mad as hell at government. but what if it's not flowers but some other form of performance art placed on somebody else's property? my advice to the phantom planter, keep planting, but next time get permission. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "politicsnation" with al sharpton starts right now. >> thanks, michael, and thanks to you for tuning in. i'm live tonight from atlanta. tonight's lead, trayvon martin's father takes the stand. late today, trayvon martin's father tracy martin testified in the second-degree murder trial of the man who shot and killed his son. george zimmerman, his testimony came after five of mr. zimmerman's friends took the stand. answered evidence of a key piece of evidence, the 911 call that captured someone screaming in the background. the defense argues trayvon martin initially told police that it was not his son's voice

on that recording, and how that testimony began today was around that issue. >> after he played the tape, he basically just said do you recognize the voice? >> and what was your response? >> my response was simply i didn't tell him that -- i didn't tell them no, that wasn't trayvon. i kind of -- i think the chairs had wheels on them, and i kind of pushed away from the -- away from the table and just kind of shook my head and said i can't tell. >> so your words were i can't tell? >> something to that effect. but i never said no, that wasn't my son's voice. after listening to the tape for maybe 20 times, i said it was -- i knew that it was trayvon's voice. i didn't direct that towards any

family members. >> but mr. martin's appearance also gave prosecutors a chance to let him share with the jury what it is like to lose your son. >> mr. martin, even at this time, is it hard for you to believe that your son is not longer living? >> it's very difficult to believe that trayvon's not living. as i said over and over, that was my best friend in life. and to have him gone is tragic. >> you listened to the recording, and as you stated, described the jury, you pulled your chair back in disbelief that you were actually listening to voices for help and also more importantly also a shot. >> correct. >> you realize that was the shot. >> that killed my son, yes. >> can you describe for the jury what was going through your mind when you were listening to that? >> basically, what i was

listening to, i was listening to my son's last cry for help. i was listening to his life being taken. and i was coming -- trying to come to grips that trayvon was here no more. it was just tough. >> did you really know what to do at this point? >> no. i was -- my world was from that point until today, my world has just been turned upside down. >> you were playing that recording over and over. you were still dealing with this? his death? >> yes. >> now, this was back -- this was, it was some time in march. it was later. it wasn't like days later, you were still having to deal with his death? >> correct. >> okay. and you played it, and you said

that you -- did you actually write down one, two, three, four, five? you estimated you played it 20 times? >> i'm estimating that i played it maybe 20 times. >> and you played it over and over. why? were you trying to deal with this? why were you doing this? >> it wasn't as much as i was trying to deal with it. i was just trying to figure out the night of february 26th, 2012, why did the defendant get out of his vehicle and chase my son. >> emotional testimony from trayvon martin's father. how will this affect the jury? joining me now is former prosecutor faith jenkins, msnbc legal analyst lisa bloom, and the defense attorney ken padowitz. i want to hear from each of you on the impact of trayvon martin's father's testimony. faith, let's start with you. >> i think the testimony was very compelling and very moving, and very believable in terms of how he reacted the first time he

heard this tape where trayvon is essentially killed right before his very ears. he listens to this. so you can understand he had the reaction that he did. the problem for me today was i would have liked to have seen the prosecutors call mr. martin in their case in chief instead of allowing the defense to call him as a defense witness after having two police officers testify and say essentially, we -- let mr. martin listen to this tape, and he said no, it wasn't trayvon's voice. so then it pits tracy martin against the police officers. and there is this question of who do you believe? that was my problem with the state allowing mr. martin to be called as a defense witness today. >> now lisa, is it arguable that the prosecution let the defense call tracy martin because they knew the defense cannot go but so far in impeaching their own

witness? >> you know, that's possible. the prosecution may not have called him because his testimony is mixed. i think the defense made a big blunder today calling this witness. on a human level, it just looks mean-spirited to call this innocent, grieving father to the stand and make him relive this. and on a legal strategy level, he did not help them. just before him, they had two police witnesses who said when he was asked is it trayvon martin on the 911 call that he had said no. why didn't the defense just leave it at that? by calling him, it was overkill, and it allowed him to explain and to tug at all of our heartstrings. what a heartbreak to have to watch this man on the stand. >> ken, was it a mistake in your opinion that day the defense called tracy martin, or was it a mistake that the prosecution let the defense call him and they now called him themselves during the prosecution's case? >> blunder is being very nice to the defense. it's a much worse than a blunder. it was a major misstep. they shot themselves in the foot.

i think it was brilliant on the part of the strategy from the prosecution not to call the father, and the defense fell right into the trap by calling him. they didn't need to do this, the defense. they were doing very nicely today. they put on a number of witnesses. there was a nice flow. and then they bring the jury the father of the victim to remind and refocus the jury back on the horrible tragedy that this man's son had been killed. i mean, it was a terrible mistake by the defense, and it really drew the attention back to the victim. and i think that the father sounded believable. his explanation was believable. and you could feel for him in your heart. and i just think it was a major mistake by the defense. and good that the prosecution didn't call dad on their side of the case. >> so the mistake clearly that you and lisa and faith are raising is that you're calling a grieving father and asking him about a tape where he is

literally listening to his son's last words, if in fact that's trayvon, and listening -- and this is not disputed by anyone, to the gunship blast that took his son's life. and you call him to the stand to relive that. let me ask you, this faith. we've heard from the prosecution and from the defense now who was screaming on the tape. let me give you some of both. and i want all of you to tell me how does this play out when the jury is hearing claims from both sides with witnesses for both sides. listen to this. >> do you have an opinion as to whose voice that is in the background? >> yes, i do. >> and whose voice is that? >> george zimmerman's voice. >> my immediate reaction was that's george's voice. >> the cries for help, are you able to say whose voice that is, or voices that is? >> trayvon.

it sounded like trayvon's. >> do you know whose voice that was screaming in the background? >> yes, sir. >> and whose voice was that? >> my son george. >> ma'am, that screaming or yelling, do you recognize that? >> yes. >> and who do you recognize that to be, ma'am? >> trayvon benjamin martin. >> now, you have the mother of trayvon martin saying it was trayvon. the mother of george zimmerman saying it was george zimmerman. you have friends saying it was george. you have others saying it is trayvon. what does the jury do with this? and if it is a wash, if one cancels out the other, who is the legal implications of this given the charges if any, faith? >> i don't think one cancels out thor. i think the jury is going to decide what kind of weight they're going to give to these witnesses' testimony. these are friends of george zimmerman. two of the witnesses wrote a book and are selling that book about george zimmerman's story.

other witnesses know him from different areas' work and police figures and military. so these are all his friends. you can tell today, they did not want to say anything bad about george zimmerman, even during convention. using under the guise these are fact witnesses, they were able to bring in bits and pieces of character evidence, so to speak. one witness mentioned i know that george tutored kids. another witness mention head is trained on how to use a firearm responsibly. another witness who is a former combat veteran said i taught him how to tie a windsor movement so these are all bits and pieces of information these witnesses are able to get out in front of this jury about george zimmerman. and it's as if the defense is saying we don't want you to acquit based on the law, we want you to acquit him because you like him. >> all right, lisa, i'm going get to in a limb while about the

gun and training of firearms. but about these conflicting witnesses on whose voice it is, how important it is, and what does the jury do with it in your opinion? >> look, it is an important piece of evidence. i think the jury is going to want to know who was screaming. they may not be able to answer that question. but in addition to all of these witnesses, some of whom are clearly engaging in wishful thinking, because they can't all be right. only one person is skrecreamingr help. the creaming stops when the gun goes off. that tends to support trayvon martin. if it is george zimmerman he says he stopped screaming because the threat was no longer there. yet he didn't think trayvon martin was dead after the shot. he continued to jump on top of him, spread his arms out because the threat was still going on. george zimmerman said to the police immediately afterwards, i was calling out for help and no one helped me. john good says george zimmerman

was skrecreaming for help. no one helped me. i think the jury probably sets this evidence aside. . >> ken, i'm going to go to break. but let me get you in on this. what is the weight of this in terms of if the jury decides one way or another or can't decide who is screaming? >> well, i think that lisa is correct. they're going to have a difficult time in making a determination as to who is screaming. the defense wants this to be a reasonable doubt in the jurors' minds that can lead to an acquittal. obviously, there is a lot of information from these witnesses that the jury can weigh and make a decision on what import, how much weight they want to give that evidence, and how it connects into everything else in the case. but on the bottom line is yeah, they're going to be -- there is going to be some confusion there, and some debate back in that jury room as to who was actually doing the screaming. it's not a minor point that the screaming stopped when the shot rang out that really goes to corroborate the prosecution's argument that the screaming is

coming from trayvon martin. >> i want my legal panel to stay with me there is a lot more to talk about. coming up, it's key to george zimmerman's self-defense claim. he says trayvon martin reached for his gun. >> he reached for it, but he reached -- like i felt his arm going down to my side. and i grabbed it, and i just grabbed my fire arm and i shot. >> new testimony is raising questions about that account. and remember, friend or foe, i want to know. send me your e-mails. "reply al" is coming. stay with us. [ male announcer ] this is kevin.

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we're back with a key question from this trial. did trayvon martin really see george zimmerman's gun? and did he really try to grab it? it's at the heart of the self-defense claim, and it was a key issue today at the trial. the prosecution asked a friend

of george zimmerman, an air marshall, who has experience with guns about the type of holster that george zimmerman used. >> he never conferred with you as the type of holster to get, did he? >> he did not. >> the holster he got, he got on his own. >> correct. >> and did he ever show to it you once he got it? >> oh, yes. >> that it was an internal holster. >> correct. >> and internal means you can hide it inside your waistband versus an external which is what the police would have if they're in uniform, et cetera. >> absolutely circumstances that the difference? >> that is correct. >> so it would be hard to see, in other words? internally, people would be having a hard time seeing it? >> even without a jacket, it would be difficult to see. >> and if it was dark, it would be even harder to see? >> i would agree. >> an internal holster worn inside the pants. it would be difficult to see, especially in the dark. in fact, this friend told mr.

zimmerman's lawyer that this kind of holster is specifically designed to be hard to see. >> the internal holster has the gun, if my fingers are the gun -- if i might approach the witness for a moment. >> you may. >> the internal holster holds the gun in here? >> i would think, yes. >> hidden from view, correct? >> it's designed, correct. >> in effect, concealed? >> yes. >> the purpose of a concealed weapons permit is to allow you to do what? >> to make sure no one can see it. >> the entire purpose of this kind of holster is to make sure no one can see it. yet that's exactly what mr. zimmerman says happened. he says trayvon martin saw the gun that night and then reached for it, justifying mr. zimmerman's use of deadly force in self-defense. >> i had my firearm on my right side hip. my jacket moved up, and he saw it. i feel like he saw it. he looked at it.

he said you're going to die tonight [ bleep ]. and he reached for it, but he reached like i felt his arm going down to my side. and i grabbed it, and i just grabbed my firearm and shot him. >> he saw it. i feel like he saw it. even then george zimmerman seems to show some hesitation about whether trayvon martin actually saw his gun. if trayvon martin didn't see it, then the jury might wonder if he actually reached for it. here is faith jenkin, lisa bloom and ken padowitz. lisa, you first brought this issue to our attention. how important is this in the trial? >> yeah, i've been looking at this all weekend. and let's start with the internal holster. it's worn inside the pants, inside the waistband, and in the back of the pants. and zimmerman would have had a shirt and a jacket over it. now, here is a picture of george zimmerman from the police reenactment where he shows where

the holster was. again, on his back, above his buttocks. now that's important because he says at the very end he is down on his back, that trayvon martin's knees are at his elbows. how on earth, then, did trayvon martin see the gun, which i might add is in a black holster. the gun itself is black. it's a very dark night and raining, according to all of the witnesses. and unless trayvon martin had x-ray vision, the story doesn't really make a lot of sense. >> now, ken, you've done 35 murder trials in florida. how important is this if in fact -- and lisa showed -- had us show the photo of where zimmerman had his hands showing where he had his holster. on a dark night with an inside holster, how it is physically possible to say that martin would have seen the gun? and what does this do to the self-defense claim, if in fact martin did not see the gun as zimmerman says he thinks he may

have seen it? >> well, this is where we start to see the credibility lem lemmings leaping off the the cliff. the prosecution is trying to knock out the legislation of the credibility of george zimmerman. and, again, this is really very observant by lisa to point this out. this really shows and strains the credibility of george zimmerman when he is saying that trayvon is reaching for this gun when the gun is clearly hidden. you have to have a concealed weapons permit only for concealed weapons. it's dark, and then this specific type of holster, which places it behind or to the rear of mr. zimmerman, again strains the credibility that trayvon martin saw this gun, was reaching for the gun there is no dna evidence on the gun showing that trayvon touched it. and if that's called into question, then everything that george zimmerman says that

occurs, that mr. trayvon martin says you're going to die tonight, all those things now get called into question. we start to maybe find real credibility problems, and maybe we can't believe george zimmerman. and that's what the jury has to be thinking when they go back and start deliberating the specific statements of george zimmerman and how they just don't add up. >> now, faith, when you look at the fact that according to the photos, zimmerman in his police walk-through indicated the gun was down his back. but today his own attorney, attorney o'mara indicated the gun was down his front. now, could this potentially be confusing or misleading to the jury? >> well, they're going to look at george zimmerman's statements and his entire story, as i said before, with a certain level of scrutiny. and here, if you want to claim justification for killing someone, sheer what you safe. they were reaching for my gun and told me you're going to die tonight.

it's as if it's a perfect justification. that's what i don't say. a textbook scenario. in order to believe that, however, you have to believe that trayvon martin, walking home, knowing that a 12-year-old is waiting for him and he has skittles for that 12-year-old, decides at that moment he is literally not just going to beat george zimmerman up, but murder him and tells him you are going to die tonight. that is an incredible story in and of itself. >> now, lisa, we had a friend of zimmerman testify that in fact that zimmerman had told him that trayvon martin actually grabbed his gun. >> that's right. >> listen to. this. >> he told you that he, the defendant, managed to break the grip on the gun where the guy grabbed it between the rear side of the hammer, correct? >> whether it was the gun or the leather casing or just reaching down there and grabbing something.

>> but lisa, the dna experts testified there is no evidence of any fingerprints or any dna or anything like that on trayvon martin that it would have established that he grabbed the gun. >> that's right. >> and there is contradictions on grabbing, seeing. i mean, we're all over the place on this. >> right. i mean, my view is it would have been next to impossible for trayvon martin to even have seen it, given the conditions, given where zimmerman was wearing it, inside his pants, et cetera. but if trayvon was reaching for the gun right-handed, as he is, as he was, he would have had to reach around and behind in a very awkward manner. it just doesn't make a lot of sense. and by the way, the grip of the gun would extend in the holster towards the small of zimmerman's back, being almost completely directly behind him. i mean the story just really doesn't add up when you put all the physical evidence together. >> now, ken, also adding to

that, if in fact the gun was in a hidden holster, a holster that could not be seen and was in his back or even his side, for him to have been able to go to his back or his side to unleash his holster, get the gun and be able to discharge the gun, isn't that a whole lot to do if you're being pummelled and your head being smashed into the concrete? >> yeah. common sense dictates that this doesn't make sense, the story from george zimmerman. and one of the great things about our jury system, that six jurors sitting there get to use their life experience and common sense. and they're going to apply that common sense here and they're going to realize it doesn't make sense, that a right hand trayvon martin reaching for a gun on the left side back and behind in the dark, the whole thing doesn't add up there. is a credibility problem. and the evidence doesn't support zimmerman's story about it. so it's a major problem.

and the prosecution is going to make a lot of use out of this. and, again, go for the jugular of credibility of mr. zimmerman, that he is not credible. you can't believe this whole story. and if you can't believe his story, then you have to come back with a verdict that speaks the truth. justice in this case demands a verdict of guilty. >> now, i guess we go back to the prosecutor's opening statement of saying he was going to expose a web of lies. and i guess that's their strategy to try to show a lot of lies here. and the defense said he was viciously beaten. i guess we'll have to see if they can establish that in their case. ken, faith, lisa, the trial continues, and we'll continue covering it with you. thank you all for your time tonight. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> coming up, testimony from the former police chief who claimed there were no grounds to arrest george zimmerman. my response ahead. plus, beware of zombie

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and try to counter prosecution. prosecutors rested friday after nine days of testimony in which they called 38 witnesses and introduced over 200 pieces of evidence. a key part of the prosecutor's task was to prove a claim they made back at the beginning in opening statements. >> you will learn that that's when he began to spend that tangled web of lies. >> a tangled web of lies. has the prosecution proved that web? and what will the defense do to counter it? joining me now, former prosecutor marcia clark and billy martin. hello to both of you. >> hello, reverend. >> billy, big picture moving forward. how did the prosecution do, and what do the defense attorneys have to respond to? >> well, the prosecution put in a lot of evidence, reverend, but i think they opened the door for

defense council to really go at and try to poke holes in their case. and they did so. i think the defense has done a very good job. now, i'm not in the courtroom and i can't see the reaction of the jury. but by putting on a detective to talk about the story or the statement that mr. zimmerman made, it allowed zimmerman's story to come out in the prosecution's case. it brought zimmerman into the prosecution's case. on the web of lies they're trying to show that he lacks credibility. but there is a risk whenever you try that tactic. and that risk is that you keep allowing the defense to put his case in during the prosecution's case. so while they have put in a lot of evidence, they've also allowed zimmerman to attack and take away from some of the strength of their case and to start proving his case. i think they may have -- they've met their burden as the judge found, but i think they left themselves vulnerable to attacks that that was a rookie mistake

to put in the testimony of zimmerman through both his best friend, who really elaborated, and through a detective. and, reverend, whoevi don't kno, what first year or second year lawyer would ever allow a detective to render an opinion whether or not he was credible and they believed the story. the prosecution made some defenses, and i think the defense is taking advantage of them. >> marcia, you have been a noted prosecutor. the prosecutor said web of lies. are the web of lies statement in their opening are their strategy? and have they raised enough inconsistencies that would in many ways establish that to a jury and make them discount some of what they have heard mr. zimmerman say? >> i think they have, reverend. here is the thing. it's a subtle case the prosecution has to prove with subtle kinds of evidence. when you have the situation where you have to rely upon the

defendant's statements to disprove basically his side of the story. and it's an uphill battle. it's difficult. i don't feel that they have blown it necessarily. i don't feel as critical of them as mr. martin does. but i do think that they have -- they have an uphill battle for themselves. however, they have shown that in his inconsistencies, he has consistently shown the desire to paint himself in a better light. usually, when somebody gives inconsistent statements, and that's very common, by the way. if i recount to you something that happened yesterday, i'll make mistakes. i will say things a little differently now than i did maybe an hour ago or a day ago. but that's okay. i mean, those kinds of things are very -- can be very innocent, and simply a matter of interpretation. but with zimmerman, the inconsistencies are large, and they go to the heart of the matter, and they consistently show him trying to paint himself as the victim and trayvon martin as the aggressor. that is not the kind of inconsistency that can be deemed

i think an innocent mistake. for example, not remembering the name of the street as an excuse to get out of his car. claiming at first that the dispatcher told him to get out and follow trayvon martin. and we know that in fact theue,r told him not to dfoow. claiming that trayvon martin jumped out of bushes, only to find out the very next day that there were no bushes. these things show i think a consciousness of guilt and a desire to fabricate, to make himself appear to be the victim instead of the aggressor. >> now billy martin, isn't it so that some of these contradictions could matter? for example, in opening statement on the defense side, they said george zimmerman had been viciously attacked. and he said he was sucker punched. listen to this. >> george zimmerman is not guilty of murder. he shot trayvon martin in self-defense after being viciously attacked in less than

ten minutes from him first seeing trayvon martin, that he, george zimmerman, would be sucker punched in the ce,have his head pounded on concrete, y perceived mr. zimmerman's injuries to be minor, correct? >> yes, sir. >> you were asked specifically about exaggeration. do you feel he had exaggerated the manner in which he was hit? >> yes, sir. >> don't these kinds of contradictions hurt mr. zimmerman's defense? >> absolutely they do. i think that they -- they forced a jury to look at mr. zimmerman and really assess his credibility. his credibility on every story, every bit of the story that he has told. what the defense really has to only try to create reasonable doubt. they're just trying to create reasonable doubt. they're not trying to prove a case. and if you look at the evidence, i think marcia is correct,

marcia clark, she has assessed and analyzed the case accurately. but from the defense standpoint, all he has is to attack their case. and i think the defense has done a very good job of attacking their case. they have the two lawyers. and you have the good guy and the bad guy. and i think they've aggressively attacked that case. but mr. zimmerman's told a lot of contradictory -- made statements that are contradictory. and i think the prosecution may take advantage of that. but that's all they can do. >> marcia clark and billy martin, i'm going to have to leave there it. thanks for your time tonight. >> thank you. >> thank you. coming up, move over, bob mcdonnell. there is a new governor ultrasound on the block. scott walker's latest anti-woman bill is offensive, but the way he signed it into law might be even worse. asional constipation,

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or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. take the next step. talk to your doctor. cymbalta can help. he oversaw the sanford police department the night trayvon martin's killer was allowed to walk free. and today he testified in court. that's coming up. stay with us. convention loses his computer, exposing thousands of patient records to identity theft. data breaches can happen that easily. we don't believe you should be a victim of someone else's mistake.

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♪ it was a fourth of july weekend full of fireworks and fun. but as americans all over the country were celebrating freedom and liberty, wisconsin governor scott walker was busy attacking the federal right for women in his state. on that sleepy summer friday, walker quietly signed new abortion restrictions into law for wisconsin. and the big signing was done in private, no video, no photo opportunity, and all on a sleepy holiday weekend. guess what? we're watching governor walker. that law is in effect today, and it requires pregnant women to have a mandatory ultrasound, a medical procedure at least 24 hours before an abortion. doctors performing abortions must have admitting privileges within 30 miles of clinics.

the law could close down at least two of the state's four abortion clinics. wisconsin joins 11 other states that have ultrasound requirements before a woman can have an abortion. so the right to have an abortion is the law of the land unless you live in a republican-controlled state. whatever happened to hating big government? joining me now is terry height and joan walsh, editor at large of salon.com and an msnbc political analyst. thanks to you both for being here tonight. . thanks, reverend. >> thank you for having me, reverend. >> terri, let me go to you first. planned parenthood and the aclu have filed a suit against wisconsin to try and block this law. a judge announced today they'll hear arguments for your lawsuit next wednesday. but in the meantime, this law is in effect. what are you doing to try and help women until then?

>> well, we filed last friday to get a restraining order against this law going into effect. and we're hoping to have a ruling on that by tomorrow. but in the meantime, we are trying to accommodate our patients from our appleton center in our milwaukee and madison centers which adds an extra 200-mile trip for their day. >> now, teri, the governor walker there in wisconsin, he releases a statement saying this bill improves a woman's ability to make an informed choice that will protect her physical and mental health now and in the future. now, he is putting out statements, but he signs the bill in hiding as if he doesn't want the attention. i mean, what is really going on here? >> well, that statement is just ridiculous because wisconsin is already heavily regulated, and

our patients all get informed consent and the best medical care according to standard medical practices. this is nothing but an attempt to restrict women from obtaining legal and safe abortions. >> joan, 28 states with so-called trap laws that regulate abortion providers and go beyond what is necessary to insure a patient's safety, this governor walker signed it on the friday of the fourth of july weekend. no media, no photos. i mean, it almost appears cynical. but he is following the trend of some other republican-controlled states and governors around the country. big picture. what are we looking at here? >> it's a really nice happy independence day for wisconsin women. isn't that a nice holiday treat for all of us, rev? i mean, it is very cynical. he is kind of trying to visit both ways because he is obviously pandering to the

deeply right wing anti-women, anti-choice base. he is talked about as a possible 2016 contender. i don't see it. i think he is charisma-free, but coy be wrong. i'm not sure which way he wants to go. he is not going to do a signing ceremony and hand out pens, but he is going to resign the bill and release a deeply continue senting statement about women where they're going to prevent you or postpone you from having a procedure you have decide you'd need and force you to have one that you don't want. it's the height of condescension. it's the height, as you said, of big government intrusion. but there is a part of him that wants to have it both ways, i think. >> now, the state of texas has announced that they have their abortion bill going up tomorrow, and it's expected to pass the house. it would ban abortion after 20 weeks, insure clinics within 30 miles of hospital, require nonsurgical abortions to be performed at surgical centers, and require operating rooms and

hallways at clinics to be larger. joan, take away that -- it's the law of the land, federal law of the land. just the politics of it is not popular. can't they see the politics of this if they can't see the federal laws and the rights of women? >> well, apparently not. ironically, this -- making doctors have admitting privileges, rev, it's actually such a safe procedure that they don't wind up referring many women at all to hospitals. so it's a ridiculous irony. and then i think it's very possible that we're going to have a 2016 that is even worse than 2012 in terms of giving us virulently anti-choice candidates on the republican side. you have rick perry mentioned, marco rubio who is talking about he might be the guy who is going to bring the senate 20-week ban to the floor. it's really remarkable that they learn nothing. >> well, teri, we're going to be watching that lawsuit and watching your fight there in

wisconsin. and following it up. teri huyck and joan walsh, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thanks, reverend al. >> we'll be right back with "reply al." when possibilities become reality. with centurylink as your trusted partner, our visionary cloud infrastructure and global broadband network free you to focus on what matters. with custom communications solutions and responsive, dedicated support, we constantly evolve to meet your needs. every day of the week. centurylink® your link to what's next. you will lose 3 sets of keys 4 cell phones 7 socks and 6 weeks of sleep but one thing you don't want to lose is any more teeth. if you wear a partial, you are almost twice as likely to lose your supporting teeth. new poligrip and polident for partials 'seal and protect' helps minimize stress, which may damage supporting teeth, by stabilizing your partial. and 'clean and protect'

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read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. 50 years ago dr. king said i have a dream. today we have made progress, but the struggle to expand rights and opportunities goes on. for blacks, for women, for latinos, for the lgbt community, this summer we'll highlight stories of individual efforts to

move this nation forward to advance the dream. >> advancing the dream, a special series all summer long, on "politicsnation" with al sharpton, week nights at 6:00 on msnbc. it's time for "reply al." keep sending me all your questions. friend or foe, i want to know. today a lot of e-mails on the zimmerman trial. the first one is about billy, the sanford police chief who

resigned after this case made national headlines. lorenzo writes did the police chief resign because he did not want to arrest zimmerman? well, lorenzo, mr. lee was fired after let mortgage zimmerman walk out of that station with no arrest. we had a dead 17-year-old, yet no arrest. and seeing him called to the stand today reminded me why this needed to go to trial. i went with others early in to say that this should not be decided in the back of a police station. this should go to trial. let's not forget i was never called until mr. lee, two weeks after the killing, said, and i'm quoting him. i'll put his quote up. he said "mr. zimmerman has made a statement of self-defense. until we can establish probable cause to dispute that, we don't have grounds to arrest him." two weeks later, you didn't

know that the injuries were not serious, you did not know that mr. zimmerman had told different stories? you didn't know he hasn't been pummelled? you decided with all of the contradictions that we now know that that was not probable cause. the protest was that mr. lee and the police there had become the judge and jury, and that was not fair. that was something that we protested. we wanted a trial. and i think with all of the contradictions and all that we have seen and all of the inconsistencies, we were clearly right, that there was enough reason to go to trial. and there was probable cause. now it went deeper than lee, because as we went into sanford, we heard horrible stories. lee had only been there a year. there was stories of this going on way back in the history of the sanford police department. lee had to resign because clearly they were continuing in what was not a balanced and fair way in the judgment of many.

thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. who was trying for help? trayvon martin or george zimmerman? let's play some "hardball." good evening. i'm michael smerconish in for chris matthews. leading off tonight, day 20 of the trayvon martin murder trial. it's the first full day for george zimmerman's defense team, which say they could rest their case as early w