the war of words over how to handle muslims in america is escalating. let's get the inside story. ♪ good morning, and welcome to "inside story." let's meet our insiders this week -- they are ajay raju, attorney. good morning. welcome back. >> good morning. >> dom giordano, radio talk show host, hello. >> good morning. >> nelson diaz, attorney. welcome back. and ed turzanski, foreign policy analyst. welcome to all of you. well, the daily news had a cover photo of donald trump after trump suggested we should let no more muslims into america, short-term, until we figure out the terrorism issue. they had a picture of him in a hitler-esque pose, as if to say that he is doing something very similar to adolf hitler in world war ii, and that caused a war of words between him and mayor michael nutter. it became a personality issue, a "d" versus an "r" conflict, if you will, with republicans and democrats at each other's throat. we'll talk about that in a moment, but first of all, do you think that this became a side

show to the real issue? are you embarrassed that donald trump said our mayor's not doing a good job and he's "a low life"? are you upset that mayor nutter used an expletive to describe trump and said, "he's not coming to my city -- if i could stop him, i would"? what did you make of the conflict? >> i think the "a" word that the mayor used is out of place, but okay, big deal. more, though, you don't cite hitler. that's a rule that you're losing a debate. it's a singular event. you don't hitler playbook and hitler playbook about trump. >> so, that was a journalism issue? >> right, and it's avoiding -- no, i mean the mayor. the mayor's the one that said it on national tv, monica, and i think he's losing sight of the fact -- he doesn't want to have the conversation. i think trump is wrong on this, but there are elements of it that can be debated to show why he's wrong and why we should play this out in public forums like this versus just saying, "trump's hitler." >> right. it did become a bit of a man vs. man issue with these two men fighting at each other's throat, don't you think, ed? >> but it's not the first time that it's happened. and this is a very well-worn playbook that donald trump has.

he says something outrageous, and he winds up that his adversaries say things as outrageous, if not more outrageous, and then he moderates his statement, and suddenly the guy who responded looks like the bad guy. >> so, he uses it as a tool, a ploy, and you said -- >> read his book "the art of the deal." he talks about how he would walk into the room, blow up the meeting -- say something completely outrageous -- and then come back later, moderate his tone, and win the argument. >> so, he's trying to get a rise out of people. is that how we want a president to behave? this is what governor tom ridge had to say -- a moderate in the party, a fellow republican. he said, number one, he would not vote for donald trump if he happened to get the nomination. but i thought his quote was especially poignant. he said... now, he he was the first homeland security director and our former governor. what do you make of -- now it's

"r" versus "r", nelson. >> i really respect governor ridge and his point of view because -- >> sorry, i said wolf. i meant ridge. >> you meant ridge, right? >> tom ridge. >> yeah, that's what i said. i respect him very much because words are really insignificant, and words should not be the process of a fight, particularly when the real issue is the national terroristic activities and the fear that it's caused, in terms of the national terrorist activities -- i would love to see muslim leaders and imams really in the forefront of denouncing those terrorists to show that they are not what muslims represent. if we could get that leadership in the front stage, instead of us talking about that whole issue, i think it would be more effective in terms of denouncing this whole isis and this whole terroristic activities. >> and then we have people throwing pigs out of windows, pig heads, at a mosque in philadelphia. that makes national headlines. how do we get past the fear factor, ajay, the worry, and this irrationality, if you will,

and get to a real discussion about how we stop people from entering this country that could hurt us? >> demagoguery is older than american politics. in every generation, when there is an economic crisis, when there is threat from abroad or from within, or when the course of a nation's future is uncertain, you always have an opportunistic blowhard who exploits these anxieties and then creates a scapegoat of an ethnic group or religious minority. >> but doesn't that put us in harm's way even worse? this -- you know -- >> it does. but the fact that donald trump is still standing tall on the american stage, despite the, you know, the vitriol that he's spewing, is alarming, but the fact is and the truth is that he's popular and he's resonating and he's adding voice to a large segment of americans who hold xenophobic and racist views -- >> wait a minute -- >> something we thought that, as a nation, we had overcome. but -- >> so, we thought it was done with world war ii and the japanese internment camps. why? what do you disagree with? >> calling him a racist and a xenophobe, we're going down the

wrong path again. challenge him on his ideas if you think they're flawed, but what is xenophobic when we have this problem, ajay? and i salute what judge diaz said here. muslim leaders are not stepping up. they're not doing enough. if they would do that, that would be a great pushback against trump. >> they did stand with the mayor, so that was a uniform -- >> but that was over the pig's head thrown there, and i support him in that, but he's right. i mean, if this were any other faith or any other religion -- there are leaders who ought to take hold of this, rally people -- a million-person march or do it here at the liberty bell, and saying, "we're taking back our religion. we decry that" in a public way, and we, the media, would cover that -- be a huge event. >> right. well, how do we kind of take this idea -- this issue and this fear -- and figure out some actual things we can do? do we get rid of the fiancé privilege so you can't bring someone in who is just a fiancé? >> let's first of all just clear some things for the record. in terms of trump's appeal, most people who are drawn to trump...like him because they say, first of all, he is

effective. secondly, he's strong. third, he is very plainly spoken. i would argue that the speech president obama gave on sunday was the opposite of all those -- it was very ineffective. it did not speak to the issue. and we have a situation where one of these shooters, the bride, came in on a visa where the state department did its magic. they cleared her. >> right. >> and it turns out after the fact, you say, "gee, the procedure was bad. it should not have happened." and at the same time, the administration is saying it was a very large group of refugees where we already know that isis has said they intend to salt that group with terrorists. "let them in." trump is standing at the gate, saying, "no." >> so, separate from trump, how do get we past damage control, people being afraid that they're going to call out on someone who's just a normal, everyday person, and then they're gonna be considered discriminatory, versus having

some jihad control, having some border control. there is a fine line. we've got to find it quickly, nelson. >> yeah. i really believe that it was an error on the part of the immigration department, the state, that they did not vet these folks. two years before this incident, there was already knowledge that this hispanic guy and her husband had been totally involved in the buying of arms and the development of activities, and so they missed that completely, and then when he went and brought back this bride, i think that was the occasion which should have been looked at, and apparently they didn't. >> and, dom, you made a good point this week on your show that people have to step up and start calling the police if they sense something's up, like a lot of packages delivered to a house suddenly, a lot of men coming in the garage, working at night, but at christmas, i'm not sure i'd call about my neighbor if they got extra packaging, you know. >> well, we tell people all the time -- there's a daily news column i wrote, and it is a tough call. if you see something, say something. well, what is it that we're seeing that we should say

something about? the people in redland said they thought something was up -- a lot of men there, the packages, they were working late in the garage. now, they are middle eastern, or they were known, or maybe they knew they were muslim, so then you have a conflict. do you say something? and i said, "yeah. i think you say something and then let the police sort it out." now, is that gonna result in violating rights of people? that's the debate. that's where we go, and each person has to make their own decision. >> no, it doesn't violate, because all you need is reasonable suspicion. >> you think that's reasonable? >> in the old days, you needed more than that, but you don't need more than reasonable suspicion. >> well, you guys are both attorneys. i think it's reasonable. >> consider that at logan airport, 9/11, one of the hijackers who got on, there was an airport screener who thought the person should have been detained, but did not want to do it because the airline would suffer adverse consequences. >> there was one who did. the 20th hijacker did not go because he did that in orlando. the other quick point i would make is we need 1,000 more fbi agents. we have people in this country, to your point, that we know have something troubling there, and

they don't have the ability -- they're overwhelmed -- to monitor where we already know something is up. >> nearly 1,000 open probes in all 50 states. >> and they've said that many times. that's a practical thing you would think americans would get behind as a way to deal with those that might be terrorists. >> meantime, do you think the republicans can rein in donald trump or should rein him in, or should they let him run ramp-shod, as he seems to be doing, whether for good or for not for the party? do they have some other ideas of candidates they're promoting and letting them stay quiet while the donald gathers the headlines for now, and then later they'll switch it up? >> well, i couldn't even finish my original thought before being condemned for at least thinking that americans are racist. that's not what i was trying to suggest when i was originally saying it. two-third of republicans actually believe that they are more likely to support trump, not condemn trump, for having a broad brush of painting all muslims -- and by the way, he is a propaganda tool for isis -- that's the irony here, that he is agreeing and adding voice to the narrative of isis and al-qaeda that the west does not

believe that muslims are a peaceful religion or folks. that, to me, is the problem, the fact that we're not having a strong condemnation, and the republican party will have a day of reckoning if it does not strongly condemn the words that donald trump is using and find a way to distance themselves from that. >> but, ajay, how much stronger can the condemnation be than what's happening right now? you have virtually every candidate who has come out against what trump said. the chairman of the party has come out against it. even those who aren't directly in the presidential sweepstakes have come out -- >> and what he says -- and what he -- and what -- >> i said not all. not all. >> go ahead, nelson. >> but what you say is that he should not have an opportunity and a right to be a candidate. everybody should have... >> i'm not suggesting that. >> ...an opportunity and a right to be a candidate -- >> but is there a line you cross when you say such inflammatory comments? >> he is a legitimate threat to

our national security. >> but that's the democracy -- >> i think that is a dramatic overstatement. >> but that's the democracy that we have that people essentially can say whatever they want, as long as you have the first amendment. whether you like it or not -- >> there are limits to the first amendment, too, nelson. >> right. you can't say "fire" in a movie theater, so there is a limit. >> and he is crossing that line. >> you're shutting down the conversation. this is "fire" in a movie theater? >> i think so. >> and what i'm saying is -- >> was internment camp a "fire" in a movie theater? is internment camp -- to have labels for muslim americans -- >> but nobody suggested that. >> donald trump has suggested that. >> no. >> he is saying put monitors of some kind in their mosque, and surveillance. >> surveillance in a mosque, yes, i would support that. you would not -- not every mosque. >> would every brown person -- >> how do you decide which mosque? >> based upon the history of it, and the nypd -- >> would we do the same thing with every pro-life radical who also harbors terrorist ideas? >> where are they getting that from? is there a church, ajay? >> how can we equate pro-life radicals with what islamists have done in this country? >> homegrown radicals have -- >> nearly 50 attacks since

9/11 -- >> but there was an attack on planned parenthood, so -- >> i'm saying -- >> then you draw the connection between some external entity and an organized religion. >> no, no, but there are billions of muslims, and to suggest -- i understand, radical jihadists -- i use the word "radical islam." but islam itself is a religion of peace. it's the few that have radicalized the religion. >> i am not defending donald trump. >> but we cannot paint with a broad brush -- >> go ahead, ed. >> no. it's ineffective. i agree with that. but this notion, first of all, that there is this tremendous backlash against muslims in the country -- it's simply not true. it just isn't. there's no data. >> it's not. the fbi suggests that it's not. >> 2014, the fbi reported the following -- there were 648 religiously based crimes. >> mostly black. >> 16.1% was against muslims. 57% was against jews. >> and blacks. >> and you want to talk about a backlash? france. france just closed three

mosques. they initially put nine people under arrest, an additional 21 under house arrest. now 232 additional people are either arrested or in house arrest, and they've said that they're going to close between 100 and 160 mosques. >> right. >> that's a reaction. >> i don't think -- and to ajay's point -- >> last comment, dom. >> yeah. if there is a pro-life radical group, like randall terry or some of these -- i'm not up on every single one of them -- the fbi ought to be surveiling them, too, because if they're inspiring this type of violence, but there is no heat that i see -- >> agreed, but we don't paint with a broad brush that anybody that is pro-life potentially could have radical views. that is what i'm opposed to. we don't -- for example, just because i may be pro-life doesn't mean that i may potentially have radical views toward somebody who is pro-choice, or that i may potentially be a threat to abortion clinics. >> well, i'm certainly not saying that, but i'm saying there are significant numbers of people who are radicalized. >> all right. we're gonna leave it at that. >> i agree with that. >> there's been an expansion of

that idea in terms of who is and who is not a suspect in a lot of these areas, and there's a lot more -- a lot more investigation going on that you ever expect. remember when we had the phone issues. so, i believe that it's really important not only to be involved in this, but you need their leadership to be involved in this so that they acknowledge the need to have that coverage 'cause they're also getting killed. >> moderate muslims are condemning this. they are. >> but they're not in the leadership. >> and they're not loud enough, in nelson's opinion. all right. let's take a break. "inside story" continues right after this. ♪ >> "inside story" is presented by temple university. temple fuels students with academics and opportunities to take charge. plugged into the city, powered by the world. temple.edu/takecharge.

♪ >> welcome back to "inside story." temple university has an incredibly winning football team this season. they want to build them a new stadium right there on campus. a $100 million project. it would be a 35,000-seat arena, but the board of trustees this week or last week decided to stop the thought of it and the discussions on the feasibility project and making designs, at least temporarily, until mayor-elect jim kenney can weigh in. some have said he disagrees with it and wants them to stay at the linc, renegotiate a price point there. others say he's not sure. so, until it's all pulled together, nelson, you're on the board of trustees. what else do you think is stopping or slowing down this project? >> well, the issue essentially

was when the stadium was built, built with public funds, it was a $15 million opportunity that was given through the state so that they could help with the financing. that $15 million has continued to be a rental fee for temple university. >> high price tag. >> very high. while at pitt, which is also a public institution, they get free services by the steelers at their stadium because they understand it's public. i think the eagles have a problem. and if you built a stadium for $100 million, you're paying $15 million apiece, in terms of what you get, you get a heck of a lot more. and that's the issue -- how can you continue to pay $15 million and maybe even more in 2017 to the eagles just to play six or seven games at the stadium? >> that is when the lease expires, so they have to get going on something. what do you think is likely to happen? >> well, anything could happen here, and the question i had, monica, is i thought temple, though, to keep matt rhule, they want to have a campus. that's the idea of it. i don't know, is it about the

money and the linc? it is? it's not about doing this on campus? >> if you take the level of $15 million a year, and you capitalize that out over a period of time -- >> would he be okay with that, the coach? he's the critical guy they have to please. >> the coach would be okay with it. >> and students want the money spent on them. there were many protestors outside of that meeting saying, "hey, where's the money for the kids on campus who are struggling to come here?" >> you're absolutely right with that. one of the issues that they're wrong on, by the way, the students are, that every person on temple's payroll is paid $15 an hour or more. if there's anyone who's not paid $15, it's because of a contractor, not necessarily because it's temple's payroll. >> all right. let's talk about kathleen kane, the embattled attorney general. there is now a date -- january 12th, -- when she will have her day in court, because state senators voted -- unanimously, by the way. "r" versus "d" again. -- to let her at least have her say, bring evidence, let her attorney speak for her. so, this is the process that could oust her, ajay. do you think it's inevitable that she's got to go? has she stirred the pot so much it's not gonna matter 'cause too

many heads are gonna fall now? >> this is the longest mud-slinging fight... [ laughter ] ...i have seen in pennsylvania's history, perhaps. and the only problem here is the combatants have such influence over the lives of ordinary citizens that the stain will be left mostly on us. and i think this is really the fight among heavyweights for political agenda, and now we have, obviously, great sources, like porngate and other things, for us to discuss. but it really reminds us how backwards we are as a commonwealth, that corruption is still endemic here. >> right. >> and she says they don't have the power, ed, to remove her. that she can only be impeached, which takes much longer. is she right? >> i'm not sure, as a point of law, whether she's right. but i do believe that, given what she has done and how she's conducted herself -- and, by the way, this notion that "you'll leave me alone or else i will reveal these e-mails," if they're so horrible -- and i believe that they are -- she should've revealed them as soon as it was possible.

in fact, the court said to her "we're not stopping you." >> there are thousands of people who have not been revealed, by the way, including some of her staffers who are still getting paid, and allegedly her own sister, so -- >> here's the point -- she used that as a shield. "you guys leave me alone or else i'll expose you." for that reason alone, she should go. and as far as i'm concerned, anyone who, on state time, using state equipment, is engaged in this kind of activity, they should go, too. >> is that including supreme court justice michael eakin, who's gonna have a day in court? >> i think so, because it's not porngate. it's the racial aspect of this that is overwhelming, and just the crudity of it. it's not -- you know, the pornography part... >> it's obscene. >> yeah. ...and it's the racial part that plays into this, then everybody's suspect, then. in any case, it allows those that are guilty to make the case -- and they are making it -- these people are biased. >> well, you know, they made seamus leave for the same reason. >> right, yeah. >> seamus mccaffery, another supreme court justice, resigned under pressure. >> and eakin is still sitting there, under the same

guidelines, and he was just as culpable as he is. and if you look at some of them, they are incredibly -- they talk about obese people, they talk about sexual issues, they talk about mission impossible, and they talk about racial, they talk about african-americans as robots. >> harrisburg must be a pretty dull place. >> the judicial conduct board, in fact, said that he brought embarrassment to his office and to the entire state. but does it rise to the level of taking every head down if somebody forwarded that e-mail? you think it's that? >> i'm with ajay. what's wrong with this? >> right. >> right. >> what's wrong with these people? >> just the smell test, they didn't pass for you? >> no, yeah, especially people who have such power and impact on the lives of ordinary pennsylvanians. >> will this be the tipping point, though, to take us from elected judges and go back to appointed judges, though? will it flip the system on its ear? >> no, i don't think there is momentum for that. >> it would be great to have some kind of test. >> i would support it, but i don't think there's momentum. >> you know, there is an in-between stage, which new york has, which is unless you've been qualified and approved, or have been a judge in the lower courts, elected in the lower

courts, you get elevated. and there's not litmus test at all in our process, and anybody, whether they've been one year a lawyer or two years a lawyer, can be on the supreme court. >> all right, let's talk quickly about the pennsylvania senate race, starting to heat up a bit. katie mcginty is getting some of the big names behind her. besides the mayor, there are numerous city council and city controller alan butkovitz have endorsed her already. is she gonna be the likely nominee? there are other people, big names, for example joe sestak, who might be left out in the cold. >> oh, no. it'll be mcginty. i can't imagine -- and it's a perfect scenario against toomey who, because of a presidential election, that's what he fears. >> right. >> he would win, i think, in any off year, without a doubt. this is a tough race. one of the most targeted in the country by the democrats is toomey. >> in fact, the donald trump item might be part of what gives a smudge to his campaign. he's already trying to distance himself from what donald trump is saying. >> i think senator toomey is probably one of the only republicans in the country who has kept his conservative

credentials in tact, and yet has also received support from democrats and independents. i mean, he is well respected throughout pennsylvania. katie mcginty's also well respected. >> is pennsylvania ready for a female senator? >> oh, yeah. i think we are. >> it's not the female issue. i don't think that's an issue at all. of course. anyone who's qualified. but it'll be very interesting to see how much damage joe sestak does to mcginty. >> mm, and whether she survives that. >> because there will be progressives who will flock to sestak, will not be happy if he loses. and the question will be will they stay home and, if there are enough, will it help that difficult circumstance that dom talks about, where hillary's gonna be at the top of the democratic ticket? >> all right, we'll have to leave it at that. inside stories of the week coming your way next. ♪

>> "inside story" is presented by temple university.

temple fuels students with academics and opportunities to take charge. plugged into the city. powered by the world. temple.edu/takecharge. >> time for inside stories of the week and nelson starts. >> the local hispanic community and hispanic councilpeople have been organizing the entire state to go down to washington and lobby for puerto rico, who has a $72 billion debt. they took four buses down this past week and they're continuing that effort. >> all right. dom. >> president jimmy carter in remission from cancer. heartwarming. and the drugs came from israel, where there's been some antagonism in the past. i hope things shape up better with the president and israel. >> all right. ajay. >> monica, 52% of our student population in public schools in african american. of that, only 1% who graduate graduate with a 4-year college degree in stem: science, technology, engineering, and math. that is horrible. if we don't encourage more kids to go into it, imagine the gap between african americans and the rest in the future. >> ed. >> money's important in politics, but it's not everything. the bush campaign and the surrogates spent

$42.5 million on television. donald trump? just $330,000. compare the difference. >> mm. for jeb bush. all right, that's "inside story" for this week. hope you have a terrific week ahead. we'll see you right back here next sunday morning. ♪ >> i'm nydia han with eva pilgrim. >> coming up next on "action news." delaware police investigates a stabbing death of two women in tell delaware and police in poconos shoot and kill a armed man inside a walmart store. >> and eagles have a win look for a win against the bills. the accuweather forecast and more. the accuweather forecast and more. next on "action news."

hey mom, i could use some basil. oh, sure thing, sweetie. life is eating out of a flower pot. wait where's the? right. it's being a food paparazzi. honey, your rump roast just broke the internet. as it should. and a takeout romantic. dessert! happy anniversary. life is mucho, and grande. life is eating, laughing, loving and a place to enjoy it together.

>> good afternoon. it's sunday, december 13. i'm nydia han with eva pilgrim. >> here are stories we're following for you on "action news." delaware state police investigate the death of two women in delaware. residents in texas are dealing with aftermath of tornadoes and floods and republican presidential hopefuls in iowa