"politicsnation" with al sharpton starts right now. thanks, michael. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, the gop created a monster, and it's coming back to haunt them. the venom, the hate, and the ugliness we saw at tea party rallies four years ago are back today. only this time they're turning on their own. here is how. republicans, yes, republicans are being confronted at town hall meetings over obama care and a government shutdown threat. >> i think even if you do not believe in your heart number one it will pass, or number two it's appropriate, you need to represent us. and we're tired of having to come down on this again and again. >> let me talk to you a little bit about the consequences of what a complete government shutdown is. number one, that means your

troops in the field don't get paid. military is not -- i'm sorry, yes. well, of course i wouldn't do that. but that would happen. that -- well, now i listened to your question, and i'll let you have the microphone again if you want to. >> republican tom cole getting booed for saying that it's more important to pay the troops than hold a government hostage to right-wing demands. and he is not the only one. >> this is what the tea party wants to know. will you vote with mike lee and meadows here to defund obama care, yes or no? >> a thoughtful answer? >> i want yes or no. >> no. do you think harry reid is going to pass anything in the senate? >> it doesn't matter. well need to show the american people we stand for conservative

values. >> what kind of value system is shutting down the government? here is another republican congressman under pressure from far right extremists. >> can we depend upon you to vote against any budget bill that includes funding for implementation of obama care. >> please do. >> yay! >> if the budget went away tomorrow, if the government shut down tomorrow, it would not necessarily stop the affordable care act from being implemented. >> let's be clear. these guys still want to repeal obama care. they're still as radical as ever. all they're doing is trying to take a half step back from the ledge to let them fall off and commit political suicide. but radicals like ted cruise and other far right lawmakers are still feeding the tea party beast by calling for a shutdown. it's the same ugliness we saw four years ago.

where tea partiers crashed democrats at town halls. >> leave us alone. that's all we would ask. would you leave us alone. >> make sure that the government keeps its hands off my health care, but by the way, don't touch medicare. that is ironic, because -- >> historic health care summit led by president obama to review the details of the -- excuse me, excuse me. >> go home! >> excuse me. >> this is the problem. they created this monster and now they can't contain it. joining me now are krystal ball and jamal simmons. >> thanks. >> this is a battle for the soul of the republican party playing out.

can the tea party monster be contained at this point? >> they really have -- they really have a monster on their hands, because they encouraged this from the beginning. and they told the tea party not only are you right, but you are the rightful voice of the american people, and that we are 100% with you. so it's not a surprise that they're having trouble backing away from that ledge. i mean, i have to hand it to representative cole and these other republican representatives who are actually having the courage to step up and say we can't do this. but on the other hand, they're looking at the fact that if they actually shut down the government in an attempt to defund obama care, they would lose the house in 2014. so there are political realities here that they're just not willing to pass. >> no. and jamal, i think that when you have the shutdown debate, it's really caused major rifts in the party. and at one level, it may be some

temporary courage to stand up to the tea partiers at town halls, but at another level, it's to save yourself in the long run, because it's political suicide. i mean, look at the split and the debate going on in the party over government shutdown. >> i will not vote for any continuing resolution that funds even a single penny of obama care. >> i think this are more effective ways of achieving that goal. >> the american people shouldn't fund it. so that's what i intend to do. >> shutting down the government to get your way over an unrelated piece of legislation is political t political equivalent of throwing a temper tantrum. >> how can you be against obama care but vote for a budget that funds its implementation? >> american people get turned off with the threat of terror politics. >> really at each other, both sides of it really passionate, and a real split here, jamal. >> that's right.

they have painted themselves in a corner. they have hoisted themselves up on the tips of their own spear. what colloquialism you want to use, they're now in a position like tom cole said. they are being held hostage by the people who are throwing a political temper tantrum. they don't want to let anything happen in the government until they feel like it's okay. the problem for the republicans is they've actually got -- somebody's got to govern this country. and the people who know what it takes to actually run the country know you can't just shut the government down. and politically, they're in a much worse place later in you shut it down than you are today. >> now krystal, there is a video getting a lot of attention today. a mother who lost her son in north carolina, she tells the tv station how she planned to confront her congressman at a town hall. look at this. >> my son had a preexisting condition, a birth defect. and without that birth defect, he probably would have been able

to get insurance be. uthat birth defect prevented him from getting insurance. and without it, he could not get the care he needed. so he got colon cancer, and they caught it after it had already spread. so he died. under obama care -- >> i mean, that's a heart-wrenching kind of story. and she had the picture of her son, and she said she is going to a town hall and confront her congressman. but it kind of brings home the real life things that are happening to real people on the ground. >> that's right. >> these are not political just props somewhere that people are moving around a studio. >> that's right. when you just talk about it in the abstract, it's one thing. but when you actually see that mom whose son died because he couldn't get insurance coverage because of his preexisting condition, it does bring it home. and it makes you realize how unconscionable the republican position. they're not saying we don't like the president's plan. here is our plan. they're saying no, no, no.

we have no ideas of our own. the status quo is acceptable to us, which when you look at outcomes like that, it is absolutely unbelievable that anyone would settle for the status quo in this country. and during the health care debate, we never had the debate about whether people are entitled to have health care or not. and there are a lot of republicans out there who do not believe that people have the right, no matter their economic status, to have decent health care in this country. >> no doubt about it. you know, jamal, i want to get back to the attention in the gop a minute, because it broke open today with mitch mcconnell's campaign manager, was caught on tape bashing his boss. listen to this. >> between you and me, i'm sort of holding my nose for two years, because what we're doing here is going to be a big benefit to rand in '16. so that's the long vision. >> holding my nose for two

years. talking about working for mitch mcconnell. i mean, and this is on tape. he can't deny. he's obviously put out some statement. but a denial is not in it. if that's his view of his candidate, it certainty couldn't be very helpful to senator mcconnell's reelection. >> with friends like these you actually don't need an opponent here, right? just run the tapes. and what your friends have to say about it and call it a day. the problem for the republicans is they've got 30% of the country that is really angry, maybe less than that. but it's a minority of the minority party that is basically driving the politics of the entire -- >> right. >> their entire party. and frankly, holding up the progress of the entire country. so mitch mcconnell is running to keep his campaign manager happy, and their friends and rand paul and his friends, while nobody is worried about what is keeping the average person like this woman we saw a few minutes ago was going to keep her happy and her family healthy.

i think there are a lot of americans who really do just want the government to do something. do something to take care of their family. do something to take care of their kids. get education better off. get us a few more jobs, and then get out of the way so we can live our lives. but the republicans really have not figured out a way to get out of this box. >> and let me show you quickly why it is appalling to me, krystal, politically appalling, i mean just dealing with the politics of it. i want to show you a poll commissioned by the tea party patriots. it's their pole. if the government shuts down over obama care, 45% will blame republicans. 41% will blame the president. now this is their poll, saying more people would blame them than the president. i don't get it. >> well, in reality, it should be 100 to zero. >> right. >> people should be laying the blame with the republicans, because there is only one party that is threatening a government shutdown. this time there is only one

party that has been threatening government shutdowns since this president has been in office. so it drives me nuts when people say both parties need to compromise. no there is only one party intent on destroying our credit rating and shutting down the government. >> that's clear. krystal ball, jamal simmons, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you, rev. >> remember, you can catch krystal on the cycle, weekdays at 3:00 p.m. right here on msnbc. ahead, we're seeing new ugly rhetoric from the far right. reviving some old smears against the president. >> wp is not a citizen. >> what do we want? >> details. >> when do we want it? >> now. plus, why is john boehner playing golf with the king of the birthers, donald trump? and the right wing hatchet job against oprah winfrey. i'm responding tonight. and "reply al."

have a question, a comment? e-mail me. friend or foe, i want to know. "reply al" is coming. i'm beth... and i'm michelle. and we own the paper cottage. it's a stationery and gifts store. anything we purchase for the paper cottage goes on our ink card. so you can manage your business expenses and access them online instantly with the game changing app from ink. we didn't get into business to spend time managing receipts, that's why we have ink. we like being in business because we like being creative, we like interacting with people. so you have time to focus on the things you love. ink from chase. so you can.

have you joined the "politicsnation" conversation on facebook yet? today a lot of people were talking about the right wing attacks on oprah winfrey after she compared trayvon martin's death to emmett till. carolyn says like oprah cares. i think not. truth and facts always upset these fools. marlowe says oprah hit the nail on the hit. ignorant people hate hearing the truth. lilly points out she is not the first person to make that

comparison. what do you think? search "politicsnation" and like us to join the conversation that keeps going long after the show ends. the last four hours... have seen one child fail... to get to the air sickness bag in time. another left his shoes on the plane. his shoes. and a third just simply doesn't want to be here. until now. until right... booking now. planet earth's #1 accommodation site. booking.com booking.yeah ♪ now you can give yourself a kick in the rear! v8 v-fusion plus energy. natural energy from green tea plus fruits and veggies. need a little kick? ooh! could've had a v8. in the juice aisle. but, dad, you've got... [ voice of dennis ] allstate. with accident forgiveness, they guarantee your rates won't go up just because of an accident. smart kid.

[ voice of dennis ] indeed. are you in good hands? tonight a stunning undercover investigation that exposes the ugly truth behind a key part of the far right's anti-woman agenda. workers at a right-wing crisis pregnancy center in virginia are caught on tape literally lying to women about everything from abortion to birth control. in this clip, you'll hear a woman who went in to the center

for a free pregnancy test. she was being told by a staffer that condoms don't work. >> condoms are naturally porous. >> really? >> yes. so there is always a chance of them breaking there is always a chance of there being spillage, you know. and condoms don't, you know, secure you from stds either. >> of course that's not true. the cdc says latex condoms create an impermeable barrier to stds. in the next clip, that staffer even claims that birth control pills cause cancer. >> the first three ingredients in the birth control pill are carcinogenic there are studies that have shown women who have taken the pill for four years prior to their first pregnancy have a 46% increased chance of breast cancer. >> that is also not true.

in fact, birth control pills only slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. and it actually reduces the risk of other cancers. the so-called crisis centers get funding from the state anti-choice license plates. and they get lots of support from governor ultrasound bob mcdonnell. these so-called crisis centers give out false medical information to women in order to push an extreme far right agenda. the gop is waging war on women at the grassroots level, and it has to stop. joining me now is ilyse hogue, president of naral, pro-choice america who exposes these outrageous lies of the crisis pregnancy centers in virginia. thanks for being here tonight, ilyse. >> thanks for having me on, reverend.

>> now why did naral focus on these offenders and what should the public know about them? >> we've been looking at these centers all across the country for a very long time. because not only are they lying to women, but they're actually endangering women's health. aside from virginia, we're seeing states like ohio and north carolina take money from much needed programs that actually support families that need the help and moving them into these crisis pregnancy centers that try and shame and humiliate women and endanger their health by giving them the kind of information that you played for your viewers. this is the face of the anti-choice movement. and the politicians that stand with them like ken cuccinelli in virginia and like governor kasich in ohio that voters have a right to know that these politicians support these centers that intimidate women and lie to them. and they're often doing it with taxpayer dollars. >> now i want to play a little more of the audio for people to

hear. listen to this one. this is another part of the undercover audio from that crisis pregnancy center. listen to this. >> any time an innocent life is ended on purpose, that's called murder. there are so many lives destroyed by abortion. not only the woman, but anyone who she has a relationship with. it has the ability to completely destroy a woman's self-esteem, you know. hey, i just killed my kid. what kind of a person am i. you will face that child again one day. at the end of the world, you're going to know that was my child that i chose to kill. >> now elise, we all are entitled to our opinion. but can you imagine some woman that is a victim of rape or incest being told this kind of stuff? >> no. it's unimaginable. it's unthinkable. it's also really important that people understand that these crisis pregnancy centers are

using taxpayer dollars, and they're actually going into neighborhoods with a disproportionate number of poor women, women of color, women who already don't have enough access to the correct information to the kind of health care that reputable medical clinics provide. and not only are they endangering their health, but they're actually shaming them, and they're trying to humiliate them. these clinics stand on the opposite side of every established medical association, every psychiatric association. and as you pointed out, the cpc -- i'm sorry, the cdc. and that's why we're asking the question. what why do these politicians actually not only support these extremists and their war on women, but funnel taxpayer dollars through them? and i think the voters have a right to know. >> and it's not only the centers in virginia, it's a broader issue. it's part of a bigger war against women that the right wing and the republicans are waging. the fact of the matter is that

23 states have adopted abortion restrictions this year alone. just this year. and republican politicians aren't even trying to hide their views about women in the country. watch this, ilyse. >> before when my friends on the left side of the aisle here try to make rape and incest the subject, because the incidents of rape are very low. >> my goal, and the goal of many of those joining me here today is to make abortion at any stage a thing of the past. >> we don't want a country where abortion is simply outlawed. we want a company where it isn't even considered. that's the kind of america we want. >> so this is widespread throughout the republican party,

ilyse. >> yep. it's been a record year for anti-choice politicians to be driving their agenda through state legislatures. it's important to remember that this is part of what derailed the romney/ryan campaign. because these views are so out of step with the modern american reality of so many women and so many families. you know, most americans are having a hard time trusting politicians these days. but they trust doctors. and they trust women who are in the best situation to make their own decisions. the reason that they're making such advances is because most of them, unlike trent franks, who you showed, are actually doing these things in secret or changing the rules. the motorcycle safety bill in north carolina that they attached the abortion restrictions to, they actually depend on operating in streaksy like the pregnancy centers. because they though when americans know what they're really up to, they're not going to agree. and they're going to vote them

out of office. and by the way, reverend, if these folks really, really want to eliminate abortion, why are they giving out misinformation about contraception? these folks think there is one way to live their lives. it's their way. it's an extreme way. it's not the way most americans believe legislation should be done in this country. >> and you say many americans or most americans don't trust politicians. it seems like the way they are restricting women's right to choose, they don't feel that women should be trusted to make their own decisions. that's the problem behind these laws. >> right. absolutely. >> ilyse hogue from naral. thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you, reverend. still ahead, the new explosion of an old smear against president obama. that's right. birthers are back. from tea party rallies to the halls of congress. and the gop hate machine targets oprah winfrey, trying to

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pennsylvania's republican governor tom corbett is one of the most unpopular governors in the entire country.

he's the guy who signed a harsh voter id bill and who told women to just close their eyes when getting an invasive ultrasound. now he is getting exposed for his hypocrisy. telling others to tighten their belts why he is flying high on taxpayer money. >> governor corbett used a state police helicopter to shuttle him from harrisburg to yesterday's nascar race at long pond, all on the taxpayer dime. >> before these stock cars on long pond hit speeds close to 200 miles per hour, some race fans were stuck in gridlock just trying to get to their seats at pocono raceway. that wasn't a problem for governor corbett. he was driven from the state capital to hazelton. that's where a state police helicopter like this one took him to and from the raceway in pocono. >> taking a state helicopter on the taxpayer dime to go to a nascar race?

adding insult to injury, corbett's happy little helicopter ride came just five days after he -- after an event where he praised state government employees for coming up with money-saving ideas. this is classic republican hypocrisy. he is cutting budgets for everybody else, but making sure he can still travel in style. did corbett forget when chris christie got into hot water for taking a state helicopter to his son's baseball game? eventually, he paid back the cost of that trip. but so far corbett has refused to do so. did the governor think we would ignore his high-flying hypocrisy? nice try. but we got you. now, would you go? man: 'oh i can't go tonight' woman: 'i can't.' hero : that's what expedia asked me. host: book the flight but you have to go right now. hero: (laughs) and i just go?

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but lately, the right has gone too far. their rhetoric has been ugly, disrespectful, and offensive. right-wing protesters greeted the president when he landed in arizona this week. they weren't just protesting policy, they were personally attacking president obama. the arizona republic reports, quote, obama foes at one point sang "bye-bye black sheep", a e derogatory reference to the president's skin color. raised sign saying itch people the half-white muslim. others claim he wasn't born in america. >> i'm here to show my displeasure with our current poser in chief. >> and you call him poser in chief? >> yes. because he does not have a legal birth certificate for the united

states of america. >> what do we want impeachment. >> when do we want it? >> now. >> what do we want? impeachment. >> not a citizen. >> he's not a citizen? this type of talk is ludicrous. where could they possibly get it from? >> i don't know whether barack obama was born in the united states or not. i don't know that. but i do know this. it in his heart, he is not an american. he is just not an american. >> all i can tell you is the general consensus is he has produced a birth certificate. the question is it legitimate. >> somebody asks for my birth certificate, get it out and say here it is. >> let's go back and revisit some of these things, because americans have questions about not only about the irs scandal, but also about the president's validity. >> they said if it is truly

illegal, he shouldn't be there and we can get rid of everything. i said i agree with that. >> from the top down to the grassroots, the right wing is dehumanizing this president. is it any wonder that there is a gridlock in washington? that nothing can get done. the other doesn't even believe that our president should be president. no wonder they refused a compromise. even for the good of the country. joining me now are goldie taylor and ari melber. thank you both for copping on the show. >> thanks, rev. >> thank you, reverend. >> goldie, let me start with you. is it any wonder we can't get anything done? i mean, the other side keeps trying to delegitimize the president. >> i think, you know, i am all for a strong two-party system. in fact, i wish there were a strong third party. i think that's where the real work gets done in terms of moving this country forward. but, you know we have a system with checks and balances where our president gets together with

this congress and tries to really work it out. we haven't seen any of that over these years since president obama has been in office. i've called it obama derangement syndrome. there were people in this country who did not believe that we would elect an african-american president. in fact, they were outright stunned by it. they said he must have gotten in by fraud. and if not by fraud or a.c.o.r.n. or some other notion, then he must not be a legitimate president. so there were people, people who hold positions of power, unfortunately, who were sowing the sides that he is not legitimate. if you are members of the armed force, you don't have to actively negotiate with him in good faith. if you're the speaker of the house, if you don't believe that he is legitimate, then you don't believe that the laws he is working on or the policies putting forth. >> compromises. >> you don't work on compromise. >> and ari, the thing that gets me, there is a poll that came out in january that showed

republican voters still believe this birther stuff. 64% of gop voters said they believe president obama is hiding important information about his early life and background. no wonder americans are afraid to compromise. almost two-thirds of the republicans in that poll believe this birther nonsense. >> that's a shocking statistic, if you haven't been paying attention. if you have, you know that is the understood current of a lot of the standoffs. in the reporting i've done on this issue and also on voting rights, what i hear from a lot of african-american voters is, you know, first they went for him, and now they're coming for all of us. >> that's right. >> and the birth certificate thing, this birtherism is now going to the grassroots. as you have reported in north carolina and several states, you've got people literally saying we should legislate these not only idea requirements that you have to scare up birth certificate to get back in and get the very right that we earned so long ago, you know. >> it starts in arizona with id

for so-called immigrants which is latinos, racial profiling. then it goes to north carolina and other states. and the president, there is no stopping this. and you know, goldie, senator tom harkin, the democratic senator, he recently spoke about a closed or senate meeting that he attended. and he says, i'm quoting him, i'm not naming any names. but one senator got up from a southern state and said, well, you've got to understand that to my people down here, obama seems like -- and he thought for a second and said like he's exotic. i mean, this is a senator saying it. and we all know what he pauses and say exotic, what the connotation there is. >> well, he may have well just have called him colored, because i think that's really what he meant, that he is not really one of us, that he is not an american in his heart, as we heard some other congressmen saying earlier in the tape.

so if you can cast him as an other, cast him as an outsider, cast him as someone who does not believe in the very values embodied in the american dream, then you don't have to subscribe to the notion that you have to negotiate with him, that you have to pass laws, you can delegitimize his entire policy both foreign and domestic if you can accomplish that. and there are people out there clearly in the establishment, by the way, who are out there to sow this kind of dissent just for this very reason. >> ari, this week donald trump, the birther king himself, was out golfing, get this, with speaker boehner this week. and he went on fox and praised the gop. listen to this. >> first of all, is a very hard worker. and his focus isn't golf. it was work. >> but he was golfing with you. >> that's true. and we had a good time. but he is a good man. frankly, i think the speaker probably has the toughest job in country.

>> now, forget his golf game. donald trump, the birther king, the leader of that birther fringe having a golf game with the head of the republican party, with the speaker of the house. that sends all kinds of signals to me. >> i think it absolutely does. and donald trump was part of that famous clown car that all these republicans claimed they wanted to get away from in the early primary season, whether you had him as fake candidate, herman cain as a part fake candidate. they had a lot of problems, and they were doing all these autopsies after the election saying rev, we're going to change, we're going to move past this. but as you're pointing out, i think it is a problem for them. they had a guy here, donald trump, who peddled this crap, this affirmative action attack on the president, the birther attack, the delegitization, and the fact that he was fundraising for romney and is still friends with one of the most powerful republicans. >> doing interviews. >> i think it tells you a lot

more than the autopsy about where they still are. >> and you know, goldie, quickly, the president is getting ready to go on vacation. and the right wing is already getting their anti-vacation rhetoric going. look at this. >> yeah. real regular populist he is, isn't he. >> and then he is off to martha's vineyard for a vacation. and the mere mortals are upset because the roads are closed. >> i have no problem with president obama. if he likes to wear that little helmet and ride a bike in martha's vineyard, that's fine. >> i mean, give me a break, goldie. >> you know, president bush spent more time on the crawford ranch i believe than he actually spent in the white house. so if we want to talk about vacations, we should first talk about the last commander in chief. this president has every right to take a vacation. he has every right to play basketball or any other hobby that he may have or play golf, just as speaker boehner does. these kinds of assaults on the president i think again are due

to what i call obama derangement syndrome. they just can't believe that an african-american man is afforded the same rights as any other white president who has held that office. >> rev, quickly, the congress is also on vacation. >> no. >> sure. >> they've had one vote on jobs-related legislation, not on the mortgage thing that the president was talking about this week. not on the jobs bill, and not renewing rights act. so they need to come back first. >> the real question is given their work load, what are they taking a vacation from? goldie tailor and ari melber, thanks for coming on the show. coming up, what does the right wing do when they're desperate and in a summer slump? they attack hollywood. plus, our summer break features goats on capitol hill. and president obama's

surprise phone call, sort of. stay with us. for the first time... ever... she let him plan the vacation. "off the beaten path"... he said. "trust me"... he implored. alas, she is beginning to seriously wonder... why she ever doubted... the booking genius. planet earth's number one accomodation site: booking.com booking.yeah! [ male announcer ] some question physics. some question gravity. and some... even have the audacity to question improbability. with best-in-class towing and best-in-class torque

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at number three we have shark week going to a new level. right here in new york city. it's an underground sharknado. this dead shark showed up on a subway train. and we've all seen that smoking baby in indonesia. but how about a smoking dead shark? that's right. somebody gave the shark an unlit butt, a red bull, and a metro card. only in new york. good thing he wasn't caught drinking a big gulp on that train. and number two is president obama going late-night again. we all know he made a stop on "the tonight show" this week, but you might have missed the phone call he made after. >> hello? >> jimmy, it's me, president obama. >> listen, while i have you on the phone, i've still got another seven months here at late night. i'd love to have you come on the show. >> well, hold on, let me check

my schedule. >> what do you think? >> no can do. and at number one, ladies and gentlemen, we have goats in washington. yes, you can insert your own joke here. 100 goats have arrived at the historic congressional cemetery. over the next week, they'll chomp down on poison ivy and some buds that are threatening trees and gravestones. so while the goats are taking a vacation from doing nothing -- [ screaming ] >> others on the hill actually working and getting something

done. oh, i'm sorry, mr. speaker. what did you say? >> i'm on vacation! >> and that's today's summer break. his dad knows he's not. that's why dad got allstate accident forgiveness. it starts the day you sign up. [ female announcer ] with accident forgiveness from allstate, your rates won't go up just because of an accident, even if it's your fault. call 866-735-9100 now. kim and james are what you might call...overly protective. especially behind the wheel. nothing wrong with that. in fact, allstate gives them a bonus twice a year -- for being safe drivers. [ female announcer ] get two safe driving bonus checks a year for driving safely. switch to allstate today! call an allstate agent now and see how much you could save. now that the kids are out of the house, so are frank and sandy. hitting every flea market they can find. but the best deal so far... is the one from allstate. [ female announcer ] drivers who switched to allstate saved an average of $498 a year! how much could you save? call 866-735-9100 and find out.

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the republican party is suffering one setback after another. they're losing the fight over health care. their approval rating is in the tank. so what do you do when they are struggling through a long, hot summer? attack hollywood. and their number one target, oprah, the queen of talk has gotten more political over the years, famously endorsing president obama. but the right can't stand her recent comments on trayvon martin. >> it's so easy during this time, trayvon martin, trayvon martin parallel to emmett till, let me just tell you. in my mind, same thing. >> oprah speaking from the heart about the tragedy of trayvon

martin's death. but the right wing can't resist going on the attack. >> these comments are so outrageous, so racially offensive, such racial rhetoric that i say she is now engaging in idiocy and racial poison. >> she seems to be on a spiritual journey. this was just over the top as you pointed out. the emmett till case just didn't fit. >> help me out, oprah. how are these stories like each other at all? at all? it's offensive. and i would go as far as calling it evil to compare these two events. >> it's evil, he says. but it's not just oprah. they're going after matt damon for sending his kids to private school. and they're going back to their old attack, slamming president obama for going on late-night talk show. i know it's the summer, and the right is looking for an easy way to rile up the base. but we have seen this movie before, and we know how it ends.

joining me now is joe madison. thanks for being here, joe. >> thank you, reverend. >> joe, why does the right wing love attacking celebrities? >> well, because it's like any attack. one, it's personal. if it's personal, you don't have to deal with public policy. it's a diversion. so let's watch over here. here is my hand over here. watch what i'm doing over here. and therefore you won't watch what i'm not doing in congress. as you just heard i think on your program earlier today, one vote on jobs. 40 votes on a bill that won't even pass as it relates to obama care. no votes on voting rights. so it's really a diversion. and quite honestly, oprah is a major celebrity who by the way as you said spoke from her heart. and we should point out.

reverend, you said the same thing on your show. i've said the same thing on my show. it's not an original thought. our audiences have said it. and quite honestly, it comes from our perspective. >> and just for the record, i think what she was saying was that the reaction in this generation was the reaction to generations before us about emmett till. i don't think she was comparing the facts of the two. i think she was saying this stands as a symbol as she was speaking personally. but not only oprah. look at the atalks on matt damon. he is a big supporter of public schools, and they're attacking him for sending his kids to private school. jeb bush tweeted matt damon refuses to enroll kids in los angeles public schools. choice okay for damon. why not everybody else? jeb bush is one of the more respected members of the gop. doesn't he have more important things to do than celebrity

news? and can't celebrities that have enough money to send their kids to private school still take a position on public schools? what's the issue here? >> given the fact that his mother is a teacher, that he is a student and a product of public schools, and given the fact, reverend sharpton, that whether your kids go to -- if you can afford to send your kids to a private school, i've had children in both private and public school. they've been successful in both. and, but here is the point. the children around us who don't have the ability to go to private school still need the best possible education. >> that's right. >> that they can get. and they are the -- yes. >> and we pay for it. if you're a taxpayer. >> that's right. >> whether your kids go to private or public school, you're paying for the public schools. so you have the right to have a an opinion on it. >> and they're the future leaders of our country. and many brilliant people in all

walks of life have come out of public schools. what do we want? we want good public schools, whether our children are able to go to private or public school. you want the best education that your community is possibly provide for the security of our country. >> that's right. lastly, the right, they just can't stand the president going on these late-night shows like "the tonight show." listen to what they said. >> was "the tonight show" really the best platform for the president to be talking about the safety of americans and u.s. interests overseas? >> and he is the celebrity president, as you have called him, sean. >> president of the united states went to a late-night comedy show for his first ever statements about this increased terror threat. it's a diminishing thing that happened last night. the presidency was diminished last night. >> here is the clown in chief

going on late night tv to address these very grave issues. >> clown in chief. i mean, come on, joe. >> well, they diminished the white house when they invited limbaugh to spend the night there, didn't they? the reality is that jay leno did a great job with great questions, and the american people heard great answers, bottom line. >> all right. joe madison, thanks for your time tonight. >> thank you. >> friend or foe, i want to know. "reply al" next. [scream] ♪ don't tell mom. don't tell mom. don't tell mom! don't tell mom. okay. don't tell mom. don't tell mom. don't tell mom? yeah. the best stories you'll ever tell start with, don't tell." don't tell dad. start yours in the new santa fe.

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♪ activia dannon ♪ it's time for "reply al." remember, friend or foe, i want to know. ben writes, you ran for president some years back. so just imagine you won and there was a tea party. how would you have dealt with them? well, ben, i tell you. if i had run for