tv Politics Nation MSNBC May 27, 2015 3:00pm-4:01pm PDT
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. excellent reporting, david scott. that was a great piece and very eye-opening what is happening to those workers. >> i appreciate it very much. >> you bet. that's "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening rev. >> good evening, ed. and thanks to you for tuning in. developing news tonight. hillary clinton back in south carolina. it's a first political trip back to the state that heard her 2008 campaign, where she struggled with minority voters. just before the important south carolina primary, she took criticism for seemingly downplaying the role of activists in the civil rights movement. some suggested she gave more credit for civil rights victories to the legislative success of former president lyndon b. johnson than to the leadership of dr. martin luther king jr. and bill clinton was forced to
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backtrack after calling then senator obama's position on the iraq war a, quote, fairy tale. he said he was only talking about the war, not obama's drive to be the first black president. but the damage was done. clinton lost to obama by nearly 30 points in south carolina. today she was back in south carolina getting a warm reception, reaching out to minority voters and hosting a round table with minority small business owners. here is what she said about the meeting. >> i just came from kiki's chicken and waffles, which i highly recommend. and i was meeting with a group of african american business women. and they were telling me what they needed to keep growing and to build an even better future. it sounded so much like the conversation i remember around
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my dinner table. that's what links us together past all of the other differences that sometimes divide us. >> joining me now are msnbc contributor jimmy williams and hiram college political science professor jason johnson. thank you both for being here tonight. >> thank you. >> good evening, rev. >> jason, i remember that weight south carolina primary very well. in fact, president clinton called my radio show to try to explain his comments. what do you think hillary clinton needs to do differently in 2016 to reach out to minorities? >> well she already did one thing. she lost to obama in '08. so she doesn't have to worry about this this time. the biggest challenge for hillary clinton, since she doesn't have a lot of competition right now, she needs to get high turnout. the question is not going to be whether or not african americans or women or latinos will vote for her, it will be can she get people to be excited about her
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in a primary that may not be that competitive. if she can get over 50% of the registered democrats to turn out in a primary that she is going to be coronated for, that's a success. >> now, you know saying that jimmy, politico is writing about hillary clinton's return to south carolina and voter turnout, just as jason referred to. it says quote, it isn't a matter of getting people here to like her. african american voters in south carolina seem to find her likable enough. it's the necessity of transforming benign resignation about her candidacy into genuine obama-like passion and massive turnout. can she get that turnout? how does she do that jimmy? >> right. so that's an excellent question. and there are two ways she does it. first and foremost she has to show up in south carolina continually, and she has to ask for their votes. that's the first thing. and the second thing she has to do is think back to three or four weeks ago when she gave
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that fantastic speech on criminal justice reform at columbia university in new york city. that in and of itself has created a heck of a lot of buzz down in south carolina is. and amongst african american communities throughout this entire country who for the last 40 to 50 years socio-economically have been for all intents and purposes kept down. and she is talking about doing something important, which is taking small drug offenders and saying, no you're not going to prison for life, et cetera. and that is smart that is a very smart thing. that is something, by the way something rand paul agrees with. so specific prescriptive policies that will help minority communities. she has to talk about it come up with policy proposals, communicate those, and say "and i want your vote." if she does that this time she'll win. >> let me address that. jason, her first major policy address as a candidate was wide ranging speech on criminal
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justice reform and issues that impact the black community. listen to this. >> it's time to end the era of mass incarceration. we need a true national debate about how to reduce our prison population while keeping our communities safe. you don't have to look too far from this magnificent hall to find children still living in poverty or trapped in failing schools. families who work hard but can't afford the rising prices in their neighborhoods, mothers and fathers who fear for their sons' safety when they go off to school, or just to go buy a pack of skittles. >> so jason, she brought up that issue, the criminal justice issue. she has been reaching out. she has reached out to many civil rights leaders, including me that are involved in what is going on today. but another reason she needs to address it jason, and jimmy may not agree, is because some of
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those policies started under president bill clinton. and a lot of that mass incarceration, those laws started under her husband, who has admitted that some of that has gone too far, and many of us were pressing him then. >> well, yeah. i watched some of senator clinton's speech today when she was talking to the businesswoman there. and it's very interesting how she sort of has this buffet thing of well i like this about my husband's administration, but not this. and i like this about what obama did and not this. so she has to find a way to pick and choose what parts of the last two democratic president she likes and then explain how she differs. and yes, a lot of the mass incarceration, a lot of privatizations of prisons, a lot of those things go back to her husband's administration. i think the more she talks about these issue, criminal justice and race, not only does that appeal to minority voters that appeals to young people period, and they are essential to her wing. >> also, jimmy, she had a big
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focus today on minority women. i want to play some more of her speech on that. >> take the issue of equal pay. [ applause ] i don't think i'm letting you in on a secret when i say too many women still earn less than men on the job. and women of color often make even less. >> that's a very important issue and i think politically wise as well as just morally correct, jimmy. >> yeah. but let me back up and tell you that i do agree with you that what she did for all intents and purposes in that speech at columbia university was to refute a large part of her husband's legacy on criminal justice reform. also by the way, vice president biden was on the judiciary committee and ushered many of those reforms. in i lo would love to know where he is. pay transparency the minimum wage, what people don't know is around 13% of all small
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businesses in south carolina are on the other hand by african americans. they make up 38% of the population. and women, he sat at a panel of women today, women minority small business owners. and she had this conversation with them. it was fabulous. and this is what she is doing throughout the country. the republicans are going to pan this. but here is the question. which republican candidate is actually sitting down with small business owners of african american persuasion and saying to them tell me what you need? none of them. hillary clinton is doing it. and that is why she will carry the african american vote throughout this country by a huge number. >> all right, now, i want both of you to stay with me because i have a special guest joining us. edith childs from greenwood, south carolina made a big splash during the 2008 presidential campaign. she coined the obama campaign slogan "fired up, ready to go." >> fire it up! >> fire it up.
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>> ready to go. >> ready go. >> fire it up. >> fire it up. >> ready to go. >> fire it up! >> ready to go. >> fire it up. >> fire it up. >> ready to go. >> ready to go. >> now today edith childs attended hillary clinton's speech in south carolina, and she joins us on the phone now. thank you for being here ms. childs, thank you so much, reverend sharpton for having me. >> now, are you fired up and ready to go for hillary clinton in 2016? let me get right to the point. >> get right to the point. i was fired up and ready to go for president obama. i can't do the same thing for both of them. so i'll give her half of what i gave him. >> oh, so you just warmed up a little bit. we won't say you're hot. you're warm. >> i'm warm. >> all right. >> do you think other south carolina democrats are over what happened there in 2008? >> i feel that they are.
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because we were able to weather the storm and get him elected. not one time, but two times. and i think that we have to say okay, we going to move on. because better things are ahead. and what we're looking at now, from what she says today, and she looked like she was really sincere in what she was saying okay. and i felt comfortable with it. okay. and i think she can change things, not just for african american but for all people. >> now, so you were impressed today. you say you feel comfortable? >> i feel comfortable. >> all right. now, i understand you have a new slogan for hillary clinton's campaign? >> yeah. but she hasn't asked for it. >> so you won't give to it me on "politicsnation"? you're going to wait for her to ask for it? >> she doesn't ask for it then i'll keep it. >> all right. you can't blame a brother for trying.
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jason, how do you react to ms. childs' assessment? >> i love it. can i just say the first campaign i ever ran out of college was in south carolina and i feel like i'm back home. look, this what hillary clinton's got to do. she's got to be able to speak to everybody under all circumstances. and faking a southern drawl when she does a drive-through is not going to be enough. she's got to speak to people like ms. childs. she's got to speak to the community on a regular basis. i think that she can do that. i think that it's not just speaking to minority women there. she has been speaking at delta sigma theta. she has been speaking at sororities around the country. i think hillary clinton learned the lesson of 2008. i think she is going to win over some people. she is going to get that slogan. she is going to get that new catchphrase by time this campaign is over. >> i'm going to look for how warm ms. childs is will determine a lot of where we see the forecast going. you can't turn her on you can't turn south carolina out. >> exactly.
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>> keep us on her radar screen whether she wants to or not. >> all right, all right. ms. childs, thank you so much. jimmy williams, jason johnson. and especially to you, ms. edith childs. thank you all for your time tonight. >> thank you very much. >> thank you so much. and have a blessed evening. >> bless you. >> okay bye-bye. coming up, you got to hear what some on the right are saying about the justice department and president obama's push for smart policing. also a massive bribery and a corruption scandal rocks the world's most popular sport. and an undercover report on how corporate lobbyists tried to influence lawmakers. there is something they don't want you to know about. >> can we do an interview with you? >> actually no. >> can you please turn the camera off? >> no, we can't turn the camera off. that's one thing we don't do. >> okay. then i'd like to have you escorted out of the building then.
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but first, another headline from hillary clinton's event today. getting personal. talking about how presidents get older in the white house. >> i may not be the youngest candidate in this race. but have i won big advantage. i've been coloring my hair for years. [ applause ] so you're not going see me turn white in the white house.
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county, texas, where officials are still looking for nine people including laura mccomb and her two young children, who disappeared when their vacation house was swallowed by a river. this afternoon authorities announced they found the bed of michelle sharper, a family friend of the mccombs. michelle's husband, son, and parents are still missing following the floods. this afternoon, her sister spoke to nbc news. >> i'm going to keep moving forward looking for them as long as i can maintain this. because i know it can't last forever. that's -- i mean i think god has given us this will because he wants us to keep looking. >> meanwhile, as the searches and cleanup continue parts of
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the region still under flood warnings threatened by more storms that could bring dangerous amounts of rain to the area through the weekend. we'll continue to watch this story. ♪ if you're looking for a car that drives you... ...and takes the wheel right from your very hands... ...this isn't that car. the first and only car with direct adaptive steering. ♪ the 328 horsepower q50 from infiniti. 73% of americans try... ...to cook healthy meals. yet up to 90% fall short in getting key nutrients from food alone.
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let's do more... ...add one a day men's 50+. complete with key nutrients we may need. plus it helps support healthy blood pressure with vitamin d and magnesium. concacaf. breaking news on the major corruption scandal, kicking one of the world's most popular sports. most americans know fifa soccer's governing body from its flagship event the world cup. the tournament generates ibm ss billions of dollar, giving fifa officials massive influence.
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tonight top fifa officials are accused of taking bribes to decide where the world cup is. this morning, seven officials were arrested in switzerland with plans to extradite them to the u.s. nine soccer officials in all, plus five others face charges from the department of justice. >> they held important responsibilities at every level, from building soccer fields for children in developing countries to organizing the world cup. instead, they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves. >> the indictment spans 24 years and $150 million in alleged bribes. charges include wire fraud, racketeering, and moneylaundering. corruption in the 2010 world cup selection process, and bribery in the 2011 fifa presidential election.
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here is why this matters. this is about more than sports. as attorney general lynch says this impacts children. many of them in developing countries. the group's decisions affect communities, city, and countries. protecting those communities from corruption is a matter of justice joining me now is george vecsey. and author of "eight world cups: my journey through the beauty and dark side of world soccer." and from "sports illustrated." thank you both for being here. >> thank you. >> george my take on this is these corruption charges, they're bigger than sports is my take on this. it impacts kids across the globe. what is your take? >> it certainly impacts kids. it also impacts american
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multinationals. it impacts networks that sponsor it. it impacts a lot of businesses that are sending a lot of money in the direction of fifa and the friends of fifa. one of the things i learned today that i was gratified to see in the indictment is the dummy organizations, the intermediate organizations that were handling money from corporations like the ones in america, and it never quite got to the children of the world. so the money is going in envelopes to all these middle people in these middle organizations. that's not exactly soccer balls bouncing around in trinidad or africa or asia. >> mark the charges don't touch the fifa president. many are wondering how that is possible. >> well, sepp blatter has been able to insulate himself from scandal after scandal regarding the world cup and fifa. and he seems to have insulated himself this time. but the officials that have been implicated reach up almost to the level of sepp blatter, who
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is the swiss president of fifa and who is up for reelection. >> isn't it this week -- >> scheduled for this friday. uefa, which is the european federation has asked for postponement now of that election. any respectful leader of an organization faced with this kind of scandal would step down. but sepp blatter is just not that kind of guy. >> george, fifa promotes itself as a socially responsible organization. here is a video it produced. watch. >> the game changes as it grows. so do fifa's responsibilities. its flagship event, the fifa world cup provides the finances to sustain fifa's wider mission, to develop the game touch the world, and build a better future. fifa supports programs around the world that are using football as a tool to tackle pressing social issues. >> pressing social issues. that's a stark contrast to what we see today, george.
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>> well i want to be fair to fifa and say that it has moved the world cup to places it never went before. i was at the world cup in south africa in 2010. it was a lovely event. the south africans did terrific. bully for fifa. but on the other hand, when fifa brags about doing things for young people they talk about places like trinidad where jack warner the former president of the regional association i understand is in jail this evening, can't make bail or they won't give him bail. he managed to get fifa money or regional money to build a stadium and a field for children. oh and by the way, it happened to get built on land that was owned by the warner family. and the building was never registered with fifa. so that stuff goes on all over the world. warner happened to be a master at it. >> so are they living up mark to their own standards? >> i think at the highest level, they're not. at the grassroots level, fifa
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it controls the rules of the game. so if your kid is playing aso soccer, he is playing the rules that fifa lays out for them. but at the highest level when you're talk about billions of dollars earned by the world cup that are supposed to be spread out to the 209 countries in fifa to develop grassroots soccer and promote the game, no that money is being skimmed off the top by these corrupt officials. >> george, your paper, "the new york times" has a tough piece out, writing, quote, fifa has been accused of running a kind of strip mining operation, removing with its corporate partners much of the profit and leaving the host countries with stadiums that are seldom used discarded stage sets for an international television audience. generally, what impact does fifa have on the communities and cities where it holds its tournaments? >> none. none. i mean, they'll put up banners, and they'll hold little things
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while the event is going on. but that's local energy too in brazil or france or places where i've seen nice outdoor things. but when fifa leaves, it leaves behind stadiums. and brazil has many stadiums. south korea, a fairly affluent or emerging country built stadiums for 2002 that never got used well again. so -- and of course you can say the same thing about the olympics. but i tell you from having covered both for decades that fifa makes the olympics look like the boy scouts and the girl scouts. >> george vecsey and mark mravic, thank you both for your time tonight. >> my pleasure. >> coming up, the justice department settles with the cleveland police department. now some on the right are blaming the department of justice and the president for violence. how does that make sense? and scott walker is talking about gotchas.
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. breaking news out of nebraska tonight, where lawmakers have voted to end the death penalty. this afternoon, nebraska's legislature voted to override the republican governor's veto of the death penalty ban. they passed this last week. today's vote makes nebraska the 19th state to end the death penalty. the vote was bipartisan and a very important step, especially in a red state. this is a political, moral, and religious issue. and today these nebraska lawmakers did the right thing.
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from some on the right to the justice department's plan to reform the cleveland police department. the deal says cleveland police can't hit people in the face with guns or use force just because people talk back or tase people when they don't have to. it seems like common sense. nothing controversial there. but not to the head of the republican party. >> the justice department takes steps to make the local cops look guilty and promises them relief. i say if you just sign on to what we want to do we'll make it look like you're not resisting change. and that is how the federal government is taking over police department after police department all over this country. and the danger here is that the obama administration's theory on policing is going to lead -- look at baltimore. >> the surge in violence in baltimore is tragic. but what does that have to do with involving the -- and
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improving the police department in cleveland? absolutely nothing. but this is the kind of talk that we are hearing. and it's becoming a theme. >> what we're looking at in terms of this administration, because what we are looking at in my judgment is an outright campaign against law enforcement. >> well welcome to president obama's 21st century transformation of the institution of policing. and it's been a disaster. >> crime is going to go up. it's going to happen in baltimore. it's going to happen in cleveland. it's going to happen in new york. it's going to happen everywhere you point fingers at cops. >> reforming police departments isn't pointing fingers. it's about addressing abuses and rebuilding trust. that kind of reform will drive down crime and help officers do their jobs more effectively. and it's irresponsible to blame violence on those working to make our police departments better for all involved. joining me now is mark claxton
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from new york city police officer and director of black law enforcement alliance. and jonathan capehart of "the washington post." thank you both for being here. >> thanks, rev. >> thank you. >> mark isn't it important for the justice department to step in and address issues in places like cleveland? >> it's absolutely important. it's vital. and what is interesting is much of what you've mentioned previously and what was in the justice department recommendation list are things that basically reaffirm that which is already on the books. in the police department's own regulations themselves. but it's vitally important that there be some level of oversight on police agencies. we cannot allow any police agency to operate independently of the law and of the federal government. we just can't allow that to happen. it doesn't need to be a situation where we're federalizing police. but there must be some oversight and monitoring of police actions. >> jonathan was there any
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question the cleveland police department needs to be reformed and the justice department needed to do it? >> absolutely. cleveland has been a city where there have been many fatal, deadly interactions between the police and citizens to mayor rice, look at the case that was -- where last week where the police officer was found not guilty in that shooting incident. >> so we've known for a long time that cleveland has had a problem and the justice department went in and looked at it. look the justice department is that place of last resort when citizens and elected officials who feel that a department particularly a police department has gotten out of hand where a third party can come in and make them straighten up. and if cleveland doesn't get its act together then the justice
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department has other tools in its pocket that it can use to push the cleveland police department to make changes that are needed. >> you know mark the obama administration has a wide platform of police reform. the justice department has investigated at least 20 police departments, including cleveland's. the administration also just banned the transfer of some military gear, like armored trucks to local police. and it will provide $20 million in grants for police to buy body cameras. how can critics call that a war on cops? don't these reforms help police? >> absolutely. and many of the criticisms are correctly dishonest and myopic and shortsighted really. on some level the right has assumed certain talking points and making these false equivalents or false parallels between the call for reform, the
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need for reform and reform legislation with an increase in crime. it is absolutely just overly simplistic. and law enforcement and policing doesn't operate in that manner. and those who spew those types of things are really not fully knowledgeable about the comprehensive approach that is needed for public effective service in law enforcement. >> jonathan ferguson exposed how cities actually raise money by locking people up for minor offenses, and then imposing stiff fines. but now st. louis county is receiving $150,000 grant to quote, develop a multistep plan to improve the local justice system with the goal of reducing unnecessary overincarceration. the st. louis police chief calls it a positive that came out of tragedy. isn't this the kind of move towards smart policing a positive step? >> oh absolutely. look, the president talks all the time about how there has
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been a rift between law enforcement and the communities they to serve. and particularly communities of color. when you do things like what st. louis is doing what cleveland is about to do what other jurisdictions have been doing to try to mend that rift policing gets better. community relations get better. and communities get safer. you know, when the right talks about how this is all president obama's fault, and how this is all some grand strategy and some war on police officers i asked them to go and look at the speech given by fbi director james comey and what he had to say about the relationship between law enforcement and communities, particularly communities of color, and then report back to us about whether there is some sort of race-specific war on police officers or if there is a grownup thinking behind what needs to be done to improve the relationship between law enforcement community, particularly communities of
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color as expressed by the fbi director the attorney general of the united states, and the president of the united states. >> when you see the president and you see the attorney general and mr. comey, the fbi director addressing these things, marq is there a cultural shift in this country? you were a police officer for years here in new york. >> sure. it appears that there is beginning to be a cultural shift in policing. but there has to be more of a commitment. not all of the commitment you spoke about is significant and huge. but the reality of it is transforming police and reforming police is evolutionary. it is a long-standing process and will take some time to really enact significant and substantive changes that people will feel on the street. but they are significant steps, and it's necessary that the federal government involve itself not only implementation of different policy, et cetera
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through the justice department for individual police agencies but the need for additional legislation that will force police departments to evolve into the 21st century. >> you know, jonathan the president addressed this issue in camden new jersey to focus on police success there. and their successes at lowering crime while rebuilding trust. look at this. >> to be a police officer takes a special kind of courage. and when you match courage with compassion, with care and understanding of the community, like we've seen here in camden some really outstanding things can begin to happen. perhaps most significant is that the police and residents are building trust. building trust. >> in camden jonathan violent crime is down about 20%.
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and a murder rate has been cut in half since 2012. i mean doesn't it show that policing reforms can really be good for safety? >> oh sure absolutely. i mean those numbers speak for themselves. in camden, for a long time there was considered one of the most dangerous places in the country. particularly the most dangerous place in the state of new jersey. and so for those numbers to drop that dramatically is a testament to what they're doing right in camden. and there is no reason why what they're doing in camden and other large cities crime is low can't be replicated in other jurisdictions without all the criticism that seems to come with it. >> and those numbers happen as they did reforms and as trust was built. marq claxton and jonathan capehart thank you both for your time tonight. >> thanks rev. >> thanks rev. ahead, the undercover report on how corporations literally help write your laws. you want to see what the
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lobbyist said to the lawmaker in the hotel bar. also, a gotcha for scott walker. talking about women's health rights. try alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. they work fast and don't taste chalky. mmm...amazing. i have heartburn. alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. time upon a once people approached problems the way same. always start at the starting. and questions the same asking. but that only resulted in improvements small. so we've got some ideas new. garbage can create energy. light can talk. countries can run on jet engine technology. when you look at problems in ways different you new solutions find. ♪ ♪ i hate cleaning the gutters. have you touched the stuff? it's evil. and ladders... awwwwwww!!!!!
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lawmakers. wxia investigative reporter brendan keith went to one of those secret alec meetings. we'll talk to him in a minute. but first, here is part of his report. >> we can't show you what's behind this closed door. a place where legislators and corporate lobbyists have an equal vote. a place they don't want you to see. >> you need to be credentialed. >> we are credentialed. we're georgia media. are there legislators in there? are there legislators in there? we are georgia credentialed media. >> please step over here. >> what? there is georgia legislators here. are laws being made in there? this isn't the state capitol. it's a hotel in savannah where lawmakers are wined and dined as members of the american legislative exchange council, or alec. what is alec? >> it's a corporate bill mill. they're cranking out legislation, putting it into the hands of legislator who go back
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and file. >> alec bills come complete with blanks where legislators need only fill in their state name like the asbestos claims priorities act. this georgia law that now prevents many asbestos victims from suing corporations. >> this is money from corporations to legislators, but it's being filtered through alec and they get a tax write-off? >> well, al select a 501-c-3 operation. >> donations are 100% tax deductible, and fund education efforts for legislators. who is doing the educating? inside that closed door committee room in savannah we couldn't show you, we saw the lobbyist for the cell phone industry seated across from georgia state rep ben harman right before we were pulled out. >> we're credentialed to observe legislators here in georgia wherever they meet to discuss laws. he is calling for backup. alec staffers had four offduty sheriff's deputies standing by while we talked with the group's director of communications. can we do an interview with you?
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>> actually no. >> why not? >> if you please turn the camera off. >> no, we can't turn the camera off. that's one thing we don't do. >> okay. then i would like to have you escorted out of the building. >> i'm a guest of this hotel. i'm actually staying here. >> you are saying at this hotel? >> yes. here is the question. if georgia legislators are meeting here, we're credentialed right here to see georgia legislators making laws. are they discussing things that could become law here? >> they're participating in discussions where they're learning from others. >> why can't the people who elected them see the process? >> is a private meeting. >> a private meeting paid for by whom? >> by our members and donors. >> our lobbyist, correct? >> no. >> are you here for this conference too? >> i'm a lobbyist. >> we met two lobbyists and a state representative from new england in the hotel bar the night before and recorded our conversation. >> do you have to pay your own way? >> well, on a trip like this i'm a state [ bleep ] state chair of alec.
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and i look for financial supports. >> right. >> lobbyists and the like. >> to send awes couple thousand bucks every so often. that gives me money to help those folks with. now on the other hand -- >> we pay more to be here. so it helps support them. >> you. do you do. >> i see. so the lobbyist fees to come to the event actually help subsidize the legislator coming here. >> are lobbyist correct? >> no. they're not lobbyists. the ones we recorded in the bar last night aren't lobbyists? >> he signals to the sheriff's deputies. >> we're going to ask you to leave. >> i'm a guest of the hotel, sir. >> not for long. >> i'm a paying guest of the hotel. >> we'll take care of that. >> go to your room and get your things. >> did we violate some law or something? are we violating a law here? >> don't say nothing. >> we reached out to alec for comment on this story. so far we have not received a response.
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now let's bring in the wxia reporter you just saw, brendan keith. thank you for being here, brendan. >> thanks rev. >> so did you expect to see that much resistance at the resort? >> actually we did. first and foremost investigative journalism is alive and well in america, and it's alive and well here at 11 alive. my team katie beck, shawn hoeder, we knew we were going have trouble getting in there. we knew the we accepted their credentials, we would accept the restrictions on recording there. what we did is we went in to show the people laws being discussed between lobbyists and legislators in that fabled back room we've always heard of. we knew we were going to get some resistance. we didn't know that six police officers would be there on the payroll to stop us from getting in. >> what do lawmakers legally have to report about their travel to these meetings? >> in georgia, nothing, rev. in georgia they don't have to
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report any of this on any ethics filings, campaign filings, even the lobbyists don't have to report this. in fact, there were lobbyists in that room in georgia lobbying georgia legislators who didn't even have to register as lobbyists because the money was going through alec which is a 501c-3 charity. we the people can't see in that room. but we the people are subsidizing all of this because they get a tax write-off, the corporations, and then they turn around and subsidize the trips for the lobbyists to go there or the legislators to go there there is a direct line between the legislation and the money, and we're not allowed to see it. it's really about transparency. >> as of 2013 38% of georgia state lawmakers were members of alec. how widespread is alec's influence right now? >> well, we've tracked dozens of bills in the georgia legislature. we just happened to pick the asbestos bill which is law here, which we tracked to a back room at the venetian hotel in las vegas. the idea that there is a law right now where i'm sitting in
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atlanta, georgia that governs all georgians and it was born in a casino back room where the people weren't allowed to see it. some georgia legislators proudly announce they're members of alec. they've even passed legislation patting each other on the back there is nothing wrong with lucky. it just has to be transparent. in georgia they don't even have to tell us when we file an opens records request because the lawmakers have exempted themselves from the law that is supposed to make georgia government more transparent. >> brendan keefe, great reporting. thank you for your time tonight. >> thanks rev. coming up, an uplifting story from chicago, and a police department building bridges with the community with a daddy-daughter dance.
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you can tell governor scott walker is getting pretty good at his whole running for president thing. because he is starting to attack the media. >> well i think a little bit of it is the media is a gotcha. some do it at least. >> did he say got you? his example, criticism he took over state-mandated ultra sounds for women seeking legal abortions. >> we signed a law that requires an ultrasound which the thing about that the media tried to make that sound like that was a crazy idea. most people i talk to whether they're pro-life or not, i find people all the time who get out
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their iphone and show me a picture of their grandkids' ultrasound. my sons are 19 and 20. well still have their first ultrasound pictures. it's just a cool thing out there. >> did he really just say it's a cool thing? there is no medically necessary reason for a woman to have an ultrasound before terminating a pregnancy. so why sign the law? >> we just knew if we signed that law, if we provided the information that more people if they saw that unborn child would make a decision to protect and keep the life of that unborn child. >> oh so he thought he could guilt women into not having a medical procedure that is perfectly within their rights. >> well i think a little bit of it is the media as a gotcha. >> he is very wrong on women's rights. but he is right about one thing. we got cha. >>hey. keep your chin up. for years, heinz ketchup has been with the wrong mustard. well, not anymore. introducing heinz new better tasting yellow mustard.
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patrolling the streets. it's about being a part of the community. last friday dozens of girls from the community came out to the police department's first ever daddy-daughter dance. it was a huge success. fathers and daughters danced the night away. but girls without fathers weren't left out. police officers stepped up and volunteered to escort each girl without a father for the entire evening. >> we want to you know give that positive role model for our young people. >> reporter: 13-year-old briget payne was one of the girls paired with the police officer. >> this is a one in a lifetime thing because some people don't really associate with their fathers. once you come out and dress up and dance, it's kind of a nice day. >> they actually get a chance to find out that the police are not -- people we just happen to have uniforms on. >> community and police need each other. they need to be able to work
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together. they need to know each other and build that trust. and dances like this is a step in that direction. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. rand paul blows the whistle. let's play "hardball." >> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. and tonight a republican whistle-blower and a presidential candidate to boot. senator rand paul of kentucky calls his party out for isis and the stupid disastrous war thatore apart iraq. whatever you think of paul, this takes guts. here he was on the morning show today. let's watch. >> a lot of people are trapped inside the beltway. and they think that war is always the
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