and that's "hardball" for now. have a safe holiday weekend. "politicsnation" with al sharpton starts right now. thanks, chris, and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, the gop's setting up shop in scandal town. instead of investing in america, for weeks they have been on a mission to bring down president obama with controversies. and now they are not just doubling down, they are tripling down. the national journal reports that the gop will keep stirring the scandal stew over the memorial break. forget jobs. forget policies. interviews on local television and radio programs, republicans plan to talk about the obama administration's, quote, credibility gap. now, i'll be the first to say that what happened at the irs was wrong. but attacking the president's

credibility? that's offensive. and it's a distraction from real problems. late last night, an interstate bridge in washington state collapsed after being struck by an oversized truck. in an instant, cars were sent toppling into the icy water below. >> you thought this was the end? >> absolutely. when i felt the water rushing in, and i kind of came back to a situation where i was looking around, when you looked at all of the carnage of the metal around you, i assumed that was it at that point. there was no hope. that's what i was thinking. >> that man's lucky to be alive. you shouldn't need luck to cross a bridge in america. but these days you do. the collapsed bridge was listed as functionally obsolete. it was given a rating of just 57.4 out of 100.

but 759 bridges in washington have an even lower score. this should be an issue that we deal with. the president has been fighting for infrastructure spending for years now. >> let's rebuild this country we love. we know we've got to rebuild our infrastructure. we've got $2 trillion of deferred maintenance. >> put construction workers back on the job, rebuilding our roads, bridges. >> roads, bridges. >> building new roads and bridges. let's make sure we've got the best roads. we're going to push on these issues each and every day. >> still got too many roads, too many bridges that aren't safe. we don't have to accept that for america. these are things that should not be partisan, shouldn't be controversial this didn't used to be a partisan issue. i don't know when that happened. >> it shouldn't be partisan and

in the past it wasn't. in 2005, 217 voted for the legislation. but the house wouldn't even take it up for a vote. how about that for a scandal? joining me now is jim mcdermott, democrat from washington. the state where that bridge collapsed and "the washington post" e.j. dionne. thank you both for coming on the show tonight. >> good to be with you, reverend. >> congressman, let me go to you first. isn't it in the republican's interest to deal with this and if they focused on building up america, isn't it in the interest than trying to tear down the president? >> well, they've clearly spent the last five years trying to tear the president down but they have done it by throwing society under the bus.

we have the most long-term unemployed that we've had since the 1930s and there's no excuse for that. there's plenty of work in this society that needs to be done and all it means is that the congress has to step up, put the money up, and we can have it. we haven't raised the gas tax for bridges and highways since 1993. and there's just no reason that we shouldn't be doing this and putting america back to work. all the other problems that face us would be gone if we had put people back to work. >> now, e.j., you wrote earlier this week that the focus on scandal is taking attention away from things that are very important. let me read you something that struck me that you wrote. "i know, i know, this confluence of scandals spells trouble for the obama administration. well, sure, this has been a hell

of a week for the president but what spells trouble for our country is our apparent eagerness to avoid debate about discrete problems by sacrificing the particulars and the facts to the idle of political narrative. it's a false god." >> thank you, reverend, for quoting that. i've gotten sick and tired of the word narrative where people take a shard of this and a shard of that and build it into a story and the other problem is that the overall story isn't true. this notion that the president had anything to do with what happened in the irs, there's no evidence of that yet yet people are jumping to conclusions. this is all about some big government scandal. and in the meantime, voters look at washington and say, what are they talking about? you show the story of the bridge and that's a cheaper line, reverend. you shouldn't have to be lucky to cross a bridge in america. how many times do people have to say that at a time when interest

rates are really low, that's the time you borrow money to invest in your future and that comes back to you in a richer economy, both now because we put people back to work and down the road because we've got the basis for creating future wealth and it's crazy that we're focusing on all kinds of stuff that has nothing to do with improving the country when we could make things a whole lot better at rather modest costs. >> you put your hand on it. there's no scandal here that has touched the president, the white house yet. no one has accused him of being involved but that doesn't anger me as much as when i find out, for example, that public construction spending, the spending we do on public construction, is now lower than it has been in over 20 years, congressman. so in all of this trying to create some scenario that would go to the oval office that just

has not been there in any of these scandals -- and i'm not minimizing the scandals but i'm not fabricating where they may go to -- in all of this, we're ignoring that we're spending less money now in terms of public construction than we did 20 years ago and yet bridges are falling down in your home state? >> you know, it is really appalling when you think about it, that we have had people unemployed in this country since 2007 when the crash came and we have had tremendous amounts of infrastructure that needs to be replaced, the jobs are there, we could put the people to work, and as mr. dionne says, we could invest in the future. the idea that you stop investing in the future, it's only the radical tea party. the real republicans, like ice

s eisenhower, he believed in making a national highway system. it is not a republican or democratic idea going on right now. it's simply radical tea party people who want to destroy the government and think we will be better without it. you wait and see when it comes to their house as it did in oklahoma. you'll see those guys from oklahoma who voted against money for sandy repair in new york suddenly coming with their tin cup saying, please help us for our problems here in oklahoma. you've got to think of us as one koer country that we all take care of each other. >> e.j., people show that they are tired of this washington chaser scandal. wherever it lies, they ought to be held accountable but to try to make it something that it is not, to try to act like it's some kind of reverse or other party watergate, it's just not

there, especially when you have the problems that we are facing being ignored. and the president even talks about -- the republicans are against all of this spending until they are spending in their district and then they are the first one there. let me show you the president talking about that. >> i know because i've seen them at the ribbon cuttings. yeah, they will all say how, no, we don't want to do it and then they are all writing me letters saying, we really need this port. cut somebody else's port out. that's what they'll say. cut somebody else's rope. oh, no, we're all in this together. so if you think it's good for your district, then it's probably good for other districts, too. >> i mean, e.j., why don't we just cut the crap and start rebuilding america, rebuilding the infrastructure?

>> you know, i think it's really true that a lot of republicans, for example, who voted against the stimulus, remember that, and said it was against america, were among the first to say, please give us some money, or i'm proud of what this stimulus did for our district rather than to say that the money came from the stimulus. i wrote a column this week about one republican who is not a partnership krit. tom coal has been on msnbc a lot because he was from moore, oklahoma. he was one of the small-time republicans who voted for aid for sandy victims and said on the floor, look, there are a lot of tornadoes and droughts in my state and i may be back here soon when a tornado comes. he was able to see that and you have to ask the question, why can't more con sircertain tiffs like that.

>> or dwight eisenhower. >> or eisenhower. there's nothing about the republican party and principle that says they shouldn't support trying to build up the country. >> congressman jim mcdermott and e.j. dionne, i'm going to have to leave it there. >> great to be with you. >> be careful. ahead, why george zimmerman's defense team is trying to delay his trial. why one key piece of evidence could determine whether he serves time or goes free. plus, the biggest bromance in politics is back. chris christie knows the real scandal is not working with the president for the public's good. and the president's personal speech on fatherhood. it didn't get the attention it deserved. we're talking about it tonight. my whole life, i've tried to be for michelle and my girls what my father was not for my

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today, president obama helped to honor four young girls who played a tragic but pivotal role in the civil rights movement and gave a gold medal to them, the four little girls kill ds in the bombing of the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama. >> that tragic loss, that

heartbreak, helped to trigger triumph and a more just and equal and fair america. that's an incredible gift for us to participate in. >> he's right. it is incredible. after that tragedy, new calls for the civil rights movement came from all across the country. just days after the bombing, other civil rights leaders met with president kennedy at the white house to talk about their cause. within two years, we saw the passage of the voting rights act and the civil rights act. to learn more about the bombing and what it meant, you can go to our facebook. that's facebook.com/politicsnation where you can read more and see photos. out there. i knew devry university would give me the skills that i needed to make one of those tech jobs mine. we teach cutting-edge engineering technology, computer information systems, networking

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tonight we have news about one of the biggest power couples in the world. no, i'm not talking about branagelina or bennifer. no, folks, the dynamic duo making news is christama. president obama and chris christie. they are back in the news. the white house said today the president and the governor will reunite next week to see how new

jersey's recovering from hurricane sandy. christie talked about it on the "today" show. >> do you ever worry that another visit of you working on the boardwalk will cook your political goose? >> no, because i think they want me to do my job and the president wants to come back here and do his job. the fact of the matter is, he's the president of the united states. i'm the governor. i'll be here to welcome him. >> governor christie's approval rating is sky high because he works with the president to get stuff done for the public good. it's the way politics should work. but too many gop politicians and pundits have forgotten that. they are working up these so-called scandals instead of working for what is best for the

country. joining me is lauren ashburn and clarence. clarence, how are republicans going to react when the president and chris christie are reunited again next week? >> well, i suspect they are going to act a lot like last time, where there were a lot of hard feelings, especially on the right wing of the party about whether or not chris christie might have helped barack obama to get re-elected. you remember how crucially important that was with the timing of the hurricane of the two of them that got along so well. new jersey folks loved it. chris christie's approval ratings went up. there were a lot of backlash statements coming from the rest of the party. so we will see if he does plan to run for president. i suspect he's had a big impact. >> lauren, the fact is, if you look at the numbers in the polls, chris christie's at a 69% approval rating while the

republicans and congress are only at 22%. so even though it may cause him some flack in the party, poll number-wise, he's way ahead of him, maybe two or three times ahead. >> and that's because he is not catering to the right, reverend. he's doing what people, as you said, should be doing who are in elected office. taking care of the people in their home state or their home district. and what fascinates me is that in the republican party sometimes it seems that it's more important to be mean to president obama than it is to be a conservative. he is one of the most conservative governors we have yet there is all of this backlash from him spending time with the president. >> now, clarence, you know, these gop politicians and pundits have gotten so extreme, i'm beginning to be concerned because they are actually sounding a little nutty. i mean, let me give you some

examples. >> let me be clear, i don't trust the republicans. >> they have to admit that ronald reagan on the amnesty act brought about barack obama's election. >> this is obama's america. a lot of people voted for him and if you see any of those people today, do me a favor, punch them in the face. >> if you see anybody that voted for the president, punch them in the face, reagan signing an amnesty act in '86 led to the election of president obama? this is some way out stuff, clarence. >> republicans have lost the popular vote in five out of the last six elections after winning the popular vote in five of the last previous elections. we've seen how important ronald reagan was. they've been divided ever since. we're seeing it now between the moderates and the conservatives. the conservatives spurred on by

talk radio and var kbroious oth factors out there in the twitter verse and the right wing of the party has become more alienated from the mainstream. chris christie would be a favorite if he could just get past the primaries and that's where, if he runs, he's going to run into some problems, problems like south carolina, for example, would get a boost in places like florida. >> lauren, when you look at the fact that -- well, let me give you another example. fox news. this morning, one of their hosts was floating a new conspiracy theory that government bureaucrats stole the election last year. watch this. >> there's a suspicion here that the machinery of government has been used to press conservatives, that the election was not a level playing field. there was a tilt and it was ork

traded by government bureaucrats. >> government bureaucrats. suppressing the conservative vote. i mean, what is he talking about? >> you've got me. i p don't know what goes through stewart barney's head. i do know, though, that when we're talking about conservatives and republicans and the far right, we are not necessarily talking about the same thing. there is a group of republicans who consider anybody talking to president obama a traitor. this is the group that did not invite him to the republican cpac conference that was held here earlier this year. there are those who willvil vily anyone having a conversation with him, let alone a handshake. so a man who has chosen to be a

larger figure than his other republican counterparts and i don't mean his waistline. i mean in actually trying to make things work in his state. thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you, reverend. >> happy weekend to both of you. ahead, is the george zimmerman defense team trying this case in the press? the prosecution thinks so. some important questions before critical hearing. [ male announcer ] this is betsy.

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[ agent smith ] i've found software that intrigues me. it appears it's an agent of good. ♪ [ agent smith ] ge software connects patients to nurses to the right machines while dramatically reducing waiting time. [ telephone ringing ] now a waiting room is just a room. [ static warbles ] there may be new developments tonight in the trial of george zimmerman, the man accused of murdering 17-year-old trayvon martin. zimmerman has pleaded not guilty and claims he shot trayvon in self-defense. with less than three weeks to go until the trial, the prosecution is now asking for a gag order against mr. zimmerman's lawyer,

mark o'mara, saying he's trying the case in the press instead of the courtroom. a judge will consider those arguments in what is shaping up to be a major hearing next tuesday. the gag order motion comes after an important week in the case. the zimmerman team released numerous photos and documents that appear to be designed to paint trayvon martin in a negative light. also developing, the defense team is asking for a delay in the trial. in order to keep peace in the prosecution evidence. the orlando sentinel reports that the defense is focused on a 911 call the night of the murder. that's what -- the call that led to the defense asking for a delay in the trial. these are critical questions. an answer could determine whether george zimmerman is convicted or set free for the killing of trayvon martin.

joining me now are kendall coffe. now a criminal defense attorney and veteran prosecutor paul henderson. kendall, let me start with you. this is actually the third gag order the prosecution has filed. why are they so concerned about zimmerman's lawyer going on tv talking about this case? >> well, they are concerned because it's three weeks to go and a lot of stuff that would -- that is inflammatory, that would never get to first base in a court of law, stuff the jury would never see is scoring some home runs maybe in the court of public opinion. it's inflammatory, it's damaging. and frankly, potential jurors are going to find it very hard to unsee what they are already seeing in the television, the internet, and in newspapers. >> now, paul, do you agree with that? because clearly o'mara, zimmerman's lawyer is out and saying why he is releasing this. let me give you why he says

these text that he's put out about fighting is relevant. let's listen to this. >> you know, if we're talking about who trayvon martin was that night, if that becomes relevant, according to how the state presents it, the idea that this person is familiar with fighting, familiar with getting on top of somebody, that's very relevant for a jury to look back and say, what happened in that one minute that we don't have audio evidence for. >> now, is that something to be concerned about, paul, is that damaging? could that pollute a jury pool? >> it could pollute a jury pool and that's exactly why they are asking for the gag order again and in that case, with that evidence, those photographs and those texts, because we know a judge would not admit any of those things, that's a basis to ask for a gag order again.

the only reason they are including it as evidence that they would like to introduce when they know that it won't be introduced is to try and taint the jury pool and try to change public perception with this information that they have that, quite frankly, is very disappointing to see that they are trying to release and introduce into the trial. it just is not going to happen with the limited means in which you can't even use character evidence in a self-defense case in florida. it's a real disappointment. it's absolutely prejudicial. i would hope that a judge will restrict it and enforce a gag order. >> now, they are asking for a delay, kendall, because of this. there was screaming in the background of a 911 recording. the prosecution's voice experts say those screams are trayvon martin's screaming. listen to this. >> 911, do you need police, fire, or medical?

>> maybe both. i'm not sure. there's just someone screaming outside. i think they are yelling help but i don't know. >> does he look hurt? >> i can't see him. i don't want to go out there. i don't know what's going on. >> do you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> okay. what is your -- >> there was gunshots. >> now, kendall, the prosecution say they can put experts on that says that's trayvon martin. it's clearly screaming in the background as this person is making this 911 call. the defense, of course, is saying they need time. it's not clear whether they are going to try and counter that and say it's not trayvon or come with some expert who will try and discredit it. why is this so important if, in fact, that is trayvon martin screaming as some of the experts

have said? >> well, of course it's critical because if, in fact, the prosecution has a reliable expert that is going to say that's trayvon martin's voice, that's a very big issue and that strongly supports the prosecution's theory. but for the defense to act surprise when this has been a central issue for 16 months, the 911 tape, the question of whose voices on that, that isn't going to go anywhere with this judge. whenever their rationale is for seeking a delay, i would be astonished if the judge pbuys this particular excuse. >> paul, why is this important in the trial if this in fact is trayvon and the jury believes this to be trayvon, what does this do in terms of the evidence in the trial? >> well, this tape and that audio recording is going to be almost the linchpin to define how both sides see what happened

that evening. so the prosecution is going to say that you can hear him screaming, trayvon, trying to get help and yelling out. the defense does not want that key evidence to come in because that kind of colors the whole basis that the prosecution is making their claims on so they will do anything to diminish or modify that evidence coming in. if all they are able to do is throw out the prosecution's witness and have them choose a new expert, it's one more delay, one more modification that may diminish the prosecution's case. it's really unlikely at this time that they are going to be granted it. it's not only disappointing but an expected defense tactic that i'm hoping will not work and the judge will be able to see beyond that. >> kendall, the judge -- we've seen that the prosecution has

said they have be a expert that will testify this is trayvon. if, in fact, this person can establish that it's trayvon, we just saw a tape where the attorney for mr. zimmerman said trayvon had a record of fighting and knowing how to get on top. it would be difficult to claim he was on top and all if, in fact, he's the one yelling for help in these -- in the background of the person making this 911 call. >> that's why it's so critical. remember, zimmerman supporters have been saying that it was zimmerman crying out for help. if indeed the prosecution can establish that that voice, the voice crying out for help, was a voice of trayvon martin, it's going to be very, very compelling as to who was the aggressor, who was the real victim, and who should be perhaps judged guilty for second-degree murder. >> now, let me ask you another question, paul. zimmerman's lawyer is pushing some very extreme sequestration

of the jury pool. and let me read to you what i'm referring to. o'mara has said in an interview that he's going to ask a judge to sequester not only the jury but the jury pool in the upcoming trial. that may involve sequesterring 500 people in order to find six people to sit on the jury. is that unusual? >> it is unusual. you do sequester a larger number in a case like this where you're going to go through possibly 100 people to get the people you need on your jury pool. keep in mind, this is what the court is considering. after they get their actual jurors, this could be a long trial and so you want to have enough people that you hold to the side that make up replacements in case someone in that jury pool falls sick, or someone in the jury pool falls out. you don't want to declare a

mistrial. so it makes sense to have a sequester done where off large number but when you're asking for hundreds like that, not only is that not likely to happen, but to me that's a delaying tactic at this point. the jury -- the judges know what to do. the judge knows how many people they want to put aside and he doesn't need input from the defense attorney to take this off track and delay this trial any longer than has already taken place already and so that's how i look at his motion in the first place. >> kendall do, you agree that it's unlikely that the judge would set aside hundreds for sequestration and i'm reading in "the washington post," to get six jurors. why only six jurors here? >> well, it's not a capital crime. in other words, six jurors is a normal number of jurors in florida. and i certainly agree that he's not likely to get hundreds sequestered. and think about how ironic it is, o'mara is worried about

sequestering hundreds of people in order to avoid the pretrial publicity. meanwhile, he's working the press, throwing out stuff that is obviously inflammatory and inadmissible. that make it is tough for the judge to come to the judge and ask for extraordinary protection. >> and nocncapital cases in florida is only six, not 12 for the jury? >> correct. >> we're going to cover this gavel to gavel. kendall coffey and paul henderson, thank you for your time. george zimmerman has sued nbc universal and they strongly deny the allegations. president obama talks about growing up without a father and helping those who have fallen into trouble. also, the first lady dancing

to the godfather of soul. stay with us. ♪ constipated? yeah. mm. some laxatives like dulcolax can cause cramps. but phillips' caplets don't. they have magnesium. for effective relief of occasional constipation. thanks. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. i love to golf. ♪ [ grunts ] yowza!

that's why i eat belvita at breakfast. it's made with delicious ingredients and carefully baked to release steady energy that lasts... we are golfing now, buddy! [ grunts ] ...all morning long. i got it! for the win! uno mas! getting closer! belvita breakfast biscuits -- steady energy to do what i do all morning long. today on an elementary school visit in washington, d.c., the first lady stopped by a class for an i am prom tea lesson in music history.

>> play james brown. >> who is james brown? >> music to my ears. a class of young kids who all know who the godfather of soul is. after that, the first lady and the kids did a freeze dance, moving until the teacher cut off the music. ♪ ♪

>> well, that's a great scene for the first lady and it's great the godfather of soul still has all of us having a funky good time. we used to live with a bear.

[growl] we'd always have to go everywhere with it. get in the front. we drive. it was so embarrasing that we just wanted to say, well, go away. shoo bear. but we can't really tell bears what to do. moooooommmmmm!!! then one day, it was just gone. mom!

[announcer] you are how you sleep. tempur-pedic. on sunday, president obama gave an important speech that was overshadowed by the tragedy in oklahoma but it deserves our attention. the president spoke to graduates of morehouse college, the renowned black university in atlanta. he talked about growing up without a father, showing the personal side that we rarely get to see in public. >> raised by a heroic single mom, wonderful grandparents, made incredible sacrifices for me and i know there are moms and grandparents who did the same thing for all of you. but i sure wish i had a father that was not only present but involved. i didn't know my dad. and so my whole life i tried to

be for michelle and my girls what my father was not for my mother and me. i want to break that cycle where a father's not at home, where a father's not helping to raise that son or daughter. i want to be a better father, a better husband, a better man. i will tell you this. everything else is unfulfilled if we fail at family. if we fail at that responsibility. [ applause ] >> be a better man, a better husband, a better father. it was a deeply personal and moving speech from the president, one that both inspired us and challenged us to do better. joining me now is melissa harris perry, most of msnbc's melissa harris-perry. melissa, thanks for being with us tonight. >> absolutely. >> the speech was a rare glimpse into the president's private side. why was it so important for him

and for the audience that he addressed? >> it's interesting. the president is taking criticism both for his speech as well as making similar comments in the past. i've had my own critiques but i had an opportunity to sit down with the president for a one-on-one interview for "ebony" magazine. he was very policy-oriented until we got to the questions about family. the moment we got to the questions about family, the president chastising black men or playing to the right, it's simply untrue. this really is -- you can feel it. it's palpable when you're in the room with him. that sense for him, when he says, if we fail at family, then nothing else matters, he means that and he's trying to convey to these young men at morehouse, this lesson that he feels,

despite all of his successes that he's learned. >> if you read the whole speech, he talked about dr. king, dr. benjamin mays, president of morehouse. the thing that people forget, he's talking to a graduating class of young black men at morehouse. >> yep. >> the other speech that he was talking about was men's day. men's day. so it is appropriate to address the question of men. >> yep. >> he does talk policy to black audience. >> sure. >> he did at ncaap. look at the speech. he doesn't talk about this at all. you don't go to a graduation and give a policy speech. >> exactly. >> i did a back lori yet. you did the commencement at brown. you didn't give a whole philosophy lesson. you talked to the students. >> absolutely. and in many ways, part of what we see here is a reaffirmation

of something that i think is critically important. you know, i'm not a believe that marriage in and of itself solves political and social problems. what he was suggesting was the human side of it. what he was suggesting was something about family and i want to be clear, he wasn't being totally middle class about it. he said earlier, all of your partners, whether they be male or female, it was a broad and inclusive message about our humanity. you, successful young person, here in the world where you will face all of these economic difficulties, you're going to have people telling you that the only thing that matters in terms of success is whether or not you reach a certain level, a certain potential, he says, none of that matters if you haven't, at the core of who you are as a human, developed that sense of love, commitment, and family. >> and i think it's important he challenged on role models n. terms of not having the excuses, yes, there is still racism and there's a way to go and i think

it was an important thing talking to that audience. let me play some of what he said. >> we know that too many young men in our community continue to make bad choices and i have to say growing up, i made quite a few myself. sometimes i wrote off my own failings as just another example as the world trying to keep a black man down. i had a tendency to make excuses for me not doing the right thing. but one of the things that all of you have learned over the last four years is there's no longer any room for excuses. remember, whatever you've gone through, it pales in comparison to the hardships previous generations endured and they overcame them and if they overcame them, you can overcome them, too. >> challenging them to overcome them, not saying that they aren't there, but they pale in

comparison to things that we have overcome. >> he's speaking to young men who are receiving their degree. when he went and spoke in chicago on the question of gun violence, he didn't tell people in the community, you don't have excuses. he recognized those structural inequalities, but for young men completing their degree, they have at this point a certain level of privilege that comes from holding that degree, what he is doing is calling them to account right back to those very communities. it's not, you have no excuse just anybody. it's you. you, morehouse graduate, you have no excuse, particularly no excuse to go back and bring others along with you. >> i think you hit it. that's right. and i think that those of us that do those kinds of events understand that you have to address them. those parents and family members and graduates are looking for where they need to go in life. it's different when you're doing a rally or policy or convention. >> and they are never going to forget it.

no one present in that moment is never going to forget the word of their president on that day. >> melissa, thanks for your time tonight. have a great weekend. be sure to catch melissa harris perry on saturday and sunday at 10:00 a.m. eastern time. we'll be right back with "ask rev," your questions asked and answered. stay with us. we love to eat. we just didn't know that our plants did, too. then we started using miracle-gro liquafeed every two weeks. now our plants get the food they need while we water. so they're bigger, healthier, and more beautiful. guaranteed.

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we're making it. are proven to be effective pain relievers tylenol works by blocking pain signals to your brain bayer back & body's dual action formula includes aspirin, which blocks pain at the site. try the power of bayer back & body. folks, now it's time for a special friday edition of "ask rev." thanks for all of your e-mails and e-mail questions. keep them coming. alice writes, please continue to insist that senators ayotte, graham, collins, and mccain apologize to susan rice. not quite a question but i'm going to stay on it because i think what they did to susan rice was not only wrong and bad for her, it was bad for the country and they should stand up

and acknowledge it with an apology. moving on, cee says, "i love your fresh perspective and your constant quest for truth. who do you attribute your sense of humor to? your spin on the reality of politics never fails to amuse me but also wows me with its accuracy." well, steve, i learned very early in my public career as an activist, don't take yourself more seriously than the cause. laugh at yourself. laugh at what goes on and try to reach people with a sense of humor so they understand it's not about you, it's about the cause. you can, in many ways, deface yourself to keep your cause out front. steve asks, "what's your favorite scripture verse." i'm happy to share that one with you. st. john, chapter 14, verse 1,

let not your heart be troubled ye believe in god believe also in me. many verses i love. i love the 71st psalm but i love that one. i needed it when i was 4 years old and a lot of controversies ever since, not let my heart be troubled but if you believe in something, it won't. please be sending along your questions. all you have to do is send an e-mail to askrev@msnbc.com and we will get the question and i will try and answer you. friend or foe, i want to know. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. true commander. let's play "hardball."