who better to hype up a crowd than a former president? meanwhile on the republican side, george bush is sitting this one out. and look out. it's the mitt romney gaffe protection squad. actually not. your summer break is ahead. [ female announcer ] want to spend less and retire with more?

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that provides care for all citizens. folks, it's safe to say that program was not choreographed by republicans. what do i mean? well, 47 years ago today president johnson signed medicare into law. and even before that bill made it to his desk, republicans tried to tear it down. just ask ronald reagan. >> behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every other area of freedom as we know it in this country. until one day we will awake to find that we have socialism. one of these days you and i are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in america when men were free. >> lbj's opponent in the 1964 election, senator barry goldwater, said quote, having

given our pensioners their medical care in kind, why not food baskets. why not vacation roadway sorts. why not a ration of cigarettes. funny, senator, i still don't see a government handing out cigarettes. 1996 newt gingrich said we believe medicare is going to wither on the vine. 47 years later, it's still under attack. congressman paul ryan has put forth a plan that would turn medicare into a voucher program, raise the eligibility age to 67, and force seniors to pay $6,400 more for coverage. it's that same mr. ryan who spent the weekend campaigning for his man, mitt romney. and boy is that feeling mutual. willard loves the congressman and his plan for medicare. >> i applaud it. it's an excellent piece of work and very much needed.

i spent a gd deal of time with congressman ryan. when his plan came out, i applauded it as an important step. this is guy willing to stand for something. >> well, here's what ryan stands for. he wants to radically change the program that serves nearly 50 million americans. one that has already saved seniors almost $4 billion in prescription drug costs. he stands for altering something that president johnson heralded 47 years ago today. >> no longer will older americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine. no longer will illness crush and destroy the savings that they have so carefully put away over a lifetime so that they might enjoy dignity in their later years. and no longer will this nation refuse the service to those who

have given a lifetime of service and wisdom and labor to the progress of this progressive country. >> joining me now is jim mcdermotting with democrat from washington. congressman mcdeterminrmocdermou for your time tonight. >> good to be here. >> it's been 47 years yet republicans are hammering away against medicare. why are they going against 50 million americans? >> they recognize that people want and need the security of knowing if they're sick or injured they'll be taken care of. and they know that the government that gives that to the american people will be returned to office again and again and again. they have no concern about the people or their security. they just want to have control.

and they have been trying to stop medicare. i was in medical school when this law went on and ronald reagan was running around the country talking about communism and scaring people out of thinker wits. they're doing it and still doing it today because they know barack obama started health care for everybody in this country. and if what they did for medicare for old people its done for the rest of the people, well, the republicans will never get re-elected. people should be listening. they're telling you exactly what they're going to do after this election. if romney were to win, they would repeal medicare as we know it and they would repeal the affordable care act. they simply do not want to give people any security. they want to keep them on edge all the time. >> yeah, but congressman, but they keep talking a lot about protecting our seniors. protecting our seniors. listen to this. >> we will protect america's

seniors and america's young people. >> all of you know our budget will protect seniors. >> my mom relies on medicare. we owe her and all seniors a program they can actually count on. >> but when you look at the ryan plan, it would put a huge burden on the seniors that they're trying to protect. all the while they're helping the wealthy. it would force seniors to pay $6,400 more for medicare while giving millionaires an average tax cut of nearly $265,000. i mean, this is absolutely the most blatant contradiction you could see when taking care of the seniors. >> you're very kind, reverend, in calling it a blatant contradiction. it is misleading in the worst sort of way. they simply are not bothered by the truth. the numbers you've given are the absolute correct ones. but they continue to say

whatever they think will convince people to vote for them. and they give this blanket we're not going to hurt anybody. nonsense. they are intending to shift the cost on to seniors and their families and not make it a national issue, but make it your individual responsibility again like it was before medicare in 1965. it is awful what they plan to do if they get re-elected. >> now, what's also confusing to me, even if they don't want to deal with the fact we certainly owe our seniors a lot. and they've invested in what they're getting, the politics of it doesn't make sense, congressman. i mean, when you look at the fact older americans are a key part of the electorate, isn't the gop hurting themselves by attacking medicare? just look at citizens voting in 2010. 61% of citizens age 65 and older

voted in the 2010 midterms. just 21% of those ages 18 to 24 turned out. so they're really opposing and harming a major voting block in this country. >> any senior in this country, reverend, who votes for the republicans really is not paying attention to their own best interest. they are being told straight out what they're going to do. when they do this, when they push off health care on to the families, it'll be like it was when i was a kid and my grandmother came to live with us before medicare. and there was -- my folks had to figure out how to pay my grandmother's bill. that's the only way she got health care. >> well, congressman, i notice also that you have a birthday cake for medicare on your facebook page and the caption says like and share if you believe we should protect the

successful program that provides health coverage for virtually every american senior. thank you for that, congressman mcdermott. and thank you for your time this evening. >> you're welcome. good to be here. coming up, bill clinton's big moment. why republicans should be very worried. about the case he'll make on the economy at the democratic convention. and we've got an olympic sized fight brewing in the republican party. dick cheney goes after sarah palin. this is getting fun. stay with us. ♪ ♪ i want to go ♪ i want to win [ breathes deeply ] ♪ this is where the dream begins ♪ ♪ i want to grow ♪ i want to try

♪ i can almost touch the sky [ male announcer ] even the planet has an olympic dream. dow is proud to support that dream by helping provide greener, more sustainable solutions from the olympic village to the stadium. solutionism. the new optimism.™ ♪ this dream wouldn't it be nice if thereas an easier, less-expensive option than using a traditional lawyer? well, legalzoom came up with a better way. we took the best of the old and combined it with modern technology. together you get quality services on your terms, with total customer support. legalzoom documents have been accepted in all 50 states, and they're backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. so go to legalzoom.com today and see for yourself. it's law that just makes sense. with our babysitter. no. these work, right? no. all right. mom! look what i found in the shed! no! no! no! ♪ ew! were you guys just making out in here?

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cough court long jumping. just kidding. if this were an actual olympic event, this guy wouldn't have made the cut. he starts off strong, but instead of sticking the landing, the landing sticks him. and now to moscow. 88 women free falling out of a plane. the russian sky diving team jumped out of four planes at an altitude of 22,000 feet setting a new world record for women's parachuting. i think we found a new home for the production program. that's today's summer break. customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally.

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[ "human" by the human league playing ] humans. we mean well, but we're imperfect creatures living in a beautifully imperfect world. it's amazing we've made it this far. maybe it's because when one of us messes up, someone else comes along to help out. that's the thing about humans. when things are at their worst, we're at our best. see how at libertymutual.com. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? welcome back. the new york times reports that former president bill clinton will play a leading role at this summer's democratic convention. he'll give a primetime speech. in 2008 clinton got a rock star greeting at the democratic

convention. and y not? he left office with a $236 billion budget surplus. president obama and the republicans quickly turned that into an $11 trillion budget deficit. clinton offered a balanced approach that included raising taxes in 1993. that compared to the seven bush/cheney tax cuts. 23 million jobs were created during clinton years compared to a paltry 3 million for bush/cheney. policy results. fairness matters. joining me now is alicia menendez and chrystia freeman. great to have you with us. what do you make of the decision? >> i think this shows that

they're trying to make a big argument -- democrats are trying to make a big argument that this isn't just about the last four years. this is about fundamental concepts of fairness, policies that support the middle class. no one better able to articulate that and say listen, this is something the president has been -- these are policies we've seen work before. we saw some of the numbers that you brought up earlier in the segment. i think it also showed that -- a base going up to november is critical for a win. >> what do you expect to hear from clinton's keynote address? >> i think we're going to hear a lot about the middle class. >> or the primetime. i don't want to miscast it. >> i think we'll hear about the middle class. one way to classify what it's about, who is going to be better for the middle class. and the reality of the past three decades is overall middle class wanls have stagnated. the one exception is when bill

clinton was president. he has a lot of credentials to say you know what? the middle class doesn't have to fall behind. that's the one period in most of our adult lifetime that the middle class was doing better. i think that's what he's going to focus on. >> you talked about unity. but the republicans will not have their former president or vice president there. and whatever the differences and there were a lot of differences and bad feelings including some expressed by me, they're putting them aside at the democratic party. but meantime, two of the biggest names in the gop won't be at their party's convention. dick cheney's skipping his party's convention to go fishing. amazing. and george w. bush won't be there either. remember his offcamera endorsement of romney from behind a pair of closing elevator doors? well, this is no surprise. the bush/cheney years left a smoldering mess.

alicia and chrystia, let me ask you quickly. what do you think about bush and cheney not showing up contrasting with clinton giving the primetime speech? >> it means the toxicity hasn't worn off. they are staying away as much for themselves as for the party. >> you know, i think it also shows something quite surprising for me about the top republicans. and we saw this in the cheney/palin fight that broke out. they are known for being the well organized, unified team. and i've been surprised at the level of public bickering we've seen into the campaign. this should be an election easy for the republicans to win. the economy after all is incredibly weak. >> the fact that bill clinton and barack obama is going to give this picture of unity and bush and cheney cannot do that, clearly gives an advantage to the president.

but do you also think the fact there's such statements made in the last day or so with cheney and palin divides the party. >> cheney saying palin was a mace take? >> yeah. >> i was surprised. >> but she does have a constituency in the republican party. >> that's my point. i don't understand what the value add is of him coming out. >> i think that's a mistake by cheney. i do think about if you think about who mitt romney should be going after right now, it is the white working class. and that's the constituency that sarah palin appeals to. so why diss their heroin right now? >> thank you both for joinging us tonight. and as dick cheney goes fishing, i hope the fish are the only one biting the bait. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] want to spend less and retire with more?

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i want to introduce you to

2-year-old ariana prince. she's recovering after a bullet grazed her leg yesterday during a suspected drive by shooting here in new york. 5-year-old nisel george was killed by a stray bullet june 26th as he slept on his grandmother's couch in indianapolis. one day later heather sutton was killed by a stray bullet as she sold candy with her mother in front of the family home in chicago. and last sunday 4-year-old lloyd morgan jr. was killed by a stray bullet after watching a basketball tournament in a new york playground. i'll deliver his eulogy wednesday night. those are some of the victims of gun violence in america. each year 10,000 people in america die from gun violence. 10,000 people. year after year. year after year. when did this become acceptable?

earlier today the suspect in the colorado theater shooting was charged with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder. there is now some talk of new legislation. two democratic senators are pushing a bill to limit online sale of ammunition and a recent poll found that even gun owners favor some gun control. 82% support criminal background checks. 76% say conceal weapon permits shouldn't be given to those who have committed violent crimes. and 85% say gun rights should go hand in hand with public safety. as we are burying babies, literally children caught in the crossfire of people that are reckless and shameless and have little value of human life, let us not continue to have the country in