talking about this issue and more discussion on the xl pipeline. that's "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening, rev. >> good evening, ed. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, if you're out of work, you're out of luck. that's the message senate republicans sent again today when they blocked a bill to extend jobless benefits for long-term unemployed. that means they said no to helping 1.7 million americans who have lost jobs. people who need help while they're trying to get back on their feet. but why? why would they block this? senate republicans had an idea. >> it's a very basic and simple decision by the republicans not to reward those they think are lazy, the unemployed in this country. >> somewhat offensive to have

these americans or this process labeled as somewhat immoral. >> the republican mythology that people are lazy and unemployment insurance encourages them not to work just doesn't fit in 2014 america. >> now, of course, that was the senate republicans responded by democratic senator chuck schumer. so republicans think the unemployed are lazy, that somehow extending benefits would be immoral? it sounds crazy, right? not to everyone. >> i believe it is immoral for this country to have as a policy extending long-term unemployments to people rather than us working on creation of jobs. >> well, that's just one house republican who says it's immoral to extend unemployment benefits. but do other republicans really think people who receive jobless benefits don't care if they find

work? senator paul, take it away. >> i'm not against having unemployment insurance. i do think, though, the longer you have it, it does provide some disincentive to work. >> unemployment benefits don't provide a disincentive to work. they make sure that people who have lost their jobs don't lose everything else too. but it's no mystery where republicans get their talking points. >> what is unemployment insurance? it is paying people not to work. >> you discourage the good behavior of work and capitalism and you encourage the bad behavior of let's not rush to get a job. >> it encourages people to stay out of the workforce. it's like a paid vacation for people. >> when you're looking for work, it's not like a paid vacation. it's a struggle. and today senate republicans made that struggle with no end in sight. joining me now is joy reid.

thanks for being here tonight. joy, 1.7 million americans cut off from unemployment benefits. a lot of them live in states represented by these gop senators. how could they block this bill? >> it is really one of the things that is confounding from a political standpoint, because it's essentially arguing that the cutoff should come to people by the definition of getting unemployment benefits, you have to be looking for work you. have you to check in with your state agency that you are looking for work. and the second thing is, you can't get unemployment benefits if you, a, had a job, and you can't get unemployment benefits by quitting your job. you can't proactively walk away from a job. >> and get paid vacation. >> exactly. you have to have lost your job through no fault of your own you. had to have been laid off or let go through no fault or action of your own. you also can't have been fired for cause and qualify for unemployment benefits.

these are people who have done nothing wrong. >> and paid into unemployment. some of this is their money. >> some of this is their money. because when they had that job, exactly, they paid into the system. so you're essentially saying that these people -- you have to argue they have done nothing wrong. they paid into the system and sorry, you're cut off and you're lazy and you're immoral. it's really cruel, but it also makes no sense, a lot of them, were their own constituents, people who were voters, people who had homes, who were homeowners. >> you know what else is very striking to me? this used to not be a partisan issue. for example, under president bush, unemployment benefits were extended five times. why has this changed, joy? why all of the sudden is it a partisan thing when it does done five times under the last president when it was a republican? >> because of obama, right? everything changes when barack obama comes into the picture.

suddenly even long-held ideologies on the right fall away and people reverse all of their positions. and you to also question, you played one clip of republican members saying we should be about the business of creating jobs. but the problem is that the party hasn't come forward with a single policy that would create jobs and provide employment for these people. so they're saying, a, we're not going help you in terms of unemployment benefits, but b, we're not going to pass a single bill that would help you get a job. >> joy reid, thank you so much for being here with us tonight. and we're all excited about your new show. i understand you've got some big news tonight, big news. >> big unsurprising news. so we actually went out to the twitter family and asked what do you think the name of the show should be? we've been doing a lot of thinking what the name should be. and we decided to be completely unironic and called it "the reid report." that's what a lot of people thought it should be. we decide stodd go with it. "the reid report" premiers

february 24th a week from monday at 2:00 p.m. eastern right here on msnbc. joy, we can't wait. >> thanks, rev. appreciate it. >> all right. democrats are also fighting to raise the minimum wage because people who are working full-time shouldn't live in poverty. president obama made that case in the state of the union. >> this will help families. it will get businesses customers with more money to spend. it does not involve any new bureaucratic program. so join the rest of the country. say yes. give america a raise. give 'em a raise. >> and on the state level, the fight is heating up. legislation to raise minimum wage is in the works in 20 states. and in connecticut, the governor is pushing to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2017,

which would be the highest in the nation. joining me now is that governor, dan malloy of connecticut. governor, thanks for being with us. >> hey, rev, it's great to be with you. and this is an important issue. the reality is in connecticut we raise the minimum wage 45 cents on january 1. for a lot of people, that was the first raise they had had in years there is a reality we need to take steps further. well need to get to $10.10. we need to do it in a reasonable amount of time. we are committed to that. listen, i want to lift people out of poverty. the idea that you could work 40 hours aweek and still only walk away with $404 doesn't make a lot of cents when we have baby-sitters and day laborers making that amount of money already. >> why is raising the minimum wage both in your state of connecticut, governor, and nationwide, why does it make good economic sense for the country? >> well, first of all, it's good for families. listen, we want to be good to

families. we want families to work. we want them to have decent housing. we want them to have well educated kids. and how do you do that on something less than $10.10 an hour? so that's number one. number two, we know that raising the funds that these folks have available, it's going to go right back into the economy. these are not folks who are putting a lot of money away in stocks and bonds. they're going to go out and spend it at the grocery store. they're going buy books for their kids. they're going to take care of a sick relative. this is money that goes right back into our economy, but also lifts a family out of poverty. if we do this in connecticut, if we win this fight, we will take thousands, tens of thousands of people from a wage that is currently less than the poverty rate in the united states to something that is over the poverty rate in the united states. this is what we should be doing as a nation. no one should be working that many hours and still walk away with $404?

>> you know, governor, plenty of republicans aren't just against raising the minimum wage, they don't want it to exist at all. listen to this. >> do you advocate getting rid of the minimum wage? would that create more jobs? >> absolutely. and it would help the poor. >> do you think for abolishing the minimum wage? >> i think we need to look at all of the factors that go into job creation. i think that's something congress would have to take a look at. >> i want people to make as much as they can. i don't think the minimum wage law works. >> so you do not believe in the concept of the minimum wage? >> that's correct. >> you would abolish the minimum wage? >> correct. >> how do you count they're kind of talk, governor? >> let's be honest, some of these people are not wrapped too tight. the reality is we could repeal child labor laws. would that be good for employment as well? and by the way, we have at least one governor, republican governor of the united states who has advocated that position. that's almost sick. the reality is if you really stand for american families, if you really care about a

burgeoning middle class, you would do things in washington to grow the economy. the republicans have refused to do that. they have refused to support employment. they have refused to fund public works projects to build the kind of infrastructure that they rave about when they travel to china or europe and say how great the railroads are and how great the roads are and how great the airports are, but they won't fund those projects in our country, which would put people back to work. so, listen, we all have to do what we can in this world. we're only on the world for a limited amount of time. we have decided in connecticut, and have i asked the people of connecticut to move with me, to make sure that their neighbors, or the people that are caring for their parents or grandparents, or the people that are serving them at a restaurant have a decent wage, that they can raise their own families on. as i said in my speech today, the state of the state address to the legislature, which one of you would work for $404 a week and try to raise a family? >> governor dan malloy, i'm going to have to leave it there. and that's a great, great, great

state of connecticut speech today you gave. thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you. coming up, the justice files are back. the case of the affluenza teenager. too rich for jail. plus, the promoter of the george zimmerman celebrity boxing match responds to the outrage. and there is now a petition to put a stop to it. and we have a response from that republican congressman who refused to condemn a voter who said this about the president -- >> obama, he's not president as far as i'm concerned. he should be executed as an enemy combatant, really. >> we'll tell you what he did and didn't tell us about that moment. big show tonight. stay tuned. welcome back. how is everything? there's nothing like being your own boss! and my customers are really liking your flat rate shipping.

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up next, the gop drops the ball on immigration reform. so who is speaker boehner trying to pin the blame on? who do you think? that's next. [ male announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day men's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. with 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. with 7 antioxidants to support cell health. 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.

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reform. today speaker john boehner said forget all that talk. immigration reform isn't happening, it's dead. and guess who he blamed. >> he is feeding more distrust about whether he is committed to the rule of law. listen, there is widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws. and it's going to be difficult to move any immigration legislation until that changes. >> there is doubt about whether the obama administration will enforce our laws? that's why they're killing immigration reform? welcome to the latest gop talking point on immigration. >> the president's got to demonstrate, frankly the country and the congress can trust him in implementing laws. look what he has done with obamacare. he has selectively enforced that law. >> we don't trust the president to enforce the law.

>> there are 11 million undocumented people in this country. the senate has already passed a reform bill. the president has called for action. republicans said they wanted to do something. today they showed they would rather insult the president. joining me now is congresswoman linda sanchez, democrat from california. thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me on your show. >> congresswoman, how can republicans blame the president for their own failure to get anything done on this issue? >> well, it's a sad but frequent tactic that they use. they are in disarray, and can't exhibit leadership on an issue. so they turn around and they blame the president. it's their own internal shortcomings, because a majority of the american people support comprehensive immigration reform. a majority of the members of congress do. and all we're asking the speaker for is the opportunity to have a vote and a debate, and he won't give us even that.

>> now, there are millions of people who need this. i mean families, children. we're talking about something that is vital to people, millions of people. >> it tears at the very fabric of america because it tears families apart. many families have mixed status. and, you know, with deportations as the families just come apart at the seams. there are many benefits that immigrants give to this country. one of them is an economic infusion into this country. in fact, it's estimated that if we could pass comprehensive immigration reform, it would inject $1.4 trillion into our economy. >> wow. >> over the next 20 years, and reduce our deficit by about $850 billion. so there are economic reasons. there are other reasons as well. these people contribute to their communities. they coach little league. they are involved in their churches. they give back. and yet all of the hard work that they do and all that they

contribute to this country falls on deaf ears. and i quite frankly find it no excuse for the speaker not either having the leadership capability or the intestinal fortitude to bring a vote to the floor, you know. i can't find a reason why he would do that on such a morally imperative issue. >> well, let me -- since you brought the speaker up, let me show you my confusion on the speaker and theory on what may be going on with the speaker. a week ago today, a week ago today, speaker boehner said it's time to deal with immigration. that it should not be a political football. this is boehner a week ago today. listen. >> the day after the 2012 election, i said it was time for the congress and the president to deal with this very important issue. it's been turned into a political football. i think it's unfair. so i think it's time to deal with it.

>> now, almost immediately, congresswoman, partiers from the tea party, tea partiers warned boehner to back away from reform. here is just one example from role call magazine. quote, i think it should cost him his speakership, representative raul labrador of idaho said, if boehner puts an immigration overall on the floor. this was a direct threat from one of the tea partiers that it should cost him his speakership. so we go from a week ago where he says that it shouldn't be a political football to today, oh, we can't do anything because we don't trust the president will enforce the law. do you think maybe this is again boehner blinking when the tea party raises their voice? >> well, certainly. and what he has to remember, and what the tea party needs to remember is that they'll

ultimately pay at the ballot box, because they're trying to broaden their base, and yet they're not establishing trust within the hispanic community and other immigrant groups who, you know, not all are eligible to vote. but they have family members that are eligible to vote. i hope they pay for it at the ballot box. i hope they see the overwhelming consensus in this country is to pass immigration reform. and, you know, they want to blame the president, but the blame lay squarely within their caucus. and i just think it's criminal given that a majority of members of this congress support comprehensive immigration reform and would pass a bill if we could get to it the floor. but the speaker seems completely preoccupied with the tea party element of his caucus. what he has to remember, he is the speaker of the house of representatives, not just the speaker of the republican caucus. and i think he forgets that. >> congresswoman linda sanchez, thank you so much for your time tonight. >> thank you again for having me. still ahead, the gop

lawmaker who refused to challenge a voter who talked about executing president obama. we have his response tonight. and you can judge it for yourself. also, too rich for jail. the so-called affluenza teenager sentenced to rehab instead of jail. that's in our justice file. and your reaction to george zimmerman's so-called celebrity boxing match. the criticism continues to grow. that's coming up. stay with us. i have the flu,

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it was just a prescription to question the legality of the decision, and of course blame president obama. >> i just wonder, is this president obama now saying that corporations are allowed to have values and express them? >> is it okay legally, since you're a lawyer, to restrict tobacco availability in a private store like that? >> you want to pick up a pack of cigarettes with your prescription? don't go to cvs, because the nation's second largest drug store chain is quit tobacco cold turkey soon. did the obama administration play a role in that decision? >> behind all those right wing smoke and mirrors, it always comes back to the obama administration. sure, the president, a former smoker himself applauded the decision. so did many americans, including me. i think some of those folks at fox news could use a nice dose of reality. maybe they can pick one up at cvs. nice try, but we got you. ur con.

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it's been 48 hours since we first show you'd the video of a town hall meeting with gop congressman jim bridenstine. one of the attendees had this to say about the president. >> president obama, he is not our president as far as i'm concerned. he should be executed as an enemy combatant. >> he should be executed. at the time the congressman said nothing to condemn those ugly words. but now, after we contacted his office, the congressman's communications director has offered a response. it says, quote, a public figure cannot control what people say in open meetings. i obviously did not condone and i do not approve of grossly inappropriate language. it is outrageous that

irresponsible parties would attribute another person's reckless remarks to me. yes, we agree that it is grossly inappropriate language, and i applaud the congressman for saying so. even if it took a while. but let's be clear about something else. no one attributed the remarks themselves to congressman bridenstine, not once. and on the other point, how it is obvious that he did not condone these remarks? after hearing the voter say that, quote, the president should be executed as an enemy combatant, take a listen to how he responded. >> look, everybody knows the lawlessness of this president. he picks and chooses which laws he is going to enforce or not enforce. >> that's his response? and from that it is certainly not obvious that the congressman didn't approve of the offensive language that preceded it.

but here is what is obvious. congressman bridenstine thought declaring the president lawless was more important than challenging the vile language. it's also obvious that he found this other comment hilarious. >> overwhelmingly change the senate. >> thank you. >> so that we then can impeach the s.o.b. [ laughter ] >> you know, you look so sweet. >> congressman, you heard the president called an s.o.b., and you cracked a joke. so, no, it is not at all obvious that you didn't condone this language. what is obvious is that thanks to this tape, you got caught. and now we all, we all know about it. joining me now are richard wolffe and krystal ball. thank you both for copping on

the show tonight. >> thanks for having us, rev. >> krystal, why would congressman bridenstine say he disapproves of the talk in a statement to me, but not when the voter said it to his face? >> i think you'd have to say that he is a coward. and if you listen to the response in that room of calling the president an s.o.b. who should be impeached, it was all cheers, it was all laughter. i mean, this is what he, the congressman, and his colleagues in the house and senate and his friends and colleague on radio, this is what they have stoked and encouraged in the base. they hear his silence and we can all agree the president is lawless. and they think their views are acceptable. they think he believes his views, and they feel totally entitled to continue saying things exactly like that. >> i think what is concerning, richard, is we're talking about elected congressmen.

>> right. >> i've had in my own career to get to the point where you would have to say no, i'm going to condemn it on the spot, even the callers on radio shows. these are members of congress that vote on laws that are talking to their constituents where constituent can say we should execute the president as an enemy combatant, and you just go on and talk about how lawless he is and never respond? >> right. the elected officials are supposed to be leaders, they're not followers. and all too often, republican officials in this tea party era have been led by this kind of mob thinking. they really need to draw a line and say, look, i don't agree with you. it's not appropriate language, but i believe he has been lawless, or whatever he wants to do. you know, saying that it's an obvious thing what his opinions are is clearly not obvious to anyone in that room that he objected to that. and that puts him at some vulnerability, right? i'm sure, honestly, that the guy didn't really agree.

but he didn't have the courage to say this is not the kind of elected official i am. and we need to take this conversation in another direction. that's leadership. >> you know, crystal, you talked about the impeachment statement the other citizen had raised. you know, we first heard the impeachment talk march of 2009. >> right. >> that was just seven weeks after he was inaugurated. take a listen. >> we're very upset. we want this guy out. we want him impeached, whatever. >> what i don't like is that this guy is doing this by executive order one after another, and the american people are sitting like a bunch of schmucks, watching a dictatorship emerge in front of their eyes. >> right. >> and i think it is time to start talking about impeachment. somebody has to get this guy out of control. he is out of control. >> the calls didn't stop there. by july 2010, representative

bachmann asks if obama has committed an impeachable offense and now 15 sitting members of congress have talked impeachment. this impeachment thing has been going on almost since the beginning of his presidency, the first term. >> that's right. and you reported on this show about the candidates for senate in georgia on the republican side, three of whom raised their hand and said yes, this president should be impeached. and that's what they've done from the beginning. they have attacked this president as illegitimate, not even deserving of the office, not even entitled to hold the office that he was elected to. so when you have your elected representatives using that kind of a language, implying and sometimes directly stating that he should be impeached, of course your citizens are going to take to it that level. they're going think that that's an acceptable place to go, and they're going to follow that even further, like this woman did, saying he should be an enemy combatant, he should be executed. they handed the keys of their party over to the fringe and

extremists, and now they're too afraid to take control back of their own party. >> and this kind of venom, i mean, you covered it. you wrote one of the best books on the '08 campaign. and you saw this kind of venom and hate. >> sure. >> it is either being stoked or excused with silence. >> right. >> but it is not being told it's unacceptable. let's draw the line. >> i still believe that there are credible, responsible people in the republican party. what are they going to impeach him for? what is the case here? executive orders? that's the case for impeachment? for all of the heat and the passion, all of the vilification of president obama because of the washington, a war that left hundreds of thousands of people dead based on cooked up intelligence, there wasn't a discussion in democratic ranks about impeachment. >> let alone about his birth certificate. >> yes, republicans have to get

themselves back into the mainstream. the responsible rational members of that party, the leaders of that party have to say no more of this stuff. you're hurting us being a mainstream party. >> i'm glad you said it that way, because here is the problem there has been a huge spike, krystal, in a number of articles mentioning impeachment of the president. look at this line graph. >> wow. >> it's gone from under 100 a year to over a thousand. now, doesn't this track how a fringe idea explodes and becomes more and more mainstream? as richard challenges them to get into the mainstream, they are mainstreaming this fringe kind of suggestion. >> that's right. and it shows you how much the tea party is still in control of that party. and every time they come up with one of these wild conspiracy theories, it starts off on the blogs. it moves to talk radio. and before you know it, the elected officials, the people who are supposed to be the leaders are parroting the same talking points that you hear on talk radio. >> all right. richard wolffe and krystal ball, thank you both for your time

this evening. >> thanks for having us, rev. >> and be sure to catch krystal on "the cycle" weekdays at 3:00 p.m. right here on msnbc. still ahead, george zimmerman's promoter is speaking out as the outrage over his celebrity boxing match continues to grow. and justice files. how long will the affluenza teen too rich for jail actually have to stay in rehab? and dramatic testimony in the murder trial of a man who killed a teenager after a fight about loud music. jurors source of video where you can actually hear the gunshots. [ gunshots ] >> oh, my gosh, member is shooting. somebody is shooting out of their car. ments men? yes. we have been tasked to find art the nazis have stolen. [ male announcer ] george clooney. matt damon.

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it's time for the "politicsnation" justice files. joining me now is former prosecutor faith jenkins and lisa bloom, legal analyst for arvu.com, and author of "suspicion nation: the inside story of trayvon martin and justice and why we continue to repeat it." first up, opening statements in the murder trial of michael dunn. he is the man who opened fire on

an suv full of teenagers after an argument about loud music. one of those teens, jordan davis, was killed. dunn claims it was self-defense. but today the prosecutor said it was murder. >> when that defendant opened fire, jordan davis was sitting in his car seat with the door closed. with nothing in his hands, and he was leaning over, away from the gunfire toward leland bronson. secondly, the words from that defendant's own mouth at the time of the shooting. words of hate, words of intent, words that he can't now take back. >> of course, the defense had a different version of events. >> his words to michael dunn were i'm going to [ bleep ] kill you.

i should kill you right now. see, that's what mr. guy didn't tell you the facts are going to come out prior to any gunshots being fired. all because michael dunn asked for a common courtesy. >> later the prosecution plays surveillance video where you can hear the gunshots. [ gunshots ] >> oh, my gosh, somebody is shooting. somebody is shooting out of their car. >> and the first witness called today offered some emotional testimony about the aftermath of the shooting. >> i checked for a pulse. i didn't feel one. >> did you ever see any signs of life in the young man you had pulled out of that red car?

>> no, ma'am. >> did you ever hear him utter anything? >> no, ma'am. >> could you tell whether or not he was even breathing when you and the officer pulled him out of the car? >> he had no pulse and he was not -- it did not look like he was breathing. >> did you see any tears on any of those young men? >> yes, ma'am. >> on how many of them? >> on all of them. >> some powerful testimony. so faith, it's murder or self-defense. what is the key for both sides in this trial? >> after hearing the opening statements of both sides today, you see exactly what they're focused on. the prosecutors already know that dunn is going to put forward a self-defense case. so they're look at all the facts that undercut self-defense, everything that happened that night that undercuts it. his comments before he ever pulled out the gun about the kids listening to thug music, the fact that there was no confrontation, no physical confrontation. even george zimmerman needed a band-aid at least. this guy there was no touching whatsoever between these parties. and the fact that after he shot those between eight and ten

shots, look at what he did. he ran away. innocent people don't run. and he is going to have to explain that in the trial. and the defense, on the other hand, of course they're going to focus on jordan davis' behavior and the threats they said he made and that shotgun that dunn said he saw. >> well, but let me go to you on this. how did they get by? how do they get by, lisa, the erratic gunfire. one of the things that struck me you hear in the surveillance tape is there were shots and pauses and shots. if you're shooting in self-defense because your life was threatened, why do you shoot and stop, wait a while and start shooting again? >> it's such an excellent point, reverend al. we know in the law that premeditation can be formed in an instant. in the moment it takes to reach over into your car and get that gun, you can form premeditation. if he can go in his car and get the gun, why couldn't he go in his car and drive away from any

perceived threat? i think that's a very important issue that needs to be explained to this jury. >> now, we obviously have whatever early views on this, faith. but we are dealing with the same prosecutor that lost the trayvon martin case. does that concern you? >> it concerns me because some of the -- we didn't see the voir dire that took place, the jury selection process that took place. and i'm sure the jurors were asked about their exposure to these prosecutors and if they watched any part of that trial. and if watching a part of that trial would have any impact on this case that. >> also this time asked the jurors about if the race of jordan davis would have any impact on them deliberating the case, and they all say. no. >> lisa, let you weigh in on this. >> you know, i just wrote a book that you mention at the beginning of the section about what a terrible job the prosecution did in the trayvon martin case. it was a winnable case. they had important evidence right under their noses that they missed, they bungled, they failed to argue, they failed to

handle the racial aspect of the case at all. and now we have the same prosecutors in a very similar case involving an unarmed african american 17-year-old boy and a white shooter who says he was afraid. so i certainly hope that they have learned from their mistakes, but i don't see any reason to believe that and i don't understand why the state of florida would have given these two prosecutors who were a key part of the team in the trayvon martin case, this case. i would like to hear an explanation for that. >> well, and we are going to read your book and find out why we all may want to hear an explanation for that. next up, a judge sends the so-called affluenza teenager to rehab after killing four people during a drunk driving accident. the case sparked outrage when a defense witness claimed ethan suffered from affluenza caused by his wealthy parents coddling him into a sense of irresponsibility. and last night, lawyers from both sides continued to spar over the term.

>> was ridiculous to think that we walked into court and said oh, this is a rich white kid and she decided to probate. >> really? well, that's ironic, because it's his expert that brought that before the courtroom. >> so lisa, there is no minimum time for how long he'll have to be in rehab. what is your reaction? >> well, this is clearly another sad example in our criminal justice where people are supposed to be treated equally. the wealthy white defendant getting the kind of sentence that no african american or poor defendant would get. he killed four people. he is getting no jail time, zero. he is getting only rehab, to be paid for by his parents. and whether this is due to the silly affluenza defense or whether it's just part of the racial bias we see every day in american courtrooms across the country, i mean, this is clearly differential treatment. and i'm glad that we're at least highlighting it and talking about it and putting a spotlight on it because it's completely outrageous. >> and we don't know know, faith, how long he is going to

have 20 stay in rehab there is no minimum time. and last night when we covered it, the judge had not given a ruling. a lot of people were tweeting me saying oh, she is going to correct herself. >> no. >> she didn't. >> no, she didn't. when you're a judge, you to exercise good judgment. part of that good judgment is using your discretion, not just look agent the defendant and who they are, but looking at the victims and the people who were impacted, the people who were killed, the two other individuals whose lives are forever changed because they were so seriously injured. and juvenile justice, yes, it's about rehabilitation, but it's also about deterring and punishing people. and that young man gets off scot-free in this case. >> and you not only have, lisa, four people that lost their lives, you have two that were injured. one can barely talk. it's like their lives mean nothing. we're talking about the value of this young rich kid seems to be more important than the value of four lost lives and two lives that are permanently injured.

>> that's right. >> because he decided to drink too much and drive, something he had been warned about before. >> well, that's absolutely right. and, look, he is a juvenile. i wouldn't say he should be locked up forrest of his life. but i'm just saying treat everyone equally. and he is clearly getting preferential treatment. you know, the problem is that people like this judge don't think there is any racial bias inherent in their decisions, but there is. if you line them up, one to the other, and i talk about this again in my book, there is no question that african americans get arrested, charged, convicted, and much longer sentences for the same crimes as young white people do like this young man there is no question about it. when you line up the sentences side by side. that's the bigger issue in the case. that's much bigger than this one young man who we hope will get rehabilitated and will go on to lead a productive life eventually. >> all right. that's lisa bloom, the same lisa bloom that is in her book. all of us have to help each other out. faith jenkins, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you. still ahead, what the

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we've seen a big response to the news about george zimmerman and his so-called celebrity boxing match against rapper dmx. there is now a petition opposing

the fight at whitehouse.gov. also today, the promoter apologized for announcing the fight on the eve of what would have been trayvon martin's 19th birthday. here on "politicsnation," the response from our viewers have been overwhelming. derrick said, quote, to even consider zimmerman a celebrity is totally disrespectful to trayvon martin. and david said i don't care who he fights. i know that i will not be watching it because the more ratings they get, the bigger george zimmerman's paycheck is going to be. as i said last night, george zimmerman has the right to what he wants, just as we all have a right not to watch him do it. i, 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.

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>> this president, a proclaimed christian, yet at the same time his administration really has gone to war with christianity. >> this president, this administration has done more to stir up racial tension and violence than any administration since the '60s. >> this guy does not respect the constitution. he does not abide by the constitution. and we've seen it repeatedly. >> pause. how would you feel if that kind of thing was said about you? how would you respond? well, today president obama showed how he responds. and look at that. he did it when he stood on the same stage with gohmert at the national prayer breakfast this morning. >> i, by the way, have always found louie to be unbelievably gracious every time i've seen him. now, i don't watch tv.

so -- [ laughter ] >> but he is a good man and a great storyteller. >> the president met that history of attacks with kind words and some humor. and he went on to talk what unites us all. >> so here we put aside labels of party and ideology and recall what we are first, all children of a loving god, brothers and sisters called to make his work our own. but in this work as lincoln said, our concern should not be whether god is on our side but whether we are on god's side. >> i found in my own growth and maturity that it is much more hard. it's much more difficult to not respond to ugliness in kind and

to not react when you've been viciously attacked, verbally or otherwise. but the end, i've also found that the adage is true when it says i am not what you call me. i am what i respond to. sometimes the response is a louder statement. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. republicans hiding from christie. let's play "hardball." >> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. whatever the prosecutors decide, the republican indictment of new jersey governor chris christie is in. their indictment is stark and clear. few want to be seen near him. wherever he goes, when he does, we see the polal