barbara johnson says the washington, d.c.riest told her "i can't give you communion because you live with a woman." family members say the priest left the altar while she delivered the eulogy for her mother and skipped the burial, leaving the family without a priest. barbara johnson joins me by phone and contributor michael smerconish will speak with us about this. thank you so much for your time. >> thank you for having me. >> take me back to when you first realized that the priest had an issue with you being a lesbian. >> the first moment that i realized that the priest had an issue was with me being a lesbian was when i was standing in front of him with my hand out to receive communion. when he said those words that you just spoke and i was shocked. and it took me several seconds before i walked away into disbelief. >> and i would imagine there were others around who maybe perhaps did not hear the priest's words to you but i'm sure saw your reaction to whatever he was saying at the time. >> yes, several people in the front

. >> the archdiocese of washington has said it exactly right barbara johnson says she's satisfied with the statement though she adds the damage done both to her family and to her mothers memory could never be repaired. >> we don't get a do over. this was her one moment to pass from this earth. >> matt jablow, 9 news now. >> barbara is hoping father marcell will be removed from parish life. the arch dye o says says the incident will be handled as a personnel issue. >>> new york times david carr reported today the obama administration has been more prone than any add in any separation in history in trying to silence and prosecute federal workers. >> gary nurenberg reports this crack down on whistle blowers is also growing at local governments as well. >> reporter: the disclosures can be big ones about 911 and national security. >> regarding what they could have known or should have known. >> or little ones like local police escorts. >> what we're seeing is intense retaliation against anyone who comes forward to report misconduct. >> howard county was a senior executive at the national se

i had just been elected to congress as barbara johnson had just been elected to congress. somehow, they selected me and they agreed -- no one had called me or told me, they selected me. and when i walked out the front door and nbc was there, and that's how i heard about it. then someone called and explained to me what had happened. that there was a compromise and i didn't have any choice. i had to do it because they had all gone out on a limb. to say that this would be the compromise. now, i had just gotten married a month before. so this was really -- i wasn't even planning to get involved in any of this kind of activity, but i found myself chairing the democratic convention in the longest session that ever took place. there were so many contentious issues. there were issues of seating, the alabama delegation. there were issues of vietnam. that were going on there. i had always been someone opposed to the vietnam war since i generally had been identified as a liberal and a peace person over the years. and it was tough. there was such contention going on and difficult time

. >> reporter: it has been an extremely difficult week for barbara johnson. e most difficult week of her life. >> i feel so sad. >> reporter: it all started at st. john catholic newman church, where friends and family gathered to say goodbye to barbara's mother, who died last week after a brief illness. >> i was in the first seat, next to my mother's coffin. >> reporter: father garnle nizo, who was presiding over the service, apparently learned that barbara was involved in a romantic relationship with a woman. >> i am a lesbian. >> reporter: a life long catholic, she said she had not even considered her sexual orientation would be a problem with father marcel, until she stepped forward to take communion. >> he said, i cannot given you communion because you live with a woman. >> reporter: barbara said she tried to compose herself to try to give her mother the dignified funeral she deserved. so a few moments later, barbara began her mother's eulogy. >> at which time, father marcel left the altar and did not return until i finished my eulogy. >> reporter: accordi

. >> reporter: it has been an extremely difficult week for barbara johnson.ps the most difficult week of her life. >> i feel very sad. >> reporter: it all started saturday, at st. john newman catholic church. where friends and family had gathered to say goodbye to barbara's mother, who died last week after a brief illness. >> i was in the first pew, in the first seat, next to my mother's coffin. >> reporter: just a few minutes before the fume began, father garnle apparently learned that barbara was involved in a romantic relationship with another woman. >> i am a lesbian. >> a lifelong catholic and former schoolteacher, barbara said she hadn't even considered her sexual orientation would be a problem with father marcel, until she stepped forward to take communion. >> he said, i cannot give you communion because you live with a woman. >> reporter: though shaken, barbara said she tried to compose herself to give her mother the dignified funeral she deserved. so a few minutes later, barbara began her eulogy. >> at which time, father marcel left the altar and did

her name is barbara johnson. she says a priest denied her -- told her that she lived with another woman, which is a sin in the eyes of the church. johnson says he then left the altar when she delivered a eulogy and skipped the burial without finding a replacement. she told msnbc's tamron hall she wants an apology and she wants to have that priest removed. >> not removed from the priesthood, per se, but removed from parish sites so no other family has to experience the tragedy that we did on the saddest day of our lives. >> the archdiocese says it is not common practice for a priest to publicly reprimand someone who they don't believe should be able to receive communion. >>> smir hoping victories michigan and arizona will spell success on super tuesday next week but rick santorum is still upbeat heading into that critical primary day. jennifer johnson has the latest. >> well, it was a big night last night for me, very pleased, very good news. >> reporter: confident and relieved after victories in arizona and michi

dropped an extra four million dollars into the education program oh and did i mention here that johnson's wife barbara is the supervisor for starbase so now that i've shared those few examples with you should also take this time to point out that it's not that i don't support more funding going towards education believe me i do but lawmakers are prohibited from using earmarks or programs will benefit themselves their spouses or their immediate families because the post points out most don't disclose their spouse's employer so nobody checks say and i guess nobody knows but i think of the message here is clear the rules do not apply to that despite their recent very public opposition to earmarks as their way to help with the deficit at the end of the day they still want those dollars going to their favorite pet projects now some of the politicians that i mentioned began funding these projects per year mark moratorium and it continued straight through as if nothing has changed at all they just found ways around it take for example last year's defense authorization bill house armed services committee made

>> coming up this afternoon, barbara, on "news4 at 4:00," a massive drug bust in major university. students are arrested. betsy johnson is known for unusual styles on the catwalk. we are bogey to head up to the big apple for fashion week. then coming up on "news4 at 5:00," part two of an i-team special report. local driver racked up more than $20,000 in parking tickets. $20,000. guess what, they are for cars. he doesn't even own. we will tell you how it happened and how our store write is changing the way they are writing tickets in the district of columbia. so you this afternoon starting at 5:00. >> that should be a good story. thanks so much. >>> it is time for a final check on our forecast. here's tom. >> beautiful blue sky. we have a little bit after breeze coming in out of the north and west. live view from the sky watcher camera. plenty of sunshine as a result as we approach the noon hour. we are already climbing into the 50s, 52 now at reagan national. later today, climbing up into the mid and upper 50s during the afternoon and we will have high pressure oar us but there is an area of low pressure with a front

johnson is known for her outrageous clothes. today, we hit the cat walk with the designer and her new >>> and welcome back at 4:30. i'm jim handly. i'm barbararison in for pat lawson muse. >>> and here's what's happening right now. medical records and pharmacy records have now been subpoenaed from whitney houston's doctors. the l.a. county coroner's office says that is standard procedure for any death investigation. meanwhile, reverend marvin wine nans who presided over houston's marriage to bobby brown will deliver her eulogy. houston's funeral will be held on saturday. >>> in charlottesville, the prosecution reds the case today against george huguely, the former uga lacrosse player charged with murdering his ex-girlfriend, yeardley love. today, his teammates testified that his demeanor changed the day love was found dead and he began drinking heavily. the defense begins presenting its case in the afternoon. >>> after months of angry party line bickering, there is a deal on capitol hill to extend the payroll tax cuts and job benefits. republicans backed off their plan to get tax cuts. the president will sign it as soon as it hits his desk.

johnson, a texan, i was just marveling at him today, and his daughter, lucy banes johnson, joined us when we honored barbara jordan's 75th birthday just a few months ago. we'll continue that with additional commemorations but the key is loving the right to vote, protecting the right to vote, supporting the voting rights act is not irrespective of color. we welcome everyone who will accept the fact that it is our birth right as citizens to be able to not be thwarted and stopped and blocked from going to a poll and expressing your right to democracy. finally let me say, i had the privilege of working for the southern christian leadership conference and i might say, it wasn't that long ago. it was some years ago. but it wasn't that long ago. and my friends, let me tell you, as i traveled throughout georgia, south carolina, north carolina, alabama, mississippi, the core states, among others, that started out with dr. king's great march and great effort to push this congress and this president toward recognizing how many people were left out of the right to vote, as a worker for the southern christian leadership

johnson publishing company, which is run by two dynamic black women, in addition to the association for the study of african-american life and history, whose executive director is a woman, and also to barbaras posthumously. she had a wonderful collection, as if she knew that we would want to hear more from her and learn about her. and her collection is based at texas southern university. >> wow, that's amazing. talk a little bit about plans for 2012 and civic engagement. >> well, this is an election year, national election year. and each year, the foundation, part of our mission is educating the public and engaging people on policy issues. and so, what we'll be doing throughout the year, trying to hold various forums to educate the public around some of the key issues that may come up in the various campaigns. so, the day after our event at eatonville, we will have a forum, and metropolitan a&e church. we have joined with the harvard university black alumni association and the society there at metropolitan. and what we'll be doing is we'll have a forum on what the 2012 election means for african-americans. and we have ron christie, who's a republican, and congresswoman terry seoul, who's t