welcome to "politicsnation." i'm al sharpton. tonight's lead, this election is a choice. do you want to live in a country where everyone thrives or one where progress is reserved for the top 1%? that's the choice in this election. between building up the middle class or simply letting it hobble along. folks, this election is a choice. and today in ohio, president obama made his case. he's fighting for fairness unlike his opponent.

>> the center piece of my opponent's entire economic plan is not only to extend the bush tax cuts, but then to add a new $5 trillion tax cut on top of it. [ booing ] but under this plan, guess who gets the bill for these tax cuts? you do. and you don't have to take my word for it. >> yeah, you don't have to take his word for it. take the word of the nonpartisan tax policy center. their report out today estimates that romney's tax plan would raise taxes on middle class families by $2,000. and what does that pay for? drum roll, please. an $87,000 tax break for millionaires. well, how about that?

the study also says it is quite not mathematically possible to lavish these tax breaks on the rich without making everyone else pick up the slack. folks, this is outrageous. and the president knows it. >> they're asking you to pay an extra $2,000 not to pay down the deficit, not to invest in our kids' education. mr. romney is asking you to pay more so people like him get a tax cut. >> but here's the thing. romney's not the only one asking you to pay more. just look at the republicans in congress. today the house will push a plan that raises taxes on 24 million americans. simply to give the richest 2% in the country a tax break. all this from the same people who argue we can't raise taxes on the american people. >> i actually do believe in

keeping taxes down. >> we're going to take a bill to the floor that will ensure that taxes won't go up on anybody. >> the american people understand that raising taxes in this economy is the wrong thing to do. >> for the gop raising taxes is the wrong thing to do to the rich. but when it comes to the middle class, apparently that's fair game. joining me now is former pennsylvania governor ed rendell now an nbc news political analyst. and jared bernstein msnbc contributor and former chief economist for vice president joe biden. first, thank you both for being here tonight. >> thank you. >> my pleasure. >> governor rendell, let me start with you. how damaging is this news for mr. romney? the fact that he'd raise taxes on the middle class. how damaging is that? >> i think it's significantly damaging, because the whole republican mantra has been we're the party that's going to cut your taxes. in fact, they blame president obama for raising your taxes

when the truth is and you know this reverend to be correct, that since president obama's been in office, the average middle class family has received $3600 worth of tax cuts. that's the payroll dedex tax cuts. that's the making work pay tax cut in the stimulus plan. that's the college deduction for kids in college all put together. the average family is paying $3600 less under president obama and they keep claiming he's raised taxes on people he hasn't raised taxes. he's cut taxes on ordinary americans. their plan would raise taxes on ordinary americans and give tax breaks to people who don't need them. will throw us into an incredible deficit situation. will add $3 trillion to $5 trillion of deficit. they say this will produce growth. over the last 60 years the times we've had the best job creation growth has been when the tax rates on the rich has been

highest, not lowest. so the theory is full of -- we had growth and taxes were raised. and when we started these tax cuts to the rich and the trickle down stuff, it did not lead to growth. >> when bill clinton raised taxes on the top two percent, it's going to cause a recession. >> jared, when you look at the facts, this is why we want to lead with this. it's really appalling. romney's tax plan would raise taxes on 95% of this country. while lavishing tax breaks on the richest 5% of americans. now here's some examples. those making under $30,000 a year would see their taxes go up $183. those making between $50,000 and $75,000 would see a $641

increase. however, those making more than $500,000 would see a tax cut -- tax cut on of more than $17,000. and those making over a million dollars would see an $87,000 tax break. how can we -- how can the american people -- how can we believe this is the party that doesn't want to raise taxes when it's the exact opposite according to mr. romney's plan? >> i think what the american people who are paying attention to this need to understand is that it's as if mitt romney and his team looked at the problems facing america. high levels of income and equality, stagnant incomes from middle class families. great difficulty for poor families with very high levels of income growth for those at the top of the scale and very large budget deficits. they looked at those problems and they concluded that the middle class and the poor have too much. the rich don't have enough and

our deficit needs to get bigger. that's the only kind of conclusion you can get when you look at this plan. if you think of the kind of measures that actually push back against inequality that provides some mobility for kids at the bottom of the scale, you think about help with college. you think about a wage with the earned income credit. that's the stuff they're wiping out to give more goodies to the one group that has done particularly well over the last few decades, the very richest. >> now, if you look at the fact, governor, that a new report out today shows just how much the rich have gotten under the bush tax cuts, over the past nine years they've given over $1.1 million to millionaires. this is under the bush tax cuts. is this more of the same, the continuation of the bush tax cuts and the rich get richer? >> sure. i mean, it's trickle down by any other name it's still trickle

down. it didn't work under president bush. it hasn't worked in the last 60 years. it has never worked. and conversely raising taxes to stimulate growth, to use that money to invest as president obama wants to do, that's the one thing that does produce growth. in fact, it's interesting. and jared knows this very well. president reagan and both president bushes faced with their own recessions increased government spending dramatically and it helped them get out of the recessions. >> it's not just trickle down. it's double down trickle down. it's taking the bush tax cuts and doubling down -- you heard the president. he's not making up those numbers. those numbers come from the bipartisan tax policy center. >> double down trickle down. i like that. >> excellent, excellent. >> let me ask you this, governor. the president today when discussing the economy, he talked about president clinton when he was making his pitch. listen to this. >> all i'm asking is that folks

like me, mr. romney go back to the rates that we paid under bill clinton. and if you remember, that was when the economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, the biggest budget surplus in history, and here's the kicker. it was good for folks at the top too. >> now, he mentioned president clinton. he has president clinton as a major speaker at the convention. politically, governor, how important is this that he embraces governor -- president clinton and what president clinton did? and this big embrace at the convention? >> well, i think it's very important for two reasons. one, because as jared and i and you have been discussing, president clinton is proof positive that doing what president obama suggests doing won't hurt the economy. it can actually stimulate growth. that's number one. and number two, no one tells the story of why barack obama should

be re-elected better than bill clinton. and there's some things when you're on the campaign trail, you can't say about yourself. some things you can't say about yourself, but someone like bill clinton can and will and he'll do it in a very impactful, dramatic manner. so i think it's very smart to give the president an opportunity to convince the american people that barack obama under the circumstances has done a good job. he's fought for them and his plan interestingly in the nbc poll, 80% of americans -- i don't know if you remember this, reverend -- 80% of americans agreed they would favor a plan that promoted economic fairness, help the middle class, and invested in things that are necessary to promote job growth. that's exactly what president obama wants to do. >> governor ed rendell and jared bernstein, thanks for your time tonight. jared, don't forget when you run into those double down trickle down folks, i have a bridge to sell them. refer them to me. >> the bridge to nowhere, huh? coming up, what do you do

and who do you call when 47 million women get new access to life-saving health care? well, if you're republican, you say this. >> the other is september 11th and that's the day of the terrorist attack. i want you to remember august the first, 2012, the attack on our religious freedom. that is a date that will live in infamy. >> health care protecting the health of american freedom equals pearl harbor and 9/11? really? plus the momma grizzly is roaring. what sarah palin's reemergence means for the gop future and her own. and it's a dog, it's a turtle, it's a dog on a turtle. it's our summer break. and it's coming up later. you're watching "politicsnation" on msnbc. look at those toys. insurance must be expensive.

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folks, have you joined "politicsnation" on facebook yet? the conversation is going all day long. today health care is a hot topic. sandra says what a great day for women. kathy reminds us that the affordable care act helps all americans even those who don't like it. folks also cheered for the u.s. womens gymnastic team's big gold medal last night. jeanette says they could teach our politicians a thing or two about working together. 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. t want to give her everything. yeah, you -- you know, everything can cost upwards of...[ whistles ] relax, relax, relax. look at me, look at me. three words, dad -- e-trade financial consultants. so i can just go talk to 'em? just walk right in and talk to 'em. dude, those guys are pros. they'll hook you up with a solid plan. they'll -- wa-- wa-- wait a minute. bobby? bobby! what are you doing, man? i'm speed dating! [ male announcer ] get investing advice for your family at e-trade. [ male announcer ] get investing advice this is new york state. we built the first railway, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com.

today is a remarkable day for health care in this country. starting today 47 million women get free access to potentially life-saving services. a key element of the affordable care act. that's right. private insurance companies will now by law have to cover a host of services. free of charge. that includes preventive screenings, birth control, breast-feeding supplies, and other valuable care.

folks, this will literally save lives. yesterday there was some women who didn't see the doctor because they couldn't afford it. but today they can. of course, republicans are on the attack. one lawmaker even compared today to pearl harbor and 9/11. >> i know in your mind you can think of the time america was attacked. one is december 7th, that's pearl harbor day. the other is september 11. that's the day of the terrorist attack. i want you to remember august the first, 2012. that is a date that will live in infamy along with the other dates. >> day of infamy? providing new access to health care to 47 million women? how is that like pearl harbor? how is that like 9/11? house speaker john boehner echoed that line today when he called the coverage, quote, tyranny and an attack on

religious freedom. now, i've debunked that bogus claim before and i'll do it again, but the important thing here is the people. the millions of women who will get improved care because of this law. yesterday senator tom harkin put a deeply personal face on this policy debate in washington. >> i lost both my sisters to breast cancer. my only two sisters. at a fairly young age. they didn't have a lot of money. they didn't have health care benefits. i think what would have been different if they had this available to them. early checkups. early screenings. but for both of them it was way too late by the time they discovered it. so this has a very personal poignant meaning to me. and i just hope that women in this country now will take advantage of this. and will now go and get those annual screenings and get those

checkups. >> this is about people, not politics. why do republicans pretend that they don't know that? joining me now is senator tom harkin, iowa democrat who you just heard in that moving clip. senator, thank you for joining us tonight. >> al, thanks for having me on your show. >> it's an important day. give us your thoughts. >> well, again, my thoughts again are reminiscent of the two sisters i lost. and sad to say that's not a unique story in america. there are so many families who have lost a sister, a mother, a wife because they didn't get early checkups, they didn't get preventive health care. and now beginning today they'll be able to get that. so beginning today we really are making another step forward, al, in moving from a sick care system from what we have in

america, a sick care system, to a true health care system. where we don't just patch and mend someone who's broken and someone who needs a mastectomy, someone who needs chemotherapy. we will continue to do that, but now women know they can go in early and get that early checkup which is so vitally important. we know if we get these things early we can prevent all these operations and chemos and deaths in the future. that's what it means. >> you know, many of us were moved by your statement yesterday because it's beyond the politics. it's personal. and as you say, it's not just your story. 52% delay their medical care because of cost. 32% gave up basic necessities to pay for health care. people are having to choose their health based on what they can afford. and this is certainly not fair in a country that can do better. >> you're right, al. i mean, you know, what are we

about as a country if we're not about making sure that all of our citizens especially those that have been excluded from our health care system for so long and i say this broadly, women. women basically have been treated like second class citizens for a long time in many ways but certainly in our health care setup. so today we've broken down a lot of those barriers. and said to the women of america, look, you can get in early. it's not -- you don't have to just wait until you get sick. get in early. get that physical checkup. get that cervical cancer screening. and you mentioned one other thing, al, that a lot of people don't realize. one of the most important things for babies as you know is mother's milk. it is the best -- it's the best start in life. yet a lot of mothers low income or if they're working on a job all day long, they don't have the supplies. maybe they're a minimum wage worker. now they can go in, they can get

breast-feeding information and breast-feeding supplies without paying any copays or deductibles. that is a huge step forward. and i don't know, al, how can some congressman or someone get up and say this is like pearl harbor? >> that's my question to you. you've been in washington and you've served awhile. how do you explain the republicans' resistance to this and comparing this to 9/11, to pearl harbor. i mean, how do you explain your colleagues on the other side of the aisle? >> al, i'm sorry. i have no explanation for that. i just -- to me it just seems like that because of their adherence to this ideology, it's made them rigid. it's made their hearts hard. that's not befitting a society like america.

>> the utah senator -- i want to ask you this before you go. mike lee earlier today attached a 20-week washington, d.c. abortion amendment to a cyber security bill up for consideration this week. what's going on here? attaching this bill to the cyber security bill? >> well, again, we need the cyber security bill. the defense department says so. our business community says so. consumers advocates say we need this. yet we want to load up with these amendments. i think the important thing here is that at one time i cheaired the district of columbia meeting. i said i shouldn't be here because the united states congress should not be telling the district of columbia what to do. it ought to be an independent state and have its own congress people and have its own two

senators. >> that could vote. >> and congress should not be intervening in that in any way. >> all right. thank you, senator. i'm going to have to leave it there. always a pleasure to see you and have you on. thank you for your time tonight. >> thanks, al. see ya. still ahead, sarah palin is taking aim at dick cheney. could mitt romney be next? and thousands, thousands of people line up to support a republican drive to defend anti-gay rhetoric from a fast food tycoon. really? anti-gay fast food? this is the gop. good luck with that one. stay with us. ♪ spread a little love today ♪

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folks, the weather's hot and lots of people are hitting the open road before the summer's over. and we all know what that means. >> what are we going to do? >> road trip. ♪ >> yeah. >> bird. >> yeah.

>> yeah. >> yeah. >> road trip! >> and we've got more road trippers. senators john mccain, lindsey graham, and kelly aiache. hit the road this week. they hit town halls to warn voters about defense cuts set for next year to go into effect. and guess who they're blaming for the cuts? >> where's your president, our commander in chief on this issue? >> he should be in there. he should be talking with us. he should be leading. and he's m.i.a. >> when in doubt, blame the president. but these aren't the president's cuts. they were laid out in last year's budget. 174 republicans voted for it. and so did 28 senate republicans. including john mccain. so john mccain took a road trip to attack something he voted for.

lindsey graham even admits his party had a role in the cuts. >> by the way, my party has their fingerprints all over it. >> senator, if the gop's prints are all over this, talk to senator mccain about it. he voted for it. and you have lots of time together on the road. but as the new york times writes today blaming the president is not a solution. did you think i wouldn't see the hypocrisy just because it's out on the road? let's put the brakes on this one. nice try, but we got you. f must be a pain. nah, he's probably got... [ dennis' voice ] allstate. they can bundle all your policies together. lot of paperwork. [ doug's voice ] actually... [ dennis' voice ] an allstate agent can help do the switching and paperwork for you. well, it probably costs a lot. [ dennis' voice ] allstate can save you up to 30% more when you bundle. well, his dog's stupid. [ dennis' voice ] poodles are one of the world's smartest breeds. ♪

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olaf's pizza palace gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! pizza!!!!! [ garth ] olaf's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! put it on my spark card! [ high-pitched ] nice doin' business with you! [ garth ] why settle for less? great businesses deserve the most rewards! awesome!!! [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? today conservatives across the country are chowing down on chick-fil-a in support for the company after its president's anti-gay comments. mike huckabee has declared today chick-fil-a appreciation day on the right and urged people to

join him. thousands lined up. and gop lawmakers jumped right into the act. senator lindsey graham tweeted this picture of himself enjoying chick-fil-a for breakfast. congressman jeff duncan covered his entire desk. and congressman allen west took his support of chick-fil-a to a whole new level. >> i had to come up from down south because i wanted to open up a franchise here in chicago. >> these lawmakers are proud to stand behind chick-fil-a. really? they're standing behind a company whose president says we are quote, inviting god's judgment on our nation when we allow gay marriage. let me tell you what these republicans are really standing for. today "the huffington post" revealed chick-fil-a has given over $5 million to some of the most radical anti-gay groups in

the country. certified as a hate group by the southern poverty center. it also includes exodus international. and the marriage and family foundation. these are groups that refer to pedophilia as a homosexual problem. groups that say gay behavior should be outlawed. groups run by people who believe it would be a good idea to quote, export homosexuals from the united states. and who claim that homosexuals can pray away the gay. this is what republicans are appreciating in their appreciation day. joining me now is msnbc contributor and author megan mccain and johnathan capehart an opinion writer for the washington post and msnbc contributor. thanks for being with me tonight. >> thanks, rev. >> thank you. >> megan, let me start with you.

how do you react to seeing elected republicans stand behind chick-fil-a and anti-gay organizations they're supporting? >> well, i would just like to say that in america you can support anything you want as a corporation. but for me it's embarrassing to see politicians take something that has turned into parody and eat fast food and tweet pictures from their offices. we should be having a real conversation about gay marriage and not turning it into this parody borderlining on ridiculousness. >> jonathan, the fact we find out now that it's not just a statement by the president of chick-fil-a but that they've actually put millions of dollars in groups that even have been designated by some as hate groups. >> this is what i wrote yesterday. the president and ceo of chick-fil-a is putting money where his mouth is. i mean, as meghan says, she's right. in his country you can say you

are protected by the first amendment to say what you want, say what you believe. the problem comes in when you start financing those beliefs that end up hurting people. and so "the huffington post" story i guess is out today, media matters did a whole big study earlier in the summer where they laid out all of the money including all the things you just showed. exodus international is the pray the gay away organization. that's where the problem is. you can't -- you can say that you don't believe in same-sex marriage and you have issues with gay people, but to then use the money from your company, from your philanthropy to then do harm to those people, that's a whole other issue. >> and every american has the right to not eat at chick-fil-a. and i think that -- that's the greatest thing about being an american. all of that being said, i don't

understand why chick-fil-a has taken this specific stand given that culturally no one can deny there's a statistical shift towards the support of gay marriage in america. >> but i think -- and i agree with you meghan, all of us have our rights to express ourselves. all of us should be protected by that. but when you look at the research council and what his president says and the fact that chick-fil-a puts millions of dollars behind groups like this. people then have a right to say i'm not going to support businesses that support people that make statements like this. let me show you some of what the president of one of the groups they give to says. >> men who engaged in molestation of children, 86% of them identified as homosexual or bisexual. >> incompatible with good order morale. >> homosexual behavior is harmful to the individuals who

engage in that behavior. >> i would prefer to export homosexuals from the united states than to import them into the united states. because we believe that homosexuality is destructive to society. >> i think that's my favorite thing i've heard. >> you're going to export all homosexuals. >> ridiculous. >> people have the right to express themselves, but meghan, you can have a cause to pause if you say i'm buying this chicken here to finance these guys maybe i'll -- >> in my opinion, that is hate language. when i was living in los angeles, i found a mexican restaurant i went to was a supporter of repealing same-sex marriage in california. so i stopped eating there. it is a choice every american can make. all of that being said, i believe that is hate speech. what that gentleman said is absurd. >> huckabee calling this appreciation day. he buys the whole farm, so to speak, with the donations and everything by doing is.

he's not just protecting the right here. he's actually embracing them and bringing in revenue that is going to probably based on at least what they've done in the past, support these kind of groups. >> sure. those thousands of people that are lined up at all those restaurants around the country, their money is going to go in part to the chick-fil-a foundation where they will spend that money on organizations that want to do harm either legitima legislatively and socially to gay people. what i'd like to see on august 3rd, i believe is the date that kiss in folks want to do. the pro-marriage gay groups calling for a protest of their own at chick-fil-a restaurants across the country. >> they're going to have a kiss in. >> at chick-fil-as around the country. i want them to be smarter. do that, but find out who is

affiliated with chick-fil-a in any way. and put pressure on those folks to put pressure on chick-fil-a in some way. i mean, it's one thing to protest with signs. it's another thing to be more strategic about how you effect the change you want to have. >> well, meghan mccain and jonathan capehart, we'll have to leave it there. thanks for your time tonight. >> thanks. >> and tune into with the way too early" here tomorrow on 5:30 a.m. jonathan will be cohosting. still ahead, the palin effect. sarah palin is developing a reputation for picking winners. is that why she hasn't endorsed mitt romney? but first, summer break. where a turtle meets a dog and they're off to the races. next.

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you can almost hear her buddies wondering what got into this one. she's like a romney press aide in poland. up next, a dog and a thurt l show. a chihuahua enjoying the sweet tortoise ride. slow and steady wins the race. and it sure beats 60 miles per hour on top of that station wagon. sorry, seimus you may be an irish setter but my ride's better. speaking of people with a beef for romney, how about london's mayor boris johnson. that's him flying through the air. but he probably should have thought twice before he challenged mitt's claim that london was quite ready for the olympics. after he got stuck on a zip wire in victoria park.

safe to say this "lockup" performance didn't make the podium. >> it's well organized. get me a ladder. >> fortunately first responder jumped to the rescue tugging him back to safety. good thing romney wasn't in charge of these games or else there had been no firefighters, cops, or zip line rescuers to bring the mayor back down to earth. but maybe this guy would have come to the rescue. he's a mysterious man, a man with a knife, a man with a sharp knife. a man who's using that knife to pull a car with a blade at his neck. don't try this at home. actually, don't try this anywhere. what's his secret? maybe he's powered on by his great background music. or perhaps it's his stylish outfit. regardless, don't worry. no cars were injured in the making of this video. and that's today's summer break.

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we're back with more on an election that could drag the gop even further to the right. it was a big loss for the republican establishment and a big win for sarah palin last night. texas tea party favorite ted cruise handily beat the state's lieutenant governor for the republican nomination for senate. after palin and others backed him. today some are calling him the new marco rubio. since her disastrous 2008 v.p. run, palin has been a king maker for candidates. nic nicki haley was considered an underdog until palin's endorsement. she also picked kelly ai ayotte.

and then a last minute boost to another unknown deb fischer in nebraska. on facebook she was quick to take credit for cruise's victory. quote, the tea party is alive and well. now it's on to november. whether you agree with her views or not, grizzly power works. so where's the love for willard? for months palin's had a lot to say about romney. but the one thing she still won't say is endorsement. joining me now is jonathan allen reporter for politico. thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you. >> sophia, why would palin's support matter to the romney campaign? >> i think reverend al, your introduction was on point. palin appeals to a small but energized section of the base.

that's the ptea party. the 2010 election was for the democrats. and i think she has been strategic about how she's picked these races that she'll endorse, who she endorses. and i think in doing that, the romney campaign really needs someone like palin who is a conservative darling to say willard's okay. romney's okay. and i'm really supporting him versus the lukewarm response palin and gingrich and others have given to romney up to this point. >> jonathan, she really has made it pretty clear what she thinks about romney. not only hasn't she endorsed him, she kind of said things that make it clear where she's at in terms of her opinion of him. listen to these things. >> bless his heart, i have respect for mitt romney, but i do not have respect for what he has done through this debt increase debate. i am not convinced and i don't think the majority of gop and independent voters are convinced. that's why you don't see romney get over that hump.

>> it seems he is the nominee, are you happy with that? >> you know, anything is still possible. there can still be a bit of a shakeup. >> not exactly positive and enthusiastic support for mr. romney, jonathan. >> hardly the warm embrace of a grizzly -- momma grizzly. but, look. sarah palin's got credibility in part because she caters to that very conservative part of the republican party that still isn't entirely sold on mitt romney. i think at the end of the day sarah palin and mitt romney want the same thing which is to defeat president obama. i think their voters, the ones that follow her and him will eventually be mostly in the same place. >> now, sophia, matthew dowd of abc explains why palin's endorsement has been good for some candidates saying quote, singularly she doesn't win these races but if there's a forest

with a bunch of kindling she puts a match and a light on it. the forest would have to be dry, but she's a spark. that spark could also in some key swing states be something that willard romney could use, wouldn't you think? >> there's no doubt about it, reverend. sarah palin regardless of how people feel about her politics or her personally, as i said she is a darling of the conservative wing of the republican party. and this tea party wing in particular that is highly motivated and highly energized. all you do is you need to ignite and there they'd go. they get organized and knock on doors. they have made the difference in a lot of races. dick lugar who is someone i worked with on the hill. moderate republican, they wanted him out. to get rid of a dick lugar is a big deal. i think romney needs palin in places like ohio, north carolina, pennsylvania, and places where she can appeal to

those folks with the guns and the bible, religion and guns whatever the phrase was. i don't mean that in a negative way. i own a bible and gun. so it's all good. >> jonathan, there was an exchange between miss palin and former vice president cheney i found very interesting. let me play you what he said and her response. >> i don't think she passed that test. >> being ready. >> of being ready to take over. and i think that was a mistake. >> seeings how dick -- excuse me, vice president cheney never misfires, then evidently he's convinced what he read about me by the media having been written, what i believe is a false narrative over the last four years, evidently dick cheney believed that stuff. and that's a shame. >> there was all kinds of innuendos in the response.

but putting them aside, i don't get the feeling they appreciate other's leadership. >> i don't think there's a lot of love between the two of them. cheney made a harsh criticism of palin saying she wasn't ready. and palin tried to make a jab at cheney on the fact he shot his friend during a hunting accident. they are at odds in the prime minister -- republican party. sarah palin the tea party aligned republican. one thing i wanted to point out, reverend al, is that sarah palin was on the ballot last time. she was on the ballot with john mccain. what we haven't seen yet was firing up the tea party can win a presidential election. we've seen it in primaries but haven't yet seen that. it'll be interesting to see how that plays out now to november. >> well, she can bring the match, but you've got to have

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tonight i'm doing something i never want to do. i'm delivering the eulogy for a 4-year-old boy. lloyd morgan jr. was killed by a stray bullet after watching a basketball tournament in a new york playground last sunday. lloyd loved playing ball. earning the nickname little lebron. but he'll never get the chance to live out his dreams of playing pro basketball. his life has been tragically cut short by the gun violence that's becoming all too common in america. now lloyd's mother cheyenne is calling for an end to that violence. >> this is horrific. and it cannot -- this cannot keep happening. this has to stop.

they got to stop taking babies. >> lloyd's death has affected me deeply, but sadly he's not alone. nearly 2800 children were killed by guns in 2009. and more than 13,000 were injured by them. overall, about 10,000 people die in gun-related violence every year. we cannot bring these people back, but we can take lloyd's experience and the experiences of others and use them to take action. and it starts in our communities. that's why i've organized the occupy the corner movement for this month. by promoting peace and gun-free zones in our churches and street corners. we can take our communities back and feel safe again. as i go to do this eulogy, this young boy, this baby was killed in a crossfire of people with guns shooting at each other. what we're doing is losing a