stay out. sound naive? the only way i can justify getting into a war is if i thought one side offered a threat to the united states. and the other policy option should be that we are not, once again, as we've been for more than a decade, simply out there on international television kills islamic people. it's all we seem to do these days. guess what? the islamic people of the world including those here in this country are watching. and that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "politics nation" with al sharpton starts right now. thanks, chris. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, major developments in the murder case against george zimmerman. the man accused of killing 17-year-old trayvon martin. zimmerman has pleaded not guilty and claims he shot martin in self-defense. today with less than two weeks to go until the trial, a judge made several rulings against the zimmerman defense team. the defense wanted to include photos and documents that some say were designed to paint

trayvon martin in a negative light. including pictures of gold capped teeth and alleged drug use. today the judge ruled that none of that could be brought up in the opening statements. though she did leave the door open for the defense to bring this material back during the trial if it could prove relevance. >> the state is seeking to prohibit the defense from making any reference to the fact that trayvon martin had at any time been suspended from school. >> that will not be mentioned at all without a prior ruling of the court. >> any communications or evidence that trayvon martin had used marijuana in the past, we're asking the court to exclude that. >> previously used marijuana, the state's motion will be granted that will not come in. >> we're asking the court to prohibit the defendants from making any reference or suggesting that trayvon martin prior to this date had ever been in a fight. >> my ruling is it will not be mentioned in opening statement.

>> the judge also denied the defense request to delay the trial and sequester the jury pool. a final pretrial hearing next week will address a key piece of evidence. 911 calls made during the shooting. the prosecution expert is expected to say that trayvon martin can be heard screaming on the tape. those rulings today could have a huge impact on the trial that will be starting june 10th. joining me now is ken patowitz and zachary carter, former u.s. attorney for the eastern different of new york. ken, how will the judge's ruling today about trayvon martin's past affect the trial? >> well, this was a defense smackdown today. they lost on all the major points that they were trying to argue before this judge. and rightfully so. this was an intelligent judge who knows the law in florida very well. and this is going to hamper the defense in trying to portray the

victim as the aggressor. the victim as having, you know, this tendency to fight and all the other pieces of evidence that were really not going to be admitted by this court. that i had predicted. and clearly the judge followed the law and is not allowing it. so it's going to be a very helpful ruling by this court for the prosecution. and i'm sure that the prosecution is very happy with the results of today's hearing. >> zachary carter, you predicted as well that the judge would probably rule out a lot of the evidence against mr. zimmerman. but when she leaves the door open about relevance, what exactly does that mean? >> what it means is that you can't perfectly predict what's going to happen at trial. you don't know what the testimony is going to be from the witnesses. and it's possible that someone, the prosecution in examining its witnesses, could ask a question that provokes -- elicits a

response that opens the door. for instance, there could be a witness who -- notwithstanding all the preparation that you do -- may say something that signals that trayvon martin was -- had a reputation for being peaceful or nonviolent. and that that -- it may cause the judge to reconsider whether or not evidence that she had initially thought should be excluded should possibly be included. so that's -- but i don't expect that the prosecution will be anything but careful in guarding against that sort of thing coming in. >> and preparing its witnesses. >> correct. >> now, ken, you also would have to say that some people believe that the -- the defense knew they would not allow this, but wanted to poison the public by putting this out. because it has been all over the place now and potentially jurors may have seen this anyway, even if it's not introduced at trial?

>> that's true, reverend. i firmly believe that there was no reason in the world, even under what's called precip ro cal discovery where the defense has to present all the evidence that they intend in good faith to put into evidence during the trial, the defense attorney is very smart here. he had to know that under the rules of florida evidence code that those specific instances of conduct of trayvon martin, those photographs, those fight videos, none of those things were going to be admissibladmissible. therefore, if he knew that, someone would surprise that the only possible reason for the defense to put in that evidence was an attempt to poison the jury pool. i don't see any other way that -- that the defense in this case could possibly think in good faith that that evidence comes into this trial. there is no other reason in my mind. >> but, zach, as we look at that and the potential of poisoning the jury pool, it seems very interesting that we're not hearing a lot about zimmerman's past. because all that we've heard about trayvon, be it true or

not, and he is not alive to defend himself, he was never accused of a crime. he was never arrested. zimmerman has been arrested. in the july 2005 he was arrested for resisting an officer with violence. which could be relevant being that he was alleged to have disobeyed an officer's admonition on the phone when he told him don't pursue the, in this case, victim, trayvon. and in august of 2005, his ex-fiancee filed for a restraining order, alleging to m -- domestic violence. it seems strange that here we have you, one, talking about marijuana use and a gold tooth. and you have two arrests, both around one disobeying and officer, another around a question of violence, and the public's not hearing about that. >> again, but as ken pointed out, the judge, who obviously is a smart and competent and experienced jurist, would not

permit any evidence to be admitted with respect -- or as at least initially signals she's not going to admit evidence about trayvon martin's character. and similarly i would expect that it is unlikely that any evidence of prior offenses on the part of mr. zimmerman, that she would regard as more prejudicial than probative, it's unlikely that she will admit those as well. >> could you make an argument, you were a prosecutor for many years, could you make an argument that if he was arrested for resisting an officer with violence, that that is a basis to discuss whether or not he obeyed or didn't obey the person on the 911 call that told him don't pursue trayvon martin when he called in? >> well, i've worn two hats in my past. as a prosecutor, i could make that argument. as a judge, i wouldn't buy it. >> all right. all right. i'll leave it -- i'll leave it with your two answers. judge, prosecutor. zach carter. now, let me go back to you on

this, ken. the defense had asked that the entire jury pool be sequestered because he didn't want them infected. watch this. >> the request that is inherent in my motion is that we keep them completely limited. that the media -- i don't want to recount everything. i know you've read the motion. we do everything possible to keep this jury from infection. i don't want it to affect my client's right to a fair trial. >> now, it would seem to me the jury may have already been infected by all that he's released on trayvon martin last week, ken. >> well, it's true. you know, this day and age people watch the news. they watch computers. they look at news reports from -- on twitter and everywhere else. so, yes, they are infected with this information. but you know what? we do have one of the best, you know, court systems in the world. justice does prevail here more

than anywhere else. and jurors are intelligent. they actually will focus on the evidence in court and render a true verdict based on the law and the evidence. i have faith that it's going to work out that justice is going to prevail and that this jury is going to remain focused on the evidence that's presented to them in court. >> now, zach, the -- the prosecution argued for a gag order against the defense team. watch this. >> we are at the eve of trial. there's been all kinds of publicity on this case throughout. but now we're trying to prejudice the potential jurors. now jurors are -- if they hadn't already, focusing in on this case. especially since they've gotten a sum monos. there has been a release in commentary about evidence which i will submit is improper. but -- so i would argue that the gag order should be granted at this time. >> the judge denied the gag order. so how do these public comments from the zimmerman defense team affect the jury pool since they

can continue talking to the public? >> well, jurors are human. and it's very difficult to unmake up your mind once you've heard information. so the voir dire process, that is the process by which jurors are examined individually about their beliefs and possible biases and prejudices, is going to be absolutely critical. and among the topics that i hope the judge is not squeamish about focusing in on is racial prejudice. because the attorneys need to be and the court needs to be -- need to be asking searching questions about the attitudes of the individual jurors and whether or not they can be fair and impartial in making a judgment on a case in which race may be an issue. >> well, i'm going to have to leave it there. ken padowitz and zachary carter, thanks for your time tonight. in full disclosure, in civil court, george zimmerman has sued

nbcuniversal for defamation. and the company has strongly denied his allegations. ahead, much more on today's crucial hearing in the george zimmerman murder case. we'll talk live with the lawyer for the trayvon martin family, benjamin crump. plus, reunited, and it feels so good. president obama and governor christie are back on the jersey shore. and making the case for good government after disaster. >> we help each other as americans through the bad times. and we sure make the most of the good times. a friend of mine from here once put it pretty well. down the shore, everything's all right. plus, you won't believe what the gop's birther king donald trump is spending his money on now. and got a question for me? e-mail it. askrev@msnbc.com. friend or foe, i want to know. i turned 65 last week.

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have you joined the "politics nation" conversation on facebook yet? we hope you will. today president obama and chris christie's bipartisan boardwalk visit was the hot topic. bonnie says, i wish some more of the gop would take a stand for working together so we can get some things done. diane says, these alliances should make us all happy. ann says, hey, republicans in washington, look and learn. good idea. coming up, we've got more on that boardwalk stroll, including a bipartisan high-five. but first, we want to hear what you think. please head over to facebook and search "politics nation" and like us to join the conversation that keeps going long after the

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i'm very happy that the court has given both sides the indication that they need to be cautious in how they present the case. the idea of actually trying this case in the six or seven minutes that happened that night, which is what i mentioned to the judge, is what we've been arguing for all along. >> that was the lawyer for george zimmerman. mark o'mara talking about today's critical hearing in the murder case against his client. today, the judge ruled that a host of material related to trayvon martin's past will not be allowed at trial. at least initially.

the defense team for mr. zimmerman had released those photos and texts last week before today's hearing. joining me now is the lawyer for trayvon martin's family, benjamin crump. ben, thanks for being here. >> thank you for having me, reverend al. >> what's the family's reaction to the judge's ruling today? >> reverend al, sybrina fulton and her mother were present in court today. and they had prayed all day that the judge would see through this as the rule of law would have and that she wouldn't delay the trial. they strongly want to get this matter before the court so they can have their day in court. >> now, let me play to you something for you to respond to, a reporter actually asked zimmerman's lawyer, mr. o'mara, about some of your criticism today. look at this. >> the martin family, rather, their attorneys say that all of

this stuff is inadmissible and that it was intended just to, you know, pollute the jury pool or sway public opinion. what's your response to that? they've said that numerous times. >> the public opinion was swayed by false presentation of this case from the very beginning. the martin family through their handling has presented a picture of who trayvon was and who george was that is wholly inaccurate. this evidence sort of shows that. >> your reaction to that, attorney crump? that they put an inaccurate image of who trayvon was out from the family to the public? >> you know, we have to remember that everything mark o'mara says and the defense lawyers is just their opinion, their allegation. for instance, last week they put all these texts and these photos out, reverend al. and we were shocked, really, when we saw the media run and say it was new evidence, it was

evidence. it wasn't evidence. it was information he put out. now, we've been doing this a long time. whenever we say something, they never call it evidence. they say, attorney crump alleged. or attorney crump said. but it's a different stand, it seemed like, when they put stuff out against trayvon martin. and when you think about what his family said at the beginning, and you were there, reverend al, they simply said, you killed our unarmed son. you should be held accountable. and that was the big thing that they kept saying. we want a trial. and you face the evidence against you so the jury can decide. if the evidence is there, you'll be held accountable. and i don't know what he's trying to say these grieving parents presented some false narrative. they were just simply saying, you can't not be arrested when you kill my child. >> but i don't understand even changing the premise. because if you have an unarmed young man and there is a killing of that unarmed young man, the

only thing that is, in my opinion, that is relevant, as the judge said, is what made your client feel that he had to use deadly force at that moment. it has nothing to do with his past. just like, as i said in the earlier segment, zimmerman has a past of two arrests. trayvon was never arrested. the question is what happened that night. and, i mean, i do not understand where o'mara's going with this. we've invited him on the show. i don't know where he's trying to go with this. as if someone has to qualify not to get shot? i mean, is that the defense? >> you know, the whole thing is, as i've said before, this stereotypical mentality of justifying and killing trayvon martin because the way he looked or the way he talked. that's not allowed. and you can't try to put up pictures of him with a gold

teeth or any of this other nonsense and say, oh, he's justified in doing what you did, george zimmerman. that's not allowed. trayvon martin did not have a gun. trayvon martin did not get out of his vehicle and chase anyone. trayvon martin did not shoot and kill anyone. so it is unbelievable that they will say trayvon martin texts, the fact that he smoked marijuana, anything like that would be relevant as to george zimmerman's guilt or innocence. >> benjamin crump, i'm going to have to leave it there. thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you, reverend sharpton. and a program note. the attorney for george zimmerman, mark o'mara, is scheduled to appear on this show thursday night. i hope we have a very frank, candid and respectful conversation. still ahead, president obama and governor christie are together again.

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last week we told you about this guy. his name is roan

garcia-quintana. he's a big tea party activist in south carolina, and he was appointed by governor nikki haley to work on her re-election committee. oh, and he also has ties to the council of conservative citizens. he's a lifetime member and a board member of the council of conservative citizens, which they classify as a white nationalist hate group. ha haley's big appointment sounded like this in 2009 sfwl we in the south will rise again. it's already rising. i feel it rising. our politically correctness has allowed immigrants today to come and expect them to continue their culture. we're not a multicultural society, ladies and gentlemen. >> we're not a multicultural society, ladies and gentlemen. he responded to the controversy saying, is it racist to be proud of your own heritage?

is it racist to want to keep your own heritage pure? racist is when you hate somebody so much that you want to destroy them. and over the weekend, the haley team fully backed him. tim pearson, a haley campaign adviser, even linked the irs controversy to the attention about his past. quote, the irs thinks conservatives should be targeted for abuse. but governor haley does not. but today we learned he's gone. the haley team saying they were unaware of some of his statements that he's made in the past. really? did they think we wouldn't notice their support even after he was linked to a white nationalist hate group? did they think we wouldn't see them compare an investigation into his bigoted past to an investigation into the irs? nice try. but we got you. [ male announcer ] running out of steam?

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♪ seven months ago, just days before the presidential election, america witnessed the political odd couple of all political odd couples. it was president obama and new jersey governor chris christie embracing on a trip to new jersey to tour sandy destruction. the president even hooked the governor up with his idol, bruce springsteen. the right wing was furious at christie. they bashed him. romney campaign insiders said they were frustrated. some talkers called him names. but he really didn't seem to care. >> the president has been outstanding. i appreciate that type of leadership. i cannot thank the president enough for his personal concern and compassion for our state and

for the people of our state. >> well, today, seven months later, the political odd couple was reunited. governor christie warmly welcomed president obama back to new jersey to see how the state's coming back from sandy, and they had a great day. they walked the boardwalk at point pleasant beach, listening to the boss blaring from loud speakers as they played arcade games. >> that's because he's running for office! >> they had a great time during the football toss. and they walked the boardwalk. and the president even won a teddy bear. but when it was time to get serious, governor christie made it clear yet again, there's no place for politics in the wake of a disaster.

>> everybody came together. republicans, democrats, independents. we all came together because new jersey is more important and our citizens lives are more important than any kind of politics at all. so now on behalf of the people of state of new jersey, it is my privilege to introduce the president of the united states of america. >> it was his privilege to introduce the president. they don't agree with each other on policies. but this isn't about politics. it's about putting politics aside to work together and make this country stronger. i'm sure the right wingers have a situation today. joining me now, bob strom and richard wolffe. thanks for being here tonight. >> glad to be here. >> wbob, how is this latest meeting between the president and chris christie going to go

over with republicans? >> there's going to be problems with a lot of republicans. the big news here is christie decided he's not going to be romney. he's not going to change who he is, give up what he believes to get the nomination. that's going to be a real test for the republican party. not just because of this embrace of the president. but because while christie's very conservative, he's not -- he doesn't check every single ideological box. for example, he favors civil partnerships for same-sex couples. he favors some strong forms of gun control. says new jersey has the toughest gun control laws in the nation. he's expanded medicaid under obama care. now, he's going to get asked about all of that in a debate in iowa standing on that stage. and i'm not sure it's going to go over very well with those republican voters, even if he is the only republican right now in the polls who gives hillary clinton a real race. >> you know, richard, i disagree with governor christie on probably most everything. i'm trying to remember something we agree on other than when it comes to relief, we should put

politics aside. i've even had demonstrations against some of his policies in terms of union activity and things that i considered wrong. but when you look at a jan brewer in arizona that made sure she stuck her finger in the president's face, you have to give her credit that he acted in the best interest of his state. and i don't think those of us on the other side of the political spectrum must be as inflexible as they are to not give credit when credit is due. he's right about this, in my opinion. the relief efforts are more important than insulting or even showing out political and policy disagreements on every issue. >> he is right about that. he's also right to understand that if you're going to get re-elected in new jersey as a republican, you have to be able to reach out to independents and some democrats. and that was what was threatening about president obama. that's why mitch mcconnell wanted to obstruct everything and show him, show the world,

that the president was somehow extreme, out of the mainstream, and that republicans couldn't work with him. because as soon as you can claim that bipartisan mantle, then you become a real threat to the ideological purity of where the republicans are right now. so if republicans want to be pure, they can stay out of the majority and they can stay out of the presidency for a long time to come. if they want to get electable, they're going to have to look at what ris christie's doing and what president obama has done and say there are spaces where we can work together and surely disaster relief is one of them. >> you know, bob, wouldn't it have been more of a nonissue if the republicans did not start attacking christie? if they just said, oh, yes, all of us should unite for the storm victims of sandy? i think it was their having this public, you know, temper tantrum on christie that helped make this a bigger story than it may have been. >> yeah. they can't help themselves.

this spontaneously rose up. i think the romney campaign actually tried to tamp it down at the time, although they were mad inside. there's so much dislike for the president, it's so intense in the republican party, that when christie did his job people got angry at him. it broke out. look, you look at those pictures of him today. he's thinner. he's conceivably a guy who could win for the republicans. but bob dole said over the weekend that he couldn't make it in today's republican party. he said ronald reagan couldn't make it in today's republican party. we all forget, reagan did immigration reform. ted kennedy saved social security with tip o'neill. the real question is whether or not, and this is the test for the republicans. if this guy runs in 2016, and i think he's going to run, are republicans concerned about winning as richard said a minute ago? or are they -- and electing a guy who's mostly conservative. or are they concerned about making the purist ideological point? >> well, let's not get carried away making him a winner in 2016. >> i said he could be a winner. >> what i'm talking about is

people suffering going through a disaster like sandy, like oklahoma, and where public figures and politicians put that aside. i'm not about to say he's a winner. and i'm not about to say that he's worthy of that in terms of his policies. but i think the president put it right when he says that americans want to come together around these kinds of crises, richard. >> right. look, republicans were opposed to chris christie for getting close to obama. but they were also opposed to sandy relief because of budget arguments and offset questions. we did not see that in other parts of the country. we didn't just see it in oklahoma. i do think republicans have to think about who they are speaking to. and how they view these people on the ground. are they pawns in some greater political game, or are they actual people, american citizens, voters, if you like, who need help? and, you know, if you're elected to government to be re-elected, then you would just treat this as another chapter in a long

dispute about ideology. and if you're elected to government to do something to help people, then you would do what these two men are doing right now. >> and, you know, during the whole dispute last year, christie even took on the republicans in congress about that very issue about he was concerned about the people in his state. they were in crisis. let me show you what he said, get your response, bob. >> there's only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims. the house majority and their speaker, john boehner. americans are tired of the palace intrigue and political partisanship of this congress which places oneupsmanship ahead of the lives of the citizens who sent these people to washington, d.c., in the first place. shame on you. shame on congress. >> shame on you. i mean, it was an unequivocal attack on members of his own party that was hurting his state. >> look, he's a very unusual politician. i mean, that degree of candor, that bluntness, that

authenticity, is what makes him so appealing to people. and i think he did care about the people in his state. what was he supposed to do when the hurricane hit? somehow or other tell the president not to come? tell the federal government not to help? or when the president came, treat him with disrespect? that would have been very bad for the state, would have been very bad for christie, by the way. but he did the right thing. that doesn't mean the republicans won't punish him for it. look, i don't want him to win. i'm where you are. i think he's too conservative. but he is the one republican right now who looks like he could be formidable in 2016, and i don't think that's going to matter in those republican primaries. >> well, i don't think they'll matter either. and we'll wait and see. but i'm no fan of mr. christie. but i like the fact that we can rise above the differences when we have a crisis. that's what crises do. bob shrum, richard wolffe, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you. ahead, news from donald trump confirms bob dole's

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and thanks to dr. king's unyielding work, and the work of others before and after him, we've seen real change in the struggle for civil rights. history made with our first african-american president, but now, 50 years after the march on washington, we're dangerously close to regressing on some of the most fundamental advancements in our society. the support reme court is ready rule on an affirmative action case that will impact the admission practices of schools throughout the country. our education system is leaving minority and poor students behind. and today we're seeing red flags. the headline "new york times" in the today reads, "racial diversity efforts ebb for elite careers." the "time"s says that only a little more than 1% of the nation's fortune 500 companies have black chief executives.

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the world of politics is is unpredictable, but it's still hard to believe this actually happened. >> if i run and if i win, this country will be respected again. all i want to do is see this

guy's birth certificate. >> i don't want to bring up a very successful show called "the apprentice." perhaps it's going to say "hawaii." perhaps it's going to say "kenya." >> that's right. donald trump waged a birther theme campaign for president, and the republican party took him seriously. at one point, he led in the polls. he even shared a stage with the republican nominee for president. but this side show is in the rear-view mirror, right? it's over, right? think again. trump's lawyer told us and told "u.s. news & world report" that trump spent $1 million on electoral research back in 2011. and that research, quote, remains relevant and useful should he elect to run in 2016. and he sure isn't keeping a low profile. trump walked out to big cheers at the cpac convention just two

months ago. and has speeches at a dozen republican events in the months ahead. if the donald is a leading figure in the gop, that proves the point of former republican presidential candidate made this weekend. >> what do you think of your party, of the republicans today? >> i think they ought to put a sign on the national committee doors that says "closed for repairs." >> closed for repairs. and at this rate, it'll take a long time to reopen. joining me now, patricia murphy and jonathan capehart. thank you both for being here. >> thanks, rev. >> thanks for being here. >> patricia, bob dole says the gop should be closed for repairs. what do you say after hearing this donald trump news? >> i think you could hear the collective groan from what gop establishment that there is. the concept, the thought of donald trump running for president again just makes their hearts break even more, if

that's possible. and for republicans today, really all you need is a mouth and a wallet to run for president. unfortunately for republicans, donald trump has a huge mouth and a huge wallet and he thinks he's a republican. and because there is no -- there is no leadership within the gop, there are no gray beards, there are no wise men, there is not an establishment to step in and say, go away. we have real candidates. it just speaks to the disarray in the republican party that anybody who raises their hand can be taken seriously right now. they will have more serious candidates, obviously. but this is really the last thing they need is this crazy side show on top of the show that they've got going on right now. >> jonathan, your reaction to what dole said and to the prospect of a possible trump 2016 race? >> well, it just shows that the republican party is in deep trouble. look, you know, there are -- there are -- there is a republican party establishment. it's speaker boehner.

it's senate minority leader mcmcconnell. senator lindsey graham. senator john mccain. the problem is, they're not exerting any leadership. what we've seen happen is that what was once thought of as a -- a fringe part of the far right of the republican party has become the mainstream of the republican party. simply because folks turned out at party conventions in -- in utah, i believe, and knocked out of office long serving senator bob bennett, who is a conservative. dyed in the wool. you couldn't get more conservative than he. and he lost at the primary level. that was a shot across the bow that was a -- i should say a chilling moment for republican leaders. suddenly this far right fringe was suddenly the mainstream, the life blood of the party. and they saw a lot of their colleagues being knocked over, defeated, at the polls. either in the primaries or in the general election. until the grown-ups in the party

take a stand and say we're taking our -- we're taking our party back and we're no longer interested in politics, but in governing, that "closed for repairs" sign might as well be out of business. >> patricia, you know, republicans love to talk about ronald reagan. listen to this. >> well, i -- i really liked and knew a little bit ronald reagan. and i really liked him. >> obama didn't learn the lesson from reagan. >> ronald reagan wasn't the president, but the governor of california. >> it's time for us to revive reagan's law. >> i am, in fact, the legitimate heir of the reagan movement. >> but bob dole says that he doubts that ronald reagan would be welcome in today's gop. he said he'd have a tough time. listen to this. >> could people like bob dole, even ronald reagan, could you make it in today's republican party? >> i doubt it.

reagan couldn't have made it. >> reagan couldn't have made it. yet they all tout reagan. >> i agree with bob dole. i don't think reagan could have made it. it's not because reagan was not a conservative. he was a conservative. but he also was willing to compromise. and compromising is something that is -- ronald reagan wanted tax cuts. he fought for tax cuts. when it came to tax reform in 1986 he compromised with tip o'neill and got the teal dodeal that he wanted. it was the deal he needed to make to really go forward with his principles. it wasn't a perfect deal. it wasn't everything he wanted. but it was the best deal he could get and he wanted to govern and deliver something for the country. that doesn't happen today. republicans cannot compromise now. there is no compromise. there is a budget impasse right now going on between -- actually not democrats and republicans, but long serving republicans and new republicans just about going forward with the budget debate. not even with the budget itself.

and i think that is an example that this is a party that will not let its leaders compromise if it's not within their -- within their principles. reagan wouldn't make it. he wouldn't. he compromised. >> but, you know, while side shows like trump in the news, you know, while they dominate the news, the gop ignores serious problems like the automatic budget cuts. you know, we've learned that teachers at ft. bragg in north carolina are actually going to be furloughed for up to five days starting in august. these things get lost with these side shows. jonathan, where are the republicans' priorities? >> well, remember when we were talking about the fiscal cliff and sequester, particularly sequester. there were people on capitol hill, republicans, who said if the sequester happens, actually that's a good thing. because we need to get our budget house in order. for a lot of -- for a lot of republicans, these cuts, these furloughs, are not a bad thing.

they -- you know, they think that if this is what it takes to get things back in order, to stop the deficit spending and things, so be it. but the problem will come in as more and more of the real life impacts of the sequester start affecting more and more people. you would hope and you would think that, you nknow, the republicans on capitol hill will, you know, at least do something, as patricia was saying, they won't even go to debate on the budget. at some point, like i said before, and as patricia was alluding to before, at one point, at some point, politics has to give way to governing. >> patricia murphy, jonathan capehart, thank you both for your time. >> thanks, rev. >> thank you. gop blocking equality for everyone. and dancing, yes, dancing. it's time to ask rev. next. [ moaning ]

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and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. the day building a play set begins with a surprise twinge of back pain... and a choice. take up to 4 advil in a day or 2 aleve for all day relief. [ male announcer ] that's handy. ♪ whoa! hey, we got a weather alert for this location... golf-ball sized hail and damaging winds are on the way... kids... eh, don't worry. it's tornado-proof. anyway, i'd put the car in the garage and secure these things. they could become flying debris. kids! watch this. [ beep ] [ children screaming ] [ car alarm chirps ] awesome. [ male announcer ] mobile weather alerts from your home insurance? that's allstate home insurance. great protection plus helpful tools to make life better. talk to an allstate agent... [ doorbell rings ] and let the good life in. it's time to ask rev. remember, friend or foe, i want

to know. dwayne asks, how is the country supposed to move forward if the republican agenda is to block everything? well, the answer is, it is difficult to move forward. which is why we must register vote mobilize and start now to get obstructionists out of the way. whether they're republican or democrat. obstructionists, people that are just committed to stop things. we must stop them. and the midterm election gives us an opportunity to do that. roy asks, how is it that you've come to believe that same-sex marriage is all right when all your theological training has taught you otherwise? because, roy, we don't live in a thee you theocracy. we live in a democracy. people have a right to not believe what i believe in or you believe in or what anyone else believe in. i have a right not to believe in what others believe in. if i'm empowered or you're

empowered, then our theology becomes law, then that means if someone else comes into power, they can do that to us. that's why when we get married, you can get married by the church as a sacred ceremony or by the courts or justice of the peace as civil. you divorce, you don't go to the church. when you have child support you don't go to the church. people have the right to a civil decision. whether you or i agree with it or not. and i fight to protect that right. one final e-mail. donna asks, reverend al, when are you going to dance again on your show? i loved it. i can't wait. well, donna, that's a great question. you must have been watching last december when this happened. >> i've got a mean james brown. hit it, guys. ♪ get up, get on up, get up, get on up ♪ >> now, i'm not going to -- i'm not going to do that too often. but i'll tell you what, i notice every once in a while "saturday

night live" does these little skit on me and keenan. write keenan and say, why don't you try and cut a step like reverend al? i want to see if keenan can move like i move. since he tries to crack jokes on me. what's wrong, keenan? afraid you need to work off a few pounds first? thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. beach boys. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. the late chicago mayor richard daley once said good government is good politics. watch new jersey governor chris christie in action, better yet watch his work for new jersey by working relations with president obama. in an era when so many elected officials have forgotten the power of positive politics.