anybody who was in the queue will be eligible. >> okay. congresswoman thank you so much. >> thank you. >> remember to answer tonight's question there at the bottom of the screen. always do that. tweet the show as well. >> tonight's lead, a federal prosecutors are closing in. there are two reports tonight that a key figure in the chris christie scandal is talking. and it raises the prospect that david wildstein has struck a deal with the u.s. attorney. of course we don't know that for sure. david wildstein is the bridge official who carried out the lane closings. the one who replied "got it" after receiving that infamous e-mail, time for some traffic problems in ft. lee. wildstein was photographed with

christie at a 9/11 event last year on day three of the closings where he said he told christie about the closings. he is a person who could unravel this mystery. but from the start, he's asked for immunity to talk. >> if the attorneys general for new jersey, new york and the united states were all to agree to cloak mr. wildstein with an immunity, i think that you would find yourselves in a far different position with respect to information he could provide. >> that's your job. we just want answers to our questions. >> understood. i'm suggesting a way you can get there. >> so he made it clear, he would only talk if given immunitimmun. and that's why the news today is so striking. may justice reports wildstein

was, quote, camped at the u.s. attorney's office last week meeting with investigators and, quote, wildstein's meetings indicate that prosecutors may have struck a deal with him. this comes after christie's press secretary michael druniak was caught by news cameras after testifying before a grand jury last friday. there's drewniak. here's what his lawyer said. >> what's the grand jury looking to talk to mike about? >> well, i'm not going to get into the specifics as to what would be discussed in the grand jury. i would say, though, that mike is a witness and we have been assured that he continues to be a witness throughout these proceedings, and mike has continued to cooperate, as requested, by the government into this inquiry. >> it's the first time we've learned a grand jury has begun

hearing testimony in the case. and it appears the u.s. attorney is making progress. joining me now is criminal defense attorney brian weiss who has experience with political corruption cases and salon.com's joan walsh. thank you both for being here tonight. brian, let me go to you. david wildstein, camped out for days. what does that tell you. did he get immunity? >> well, i think it means he won the race to the courthouse. in a situation like this, immunity grants are like life preservers on a sinking ship. unfortunately there aren't enough to go around sometimes. and the fact that mr. wildstein, as you reported in your intro, has been camped out, closed quote, at the u.s. attorney's office tells me he is meeting with prosecutors so that he can be sanitized, and maybe get a dose of scotch guard before he goes in the grand jury. you do not throw a potential

witness in front of the grand jury unless and until you sat down with them, vetted them and know the good, the bad and the ugly. because i'm telling you, reverend, the place to find out about the bad and the ugly is not inside that grand jury room. >> now joan, here's what the "star ledger" wrote about today's news. quote, what began as a preliminary inquiry to determine whether any federal laws have been implicated has now morphed into a deepening criminal probe to decide whether federal laws have been broken. so we seem to have an escalation here with the information that there, in fact, is a grand jury taking testimony. >> we do. i mean, it's really unthinkable that wildstein would be there answering questions when he has refused on other occasions whoutd some kind of immunity. so he's clearly talking. we obviously endured the randy mastro investigation. it spent a lot of time calling

david wildstein crazy and brid jell kelly emotional, but it did not seem to actually convince anybody that needed to be convincing that the governor had nothing to do with this and this was all the plot of two crazy aides. it's going to be interesting to see who else goes there. i would think they would be very interested in talking to blidget kelly and granting her immunity as well. we haven't seen that yet. >> what would prosecutors want to extract out of wildstein. what do you think are the things that he would need to cooperate and give in order for the prosecutors to give them a feeling they've got something for this immunity? >> well, reverend, we can reset the time machine and go back to watergate. that sound bite of what the president knew and when he knew it. ultimately, these prosecutors are going to want to know what mr. wildstein can tell them, if anything, about what governor christie knew and when he knew it. whether it was in connection with that now famous 9/11 appearance, before, during or after that.

and it seems to me that by hitching their wagon to his star, these federal prosecutors believe that mr. wildstein is the one that can lead them down a path that might result in careers, lives and everything else along that golden road being altered. i guess it's funny. because remember that governor christie tried to distance himself from david wildstein as saying even though we were high school friends, i was a jock and he was in the chess club. maybe the ultimate revenge of the nerds. >> we'll let that one go, but joan, among those who worked for and close to christie, he, the ones we know that have talked to the feds. christie's press secretary michael drewniak. christie's former chief council met with prosecutors back in january. and the big one now is david wildstein. and, you know, these are just three we know.

it's probable that others have been talking. so this looks like a real intensified investigation. >> oh, this is a real investigation. there is absolutely no doubt about that. we don't know what it's going to find, but i think what everybody with any common sense agrees is that there's no way that bridget kelly herself came up with this idea and had the power to pull the trigger and say okay, now it's time for some traffic problems in ft. lee. we all know that did not happen. we do not know what did happen and we don't know where this came from. we don't know why. but i think it's more than just, did wildstein tell the governor about it while he was at the 9/11 event b. if that's all he had to share with us, that would be small potatoes. it would still prove the governor lied, but i don't think that's what they're going for here at all. they're trying to get to the bottom of who would rain down political hell on their opponents and for what reason. we do know that people are talking and that's bad news for

governor christie. >> i've got to ask you, brian, when she raises -- joan, that is, raises bridget kelly. she appeared in court. her attorney argued with state lawmakers that they could grant his client immunity. listen. >> you act as if they could very easily afford immunity and that would take care of everything. >> like that. like that. they don't want to give us immunity, not that they can't. >> so bridget kelly has asked for immunity. how critical is she. and do you think that she's potentially next in line to make a deal? >> i think you make a great point, rev. the fact that david wildstein has won the race doesn't mean ultimately that the race is over. because i can assure you, paul fishman and his cadre of talented senior federal prosecutors are going to want to construct a solid foundation and not a foundation that's ultimately constructed on quick sand. the more people they know who

are credible and believable and who are in a place who could learn what happened are going to be essential. i also think it's ironic that the report that we're talking about today came from a publication called "main justice." those are going to be the folks at min justice who will have to sign off on high level indictments if they arise out of this investigation. joan, the fact that we got the report you referred to, the randy mistro report that the state of new jersey taxpayers paid for and that was supposed to close the door. now here we are, right back to the federal government talking to people. does this now reopen this whole view of chris christie, who seemed to be trying to get back on stride and get like this was behind him? >> go out to las vegas and act like he's a serious contender

for president? look, he must think we're stupid. yes, we played for the mas tro report, but no, it was never going to close the door on these questions. that was a temporary side show that we had to act like we were taking it seriously. we had to read it and look at it. but it was never going to exonerate him and let him get off the hook. it allowed him to go to las vegas. i hope he had a good trip, but he's going to have to answer these questions for a long time. >> what is your advice? >> i would gi give him advice is that you need to be low key, you need to come in under the radar. like joan says, it doesn't do you any good to go out to vegas and go to the taj, maybe be one of the high rollers in national political circles right now. look for a 344-page report with 66 footnotes, you would think we would have gotten something better than a term paper that these folks seem to have bought on the internet. i mean, this is report is as

relevant b as last week's lotto ticket. if the governor and his consequen concillaries believe they put a stop as to whether or not he's on the gun side of this grand jury investigation, i think as joan said, they're sadly mistaken. >> thank you both for your time tonight. still ahead, hitting back against the billionaire boys club. democrats are using what worked against mitt romney to expose the koch brothers. also, you won't believe which republicans are actually trying to get advice from donald rumsfeld. here's a hint -- they have big plans for 2016. plus, a strong new sign that the president's health care law is working. right wingers are freaking out. and getting the full snl treatment. >> the white house is claiming that they met their goal. >> but look at our fox news

chart, okay? as you can see, obama needed to get 7 million new subscribers and he only got 7.1 million. not anywhere close. ♪ [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. ♪ she can print amazing things, right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. ♪ my mom works at ge. ♪ this is mike. his long race day starts with back pain... ...and a choice. take 4 advil in a day which is 2 aleve... ...for all day relief. "start your engines"

the was a truly amazing day. without angie's list, i don't know if we could have found all the services we needed for our riley. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most. join today at angieslist.com

mattel started in a garage. disney started in a garage. amazon started in a garage. ♪ the ramones started in a garage.

my point? some of the most innovative things in the world come out of american garages. introducing the lighter, faster cadillac cts. 2014 motor trend car of the year. ain't garages great? wake it up with olay regenerist. formulated with a skin energizing complex, it penetrates 10 layers of the skin's surface. because energized skin is younger looking skin. ♪

>> democrats have a new line of attack in this midterm election. they're going all-in on an effort to expose the billionaire koch brothers who are helping bank roll the republican pot. today, a top democrat in the senate made it clear, his party is not going to stand by as big money helps buy an election. >> we're not focused on the real agenda, which is eliminating all regulations on corporation, cutting tacks to virtually nothing, and so there demands a response. i don't feel sorry for them. >> in 2012 election koch-backed groups raised more than $400 million. this year alone they spent more than $30 million to help the gop win control of the senate. in the wake of last week's supreme court decision, wealthy backers like the kochs could

have even more power. but now in race after race, democrats are calling them out, saying they put profit before people. >> the koch brothers -- >> the billionaire koch brothers. >> i do not believe. >> leaving a mess. >> a lot of alaskans are losing jobs and i'm definitely concerned about the drinking water. >> i don't go down and tell them what to do. i don't expect them to come up to alaska and tell us what to do. >> koch companies employ more than 60,000 people, saying, quote, kocl like any other business has to make difficult decisions to ensure the long-term viability of our company. they're in business, all right. the business of trying to make sure their conservative ideas win at the polls. and democrats are not going to let that happen. without ha a fight. joining me now is dana

millsbank. thank you for coming on the show tonight. >> so senator harry reid tweeted, quote, many republican senators might as well wear koch insignias to donate their sponsorship. why are democrats hitting the gop so hard on thissish now? >> i think the real question is why have they waited until now to do it? harry reid has been out there delivering this message for weeks. and i think others are just realizing the power of it. everybody knows in politics you need demons. and the k ooh ch brothers are uniquely qualified to play that role. they couldn't be any better for it if they were wearing out pitch forks and had horns. it's two of the wealthiest people in the world. number five and six of the world's top billionaires. and they got their money from oil. it's the sort of thing that can really motivate the democratic base. now look, this is not looking to be a great year for democrats, but it's always better to be on

the offensive than it is playing defense. and i think this gives democrats something to be talking about other than defending themselves. >> now, you know, a new poll shows that 52% of americans have never heard of the koch broth brothers. but of those who have heard of the brothers, more than half had an unfavorable view. >> large numbers of americans had not heard of dtom delay before he became a punching bag for democrats. the fact that they're unknown actually allows the democrats to define them. because they're so secretive and add the mystique and it allows them to do that. it's one reason .wwhy democrats feel the fortunes have shifted in the last week or so, part of it is the ryan budget coming out and part of it is hitting the $77 million with health care. there's a feeling that the

ground is no longer falling out in this midterm election. >> you wrote about themillion w. there's a feeling that the ground is no longer falling out in this midterm election. >> you wrote about the the power they have. this pay to play culture is at best unseemly. what makes it ugly when it becomes obvious just how much the wealthy corporate interests give in return. >> the ugly part is really not the money that's being spent but what's being purchased for it. 4 you've got the koch brothers, you've got people flying out to las vegas seeking to see sheldon adelson, hoping he'll throw millions of dollars for their cam pane. lining up as if f they're selling their wares in some or the of a live auction. but you see it in the ryan budget in terms of the giveaways, in terms of tax breaks for the wealthy, a lot of

cuts in social programs that dis proportionately affect the poor. you see it in the way corporations, such as general motors are getting away with the kind of abuses they've gotten away with. it's become clearer than ever, if it wasn't clear already, that in this town, the powerful and those who are spending their money get protected by the people who work in this building. >> dana, thank you for coming on the show tonight. >> thanks. >> coming up, elizabeth warren unloads on paul ryan's vision for america. and they lied to us for too long. so why on earth are they being courted by potential gop presidential candidates? and they said the sky would fall. they predicted armageddon. but today more good news for the president's health care law. stay with us.

for paul ridley there's no substitute for advil. it's built to be as fast as it is strong and fights pain at the site of inflammation. and made for people like paul, who believe nothing should stop you from achieving your goals. not doubt. not fear. and definitely not back and shoulder pain. advil has the strength and speed to help you move past pain and make today yours. advil. make today yours. ♪ i ♪ and i got the tools ira ♪ to do it my way ♪ i got a lock on equities

♪ that's why i'm type e ♪ ♪ that's why i'm tyyyyype eeeee, ♪ ♪ i can do it all from my mobile phone ♪ ♪ that's why i'm tyyyyype eeeee, ♪ ♪ if i need some help i'm not alone ♪ ♪ we're all tyyyyype eeeee, ♪ ♪ we've got a place that we call home ♪ ♪ we're all type e ♪

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?

>> ted cruz is making his list and checking it twice. his to-do list in his likely run for president. phony filibuster to repeal obama care, check. logging serious time in iowa, check. so what's next? seeking advice from donald rumsfeld. "the washington post" reports today, quote, former defense secretary donald rumsfeld has been courted by several potential candidates and plans to meet with crews. why on earth is ted cruz courting donald rums rumsfefeld. this is the man who sold us the war in iraq, a man who just revealed he never even read the torture memos and he's what he said in a new documentary. >> in 2003, in a washington poll post, 69% said they believe it's

lookly the iraqi leader was personally involved in the attacks carried out by al qaeda. >> i don't remember anyone in the bush administration saying anything like that, nor do i recall anyone believing that. >> he doesn't recall anyone believing that? how convenient. so again, no potential candidate should be courting donald rumsfeld. it's like a wannabe firefighter courting an arsonist for tips. but this isn't the first time today's gop pursued one of the bushies. house republicans south out former vice president dick cheney's advice on foreign policy just last year. the same dick cheney who recently said if he had to, he would use torture all over again. the world of foreign policy perkts experts used to be filled by those who shaped folcy after

world war ii, who believed politics stopped at the water's edge. they were called the wisemen. but who are the wisemen in the republican party today. dick cheney and donald rumsfeld? that's like 1940 republican president joe hopefuls courting hoou hoover's economic team, the folks that brought us the great depression. they're the last person's advice anybody should want. did ted cruz and the gop think we wouldn't notice they're still running back to the bushies? nice try, but some mission accomplished because we got you. >> it's the little things in life that make me smile. i don't use super polygrip because my dentures fit well. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles

republicans have spent four years predicting failure for the affordable care act. it was all doom and gloom. they called the law a disaster, compared it to hurricane katrina, and even terrorism. but guess what?

the sky is still there. and the law is working. today, another positive sign 37 a new gallup poll finds the rate of uninsured americans have fallen 1.5% since the last quarter of 2013. in fact, the uninsured rate is at the lowest level we've seen since 2008. so more and more people are getting health insurance. all those cooky theories just weren't true. remember those ads put out by conservative groups, americans for prosperity, sharing so-called horror stories about the health care law? one by one, they all fell apart. "the washington post" said that the claims in one ad didn't add up. the fact checker gave it three pinnochios. another ad was called misleading, saying the family featured actually found a cheaper health care plan.

and politifact labelled another ad just plain false. they couldn't come up with real problems with this law so they just made some up. if that seems like a joke to you, you're not alope. this weekend "saturday night live" got in on the fun. >> now that the deadline has passed, the deadline is claiming they met their goal. . >> but look at ott fox news chart, obama needed to get 7 million subscribers and he only got 7.1 million. th not even close. >> and a good job to our numbers guys. that's a great chart. >> this pie chart represents the part where i was hungry. >> pretty hungry. and not that far from what we've actually seen from the right. joining me now, former pennsylvania governor ed rendell and msnbc's krystal ball.

thank you both for coming on the show tonight. >> thanks for having us. >> governor, the sky isn't falling and the rate of uninsured americans is going down. how can anyone be against this? >> well, it's hard to figure except it's associated with president obama. look, there is a little false debate going on, and i would like to straighten it out. republicans say a rand corporation study says only 800,000 of the 7 million didn't have health insurance before. that's probably not correct, but that remanes to be seen. so they say only 800,000en insured people have been covered. but they're feorgetting about te 4 million people covered by the medicaid expansion. they didn't have health insurance and today they do. so even if you took their extreme figure of 800,000, extremely low, if you add the $4.2 million covered by medication expansion, that's 5 million right there. that's 5 million right there.

they're full of hot air. they're full of hot air. >> krystal, a gl will you please poll found a dramatic change in insurance rates. the uninsured rate among lower income people fell more than 3% since the end of 2013. i mean, doesn't this sow the law is making i shurnsnsurance avai? >> republicans are fantasizing the whole thing is go i think to fall apart. the website is going to continue to have problems and none of that is coming to true wigs. the reality is though even though they fixated on what they hoped would be problems with the law and problems with implementation, they have a fundamental, philosophical opposition to the law. it doesn't matter how successful it is, it doesn't matter how much of america is convinced that the law is working, because it is. they have this fundamental, philosophical, ideological opposition to it, both because

they don't want government involved in health care, and also because it has the president's name attached to it it. so most of america recognizes the law's success. the republican party is going to be increasingly isolated in this sheer ideological opposition to the law. >> you know, some of the health care law's provisions have a huge amount of support, governor. 80% support letting adults stay on parents' plans. 77% support free preventive care. 74% support the medication expansi expansion. 70% support ending discrimination based on pre-existing conditions. people like what's in the law. but the republicans still want to do away with the whole thing. i mean, listen to paul ryan. >> 7 million people on obama care. there's no way you can change it. you just vo to learn to live with it. i don't buy that. i think the architecture of this law is fundamentally so flawed,

it's going to collapse under its own wait. and the sooner those of us who want true reform can show a better way forward, the faster we can repeal. >> what kind of message is that for the millions of people who signed snup. >> it's terrible and it makes no sense. and they've had how many years to show a better way and they haven't come up with anything that's even close to feasible. that's the big weakness. and that's one of the things we have to highlight as we get into the 2014 election. the law is working, sure it's had some problems. we need to iron some of those problems out. still. but what's the alternative, folks? they've offered you nothing. if you want to go back to the time when insurance companies could drop you just like this because you got sick? of course not. the american people aren't dumb. do women want to go back to the time when insurance companies could charge them a higher rite than men just because they're women? of course not. that's the weakness in their position. if we campaign wisely, this can turn out to be a plus for us. it's going to be difficult,

because they put so much money behind these lies that some of it sticks, but if we campaign wisely, we can fight back effectively. >> they've had 55 vote against this law. are they going to run on anything else? are they going to do anything else? >> well, they're still trying to recapture the magic of 2010 when they ran against the affordable care act in the abstract and it was successful for them. since they have nothing else to run on, it's the only thing they can figure out to do. but when you think about it, reverend, it is unconscionable that you would cheer for this law to fail. what is the reason to cheer against something that's goal is to get people affordable health care. you can see paul ryan there, republicans all over the place cheering for the law to not be successful. i think to me, i mean, we've become so accustomed to it, but it's just nakedly, blatantly political, and hoping it doesn't

succe succeed, and hoping that people aren't covered in the way that it's supposed to be. >> you know, senator mitch mcconnell, governor, got four pick noek opi no pinnochios for claiming 280,000 people got cancellation notices. the law helped 370,000 kentuckyians get coverage. is this all they can do is make wild claims and hope they don't get called out for them? >> well, sure. and again, because they've got so much money behind this, koch brothers money, ul sorts of money, they're going to try to make these wild, inaccurate claims, throw them up there and hope that they fade. talk about them enough they will stick. and it depend on us to step forward. and not just the people running, like in kentucky, governor brashear, who's got a lot invested because his state health exchange is one of the most successful in the country. he's got to speak out, even though he's not on the ballot and say they're lying to you.

this exchange has been successful, this plan is working in kentucky. >> will this fight, krystal, backfire on them? majoring and putting so much in fighting the health care? will it backfire for them in the 2014 midterm? >> i think 2014 is going to be a mixed bag. i think democrats have a chance to capitalize on the fact that the law is working. but the republicans, the longer they hold on to this, the further isolated they get, the furtherer out on a limb they get and offering no solutions of their own, they want to take back the senate in 2014, and that they win the presidency in 2016, they still are fapt sizing about repealing this law, even though for millions of americans, it is providing health care that they've never had access to before. >> governor ed rendell, krystal ball, thank you both for your time tonight. and be sure to watch krystal on

"the cycle" right here on msnbc. still ahead, elizabeth warren calls out paul ryan for protecting the rich and attacking the poor. but first, 50 years after the civil rights act, we are fighting some of the same old battles. how do we protect and expand the promise of america? that's next. peace of mind is important when you're running a successful business. so we provide it services you can rely on. with centurylink as your trusted it partner, you'll experience reliable uptime for the network and services you depend on. multi-layered security solutions keep your information safe, and secure. and responsive dedicated support meets your needs, and eases your mind. centurylink. your link to what's next.

but with less energy, moodiness, and a low sex drive, i had to do something. i saw my doctor. a blood test showed it was low testosterone, not age. we talked about axiron the only underarm low t treatment that can restore t levels to normal in about two weeks in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18 or men with prostate or breast cancer. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these symptoms to your doctor. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer, worsening prostate symptoms, decreased sperm count, ankle, feet or body swelling, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing while sleeping and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. ask your doctor about axiron.

sfx: car unlock beep. vo: david's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

>> if someone said to me ten years ago i had to make a pitch for protecting voting rights today, i would have said you've got to be kidding? folks, this is a fight we have to make again, but it's a fight we can win again. >> that was vice president joe biden today, urging democrats to fight back for voting rights as part of the democratic national committee's new voter expansion project. this year marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the civil rights act. but we're still fighting some of the same battles we did a half century ago. voting rights, workers rights, criminal justice, economic justice, education.

we made significant progress in civil rights, but there's still work to be done and we cannot rest until justice and fairness is guarantee the, not just for some but for all. >> two figures playing a huge role in that fight, mark morial and sherlynn eiffel, pft of the naacp legal defense and education fund. thank you both for being hooer. mark, did you ever think 50 years after the civil rights act, we would be fighting some of the same battles. >> i wouldn't have thought it five years ago. i thought in some ways the nation had begun to turn the corner. but as much as we take a step forward, the massive resistance, the opposition from those who are threatened by this progress has re-emerged.

and that's why it's up to this generation to recognize that is a real fight. >> and sheilynn a lot of that fight from my perspective and certainly your work is in the criminal justice arena. and how we get the government to work to protect the citizens and their rights. and ldf has been at the forefront of that. you right now are still dealing with serious voter suppression questions, and you are gracious enough to come talk about it at the convention. but tell people listening and watching the fights that are the league barriers that we're facing now. >> i think it's difficult for people to prareally absorb and battle around voting rights. the supreme court said the right to vote is preservative of all rights. this is in contrast to what chief justice roberts said in the campaign finance last week when he listed voting among a

laundry ways to participate in the political process. voting is always supreme, and what we're seeing in the last two years is is a concerted efforts to keep segments of the population from voting in voter suppression tactics that are familiar from the 1960s but we were hoping we wouldn't see again. we're in courthouses all through the south trying to stem the tide in the shelby case that took away the protection that many voters had in the south discriminatory voting practices. >> the national urban league came out with their annual report, one nation unemployed. the 2014 state of black america, and you made some very, very serious findings public. could you share some of them? >> a crisis for black america. it's a crisis for brown america. indeed, it's a crisis for all working americans. because what this report shows is that as job creation has come back, many parts, reverend, of

our communities are being left behind. this economic divide is growing. the jobs divide is growing. the median income divide is growing. and like voting rights, there are forces in this country that are seeking to block an increase in the minimum wage that would give 30 million people a raise. a jobs bill, the american jobs act that the president introduced with our council advising inspiration. those things that would stimulate economic growth, give people a raise and address the problems we highlight in that report are being stymied by the very same forces that are seeking to roll back the hands of time when it comes to voting rights.

>> the federal defense fund has really been on this. the urban league comes out with their report, and we also see it in the criminal justice system where we don't have equal protection under the law or equal punishment as we break the law. >> you have nearly 2 million americans that are incarcerated, a system that's entire lly sustainable. we have essentially snatched them out of community, leaving our communities devoid of men and women who are needed in order to raise children, in order to stimulate the economy and so forth. it's been fantastic to watch this attorney, attorney general holder make bold statements about mass incarceration. but we have to remember the federal criminal system is just a fraction. most of the criminal justice

system happens at the state level. until we can begin to start really making interventions at the state level and turning this around, we're still going to be ware housing a segment of the population in our prisons. >> but doesn't it both work hand and glove? >> there's no doubt, reverend, you're absolutely right, that those who may have a nonviolent offense on their record rf barred from so many jobs, barred from getting a licencense in ma states from being a barber or a cosmetologist or being a licensed elect trigs, or even getting a student loan. so this mass incarceration, this system of locking up nonvie yent offenders also having economic growth and recovery.

>> two things people should remember, one is that organizations like the naacp defense fund has been on the ground. although we report a lot of bad things that are happening, we worked to local groups to turn back the effort of the georgia legislature to limit voting by 21 days. we beat it. we challenged closing of four of five voting places that would require black voters to drive 25 miles to vote. secondly, you've got the federal legislation, the voting rights act amendment that's been proposed and that could make real change. we need a hearing on that bill, and we haven't been able to get a hearing. so what people need to understand is they need to be calling their congress person and saying we need a hearing in the house. we need a hearing on that bill. what are they afraid of this? we can't talk about voting? we can't look at this bill. even i say the bill is not

perfect but it's a step towards repairing the damage that was done last year. thanks for the important work that you do, as i mentioned, the convention of the national action network, my civil rights group starts this wednesday of president obama is one of the speakers this week will go from april 9 to 12 including rob moriel and sherilynn eiffel will be with us right here in new york. coming up, paul ryan is touting his vision for america. but here comes elizabeth warren. she unloads on ryan. you have to see. and the senators voted to extend unemployment benefits for 2 million americans. will speaker boehner do the right thing? good job!

still running in the morning? yeah. getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables for only 50 delicious calories.

>> paul ryan is out pushing his ruthless budget. it distrois the safety net and attacks the poor. 69% of his budget cuts come from low income programs. but senator elizabeth warren is ready for a fight. sne speaking at a recent dinner in minnesota, she blasted ryan's budget, took on his inner city culture belief and his view of

the unemployed. >> paul ryan looks around, sees three unemployed workers for every job opening in america and blames the people who can't find a job. in 2008, this economy crashed, wiping out millions of jobs. paul ryan says don't blame wall street. the guys who make billions of dollars cheating american families. don't blame decades of deregulation that took the cops off the beat while the big banks looted the american economy -- [ applause ] -- don't blame the republican secretary of the treasury and the republican president who set in motion a no strings attached bailout for the biggest banks. nope. paul ryan says keep the monies flowing to the powerful corporations, keep their huge tax breaks, keep the special

deals for the too big to fail banks and put the blame on hard to the working play to the rules americans who lost their jobs. well, let me tell you, that may be paul ryan's vision of how america works, but that's not our vision of this great coun y country. >> that is not our vision of this great country, and it's great to see elizabeth warren fighting for our vision. ♪ to do it my way ♪ i got a lock on equities ♪ that's why i'm type e ♪ ♪ that's why i'm tyyyyype eeeee, ♪ ♪ i can do it all from my mobile phone ♪ ♪ that's why i'm tyyyyype eeeee, ♪ ♪ if i need some help i'm not alone ♪ ♪ we're all tyyyyype eeeee, ♪ ♪ we've got a place that we call home ♪ ♪ we're all type e ♪ i dbefore i dosearch any projects on my home. i love my contractor,

and i am so thankful to angie's list for bringing us together. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. maestro of project management. baron of the build-out. you need a permit... to be this awesome. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. and only national is ranked highest in car rental customer satisfaction by j.d. power. (aaron) purrrfect. (vo) meee-ow, business pro. meee-ow. go national. go like a pro. to truck guys, the truck is everything. and when you put them in charge of making an unbeatable truck... ... good things happen. this is the ram 1500. the 2014 motor trend truck of the year

and first ever back-to-back champion. guts. glory. ram. cut! [bell rings] this...is jane. her long day on set starts with shoulder pain... ...and a choice take 6 tylenol in a day which is 2 aleve for... ...all day relief. hmm. [bell ring] "roll sound!" "action!" we're back with developing news on capitol hill. after months of delay, the senate has just passed an extension of unemployment benefits that will help 2 million americans looking for work. so now it's up to speaker boehner in the house. what's he going to do? throw a "nightline" to two million americans who need help getting back on their feet? or is he going to send a message that republicans only care about

you if you have a corporate jet and a big bank account? this week, house republicans will vote on the ryan budget. which lowers tacks on the rich, while shredding the safety net. it's the wrong path for america. and today, democrats released their own budget, showing a different way forward. the democratic budget raises the minimum wage, extends jobless benefits, protects the safety net, and invests in america's infrastructure to create jobs. and tomorrow, obama is going to sign an act strengthening equal pay laws. which side will america choose? and old civil rights song used to go, which side are you on? america this year should not choose parties, they should choose sides. are you on the side of the average american? or only on the side of the super

rich and wealthy. choose sides. and not just parties. dick cheney declares war on rand paul. let's play "hardball." good evening i'm chris matthews up in boston. let me start tonight with this great, new enticing republican war between its hawks and its doves. we hear dick cheney is now attacking rand paul for being an isolationist. the sharp reason for cheney's nasty shot at paul which he delivered recently at sheldon adelson's kissing booth could be that paul accused cheney of pushing iraq's war because of his connection wit