we and speaking with michael ratner, legal advisor to julian assange and wikileaks. e will talk with michael again later in the broadcast. but now we're going to go to phoenix after this break. ♪ [music break] >> this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. tens of thousands of young undocumented immigrants waited in lines as long as a mile on wednesday to take advantage of a new federal policy that may allow them to temporarily remain and work in the united states legally. under the new policy, immigrants aged 30 or younger be eligible for a two-year reprieve from deportation if they demonstrate they can to the u.s. before their 16th birthday and met other requirements. president obama first announced the so-called deferred action for childhood arrivals program back in june, after initiating it using his executive authority. >> young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they are friends with our kids. they pledge allegiance to our flag. they are americans in their hearts and minds, in every single

michael ratner? >> amy, and just turn briefly what you said.the ecuadorians have been very strong about this assault on their sovereignty. they said they are being treated as if they're still a colony. they have been incredibly strong. with the british are doing smacks of early of with the british have done as an empire for hundreds, if not 1000, years, in terms of thinking that can kick around other countries. if ecuador were the united states, there would be no way it would be threatening ecuador with going into the embassy. you have to ask yourself what is really going on. is this really about the u.s. being the "hidden hand" behind the british so they can get ahold of john assange, a triumph for espionage, and put an end to him into jail and be treated badly like bradley manning? the u.s. will do anything it can to get its hands on julian assange, even pushed the british to violate the diplomatic embassy in england, which is completely, as i said earlier, unheard of in diplomatic glock, that you would go in and actually see is someone out o

saga and what might happen from here on forward i'm joined by one of julius on his attorneys michael ratner a human rights lawyer and president emeritus of the center for constitutional rights new york city michael welcome back to the program. good to see you're tom thank you thank and thanks for joining us has the arrest of julian a son changed journalism in the u.s. or the world and if so why and how. well look at the arrest is terrible because what you have here is somebody who should have been treated like the new york times or the guardian and allowed to publish freely what he was publishing instead the united states in particular saw a soft target in their view and they're trying to put an end to journalism as we know it to the exposure of secrets and of crimes and they feel by making an example out of julian assange they will be sending a message to the journalists all over the world you expose our secrets at your own risk look what happened to bradley manning first look what happens to join us now well isn't it more you said they think that they're sending this message aren't they i

debate for the republican nominees to be adding and in tonight's big interview we'll talk with michael ratner a member of julius on his legal team about a songes current status and his battle to seek political asylum in ecuador. you need to know this republican party is desperately trying to distance themselves from republican congressman and senate candidate todd akin after he made these remarks on sunday. about the case of rape should it be legal or not it seems to be first of all for what i understand from doctors that's really real if it's a legitimate rape the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down a can is refusing to drop out of the race in fact today was the deadline for him to be replaced as the senate nominee in missouri instead they can really release this campaign ad masked as an apology. i'm todd akin and i approve this message rape is an evil act i used the wrong words in the wrong way and for that i apologize as the father of two daughters i want tough justice for predators have a compassionate heart for the victims of sexual assault and i pray for the fact i

minister ricardo patino let's not have a chance to talk to julian assange as a legal adviser michael ratner also the president for the center for constitutional rights are joining us live in new york good to see you big news today on this breaking news story the asylum is granted what's next for us such well first of all it's huge news as you said joining us on just been waiting for weeks to get a decision on asylum it's a great decision by ecuador it's a courageous decision by our door because of course it means they now are standing up to the united states and the united kingdom and they're not a huge country but it's the current that president graham has shown throughout so obviously we're very pleased about that the scary part the part that i find completely incredible and outrageous is the british press to actually go into the u.k. embassy and try and extract your innocence i mean i don't think that's ever happened in diplomatic history you're absolutely absolutely right the the ecuadoran foreign minister was saying that the u.k. acts of aggression not only have they been condemned by

earlier we talked to julian assange has a legal advisor michael ratner who says aqueduct has done its part and now it's the turn of the international community to respect and protect the rights of asylum. the scary part the part that i find completely incredible and outrageous is the british threats to actually go into the u.k. embassy and try and extract you in the sun i mean i don't think that's ever happened in diplomatic history as for what's next well there is an obligation of the british to let someone with asylum through and into the asylum country it's if you can't you can't actually go after someone who's been assigned who's given given asylum and then send them to the very country that wanting to persecute in the united states so here is an actual international right to get walk out of that embassy get on a plane and go to appledore but as you said and as the british have now. at least threatened they're not going to allow that right so now it's for the peoples of the world and for the nations of the world to come to ecuador support because if they don't this is threatening

i think in fact, i join his lawyers michael ratner and others come in saying he has every reason to behat the real intent here is to whisk him away to america -- where it has not been made clear what might be waiting for him, as i think one can conjecture. the new national defense authorization act, and i am a plaintiff in a lawsuit to call that act unconstitutional in terms of its effect on me and others from a suit that has been successful so far of the district court level and has led to that act being called and constitutional -- but on its face, the act to be used for julian assange or bradley manning, if he weren't already in military custody. julian assange would seem to me to be clearly subject to the national defense authorization act, putting him in military detention for suspicion of giving aid to an enemy, which he certainly has been a key step by high american officials. i don't see what he cannot be put in the indefinite contention with that even the charges that i faced four years ago for doing the exact same things that he did. >> the record a president of and on whistl

and the steering committee includes michael peterson, stephen ratner, and david cote.lso describe it as a movement. how do you hope to affect public policy if the simpson-bowles commission did not do such a good job in its efforts? guest: simpson-bowles did exactly what it was supposed to do. it produced the first and it continues to be the only viable bipartisan vehicle which dramatically reduces the debt and deficit by $4 trillion over 10 years. it was supported by very conservative members of the commission like myself and tom coburn and very liberal members of the commission like dick durbin and kent conrad. it produced a package. unfortunately, the president walked away from that. what we have decided to do, and it's a very large group, the names you mentioned are just part of the group, it really involves a very significant number of people. also, all walks of life. we are interfacing with lots of members of the legislative branch, especially in the senate. if we will update simpson- bowles. it will be simpson-bowles plus. \ we want a blueprint. it is a viable br