who wanted her own tolerance, even accepting views. i believe that. and on this issue, i'm the one sticking to my guns. again, happy birthday nancy. i once called you a hot chick on tv. here it goes again. happy birthday, you hot chick. that's "hardball" for now, thanks for being with us. more politics ahead with al sharpton. >> president obama unloads on republicans. now are they ready to compromise? tonight, budget, boiling point, the president says quit using the debt ceiling as a gun. against the american people. republicans, he's not playing. michele bachmann makes a move. she is surging in the polls. is mitt romney getting the message now? plus, america, meet the new spokesperson for the gas and oil plot. just wait null hear about how the congressman defends

subsidizing america's richest companies. and is george w. bush secretly plotting to ruin a fellow texans presidential hopes? welcome to shot, i'm al sharpton. tonight's lead, fight to the debt. at a twitter town hall today, president obama blasted republicans for using the debt ceiling as a hostage in budget talks. >> the debt ceiling should not be something that is used as a gun against the heads of the american people to extract tax breaks for corporate jet owners. >> today, republicans definitely did not sound like they are in a mood to make a deal. at the white house, budget talks that are set for tomorrow. >> thursday's meeting will give us a chance to see if the president means what he says. until now the president's proposal are frankly

indefensible np. >> so will republicans compromise even a little to get a deal or do they just want to be the party of no? joining me now, is republican congressman joe walsh from illinois. freshman lawmaker elected just last year with tea party support. so congressman, are republicans using a gun against the american people in these budget talks like the president says? >> hey, reverend sharpton, good to be with you. hey, i got to, just to start, i'm amazed he uses that type of analogy. if a republican talked that way, the media would jump all over him. the man's got no shame. look, this debt ceiling issue, this crisis, has got to be dealt with. we're not holding a gun to anybody's head. but i am not going to place another dollar of debt on the backs of my kids and my grand kids unless this city structurally changed the way they spend money. >> wait a minute.

no shame, so therefore you are saying that it is not shameful for republicans to say that seniors with medicare and people that are poor with medicaid should sacrifice but people with private jets with all kind of corporate loop holes they shouldn't sacrifice? we're talking about shame here? >> again, reverend sharpton, the president's got your talking points. if i had a dollar for every time he said tax on private jets, i'd be a millionaire. he does not understand, and i said this last week, the train passed him by. he doesn't understand how serious the spending crisis is and he has no clue to what he has done to contribute to this crisis. >> let me ask you, congressman -- >> people passed him, al. >> if it is that serious then why are we talking about those that have the most, not have the most and the american people have passed him by, then why

according to all of the polls that we have seen, the american people seem to be on the opposite side of what you're saying. american people are clearly saying they want to see the rich pay more. they clearly want to see medicaid and medicare not be touched. so what american people are you referring to? 81% want to raise taxes on millionaires. 74% want to end oil and gas subsidies. 76% want to protect medicare. what american people are you talking about? >> here's who i'm talking about. i'm talking about the american people who sent people like me to washington in january. they did not like the fact that he added $4 trillion to our national debt in a mere three years. look, here's what i'm talking about. you want to poll reverend sharpton, 70% of the american people support a balanced budget amendment to the constitution because they don't -- they don't -- they don't believe that politicians in either party are

going to balance their books like most americans have to. i have a balanced budget amendment in front of the house. the senate's got the same. we will change the way this town does business. we've got an opportunity here to pass a balanced budget amendment. and mr. sharpton, reverend sharpton, wouldn't that be a great thing? >> would what would be a great thing is if we were able to deal in a rational way where american people are protected, that are working class people. and not just protecting one end of the american economic ladder, those of the wealthy. would you say, right now, looking at the american people that you just talked about, that you would go foreseeing those at that are wealthy, begin to pay their fair share? just go back to the taxes they had before they got a cut. don't raise their taxes. let's just go back to to the normal taxes they paid before they were given a tax break. would you agree to that? >> again i think -- >> would you agree to that,

congressman? >> hold on, reverend. we would solve the deficit crisis again if the nation had a dollar every time the president raised a tax on private jet owners. he's not serious. >> i didn't ask you about the president. i asked you about congressman walsh. >> i'm telling you he is playing politics. >> would you look at that camera and tell the american people that you would love to see this country get on its economic shell foot by -- going back to where we have the same taxes that we had before the rich got their tax cuts because clearly by any number of studies, if we went back there, we would gain a lot of money to cover just about where we lowered this deficit over a period of years. >> reverend sharpton, you make me a pledge. come out to my district with me. >> i'll come -- just answer my question.

>> -- reverend, they are overtaxed and overregulated to death. this president is destroying the private academy in this country. so when he talks about a tax on private jet owners, i don't take him seriously. he's been doing nothing, sir, but playing politics for five months. the country tuned him out. >> third time. you keep tell meg about the president. i know your feelings about the president. i'm talking about you. will you say that we need to go back to the prebush tax cuts so we can cover the deficit? will you say that we need to quit giving a discount to those that have the most so that the people in your district will be able to deal with some of this deficit being brought down and we have a fair tax in this country. >> are you ready for an answer? >> i've been ready for an answer three requests. i would love one now. >> here you come, no. this country in one word, no. this country is overtaxed and overregulated. this city of washington, d.c. has a spending problem, sir.

we are spending way our kids and grand kids futures. the republican nets house understand that. the senate hasn't passed a budge net two years. >> really? let me show you something. we eliminated -- let me tell you something -- let me give you an answer. look at this graph. if we have the bush tax cuts right now, we would have $3.9 trillion over ten years. $3.9 trillion is what we would have. you're going to tell me it doesn't mean anything to the people in your district? that doesn't mean anything to the american people. when we are facing this deficit -- >> reverend sharpton, you're not being honest sir. >> there are people on veteran affairs, that doesn't mean anything. >> reverend, you're not being straight. you want to balance the budget by taxing american people, you have to tax all of them. bologna, you are going to have to tax all of them. you cannot tax this country to death.

reverend sharpton. that's what this president is doing. you want to do something, substance, pass a balanced budget amendment. >> we will. thank you for your time. >> thank you, reverend sharpton. >> now msnbc political analyst pat buchanan. good evening, gentlemen. >> good evening, reverend. >> let me start with you mr. buchanan, how do you feel that the president started today, said today, in his twitter town hall meeting that republicans should not but a gun to the head of the american people. >> i think it is the president of the united states who is engaged in an act of ex trorgs. what he is doing reveren is this. he is telling the republicans in the house, look, you can go ahead and pass the increase in the debt ceiling that we want and you can pass the budget spending cuts that senate democrats, republicans agree upon. but if you don't give me new

taxes, i will veto it and put this country into default. that is an act extortion. >> what new tax mr. buchanan? >> what new tax, pat? >> are you going to let me respond or what? >> yeah, if you're going to respond. >> i'm going to respond. republicans believe in their heart and they have made a pledge and they don't know of economic philosophy where you raise taxes when the economy is flat on its back, al. >> how are you raising taxes to eliminate tax cuts. that's not raising taxes. >> you take the executive airline industry, here jet, cessna and others. you hammer them with taxes, which is what you're doing. that industry will go overseas, just like the yachts an boat industry went overseas. and put another tax on them. >> pat buchanan is having a

fitful for private airplane makers and yachts. his own words, not mine. i mean, my heart is really bleeding now. and to cancel tax cuts is not raising taxes bill. >> first of all, you know, i think, pat has written a 5 lot of books. pat is master of the english language. he knows damn well he isn't tell the truth when he says the president wants it raise taxes. he does not want to raise taxes. pat cannot tell one fax that president is raising. we have to raise the debt ceiling. everybody fr everyone agrees. this is big for the republicans. never done before with a long-term budget plan to bring down the deficit. now everybody agrees also there has to be a balanced approach. they agree to $1.6 trillion in cuts and what the president is saying is there's $400 billion in tax subsidies.

tax give ways, as al you mentioned, tot hedge fund managers, that we can no longer afford. now if republicans don't buy that, as david brooks said nothing in the new york times, they are idiots. they don't know how to govern. they won. they ought to take this deal. >> mr. brooks, conservative columnists, is saying come on. you are marginalizing yourself. can't even you even hear from your own people that ideal logically agreed with the republican line. >> well, look, reverend sharpton, you showed some polls a minute ago that showed 70 or 8 30ers don't agree with republican owns this or that or the other thing. if the republicans are standing up for their convictions and beliefs against the tide of public opinion, it may be political courage an political decision. i don't agree that brooks is a great conservative, al. i think i'm known as a conservative.

but let me talk about bill's points. you mentioned yourself, al, let's go back to bush rates. you are talking about raising taxes. we don't believe when the economy, when guys are out of work, 16% of our labor force is underemployed or unemployed, do you hammer the private economy. one more point. you mentioned yachts. i don't have a yacht. >> mentioned yachts. you mentioned airplanes. >> i went to bay water boats in georgia. they used to make a hundred boats a year. they were making one a month. all these working class guys. >> al, al, al. remember there used to be the old new yorker cartoon. a guy walks into this show room, right? the salesman says to him, if you have to ask what the price is, you can't afford it. it's the same thing. look, i'm goning it sit here and weep for the yacht owners and corporate jet owners. if they can't afford to pay the taxes, they can't afford the damn jet. but they do not deserve a

special break. you want numbers, that's 3 billion, right? as that. correct. >> 3 billion for corporate jets. that's $33 billion over ten years. 44 billion for managers. for people to walk away -- it is just dead wrong. >> who will win this? >> the republicans if they stai stand firm and they stand by their convictions. president obama will cave, al, as he always does. >> al, let me tell you be obama is not going to cave. republicans have already won. if they don't take this deal, i think obama should stand tough. take a lesson from date yob in minnesota. let them shut down the government and pay the price. >> he has to shut down the government, bill. he has the veto power. >> then veto the thing. pat, i'm waiting to see that the yachts have march around washington in the potomac river. big yacht protests by the elite. >> i saw down there, don't make

as much money as al sharpton does. >> and i'll pay whatever tax is my share and i won't explain complain about it. in the spirit of president president's town hall today, i will answer your twirter questions live. everything from the deficit to dead end, to republicans. fair game. so tweet me at thereval. coming up be with michele bachmann stop the mitt nominee express. she is the only one running with a real shot to stop romney. plus, bought and paid for. republican congressman defends big oil. and now, we know the real reason why. incredible republican hypocrisy made to order. and is the bush family working against a rick perry presidential race in it's

getting ugly down there in texas. and we'll have the story. compn with ginkgo to support memory and concentration. plus vitamin d to help maintain healthy blood pressure. [ bat cracks ] that's a hit. one a day men's. that's what people could say if you're still using a liquid foundation that can settle into your lines and wrinkles and make you look older. covergirl and olay floats above lines and makes you look younger. can your anti-aging makeup do that?

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>> michele bachmann did some of her crazy rhetoric and now she is surging in the polls. but we won't forget a record on her words. governor romney, you're welcome. that's next. ♪ [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol® to advil. here's one story. my name is tanya and i am from chicago. i'm a mom of 3 daughters. pan can really put a kink in my day and i turn into grouchy mommy. i used to take tylenol and now i take advil and i like it. it's fast and it's reliable. my family needs me and i need to be there for my family. [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil®. new newtons fruit thins.

real cranberries and delicious cranberry citrus oat... ♪ or real blueberries... ♪ ...and luscious blueberry brown sugar. the goodness of whole grains... and a thin crispy crunch. new newtons fruit thins, one unique cookie. >> gop presidential feel is in trouble and maybe in real crisis. the race is between mitt romney

and tea party queen, michele bachmann. no one else is even close. the field is so scattered that ron paul is tied for third place. even rudy giuliani is polling high and he is not even in the race. and the republican fund-raising is lower than john boehner's golf score. romney is trouncing the field with just over $18 million. but other establishment favorites like tim pawlenty and jon huntsman are barely hanging on. and newt gingrich's campaign is on life support. so is this it? or is michele bachmann emerging as the tea party's battering ram against the willard mitt romney? joining me now is richard wolfe and with me, editor at large for salon.com, joan walsh. let me ask you first. is the bachmann threat a real

threat, richard? >> well, she is a threat herself to mitt romney. but i actually think the space that she represents is more of a threat. look, she needs to call donald trump to figure out how this movie ends. can you rise very quickly on this kind of platform and then you sink very quickly. but what she is showing and what trump showed before her is that there is space for a populist insurgeant type of tea party candidate who can capture the spirit driving the base here. i personally don't think it will be her. i think it is going to be someone like rick perry or sarah palin but she is peaking too early. the one thing you don't do is too early in the summer before. >> are they waiting joan for another tea party hero to come from the wings like rick perry or sarah palin? is that what we are waiting on? >> i don't know that anyone is waiting. >> i think that a lot of her

represents somebody fresh and new and they like the choice of candidates they have. the longer she is in the race and the more reporters are digging into her background and the farm subsidies and medicaid to the clinic while she rails against federal funding, her husband's atrocious words about gay people, her own crazy words -- >> let's talk about that a minute, joan. she stayed out of same-sex marriage for the last little while. but she said publicly in the past, a lot about how same-sex marriage was a critical issue. her husband has referred to homosexuals as barbarians. if she stays out there, building the momentum, she tripled her support. if she doesn't peak early as richard says, will these things come back to haunt her? >> they will. she has a strong religious base that sadly may agree with her on

gay marriage. i don't know if they agree that gay people are barbarians, good christians wouldn't say that. but beyond that bay, i don't know where she goes. i think she is muting those points ever view right now, reverend sharpton. she is trying to make this, and they are all trying to make this, about the economy. so they think that is the club with which to batter president obama. her foster kids, there is just a lot that is not known about her. >> how would she do with women voters? joan and richard. when she is publicly quoted about how she is submissive to her husband. how will that play? she said so n 2006 that she preached and that she is submissive to her husband and that she got a law degree because her husband said to and

that women need to lead submissive lives. >> it depends on who you are talking about. i think what is interesting about the social conservative val values, i guess they are, is that they don't mesh with the libertarian streak that the tea party also represents. when they dip their toe into this social stuff, how do they carry on appealing to people who want people to live in freedom and live their own lives? so it is very prescriptive. it is actually monolithic saying women should follow a certain rule because i'm told this or that. that won't appeal to those libertarian, especially the younger voters. that's why i just don't think the bachmann version of the tea party is what will carry. that's why, in new hampshire when is really within -- she hasn't broken through. >> let's's look at the support in new hampshire. what does this really say in

terms of where this is stacked up now. support tripled since june. favoritebility among republicans up 26 points. is this something romney will overcome? >> i think romney has a lot of problems. he won the great quarterly fund-raising primary, right? except he lost to one person. and that is mitt romney, at the same quarter, in 2007. he outraised himself four years ago. it is an interesting time because clearly, just like wealthy republicans are not creating jobs, they are sitting on a lot of political money. they are not sold on this field and they are not generous with anyone. no one is really blowing everyone away cared with past races. since we all lived through 2008, and i remember the beltway clamor. this field is terrible. we will get somebody else in

here. we got fred thompson and he went nowhere. at a certain point it is too late to get in. i know that says sarah palin but i don't see it. i do not see her running. >> will slin sarah palin or rick perry entering the race be their solution? can either one of them come in the race and energize and bring vigor into what seems like a dull bunch right now? >> i think they can, reverend sharpton. er with looking at a short term attention span. these people have a national brand. and the enthusiasm level for these guys -- >> would they hurt the ultimate goal of winning in november? they may at one level bring some excitement but would they push the parties so far to the margins that it ends the race in november? >> that's academic unless you win the nomination. these people can go national. take it to super tuesday.

raise big money for california and new york, and seal the deal there. but if you are mitt romney and you are sitting on 20 points in new hampshire, neighboring state where you own the property, 20 points ahead of michele bachmann. this is a weak field. anyone sitting on the side lines is thinking, hey, i don't need to take scrutiny. can i gloe blow this field apart. >> that points to palin. but i just have my doubts. we'll see. >> we thank both of you. msnbc political analyst richard wolfe and salon.com's joan walsh. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> mike kelly gets ripped at a town hall sticking up for big oil. his defense is our con job of the day. and is george w. bush secretly planning to take down rick perry's presidential campaign? stay with us. [ male announcer ] this...is the network --

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>> a republican congressman defending big oil, that's not new. what is new, doing it when you have investment in big oil companies. and that's our con job of the day. think congress reports mike kelly, when the conversation turned to oil subsidies, he voted for. >> so if you really want to

understand the whole thing, i would say, number one, we want companies to be profitable. >> folks, oil companies are doing just fine. on profits. exxonmobil made almost $11 billion in the first plea months of this year. we taxpayers subsidize oil companies to make more money. but wait until congressman kelly's other argument. >> anybody have a portfolio? okay, i want you to very carefully look at the portfolios. those are usually made up by companies. >> as for his portfolio, the congressman 2009 records show he had put up to $6 million invest need oil and gas companies. they were recently bought by exxonmobil. they are also involved with gas drilling in an area that cuts into the congressman's district. could this guy have any more connections to big energy?

turns out yes. the oil and gas industries gave more than $20,000 to kelly's 2010 campaign. usually we say politicians are bought and paid for. we don't mean literally. but mike kelly's relationship with big oil is not only too cozy for comfort. it's also our con job of the day. coming up, i'll be answering your questions from twitter. so tweet me at thereval. i'll respond to your questions at the enof the show. still ahead, bad blood between perry and bush revealed. this could get ugly. and hypocrisy alert. why are tea party freshmen can asking for hand outs. oh, yeah, we caught them. that's next. ♪ that's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh ♪

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>> welcome back to the show. now we will discuss some of the biggest political stories. we bring in our political panel. joining me georgetown university professor an msnbc plil plit cal panelist, michael dyson. also sam stein from the huffington post. and finally, matt lewis, senior contributor from the daily caller. are freshman republicans playing the hypocrisy game. you have how freshman are quietly begging supporting hometown projects while blasting spending in public. here is one example. representative steven fincher writes, the transportation department asking for $13 million and to days later they

have reckless spending. sam, it seems like they are trying to have it both ways. >> i think the the more honest interpretation is that they recognize there sr actual benefits. stimulus benefits to spend on infrastructure projects. it does help in jobs and in the districts. the explanation congressmen gave to me in researching for this article is, yes, they like the spending because it is effective. the spending they don't like is wasteful spending. what is waifrt wasteful is different in each of their eyes. >> how can you say that if you are doing intrastructure and you are building and creating jobs, it is wasteful. but if it is in my district, it is effective and efficient. you can't have it both ways, matt. >> right. no one wants their own ox gored. the definition of pork is spending in someone else's district. so it definitely looks

hypocritical. i would say that one could make the argument that it is entirely possible to be, for cutting spending, and also to be for a specific intrastructure project. but you're right, it doesn't look good. >> dr. dyson, does it look good or just straight out hypocritical some. >> i'm with you reverend al. it seems to be pretty hypocritical because one person's pork is another person's gain. if you are talking about infrastructure spending being good because it is targeted, specific, it andibles the communities and i'm sympathetic to those congressman because have you high rates of poverty and investment and the like, the reality is so many communities where this same problem occurs. yet those communities are written off as addicted to the public dough. this ends up being welfare for those who claim they are against welfare. this is end up being public assistance in the name of

furthering the public good and others turn a blind eye and deaf ear to it. >> so much for the tea party. it smooems seems in some areas, the tea party wants a little sugar in the tea. in others they want us to have it unsweetened. let me ask you this question, sam. there's been articles, published reports lately, saying that some of the new elected freshmen won't return after 2010. will some of these things come to haunt them and make them one term congress people where they got in on that they haven't lived up to the ideology that they haven't praeshed and helped ushered them in? >> on the one hand they want to bring jobs back to the district. to do that they need to get spending in the district. on other hand they have the fill is sof cal demand. so yes, they face a real bind here. i'm guessing a lot of them will

be axed because of eideological inconsistency. >> let me ask you another question, politically. matt, there are published reports about the tension between the bush family and rick perry. in fact there are those that suggest that bush family is about to do a texas two-step on rick perry's future. if they have similar accents. but the two texas governors, don't really like each other. bush people, back perry's opponent in the last republican primary. probably because he is too much of a real it. texan for them. what is going on here. is the bush family going to throw a wrench in perry's campaign? >> these rumors are true. it is ironic that one of the biggest arguments against rick per i have that he he is too much like bush, when in fact the

two don't get along. and this goes back for several years. i think that rick perry is a very real possible winner here. i think he has a lot going on for him. i think co-very likely win the nomination if he gets in. i do, i don't know that george w. bush will spend a lot of time focused on it. but you're right, they tried to stop him before and it doesn't work. you know. george herbert walker bush backed kay belly hutchinson when she primaried. he won by double digits. so they tried to stop him before. i don't think they can stop him again. but there is no love lost there. >> dr. dyson, there is nothing nor exciting that fighting in the right. will we see them destroy each other if romney doesn't excite anybody. >> it is a true blood sport. people were earlier on announcing that sarah palin wouldn't really jum npt race. she would use the juice to throw

it behind perry and perry will be the faf ritsz for the accolades. but i'm not sure if the boiling accolades for the bush party, so to speak, begins to interrupt some of the destein and structure of the perry candidacy. but i must say to you reverend al, it is a bit delirks delicious to see the in fighting and it makes the old heart go thund. >> sam, if pale lin comes in, says i'm not running, goes behind berry, helps get perry momentum to get the nomination, doesn't she become an al betros around the neck for the general? >> probably not. because there is a section of the republican party that really lovers sarah palin. that might be sufficient enough to win the nomination. what is really telling about this round of stories is how inconsistent bush is. it would be a surprise it a lost national observers. on the same token, in the last

couple of years, on the bush presidency, you did hear a lot of these types of complaints. >> wouldn't palin hurt a general election? >> if you moved it to the general election, yeah, it becomes a huge albetros. >> well, if we got there, does he get there being helped by having this tea party brand. i think matt that is the big question, whether the tea party at the end of the day helps or hurts the republican party? it might bring excitement but it might not be the thing that they really need if they are going to have a serious contest in 2012. >> i think the tea party helps. let me say this about rick perry. the thing i have going for him more than anything, first of all, he has executive experience. now the longest serving governor. he has the tea party appeal. appeal to social conservatives. he also has establishment

appeal. aside from the bush foengs who don't like him. set one guy who brings it all together. nobody else brings it together like that. that's why rick perry las a real shot despite the fact that karl rove -- >> he is unique. set only one i think is running for president of a union. thanks for a great panel discussion. >> thanks. >> thank you. >> ahead, is there an orchestrated campaign to ban affirmative action in america? our next guest, ward connolly, is leading person in that charge. but what does the right wing and their money have do with that? that's next. ♪ [ male announcer ] what is the future of fuel? the debate is over. ♪ lexus hybrid drive technology is designed to optimize any fuel source on the planet.

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>> we will debate the man leading the way on that and in the spirit of the president's town hall meeting today, i'll be answering your twitter questions tonight. tweet me@thereval. i'll respond later in the show. with bengay pain relief plus massage

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introduced in nine states over the last decade. the driving force is ward connolly, a political activist whose been spear heading this effort since the 90s. he says, he just wants a color blind society. but his financial records shows he's being fuelled by right wing cash, a network of conservative powerhouses have made sizeable donations to connollyes a civil rights group, among them, john moores and roux pert murdock. is this really a fight good b race and equality or is the right wing funding laws. joining me is ward connolly, from the american rights civil rights institute. we have talked about and you and i disagree on affirmative action. you call your group a civil rights group. isn't it really a group that is put together with the right wing can use your group to really

fight a lot of the things that civil rights groups are for in this country? >> no, it's not, reverend al. civil rights don't just come along to quote authorities. they belong to all-americans. from the 14th amendment to the constitution. 64 civil rights act which i would assume that people in the center and left would also support. >> no one would disagree with that. i didn't say anything about blacks and minorities. i said civil rights. women were impacted by the legislation you proposed in michigan that was just overturned. i didn't say anything about blacks and minorities, you did. you talked about the 64 civil rights act. you consider yourself a civil rights leader? >> i think so. >> you were involved in the 60s? you were 15 years old. were you involved in the civil rights movement in the 60s? >> i was involved in california. i was involved in the first fair

housing, passing of the first fair housing law, run for fair housing act. >> when was that? >> in 1962. >> all right. and were you involved with dr. king and others in civil rights movement in the 60s? >> no, sir, i was not. >> when did you become -- >> wait, wait, let me answer your question. >> when did you become a civil rights leader in your judgment? >> when i realize that many of those on your side of the aisle misappropriate that term and perverted it so it belonged to only certain people. >> when is that. >> when i was on the board of regence. i found that the university was giving points -- >> when is that? >> let me answer your question. when i found the university was giving extra points to certain people in order to achieve diversity and inclusion at the university of california. >> okay but you had no problem with people giving points to give contracts when you got a

contract when your company is n a racial set aside contract for energy. >> get your facts right, reverend. >> did you not get three contracts. one of them for a million dollars sir? >> no. a california building officials, which is it one of my clients. my firm didn't get it. get your facts straight, reverend. >> oh, okay. and your company worked with this contract and you had no problem with that at that time? >> no, not at all. because the contract -- >> for them to get a nonbid contract based on the fact they were a minority company -- >> they were not a minority company. it is trade association of building departments in the state of california. >> it was listed as a minority company, sir. >> it was not a minority country. california building officials, reverend al, is a state association -- >> so you are saying it was not a minority company that you had with you and your wife. >> no, sir it was not. the cop tact went to california building officials. >> and you did not get in contract and later say it was

repungent the things that you did, but was not affirmative action. >> i think it was repuggent in then and now. >> so now you -- >> reverend al, why don't you listen to what i have to say. people get contracts on private parties on the basis of their own merit. low bid. contract was given to california 3w50u8 building officials by the california building legislature because they were the only ones that were in the interest of local governments. >> i have to leave it there. but at least you conceded that what you said was repuggent in. i think again, civil rights are for everybody, you're right. and there is an even playing field and clearly when the courts just ruled that your initiative was unconstitutional, i think that's good for women and minorities.

everybody. thank you 3mr. connolly. [ male announcer ] this...is the network -- a network of possibilities. in here, the planned combination of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater access to all the things you want, whenever you want them. it's the at&t network... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say.

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>> in the spread of the president's twitter town hall, we have been asking you to sweet us on the big issues of the day. our first tweet. gop attacks on collective bargaining are not about budgets but about decimating huge democratic organizational tool. agree? i couldn't agree with you more. i think what happened is that they have tried to take away the rights of workers, trying to break unions because they see unions as major organizing entity to help the opposition of those that are trying do things that don't hurt the working class of this country. i have been around the country on that and will continue. so i agree with you wholeheartedly on that. second, franklin amoo tweets, the way to create jobs, especially for middle and working class americans is to rebuild and upgrade the nation's

infrastructure. i couldn't agree with you more. because as i travel the country, the bridges, tunnels, roadways, i mean, you're not talking about work that doesn't need to be done. we're not talking about creating jobs that are unnecessary. we need the infrastructure rebuilt and it would create jobs at the same time. from neweyes. he says please speak on the new georgia immigration law. my groont with fake id can be jailed equal to murder. i think that immigration is a civil rights issue. i think that we are dealing with states that are trying to nullify federal law. we must continue to fight it. i also got a lot of tweets from you that kind of liked our debate with congressman walsh. you know, i was in debates a lot in 2004. i