let me finish tonight with this. i see most of the good movies that come out: i can remember obama o only one in which the audience applauded. the truth is that they were

applauding the fact that finally they had just seen a movie that had shown an american success story. just the fun of seeing an escapade sung seeded. no cynical anti-heroes, just straight arrow heroes. people serving their country and this scared group that desperately needed their help. i'm glad it won the golden globe for hero. both are heroic tales. and that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "politics nation" with al sharpton starts now. >> thanks, chris. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead? taking control. it's been exactly one month since 20 first graders were sht and killed in their classrooms at the sandyhook elementary cool. and that one month had radically

up rated the gun debate in this country. we were reminded of that today listening to parents who lost their children, five and six-year-olds in the sandyhook shooting. some of them bravely spoke out on the need for change trying to turn their private tragedy into the public good. >> on friday, december 14th, i put two children on the bus and only one came home. i pray that no mother, father, grand parent or care giver of children ever have to go through this pain. >> i still find myself reaching for dillen's hand to walk through a parking lot or expecting him to crawl into bed beside me. it's so hard to believe he's gone. >> it's our hope to honor our beautiful aviel and the others who have fallen to such senseless and violence. >> that cuts through everything. through all the washington talk and all of the nra propaganda

and that's what made the president's comments on gun control so important today. at a news conference, he announced he was meeting with vice president biden to discuss his proposals and said by the end of this week, he will announce his plans to the american people. >> my starting point is not to worry about the politics. my starting point is to focus on what makes sense. what works. what shouldn we be doing to mak sure that our children are safe and that we're reducing the incidence of gun violence. if there's a stem thp that we c take that will save even one child, we should take that step. >> we should take that step. and, already, steps are being made. today, the mayor's group released an ad. new york governor andrew quomo is on the verge of sweeping legislation at the state level. and maryland governor is pushing

for legislation of his own. change is happening. change will happen. and no one, not the nra, not gun lobbyists, no one should substantial doubt in the way. >> those who oppose any common sense gun control or gun safety measures have a pretty effective way of ginning up fear on the part of gun owners that, somehow, the federal government's about to take all of your guns away. >> gun groups have been good at ginning up fear. they've been good at coming up with reasons why we can't act. >> what's wrong with universal background checks? >> well, i think it's a false security to think that somehow we're going to spot problems when there's really no way to

spot these problems. we're wasting our time going in that direction when we should be talking about doing away with a gun-free zone. >> wasting our time. we're wasting our time. tell that to the sandyhook parents. tell them that this tdecember cushion is discussion is a waste. >> our hearts are broke b. our spirit is not. this is our promise, the sandyhook prom ms. >> these parents made a promise. a promise to fight for their children's memory. the least we can do is to promise to stand alongside them. now is nots not the time to get tired. it's the time to get involved. the time to act. to keep up the dmanld for change.

>> joining me now is ryan grim and congressman fattah. will those powerful words from the sandyhook parents help keep the pressure from the new gun laws? >> i believe that we're going to see real success. the vice president is going to offer a package that i think every measure is going to be reasonable and effective. the notion around universal back dwround checks, very important. almost 40% of the people who buy guns in our country or guns are transferred to them have no background check. 90% of the public believes that everyone gets a background check. and even nra members agree that you should have a background check in order to buy guns. we can have success there. an assault weapons ban, we had one in police station before. we're going to get a new one put in place that's more effective. but i think there's more that we can do. the parent of the young man in

newtown, supposedly, they had these guns to do target practice in. let's have gun safety lockers at the target practice range. we need to ban any future sale and we need to try to work so that those who do own them, if they're not for home protection, let's have them in a safe place. >> let me ask this. you mentioned the assault weapons. ryan, let me come to you on this. you know the congress. and there are those that are saying that they are not going to do anything in terms of gun reform. some of the democrats and the senate sernt a letter suggestin negative action, if necessary. then you feel a congressman who's from texas, he's threatening impeachment if the president uses executive angst on gun control. in a statement, he said i will

seek to thwart action by any means necessary. >> now, that's extreme, particularly when you look in history and find out in 1989, ryan, president george h.w. bush used exactly that, executive action to declare a perm nant ban on all foreign-made semi-autotmatic assault rifles. if it becomes necessary here, i would hope that we would rise above the bipartisan -- i mean the partisan bickering. i hope it's not even necessary to deal with executive action when we see these parents coming forward today from newtown. >> well, on some elements, i think there will have to be executive action, though,

because the conventional wisdom, at least, is that there's a ton of members of congress who simply aren't going to go along. and then you have the exz treem members, like the one you mentioned. and i think part of the white house strategy is to kind of -- it's not hard for them to do it. but they want to smoke out the gun nuts. like when people like him say that, you know, people who might have been sympathetic to the nra become even less sympathetic because they become embarrassed to be associated with lunacy like that. so the more they can kind of bring that element up to the floor, the nra folks then end up losing capital on capital hill. and they're trying to kind of split sd-- you want gun nuts an manufacturers on one side and then everybody else, gun owners and people who back gun control on the other side. >> congressman fattah, it seems like the public, according to all of the polls that i've seen,

are squarely on the side of some gun control measures. 85% support background checks for private and gun show sales. 80% support preventing people with mental illness for buying guns. 67% support a federal data base to track gun sales. that's new poll today. so i mean, it seems like the public is certainly with you. >> well, not only is the public with us. we're going to do the right thing. this is the same crew that were saying they would never see taxes go up. we don't need every member in a republican party. we need 218 votes in the house for a reasonable package. and, you know, you have to watch for people to do, not just what they say. in the u.s. capitol, you can't walk in here with a grun. you can't walk in here with an assault weapon. over in the supreme court which says you have this unlimited right to have a gun, you can't walk in there with a gun. why should people walk sbhinto schools or movie theaters?

that congress should provide for the american public. we know that guns can be dangerous in the wrong hands. that's why we have all of the rules and regulations and the security protections here. and we need to make sure that in our day care centers and our communities, we provide a better safety environment for our kirn. >> now, rooiyan, it seems like e republ lip cans, and i noticed the congressman said we don't need them all, some republicans do sound like they are more open to possible gun legislation more than some of the far right. listen to this. >> should we look at improving our background check system? i'm willing to listen to what proposals come forward on that is this. >> there are some problems. and maybe these huge magazines even for someone who says, look, i just use an ar-15 for target

practice. but do you really need to be shooting a silhouette? a shot a second or even quicker with that weapon? for what purpose? >> now, when you see a guy who, by the way last week was defending todd aiken, and when he's talking about do you really need a lot of the magazines that have the ability to shoot a lot of rounds, i mean, you're starting to see some cracks in the armor of the far right extremists here. >> right. i mean, you just simply do not need that. about that's the problem that these -- that these gun rights advocates have. when he asked that question, what do you need that for? jou don you don't need it for anything. there's no justification for owning a military-style assault weapon and having it it in your home. there just simply is none.

if they want to compromise, having it locked up at some shooting range, maybe that's something that democrats could go for. >> i think we could get it done and i think that we're going to get it done, notwithstanding the naysayers. let's have some votes on some of these things and see how these members actually vote rathder than willing to protect their constituents and take care of their responsibility to make this a safer country. >> well, i think we need to call the roll because i think the people in this country are tired of this. congressman chaka fattah and ryan grim, we'll be watching. thanks for your time this evening. >> coming up. my interview with the man organizing a gun aappreciation day. and who's made some controversial comments about slavery and dr. martin luther king. he's here tonight live. you definitely don't want to miss this. plusz, coly, colin powell st needs to be said.

pushl push. >> there's also a dark -- a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party. what do i mean by that? what i mean by that is they still sort of look down on minorities. >> but an ugly gop backlash is already under way. president obama skacalls out so deadbeat republicans who don't want to pay the nation's bills. a big fight is brewing, but the gop is cracking up. you're watching "politics nation" on msnbc. [ female announcer ] want younger looking eyes that say wow

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in the months since a gunman killed 20 children at sandyhook elementary, millions of americans have been engaged in a serious conversation about gun safety. this saturday, they want people to bring their copies of the constitution to gun stores, firing ranges and gun shows all across the country. organizers say they modelled the campaign after the chick-fil-a last summer. of course; on that day, people bought chicken.

what are they supposed to do on gun appreciation day? shoot guns? buy ammo? the sandyhook tragedy affected every american in different ways. but we need to move forward together to keep a tragedy like this from happening again. joining me now is larry ward, chairman of gun appreciation day campaign. thavn thanks for coming on the show tonight. >> thanks for having me, reverend. >> so often in this debate, it seems like gun control advocates don't talk to one another. i'm looking forward to our conversation. >> me, too. >> i want to read something you said about why we need gun appreciation day. you said, "we decided that the politicians have forgotten out americans feel about their guns and it's time to remind them. how have politicians forgotten how people feel about their guns, larry? >> well, you know, there's a lot of talk about gun control. you know, we -- this gun appreciation day, just so we're

clear, is not in reaction to the shooting in newtown. it's in reaction to the reactions in terms of the legislation that's being introduced into congress. senator finestein's bill and president obama and joe biden's comments. >> but you can appreciate guns without appreciating magazines that shoot a hundred rounds. you're talking about legislation that clearly talks about person types of weapons, certain types of magazines. . not all guns. let's not distort what the legislation is saying. >> well, in diane finestein's bill, in the summary that i read, you know, she lists handguns that are semi-automatic, which are the majority of handguns that are sold in this country. in her proposed legislation.

so we are talking about, you know, the guns that people use on a regular and everyday basis to defend their homes and families. >> well, it hasn't been introduced yet. we don't know what the final bill will say. but are you supporting on saturday, on gun appreciation day, automatic weapons and magazines that go with 30-100 rounds? is that part of appreciation day? >> i believe that right now, any ban on a semiautomatic weapon would not have, you know, changed the outcome of what happened in newtown. it would not have changed the outcome of what happened in aurora. we have so many laws in the books on gun control. we have close to 20,000 laws in the country. in those 20,000 laws, they failed in aurora, they failed in newtown and they failed, quite frankly in -- >> we don't have lawings banning the semi-automatic weapons and the magazines. i'm asking you again.

will you be supporting that on saturday on gun appreciation day? >> absolutely. it's part of the second amendment. and here's -- >> it's not part of the second amendment. the second amendment gave you the right to bear arms. there were no magazines shooting a hundred rounds. >> well, the second amendment in is clear. they wroet that the second amendment is for three purr poszs. to defend one's self and property. to defend the country and to defend against the potential government that would turn on its people. >> yeah, but you could say that i should have the right to have a nuclear weapon. if you want to just leave it open there. the second amendment didn't address the specifics of what we're dealing with today. but let me ask you something -- >> let me address that real quick. here's how i feel about that argument. quite frankly, the last few times i've been on msnbc, i've been flooded with that. i believe that the i shall shoe of, you know, rocket launchers,

should we have nuclear bombs. i believe that any weapon that the united states government engages its citizens with should be open for the citizens to be able to buy and protect themselves from? >> including rockets and nuclear bomb? >> the united states doesn't engage its sit zens with rockets and nuclear bombs. >> and if they decide not to engae engage with assault weapons? it would be the same? but let me ask you something else. we're going to run out of time. >> you've got a lot of attention for something you said friday on cnn. when you were asked about holding gun appreciation day the weekend before dr. martin luther king day, let's lnl to what you said. >> i believe that gun appreciation day honors the legacy of dr. king. i think martin luther king would agree with me if we were live today that if african americans had been given the right to keep

and bear arms from day one of the country's founding, perhaps slavery might not have been a chapter in our history. >> now, first of all, larry, you do realize martin luther king was killed by a gun. and that he preached all of his life against the use of any weapons and preached turn the other cheek. so you do realize what you said was a total anti-thesis of dr. king. >> of course, i do. i know quite a bit. >> so why did you say you think he would support you? >> not only do i standby my statement that martin luther king -- gbut also the entire civil rights movement. we have the winchester rifle should be at a place of honor in every black home. >> no, wait a minute. we're talking about martin luther king weekend. you said that he would be supportive. you just admitted that you know he was against violence. he preached turn the other chick.

cheek. he was killed by. >> he also went for a gun permit and was turned down -- >> and he also said that he's glad he was and that he never would carry a gun again and refused to carry a pistol. finish the story. >> sure. sure. well, here's what i believe. i believe that dr. king fought for equal tunt. and we look at cities like chicago and new york that have a majority of minorities. and those cities, themselves, do not grant the same access, the same equal opportunity that perhaps somebody in texas would have to defend themselves. >> but dr. king was gensz violence. do you understand how despicable it would be to members of his family that saw their father killed by gunfire to say that you are in some way continuing his legacy by doing gun appreciation day when he preached against that and died from a bullet wound?

and then to say that there wouldn't have been slavery if slaves had the right -- slaves didn't have any rights. >> that's exactly right. >> they didn't have the right to marry, they didn't have the right to name nar children. in fact, when there were insurrections, and there were many, let me show you, there were insurrections and they were all put down violently. are you aware of 1811 rebellion in two parishes in new orleans, 1816, rebellion in florida, 1831, rebellion led by nat turner in virginia. but the fact that africans were brought here against their will and made slaves, it was not like they had an option of any right, including wages. so i mean either you don't know the history of slavery and understand the nuances or you were just dealing in some hype -- i mean answer why you would even think to bring up dr. king and slavery in the context of your position. you have the right to your

position, but we have the right to different opinions. but we don't have the right to change facts. >> look, the fact is that gun ownership is a civil right. it's a civil right for every american to be able to defend thechls. and, currently, you know, i believe that the civil right is not being equally, you know, equally treated amongst every one in america. the people in chicago, the people in new york, the people in washington, d.c. they don't have the same rights as granted by the constitution as other people in the country. >> so why do we give them all equal rights of having gun control? we all have the right to ride the front of the bus, it dunt mean i can go on the bus and drive the bus. the right to bear arms doesn't mean you have the right to bear any arm and to bear magazines. >> you made a point earlier, if the united states, in my opinion, this is just me, if the united states wanted to ban assault weapons, well, the

government should go first. and turn in all of their assault weapons and that they engage the american people with. >> so scitizens should have the rights that the government has for military? >> i didn't say for military. i said what they engage people in the united states. >> so you're saying the government should go first. the government should disarm automatic weapons before they do it from the citizens. >> before they ask the citizens to disarm, yes. >> they should do it first. the government. >> yes. >> all right. your're going to preach that saturday for gun appreciation day. i just wanted to make sure i was clear. i might miss your speech saturday. i'll be working on dr. king stuff. larry ward, thanks for your time tonight. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro.

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for decades, republicans praised general colin powell as a model of public service. he was president reagan's national security advisor. he was chairman of the joint chiefs under the first president bush. he served as secretary of state for the second president bush. after getting a raw kus welcome at the grksz gop convention in 2000. >> please join me in welcoming general colin powell. >> republicans cheered him back then. they waved signs saying we love colin powell.

but they're not cheering him now. in fact, some republicans are turning on general powell with some ugly, vile language: all simply because he told the truth about sbol ranls in their party. we'll have a big conversation about that coming up. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just click away with our free mobile app. hey hun, remember you only need a few sheets. hmph! [ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less. charmin ultra soft.

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personalized and affordable legal protection. in most states, a legal plan attorney is available with every personalized document to answer any questions. get started at legalzoom.com today. and now you're protected. the president is starting off the new year ready to fight. now, he's taking on republicans who are threatening to let the government default on his loans. the president's message to republicans at a news conference today was simple. do not hold the nation hostage. >> the issue here is whether or not america pays its bills. we are not a deadbeat nation. >> this is not a complicated concept. you don't go out to dinner and

then, you know, eat all you want and then leave without paying the check. >> what's the gop solution? a state government shutdown. one top advisor tells political today that conservatives "may need a shutdown just to get it out of their system." saying "we might need to do that for member management purposes so they can have an end game and can show their constituents their fighting." it's clear that republicans do have a problem with the far right wing of their party. but the rest of the country shou shouldn't have to pay for it. joining me now is former pennsylvania governor ed ren dealt, former dnc chairman and now an nbc political analyst. and michael steele thank you both for being here tonight. >> my pleasure, rev.

>> michael, let me go to you first. can john boehner and mitch mcconnell handle the split within their party? >> they're going to have to, reverend. there's tho doubt about that. it's a serious split and a deech split and it goes to whether or not, you know, we're going to draw a bright line in the sand and say enough is enough. i get the president's point about not paying the bill, but you don't go out to dinner when you don't have any money left to spend on that credit card in the first place. >> but they've already went to dinner. >> no, it's not just about they've already gone to dinner as over the last four years, we've seen 6 trillion dlarsz added to our nation's det. so the question is the spending hasn't stopped. and at what point do we stop the spending? that's a legitimate question with the rank of the republican party, in the congress in particular, they're now assessing how do we make the argument, make the case to the president and the country that

enough is enough. >> but governor rendell, we knew the debt when we went out to dinner and we ordered and we ate anyway. so it looks to me like a little disingenuous in their argument there. and, again, give the weight, you were chief executive in pennsylvania, give the weight of what happens if we breech the debt ceiling? social security checks will be late, veterans benefits delayed, troops won't get paid, tax returns held up, interest rates could spike, markets could go hay wooir. it could dip into the recession. deficit would go up. i mean, we're talking about a very punishing thing that will affect american people who had nothing to do with what they're trying to object to or deal with. >> you oo >> you're absolutely right. congress spent that money. they spent it. whether they liked it or not,

they were the ones who spent it. but it's more important than that. it's what you point out. the stakes here are really high for the republican party. far be it from you to advise the republican party. but if i did, i would say stay away from shutting the government down. stay away from letting the debt ceiling not be raised because those are things that the american people will hate. they'll hate us defaulting onli blame you for it. they'll hate us shutting the government down. if you want to make a stand, make it in the sequester. the sequester has a lot of things that are painful to the democrats and the president. that's the place to plak the stand. and, look, everyone agrees, every rational person agrees with michael. you've got a spending person as well as a revenue problem. we've got to cut spending. if you're republicans, make it under sequester. if you shut the government down or if you don't allow the debt ceiling to be raised and america defaults on its debts, whoa is

you. there are a lot of suburban republican congressman who are absolute absolutely signing their death warrant. >> well, why not make the point on the sequester. why go to this extreme of a government shutdown. >> well, i'd actually agree with the governor. i think that that is a better spot to hold some ground. quite honestly, because those cuts are already in play. everybody knows they're there. they're across the board on the entitlement side as well as the defense side. and i think as the governor rightly pointed out that there is balanced pain. so there is some value to making a point there. but i think also leading up to that, the argument wants to be made and needs to be made by republicans in the congress and around the country that to the governor's point, we do have a broad-based spending probable that is intractable at this point. and that it involves, yes, you know, the debt, the nation's credit card.

it involves the size and the growth of government and how big it should or should not with. and so having that conversation can be good a as long as on the outside of it, that there are some definable directions that we can take to cut the government spending, to bring this thing back and then to control. and that leads us to the point the government just made on sequester. >> congressman marshall blackburn of tennessee, she says government shutdown is an option. >> i think that there is a way to avoid default if it requires shutting down certain portions of the government. let's look at that. let's put these options on the table. be very thoughtful but get this spending pattern broken. >> what is thoughtful, governor rendell, about a shutdown of government in total or in part? what is thoughtful about that? if you're really trying to deal

with spending. it would only exacerbate the problem if you have government shutdowns. >> sure. and, in fact u it's defaulting on our debts and obligations. it makes no sense at all. and the people will turn on the republicans, just as they did when newt gingrich shut the government down and bill clinton was president. bill clinton won that hands down. and look, the one thing that i think michael and i agree on and the people in the campaign to fix the debt and simpson bowes, is we're not going to fix our problem, rev, by who wins political battles. if the republican party wants to eat itself alive, sure it will make them happy but you'll lose suburban cleveland, suburban philadelphia, sub suburban st. s and places like that. they're going to go down. what good does it do if they

lose control of the house in 2014? it seems to me to be a death wish. >> well, michael, you were chair of the republican party and clearly this is politically damaging if, in fact, they go through with it. congress u under republican control, is now less popular than root canals, replacement reves, cockroaches and don trump. i mean, as a chairman of a party, you chaired it when they had the great midterm election. can you now come back to a party that is less popular than cockroaches? and root canal and tell them you really don't want to do this? >> look, the party has a big political problem that has been -- around for now two years. and it's about how we communicate those very

principles and value how we've talked about the economy and how we've talked about evolving everybody in the rehabilitation. that laundry list that you gave earlier is so true. all of those things happens if the government shuts down. but all of those things happen, also, if we continue to spend the way we intend because whether it's today or tomorrow, the bill will come due. the republicans have the opportunity to make the argument to touch on a better management of our government and touch on creating the types of incentives in the economy so that we rely less on government spending and government programs and more on the private sector. >> i think that we're going to have to go, but i think that the spending is not the question that any of us are saying is not a question that we're going to have to deal with. but i say, in the words of the president, you knew that when you walked in the restaurant and ordered, sat down and ate and

then said you're not going to pay the bill. >> but so did he. >> he didn't spend the money. he didn't spend the money, michael. michael, we were trying to get passed our first interview of the year without fighting and you're messing it up. i made a new year's resolution. >> he was on a date with the congress. >> he was on the date with the congress and they said that we will pick up the tab. it was their date and now they're stiffing the restaurant and the date. ed rendell, michael steele, thank you for your time tonight. comie ining up, republicans attack colin powell for telling some hard truths about diversity and their party. and, folks, it's getting ugly. ♪

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still ahead, colin powell blasting the republican party for its intolerance. how does the gop respond? well, by attacking the message. that's next. [ male announcer ] there are only so many foods

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>> there's also a dark, dark vein of intolerance in some parts 069 party. what do i mean by that? i mean they still sort soft look down on minorities. >> conservatives pounced calling powell venomous and a back stabbing lout. it's amazing. gop politicians have called president obama all kinds of names. and not one prominent leader has denounced them. republicans are tearing colin powell apart. joining me now is richard wolf, vice president and executive editor of msnbc.com. he covered then-secretary of state colin powell in the run up to the war on iraq and maria theresa kumar and an msnbc contributor. let me thank both of you for your time. >> thanks, reverend. >> let me come to your first.

is this a case of the truth hurts for the gop? >> well, you know, colin powell has incredible bona fide aids with the republican party. he chooses his words very carefully. he does not go out on these words unless he has something to say. this is someone who watches this unfold and says things as he intends them to be. and, you know, i understand why some people would be upset about having to look in the mirror. but he is trying to get republicans to look in the mirror and say we have messed up. we need to change. this kind of reaction that he's been getting only proves his point. >> now, maria, when you see the reaction, the hostility he's called by on shapiro vile, rubin, venomous. laura ingram says he sounds more

like sharpton than reagan. it's not like they're getting the poiblt. in reality, what he's saying is to get them to really clean up their act. and he said this in the context. if they're ever going to win a national election again. why would you get angry at somebody trying to help you overcome something that is defeating you? >> and why get angry at someone that is so well respected in the country and is trying to shepherd your party into a new era. president obama won with a new majority. he won among women, asians, blacks, latinos, young people. what colin powell is trying to shepherd the republican party and say you can't dress it up. you can't put four or five people in front of the camera and call yourself diverse. not only does the republican party have a problem with diversity, they also have an authenticity problem. people would scratch their head and say are you being sincere?

and colin powell is trying to lead that way. and he's not the only one within the republican party. look at jeb bush doing the same thing safing you need to change. and there's plenty of women that are elected to congress right now that are basically republican women trying to do the same thing. you have to change and modernize with the reflection of the american public. >> richard, i looked all day for a leading moderate republican to come out and defend general powell. why are they so quiet? >> i think there's a lot of fear in the republican party. by the way, powell didn't say that one line. he said you cannot go out and try to suppress the minority vote. you've got to recognize the changing demographics. and people attack him saying hang on a second. we've nominated colin powell in the first place. so we have immunity to this kind of thing. i'm sorry, but there is no kind of immunity.

it doesn't matter how many. >> would they be elevated to the party today? and i doubt it. and i don't think that colin powell would identify with the republican party. >> let me just also say that i took note that senator mark marko rubio defended the party. let me show you what he said. >> i think the bottom line is that the republican party is the 35rty that's placed two hispanics in the number of hispanics and the african american senator in the united states senate and i never once felt that the republican party has been unwelcoming to me because of my heritage or my background. i think that's been a popular thing to say in terms of the mass media and their coverage of the republican party. but i disagree with the general powell's assessment. we have work to do on a number of issues.