are we giving r kelly a free pass? but first, weaponising a political tool. as democrats prepare to wage against the machine. good morning. as 2013 draws to a close. i want everyone to have a good time and when you do, keep crazy uncle rufus away from the punch bowl. why? because now is the calm before the 2014 political storm. they may very well layeth the

smackdown upon them. it is about to be on and popping. what effective weapon can a democrat use to run against a republican in this day and age? this has to be something that will stick. i will give you a pipt. at the beginning of the state of the union address. >> tonight let's declare that in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works should have to live ip police offic in poverty.

19 states will have a minimum wage floor that is higher than the federal level. president obama may have made the minimum wage sexy again but he was pt the first. rachel maddow was dropping it in 2010. the minimum wage is what your ring decodes to. the issue is democratic electoral magic. whatever minimum wage is on the. > issue has won greater support. it can be an issue they can run on but win on. in 2012 there were two races. while missouri senator claire mccaskill macfaced an interesti

challenger. she pointed out that her opponent wanted to abolish it all together. in 2006 she used it to depete jim talent. you are going to have to cast a vote in two weeks on whether or not we raise the minimum wage in missouri. will you vote yes or no? >> i have not taken a position on the minimum wage issue. >> she supported the mississippi state ballot initiative called proposition b. it raised it to $6.56 an hour and won 76% of the rote. it turned out to be more popular than she herself. in 2012, senator john tester faced a tough re-election too. he used the weapon early.

his opponent helped him out when he could pt even answer this question. >> are you guys willing to pay w minimum wage. >> what is it? >> i don't know. >> when democrats he released that video it worked. >> don't take my word for it. >> can i say, i was opposed to the idea of minimum wage. i prayed every night please god let's not have this debate. >> what joe knows is that when a minimum wage increase is on the ballot it drives v s voters to

polls. if you are a republican, how do you run against the minimum wage without seeming like you are against people obtaining the american dream or plain surviving. if you are a democrat who needs a can't lose popular idea to run on, what are you waiting for? heather mcgee vice president of policy and marcus and richard kim. thank you to all of you for being here. this is an issue that i'm obsessed with because it seems to be one of those issues that is kind of obvious right? americans all want to make more money. and it does really well in elections. i'll though it out to you first. are republicans doing an effective job on this? >> i think they are.

i think there are a couple of things that president obama can do right now to help that. he could pass an executive order that would require federal contractors to meet the goal wage hike. and i think then he needs to go out and campaign with all the people in all these states that have run these messages and support them in seattle there is a great coalition coming together to get to $15. he should lend his podium to those people. >> let's go through and talk about the state level markets. we have had states that have done this. it is hard to argue. it is going to go up to $9 an hour. they have a wage hike that is going to take place next year. vermont, connecticut, new jersey, you read down the list of states and you notice they have things in common. you have the red states

resistant to the idea and you look at the state's standards of living and you notice that the states with minimum wage are desirable places to live. no question about it. your question gets at it. this is an issue that republicans will argue lots of states have this minimum wage. texas will say we are in a better situation than california. the point is the republicans don't want to have this discussion. they don't want next year to be about minimum wage. if you look over the next generation or two. we have seen the middle pumled.

middle class, we make plenty of money. they can't say that. however, if the republicans make next year not about minimum wage but about you as a working class person having to pay more now but the president said you can keep your policy and tax you for having his new policy. if they make it about that they win. they have been working very hard to set the ground level. this is a great thing it i illustrates the cost of living impact of having not lost the rate of the mim ymum wage. it would have to be around $10 an hour right now. but it is still at $7.25. so michael. what is the possible argument.

dpen against allowing the cost of living to keep up with minimum wage. you can look at the 1948 minimum wage and it would be $3.48. very f very few people are stuck at the minimum wage. in order to get that raise they need that job. if you are a young person today you are grappling with 20 plus percent unemployment. and these are the consequences that political strategies like this. if this was about the workers we would be having a conversation about expanding the earned income tax credit. i wish people would take responsibility for their actions and the consequences for the

least skilled workers. the majority are teen workers. that is not true. they are in their prime child bearing years. right now the majority of workers are well educated who have suffered from the fact that we have lost those middle with jobs. but it feels like this is more than just a temporary job. people are not sen accepting th. first of all mcdonald's workers are parents raising children and trying to live on that money. only 30.9% of people who earn the minimum wage are teenagers.

but if you add up those, there are more in that group than are teens. so increasingly we are talking about team who are not teens but are trying to live on the minimum wage but it doesn't keep up with the cost. >> where the jobs were there are so many more people entering the economy in these jobs and raising the minimum wage is absolutely the right thing to do. let's talk about what this new economy looks like. you go to a country in france where the minimum wage is higher and you go to mcdonald's with a tou touchscreen. even restaurant chains have tabletop computers. >> hold on.

i want to get an answer to that. that is the argument that if you do that then everyone will be laid off. we are going to do it when we come back. what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover mt. rainier out of landfills each year? by using one less trash bag each month, we can. and glad forceflex bags stretch until they're full.* so you can take them out less often. he loves me. he loves me not. he loves me. he loves me not. ♪ he loves me! that's right. [ mom ] warm and flaky in 15, everyone loves pillsbury grands! [ girl ] make dinner pop!

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it is an incentive to automate workplaces. you had a response to that. >> that has been what the economic text books have said. we have seen no adverse employment effects. while the employers can't afford it. but a couple of things we know that if you look at similar

types of businesses. costco pays more but it has more sales per employee. studies across the retail sector. what would this do to jobs if you raise the floor. it would create jobs because of the effect of having more low wage workers. >> there have been a couple of studies out there. you can plug a $40 or $50 wage into this model. it is not. >> a couple of years ago we were talking about $8 or $7. we talked about $22. if you look at the research on this over the last 20 years.

research shows that racing the minimum wage causes employment low. >> when you look at states with higher minimum wage versus state was lower wages. the rate is higher than in a state like illinois or new york. you look at massachusetts that has a higher mun mum wage. there is a direct connection between higher wages and lower rates of poverty. >> we are talking about this in a vacuum. we did a report if they spend the money they spent buying back their shares of the market. which has been done by bigger corporations. they could have raised the wage of their lowest paid employees by $6 an hour. in just one year of what they are doing financialising in

steld of stead of investing. >> this small town outside of seattle. one of the lead campaigners there was the owner of this c ced cedarbrook lounge. after the vote he announced a $16 million expansion of his business. he said he was going to hire workers. both in the studies that were cited you don't see job loss. you might see organizational price increases. that is what has been suggested. >> go on. >> the problem is, we are talking about record corporate profits. that is what you are getting at. in fact the middle class has

been so gutted, workers are making less money than ever. that is a problem that we don't solve if we don't raise minimum wage. it is a global problem. whatever happens here, lots of american jobs have been displaced around the globe. it is true. there is a race to the bottom. if you raise it too much it is true. you may see displacement. germany is a country where workers and companies work together more than this economy where it is of ten adversarial. companies realize to have educated workers is to their benefit. germany has done better. that is a lesson for the u.s. >> i have to ask one quick

question. there is the impeerical evidence, i'm wondering what is the argument that lower wages help business. >> the only way is to ignore the other side of the equation. then that sort of works itself out. if you are talking about the kind of businesses that employ a restaurant or grocery store. they are spending a third of income on labor costs. they have to find a way to provide the same product or cost. that is what the literature is showing. there were 28 states that raised the minimum wage.

the dynamic that you can get an hourly increase in pay, you are worse off than you were before. >> everyone is jumping into answer that question. when we come back. mit romney and president obama are actually on the same side. a subaru... ...are the hands that do good things for the whole community: the environment, seniors, kids, and animals. that's why we created the share the love event. by the end of this year, the total donated by subaru could reach 35 million dollars. you get a great deal on a new subaru. we'll donate 250 dollars to a choice of charities that benefit your community. it feels good to be a helping hand.

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agree on something. but this notion isn't actually new and it is something that many states are actually looking at closely. what would be the benefit of tieing the minimum wage to inflation? >> if you think about it? it is pretty rough as i tip worker. they have been sitting at 2:13 for 20 years to have to wait for a congress to raise your pay. a congress that is be holding to a d ox onor class that actually is okay for someone to work full-time and still be in poverty. >> that is not my position. if we are going to help someone at the bottom part of the career ladder. we want to find a smart way to do it. we have expanded it. it is a smarter way to do it. it operates the tax code.

we kcannot subsidize low wage work. that is why a lot of republicans and conservatives like it. >> let's put a pin in it. and actually explain what we are talking about it. we are bgo are going to go ahea least from me. we make it available to low income workers. they get the difference back in cash. they play a major role in welfare reform. we have a graph and it can add thousands of dollars to an income but you get it at tax time. you have to earn income. you have to earn income and it doesn't help you. if your base wage is still low having an extra bite doesn't help with your cash flow on a day-to-day basis.

people are talking about having money to spend also. it is interesting so much that conservatives want it to go through the tax code instead of people in the free market with their employer being able to bar gain better and have a higher minimum wage. 25% are on public assistance and have full-time jobs. going back to obama and romney agreeing there. we were saying republicans want to talk about the minimum wage. 80% of independents want to raise it. this is a national consensus. it should not be a difficult thing to do to get this thing past them. >> it is really important. we are in a money and politics situation right now where the ideas that the donor class.

the people are defining it. moving back to the policy element. here is the reason why something like the earning of the tax credit would be desirable. the $15 one that has been pushed. you can't have a $15 minimum wage and the industry that we have now. you can't. there is an automatic burger machine. >> we made that argument already. >> it permits us to boost wages but in a way that doesn't affect opportunities to be able to move on. >> you are talking about with the earned income tax credit is a one time check. and the actual experience of being broke, if you have actually experienced it. by the time you get that check, you are already so deep in the whole that you are using that. but if your wages are raised on

a regular basis. that in your actual life, your day-to-day life. the problem is that they don't have bad experience to draw on. they are not understanding that people aren't talking about a one time catch on all my bills check they are talking about day-to-day living. >> if the minimum wage continues to go up is better if they are higher day-to-day living is better. >> it is worse if your job is replaced by a touch screen computer. >> which is happening anyway. >> it is being sped up in response to adish ditional mand. >> because, it has been reported. in places like the wall street journal. >> rubin murdoch's paper. >> we look around and say look,

we have 20 plus percent unemployment and a crisis among people who are less experienced and we see that these jobs are disappearing in response to higher labor costs. >> it is. >> do you think it is a problem that we are returning to income dispari disparity? it looked like the gilded age again. does that seem like a problem? because you don't have consumers. >> i think the question is if we can agree for the one in six minimum wage easterners we want to find a way to boost their income. my submission to you is that the minimum wage isn't it. it is not going to reduce poverty. we can do a 100% subsidy when

they lose their jobs. i want to get back to whether or not this is good politics. after the break, i want to get back to something that richard brought up earlier. we are seeing these fights at the table but i want to talk about the national scope and in particular what president obama could do right now sdpl mim mum wage ♪ ♪ way ♪ through 12 blizzards blowing ♪ 6 snowballs flying ♪ 5 packages addressed by toddlers ♪ ♪ that's a q ♪ 4 lightning bolts ♪ 3 creepy gnomes ♪ 2 angry geese ♪ and a giant blow-up snowman ♪ that kind of freaks me out [ beep ] [ female announcer ] no one delivers the holidays like the u.s. postal service. priority mail flat rate is more reliable than ever. and with improved tracking up to 11 scans,

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. some on the left reallyth that president obama wants to do something about raising the m minimum wage should just like nike and just do it he. they wrote a letter to him

urging him to sign an executive order. that in lewds tincludes the hourly workers. and they wrote. >> while progressives are trying to push the president to send a clear signal and raise the minimum wage for workers, so far the white house won't respond to it. i want to play what jay carney said. i think i have said broughtly speaking that the president is always looking for

ways to move the ball forward but he believes that this is an opportunity to work with congress to help millions of americans and help the economy. >> is it a mistake for the white house to be so ret stant on this issue? >> there are hundreds of billions of federal dollars that go to low wage workers. there are two million workers through constractcontractors. if president obama is serious about raising it. he can do that and he should. now there is a question of if he does that what the repercussions are. republicans are going to go lull l bulllistic. it minimizing the issue in the next election cycles and there

are political concerns there. i think the moral imperative to take this action to help two million workers overrides those concerns. that figure is something that we calculated in the spring. and it was to say to start shifting the focus on this question on who was turning up the fact that it is actually taxpay you'ta taxpayers and that is depressing. so when we ran the numbers at a more granular level, we talked about $12.25. that is the kind of wage that we need to be aiming for. if you did the $10.10 an hour. it would end up being almost half a million direct contracting workers. people who have been sewing our

military uniforms and are still doing that. >> just on a purely political level. whether to do it now or save it as a 2014 issue. if you look at the polling. you do have back in november in this november 2013, you have 22% who are against it and for it. if you go back to march, it was 71% who were for it and it is getting more popular over time. it is a popular issue. might that mean that democrats would be better served for keeping this issue alive? >> absolutely. you want the issue don't want to solve the problem. but also, it is like reality it is easy for us to say oh, yeah, they are going to do that. the repercussions would be huge. that would give them the issues

of saying again, this is a president who governs by fiat. the republicans will want next year to be about obama care. maybe make that part of that narrative. that is a problem. >> to give you one more piece. the other point is something not used at the executive level but used at the state level, when you look at the per sentage of people who voted, new jersey and al beker key, 76% voted for it. colorado, democrats might be better served. >> now i'm going to disagree with myself. if he signs this executive order you are only talking about

contractors with the federal government. there is a federal minimum wage that applies to private employers and states can run. and they are not covered under the executive order. so all of those dynamics can still be in play. >> very quickly. >> i think it would be important for the president to show that he can deliver on something. on my dime, on my watch nobody is going to bed hungry when we're working. >> let's talk about that. he said no one working full time should have to live in poverty. what we have seen is that the minimum wage is not an effective way to reduce poverty and that has been -- >> why is that?

because people lose their jobs? and because it is not well targets. 60% of the folks who live in poverty aren't effected by it. just to go back to this question. so, at the end of the day, what we are talking about here, should we put it on the ballot, that strikes me at a cynical point of view, we are talking about opportunities that are going to be eliminated for low wage and entry levelworkers. >> 52%, fewer than 100 employee. >> that is a lot. >> at the end of the day we know it is a fact for which we don't need research there are millions of americans who are working every day and receiving federal

assistance i think if you lived it, it is difficult to live on $7 an hour. but we appreciate you bringing your opinion to bear. we appreciate it. stick around michael stick around. up next we are going to look at how one single person in washington could shift spectrum. (phone rings) discover card. hey! so i'm looking at my bill, and my fico® credit score's on here. yeah, you've got our discover it card, so you get your fico® score on your monthly statements now, for free! that's nice of you! it's a great way to stay on top of your credit, and make sure things look the way they should. awesomesauce! huh! my twin sister always says that. wait...lisa? julie?! you sound really different on the phone. do i sound pleasant? for once in your life you sound very pleasant. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. free fico® credit score. get the it card at discover.com. wanted to be here for your fist christmas? you see grandma lives waaaay down here,

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rates to borrowers. the problem is that people can't pay those loans back on time and wind up racking up more and more interest in time. 18 satates have banned them and still find a way to exist. and many lenders are founded by those big household names megabanks. i suppose it is no surprise when there are fewer banks now fewer than the 2008 financial crash. clearly that has not come to pass. there is one senator holding the feet to the fire.

elizabeth warren. more on what they are doing to wall street and the democratic party next.

whose afraid of liz death r elizabeth warren? >> wall street is. meant to regulate financial institutio institutions joining that battle war rren wound up getting a jobt a senator her self and she has made it her signature issue. egg here she is in february.

>> anyone else want to tell me about the last time you took a wall street bank to trial? >> there are attorneys squeezing order citizens and taking them to trial in order to make an example as they put it. i'm concerned that too big to fail has become too big for trial. >> that seems wrong to me. >> how successful has she been at getting her policy ideas enacted. she gained a lot of attention in the world. a bill that would give one in ten unemployed people reporting that they have been denied a job

due to considredit information. >> joining us into our guest. i'm going to go right to you. she is a rock star on the left. her speeches and railing against the banks go viral and attracted speculation about how she should run. >> i think we should look at the legislature to determine how effective she should be. she is a symbol of where we are going in terms of the tone of a nation. the thing that is she is pushing in terms of what she feels. >> so she has become a liberal in a lot of ways. this bill, the idea of outlawing the practice of not hiring someone because of a credit

history. >> it is important. it is an issue that we have been working on for quite some time. 50% of employers are actually using credit, screening people for credit and it compounds the miss fortune. if you look at what is revealed when you are applying for a job there has been no correlation found. they sell the stuff and it is the corporate interest behind the laws. we have found no research and what it shows is that you have survived the recession. you have had some sort of medical miss fortune. she is left or with the middle. that is the kind of issue he is

illuminating for the party and for the country. >> in that senate, she has some interesting alliances here and there. this bill would restore it. >> i'm going to disagree as i almost never do with heather. it does feel small to me. the reason why people are not getting jobs is not because of the situation but because the jobs don't exist. i would like to see her put

something bigger on the table. >> and so a tax that would be something that is great. >> is she out there, but let me get through it. ted cruz. he doesn't pass legislation but keeps the coalition getting too far away from the base. there he is out there getting them back. elizabeth warren in a symbolic level there is a fear from getting away. you can't hang out on wall street too much and not worry that the base will turn around

and bite you. i have to say, it is ted cruz on the right and elizabeth warren on the right. it says a lot about it. i think it is amazing that she has riz ssen. she doesn't have the profile or the warmth that we are talking about earlier. she is no, she is no hillary. the fact that you were playing that clip simply the best. that is amazing. she has arrived. and i find that extraordinary. >> 60 to 70% of americans they want to see us closing tax loop holes. they want to see an expansion they want to see a raise in the

minimum wage. >> i wish we had more time to talk about it. i'm sure, thank you so much. we have more to get to this morning including the latest r kelly controversy. utah and when we come back the press conference that summed up president obama 2013. debunking the narrative is next at the top of the hour. ♪ that's my perogative [ male announcer ] this is jim, a man who doesn't stand still. but jim has afib, atrial fibrillation -- an irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts jim at a greater risk of stroke. for years, jim's medicine tied him to a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but now, with once-a-day xarelto®, jim's on the move. jim's doctor recommended xarelto®.

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impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain, and the use of medical technology in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 70% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. i want to take you back to the beginning of this year. when president obama was inaugurated for a second term.

remember that rhetoric and the cheering crowds? if you believe the headlines lately, that day was the highlight of the president's whole year. he is getting a not so welcome parting give. head line after head line if this was the worst year in every presidency. >> has this been the worst year of your presidency? >> do you understand that those public has changed in some way their view of you over the year? >> do you have personal regrets? >> the president did this best to take it in stride. >> i have now been in office five years, close to five years. >> was running for president for

two years before that. >> for those of you who have covered me during that time we have had ups and downs. >> now it is through the president's approval rating is the lowest yet just 43%. he has been dogged by criticism by the nsa, but let's take a breath for a moment. the rumors of his political demice may be greatly exaggerated. this is the same president this no good very bad year forgedage agreement of chemical weapons and reached a shistoric histori lowest in five years. the same president who this same year stood up to congressional

republicans and refused to give into their demands even when they refused to give up for 17 years. this is the same president who managed to do what roosevelt, truman and bill clinton all couldn't do. implement health care. it is working. as the president explained on friday. >> since october first, more than one million americans have signed up for health care. millions of americans despite the problem was the website are poised to be covered by quality affordable health insurance come into year's day. >> to convince the american people he must first break through the negative narrative. >> joining me now at the table

aisha, danielle, marcus mafry and richard kim. okay guys i think we can agree that this was the year that president obama declared that he should pack it up and stay in hawaii. when you look at what is actually dragging down his approval ratings, the economy is tough and difficult. but looking at the charts, the "wall street journal," what is the issue shaping it, health care 58%. nsa way down at 9%. not what you would expect. because health care has been so important. changing the narrative on that,

isn't that what he has to do? >> obama care has to work. what those numbers are showing is that the republicans are successful in their pr game. they said they wanted to take out obama and obama care. they put out misinformation and so that is what we are seeing and that number has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the program. >> if you look at the enrollment in the act. the estimated weekly sign ups through the federal exchange, look at that trajectory on that chart it has gone way up. it was pretty bad. but it is actually being implemented and people were signing up for it. at the same time they were telling pollsters that they were signing up for it. it is working better. i think you know from the numbers, it is going to be a

success at the end of the day. it kind of doesn't matter. all the republicans need to do is find the one person who was forced to pay higher health insurance and there are going to be people and play the clip of barack obama saying you are not going to have to change your health insurance. that is all they are going to have to do. if you look at the data over time. and had patience instead of the news cycle that we have. you would say that on the whole the policy will work. that is the issue, though. that because the republicans have a plan that it is simple and easy to mess sage aage and remind people that you can keep your health care, that is a simple plan more than what the president has to do. here is the reality though, americans have, it has been 12 months since the president has

been elected again. and reetiality is that all their big bhproblem is with health ca. as soon that has things move on, they will be happy. the chart is going up. more people are enrolling. sure will they not be able to keep their health care. it is substandard. >> that is what democrats have to say, your health care is substandard. it is not providing the kind of care that you need. what you are offering is for you to have actual full coverage. >> daniel said democrats. that was not the case and not clear that democrats are going to feel confident on it. >> the narrative will change not

because the websites aren't doing something else. we have to get people out to our program. they won't do it. they will stop. you think about two or three months ago the story was the republican shut down. now the president is over. it is silly, we over state all of this stuff. all a poll is, is a snapshot in time. the right track numbers, 64% wrong track, but the wrong track has been deeply upside down. president obama was re-elected with the wrong track. it was the unemployment number and it was 7% and it is going to keep going down next year. we will now stop bying as many billions of dollars, because the economy is starting to gain ground on its own.

it no longer needs our support. the reason the president wanted to get re-elected was because he knew that in these four years the economy was going to improve vastly. that is going to be more important than the headlines that we are going to have at the end of the year. he knew that the republicans were going to be in the white house. if you look at the president's approval rating it is sky high. >> is there a right track? >> they are calling it 17%. it is interesting that republicans have been able to survive. the government shut down was such a huge story. they went back on the affordable care act. >> something that we are seeing here is a reflection of the last three months. the democrats were going to run

the tables on the senate and on the house. and that is in jeopardy because of technical failures on the website. they didn't know in part, they didn't pin some of the blame on republicans in congress. they were begging for money and you know, that was a kind of fumble on their part and now you are stuck at the end of the year. >> not one question about iran, not one question about syria. nothing about afghanistan the numbers where he is not upside down on his foreign policy. we have a focus on the website and not about broader policy. i think the problem here is the political class and the media class we over compensate.

you can step back and breathe a little and not worry about what we are saying. >> and then take a poll and say wait a minute. >> when we come back. i want to get into the year-end message. russian president vladimir putin. ♪ i struggle donation .. and it gives you what you are looking for to live a more natural life. in a convenient two bar pack. this is nature valley. nature at its most delicious. [ male announcer ] this december, experience the gift of true artistry and some of the best offers of the year at the lexus december to remember sales event. this is the pursuit of perfection.

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okay i want to correct one thing i mentioned in the last block. president obama was asked about iran in last friday's press conference. neither the obama as nor joe

biden are going to sochi. this makes it the first time that the olympics will not include a president, for advice preside or vice president. the president made it clear on friday that his choice of a delegation is a deliberate response to the anti-gay law. >> when it calms to the olympics and athletic performance we don't make stinksdistinctions o basis of sexual orientation. >> joining us now is dave zyren. how big of a deal is this? the snub of not sending a delegation there? >> it is a huge deal.

it hasn't happened since 2000. the bigger deal is the content of who he chose. billy jean king is an activist legend in the world of sports and in that conversation with people like mohammed ali and caca caitlen cahow tries to make the olympic committee live up to its own charter and say we are in the going to have the games in places where people are prejudged on the basis of orientation. that is the only question that matters when we talk about protests at the osochi olympics. after the games what will the situation on the ground be for

activists and al lilies inside russia? yes, it got a lot great pu publici publicity, the movement for lgbt rights, what will that do to act visits on the ground. this is about edward snowden and syria and the issues. and that is being said in terms of local media. so that should be the concern that we look at, i think. >> dave, you have written about this. there is a long history of activism around history 1968 and the black power protests. those were broader, there was a movement among athletes in 196r

protest. >> it is international in scope. this is not just about the united states sending in a delegation or u.s. athletes who have said things. there are athletes who have spoken their discontent with the committee and their craven cowardis. and the policies and the laws that they have passed. there have been statements on things that have happened. things that i have heard off the record and things that we are not going to know about until they do happen. the number one story at the olympics this year will not be what happened on the field of play. it will be things that happened

in interviews and valleys outside the stadium. it won't just be u.s. athletes. >> is there evidence that other governments are going to follow the suit and maybe change their doll gati delegations and not send their heads of state to the games? >> i think you will see evidence of that. i don't think you will see anybody with the profile of king. there are few people on earth with the profile of billy jean king. in september this is what is so great about her being chosen. is that in september she said that at sochi, the lgbt needed a john carlos moment from 1968. keep in mind, that john carlos was vilified by the committee for decades in violation of the

most sacred laws. for her to say that she wants to see that and then be chosen is an amazing statement of where the movement is right now. >> the significant of the u.s. not sending someone. >> it is important to the lgbt community. to dave's point to the fact that these people they are not just gay. they are amazing athletes with records that stretch far beyond their sexual orientation. that was the message that they were sending. no, it is about like their records gay people are amazing. fantastic athletes. and that he, is choosing to silo them out. because of this piece you are

devoid of human care and comfort and dignity and the president is like no, look at these people and you have to see that. i don't think the world is going to care. i don't think the world knows a lot about these athletes. i don't think in a global stage it matters. i don't think in russia they will be seen. what dave was saying, platforms that they can't deny they are part of the games, that could actually be progress for lgbt rights. do you say that as more about what happens on the field? >> that is where if you look at the history of mow teprotests, athletes, they operate in a very

sort of privileged air in our society. and when you see people risk his privilege really risk a great deal against going with bobby riggs. it would have set the women's movement back years, it is like it is only when people risk things that you see amplified and you see change start to move. you might see athletes risk censor and do so for what they see as a more important principle for lgbt liberation. >> it is my favorite sports columnist. thank you so much for being here. >> same sex marriage, but utah? we did not see this one coming. ♪ i was born this way

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2013 was an extraordinary year for the marriage equality movement. same sex marriage became legal in 7 additional states. delaware, pa way, illinois, minnesota, and new jersey and rhode island and it is legal for now in utah. a conservative strong hold and home to the mormon church. on friday a federal judge declared the state's ban on same sex marriage unconstitutional. utah's republican are governor gary herbert criticized the ruling and the state has filed a

notice for appeal and emergency stay. same sex couples are making a rush for the alter. they became the first couple to get married and the happy couple join me now. congratulations guys. >> thank you so much. >> first of all, how shocked were you to learn that you were going to be able to mary and in all places utah? >> amazingly shocked. did you have a wedding in a box ready that you wanted to if it ever happened or did you have to do a rush plan? >> we had been engaged since the summer and were planning to be married eventually. we didn't plan to be married on friday. it was a quick thing that had to happen. we didn't know what was going to have to happen with a stay. so we hurried right over.

>> are you guys utah natives? did you go up in utah? >> i grew up in virginia and i was born in utah. i lived here when i was 8 my family roots are deep utah mormons. i moved to arizona and moved back last summer. >> what has been the reception now that your wedding has been so public. what has been the reception? >> overwhelming kindness, love, generosity and out pouring of love and affection. >> what implications do you think this might have in a red state for marriage equality to come to utah. do you think it is going to have bigger implications outside of your state? >> this is a bright beacon of hope for the goodness of the human heart.

>> i want to bring the panel into this. this is probably of all the states in the world this would have been the last state that anyone expected. is that what it is going to take? is that what it takes to break the danm on marriage equality? >> we saw this in iowa. you know utah yes, it is a conservative state but it has pockets of progressivism. salt lake city has pockets i've been there many times. >> there are lots of gay and lesbian people that have been campaigning and working really hard to push pro gay legislation. there is a political base for this. when you think about marriage it is a conservative institution.

there is a shift here. the argument is the slippery slope argument. you did see this week, one of the things that conservatives argue will happen if you leg legalize same sex marriage. co habitation, this is partly about mormanism. is there a concern that because that happened too that you will see the argument from the right? >> one of the big problems is that there is marriage equality and right to profsy. conser conservatives are going to try to make them one in the same but they are not. and this is what the judge found in utah. he said look, families are

families and chirp aldren are g to be healthy. they said that marriage is not about pro krcreation and we are not going to stop women and men who are in fertile from getting married. so we are not going to stop gay people from getting married. what is exciting about utah is it is eroding those same arguments and flipping them on their head. it is not about the other case. it is about the right to privacy. >> i think i missed the most important question. you have to tell us your honey moon plans. >> gosh, well, first it is keep our business and graduate school under control and no more worrying about that later. >> we appreciate you making us a

part of it so thank you so much. congratulations. thank you. >> you can log onto our website. m mhpshow.com. >> rethinking r kelly. is he getting a pass from the press and his fans. we'll discuss yes ♪ your never gonna get my love not because you wear ♪ tylenol cold® helps relieve your worst cold and flu symptoms. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol cold®.

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kelly who was first accused of praying on underaged girls in the chicago area. many know about his brief marriage to 15-year-old pop star alia when he was 27-year-old. this week an interview broke the r kelly sex tape story. he felt compelled to come forward again with what he called stomach churning details of r kelly's rapes of dozens of girls. it described what he would do at a school in chicago where a 14-year-old girl attended school.

this from a guy whose self applied monker, by saying litten to the last track of his album a song entitled "shut up". i have to ask the same question. can feminists keep enjoying r kelly's music. her answer was no. i'll ask that question to my panel next. so i can't afford to have germy surfaces. but a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel leaves this surface cleaner than a germy dishcloth. it's durable. and it's 3 times cleaner. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to bounty duratowel. to help secure retirements and protect financial futures. to help communities recover and rebuild. for companies going from garage to global. on the ground, in the air, even into space. we repaid every dollar america lent us.

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a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, like celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems,

such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. don't take celebrex if you have bleeding in the stomach or intestine, or had an asthma attack, hives, other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. we are back with the hosts of the podcast. and of course we have to start with r kelly. thoughts? >> i feel like creeps when you say his name. it is unfortunate we have a

situation he is clearly a person that is not a good person. he has fans that are buying his music. women fans as well. >> where are we as a society that we give a guy a pass because he makes us shake our hips although he is doing these terrible things. >> every time someone is a singer and an actor we forget what they do. there were hundreds of pages documented of this nasty behavior. sexual predator. it made people's stomach turn but no one in the press. >> the reporter that actually did the story, the quote that he came away with, he said the saddest fact i've learned is that nobody matters less in our

society is young black women. in the case of michael jackson he was accused of sexual misconduct with boys and he paid a terrible price for it. with r kelly it is with young girls. >> if it were one little white girl you better believe he would be somewhere behind bars. and if it were a little boy. god forbid he might possibly be a gay pedophile. do we why don't we and why is no one coming to their aid? and we sexualize black girls. she looks 20. so we put the oweness on the bad behavior and on their families. they must not have had good parents or been raised well.

but here at this man was lurking at a high school, at junior high schools waiting for these girls. what kid is not going to be impressed by a star that is there and they are thinking that he is an adult. we'll trust you and what he did, the violation that he did on their bodies and their minds here he is still get ago wards. >> and in your face. and black panties as the title. that is a big finger in the face of these girls that are trying to put their lives back together. >> some have tried to attempt suicide. society is dem onising them and they are the victims. we have a lot of soul searching to do. and we are putting them out and shaming them and allowing them to continue to ji ragirate on t

stage about sex. >> speaking of girls empowerment. i definitely agree with it. if you look at the other end of the spectrum beyonce the way that she dropped her album in terms of doing it her own way. not letting the labels or radio choose. the sort of really the way she bogarted the whole industry what has she done? >> she went into walmart okay i have to admit, i think beyonce is ferocious. >> she walks on water for us. >> but she walks into the walmart because right after target has said they are not going to pick up her cd because she released it on itunes, they have decided that they are not

going to evolve with the industry. she gets on the loud speaker and says hello attention walmart shoppers your first $50 purchase is on me. she drops $37,500 in gift cards. total gangster saying i appreciate you appreciating me. welcome to the bee hive. >> what about people saying you were talking about the sexualization of r kelly saying that she is putting forward a sexualized image of womanhood as well. >> she is a grown woman and a mother. we can't put r kelly and beyonce in the same conversation and in the same space. here is a woman that is owning her image and her body and her industry and brand and taking

control of that where women are taken advantage of. >> i push back the idea that she owns her sexuality. why is it that when you have women screaming over christian gray, beat me, chain me up they are liberated, but when you have a black woman talking about having a -- within her marriage i resist that whole idea. >> i wish we had time to give into the duck dynasty. defending him saying that he is the next rosa parks. >> you are going to leave us like that? >> no. >> he is the antithesis of. >> paul ryan. just who are the ones to watch in 2014 we'll find out next.

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election that could defy expectations about what a midterm electorate looks like. if democrats succeed in bringing the level of black, latino, and women voters up who go to the polls in 2014. why is it so major? 22 out of 29 republican governors will be up for re-election this year, including in state where is president obama won in 2012. florida, maine, ohio, wisconsin, michigan, new mexico, and florida. who are my politicos to watch next year? i'm going to start with rick wade. he's a former commerce department official who advised the barack obama campaign in the crucial state of south carolina. now he's running for the united states senate against tea partier tim scott, who was

appointed by governor nicki hailey. before you say democrats will never, ever win fwh that state, consider this. president obama lost south carolina in 2008 and in 2012 but not by a blowout. he got 45% and 44% in those years. and wade, who faces a primary he's expected to win, would have a key issue off the table in a matchup with scott. as the state columnist warren bolton wrote in august, it would be intriguing to see two black candidates with opposing issues on a laundry list of issues. at the end of the state, voters would be asked not to vote on race but on ideas and philosophies. who else should we be watching next year? charlie crist, the sitting governor of florida is rick scott, who barely got elected in 2010 and remains one of the more unpopular governors in the country. so crist, the one-time republican governor turned independent turned obama

democrat, has the chance to get his old job back and set the state to be in democratic hands come 2016. last but not least, wendy davis, the texas state senator who electrified the nation with her fierce filibuster of an anti-abortion bill in june. wendy and her pink sneakers became a national phenomenon. while you might think texas is totally unwinnable by a democratic won, it's been done before by ann richards. if she can inspire enough single and hispanic women to go to the polls for her, she could be the start of a texas purple makeover and would instantly attract hillary-like buzz as a potential first woman president. let's get to our panel and find out who their ones to watch are for 2014 starting with marcus. >> for me, it's paul ryan. he's not nearly as exciting as all the people you just suggested. i'm terribly sorry. but the success he just had on the budget deal and carving out a little bit of bipartisanism.

now he's trying to balance out. that's what i'm going to watch next year to see if he can continue to do it. he's trying to walk the line between the traditional republican conservatives and the tea party, more extravagant part of the party. if he can balance those two interests and not offend one too much, he really becomes a real amazing contender for the republicans in the next presidential election. i'll be watching if he can keep that balancing act going. >> okay. richard? >> i may be looking at bill de blasio. we know he can run an election. his diagnosis of inequality in new york was spot on. as he turns to govern on that progressive populous agenda, can he do it? there are huge challenges ahead of him. there are no contracts with any of the municipal unions. he has to negotiate that. he has to talk to albany and get them to pass a tax hike to fund pre-k in new york city. there's income inequality. all these things roiling that he was so good at pointing the

finger at. it's a test of his character and ability to govern but also what economic urban populism can do in america. >> exactly. that's the big experiment happening. >> i'm looking to see what's happening in culture. politics tends to be a lagging indicator on where the american public is on a variety of issues. i'm watching the fictional character olivia pope. olivia pope really reflects so much of the conflict inside of all of us. the good, the bad, and the ugly. i think it really permeates our social consciousness about how we move through the world and the choices we have to make. i'm also watching janet mock. hey, girl. shout you out. janet mock, her book is being released this year in february, i believe. she's really redefining how we think about black women in our society. >> sounds good. danielle? >> so i'm on the culture watch as well because i think that politics and pop culture have a wonderful intersect. the first person i'm watching is laverne cox. "orange is the new black."

she has been an amazing advocate for the trans community and for bringing the trans struggle into the homes of everyone around the world. so i think that she's phenomenal and we need to continue watching her. my other pick is michael b. jordan, who starred in "fruitvale station," which was amazing and had tremendous buzz. i think he's going to be that actor we'll be following for quite some time. >> isn't it amazing that between them in the lgbt community, the most invisible part has been the transgender community. these two ladies are really bringing it forward and bringing that conversation forward. how important is that? >> it's everything. they're living out loud. they're truly defining what that means to really put yourself, put the personal and the politics together. and they are living that. i think that it's a wonderful identifier for everyone on how we need to be forward facing on our political issues and what we

believe in. >> yeah, and i think with the two of them as well as with olivia pope, they're really bringing issues to the forefront, sure, but they're bringing the sense of common humanity to the fore front. we're all americans. we're all deserving of the same opportunities, the same rights. we make the same mistakes. i think we can coalesce around that. >> i don't know what i'm going to do until "scandal" comes back. literally, psychological trauma. well, thanks to all of you. that is our show for today. thanks to you at home for watching. i'm joy reid. melissa will be back here next sat and sunday at 10:00 a.m. eastern. now a preview of "weekends with alex witt." >> there is such enthusiasm. thank you so much. >> it's because of you. >> there's good news here. let's go with this. new in the target fallout, why some 2 million debit card holders will be limited to only taking out $200 at some atms. we'll also talk to the author of a new and provocative article about whether they'll let their employees go hungry.

the very latest twist in the flap over chris christie and the george washington bridge. and the holiday break is upon us. so what films are we seeing? we have your holiday movie guide, including why the film "her" is getting so much buzz. and the msnbc gang shares the best and worst gifts they've ever received. really good ones here. they're kind of funny. don't go anywhere. life with crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis

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