more than 70% of nra households, it is commonsense and yet there is only one thing that can stand in the way of change that just about everybody agrees on and that's politics in washington. you would think with those numbers congress would rush to make this happen. that's what you would think. if our democracy is working the way it's supposed to and 90% of the american people agree on something, in the wake of a tragedy, you would think this would not be a heavy lift. and yet some folks back in washington are already floating the idea that they may use political stunts to prevent stunts on any of these reforms.

think about that. they are not just saying they will vote no on ideas that almost all americans support, they are saying they will do anything they can do to prevent any votes on these provisions. they are saying your opinion doesn't matter. and that's not right. that is not right. we need a vote. >> we want a vote! we want a vote! we want a vote! we want a vote! vote. now, i've also heard some in the

washington press suggest what happens to gun violence legislation in congress this week will either be a political victory or defeat for me. connecticut, this is not about me. this is not about politics. this is about doing the right have been torn gun violence. it's about them and all the families going forward so we can prevent this from happening again. that's what it's about. officials putting their lives at risk. this is about. politics. this is not about politics. this is about these families. and families all across the

country who are saying, let's make it a little harder for our kids to get gunned down. when i said in my state of the union address that these kids deserve a vote, a former member giffords, applauded start denying your families? a vote when the cameras are off and lobbyists have worked what they do? you deserve better than that. now, look, we knew from the beginning of this debate that change would not be easy. we knew that there would be powerful interests that are very good at confusing the subject,

that are good at amplifying conflict and extremes, that are good at drowning at rational debate, good at ginning of irrational fears, all which stand in the way of progress. but if our history teaches us anything, then it's up to us, the people, to stand up to those who say we can't or we won't. stand up for the change that we need. and i believe that that's what the american people are looking for. when i first ran for this office i said that i did not believe the country was as divided as our politics would suggest and i still believe that. i know sometimes when you watch -- sometimes when you watch cable news or talk radio or you browse the internet, you

would think, man, everybody just hates each other. everybody is at each other's throats. but that's not -- that's not how most persons think of these issues. there are good people on both sides of every issue. so if we're going to move forward, we can't just talk past one another. we've got to listen to one another. that's what governor malloy and all of these legislature leaders did. they were able to pass bipartisan legislation. [ applause ] i've got stacks of letters from gun owners who want me to know that they care passionately about their rights to bear arms, and i appreciate every one of those letters. i've learned from them. a lot of thos letters have also said they are not just gun owners. they are also parents or police officers or veterans. they agree that we can't stand by and keep letting these

tragedies happen, that with our rights comes responsibilities and obligations to our communities and towards ourselves and most of all to our children. we can't just think about us. we've got to think about we, the people. you know, i was in colorado. i told a story about michelle. she came back from a trip to rural iowa. we were out there campaigning. sometimes it would be miles between farms and she said, you know, coming back, i don't understand why somebody would want a gun for protection. if somebody drove up into the driveway and, barack, you weren't home, sheriff lived miles away, i might want that security. so they can understand what it might be like in terms of somebody wanting that security. on the other happened, i also talked to a hunter who said all of my experiences with guns have been positive but i also realize that for others all of their experience with guns has been

negative. and when he said that, i thought about the mom i met from suburban chicago whose son was killed in a random shooting and this mom told me, i hate it when people tell me that my son was in the wrong place at the wrong time. he was on his way to school. he was exactly where he was supposed to be. in he was in the right place at the right time and he still got shot. but kids at sandy hook were where they were supposed to be. so were the moviegoers in aurora, so were the worshippers in oak creek. so was gabby giffords. she was at a supermarket listening to the concerns of her constituents. they were exactly where they were supposed to be. they were also exercising their rights, so assemble peacefully, to worship freely and safely.

they were exercising the rights of liberty and pursuit of happiness. so surely we can reconcile those two things. surely america doesn't have to be divided between rural and damage krat and republican when it comes to something like this. if you're an american and want to do something to keep from knowing the immeasure able anguish, now is the time for everybody to make their voices heard, from every statehouse to the corridors of congress. and i'm asking everyone listening today, find out where

your member of congress is on this. if they are not part of the 90% of american who is agree on background check, then ask them, why not? why wouldn't you want to make it easier for law enforcement to do their job? why wouldn't you want to make it harder for a dangerous person to get his or her hands on a gun? what's more important to you? our children or an aid raid from the gun lobby? you know, i've heard -- i've heard talk about what her life has been like since dylan was taken from her in december. and one thing she said struck me. she said, every night i begged

for him to come to me in my dreams so i could see him again. and during the day i just focus on what i need to do to honor him and make a change. now, if nicole can summon the courage to do that, how can the rest of us do any less? how can we do any less? if there's even one thing we can do to protect our kids, don't we try? if there's even one step we can take to keep someone from murdering dozens of innocence in a matter of minutes, shouldn't we be taking that step? [ applause ]

if there's just one thing we can do to keep one father from burying his child, isn't that worth fighting for? i've got to tell you, i've had tough days and i'll say it before, it was the toughest day of my presidency. but i've got to tell you, if we don't respond to this, that will be a tough day for me, too. because we've got to expect more from ourselves. and we've got to expect more from congress. we've got to believe that, you know, every once in a while we set politics aside. we just do what's right. [ applause ] we've got to believe that. and if you believe that, i'm asking you to stand up. if you believe in the right to

bear arms like i do but think we should prevent an irresponsible few from inflicting harm, stand up. [ applause ] stand up. if you believe that the families of newtown heand aurora deserve vote, we all have to stand up. [ applause ] you want the people you send to washington to have just an iota of the courage that the educator of sandy hook showed when sandy hook arrived on their doorstep, then we're all going to have to stand up. and if we do, if we come together and demand this change together, i'm convinced cooperation and commonsense will prevail. we will find sensible, intelligent ways to make this

country stronger and safer for our children. so let's do the right thing. let's do right by our kids. let's do right by our families. let's get this thing done, connecticut. thank you. god bless the united states of america. >> that was president obama in hartford, connecticut, giving a powerful speech on gun control to an audience that included families of the sandy hook victims. the president demanded a vote on gun safety proposals and he's urged the crowd to get involved. saying now is the time to make your voices heard. welcome to "politicsnation." i'm al sharpton. president making a rousing speech even a rallying cry at some point, the crowd yelling, we want a vote, we want a vote as the president stood there leading something nothing short of a rally as washington now

begins to wrestle with this issue. joining me now is my colleague chris matthews, host of "hardball" on msnbc. chris, thank you for staying here tonight. >> yeah. well, it was worth it. and you know, this is the first time -- you and i know how cool this president is. he wasn't cool tonight. it was almost like mr. stewart goes to washington. he was standing up there and coming out with his hard and he was really talking to people there and the only question is, does mitch mcconnell care what the hell he says? he makes it 14 who say no vote. there will be no vote on background checks, nothing, in. nada will come out of what happened in newtown. >> zero. >> and this stonewalling by -- against a 90% belief makes you wonder how the constitution holds sometimes. how can you hold a system

together that's based on straight arming 90% of the court and saying you're not even going to get a vote? >> the president said in his speech that 90% of the country rarely agrees on anything. here you have 90% of the country saying that they believe that background checks are necessary. now they are talking about filibuster. and then when you look at the fact that the negotiations on background checks are being led by senator joe manchin, a democrat from west virginia and pat toomey, a republican from pennsylvania, both of them raided a by the nra. and the nra and gun supporters,

two people with a-rating. >> pat toomey faces re-election. >> right. >> not an even special but midterm. a real one. he's got to face them around philadelphia who are moderate politically, some of the more conserved politicians, he's thinking about the central part of the state, he's trying to calculate it. maybe allen town next and then oklahoma. it's toomey and then the guy down in oklahoma and he's going to get a lot of no votes at all. i have a list of rand paul, marco rubio, they are big shots

coming against -- >> ted cruz is on that list. >> and then you look at the president's standing there and in the middle of the speech the crowd took over. if he rallies the american public like this and they stonewall a vote because again he's clearly staying in the speech, they are not only saying they are going to vote no. they are denying you a vote. this is an insult to the electorate, chris. >> by the way, i'm going to depend our world on what he calls cable tv. i know the president says he doesn't want it. some of his people do. i think msnbc and you and i and others have been keeping up the fight for gun safety since newtown, not just a few times but every night. consistent spiting on this network to push for this action.

he's taking sides. he calls it not being political. look who his enemies are. they are all republicans. it's a partisan opposition to gun safety. it's partisan and that's the problem. when you have a whole political party ran my mitch mcconnell saying no vote, it's serious and partisan as he will. >> we're talking about people loving each other and if you love children you want to see gun safety. >> well said. >> we're not talking about cable. they are not talking about able cable. that's what you and i do. >> i would think that would be a good way to look at it. sure. >> chris, stand by. i want to bring in e.j. dionne. your new column is about how republican minorities are blocking the will of majorities on gun. e.j., what do you think about the passion we saw tonight from the president? >> well, i thought he put it all on the table today and i was really glad he went very hard at

this effort to block a vote. i think we've become way too complacent in washington over the idea that all of a sudden without any change in the constitution it suddenly takes 60 votes to pass anything. that's not what the constitution envisioned in the senate. it envisioned majority rule. but when we talk about filibusters and stuff like that, i think people sort of yawn. i think the president put his finger on it when they said they may use political stunts to prevent votes on any of these measures and so i think -- i am hoping that this is not obama the beginning of a push on guns and particularly on background checks, but also the beginning of a push to say we can't govern ourselves like this anymore. that's why you have democracy so deadlocked. if you've got to get 50% of the votes on the senators on everything, is it any wonder we're having so much trouble passi passing things?

>> e.j., chris doesn't seem that optimistic. are you optimistic and is this the make or break week? >> i am hopeful because two of things. one is that joe manchin of west virginia has been gutsy. he's taken a position that is not easy for him to take given that the nra is said to have -- we'll see how much influence they have but lot of influence in a state like that. pat toomey is looking forward to the midterm election and i also think that there were a lot of more moderate republican congress people in the house from those suburbs telling too many me we don't want to be sitting here doing nothing on this when our constituents are overwhelmingly for it. the president was right to say this is a 90% issue. it's probably 95% in those philadelphia suburbs and so i

think there is movement and if somehow toomey decides it is on principle grounds to go along with something, i think that might break the dam. john mccain has always been willing to support reasonable gun measures. i think he would like to vote for this. >> >> chris, let me go back to you quickly. some of the parents from sandy hook are actually going back with the president on air force one to washington. they are going to meet with legislatures and hopefully touch something in some of these guys to make this thing go forward. is this the make or break week, chris matthews? >> yes, it is, because of this thing with the president that causes political stunts. here's the stunt for people not interested. why would a republican senator and quiet republican congressperson, why would they not want to vote? here's why.

because they could vote against all kinds of these things and the one thing they can't vote against, if it comes to a vote, is a background check. there's no way a sane person, once it comes to that question, do you want to make sure nuts and criminals and people under restraining orders don't get a gun? how can they say, yes, let's make sure they get a gun? you can't make that case. so you filibuster and make sure that question never goes to the floor. by the way, if mcconnell is able to do that and keep this from coming to a vote, as e.j. says, he protects all of the republicans from around this kous country because they don't ever have to vote. the game, it's a political stunt. it's not just a filibuster. it's a stunt. using the filibuster to do it, that's the smoke screen, that's the game. i'm glad the president hit it. he only didn't do one thing, he should have listened to the guys doing it.

he should have read a list of senators who voted no. call them out. >> chris, thank you. e.j., thank you for being here tonight. i'm telling you that they cannot play the american public for fools. this he do not want to say they voted for background checks. that's why the president's right is calling it a stunt. we've got to stop the stunt and make the vote go down. this is absolutely inexcusable. if you have a position, have enough nerve. have enough courage. have enough respect for the american people to take a vote yay or nay so history can record where you are. don't duck the vote. take the vote. the president just called it out as a political stunt. will republicans use him to block gun reform? that's next. it's time to restore the ban

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some folks in washington are already floating the ideas that they may use political stunts on any of these reforms. think about that. they are just not saying that they will vote no on ideas that almost all americans support. they are saying they will do anything they can to prevent any votes on these provisions. they are saying your opinion doesn't matter.

and that's not right. >> that was president obama blasting republicans for threatening to block a vote on gun safety legislation. president obama said the threat is real. mitch mcconnell announced that he would join 13 other gop senators in denying a vote on the gun's bill. they have apparently decided the victims of newtown don't deserve a vote, that gabby giffords doesn't deserve a vote. that those killed in colorado and it's appalling and even republicans are calling them out on it. >> would you be against that? >> i don't understand it. the purpose of the united states senate is to dedate and vote and let the people know where we

stand. >> so you would encourage republicans not to filibuster. >> what are they afraid of? 91% of americans back universe stall background checks. that's 287 million people. are those 13 senators more important than the 287 million people? do their voices matter more than the mother who lost her child to gun violence? have we become a country with $3 million in nra lobbying matters more than the opinion of 287 million people? i hope not. senator mccain is asking the right question. what exactly are republicans all afraid of? joining me now is ryan grim and victoria defrrancesco soto.

>> it's a huge deal. if you can disagree with him on every single level, tactically he's a very smart operator. so he has done the calculation that it's better for him in his re-election in 2014 in kentucky and it's better for his ability to take over a senate that's apparently what they have done. if he wants to keep the floor, he has the power to do it. maybe as an individual senator he'll filibuster this and allow a few to take to the floor, that's the only path that this bill has at this point, that mcconnell -- >> victoria, i want people to

understand, this is huge because when we're actually saying is after newtown, after aurora, after all that we've seen we may actually not even get a vote. we're not talking about losing a vote. we're talking about mcconnell's move and these 13 other, they are going to deny the american public a vote even in response to what has happened in tragedies like newtown. this is unprecedented. >> regrettably, reverend, what we've seen over the last couple of years is lack of governing by filibuster. in the last decade we've seen a number increase precipitously. we're not seeing any movement. one thing that made me slightly hopeful and very core simple rhetoric that i think was able to bring the bully pulpit closer

to folks. he said, look, i'm asking for a vote. he's not being unreasonable. he also talked about making it, about commonsense. >> right. >> and about being love and just. so i do think that in taking it to the public and using some very simple language, some very persuasive language, he can help push the debate forward but that being said i think another avenue that we have to look at is the local avenue. he brought up colorado. he brought of connecticut, new york. because these senators may not be swayed by the commonsense receipt for rec, we may have to go to the state legislatures to push this legislation forward. >> well, i think it's terrible that we're going to have to do that. >> go ahead, ryan. >> i said that the only path might be going around and through the republicans but there is another path and that's what victoria hinted at. that's filibuster reform. harry reid said, look, everybody

needs to be on notice. the rules can be changed at any point by a vote of the majority and i am still willing to do that. he put that out in a radio interview. >> i always felt we needed filibuster reform and i'm just outraged that they would even talk about filibuster. it seems that they are going to engage in it with the minority leader of the senate on something as vital and as something as critical as this that 91% of americans agree with at least in terms of background sche check. the president slammed the republicans. back during his state of the union, take a listen to this. >> when i said in my state of the union address that these proposals deserve a vote, that families of newtown, aurora, and tucson, a and a former member of congress, gabby giffords, that they deserve a vote, virtually every member stood up applauded

and now they are going to stop denying why you are families' a vote when the cameras are off and the lobbyists have worked what they do? you deserve better than that. you deserve a vote. >> victoria, the state of the union with ebb manimembers of n there he a the whole chamber stood up clapping. now those same yay or nay, we're going to stop a vote altogether. >> it seems like we've forgotten about these victims but in addition, we also have the millions and millions of people would are not gun owners or maybe gun owners but have rights and have rights to liberty and life and not to be subject to gun violence. this isn't just an issue about

people subjected to gun violence. >> thank you for your time this evening. you're right. those people have rights. the american public has a right for the senators to go on record and we have a right to a roll c call and to a vote. we'll be right back. my mother made the best toffee in the world. it's delicious. so now we've turned her toffee into a business. my goal was to take an idea and make it happen.

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we keep hearing republicans say they want to reach out to minorities, be more inclusive, expand the tent. but guess who's leading the charge? i had to read the headline a few times today to make sure it was really there. senator rand paul will speak wednesday at howard university. he'll focus on outreach to younger voters as well as minority groups and we'll discuss the history of african-american communities,

roots in the republican party. i wonder if he'll also discuss his infamous comments in an interview with my colleague rachel maddow on the civil rights project. >> say somewhere in your home state. on the basis of their characteristic that they decided they didn't like as a private business owner. do you think that they have a right to do so? >> the interesting thing is, when you look at the problems we faced, they were incredible problems. they had to do with voting, schools, public housing, and so this is what the civil rights largely addressed and all things that i largely agree with. >> actually, the interesting thing is, you know he didn't

answer the question. he wouldn't say if he thought businesses should be able to discriminate based on race. >> these are important philosophical debates but not a practical discussion. >> it's pretty practical to those who had their life beaten out of them trying to desegregate walgreens lunch counters. this is not a hypothetical, dr. paul. >> it is a hypothetical. the day after that interview, paul said that he wanted to be clear, saying he would have voted for the civil rights act and wouldn't support efforts to repeal it but the night before on live tv he was anything but clear. >> so just yes or no. >> what i think would happen -- what i'm saying is that i don't believe in any discrimination. i don't believe any private property should discriminate either. i wouldn't intend, support, go

to. but what you have to answer when you answer this point of view, which is an abstract of a secure conversation from 1964 that you want to bring up, if you want an answer, you have to say, then, that you decide the rules for all restaurants. >> that was a simple yes or no question. we'll watch senator paul's speech at howard and we'll expect him to be a lot more clear. but did republicans think we wouldn't notice one of the guys leading the efforts at a minority outreach is the one who had to think about his support for the civil rights act? nice try, but we got you. i'm here at my house on thanksgiving day,

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this is not about politics. this is about doing the right thing for the families here torn apart by gun violence. it's about going forward so we can prevent this from happening again. that's what it's about. the law enforcement officials putting their lives at risk, this is what it's about. this is not about politics. >> president obama tonight making a powerful call to action on a key part of his agenda, gun

control. this could be a pivotal week for his second term priorities. and we have new details about how he's personally taking charge of the process. that's next. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. governor of getting it done. you know how to dance... with a deadline. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price.

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send future guy home, his work here is done. destroy time machine. win some awards, send in brady. that's how you do it. easy. a man personally connected to an issue, he was going back outside of washington. using his bully pulpit, fighting for gun control and for months we've seen him go outside the beltway to sell his vision to the people. fighting for real americans on gun control, immigration reform, same-sex marriage equality, voting reform, climate change, and today we're learning what

he's really like inside the white house details on how the president is taking control of the second term and highlights how he has mastered presidential power and strategy more forcefully, the president is in complete control in the white house. it's the same toughness we've seen outside the white house. >> i will not negotiate around the white house. ordinary folks do their jobs. the notion that our elected leadership can't do their things is mind boggling to them. it needs to stop. it's not fair. it's not right. the american people don't think it's fair. this is not a complicated concept. >> joining me now is the press

secretary for the obama campaign and nia-malika henderson from "the washington post." thank you for being here. >> thank you, rev. >> ben, as i mentioned, this is a big week for obama 's agenda and his vision. what do you think he's doing to get over the finish line. >> well, you've seen him on the bully pulpit keeping pressure on congress. anyone who saw the interviews last night with the newtown families is calling for the passage of this legislation. members across the country have to see that pressure in their congressional districts because the nra and other groups are working them. one surprise for anybody who has worked in the white house worked in the administration and previous administration who burrow in and try to scuttle your agenda or others pursing their own agenda, i think there's no doubt that the president is in control. he's making sure that the health and human services department is

doing everything it can to implement health care reform, that the energy department is doing everything it can to create clean energy jobs and fight climate change just like he's doing out there in states across the country for members of congress to pass the agenda that the american people voted for. >> now, nia-malika, let's talk about the president's second-term strategy. backing in a way that maybe he did or deferred to others and these are the things important to him. he seems to be -- i don't know that anyone was ever in charge of the white house other than him in the first term and the civil rights leadership. >> that's right. i think the first term, definitely more of a team of

rivals and with this term you have more of a band of brothers. you see that the president in history looking at second-term presidents, primarily ronald reagan in many way who is had a very successful term and you've seen this president doing what reagan did and that's pecking his issues. where does he want to be four years from now when he is in chicago or in hawaii thinking about his eight years as president. why does he want to look back and say that he has accomplished? we know now that he is very high on immigration reform, gun control, same-sex marriage rights as well a much more progressive agenda. the agenda that he laid out in that second term inauguration. so i think we have seen a president much more engaged, much more out there on the stump, much more pushing for those issues that i think progressives wanted him to push in that first term but he was in some ways hindered by a re-elect

and now he isn't. he's free to push for the issues that he wants to push. >> ben, you know, when you talk about -- when you hear nia-malika talk about how he's going to be remembered when he goss ba goes back to chicago, the president realizes he's on a deadline now. he's on a deadline to get his agenda pushed forward. quote, free for any president and the second term is also a race against time. the white house is taking up big, politically risky issues, an indication obama is seeing the sand running out of the hourglass. is it the fact that the time is now upon him that he has to have 3 1/2 years, seal his legacy, a new sense of urgency in the president? >> i think there's absolutely a

sense of urgency. i don't think this is a legacy. this is a president who didn't take a lucrative job after college. he moved to the south i'd of chicago to help workers get back on hits feet. his north star is how do we restore for the middle class? that's what has guided the big accomplishments of this administration, starting with health care reform. he knows what the political pressure points are. presidential candidate in 2016 is for the going to be able to beat the democrat if the democrat wins 7/10 of the hispanic vote. so comprehensive immigration reform. there's political pressure points behind that that i think create big incentives for the republicans to be with the president and i think that's going to buy him more time than pundits might be saying. >> and i think it shows him that he really believes in some things. i can't help but keep going back to, as he stood there tonight in

hartford just about leading a chant from the crowd of "we want a vote." here's a guy who knows what he believes the american people stand up with him. >> they are saying your opinion doesn't matter and that's not right. that is not right. >> we want a vote. >> we need a vote. >> we want a vote! we want a vote! we want a vote! we want a vote! we want a vote! >> we need a vote. >> and he let the people chant. he wasn't discouraging them. he raised the voice of the american people. it's a man who knows what he

believes in. >> that's right. the presidency is a very scripted, sort of orchestrated thing often. but you see the president in many of these events seeming to go off script and engaging there with the public and i think that rallying cry, that newtown deserves a vote, that these parents deserve a vote, that is what the president is hoping will move on congress, we'll see if that actually happens. certainly those voices of americans, those voices of parents are critical to this debate. >> i think you're right. and i think it is going to be part of his legacy that he's already done some things in the first term but i think it's the authenticity and bringing the voice of the american people back into the middle of the debate is something that is important for the process and i think that he is beginning to do that unlike any president in