us on "the ed show" tonight. i appreciate you joining us. thanks so much. and that is "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. "politics nation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. rev? >> yes, sir, ed. thank you very much. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, the gop is still the party of jesse helms. that's not the opinion of al sharpton. it's the opinion of one of the gop's rising stars, ted cruz. last night senator cruz spoke at the heritage foundation and said what today gop needs, what it really needs, is more leaders like jesse helms. >> the very first political contribution i ever made in my life was to jesse helms. when i was a kid, i sent $10 to jesse helms. the willingness to say all those crazy things is a rare, rare

characteristic in this town. and you know what? it's every bit as true now as it was then. we need 100 more like jesse helms in the u.s. senate. >> we need 100 more like jesse helms. really? north carolina senator jesse helms was notorious for his offensive, racially charged rhetoric during his 30 years in congress. he led the charge against martin luther king's birthday being made a federal holiday. he supported apartheid in south africa. and he tried to revive school segregation through a plan he called freedom of choice. >> freedom of choice is a code word for segregation. >> no. well, it may be a code word for segregation in the minds of some. now, i'm not saying to you that we wouldn't have segregated schools or largely segregated schools under a freedom of choice plan such as i've suggested. but i will say to you that that

would be the choice. >> helms called the civil rights act "the most dangerous piece of legislation ever introduced in the congress." in 1982 he tried to filibuster the renewal of the voting rights act. and in 1990 he ran one of the most offensive and racist political ads ever. >> you needed that job, and you were the best qualified. but they had to give it to a minority because of a racial quota. for racial quotas, harvey gantt. against racial quote aez, jesse helms. >> is that the future of the gop? do we need 100 more like jesse helms? senator helms was opposed to civil rights, voting rates, gay rights, and the rights for the poor. an agenda that still defines the republican party a decade after helms left office.

joining me now are goldie taylor and dana milbank. thanks for being here. >> hi, reverend. >> thanks for having us. >> goldie, what do you say to comments like cruz's brand of conservatism? >> you know, if we had 100 senators like jesse helms, it would set back human rights in this country 100 years. jesse helms is undoubtedly one of the most hateful men ever to stand in the well of the u.s. senate. and i say that without equivocation. and so to see someone like ted cruz wrap his arms around that very troublesome legacy and say that ought to be the future of not only the gop but the future of this country really speaks a lot to not only what jesse helms's legacy was but what the character integrity of ted krcr looks like today. >> you know, dana, ted cruz is making front pages of magazines. he's the rising star in the republican party. for him to say this, to say that

as a kid his first political donation was to jesse helms, i mean, did he grow up in north carolina? why would he be attracted from another state to jesse helms? what does that say about ted cruz and those that are likeminded? >> well, he grew up in canada. so maybe the f.e.c. needs to investigate that contribution. look, ted cruz is the rising star in a shrinking party. and i think we can really just look at two book ends here. a decade ago you had trent lott make a very similar remark about strom thurmond. i think it was his 100th birthday. and what happened there? he lost his job as leader of the republicans -- >> he did. >> -- in the senate. largely because president george w. bush, republican, helped drum him out of office. you're always going to have characters who are saying crazy things, to use ted cruz's own words that he's copped to here. the question is what does the rest of the party do? we saw what they did a decade

ago. i'd be surprised if many, or even any get up there and say no, ted cruz, this is not acceptable. they're afraid of him. >> no. but to his credit, george bush and the republicans at that time did take on the statement that was made about strom thurmond. >> andle let's see if they do i now. >> by mr. lott. now, let me ask you this question, goldie. jesse helms. let me show you something. so people won't think we're just saying -- or making a connection here other than cruz. jesse helms attacked the poor. let me show you how he did it. >> the truly needy do not include that fellow in south carolina who bought five automobiles, 32 weapons, and some marijuana with food stamps. >> we've got too many people riding the wagon and not enough people pushing in this country. >> now, that's helms. look at some of the right-wing pundits and right-wing politicians today. >> look at poverty in this

country. everybody out of work is eating. they've got big-screen tv, probably have a car, probably have a cell phone. >> why don't we just pay for your clothes? pay for your shoes. pay for your housing. >> we don't want to hand these out to people that are gaming the system, so to speak. >> i mean, it's the same talking points. it's like helms has influenced a whole generation behind him. so cruz is not alone in a lot of the same kind of use of language and policy when he talks about his admiration for jesse helms. >> and he makes no apology for it. jesse helms was one of the leaders of a grand white populace that came to grow in the '50s and '60s and on really through the '80s. and that kind of hateful language is a kind of language that we're seeing -- they want to cut the snap program so people can go down to having to eat on $3.50 a day. so these kinds of policies are playing themselves out. look, we can't legislate how

someone feels in their hearts. we cannot legislate how someone feels about their brothers and sisters. but what we can legislate is how that plays itself out in public policy. and jesse helms showed a strong propensity to keep people from the voting booth, to keep people from fair housing, to keep people from meaningful employment. he showed a strong propensity to violating a woman's personal and privacy rights. and ted cruz shows that very, very same propensity. >> that is why you've got to fight them. they're always there, and you've got to fight them. you know, dana, jesse helms said this about social security. "nothing more than doles and handouts." governor rick perry today on social security, "it's a ponzi scheme." we're dealing with the same kind of mentality. we see the tea party and their antipathy toward president obama. jesse helms warned president clinton about coming to north carolina. "mr. clinton better watch out if he comes down here. he'd better have a bodyguard."

i mean, do we hear the same kind of disrespect for the office of president today with president obama that helms demonstrated to president clinton? >> well, in a way jesse helms was ahead of his time in the republican party at the time he was far right in his social, economic, and foreign policy views. i think right now he'd be pretty much in the center of his republican colleagues today. the difference is on matters of race where fortunately you don't hear a lot of them saying that sort of thing today. and that's why i think the real question will be here when ted cruz starts to dance around that explosive issue. are people going to say senator, that's just not something this republican party is going to sanction today? >> but goldie, when we look at the voting rights act being in many ways neutralized by the supreme court and we do not hear the republicans in the congress

stand up when we're talking about a new voting rights bill, when we see in states all over the country changing in voting from changing early voting, changing sunday voting, changing voting i.d. to now photo i.d., are we not hearing in many ways certain things that lead to the same results that was more blatant by jesse helms but is in many ways moving toward the same direction? >> you know, you're right, reverend sharpton. but no one is going to pull ted cruz's coattail. just as they did with trent lott. they're not going to ask him to take a back seat. in fact, they're going to celebrate and promote him even further. this is a man who for all practical purposes is ahead of his time in trying to lock up the 2016 presidential race. so we're really looking at someone who's trying to cobble together a very small coalition to win a gop primary, and he thinks that's a pathway to the white house.

i've got news for him. you know, in modern times no one has ever been able to do that, to lock out african-americans and lock out latinos and lock out the lgbt community, lock out women, lock out anyone who is non-white and male and still win a nationwide election in this country. so if he wants to play these politics, he can play them well right there in texas. but i'll tell you where it won't play. won't play in new jersey. won't play in cal. won't play in illinois. won't play in some of these states he's going to need to pull together to win a primary campaign and a gop win for president. >> can that work, dana? such a small base where he's talking about the future of the gop but he's really going back to the past in terms of this kind of lack of diversity, lack of fairness and lack of inclusion? can that work in a republican primary? has the tea party really dominated so and intimidated

moderates so? >> that's a relevant question. in the republican primary it's certainly possible to work. it certainly seems that way. based on where all the candidates are going. but look, if you can make an argument that you want a senate full of 100 jesse helms, that might get you so far in the republican primary. can you imagine that being the debate in the fall of a general presidential election? it's hard to see that the democrats wouldn't want to have just such a fight on their ha s hands. ted cruz and the others vying for the republican nomination are thinking about the republican nomination, not necessarily that that's going to make them unelectable should they ever get that holy grail. >> well, we're going to see if any republicans come out and denounce this as george bush and others did to trent lott about strom thurmond. in fact, if any republican leaders in the senate or the congress want to come out, call me. i'll have you on tomorrow night. you can have all the time you need. goldie taylor, dana milbank, thanks.

>> thanks, reverend. >> thank you. >> coming up, republicans try again to repeal obama care. they're gutting food stamps and education. now is the time to fight back. and some absolutely shocking comments from george zimmerman's florida police chief. why he agrees george is another sandy hook waiting to happen. and he's the progressive everyone is talking about. bill de blasio live in studio. on michael bloomberg's criticism, on stop and frisk, on the curtains, and yes, we'll ask him about his son, dante, who wears the most famous afro of his generation. also, what's on your mind? e-mail me, friend or foe. i want to know. reply al is a hit. ♪

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the house gop passed for the 41st time a bill to delay the obama care subsidies. next week the house is ready to slash $40 billion in food stamps. today a new report comes out showing deeper education cuts in the last five years since the

recessi recession. the gop's failed priorities is all over the place. there's a big fight coming. are democrats ready for the fight? clearly there is an attempt to turn back the clock in this country. joining me now is congresswoman jan schakowsk, democrat from illinois. thank you for coming on the show, congresswoman. >> thank you. >> 41 times the gop-led congress tried to gut obama care. what do you say about this waste of time, congresswoman? >> well, now at this time next week if we get a vote what the republicans are hoping, at least the most radical right-wing republicans, that we will include a vote to extend the government, keep the government open, only if we repeal obama care altogether. so that would be the big vote to repeal obama care. and right now you're talking

about will the democrats be able to fight back? there's a war going on in the republican party. john boehner doesn't want to see the government shut down. but he is held captive by a group of republicans that is willing to absolutely shut things down. 800,000 employees laid off. i mean, it would be a disaster. >> no, there's the shutdown threat has really pitched the tea party versus speaker boehner. watch this. >> there's all this speculation about these deadlines that are coming up. i'm well aware of the deadlines. so are my colleagues. >> we need to be a caucus with a spine, with a heart, and with the will to defund obama care. >> if you continue funding obama care, we're going to defund you and get you out of office. >> and so we're working with our

colleagues to work our way through these issues. >> so this battle in the republican part y over shutting down the government to defund obama care, which really doesn't even happen, but i mean this is as extreme as it gets. >> it is. but you know, reverend al, they understand that if obama care goes into effect and people can begin enrolling on october 1st and get -- see that they can get lower-cost health care, 129 million people with pre-existing conditions will actually get cover, they know that it will be impossible to do anything about it because people are going to like it. they're going to find out what it does for them. so they're desperate right now. >> now, there was a new report that just came out about hunger in america. and the report says just this past year 20% of americans lacked enough money to buy the food that they or their families

needed. that's one in five americans, congresswoman. and the gop wants to cut and gut food stamps? >> you know, i stood on the house floor, looked over at the republican side of the aisle, and said, you really want to take food out of the mouths of hungry children? is that the gop plan? who are you, that you would want to do that? there is hunger in america. almost half of the people on the food stamp program, on the snap program, are children. others are senior citizens and persons with disabilities and those who have been laid off and just need a bridge over troubled waters. and that's what they want to stop. it's unbelievable. >> and in addition, they want to cut $400 million from the budget to head start. watch this. >> start is going to enroll fewer children because of sequestered mandated budget cuts. >> these are the most

devastating cuts that we've ever seen, the sequestration. >> i have my four children with me when i was homeless at the time. >> they make you feel bad about being poor, even though you're doing everything right. i'm going back to school. i'm doing everything i'm supposed to do. but you can't cut a break. >> we need this program because they help them. they give them the support that they need. they give them that little boost. there are kids that needed a lot of help and they got it from this program. >> congresswoman, they want to cut education, food, health care. i mean, these are basic and vital programs for people who need them the most. >> over 57,000 children will be cut off the program. and all the research shows that kids that get this preschool education, get a good quality childcare and education are less likely to be dependent on the government when they grow up. are more likely to be productive citizens and do well. and these are the children that

they want to cut off the program. it's hard to imagine that these kinds -- this kind of demonization and destruction of poor people is going on in today's congress. >> well, these are their priorities, and we're going to continue watching and monitoring it. congresswoman jan schakowsky, thank you so much for your time. >> thank you, reverend al. >> coming up, it's the political comeback and the political ad everyone is talking about. new york city mayoral candidate bill de blasio joins us live. but first, when there's a crisis in the middle east, is this who you want to hear from? why can't they -- why can't they stop the ugly obama derangement and fear-mongering? ♪ ♪ you make me, make me, make me go crazy ♪

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the seriousness of the situation in syria cannot be emphasized enough. the secretary of state is in geneva now meeting with his count counterpart. we're talking about national security. we're talking about people losing their lives. we're talking about finding a solution. in the midst of this that should unite the country with concern even if we're divided in tactical response, you would think that people would rise above their petty partisan and ugly ways. but not the gop. not the obama derangement campaign. not the crusade of those that want to replace all of this with

hysterics. listen at glenn beck as he made his comments in the midst of all of this. >> 12 years ago we stood united against a common enemy. and that enemy was killed. and why are we still fighting? last night america watched as president of the united states actually argued something that i believe is treason. that we should join forces with that very same enemy. this guy. this guy looks like the nobel peace prize winner, and our president looks like the mad killer. >> not only glenn beck, though. not only just beck saying these ludicrous things. look at rand paul. we're talking about high officials. >> 12 years after we were attacked by al qaeda, 12 years after 3,000 americans were killed by al qaeda, president obama now asks us to be allies

with al qaeda. >> so we're talking about linking the president to al qaeda. are we serious? a u.s. senator linking the president to al qaeda. the president who took out bin laden. are we really having this discussion while we're dealing with the seriousness of this moment? joining me now, crystal ball and jamal simmons. thank you both for coming on the show. >> thanks for having me, rev. >> thanks, rev. >> also with us, of course, angela rye, who's sitting there look at me saying i'm here too, reverend. let me get serious. cutting through this, what is the goal here to this kind of talk, crystal? i mean, because this is as extreme and bizarre as you can get, but you have a u.s. senator joining in the pile-on. >> it's propaganda, pure and simple.

they try to make everything black and white, cut and dry, and do everything they possibly can to undermine this president. and you contrast that with the president, who weighed the facts, the actual facts of what's going on in syria, came to a very difficult decision, and then had the respect for the american people to bring that case to them, to ask congress to deliberate on, to bring that information to them in the speech that he gave tuesday night. and he did not engage in propaganda. here's the cut and dried case. he said it's complicated. here's the evidence. here's the facts. make up your mind. it's the exact opposite of what demagogues like glenn beck and rand paul want to do. >> now, angela, when you talk about right-wing media, when you hear them coming out now saying they are supporting vladimir putin over our president, i mean, watch this -- >> vladimir putin actually came one a good idea and if the world

community can get the chemical weapons he just saved obama's back side and kerry's back side. >> frankly, in the last week vladimir putin has looked like a statesman. >> vladimir put zinn headed straight for the nobel peace prize. >> this guy looks like the nobel peace prize winner, and our president looks like the mad killer. >> vladimir putin is saying that obama and kerry are lying. and i don't know about you, but i find myself to be in a really curious situation. who do i believe? vladimir putin or barack obama and john kerry? >> i mean, even for people that are vehement opponents of the president, this is way over the line, angela. or am i just crazy here? >> you're definitely not crazy, but they definitely are. i think they're reminiscing on w saying he looked into putin's

eyes and can see into his soul. maybe that's what they think they're seeing into. but the problem is there's something called patriotism and supporting the president, particularly when we're dealing with matters of national security. i worked on the committee of homeland security. and this is so far beyond the pale. this is the one time where the united states of america, where the american people are supposed to come together and put partisanship aside to really try to figure out what we need to do. the president talked about wanting to have debate, wanting to ensure that congress had the opportunity to vote on this issue, and the fact that this is the type of debate that's happening with no facts is abundantly problematic. >> but you know, jamal, it seems like there's debate in the party, tea party versus others, but the one thing they're united in is this derangement of president obama not only do they accuse him of trying to make a deal with al qaeda and all of these accusations that whether they believe putin over him,

they keep trying to make this connection between syria and benghazi. listen to this. >> one of the problems with all of this focus on syria is it's missing the ball from what we should be focused on. this week is the one-year anniversary of the attack on benghazi. you don't hear the president mention benghazi. now it's a phony scandal. >> worst of all, it distracts us from things like the benghazi, the irs -- >> to divert attention today from the benghazi, irs, nsa scandals, the failure of obama care enforcement. >> the american people deserve answers about benghazi before we move forward with military involvement in syria's civil war. >> i mean, this derangements campaign knows no boundary or no respect for the situations that we find ourselves trying to deal with right now. >> rev, this is one of the most vile moments i've seen out of this republican party. i remember when they attacked max cleland when he was running for the senate in georgia with

images of saddam hussein and osama bin laden. it was the first time we'd ever seen osama bin laden put into a political campaign. these people know no bounds whatsoever about attacking. here's the reality. as angela said a minute ago and crystal was alluding to, this is a moment where the american public is supposed to come together and unite. there's no way. could you imagine if on this network right now one of us was to start praising vladimir putin the way the republicans would respond to that? there is no way that this is acceptable political behavior in this country. the reality is you've got 20% or 30% of the united states electorate, the republican party base that cannot stand -- the only theology they have is if obama's for it they're against it. if he says it's right then it must be wrong. and it doesn't matter if it has anything to do with the facts or with the tradition of american history. >> well, talking about if we said something like that here, crystal, well, let's go to what was said on another network. karl rove says about president

obama on august 28th, it shows -- this shows how all of you need to know about how they're dealing with president obama. watch this. >> the toughest question for the president is going to be this one, bill. does he ask for congressional authorization for his action? >> i they he has to do that. >> i think he does too. the president cannot do what he did in libya, which is not going to the congress. he has to go to congress. >> and he'll get it. >> now, he has to go to congress. >> right. >> is he going to ask for it? yes. he has to go to congress. well, now listen to what rove said after the president did go to congress. >> i thought he needed to take it to congress, but in retrospect that was a mistake. the president probably should have been better to take an action. this is an unmitigated disaster. it's amateur hour at the white house. >> amateur hour at the white house doing exactly what you said he should have done. i mean, it's all about president obama. has nothing to do with policy. has nothing to do with national

security. it's always obama. obama derangement, crystal. >> that's exactly right. and i think it comes down to really a fundamental respect for the american people that karl rove and george w. bush obviously didn't have in the leadup to the iraq war, and this president did have the respect to take the case to the american people. but i have to say something. i mean, we just have to step back and realize that the republicans hate this president so much and want to undermine him so badly that they have decided to embrace the president of russia, who is propping up a brutal dictator that has murdered thousands of his own people. it is an unbelievable state of affairs. >> and not one, angela, republican leader is denouncing this. not one has stepped up and said this is absurd, this is anti-americ anti-american, to raise the president of russia as more

believable than the president of the united states would not be tolerated if any other president was in office, angela. >> it's plainly irresponsible for any elected official in this country to allow this type of rhetoric to continue. it's plainly irresponsible. there's no excuse for it. it's absolutely unacceptable. it is a massive distraction. it has to change. we're not going to be able to get anything done because even, again, in the times when we need to be standing together, where partisanship should be totally aside, they can't even get it together then. >> have to leave it there. crystal, angela, and jamal, thank you very much for being on tonight. and remember, you can catch crystal on "the cycle," weekdays at 3:00 p.m. eastern right here on msnbc. straight ahead, the new york city candidate getting national attention. bill de blasio is here. we'll talk about his stunning comeback, bloomberg's criticism, and the campaign ad called the best they've ever seen. that's next. it's the little things in life that make me smile.

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before you begin an aspirin regimen. we are bigger. we are stronger. we are better as a city. and we make sure that everyone has a shot. >> that was on tuesday night as bill de blasio was talking to a crowd after receiving a little over 40% of the vote as it

stands, which if it holds he would avoid a runoff and would be the democratic nominee for the mayor of new york in this november's race. he is now live with me in the studio, the present public advocate for the city of new york and the presume democratic nominee, bill de blasio. assuming the numbers hold up. let me start there. will there be a runoff, mr. de blasio? >> rev, i think the numbers will be consistent throughout the count and we will break that 40% number. a lot of folks in the democratic party are calling for unity, which i appreciate. but the bottom line is we're going to keep talking to the people of this city about where we need to go, the changes we need to make, the break from the bloomberg years, the need for a progressive vision for new york city. i'm going to keep doing that until all of the numbers are resolved in the next few days. >> have you talked to bill thompson, you why closest opponent? >> on tuesday night we talked. it's someone i've known for many years.

i have a lot of respect for. and he made clear he wanted to look at his options. and i respect that. >> you haven't talked since tuesday night? >> we have not. >> let me go to another opponent. if you are the nominee, as it appears, the republican nominee is mr. lhota, joe lhota. and he said today, and i'm quoting him, that your campaign divides people. how do you respond people? >> rev, i think it's divisive to not talk about the problems we're facing. we just had the worst economy since the great depression. we had a city government study, a new york city government study two months ago that said 46% of the people of this city are at or near the poverty level. >> 46% in the city of new york? >> in the city of new york. unprecedented. it's divisive not to bring that out in the open and talk about the inequalities that the city is facing right now. it starts with income inequality. let's talk about health care disparities, hospital closures. let's talk about disparities in the educational system, in policing. if we don't talk about these

things, we can't make our city better. >> but if you do talk about them, you know that those that have not had to deal with them or in some cases even benefited are going to come after you with a vengeance. they're going to get ugly. lhota saying you divided the city. mayor bloomberg saying your campaign was class warfare and racist. are you ready for the attacks? and your family's going to be under attack. are you ready for what could come between now and november? >> i think i'm speaking to the world's leading expert on when you stand up against -- >> but i've been in these battles. >> you've been in them. and you've only gotten stronger. and i think i borrow from your example and some other great examples. we're talking about the truth here. we're talking about the fact that folks are hurting in this city, that the city government is not doing all it could do to address these ineke waulqualiti. and i think what will happen is that message will energize people looking for change and i

think it's a clear majority in this city that believe we need change. yes, the attacks will come. the way to answer, i think progressives need to learn this lesson over and over. the way to answer those attacks is to stare them down and stay to what we believe. >> is your campaign racist, as mayor bloomberg said? >> you know, that was a very interesting choice of words and a very inappropriate choice of words. my campaign represents my family. i'm extraordinarily proud of my family. you know, governor cuomo to his credit came out after those comments and said he knew my family very well and if he were in my shoes he would have portrayed them too and be proud as i am. and i think the mayor's comments, partly the part about my family, but even more so when he said, quote unquote, class warfare -- >> yeah. >> -- suggested a certain denial about what' happening on the ground and a lack of understanding that these issues have to be discussed. >> now, i read in the "new york times" that you were terrifying, you've talked about taxing the rich in this city to pay for pre-k. what are you going to deal with those that try to project that the wealthy will be under some

kind of siege if you're mayor? >> i don't think it's terrifying to ask those that have done well -- remember, my tax plan starts with folks that make $500,000. and we can safely say that people who are doing well are doing better all the time. look at the stock market alone as the indicator. those that are wealthy are doing quite well. i'm asking them to help us out a little. we need full day pre-k for our children. the absence of full-day holds back our school system. a lot of kids are not taking enough time to learn what they need and they need to be in a safe secure setting after school. we're going to have a clear majority of new yorkers who believe in it. those who are wealthy should realize this is for the good of everyone. this is so our schools work so, the future of our city can work for everyone. i think it's in their interest too. i believe enough of them will get it. but honestly, this is a lower tax rate than the one michael mo bloomberg put in place in the beginning of his administration. >> so they don't get it now? you think they don't understand it? if it's lower than michael bloomberg's then what is the confusion? why are they, as this guy said,

terrified? >> i think there's a certain amount of fear-mongering out there. and it's being used as an excuse, you know, to paint a progressive in a bad light. but when you think about it, it's a modest additional tax that will have a big impact. it's just for pre-k and after school. it will have a big impact. and i think we're going to win the day on it. >> another way they're going to try to come, they're already saying the city's going to return to crime. you've been consistent on stop and frisk and other things about police that have been questioned by people including people like me. but tell me about crime. what have you done in your career that shows that you are not soft on crime? >> well, i work closely with the nypd for the last 20-plus years of my life. i was on the staff of the mayor's office with mayor dinkins and then as a city councilman, republican advocate, close relationship right down to the neighborhood level. and crime, by the way, we know we've learned a lot better in

this city how to fight crime. the comstat system and the use of technology and the gang intervention strategy. so navth in fact, over the last 20, 25 years this city has gotten better and better at fighting crime and we will continue to get better. but where's the problem? the problem is the relationship between police and community is no longer good enough in many communities because of stop and risk. rev, you led the way to your great credit, and we need to follow through on the will of the people. the people want to end this unfairness. there's no one in new york city that doesn't want a safe city. by the way, there's a lot of people at the grassroots that have put their own lines on the line to protect their neighborhoods. we need to get them reunited with the police and that will make us safer in the long run. >> when lhota says you're softer on crime what are you going to say? >> i'm going to go back at him and say i've been honored to work with the nypd and we're going to make this city safer by bringing community and police back together. >> how would you deal with terror? >> same concept. nypd today, 34,000-plus cops and

that needs to say that way. second, 1,000 of them devoted to anti-terrorism and we're going to keep it that way. but what's missing on the fight against terror and the fight against crime in general is the closest possible working relationship between police and community. the best intelligence. the best leads come from community members who need to have that trusting relationship with police. we need to recreate that community policing approach. cops on the beat. cops who get to know folks at the neighborhood level. that's going to help us move forward. >> you know, i read in the "christian science monitor" that there was a group connected to lhota and lhota's campaign has denied it, that was even polling about mixed marriages in parts of the city because you're married to an african-american woman and have two lovely children. i mean, this kind of ugliness, are you -- do you have the stomach for this and your family ready for the kind of stuff that may seem like it's not connected but is used in a way to really try to play on fear and divisions in this city?

>> as for my family, i'm so proud of them, first of all. i will say something that you'll appreciate. my two kids were born in brooklyn. >> yeah. >> they are products of new york city public schools. they are plenty tough. they can handle it. they're not surprised. my wife's not surprised by anything. you know, as for me, i served in the dinkins administration. we had everything thrown at us. i was hillary clinton's campaign manager when she ran for u.s. senate in 2000. every conceivable ridiculous charge thrown at her on a daily basis. i've weathered these storms. if anyone out there thinks they're going to divide this city by somehow portraying a multiracial couple as something bad, i think the people of the city will reject that. >> the fact is you did help run senator clinton's first campaign. i remember that. are you planning on asking the clintons to come in if you're the democratic nominee and campaign for you? and will you ask president obama to come in? >> look, i'd be honored by

support from leaders that great, to say the least. but i've talked to each of the clintons and had very cordial conversations. they kindly both called to congratulate. and i asked their advice. we'll see what happens going forward. but i think the bottom line is this is a moment where democrats have a lot to be proud of including of course president obama. we have a lot to be proud of in the way president obama's moved this country forward. i think the fact that there are democratic leaders people admire so much is going to have a big impact -- >> because we haven't had a democrat elected in new york since david dinkins, since 1989. >> 20 years. and i think it's a democratic, with a capital d, it's a democratic moment because people look at the names like the ones you mentioned and admire them in the city zmar ready to see a democrat in city hall. >> one of the ways you can tell they're taking you serious is jon stewart did a thing about you last night. i want to show you something. >> and now, the smackdown. >> then the entire de blasio family, including son dante and

daughter kiara, did a weird gymnastic move that brought huge cheers from the crowd. >> adopt me. you got there, you got kiara, the confident daughter. you've got danti de blasio, the teenage son who's so charming and so charismatic. i mean, he's unbelievable. >> will you adopt jon stewart? >> we'd be honored to have jon join the family. that would be great. >> one quick thing. name one thing michael bloomberg did right in the last 12 years. >> absolutely, public health. he did a great job on fighting obesity and fighting smoking. and i'd continue that. >> the democratic mayoral

candidate bill de blasio, thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you, rev. >> thank you. all right. asthma doesn't affect my job... you were out sick last week. my asthma doesn't bother my family... you coughed all through our date night! i hardly use my rescue inhaler at all. what did you say? how about - every day? coping with asthma isn't controlling it. test your level of control at asthma.com, then talk to your doctor. there may be more you could do for your asthma.

man: sometimes it's like we're still in college. but with a mortgage. and the furniture's a lot nicer. and suddenly, the most important person in my life

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justice. civil rights attorney demetrius newton, who passed away yesterday morning. mr. newton fought in the legal trenches of the movement. he represented dr. martin luther king and helped get him out of jaime when dr. king was arrested during civil rights protests. he also represented rosa parks, helping to free her from jail as well. mr. newton worked on the legal cases surrounding the 1965 historic march from selma to montgomery, securing their right to protest peacefully. he went on to become the first black speaker pro tem of the alabama state house, serving for 13 years. respected by members of both parties for his dignity and moral courage. mr. newton was 85 years old. when i think of demetrius newton, i think of many of those whose names never made national currency, that never became household names in generations

behind them, but were in the trenches and fought the fight, even when it was more dangerous. it is because of them that we are where we are. some white, some black. but they gave their lives for all of us. and that is why we should behave in a way that will show our appreciation and continue that fight until we have the new america that we all desire. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. rooting for putin. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. when i began reading vladimir putin's article in today's "new york times" i first thought of tokyo rose, the world war ii