vermont, you're going to get your mail. it's a good thing. >> senator, great to have you with us tonight. i appreciate you stick up for the working folks in the postal schts it's vital for the country. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> that's "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpston on the starts right now. good evening, rev. >> good evening, ed. thanks to you for tuning in. developing news tonight. getting tough, late today the new jersey committee investigating bridgegate turned up the heat. they voted to enforce subpoenas for documents issued to go key figures, bridget kelly and bill stepien, threatening to hold them in contempt if they don't comply. bridget kelly is the former deputy chief of staff who sent that infamous, "time for some traffic problems in ft. lee." bill stepien is the former campaign manager who called the mayor of ft. lee an idiot. they were part of the governor's inner circle, and they have been

at the center of this story since it broke last month. governor christie had harsh words for both of them at the time. >> i have -- i have not had any conversation with bridget kelly since the e-mail came out. and so she was not given the opportunity to explain to me why she lied, because it was so obvious that she had. and i'm quite frankly not interested in the explanation at the moment. my decision on bill was made based on the fact of the tone, the tenor and the conduct that was evidenced in those e-mails. i lost confidence in his judgment. and that's why i made the decision i made as to bill. >> again, both bridget kelly and bill stepien have taken the fifth, refusing to turn over documents to lawmakers. now lawmakers are pushing back hard. this news comes as the investigation gets wider and deeper. today new jersey lawmakers

approved about a dozen new subpoenas. it's on top of the 18 already issued to individuals and two to organizations. and tonight, the pressure is building on the people who work closest to governor christie. joining me now is congressman frank pallone, democrat from new jersey and msnbc's steve kornacki, who has done so much great reporting on this story. thank you for being on the show, both of you tonight. >> thanks. >> congressman, let me go to you first. you're a lawyer. what do you make of today's threat to hold bridget kelly and bill stepien in contempt? >> well, i think it's inevitable that that's what the committee would do if they're not cooperating. i think it's unfortunate that they're not cooperating, you know, because from the perspective of the public, you know, we need to get to the bottom of this and find out what actually happened. as you know, i'm very concerned about the abuse of power and the

possibility, you know, that the christie administration was, you know, trading sandy money for approvals of developments in hoboken, you know, for other favors. and i think that they're an important part of getting to the truth. so keep the pressure on. >> well, you know, when you hear this, steve, and you know a layman, i'm not a lawyer, a layman's question is why would they not want to cooperate. and the fact that this is big news that they may be hit with contempt, how do you read this? >> i'm not a lawyer either -- >> but you have driven this story. >> well, yeah. >> you have. >> i'll be happy to take the compliment. one of the explanations that has been given is you sort of have this investigation proceeding on two tracks you. have you the legislature that is looking into this, and you have the u.s. attorney who is looking into this in some way.

so take like bill stepien, for instance. bill stepien is subpoenaed by this legislative committee, but the christie reelection campaign has been subpoenaed by the u.s. attorney's office. so now bill stepien was the campaign manager for that reelection campaign. so as far as we know, he personally hasn't been subpoenaed by the u.s. attorney, but the organization he was running has been. from a legal standpoint, thing is some concern here on the part of these lawyers that, hey, you don't want be exposed to the same questioning from two different panels. so one of the questions this raise series the question that has been out there the whole time and is there going to come a point when the u.s. attorney for new jersey steps in and basically said when it comes to stepien, when it comes to bridget kelly and the whole investigation, i've got this. so far he has given this committee the green light. but that question is still out there. >> but we don't know whether that will happen or when that will happen. but we do know, steve, that at different times, stepien and bridget kelly occupied an office very close to christie's office.

it was on the same floor in the state house separated by just one room. so in terms of physical proximity they were close to christie. and anyone looking into this would want to know what they knew and what they may have had in their files. >> oh, absolutely. to get to the bottom of this, bridget kelly is -- bridget kelly, david wildstein, bill stepien and bill baroni, these are the people you really need to know everything that they know. the question is how you going to get it out of them. are we looking a at a protracted legal fight for a committee to assert its authority to force this information from them. are they going to are have to go down that road to get the information out of them or is the u.s. attorney going to compel it from them? that's the issue right now. >> let me go to another question with you, congressman. we also today learned among the 12 new subpoenas that i referred to is a demand for the records for the use of governor christie's state helicopter that includes records from september 11th, day three of the closings.

governor christie was in new york city that day and was with port authority officials, including david wildstein. now, what could the records of the helicopter that the governor used, what could that tell us? >> well, again, there has been a long history of the christie administration not providing documents. i mean, even with the issue that i raised with the stronger than a storm tv ad campaign, the asbury park press had asked for documents that haven't been forthcoming. so they haven't provided a lot of the documents that are necessary. and they should. in this case, obviously it would show to what extent or could show to what extent the governor knew what was happening at the port authority. so that could relate to both bridgegate as well as mayor zimmer's allegations about the development in hoboken where the port author or some of the people were involved. but the governor said he was going to provide everything and cooperate. he hasn't been doing that with these documents. and that's why i think it's

important that these documents not only these documents, but anything else related to the investigation. >> according to reports this weekend, governor christie didn't know than memo attacking david wildstein. he also said he didn't know about the lane closing. david wildstein or the ft. lee mayor. listen to this. >> i had no knowledge or involvement in this issue. in its planning or its execution. i think some of the stories impute like an emotional relationship and closeness between me and david that doesn't exist. mayor sokolich was never on my radar screen. i have to tell you, until i saw his picture last night on television, i wouldn't have been able to pick him out of a lineup. >> he didn't know sokolich, he didn't know wildstein well, he didn't know anything. supposedly we come back with the helicopter record saying that he flew over the gorge washington

bridge those days, is he going to say he didn't look down? where does this end? >> it's hard to believe that he didn't know all these things, you know. he has a reputation of being a micromanager, being very much in charge. these people are his close assistants. some of this is getting truly hard to believe. and i don't really understand why he continues to say he doesn't know these people well who were some of his closest advisers. it's very hard to believe, al. >> what sticks out to you, steve, about these subpoenas? what grabbed you when you heard this today about these subpoenas? >> well, the interesting thing is the new subpoenas. so we have a dozen new subpoenas that are going to be going out. and i'm looking at all of the subpoenas that are already out there, all of the names, all of the organizations that have already been subpoenaed. i'ming why is is it? this is a genuine mystery. and we haven't seen the names leak yet of who these people are. is there an indication in 12 new subpoenas going out that the scope of this has widened at

all? is it going in a new direction at all? i think everybody is waiting to see right now. give us the names of the 12. >> lawyers for the governor's office are seeking the interview and the receipt documents from hoboken mayor dawn zimmer. and you brought dawn zimmer to public attention. and her attorney denied the request. quote, the question whether it is appropriate for the governor's office in essence to be investigating itself, particularly when an investigation of the same subject matter is being conducted by the u.s. attorney's office. what do you think of the governor's office and the internal investigation saying they want the documents and they want to interview dawn zimmer. >> i thought it was a little curious. it's especially curious when you know that the u.s. attorney is already looking into it. she has already spoken with the u.s. attorney. one of the readings that i heard on it calling around today was that it may be an effort by the governor's office to sort of

send a message, to send a message to other mayors throughout, to other political leaders out there like dawn zimmer, sort of a message we're ready to play hardball. >> congressman you have been very concerned about the sandy funds. how do you read this letter of inquiry from the governor's office, his attorneys handling this investigation? >> well, have i the same concern that steve does which is this another form of threat. you know, i've been very concerned about the bullying and the threats over the years that have come out of the christie administration. and so, you know, this is part of the same m.o. of sort of threatening people or making them think we're watching you. so watch what you do. and that's very unfortunate, because, you know, again, the governor is a public official. he should be doing what is in the interests of the state and not, you know, continuing these threats, this bullying, and ultimately what seems to be abuse of power.

>> all right. i'm going to have to leave it there. congressman frank pallone and steve kornacki. thanks to both of you for your time tonight. and be sure to watch "up with steve kornacki" weekends at 8:00 a.m. eastern right here on msnbc. coming up, the prosecution rests in the loud music murder trial with 17-year-old jordan davis killed in self-defense, or was it murder? the defendant's fiancee was emotional on the stand. >> as we were walking to the register, did you hear anything unusual? >> yes. >> what did you hear? >> i heard pop, pop, pop. plus, the coverage of a college football start coming out. he'd be the first openly gay nfl player. why michael sanders is a groundbreaker and inspiration to all.

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developing news tonight in the murder trial of a man who shot and killed a teenager after complaining about loud music. the prosecution rests. and now the big question. will the shooter testify? and will he claim stand your ground? stay with us. ale 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.® 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.

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here's a memo for ceos everywhere. if you're cutting retirement benefits, don't try to justify it by blaming sick babies. that's what the head of aol did last week, announcing cuts to employees' 401(k) plans. tim armstrong cited one reason in particular, two sick babies, born to aol employees. the remarks set off a wave of criticism. and now the mother of one of those babies is speaking out. >> to me, there did sound like the implication that somehow we were greedy consumers of health care benefits, that we had kind of gobbled up more than our fair share of the pie. it did feel like a violation of my family's privacy, and it also felt like a complete dehumanization of my daughter. >> the aol ceo has apologized.

the company has reinstated its 401(k) plan, or policy, and it should. after all, aol only brought in $2.3 billion in revenue last year. and mr. armstrong earned $12.1 million himself. but still they blamed sick babies for cuts to retirement plans? that is shameful, but it's what we have come to expect from the 1%. one billionaire compared the treatment of the 1% to the holocaust. another said this -- >> the, quote, 1% are being pummelled because it's politically convenient to do so. the 1% work harder. >> the 1% work harder? try telling that to folks working two or even three jobs just to get by. arguments like that are getting

harder to swallow at a time when we're fighting to raise just minimum wage or extend jobless benefits, and make this country more fair for everyone. joining me now are congressman emanuel cleaver, democrat from missouri, and krystal ball, co-host of "the cycle" here on msnbc. thank you both for coming on the show tonight. >> good to be here. >> what does this whole aol controversy reveal about the debate over inequality and workers rights today? >> first of all, i think it's very sick. i'm willing to get a room for them if they want to start a whining caucus of millionaires and billionaires. but that's what i think mr. armstrong is doing is trying to become the chair. >> they may want a suite. >> i apologize. you know, look, 1% of the people in this country are earning 20% of the wages. and that's 10% up from the 1970s.

and, look, nobody is trying to say that these people shouldn't have money. many of them earned it. many of them, not all of them, many of them earned it. the problem is that the disparity is growing in part because the wealthy are not paying their fair share of the taxes. and that's all the president is saying. nobody is saying let's go and take their money from them and this guy is talking about the holocaust. everybody wants to bring in hitler to their cause. and this is ignorance. and we've got to wipe away that from the whole discussion place. this is sick for a bunch of billionaires to stand up and try to whine. >> you know, the thing that is striking to me, krystal, is that it is one thing to disagree in terms of the economic inequality debate. there is legitimate arguments on both sides. but it's almost like a contempt for. >> right.

>> for poor people that are being expressed by some. not all, but some billionaires and some rich people. like how dare you. and i think the mother whose baby was called out by the aol ceo, she wrote an article about it. she says it best. she says, quote, he exposed the most searing experience of our lives for no other purpose than an absurd justification for corporate cost cutting. >> yeah. >> it's like their lives and their experience doesn't matter. they'll just use that for something like cutting costs for corporations. >> they were just lines on the ballot sheet. >> right. >> and i think it also exposes this idea that if there were increased costs on the side of the workers, there was no way it was going to come out of tim armstrong's share or the shareholders' share at a time when the company is making record profits. it was going to have to come from other workers to make up that difference if there were increased costs. and i think it also exposes the

fact that workers in this country now have so little power. there was just this expectation that they would just have to take those benefit cuts and they would have to deal with it, and that the explanation didn't matter, and that it didn't need to be rational, because they were going to have to deal with it. and they were met with this overwhelming wave of criticism, of backlash, and were forced to backtrack and reinstate the benefits they were trying to cut. it shows that people have much more of a voice, and that workers have much more power than i think a lot of ceos realize. >> reporter: yeah, and you know, congressman, when you look at the fact that we're in a midterm election year and the majority of mention believed that the republican party is focused on the wealthy. in fact, a poll this week shows that 69% think the gop's policies favor the rich. do you think that this kind of feeling is going to be reflected in the elections this year where

people will come out and try and vote based on their economic concerns about equality? >> well, there are more of us than them. and i think it's also important to realize that the people around the country who are suffering, you know, many of them were having out of money experiences as a result of the 2008 financial disaster. >> right. >> that struck the country. and people are angry. and i think that democrats ought to be willing to talk about the imbalance in income in this country. you know, there is a scripture first hymn of chapter 67 maybe the tenth verse that people misquote all the time which says money is the root of all evil. broke seasons the root of all evil. if you want to see some evil, look at what happens to poor people when they're broke. and i think now people who are

broke are going to have a chance to vote against people who actually come to washington and work against them every single day in the house of representatives. >> i would only suggest one preacher to another if you want to see more evil, try to find a rich guy that goes broke. now that's a evil guy. but krystal, you know the republicans have opposed minimum wage, which is another issue in this quest of dealing with economic security for the people that are working middle class and even working lower class. but they're republicans that are not only against raising the minimum wage, they're against the minimum wage altogether. look at 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? >> well, i think that we need to look at all of the factors that go into job creation.

and that's something that obviously 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 belief in the concept of the minimum wage? >> that's correct. >> you would abolish the minimum wage? >> correct. >> it's almost like we don't want to extend benefits for the long-term unemployed. we don't want to deal with 401(k) plans with some of the private sector. >> right. >> we don't want the minimum wage. it's like there is no guarantee for anything other than the super wealthy in this country. they can get tax breaks. they can get what they need to continue to make money in the name of one day it may trickle down to you guys. >> and that idea of trickle down has been i think at this point thoroughly debunked when you see the soaring heights of inequality that we have reached. and to your point, rev, i think this idea of abolishing the minimum wage altogether is much more pervasive within the republican party than you would think. when i was running for congress, my opponent was asked about this. and he said we should get rid of

it all together. it's the logical outgrowth of their argument, which also is not true by the facts that having a minimum wage leads to increased joblessness. so they think that the free market should have at it to set the level at whatever they want without any sort of a floor for individuals to be able to live on those wages and have the dignity of working and supporting their families. >> i'm going to have to leave it there. congressman emanuel cleaver and krystal ball, thank you both for your time this evening. >> thanks, rev. >> good to be with you, rev. >> and be sure to catch krystal on "the cycle" weekdays at 3:00 p.m. eastern right here on msnbc. still ahead, will the shooter testify? a critical moment in the trial of the man accused of murdering a teenager after a fight over loud music. and an embarrassing moment for the man who wanted to make barack obama a one-term president. mitch mcconnell is up in tonight's got you.

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senate republican leader mitch mcconnell has had one deal for the last five years, block president obama at every turn. >> some have said it was indelicate of me to suggest that our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny president obama a second term. >> that was his top priority. well, that failed. the president won reelection by five million votes. maybe senator mcconnell should have spent a little more time helping constituents back home in kentucky because president obama now has a higher approval rate than mcconnell in the deep red state.

a state that president obama lost by 23 points in 2012. senator mcconnell faces a tough primary challenge, and even a tougher democrat in the fall. no wonder some on the right don't seem too enthusiastic about supporting his reelection. >> the hardest question that i have for you, it is this. why are you endorsing mitch mcconnell? >> i'm here in texas to endorse don huffines. we have our signals crossed here. i'm going back to kentucky because he asked me. he asked me when there was nobody else in the race, and i said yes. >> ouch. rand paul, the other senator from kentucky only supported mitch mcconnell because no one else was running at the time? well, just moments ago paul released a statement calling mcconnell, quote, an important ally and a conservative voice.

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today i have new campbell's chunky spicy chicken quesadilla soup. she gives me chunky before every game. i'm very souperstitious. haha, that's a good one! haha! [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right. it was a dramatic day inside of a florida courtroom withstand your ground again at the center of another controversial murder trial. it's the so-called loud music murder trial. in november of 2012, michael dunn opened fire on an suv full of teenagers parked at a gas station after an argument about loud music. one of those teens, 17-year-old jordan davis was killed. today, after four days and 24 witnesses, the state rested their case, claiming davis was killed by first-degree murder.

the last two witnesses called to the stand included a gun expert and a medical examiner on how jordan was shot. jurors also saw close-up photos of jordan's body after he was killed. but perhaps the most dramatic moment came over the weekend when dunn's fiancee took the stand. she fought back tears describing the night of the shooting. >> as you were walking to the register, did you hear anything unusual? >> yes. >> what did you hear? >> i heard pop, pop, pop. >> what did you do when you first heard those gunshots? >> i said "what was that?" >> and were you speaking to the cashier in front of you? >> yes, i was. >> what did you hear next? >> when i heard another pop, pop, pop. >> she also described the moment when they pulled up alongside

the teens' car that was playing the loud music. >> did the defendant say anything about the music when he parked the car next to the red car? >> yes. >> and what did the defendant say? >> "i hate that thug music." >> and what was your response to the defendant? >> i said yes, i know. >> the defense is now presenting its case, but the key question is will michael dunn take the stand in his own murder trial. joining me now is florida criminal defense lawyer kim padowitz who has used stand your ground in trials. and former prosecutor faith jenkins. thank you both for being here. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> i want to hear from both of you on this, starting with you, faith. did the prosecution make the case it was first-degree murder? >> i think they did. and i think they did so rather convincingly. they knew going into this trial michael dunn admitted to shooting and killing jordan davis and admitted to shooting

into the vehicle. and the question then became was it justified. so his state of mind at this point becomes evidence in the trial. the best testimony we have so far about michael dunn's state of mind came from his fiancee. moments before he shot into the suv, he said "i can't stand this thug music." and they were listening to rap music. he instantly referred to that music as thug music, hip-hop music. so he associated these kids with thuggery, criminals, people who commit crimes and violence when reality they were just kids going to the mall to flirt with girls. but that was his mind-set minutes before he pulled the trigger. and then they focused on his intent. we heard testimony today that every time he fired that gun, ten rounds, he had to pull the trigger. >> every time. it was not one of those auto. >> that's right. every time he fired, he had to pull the trigger. >> ken, did the prosecution make the case? >> they made a very, very strong case for second-degree murder.

and clearly there is evidence that you can argue that goes to first-degree murder indictment this man is charged with. it was very, very strong evidence to show that the gun was fired and required six pounds of pressure on that trigger, and it was fired six times into that vehicle. no weapon was found in that vehicle. so it's a very, very strong second-degree murder case in my mind. and like i said, i think there is very good argument for the prosecutor to make the case that this actually was premeditation there is no advertisement limit in florida law as to how long it takes to premeditate a murder. here in a matter of seconds to get that gun, to load it, to fire off that many shot, an argument can be made by the prosecutor to the jury that this was in fact premeditated murder. >> faith, you mentioned the fiancee. who was called by the prosecution in this case, by the way, not by the defense. and in her deposition to police, however, dunn's fiancee said she didn't know why dunn shot at the teens. quote, dunn never told rouer he

saw a gun in the suv. he later told police he saw a shotgun. now nobody so far has said they saw a gun. nobody. >> right. >> does this mean dunn has to testify? >> oh, i think he has to testify. because he has to say that he was in fear for his life whom. else is going to say that at this point it? has to be him. and i think in order for it to be enough to justify this killing, he has to put a weapon in those kids' hands. he is the only person who can do that. but the fact that she said that in her deposition, that he never mentioned a gun to her is so compelling here. >> people need to understand she was in the car with him, had got out and went in the store, and the shooting happened when she was in the store. she came back and got in the car with him and they pull off. he never told her he shot at them because he saw a gun. he told her he shot at them. >> nothing about what they did after the shooting says this man was a victim of a crime and had

to act in self-defense, including the story about the gun didn't come up until after he was caught, after the police caught him. he never called the police the next day. it never came up. the hours that they spent together that evening when he went to walk the dog and order pizza and drink a rum and coke in the hotel room. the gun never came up until after he was caught. how convenient. >> ken, would you put him on the stand? >> absolutely. he has a fifth amendment right not to testify. but if he has any chance of walking out of that courtroom a free man, he's got to get on that stand. it's an affirmative defense in florida, self-defense. and the only evidence of self-defense will have to come from the defendant himself. so he has got to take the stand. i would put him on stand as a defense attorney, and he's got to convince that jury that he believed that he was defending his life, that he observed a weapon or thought a weapon was being pointed at him. and that he had to fire in self-defense. that he had to, of course, the magic words, stand his ground, and fire that weapon. and the only one who can make

that case is a defendant making that stand. now this time he'll be subject to cross-examionvention, unlike zimmerman case where the prosecutors made the error of putting on all the self-serving defendants. here there are no self-serving statements. the defendant has to take the stand and has to be cross-examined in front of the jury. >> a lot of people across the nation are watching this aside from the fact here is another young man as far as anyone can tell unarmed, dead, is the stand your ground law. here you have a case where there is an allegation of a gun that no one has seen, no one has said that they have ever seen. he never brought it up to the next day, faith, never even to his own girlfriend, who was right inside when he did the shooting and got in the car and left with him, responding to the fact that he had shot this. stand your ground is as much a part of what this verdict is

going to be as i feel michael dunn is. >> right. what you're doing with laws like stand your ground, you're making people judge, jury, and executioner in a moment's notice when they're in a confrontation there is no motivation for them to back down, because they know that they have this law on their side. and when you have on the other side -- the reason why this case is going to trial is because you have a white man in his 40s, no criminal record against four black teenagers listening to rap music. so one of the inferences he wants to make in this trial is of course they had a gun. of course i was scared for my life. of course i had to defend myself. and this law is helping them do that. >> ken, faith, we're going to have to leave it there. faith jenkins and ken padowitz, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you. >> thank you, rev. coming up, big news on that so-called celebrity boxing match with george zimmerman. and a profile in courage. why the all american football player coming out as gay transcends sports.

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are you in good hands? at times, breaking barriers in the world of sports helps change the game and helps bring change to american society. and right now we're watching history in the making. as michael sam, a former defensive lineman for the university of missouri took a major step for equal rights by announcing he is gay.

>> i'm not afraid of who i am. i'm not afraid to tell the world of who i am. i am michael sam. i'm a college graduate. i'm african american, and i'm gay. >> there has never been an openly gay player in the nfl. and sam's announcement brought him waves of support, including from president obama, who tweeted congratulations on leading the way. that's real sportsmanship. the first lady told sam, quote, you're an inspiration to all of us. we couldn't be prouder of your courage both on and off the field. sam's announcement also brought out lots of negative reaction, with some asking how the news will affect his draft stock. and nfl executives questioning if the league is ready for him. and one former coach claiming he is bringing baggage to the locker room. here are the facts. michael sam came out to his

missouri teammates last year, and they were one win away from being the national championship. didn't hurt the game at all. he is an inspiration to all. joining me now is donte stallworth. he is a ten-year nfl veteran, most recently playing for the washington redskins. thanks for being with us. >> thanks for having me on, reverend. >> you've been tweeting about michael sam. you said you wish him the best of luck, and you wrote, "if any nfl team can't handle the media coverage of drafrting sam, then your team is already a loser on the field. let me tell you why." well, donte, tell us why. >> well, first of all i want to say congratulations to michael sam. and entering the league of national football league he is going to be welcomed with open arms and get a lot of support, more than he knows. first of all, i wanted to say

that there is a multitude of things that can happen during an nfl season, situations that can arise that you have no control over and you have no idea when they're going to come. so if a team is not ready for those type of situations to handle that when it's unexpected, how are you not going to be able to see something from afar as far as michael sam's situation is concerned? he is a great player, and he has done loot of good things that i've heard that i've talked to a lot of people that are a part of the missouri family, and they said he is a great kid. said he is a great kid. i think the most important thing that people need to understand with michael sam is first of all, in an nfl locker room, the only thing guys care about is if you can play football or not. and that kid can play football. he was s.e.c. codefensive player of the year. i know a lot of people are looking forward to watching him play this season. >> donte, as you said, there is a lot of unexpected things that can happen with no notice in the season.

and if someone can't handle something that they know, because this is being brought out now, even before he is drafted, then they certainly would be hard-pressed, let's put that it way, to handle the life of an nfl player when you have to deal with so many unforeseen crisis, distractions, et cetera. >> there is a lot of people that are on the staff within an organization, the public relations staff that handles the media. and they've dealt with a bunch of different things throughout the past. now, this is obviously a unique situation with michael sam being the first openly gay nfl player to be in the national football league. but if you look at the model for handling the media, new england with the patriots, bill belichick and mr. kraft, they have done a great job with handling the aaron hernandez situation. when they picked up tim tebow, a lot of people thought somewhere along those lines there would be some type of distraction, and

there never was. to me, that's a model that everyone should follow. if bill belichick can do it with the new england patriots, and they obviously had a very successful season, not to mention the many injuries that they had, if they can do it, then why not -- to me it's a cop-out for other teams to use that as an excuse. >> now, you mention that the only thing that matters in the locker room is winning. and you've tweeted today "in my ten years as an nfl player, i played for six different teams and have been in every kind of locker room, vet, young, mature, immature." what kind of locker room would he be going to? >> every locker room has its own identity. i think that one of the things that you have to have is major leadership not only within the locker room, but from the top down of the organization down to the bottom. starting with the owner. if the owner is a guy of integrity, which a lot of the owners that i've had the

opportunity to play for are, they'll be able to handle things. and the head coach, they can really control things. but the locker room is, it's a bunch of different guys ranging from ages 21 to mid-30s. and for the most -- the unique thing with an nfl locker room is there are a bunch of different guys. they're veterans. there are young guys, christians, atheists. the one common goal is to win football games. at the end of the day, guys, when you're on the field and you're blocking for your teammate or you're catching passes from your quarterback, you could care less about what their beliefs are off the field as long as that person comes in and works hard and is prepared to win a game every week. it's not going to matter. >> you know, michael sam says himself that his sexuality shouldn't matter to future teammates. i want to play you what he said. listen to this, donte. >> it shouldn't matter. if i can -- if i work hard, if i

make plays, that's all that should matter. can he help us win games, is he a team player? that's all that should matter. it's a business workplace, and we have to act professional. >> it's a business workplace, the locker room. do you agree with that, donte? >> very wise young man. i'm looking forward to meeting him one day very soon. and let him know that he's got a lot of support. it's the truth. it's the truth. the guys come in and they work hard. and at the end of the day, everyone wants to put on that ring there is only one out of 32 teams that can do it. and i look forward to watching him compete this year, and good luck to him, definitely. >> donte stallworth, thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you for having me on, rev. ahead, will george zimmerman actually get into the ring? some big news tonight about that so-called celebrity boxing match. plus, a massive march to fight for justice and against those trying to roll back rights. stay with us. welcome back. how is everything?

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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. we got some welcome news this weekend. george zimmerman's so-called celebrity boxing match was canceled. the promoter made the announcement on twitter after days of outrage and criticism. a facebook page opposing the fight got over 300,000 likes, and over 28,000 people signed a petition at whitehouse.gov. that petition blasted zimmerman and the promoter for, quote, attempting to profit off racial tensions in america. as i've said before, the only

reason george zimmerman is famous is because he killed an unarmed teenager named trayvon martin. that's it. and this entire episode is a reminder that we need to be careful about who we glorify as a celebrity. there are reports out tonight that yet another promoter is trying to buy the rights and stage some sort of fight with george zimmerman. but even if that does happen, i'm confident americans will find something better to do that night than watch zimmerman enter the ring. on the show, national radio host joe madison said the root of the word celebrity is celebrate. if mr. zimmerman wants to make a living, he has every right to make a living every way we can. but we also have the right to determine who we celebrate and what is worth celebrating their rise to fame.

and for that i think people ought to watch and weigh very carefully any support of any match that is called celebrity boxing match. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. bridget kelly threatened with contempt. let's play "hardball." >> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. this weekend i came across a scene of outright chris christie bullying. his victim? 2012 presidential candidate mitt romney. we catch the new jersey governor threatening romney that if he tried raising campaign cash in jersey, he could kiss his, chris christie's support goodbye. he was not to collect a nick federal the garden state fat cats until christie himself gave the okay.