senate. and you've got some republicans who understand the severity of this. that's "the ed show." "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening, rev. >> good evening to you, and thanks for tuning in. lots to talk about tonight. for the first time, we're hearing details from the police officer who shot and killed michael brown, as he gives his version of what happened. also, monica lewinsky talks about cyber bullying -- billowing -- bullying. and the scandal that made her famous. and reaction to those offensive comments made about serena and venus williams. but we start with tonight's lead, the right-wing's new poll t tax. the fight for voting rights is now a central battle in the midterm elections. with early voting now under way in 34 states, today president obama cast his early vote, and

talked about the importance of the franchise. >> i'm here to vote. >> all right. we're ready. >> the most important office in a democracy, the office of citizens. that's what i'm doing right now. exercising my right. >> but now the franchise is under attack like it hasn't been in a generation. i spoke to the president in an interview for my radio show, and i asked him about the importance of getting out the vote in the midterm elections. >> we can't afford to be sitting at home, thinking that the mid terms don't matter. because i've got two years left in my presidency, and i want to make every single one of them count, and i need a partner in congress. and the truth is that in most of these states, and most of these congressional districts if he have high turn out, we win. if we have low turn-out, we

lose. it's as simple as that. what i need everybody to do is just go out there and vote. >> i also spoke to him about the democratic politicians who haven't embraced him on the campaign trail. >> here's the bottom line. we've got a tough map. a lot of the states that are contested this time are states they didn't win. so some of the candidates there, you know, it is difficult for them to have me in the state because the republicans will use that to try to fan republican turn-out. the bottom line is, these are all folks who vote with me. they have supported my agenda in congress. they are on the right side of minimum wage. they are on the right side of fair pay. they are on the right side of rebuilding our infrastructure. they're on the right side of early childhood education. so, this isn't about my feelings being hurt. these are folks who are strong allies and supporters of me.

and i tell them, i said, you know what, you do what you need to win. i will be responsible for making sure that our voters turn up. >> the full interview with president obama and myself will air tomorrow nationwide with my show "keeping it real with al sharpton" on sirius radio and other stations. the president is focused on winning this midterm election. and folks, the election has already started. and it's a real fight. we're seeing it in texas, where today early voters started, and people are facing one of the worst voter i.d. laws in the country. in 2014, we can't go backwards. joining me now is congressman chaka fattah, democrat from pennsylvania, and salon.com's joan walsh. thank you both for being here. >> thanks, rev. >> thank you, rev. thank you for having me. >> congressman, what's your

reaction to the president's comments that democrats must get out and vote, despite voter i.d.? >> well, not only do i think the president is right to make those comments, i think people are going to come out and vote. we had this same push by certain pundits in the 2012 election, about how obama's base was disinterested and wouldn't be showing up. except african americans showed up. young people showed up. women showed up. we know we can win in difficult circumstances. you've seen it all your life when people show up and cast their vote, good things can happen. african american women, women of color, are going to be at the forefront of this voter parade. we need to encourage people to come out, bring their sons and husbands and boyfriends with them. but this is not an election which we can win by being spectators. the president is right. this is not whether they'll vote for obama or not. it's whether they'll vote for a

higher minimum wage, whether they'll vote for affordable health care and housing. this is what these candidates are prepared to do if we can give them the votes to get there. it can happen. that's why republicans are spending so much time trying to make it difficult for people to vote in places like texas. >> i think, joan, one of the things that struck me, and again the full interview will air on my radio show nationally tomorrow. one of the things that struck me is the snippet i played about he didn't mind about the people not embracing him. it's about getting the vote out. they're job is to run, his job is to get the vote out and don't worry about my feelings being hurt. i've never heard him put it like that before. >> he's awfully gracious about it, more than i would be if i were in his shoes. >> but it's a lot more serious than just somebody's personal feelings. >> i do worry about people running away from the president.

i don't really think it's possible and i worry that it can make some of us look a little cowardly. it doesn't work. and so i personally would like to see a little bit more spine in some of our democratic friends. but, you know, he is right. they are going to vote with him if they can make it through the election. and he is used to scare the red-state voters and that's just the reality. so i love hearing the optimism of the congressman. i really hope he's right. i hope that this is like 2012 and not like 2010, when some of our voters across the spectrum did stay home. >> well, the president talked about 2010, and i won't give that away. >> okay. >> but the results of what happened when we didn't vote. >> tragic. >> you know, congressman, just as ginsberg wrote a blistering -- i'm reading from what she wrote. the greatest threat to public confidence in elections in this

case is the prospect of enforcing a purpose fli sdim tore law, one that likely imposes an unconstitutional poll tax and risks denying the right to vote to hundreds of thousands of eligible voters. you know, was justice ginsberg trying to send an alarm about the political implications of the court's ruling? >> absolutely. you got to look at what was done in citizens united. now with the voter i.d. laws. you're flooding money in on one line and you're making it more difficult for people to cast their vote, at the same time. when especially we've seen the results in that it disproportionately impacts certain voter bases in the democratic party. if there's any fault for democrats, it's that the u.s. senate should have held hearings on voter i.d. laws. i know i called for it. i know that you and others asked that it be done. we should have been examining on what basis these states -- you

know, we could have built a record, looking at why these laws were being passed. in pennsylvania, luckily the court struck it down. but the supreme court and the texas ruling, this is very problematic. but for all of the people who are listening to you, rev, they need to know that notwithstanding any obstacle, they have to vote on this election day, because this might be our opportunity for the president, holding the senate, to make new appointments to the supreme court over the next two years. >> now, joan, the president said to me today on the radio show that i'm airing tomorrow that if we come out and vote, we win. don't republicans know that this could incite people to vote, knowing that the vote is being denied? that's what happened in 2012 when they did what they did in florida, people came out, ohio, people mobilized. we saw lines like we never saw. >> people stood in the long lines, which they shouldn't have to stand in, but they did it,

because they were angry. i hope we see that again. i love what the justice said. it's a poll tax. it's unconstitutional. it costs money -- >> wait a minute. republicans say it's about fighting fraud. listen to governor scat walker in wisconsin, thom tillis and texas attorney general greg abot, listen to them. >> who would be that one person who would like to have their vote canceled out by a vote that was cast illegally? there are people concerned with voter fraud. >> voter fraud exists in the state of texas. voter i.d. is one way to crack down on it. >> in those three states, the rate of voter fraud is minuscule, i mean, far far below 1%. will we see voter protections restored? can congress repair the voting rights act? >> i think congress can. maybe if it's a different congress. maybe in 2017. i think we have to get there.

a very conservative judge, richard pozner said last week about the wisconsin law, he called it a poll tax also. he pointed out how much money it can cost to get your birth certificate, to get government i.d. so we got a few republicans waking up to it. but he said it's happening in republican states with republican governors. they are making it harder to vote intentionally to disen franchise democrats. "new york times" reports african american votes could control who has the senate. "to keep republicans from taking control of the senate, as many are predicting, they need black voters in at least four key states. african americans could help swing elections in georgia, louisiana, north carolina, and possibly arkansas. will critical will african american turn-out be in the midterm elections, and what impact will voter i.d. laws have on this, congressman? >> the majority of african

american voters in the country, in those nine southern states, and it's happened before in the 1980s. african americans in an overwhelming majority -- or minority of the white vote elected democrats throughout a number of the southern senate seats and put the senate in the hands of democrats. it can happen again. i think that you see, you see the tightness of these races in georgia, and in kentucky. and what we see now -- and north carolina -- is that african american voters are primed to play an important role, and i think the president has made it clear, that this is the most loyal voting block in the democratic party. we can lead this parade to the ballot box. we got thousands of churches that are mobilized. we have people, the moral monday, our effort in north carolina, that has people focused on these issues. so i think what we need to do, we need to encourage people to come out and vote and make sure they understand that the future, not just of the next two years,

but of the supreme court, of the direction of these voter i.d. laws, all of this is in play on election day. so if they want their children and grandchildren to be able to cast a vote freely in our country, they need to come out and vote in this election day, so we have a senate that can protect it. >> congressman and joan walsh, thank you for your time tonight. and don't forget, the whole interview with president obama and myself will air tomorrow nationally on "keeping it real with al sharpton" on radio 1 and reach media, and sirius xm. listen to the interview, he makes an appeal on get out and vote. coming up, the first time we're hearing from officer darren wilson is saying to authorities about the moment he killed michael brown, and it's raising all kinds of new questions. plus, politicizing ebola.

at a time of crisis some on the right are trying to score cheap political points with fear -- and fund raising off of it. breaking her silence. an emotional and revealing speech from monica lewinsky today. on bullying, humiliation, and falling in love with the president. >> i fell in love with my boss. in a 22-year-old sort of way. it happens. but my boss was the president of the united states. much more on that and why she says she wanted to die. stay with us. it's monday. a brand new start.

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coming up, we're going to be talking about officer darren wilson, the man who shot and killed michael brown. we're learning what he's saying behind closed doors, and it's lighting up our social media. jason wrote, this is just a soft release. they are prepping ferguson for what's to come. james posted, how will he account for shooting this young unarmed man six times? more on what he's saying and new questions on why there is no arrest yet. but, please, keep the conversation going on our facebook page, or tweet us @politicsnation. goodnight. goodnight. for those kept awake by pain the night is anything but good. introducing new aleve pm. the first one with a sleep aid. plus the 12 hour strength of aleve

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there's good news tonight in the fight against ebola. today 43 dallas residents who had close contact with ebola victim thomas eric duncan, have been cleared for monitoring. not exhibiting any symptoms of the deadly disease in 21 days. there's still 260 people nationwide, including health care workers and others, who had contact with nurses nina pham and amber vinson, who are still self-monitoring for any symptoms of the disease. and if another case of ebola does show up, the pentagon has assembled a 30-person rapid response team to be deployed immediately. plus, the cdc is planning to

reveal an overall protocol tonight for how medical professionals treat ebola patients. after nurses complained they were exposed to the disease. >> there were parts about that protocol that left vulnerability. parts of the skin that were open. very clearly when you go into a hospital, have to intbait somebody, have all of the bodily fluids, you have to be completely covered. that's going to be one of the things. the protocol will be finalized soon. one of the things will be complete covering with no skin showing whatsoever. >> but as we continue to fight this crisis, some on the right are playing politics, complaining about not having a surgeon general they blocked. complaining with a czar they called for. and complaining about the president himself. >> the person who needs to be on top of this is the president of the united states, standing up and leading and treating it as a public health emergency.

>> what i've seen from this administration is a crisis in confidence and a lack of ability to appropriately respond. >> it goes right to the top because the president is ultimately responsible. >> i guess it was only a matter of time, but it's really a complete waste of their time. joining me now, democratic strategist jamal simmons. thank you for joining me this evening. >> thanks, rev. it's good to be here. >> jamal, it's clear ebola has become a political play. how will this fear mongering go over politically? >> i don't think it's going to matter very much to the republicans who are already against president obama. they're just as animated as they need to be. or the democrats who are out there fighting for other democratic voters. if anything is going to get democrats upset and get them to turn out more. but reality s i think most people see ebola is a public health threat, and they want the period to manage it and he looks like he's doing that. >> republicans like ted cruz are

trying to scare americans into thinking that all flights from africa should be cut off, even though the cdc says that would only make matters worse. listen to this. >> if you were president and nih, or the cdc were saying, hey, you know, this will only make it worse, a travel ban, a flight ban will only make it worse. what we have in place is better, you would overrule the doctors and the experts. >> but there are -- candy, the doctors and the experts that are saying this are working for the administration and repeating the administration talking points. and their arguments don't make sense. >> i mean, the president himself said he had no philosophical objection to a ban. but what cruz is basically saying here, jamal, is we can't trust him. how can democrats fight this kind of talk? >> first of all, rev, this has a

stliking similarity to the way republicans behaved pertaining to hiv and aids. you have republicans who are trying to section off americans or cut off people, based on their backgrounds, not based on any activity. we know activity is a place where this really matters. someone also talked about these flights. what flights are they talking about? what flights are coming in from there other than south africa? they're not coming in on flights. what do republicans want to do? just cut off africans from coming to the united states? is that what they're saying. they'll end up in the same political hole they've been in for the last two elections. >> some republicans are actually fund raising off this ebola scare. this weekend, congressman paul brown and the conservative action fund, put out a petition to stop all commercial flights from western africa, and asked people, please sign your petition at once. if you can, please chip in $5 or

$10 to help the conservative action fund, to help us distribute this petition to literally millions of american citizens. i mean, this seems across the line, doesn't it? >> it absolutely crosses a line. this is a public health threat that the president has to manage. he brought in ron klain. he's a good manager. i've known him for 20 years. he's got doctors at the cdc who are managing this. they've taken the initiative. i've talked to someone here in new york city taking about the preparations that are taking place here in new york. it's a critical issue, it's not a time to play politics. >> you know, i think that republicans are demanding an ebola czar, but now that the president has appointed a czar, they're complaining about him. listen to this. >> the american people are looking for someone with some knowledge and expertise. he has none in these fields. what creates panic is when

people are given information that proves to be false. we need to stop the overcertainties from these medical folks and i'm not sure that a czar with no background can help that. >> we don't need another white house political operative. what we need is presidential leadership. >> i don't know ron klain's emergency response experience. maybe the bush-gore recount qualified in that. and i think talking to constituents, so many people have said, you know, we didn't want somebody to give us spin. we want somebody to give us the facts. >> i mean, they wanted a czar, they got a czar, they don't like the czar they got. whatever president obama is for, they're against. >> they picked somebody who was a manager, they want a health care professional. if they pick a health care professional, they want a ceo or manager. ron klain has done just about everything you can do when it comes to management. let's stop trying to politicize

a public health threat. >> jamal, thank you for your time this evening. >> thank you. still ahead, officer wilson's version of what happened on the day he shot and killed michael brown. what his account does and does not reveal about the shooting. also, the outrageous comments about serena and venus williams that has the sports world talking today. it's in "conversation nation." u0 huh? the equipment tracking system will get you to the loading dock. ♪ there should be a truck leaving now. i got it. now jump off the bridge. what? in 3...2...1... are you kidding me? go. right on time. right now, over 20,000 trains are running reliably. we call that predictable. thrillingly predictable. [ male announcer ] you wouldn't ignore signs of damage in your home.

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the following account of what officer wilson told investigators. the times says he was, quote, pinned in his vehicle and in fear for his life during a struggle with michael brown. officer wilson told authorities the gun was fired twice inside the car with the first shot hitting michael brown in the arm. fbi forensic tests reportedly back this up. the times says michael's blood was found on the gun as well as on the interior door panel and on officer wilson's uniform. this new account could raise more questions than answers. for example, the times says, it does not explain why after he emerged from his vehicle, he fired at mr. brown multiple times. and that central point has been repeatedly raised by other witnesses to the shooting. >> as i get closer is when i see them tussling through the window. the kid was pulling off, and the

kid was pulling in. the first gunshot came from the window. the shots just came after that. >> he's running this way. he turns his body towards this way. hands in the air, being compliant. he gets shot in his face and chest and goes down and dies. >> that shot struck my friend in the back. he was stopped, turned around with his hands in the air. >> michael's body jerk as if he was hit. he turned around and put his hands up, the officer continued to walk up on him and shoot him until he goes all the way down to the ground. >> it's been two months since the grand jury began hearing evidence and these are the conflicting accounts that those jurors are weighing right now. as they decide whether to bring charges against officer wilson. joining me now, former u.s. attorney kendall coffey and lizz brown, attorney and columnist for "st. louis american."

thank you both for being here. >> thanks, reverend. >> thank you. >> kendall, what questions do you have tonight about officer wilson's account? >> well, i think his account is something that if a grand jury hears it, and they're not getting any leadership, any explanation from the prosecutors, they might think it makes him look less like he committed a crime because there was a physical confrontation inside the car. but if there were prosecution leadership, this could support a theory of the prosecution that theres a physical encounter, the officer was angry, and that the shooting victim, from the standpoint of the family of michael brown, was trying to leave, trying to surrender, and he shot him because he was still acting out of an anger that was precipitated by the confrontation. that was support a prosecution theory of a crime, if the prosecution were presenting such a theory to the grand jury. but we see no indication that that's what the prosecution, the local prosecution, is trying to do here at all.

>> so isn't that really the problem that many people, including me, have raised? that you need an outside prosecutor that's more objective, that it really comes down to whether or not people have confidence in this prosecutor and the family of michael brown and others have questioned this prosecutor if day one. >> it's been raised many times. but the reality is, it's still the same county prosecuting attorney, mcculloch, and no indications this grand jury is moving toward prosecution. and a grand jury without direction is not a grand jury that's going to lead to prosecution. >> liz, just two days after the shooting, the young man who was with michael brown during the shooting, described what he said happened. listen. >> the officer then reached out and he grabbed his arm to pull him into the car. so now it's like the officer's pulling him inside the car. he's trying to pull away. he said, i'll shoot you.

or, i'm going to shoot. and in the same moment, the first shot went off. we looked at him. he was shot and there was blood coming from him. and we took off running. >> so that witness agrees that brown was shot during a scuffle at the car, but he disagrees with the later testimony given by officer wilson. does this come down to who the jury believes, liz? >> well, first of all, we don't know that that witness has testified in front of the grand jury. and secondly, we can all take from this witness's testimony, that his statement was made around the same time of the incident. di darren wilson waited four-plus weeks before he walked into a grand jury. that's a long time to gather the statement, to go over the statement. and as kendall and i both know, memories are not like wine. they don't get better with age. a contemporaneous statement made at the time around the incident is more credible, by law and by

life experience. so we know -- and there's another fact that i don't think people are very aware of. we found out recently that one of the prosecutors in this grand jury case, is a former police officer. and that, again, adds to the notion -- >> one of the populrosecutors ie case was a former police officer? >> that is correct. so how are we going to get a fair and impartial assessment, presentation of this case? and if darren wilson went into that grand jury first and presented all of his testimony first, then all other evidence, all the evidence that comes next is going to be trying to disprove what darren wilson said. >> now, kendall, is it also of interest to you -- you've been a prosecutor -- that the other shots that was fired on michael

brown, he was some distance from the car. shouldn't darren wilson have to account for if he was shot in the car, how does he explain, darren wilson -- how does darren wilson explain michael brown, the other shots had him so far away from the car? >> and that really becomes the critical part of any prosecution theory. okay, whatever happened in the car happened. but, when somebody departs, and there's a separation, the officer is no longer in peril. especially if that somebody is trying to surrender. hands up. several independent witnesses have pointed out, as liz pointed out, was stated spontaneously by a completely independent witness. then you have plenty of stuff to work with, if there is a will on the part of the prosecutor to take a serious look at that evidence. >> do the fact that we are looking at the fact, liz, that police have leeway if they're facing deadly force, would it

also be of interest to a fair and impartial grand jury that they would want to know if he was in fear? did he call in for backup once brown was no longer in the car? was this reported? wouldn't all of these questions have to be raised? >> absolutely. and there also has to be testimony about the circumstances that led darren wilson to speak to michael brown to begin with. they also need to know about the history of police officers and the african american males within that community. because all of those answers, all of that information leads to -- gives us insight into what caused that officer to stop michael brown to begin with. and then his subsequent treatment would make sense in light of a history that was presented to the grand jury about, this is how this particular police officer acted. this is how police officers acted in general with this particular african american community. and we don't know that any of

that has been presented to the grand jury. but it should, if they're going to be a fair and impartial grand jury. >> kendall coffey and lizz brown, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you. >> thanks, reverend. coming up, for the first time, monaco lewinsky speaks in public about the scandal. it was emotional, and it was a must-see. serena williams blasts a russian tennis official, for, quote, insensitive, sexist, and racist remarks. and he's an iconic television character from "breaking bad." but should a crystal meth dealer toy be sold to kids? "conversation nation" is next. there was no question she was the one. she reminds you every day. but your erectile dysfunction-that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right.

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we're back now with "conversation nation." joining us tonight, msnbc's krystal ball, political science proffer jason johnson, and trial attorney seema iyer. thank you all for being here tonight. >> thanks for having us, rev. >> start with monica lewinsky. in an emotional speech, she talked about falling in love with the president and wanting to die during the humiliation that followed it. it's all part of a campaign she announced about ending cyber

bullying. >> overnight, i went from being a completely private figure, to a publicly humiliated one. i was patient zero. around the world, this story went. a viral phenomenon that you could argue was the first moment of truly social media. i couldn't imagine ever showing my face in public again. i cringed. i yelled. i sobbed. and the mantra continued. i just want to die. >> and then lewinsky got personal about that scandal that made her a household name across the globe. >> 16 years ago, fresh out of

college, a 22-year-old intern in the white house, and more than averagely romantic, i fell in love with my boss. in a 22-year-old sort of way. it happens. but my boss was the president of the united states. that probably happens less often. now, i deeply regret it for many reasons, not the least of which is because people were hurt, and that's never okay. but back then, in 1995, we started an affair that lasted on and off for two years. and at that time, it was my everything. >> krystal, your reaction? >> i mean, here she was 22 years old. she fell in love and she did something foolish. who among us hasn't fallen in love and done something foolish?

>> with a married man! >> sure, and i'm not saying it's okay, but her life has been ruined. and that married man's life is just fine. i think it takes a lot of courage for her, even now, to come out. and i think a lot of women who are disproportionately attacked online, attacked in the media, will find a lot of courage from her ability to stand there in front of the stage and say, this is who i am, and i'm still here, and i'm still here to speak out. >> i got to tell you, i teach these kids. you know, i teach 22-year-old college students and they fall in love with all sorts of people. this woman suffered tremendously -- >> i talked to people 42 who fall in love -- >> exactly. for all the wrong reasons. she suffered immensely so bill and hillary clinton could continue their political career. i feel sorry for her. [ all speak at once ] >> she hasn't been able to get a job. she has no money. >> she's suffered.

>> she will represent the minority view here. >> thank you. she has not gotten a job because she hasn't made whatever effort to get a job. >> not true. not true at all. >> that's factually incorrect. >> if you want a job, you can get a job. where -- >> unless you're monica lewin y lewinsky. this woman will have a -- >> she has a graduate degree. [ all speak at once ] >> wait a minute. >> let me raise this question. she is trying to do something about cyber bullying. >> right. >> she's put up a twitter account. in less than a few hours, she already had 30,000 followers. can't she help with cyber bullying, given who she is, and how candid she is. >> if she shows some authenticity and takes some personal responsibility. >> what do you think she was doing there? >> she already said, i feel bad for what i did. >> she's saying, she was a private figure. no, she wasn't. she of the engaging -- >> she never said she was a

private figure. >> what you do in your office is what's in your office. >> she's being judged for the entire rest of her life for what she did when she was 22 years old. it's 20 years later. >> when you're 22 years old and a 50-year-old man spitting game at you, that woman had no chance. >> let's talk about her parents. what kind of parents were they? >> what do the parents have to do with this? >> she was out of college. >> the parents didn't tell her that it was inappropriate to get involved with a married man. >> seno one is saying it was ok what she did. she's not saying it's okay what she did. she is a victim when 20 years later her life has been ruined. do you think that her life deserves to be ruined for something -- >> bill and hillary clinton have continued to be successful by exploiting her and turning her into the village. >> i like the exchange, but --

>> that's incredibly harsh. a young woman makes a mistake when she's 22 years old. by the way, the same mistake that bill clinton made and he goes on to be perfectly successful. his life is perfectly fine. >> that's a different conversation. >> now she can't get a job. >> nobody talk but sema. >> whether or not bill clinton -- >> all right, that's enough. [ laughter ] >> whether bill clinton has gone on to succeed is a different conversation. >> why? >> that's about sexism and his abilities -- >> that's what we're talking about. >> no, we're talking about taking personal responsibility, not acting like a victim. using your education, going out and finding a job, and stop blaming the rest of the world for your problems. >> i can't believe that nobody sees what i'm saying. >> can she help with cyber bullying? >> yes, she can. she is the first cyber bullying victim. there were halloween costume

masks made about this woman. if anybody knows about cyber bullying, it's monica lewinsky. >> everything about her was attacked. and whether other women have the same experience or not, doesn't undermine the fact that a lot of women are attacked in a similar way and can get a lot from someone who has faced a lot in 20 years. >> can she at least help with cyber bullying? >> i'll give her that. maybe this is her calling. and i do agree, nobody deserves to be attacked for the way they look. >> about you you think she should live in shame for the rest of her life? >> i think she put herself there. she put herself there. >> she's taking responsibility for that. >> no, she's not. she's crying and whining. >> a lot of people are having this conversation -- >> can some of them come here and join me, please? >> if they can get a word in. everybody stay with us. up next, serena williams goes on the offense after some offensive comments directed at her. that's next. i was out for a b

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we're back with our "conversation nation" panel, krystal, jason, and sema. let's talk about serena williams. she's slamming the head of the russian tennis federation, for what she says are insensitive, sexist, and racist remarks. the chief appeared on a russian talk show and called serena and

her sister venus the quote, williams brothers. and said they were scary to look at. he issued an apology, saying it was a small joke and was suspended from the women's tennis association for a year and fined $25,000. >> i thought his comments were very insensitive. i thought they were extremely sexist, as well as racist at the same time. and i thought they were, in a way, bullying. you know, we have done the best that i could do and that's all i can say. so i just wasn't very happy with his comments, and i think a lot of people weren't happy as well. so -- but the wta and the usta, they did a wonderful job of making sure that at this day and age in 2014, that someone with his power, it's really unacceptable. >> krystal? >> i mean, i was shocked that -- i guess i shouldn't be, but

someone as incredible and athletic and at the top of her game as serena williams, still has to face such stupid, sexist, obnoxious remarks. so i'm glad they went forward immediately and suspended him. serena seems satisfied with that result. so i guess that punishment is enough. but i just can't believe that someone at the top of their game like this still faces such direct attacks. >> jason? >> first off, before we even get to the race imp and sexism, it's bad business. she's the number one women's draw on the planet. you shouldn't be insulting your number one draw anywhere on the planet. that's problem number one. second thing, you got to look at this in context. there's a lot of problems with race iism in sports. people throwing bananas on the field. they need to clean this up before any more tournaments, and certainly with the world cup. >> i don't think it was sexist,

i'm sorry. >> it's not sexist? >> no, and here's why. the comment is derogatory, calling them to be men. fine, if the comment was, serena doesn't deserve to make as much money as federer, that is sexist. but saying that she looks like a man isn't necessarily as sexism as defined. >> well, okay. >> there's nothing about racism here. >> calling black women masculine, questioning their sexuality, questioning their womanhood, that's the core of racism. [ all speak at once ] >> i think it's incredibly racist, and i think it's bad business. i'm going to have to go. we're going to have to hold this until after the show. krystal, jason, and sema, thank you for your time. >> thank you, rev. make sure you catch krystal on "the cycle," 3:00 p.m. eastern and her web show,

krystal clear on msnbc.com. still ahead, michelle knight's emotion and surprising statement about the man who kept her captive for 11 years. also, the amazing video of a man who risked his life to save a complete stranger. what do these stories have in common? that's next. [ male announcer ] it's a warning.

a wake-up call. but it's not happening out there. it's happening in here. [ sirens wailing ] inside of you. even if you're treating your crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, an occasional flare may be a sign of damaging inflammation. learn more about the role damaging inflammation may be playing in your symptoms with the expert advice tool at crohnsandcolitis.com. and then speak with your gastroenterologist. with the expert advice tool at crohnsandcolitis.com. it's monday. a brand new start. your chance to rise and shine.

with centurylink as your trusted technology partner, you can do just that. with our visionary cloud infrastructure, global broadband network and custom communications solutions, your business is more reliable - secure - agile. and with responsive, dedicated support, we help you shine every day of the week. centurylink your link to what's next. we close tonight with two very different kinds of courage. in california, an unidentified man is being hailed as a hero for running into a burning house to save the life of a stranger. physical courage, risking his life for a stranger. in the last few days we've seen another kind of courage, just as impressive. in ohio, michelle knight is speaking out about her horrific kidnapping ordeal. 11 years spent locked in a house. but now she says she forgives

her kidnapper. >> for me, it's holding on to hatred that will control your life. if you hold on to it, you're going to condemn your life to hell, and i choose to forgive that person for all the wrongdoing that they have done to me. >> physical courage and spiritual courage, both triumphs of the human spirit. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. we have nothing to fear but ebola itself. this is "hardball." ♪ ♪ >> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. is fear contagious? a teacher in maine gets sent home for three weeks because she dared fly to an educational