Skip to main content

tv   Politics Nation  MSNBC  January 8, 2014 3:00pm-4:01pm PST

3:00 pm
public employees what they deserve having an educational system that actually provides a real pathway to employment. >> senator, i know our audience commends you for doing what you did. stepping out with the homeless and finding out what it's like. senator chris murphy. that's the ed show. politics destination with reverend al sharpton starts right now. >> thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, time for some traffic problems in fort lee. those eight words are sending shockwaves towards new jersey governor chris christie tonight. they are contained in a stack of private emails and text messages among top christie aides that became public today. documents that make clear a local political story now reaches all the way into the office of governor christie. more than a month governor christie has denied he or his
3:01 pm
staff had anything to do with closing traffic lanes leading to the busiest bridge in the world. for four days in september, the move backed up traffic for hours. some believed the closure was political revenge, a payback to the democratic mayor of fort lee where the lanes were closed. for his refusing to endorse christie's re-election. two of christie's appointees said the lanes had been closed as part of a traffic study. but there was no evidence of a study. both men are close to christie. wildstein is a high school friend and both men were forced to resign after the story became public. this morning the bergen record
3:02 pm
published emails between bridgett ann kelly and mr. wildstein who ordered the lanes closed. the campaign manager were copied on other emails after the lanes was re-opened. back in august a month before the bridge closure, christie's deputy chief of staff emailed mr. wildstein quote, time for some traffic problems in fort lee. he wrote back. got it. today new jersey democrats said the case might call for criminal charges or federal investigation. but the assemblyman investigating said the documents do make one thing clear. >> they call into serious question the honesty of this governor and his staff. as a result of what has been revealed today this governor has a lot of explaining to do.
3:03 pm
so many questions remain unanswered. >> governor christie cancelled an event scheduled for this morning and late this afternoon put out this statement. quote, what i've seen today for the first time is unacceptable. i am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was i misled by a member of my stambgs but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge. one thing is clear, this type of behavior is unacceptable and i will not tolerate it because the people of new jersey deserve better. this behavior is not representative of me or my administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions. certainly a change from what he said about the story in the past. >> i worked the cones actually
3:04 pm
unbeknownst to everybody i was the guy out there. i actually was the guy work the cones out there. when others make the mistakes, it bothers me. but i think anger would probably be a little bit too strong a word. i know you guys are obsessed with this. i'm not. i really am not. it's just -- it's not that big a deal. >> today it's become a very big deal. joining me now new jersey state senate majority leader loretta weinberg and msnbc contributor. thank you both for being here. majority leader, what is your reaction to these emails? >> my reaction, first of all to the governor's statement is welcome to outrage, governor. this has been going on for four months. i made my first appearance at the port authority board of
3:05 pm
commissioners back in late september/early october, again in november, again in december. then the assembly transportation committee issued subpoenas and the governor's first reaction was oh, senator weinberg and an assemblyman are fixated. the next action was to deride all this. you saw the clip yeah i was out there putting up the cones. let's take a look what took place here. the governor's two top lieutenants at the port thort, bill baroni and david wildstein were involved and forced to resign. bill baroni came to the assembly transportation committee with the made up cover story. the governor at that point didn't seem to want to investigate. now with the release of these emails where somebody in the front office in his office said and i'm quoting, time to create traffic in fort lee. then in an exchange of emails --
3:06 pm
remember the week that this happened was the first day or two of school. people were driving their kindergartners, their first graders to their first school experience. being late. getting stuck in traffic. someone sent an e-mail and said something to the effect of gee i feel sorry for the children. and the answer came back, they are children of -- >> let me go specifically to that e-mail. in a set of text messages, jonathan, on the second day of the lane closures, wildstein referenced the fact that fort lee's mayor was concerned about the traffic delaying kids getting to school, which is what senator weinberg just referred to. an unknown person respond him and reading the exchange. quote, is it wrong that i'm smiling? wildstein responded no. the person replied, i feel badly
3:07 pm
about the kids, i guess. and wildstein answered they are children of buono voters. buono being the opponent of governor christie. there's a reference here to barbara buono. this appears very insensitive and i would say very much in line with the theory that has been put out by a lot of democrats in jersey, this is retribution. >> it's insensitive and it's callous. the majority leader just mentioned how it was the first or second day of cool had this happened. people were stuck in traffic for three or four hours. there's a story about how children were basically trapped on school buses for all of that time trying to get to school. you know, i think the reason why this resonates, reverend al is several reasons is governor christie and he has national ambitions and is -- >> he's leading in some polls
3:08 pm
the republican field right now for 2016. >> right for 2016 but also as someone noted me earlier today that this is also a big deal because it's traffic and if you want to really anger people anywhere in the country, mess with traffic. mess with their normal traffic patterns. that's why one of the many reasons why this is -- this story will have legs but it also adds to the litany of stories of governor christie using his office and himself personally going after people who have done something or said something that he doesn't like and the "new york times" has a story i believe it was on christmas eve cataloging all of the stories of these stories of retribution both big and small. >> you know, if the governor -- >> let me ask you something, senator. i want to focus for a second on
3:09 pm
bridgett ann kelly the deputy chief of staff to governor christie. now i want to put up an e-mail. it shows wildstein forwarded miss kelly, who is, again, the governor's deputy chief of staff. and on the e-mail of the first day of the closings it says the fort lee mayor had called the port authority with an urgent matter of public safety. kelly asked did he call him back? wildstein responded, radio silence. so it appears in this exchange that kelly right in governor christie's office, his deputy chief of staff was engaged with the leading people, his leading aides at port authority, talking about what the mayor of the city that was victimized by this traffic back up for four days was trying to reach out to the port authority and he informing
3:10 pm
her directly in the governor's office there was radio silence as a response. >> you know, reverend al, let me just add something here. i have said from the beginning of this that even if the governor didn't know about it directly although now i question even that, that he created at the port authority with his two top appointees a culture that seemed to indicate that it was okay to take our infrastructure, the busiest bridge in the world and use it for petty political payback. okay. that was going on at the port authority. now we find out that same culture exists right in the governor's office where a deputy chief of staff thinks it's okay to say let's create traffic in fort lee. what kind of people are these? i want you -- i hope that the people who are watching tonight really get this visual of the
3:11 pm
george washington bridge being used to punish the mayor of fort lee. what about the children who were caught in this. what about the people who maybe didn't make to it work that day or didn't make it to a job interview and, therefore, lost a job because they were late. what about all of those people and suddenly after four months of asking questions the governor had at any point he could have could in his childhood buddy david wildstein and asked him what's going on here pepco have called in bill baroni who he is responsible for appointing. he never tried to find out. this to me says what kind of a government is this. and then by the way, they refer in the emails to the mayor of fort lee who is croation descent and they call it serbia. we're still living in a
3:12 pm
democracy in fort lee, in bergen county, in new jersey and in the united states of america. and the governor better start recognizing that. >> i'll leave it there with you new jersey state cincinnati loretta weinberg. thank you for your time. jonathan please stay with us. still ahead, new jersey's top paper is asking a tough question. was the governor lying? we'll look at that next. plus mission impossible for the gop convince voters they love the poor. really? it might work if voters forget every single thing the republicans have done in the last 50 years or so. also truth about president johnson's war on poverty. republicans claim it failed. i'll set the record straight tonight. and we'll talk about how it became dr. king's final campaign, big show ahead.
3:13 pm
stay with us. [ male announcer ] this is the story of the dusty basement at 1406 35th street the old dining table at 25th and hoffman. ...and the little room above the strip mall off roble avenue. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪ on your busiest day, you see the gray. try root touch up by nice 'n easy. just brush our permanent color matching creme right where you need it. then rinse.
3:14 pm
in 10 minutes, zap those grays and get on with your day. nice 'n easy root touch up.
3:15 pm
new jersey's largest paper said today that governor christie's top aides lied. and the paper asked was the governor lying? wow. that question and what it may mean next. clay. mom? come in here. come in where?
3:16 pm
welcome to my mom cave. wow. sit down. you need some campbell's chunky soup before today's big game, new chunky cheeseburger. mmm. i love cheeseburgers. i know you do. when did you get this place? when i negotiated your new contract, it was part of the deal. cool. [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right. the big question tonight, did governor chris christie lie? did he know what was going on?
3:17 pm
he says he learned about all of it for the first time today. here's what an editorial in the biggest paper said. quote, his attempts to laugh this off now appear to be dishonest. if it turns out deknow, he is obviously lying and unfit for office, let alone a 2016 presidential run. so was he lying? on december 13th reporters asked christie if the bridge closure was political? and he said quote, the answer is absolutely unequivocally not. today christie said he was misled by his staff. at the hearing tomorrow we may get a new explanation. joining me now msnbc karen finney and back with its jonathan. thank you for being here. karen, christie tried to laugh
3:18 pm
this off at first. not laughing today. >> no. >> what's the political fallout for him today, in your opinion? >> well it's very bad for him. look, the thing about any kind -- whether you're a democrat or republican when you're look at a political scandal of this nature you better -- if you say absolutely one equestik equestion vocal -- better know. he may have created a culture in which his staff felt this was appropriate behavior, and he didn't -- maybe he didn't know about that and he hadn't read some of these emails or maybe he did and the problem becomes what will end up happening over the next several weeks it will drip, drop, drip, dropout and that will eat away his credibility every single time we get a new piece of information that gives us a new viewpoint of the story. that's the real challenge for christie. >> jonathan another quote says,
3:19 pm
and even if christie did not lie, his officials are liars. if christie can't control them, how can we trust him as a potential future leader of our country? >> the thing about this is chris christie has built a reputation on two things. one, being somebody who goes right after his critics, face to face. he'll brawl with them. i've had a brawl with them. he's also built his national reputation as a leader, someone who is in charge, who makes decisions and who seems to be every where on everything. so now you mean to tell me that you had no idea that this was happening, that you were misled, that this behavior is unacceptable when we have stories in the "new york times" and elsewhere cataloging the litany of examples of retribution both petty, both big and small from this governor against political opponents, and
3:20 pm
even some democrats and even some republicans. so, you know, governor christie is in a tight spot here. one more thing, rev. again, chris christie has built his reputation on being a fighter and he usually does it face to face. he loves sparring with the press, he loves sparring with regular voters asking him questions. how did he release his statement about what happened? via the internet. a statement. faceless. at some point he's going to have to step forward and it's not going to be pretty. >> yeah, but, we still really don't know that he knew. there's no direct evidence saying he knew. >> right. >> he knew anything. and even with his non-appearance today. >> okay. think how many times president obama has had to say hey look the buck stops with me, i'm the guy in charge. there is something about leadership to the point that jonathan was making that says
3:21 pm
even if you didn't know there will be questions -- it is going to be what did you know and when did you know and if you didn't know why didn't you know particularly given the way his reputation has been built. don't forget reverend there's a couple of other several charges. there's stories emerging suggest emts, response times were delayed. i was reading one case where a woman died. i don't know if that would have been a different outcome had they been able to get there. there's some very serious consequences of that day and of that traffic jam that i think means this story will not go away in terms of investigating it. it will not go away. again the political ramifications for the governor is this story is not going away. he has to deal with it and he can't put out internet statements and slough it off and make jokes about moving the cones on the bridge. at some point he has to be real clear what his story is and what he knew and when he knew it and if that happens there better not
3:22 pm
be anything else out there that contradicts that. >> he clearly should know what is at stake here, jonathan. he was the federal prosecutor for that part of new jersey before he was governor. today the new jersey assemblyman leading the investigation was asked whether the governor lied to the public. listen to his response, jonathan. >> the governor said that his senior staff, he asked his senior staff and they knew nothing about this. do we now know that's untrue and, therefore, he either lied to the public or his people lied to him? >> well, there's two possibilities. either he doesn't know what's going on in his front office, or that there's lying going on. >> so, jonathan, from his statement we now know that christie is already saying that his people lied to him. his senior staff person. he's calling them saying, calling them out and saying they lied to him from that statement. >> ah-ha. right. he's saying they lied to him and
3:23 pm
that there will be consequences. the question is when will those consequences come. tomorrow there's supposed to be a hearing, i believe it's mr. wildstein who is supposed to be -- is subpoenaed to testify in a hearing tomorrow and he's tried to get that called off or delayed. after that testimony is done, will we see bridgett ann kelly re. >> in will we see other people within the governor's inner circle resign? i have to agree with the state assemblyman who you just showed either the governor didn't know what was going on and maybe that's possible, or there's lying going on and that's possible. button lie way we're going -- the questions at least some of them will go away is when the governor, when governor christie comes forward, faces the press and answers their questions for as long as they ask the questions. >> karen, you've been around government and around politics for a while.
3:24 pm
is it feasible that the deputy chief of staff would have been engaged in this kind of back and forth and having knowledge of what was going on and not at some point tell the governor anything? >> it bends credibility quite a bit, reverend to suspect that someone who was that important of an aide and that close of an aide could engaging that kind of behavior and for him to absolutely have no idea, although you know how in politics sometimes you may not know exactly what's happening but you have a sense of what's happening and i think this is why we go back to this question of what did he know and when did he know it. on that very day there were, you know, texts and phone calls coming in to the governor's office, people complaining about the problem. what action did he take to rectify that and what dedo? he may have made the joke about cones but did he try to find out what went on and what had happened and if he found out
3:25 pm
something before that he was willing to tell us about today or the next day or the day after, that's when, again that's when you start to get yourself in trouble. >> karen finney and jonathan, thank you both for your time this evening. >> thanks. >> and be sure to watch "disrupt" with karen finney weekends at 4:00 p.m. coming up, how is this one, gop champions of the poor? you don't buy it? me either. that's coming up. but first rush limbaugh still thinks the polar vortex is a left wing conspiracy. we have a special gotcha tonight. a member of the nbc family gets it. next. [ male announcer ] legalzoom has helped start over 1 million businesses.
3:26 pm
if you have a business idea, we have a personalized legal solution that's right for you. with easy step-by-step guidance, we're here to help you turn your dream into a reality. start your business today with legalzoom. we're here to help you turn your dream into a reality. if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about trying or adding a biologic. this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain. this is humira helping me through the twists and turns. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for over ten years.
3:27 pm
humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. for many adults, humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira , your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your doctor if humira can work for you. this is humira at work.
3:28 pm
humans -- we are beautifully imperfect creatures, living in an imperfect world. that's why liberty mutual insurance has your back, offering exclusive products like optional better car replacement, where, if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy one a model year newer. call... and ask an insurance expert about all our benefits today, like our 24/7 support and service, because at liberty mutual insurance, we believe our customers do their best out there in the world, so we do everything we can to be there for them when they need us. plus, you could save hundreds when you switch -- up to $423. call... today. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?
3:29 pm
it's been kind of cold this week. a polar vortex has been gripping much of the country and al roker from the "today" show has been all over the story. >> there's an area up to the north, literal the north pole called the polar vortex. normally it stays to north. think of this as a polar hurricane basically. it's broken loose and now we get that counterclockwise flow around it and so the polar vortex is sending in this brutally cold air that we normally don't see. >> wow. that explains a lot. but for rush limbaugh, this polar vortex is just another left wing conspiracy. >> it's called the polar vortex. the dreaded polar vortex. do you know what the polar vortex is? have you ever heard of it? they just created it for this
3:30 pm
week. >> they created it? they made it up? oh, oh. rush limbaugh, you do not want to get into a snowball fight with al roker, not when it comes to the weather. check it out. >> a lot of folks have been saying there's no such thing as a polar vortex and some left wing media conspiracy. this is from my textbook from college the glossary, take a look. right here. okay. polar vortex. there it is. okay. so for all the doubters out there, stop it. >> ouch! rush, did you think we wouldn't notice you're full of hot air? nice try. but here's a cold hard fact.
3:31 pm
al roker gotcha. ♪ ♪ oh are we early? [ male announcer ] commute your way with the bold, all-new nissan rogue. ♪ i have a big meeting when we land, but i am so stuffed up, i can't rest. [ male announcer ] nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. they don't? alka seltzer plus night fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a decongestant. [ inhales deeply ] oh. what a relief it is.
3:32 pm
[ inhales deeply ] you wouldn't have it she any other way.our toes. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives,
3:33 pm
swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about experiencing cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. [ m'm... ] great taste. [ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good.®
3:34 pm
for years the gop has attacked the poor as takers. as welfare queens. as the 47%. but now suddenly republicans love the poor. the biggest names in the party are rolling out their big anti-poverty agendas. let's see what they have to offer. take it away congressman cantor. >> safe and effective schools for all children isn't and should not be a political issue. it especially matters to those living in poverty who are desperate for a lifeline. >> hear that, america? congressman cantor wants to help educate poor children. forget that he backed cuts to head start. or that he's voted against pell grants for students. or that he wants to cut billions from the food stamp programs.
3:35 pm
after all, who needs food when you're trying to learn? congressman cantor isn't the only one with big ideas. there's always senator rubio. >> so why are so many poor americans trapped at the bottom? why are so many working harder than ever only to find their dreams slipping further away? >> great question, senator rubio. i wonder if it has anything to do with you. after all, just yesterday you voted against extending unemployment benefits. and you said point blank i don't think a minimum wage law works. maybe that's why poor people are trapped. but i don't know. what do you think? >> the truth is that the greatest tool to lift people, to lift children and families from poverty is one that decreases the probability of child poverty by 82%. but it isn't a government
3:36 pm
program. it's called marriage. >> marriage? stops poverty? what he's saying is that single moms are to blame. that in a nutshell is what's wrong with the gop's anti-poverty agenda. it's full of poor thinking. joining me now is congresswoman karen bash democrat from california and msnbc contributor maria teresa. thank you both for coming on the show tonight. congresswoman, so republicans now are back to blaming single moms for poverty in america. >> you know, it's really important because you almost want to laugh at what they are saying, but what they are attempting to do -- we're on the 50th anniversary of president johnson's speech on the war upon university and launching the war on poverty and we cannot forget one minute to allow them to act as though they want to address poverty because you're talking about the republican party that essentially wants to dismantle
3:37 pm
the safety net. what they believe is that poor folks need a pep talk and a kick in the butt and that's the way you reduce poverty without looking at some of the structural issues. it's wonderful eric cantor says schools are needed. that's the case. but then he done want to provide funding for schools. people need jobs, we need to raise the minimum wage, we need to extend one employment, there are specific things we need to do to lift people out of poverty. it's not rocket science. >> you know, maria, "the washington post" obtained a memo that house republican leaders sent to rank-and-file members. it tells lawmakers to be emphatic towards the unemployed. i want says be empathetic towards the unemployed and to be that for every american out of work it's a personal crisis. this was -- you know kind of
3:38 pm
like the gentle but firm. but just today senator marco rubio mocked the president's plan to raise the minimum wage. listen to this. >> really? this is their solution to what the president has called the defining issue of our time. raising the minimum wage may poll well but having a job that pays $10 an hour is not the american dream. >> i mean, so on one level, you know, stand by your god be emphatic, be empathic, make sure it's a personal crisis, but now you have rubio mocking the president's plan. >> just because you change your talking points doesn't mean you have policies to back them up and right now they don't have policies to back them up. if the gop was interested in alleviating poverty they would invest heavily on macro policies such as doing heavy investment in infrastructure projects. that would get a lot of the middle class back to work and a lot of folks stopped seeking
3:39 pm
jobs interested in back getting engaged. when eric cantor says he's interested in funding education, kids can't learn if they have empty bellies. let's make sure you're passing the s.n.a.p. program. when you say we have to stop paying unemployment benefits but at the same time the gop party is recognizing people have stopped looking for employment so we have a bigger unemployment problem they are turning away from the masses, trying to come up with quipy talking points but not addressing our overall issues. that's the fundamental problem. when you talk about the gop whether they are anti-poverty stance or talking the war on women or immigration or what have you, they speak a good game but their policies don't back it up. >> congresswoman, even though the gop doesn't have any real anti-poverty agenda, the president does. he talks and he's fighting to expand health care access, raising the minimum wage, extending unemployment benefits,
3:40 pm
and universal pre-k education. >> also, reverend, remember there was the american jobs act that the president proposed a couple of years ago. that was very specific policy. and just look at the affordable care act. if you were going to expand health care to 30 million people who do you think will do that? we need health care workers. if you want to talk about education and training you want to talk about a job that can't be outsourced. look at the health care industry. so health care reform in and of itself is a jobs program. we need to put resource there's. if they were serious that's what they would focus on. they are not. they are focus on cleaning up their message in the same way they tried to clean it up around women. >> meanwhile, maria, they keep just denigrating the poor. listen to this. >> right. >> what is unemployment insurance? it is paying people not to work. >> it's like a paid vacation for people. >> the minimum wage makes no
3:41 pm
sense whatsoever to me. i mean, honestly, it's just the black teenage unemployment act. >> the black teenage unemployment act. >> not only is it despicable but unfair for folks trying to find ways to put food on table. we have the highest inequality since 1923 where you have americans who want to work and can't find it and to be disrespectful of the needs of families in this current stage is unacceptable. the fact that marco rubio is flippant and says $10 isn't going to make a difference in people's lives. neither is the current minimum wage which is $7.25. it's a matter of where is this passionate conservatism you're starting to see bubble up in message. it's not delivering the truth. unfortunately what they are doing they are basically race baiting by using different language and that's not okay. >> congresswoman, 50 years after
3:42 pm
the president johnson speech, this president and members of congress still have to fight a war on poverty for right now. >> we do. we have to fight against the war on poor people because that's what we've experienced over the last few years. if you just think about it, $10 an hour he denigrates that and say people should make $50 an hour. that's great. oppose the policies that lead people to higher wage jobs. so i really think that it's important that we look at underneath what they are saying and what their premise which is people are poor because they made poor choice and not looking at structural barriers within our economy, within our education system and within our communities. >> congresswoman karen bass and maria, thank you both for your time this evening. >> thanks for having us on. >> still ahead, dr. king's final campaign. the push to realize the war on poverty.
3:43 pm
the fight continues today. also a big move from the attorney general. taking steps to make sure kids in our schools get an education not a fast track to prison. stay with us. [ male announcer ] start the engine... and shift through all eight speeds of a transmission connected to more standard horsepower than its german competitors. and that is the moment that driving the lexus gs will shift your perception. this is the pursuit of perfection. there's nothing like being your own boss! and my customers are really liking your flat rate shipping. fedex one rate. really makes my life easier. maybe a promotion is in order. good news. i got a new title. and a raise? management couldn't make that happen. [ male announcer ] introducing fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex.
3:44 pm
where does the united states get most of its energy? is it africa? the middle east? canada? or the u.s.? the answer is... the u.s. ♪ most of america's energy comes from right here at home. take the energy quiz. energy lives here.
3:45 pm
but he's got such sensitive skin that you worry about what you use in the laundry. my tide, downy, and bounce all come in free & gentle. so we get a cleaner, softer blankie. [ gasps ] [ female announcer ] tide, downy, and bounce free & gentle. over the pizza place on chestnut street the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more.
3:46 pm
dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪ tonight marks the 50th anniversary of president jump's war on poverty. it launched vital programs like medicare, medicaid, head start and food stamps. but now republicans want to rewrite history. >> for millions of americans living in poverty the american dream doesn't seem reachable. that's unacceptable. after 50 years isn't it time to declare big government's war on poverty a failure? >> a failure? tell that to the millions of people whose programs were lifted and whose lives were blessed out of poverty.
3:47 pm
but it was never an easy battle. the vietnam war derailed key parts of the campaign to reduce poverty and republicans attacked the rest of it every chance they got. by the late '60s dr. martin luther king, jr. was culling out politicians for supporting the war in vietnam but not the war on poverty here at home. >> it seemed as if there was a real promise of hope for the poor, both black and white, through the poverty program. then came the buildup in vietnam and i watched the program broken as if it was some idle political play thing of a society gone mad on war. >> dr. king called for a poor people's campaign to highlight the problem. but was assassinated before he could see it through. still the march went on.
3:48 pm
the fight continued. and it continues to this day. we made gains but the war on poverty is far from over and this is one war that we can't afford to lose. joining me now is the reverend jesse jackson who helped lead the poor people's campaign and district of column congresswoman eleanor holmes norton. she also course a veteran of the civil rights movement student nonviolent coordinating committee. thank you both for being here. congresswoman, the war on poverty was discussed by the president tonight but student leaders and others at that time back to see it derailed and dr. king and others began to see that the war on poverty two or three years later, some of that was gone in terms of those resources diverted to the war in vietnam.
3:49 pm
>> that is so true, reverend. ah, because of the president, president johnson envisioned, ah, what he called unconditional war on poverty. that rhetoric showed his high allies but unconditional didn't mean there were some people who would be poor. what it has meant those ah, if you look at the census bureau poverty methodology which is considered the most reliable it has taken 50% -- it has reduced poverty by 50% and i think that's pretty good when you consider that the rest was supposed to be done by the economy. if anything, the poverty programs have been -- are now doing duty that president johnson never intended them to do. it's the economy. it was supposed -- these programs were supposed to be there until the economy did its work. but frankly, reverend, we had republican presidents most of the time since president johnson and war on poverty and doing something about poverty was not
3:50 pm
on their agenda. >> reverend jackson, when you hear senator rubio say after 50 years he says it as if there was a 50 year fight but as the congresswoman said we had more republican presidents in those 50 years than democrats. many that were against this program. i show you this picture of the tent city resurrection city that dr. king dreamed of. i remember when i was a youth in operation bread basket at 13, we went down there. this was the city that was built the year dr. king was killed. you were the mayor of that city appointed by ralph abernathy. that was to try to get the attention then of the country just for you years after this speech back on the poor and out of vietnam. >> dr. king gave the i have a dream speech august 28th, '63. johnson's response was january 8th, '64. the speech to fulfill the dream the war on poverty, illiteracy,
3:51 pm
disease, head start, daycare on the front start, welfare on the back start, head start, the appalachian regional council. the budget that was designed to lift people out of poverty shifted the war in vietnam. even the recent history we have a budget surplus, the $2 trillion expenditure in iraq we lost money and lives. we have other contempt for poor people and we bail out the banks and giving the insurance companies more customers and bail out the auto industry but what poorer are getting poorer and the mitdle class is sinking. we need to address a plan for urban reconstruction. >> congresswoman, what i really want is as people go through tonight remembering president johnson's speech 50 years ago, there ought not be given the
3:52 pm
misperception to americans that this has been a 50 year fight by big government. in fact, barely before president johnson got out of office we saw the war against poverty diverted and there's been a battle ever since just to try to salvage some of the war and the programs in the war on poverty. >> that's the point, reverend. we are now struggling to save what president johnson did. what he did was to build on the new deal, ah, a safety net program to make it more into a safety net. we still don't have the kind of safety net they have in europe for those same 50 years and when we can't get unemployment insurance for people who have been unemployed for seven months or more, most of whom have skills, they are not even among the very poor, when we're struggling to get food stamps
3:53 pm
out. you, you have seen us keeping the safety net from being shredded. the republicans are talking about poverty issues right now only because programs like your, reverend, are celebrating the 50th anniversary of presidents initiation of the war upon university and they don't want to be caught out here without anything to say. i hope you keep it up. >> reverend jackson, you know five years after this speech by president johnson, ronald reagan claimed anti-poverty programs had failed. just five years after. let me play this to you and get your response. let me read it to you. he said in 1964, this is ronald reagan in four years after. the famous war on poverty was declared and a funny thing happened. poverty won the war. sounds very similar to what mr. rubio said today, reverend jackson. >> it's just like the language
3:54 pm
lyndon johnson was smart enough over the war on poverty in appalachian. most poor people are white female and young. but whether they are white black or brown hunger hurts. he deracialized the debate and said it was based upon need. with banks disseminating people's homes -- we're bailing out the banks. guess what? we need affordable health and food and water and a place to stay, education and a job. we need a comprehensive revival of a war on poverty with a war we can't afford to lose. >> the struggle continues even right now. reverend jesse jackson,
3:55 pm
congresswoman eleanor holmes norton. thank you for your time tonight. we'll be right back. come to your and return them ♪ ♪ gifts you bought but never gave away ♪ ♪ or said you liked but thought were cheesy ♪ ♪ you don't even need to leave your house ♪ ♪ we'll come and take them, easy-peasy ♪ [ female announcer ] no one returns the holidays like the u.s. postal service. with improved priority mail flat rate, just print a label, schedule a pickup, and return those gifts at a same low flat rate.
3:56 pm
too many kids in america are being sent to court instead of being sent to class. today attorney general holder made a strong move to end that. that's next. truck of the year.
3:57 pm
♪ and first ever back-to-back champion. guts. glory. ram. smoke? nah, i'm good. [ male announcer ] celebrate every win with nicoderm cq, the unique patch with time release smartcontrol technology that helps prevent the urge to smoke all day long. help prevent your cravings with nicoderm cq. mom? come in here. come in where? welcome to my mom cave. wow. sit down. you need some campbell's chunky soup before today's big game, new chunky cheeseburger. mmm. i love cheeseburgers. i know you do. when did you get this place? when i negotiated your new contract, it was part of the deal. cool. [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right.
3:58 pm
in the nation,us. so when coverage really counts, count on nationwide insurance. we put members first. join the nation. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ we are the thinkers. the job jugglers. the up all-nighters. and the ones who turn ideas into action. we've made our passions our life's work. we strive for the moments where we can say, "i did it!" ♪ we are entrepreneurs who started it all... with a signature. legalzoom has helped start over 1 million businesses, turning dreamers into business owners. and we're here to help start yours. today attorney general eric holder and education secretary arne duncan issued new guidelines for discipline in
3:59 pm
public schools. they intended to make sure officials use law enforcement only as a last resort. and to stop the school to prison pipeline. >> effective discipline is and always will be a necessity. but a routine school discipline infraction should land a student in the principal's office not in a police precinct. >> harsh punishment in our public schools has become a national problem. the "new york times" says quote, children who are removed from school are at heightened risk for low achievement, being held back, dropping out or becoming permanently entangled in the juvenile justice system. and the "times" says black students are 3 1/2 times more likely to be expelled or suspended than white students. today's new guidelines by the
4:00 pm
obama administration are a big step towards correcting these injustices. we must have fair and equal opportunity and we must have our children educated on an even playing field. thank you for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. trenton, we have a problem. let's play "hardball." will good evening i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this huge political bomb shell out of new jersey. what happens when the hard evidence of political skullduggery catches up with a politician's all out denials. what happens when a possible presidential candidate, contender even gets connected to the kind of underhanded trickery and vengeance taking that he claimed he never hadth

279 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on