| 00:00:06 | >> Instead of gridlock, the lame
duck session has turned into a
huge step forward for the obama
agenda.
|
| 00:00:09 | >> The senate passed the 9/11
bill to help first responders.
|
| 00:00:14 | >> Major foreign policy victory
for president obama.
|
| 00:00:20 | >> The repeal of don't ask,
don't tell is a strong
leadership for the white house
today.
|
| 00:00:25 | >> Gays will begin serving
openly in the u.s. military.
|
| 00:00:27 | >> This is done.
|
| 00:00:30 | >> Along with the winds,
president obama admits his
losses in the battle with
congress.
|
| 00:00:36 | >> There are a number of things
that I want to get accomplished
that we did not get
accomplished.
|
| 00:00:40 | >> Immigration, gitmo --
>> maybe my biggest
disappointment --
>> he could have left town and
everyone would have been talking
about him as the comeback kid.
|
| 00:00:50 | Basically he's changed the
subject to what are the fights
coming up in the next congress.
|
| 00:00:57 | >> The president is already
looking ahead to the new year,
and the fight ahead with the
incoming republican leadership.
|
| 00:01:04 | >> They don't want barack obama
to have all of these successes
going into the new year.
|
| 00:01:10 | >> Merry christmas, happy
holidays, happy new year.
|
| 00:01:11 | See you in 2011.
|
| 00:01:26 | >> Good evening from los
angeles.
|
| 00:01:27 | I'm lawrence o'donnell.
|
| 00:01:29 | At his press conference two
weeks ago, president obama
defended himself against liberal
critics who accused him of
selling out his principles for
the tax cut deal.
|
| 00:01:40 | Today president obama declared
victory for his strategy of
compromise in a post midterm
election season of progress.
|
| 00:01:45 | >> Democrats and republicans
came together to approve my top
national security priority for
this congress.
|
| 00:02:04 | We also overturned a 17-year-old
law and a longstanding injustice
by finally ending don't ask,
don't tell.
|
| 00:02:06 | In addition, we came together
across party lines to pass a
food safety bill, the biggest
upgrade of america's food safety
laws since the great depression.
|
| 00:02:21 | I hope the house will soon join
the senate in passing a 9/11
health bill that will help cover
the health care costs of police
officers, firefighters, rescue
workers and residents who inhale
toxic air near the world trade
center on that terrible morning
and the days that followed.
|
| 00:02:34 | So I think it's fair to say that
this has been the most
productive post election period
we've had in decades.
|
| 00:02:41 | >> A new cnn poll finds that 56%
of americans support how obama
has handled the lame duck
session, while only 42% aprove
of how the republicans have
performed during the same
period.
|
| 00:02:48 | President obama's post election
reversal of fortune has
republican senator lindsey
graham worried.
|
| 00:02:58 | >> When is it all going to be
said and done?
|
| 00:02:59 | Harry reid has eaten our lunch.
|
| 00:03:06 | >> What about president obama's
critics on the left?
|
| 00:03:07 | Are they finally ready to join
their president on his victory
lap?
|
| 00:03:17 | Joining me now are jane
hampshire founder of
firedoglake.com.
|
| 00:03:20 | Roger hodge, author of "the
"
richard wolf, the arthur of
"revival" and ezra klein
columnist for "the washington
"
roger hodge, you are the
president's staunchest critic on
the left.
|
| 00:03:43 | Is there anything that's
happened in the lame duck
session that has in anyway
tilted you in a more positive
direction toward president
barack obama?
|
| 00:03:51 | >> Not reilly.
|
| 00:03:56 | I think that the repeal of don't
ask don't tell is a major step
forward.
|
| 00:03:59 | That's a wonderful victory for
the american people for civil
rights, it's a great thing.
|
| 00:04:07 | Everyone who was involved with
that should be commended.
|
| 00:04:08 | Even joe lieberman.
|
| 00:04:10 | And -- but this is not
necessarily a major change in
the obama administration.
|
| 00:04:23 | The obama administration is
working with republicans, and
that's not surprising.
|
| 00:04:28 | The obama administration has a
lot in common with the
republicans.
|
| 00:04:32 | The obama administration is
still poised to suggest cuts in
social security.
|
| 00:04:37 | There are reports that the
president is planning to
introduce an austerity plan in
his state of the union address.
|
| 00:04:45 | That would preempt cuts demanded
by the republicans in the next
session of congress.
|
| 00:04:50 | So I think in a few months we
may have -- we'll probably have
forgotten all about this
extraordinary lame duck session
and we'll be fighting for the
remnants of the new deal
going-forward.
|
| 00:05:04 | >> So roger, let me get this
straight.
|
| 00:05:07 | You have a kind word for joe
lieberman tonight but nothing
positive to say about barack
obama?
|
| 00:05:14 | >> No, doi.
|
| 00:05:15 | I think he deserves all due
credit for helping get this
passed.
|
| 00:05:20 | I mean, he's had an
extraordinary session.
|
| 00:05:22 | But really my concern is not
with these fluctuations in
momentum and popularity.
|
| 00:05:28 | My concern really is with basic
principles and protecting what
little we have left of a social
safety net in this country.
|
| 00:05:37 | >> Jane hampshire, let's listen
to what president obama said
today about the disappointed
left regarding his tax cut deal
and the tax rates for the
wealthy.
|
| 00:05:49 | >> I completely understand why
not just democrats, but some
republicans might think that
that part of the tax package we
could have done without.
|
| 00:06:00 | Having said that I want to
repeat, compromise by definition
means taking some things you
don't like.
|
| 00:06:07 | And the overall package was the
right one to ensure that this
economy has the best possible
chance to grow and create jobs.
|
| 00:06:17 | And in is no beran tter
anti-poverty program than an
economy that's growing.
|
| 00:06:23 | And if the economy started
contracting as it might have had
we not gotten this tax
agreement, the choices we would
have to make would be even
tougher.
|
| 00:06:33 | >> Was the overall package the
right one as the president
states?
|
| 00:06:38 | And if he had not made that
deal, would we have gotten to
don't ask don't tell and
everything else that's been
accomplished in the lame duck
session?
|
| 00:06:49 | >> We got to don't ask don't
tell and everything else, the
unanimous consent going-forward
on the budget resolution blew
up, so harry reid slipped don't
ask don't tell in over the
objections of the white house
who wented to proceed to the
start treaty.
|
| 00:07:16 | I think there are four things we
can look at and take as lessons
in the situation.
|
| 00:07:22 | This is what it looks like when
harry reid really wants to move
something.
|
| 00:07:27 | He has many tools at his
disposal when he wants to get
something done, and he did it.
|
| 00:07:34 | Number two, it was the groups
who would not take no for an
answer.
|
| 00:07:39 | Get equal, the 9/11 health care.
|
| 00:07:41 | The first responders who came
here, who demonstrated, chained
themselves to the white house,
who followed the president
around and heckled and
absolutely would not take no for
an answer, who got their issues
addressed.
|
| 00:07:57 | Number three, you've got -- we
finally see what it's like when
a man with public opinion at his
back grabs the bully pulpit,
goes out and tries to shame the
republicans into agreeing to
something that is broadly
popular.
|
| 00:08:13 | Unfortunately, that man's name
is jon stewart, and that's why
the 9/11 health care bill got
passed.
|
| 00:08:21 | And number four, and I think
this is the most important part.
|
| 00:08:25 | We saw don't ask don't tell, the
food safety bill, 9/11 health
care and the unemployment
extension, all of which were
extremely popular with the
public between 65% and 80%
popularity, the things that
people are celebrating today.
|
| 00:08:42 | What can we say about all of
those things?
|
| 00:08:45 | Those are liberal things.
|
| 00:08:47 | Those are liberal agenda.
|
| 00:08:49 | They are not by definition to
the left, because with 65 to 80%
support, they are centrist.
|
| 00:08:54 | That's where the country is.
|
| 00:08:55 | So the things that liberals have
been telling the president to do
are popular.
|
| 00:08:57 | And the response that the
country has prove that that is
something that he will actually
reap a whole lot of popular
support for if he actually gets
out there and fights for things
like this.
|
| 00:09:01 | >> Jane's first point, maybe
harry reid deserves more credit
than anything else in what has
been accomplished in this lame
duck session.
|
| 00:09:11 | I think I may be leaning toward
jane on that one.
|
| 00:09:15 | How do you see it?
|
| 00:09:16 | >> Harry reid deserves a lot of
credit for what's happened in
this lame duck session.
|
| 00:09:28 | I don't think anyone's been as
successful keeping his caucus
together like he has.
|
| 00:09:34 | These things wouldn't have
gotten done, a lot of them, like
the food safety bill.
|
| 00:09:40 | What happened with a lot of
these different bills.
|
| 00:09:43 | I think this is interesting, a
lot of these establishment
republicans, the guys on the
stark treaty and the moderates,
I think they realized if they
didn't get this stuff done now,
when their colleagues came in in
2011, they weren't going to get
it done.
|
| 00:10:01 | These new revolutionaries in the
house and senate, weren't going
to go back because of what was
passed in the senate and go back
through.
|
| 00:10:11 | The folks needed to say, listen,
we're not in an election right
now, we have a month here, and
they did it.
|
| 00:10:18 | They moved food safety, defense
authorization, don't ask don't
tell.
|
| 00:10:20 | They wanted to legislate.
|
| 00:10:21 | Legislation lace is not as
powerful to them as getting
re-elected.
|
| 00:10:25 | It's a shame we can't see more
of that public spirit more
often.
|
| 00:10:30 | >> Richard wolf, I think jane
has a solid point about how much
credit harry reid deserves, he
doesn't need the credit for
another six years if he's going
to run in six years.
|
| 00:10:40 | Barack obama needs the credit
right now, as he begins the
re-election cycle for the
presidency.
|
| 00:10:46 | In the polling we're seeing
right now, it looks like he's
getting that credit.
|
| 00:10:52 | Isn't this polk result exactly
what the white house was angling
for when they started to make
the deal with the republicans on
the tax bill so they could then
move on to these other
successes?
|
| 00:11:02 | >> Sure, but it's early days.
|
| 00:11:05 | First of all, they had to prove
they had life in them yet, they
could stage their own revival
and they've done that.
|
| 00:11:10 | They had to build support among
those independent voters, the
people who drifted away.
|
| 00:11:13 | That's what the tax bill did.
|
| 00:11:14 | Also, alongside that list of
legislative accomplishments, you
have to see how the politics has
changed here.
|
| 00:11:21 | I'm not talking about the base
and whether they like him or
not.
|
| 00:11:26 | Just inside the belt way, look
at how the republican strategy
the last two years has fallen
apart.
|
| 00:11:32 | mitch McConnell couldn't keep
his caucus together on the stark
treaty.
|
| 00:11:37 | It's not just an establishment
figure, he's part of his own
leadership.
|
| 00:11:43 | THE DISCIPLINE that McConnell
had very successfully to make
the president seem extremist,
unacceptable and not the
bipartisan figure he he tried to
portray himself as in 2008.
|
| 00:11:56 | All that's gone, that's as much
of an accomplishment as any
piece of this legislation.
|
| 00:11:58 | It opens up a completely new
path to 2012 over the next two
years.
|
| 00:12:01 | >> That is not the last word on
the lame duck session.
|
| 00:12:02 | We'll have more to talk about
with our panel after the break.
|
| 00:12:05 | >>> Also coming up, why is
SENATOR john McCain opposed to
giving suicide prevention help
to reservists returning from war
zones.
|
| 00:12:09 | >>> And later, bill maher's
christmas message to america
will not be a favorite thing of
oprahs.
|
| 00:12:15 | Last word celebrity disagreement
correspondent michael muss toe
joins us.
|
| 00:12:21 | ]
sensei.
|
| 00:12:24 | Hey tough guy, that cold needs alka seltzer
plus!
|
| 00:12:26 | It has the cold-fighting powerof an effervescent
packed in a liquid-gelfor all over relief!
|
| 00:12:31 | Hiyah!
|
| 00:12:34 | Dude!
|
| 00:12:36 | your
cleanser
missing something?
|
| 00:12:38 | Now you get a cleanser
with scope freshness.
|
| 00:12:41 | New fixodent
plus scope ingredients.
|
| 00:12:44 | Cleans and kills germs
that cause odors
to your dentures.
|
| 00:12:47 | New fixodent cleanser
plus scope ingredients.
|
| 00:12:51 | This is my band from the 80's, looker.
|
| 00:12:53 | Hair and mascara, a lethal combo.
|
| 00:12:58 | I'm jon haber of alto music.
|
| 00:12:59 | My business is allabout getting music
into people's hands.
|
| 00:13:02 | And the plum cardfrom american express open
helps me do that.
|
| 00:13:06 | You name it, I can buy it.
|
| 00:13:07 | And the savings that we getfrom the early
pay discount
has given us moneyto reinvest back
into our business and helpquadruple our floor
space.
|
| 00:13:13 | How can the plum card'strade terms
get yourbusiness booming?
|
| 00:13:17 | Booming is putting more music
in more people's hands.
|
| 00:14:31 | >>> The president's scorecard is
full of big wins over the last
several weeks, once the
republicans take control of the
house in january, will it be a
?
|
| 00:14:39 | Our panel will consider that
one.
|
| 00:14:41 | >>> And in our continuing
series, what's wrong with john
McCAIN?
|
| 00:14:45 | Why is he saying no to giving
our reservists who fight
overseas suicide prevention
help?
|
| 00:14:52 | >>> And sarah palin earns
another rewrite, but this time
it's from someone in her own
party.
|
| 00:15:23 | ..
|
| 00:15:24 | Everyone's eating tacos outside bill's office.
|
| 00:15:26 | [ chuckles ] YOU THINK THAT IS SOME INFORMATION
I would have liked to know?
|
| 00:15:31 | I like tacos.
|
| 00:15:33 | You invited eric?
|
| 00:15:35 | I thought eric gave you the creeps.
|
| 00:15:39 | [ phone buzzes ]
Oh.
|
| 00:15:43 | [ chuckles ]YEAH. HEY.
|
| 00:15:45 | [ Male Announcer ]DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND.
|
| 00:15:47 | Get it first with at&t.
|
| 00:15:48 | The nation's fastest mobilebroadband network.
|
| 00:15:49 | Period.
|
| 00:15:51 | Rethink possible.
|
| 00:16:24 | >>> If there's any lesson to
draw from these past few weeks,
it's that we are not doomed to
endless gridlock.
|
| 00:16:32 | We've shown in the wake of the
november elections that we have
the capacity not only to make
progress, but to make progress
together.
|
| 00:16:42 | And I'm not naive, I know there
will be tough fights in the
months ahead.
|
| 00:16:47 | But my hope heading into the new
year is that we can continue to
heed the message of the american
people and hold to a spirit of
common purpose in 2011 and
beyond.
|
| 00:16:59 | >> We're back with richard wolf,
ezra klein, jane hamsher and
richard stone.
|
| 00:17:04 | What tells us the most about
what we're going to see next
year?
|
| 00:17:09 | Is it the 9/11 responders vote,
where democrats were able to
over time get enough momentum by
just staying with, staying with
it?
|
| 00:17:19 | Was it the start -- the treaty
VOTE, WHERE mitch McConnell
really got just steam rolled?
|
| 00:17:25 | It looked like the republicans
were going to be able to hold
that up, but he lost
republicans.
|
| 00:17:32 | The democrats kept pushing, they
never flinched.
|
| 00:17:35 | Which of these votes that we've
seen indicates what you expect
to see more of next year?
|
| 00:17:42 | >> Well, I'd say the two book
ends are the tax deal and the
start treaty.
|
| 00:17:47 | Weirdly the start treaty is
where the white house campaigned
the hardest on, this is a dry
piece of legislation that, yes,
has important national security
ramifications, but gets down to
things like telemetry.
|
| 00:18:02 | The white house campaigned on
it, they really ran it hard.
|
| 00:18:07 | I think that's important, look
at the result.
|
| 00:18:10 | They really did decimate
McCONNELL, THEY MADE HIM LOOK
Foolish.
|
| 00:18:14 | The tax thing on the
positioning, that's why people
are not happy.
|
| 00:18:19 | What did that compromise give
them?
|
| 00:18:22 | Along with everything else that
followed.
|
| 00:18:25 | 800 Billion of the 900 billion
was on things the democrats
wanted.
|
| 00:18:29 | That's the kind of promise you
get from a guy who says he can
unite red and blue america.
|
| 00:18:36 | That's who he's always been.
|
| 00:18:38 | Those two things together about
the president, about how they
should campaign moving forward
really give you a sense of where
they're going to play for the
next two years.
|
| 00:18:50 | >> Ezra, the one thing they
couldn't get done was the dream
act.
|
| 00:18:55 | The president was very
disappointed about that.
|
| 00:18:58 | Let's listen to what he had to
say about that.
|
| 00:19:01 | >> One thing I hope people have
seen during this lame duck, I am
persistent.
|
| 00:19:07 | I am persistent.
|
| 00:19:08 | I -- you know, if I believe in
something strongly, I stay on
it.
|
| 00:19:13 | And I believe strongly in this.
|
| 00:19:13 | And I am happy to engage with
the republicans about, if
they've got ideas about more on
border security, I'm happy to
have that conversation.
|
| 00:19:20 | And I think that is absolutely
appropriate for the american
people to expect that we don't
have porous borders and anybody
can come in here any time.
|
| 00:19:31 | That is entirely legitimate.
|
| 00:19:33 | But I also think about those
kids.
|
| 00:19:36 | And I want to do right by them.
|
| 00:19:38 | And I think the country is going
to want to do right by them as
well.
|
| 00:19:43 | >> Ezra, the story of those kids
who would be affected by the
dream act is for many the moving
kind of story that we saw told
about the 9/11 responders, the
kind of -- there's a kind of
emotionalism that can be brought
to this political argument that
may be able to get some traction
this year.
|
| 00:20:04 | Do you expect the president to
push on that one in the next
session?
|
| 00:20:09 | >> Yes, although for a couple
reasons, one of the things you
need to realize about the
president.
|
| 00:20:16 | He was talking to a particularly
angry constituency.
|
| 00:20:20 | He would do comprehensive
immigration reform in year one.
|
| 00:20:24 | Unlike a lot of the other things
he worked on, he didn't try
that.
|
| 00:20:29 | He never gave that a shot.
|
| 00:20:31 | He went with him today not only
in that congress, but said,
listen I will push on this next
year, I promise I will make this
a thing.
|
| 00:20:40 | He's trying to deal with a major
vote for him, in the census this
month that just came out, we saw
as an enormous shift in america
toward hispanics, immigrants.
|
| 00:20:51 | He does owe them more than he's
given them.
|
| 00:20:55 | The dream act -- that emotional
line on the dream act was
important for him to show, he
cares about this.
|
| 00:21:03 | They're going to be watching,
and what I think people should
be watching is whether he puts
political capital behind this.
|
| 00:21:12 | They did not push dream the way
they pushed start.
|
| 00:21:16 | That was not one of their
priorities at this level.
|
| 00:21:19 | These are good words, but we'll
see what gets done in 2011 or
2012 on it.
|
| 00:21:25 | >> What are the lessons for
liberal activists in approaching
the obama administration and the
legislative calendar next year?
|
| 00:21:34 | One thing that interested me a
lot was watching joe lieberman
go from voting with the
republicans on the tax votes
that they took, thereby killing
any hope in the senate of
getting what the democrats
wanted on taxes, and then being
one of the heroes if not the
hero in the senate on getting
don't ask don't tell repealed.
|
| 00:21:45 | And that's a long story in the
senate.
|
| 00:21:46 | Where the guy who's killing you
today could be your best friend
tomorrow on what you're trying
to do.
|
| 00:21:48 | What do you think liberal
activists will take out of this
lame duck session as their
lessons for the coming year?
|
| 00:21:51 | >> Well, joe lieberman is up for
re-election in 2012.
|
| 00:21:55 | So everybody gets really fond of
democrats and their base, the
people they want to come out and
vote for them when that happens.
|
| 00:22:04 | Expect to see more of joe
warming to his liberal
constituents.
|
| 00:22:09 | I think the most important thing
we can look at is again the
people who got their issues
addressed.
|
| 00:22:15 | The people who were unrelenting.
|
| 00:22:17 | The people not the people that
played the inside game.
|
| 00:22:22 | It was the outside game that won
this time.
|
| 00:22:24 | They put themselves in there and
they never accepted the excuses.
|
| 00:22:29 | We did see what it's like, what
fierce advocacy is like from the
white house, in the form of what
they did on start.
|
| 00:22:37 | They called members of the
senate.
|
| 00:22:40 | They whipped, they arranged for
briefings, they had joe biden
out there.
|
| 00:22:45 | The president was using the
bully pulpit.
|
| 00:22:47 | And if he's not doing that as he
wasn't on the dream act or on
don't ask don't tell, then we
know it's not a priority for
them.
|
| 00:22:50 | And those activists did not
accept the kabuki, they said, we
want the full monty, we want the
whole thing and we're not going
to take anything less.
|
| 00:22:58 | I think that's why we're all
sitting here celebrating today,
because they were uncompromising
in what they wanted.
|
| 00:23:05 | >> Roger hodge, first an
apology.
|
| 00:23:07 | My jet lag made me refer to you
as roger stone.
|
| 00:23:10 | I'm very sorry for that.
|
| 00:23:12 | In the congressional session, do
you think as barack obama moves
into re-election mode, you're
going to see him work more
toward his liberal base or work
more toward the middle?
|
| 00:23:25 | Or somehow try to do both?
|
| 00:23:27 | >> I fear that obama will move
toward the center, move toward
the right.
|
| 00:23:32 | He will -- I don't think he
really cares that much about the
liberal base.
|
| 00:23:37 | I think we're going to see a lot
of very disappointing
developments.
|
| 00:23:41 | I mentioned before the reports
about a rumored preemptive
strike on an austerity plan,
which is precisely the wrong
thing to do.
|
| 00:23:51 | We're still in a serious
downturn.
|
| 00:23:53 | Unemployment is almost 10%.
|
| 00:23:55 | We have a financial crisis that
is not fully resolved, the
foreclosure crisis continues.
|
| 00:24:02 | We have foreclosure fraud that
the administration has not dealt
with.
|
| 00:24:03 | There has not been enough relief
going toward homeowners.
|
| 00:24:05 | We have banks foreclosing on
there has not been enough relief
going toward homeowners.
|
| 00:24:19 | We have banks foreclosing on
houses that are -- that they do
not own.
|
| 00:24:28 | And we have these looming wars.
|
| 00:24:32 | We have reports also about an
executive order on indefinite
detention.
|
| 00:24:44 | So we have a president, a
democratic president who is
allegedly progressive, who has
now thrown some serious bones to
progressive constituencies, but
we still have vital interests
that we have to pursue.
|
| 00:24:54 | And the wars are serious, and on
going.
|
| 00:24:55 | >> Roger hodge, you're going to
have to get the last word on
this, that's all the time we
have for the panel.
|
| 00:24:58 | Thank you all for joining me
tonight.
|
| 00:25:09 | >>> SENATOR john McCain knows
firsthand the personal mental
anguish sparked by war.
|
| 00:25:11 | So why is he standing in the way
of getting suicide prevention
assistance to reservists who
have seen combat?
|
| 00:25:19 | >>> And the amazing assistance
provided by you, our viewing
audience.
|
| 00:25:21 | We'll see how much ann coulter
provoked you to contribute to
our special project.
|
| 00:25:35 | thoughtskeep
awake...
|
| 00:25:37 | sleep is here,on the wings of Lunesta.
|
| 00:25:39 | And if you wake up oftenin the middle of
the night...
|
| 00:25:43 | rest is here,on the wings of Lunesta.
|
| 00:25:46 | Lunesta helps you fall asleepand stay asleep,
so you canwake up feeling rested.
|
| 00:25:51 | When taking Lunesta, don't driveor operate
machinery
until you feel fully awake.
|
| 00:25:56 | Walking, eating, driving,or engaging in other
activities
while asleep, withoutremembering it the next
day,
have been reported.
|
| 00:26:03 | Abnormal behaviors may includeaggressiveness,
agitation,
hallucinations or confusion.
|
| 00:26:07 | In depressed patients,worsening of depression,
including risk of suicide,may occur.
|
| 00:26:11 | Alcohol mayincrease these risks.
|
| 00:26:13 | Allergic reactions, suchas tongue or throat
swelling,
occur rarely and may be fatal.
|
| 00:26:17 | Side effects may includeunpleasant taste,
headache,
dizzinessand morning drowsiness.
|
| 00:26:22 | Ask your doctor if Lunestais right for you.
|
| 00:26:25 | Get Lunesta fora $0 CO-PAY at Lunesta.com.
|
| 00:26:29 | Sleep well, on the wingsof Lunesta.
|
| 00:27:04 | ]
her.
|
| 00:27:05 | Oh, my gosh.
|
| 00:27:06 | [ Male Announcer ]WE KNOW DIAMONDS.
|
| 00:27:08 | Oh, my gosh.
|
| 00:27:08 | [ Male Announcer ] TOGETHER WE'LL MAKE HER
Holiday.
|
| 00:27:10 | That's why only zalesis the diamond store.
|
| 00:27:12 | Where you'll pay no interest if paid in full
by january 2012.
|
| 00:29:14 | >>> A special thanks tonight to
friend of the show ann coulter.
|
| 00:29:16 | Last night she made her debut
here on the last word in a video
clip from fox news where she
said "liberals are the least
"
that turned out to be the
perfect introduction on our
update on how much the last word
audience has contributed to the
fund, kids in need of
desks.
|
| 00:29:31 | The unique partnership msnbc has
formed with unicef to provide
desks for children in africa.
|
| 00:29:41 | They learn to read and write
sitting on the floor.
|
| 00:29:47 | Most of them will never see a
desk or chair in a classroom.
|
| 00:29:54 | When I delivered my first report
on this last week, your
outpouring of generosity shocked
unicef.
|
| 00:30:03 | In one day you contributed
$400,000.
|
| 00:30:10 | Then over the weekend with no
further prompting you
contributed another $200,000.
|
| 00:30:14 | I reported that $600,000 total
on monday's show which provoked
you to send another $127,991
over the next 24 hours.
|
| 00:30:24 | Then last night ann coulter with
her provocative statement
inspired you to give even more.
|
| 00:30:29 | Ann helped us bring in another
$145,000 in contributions so
that as of tonight you have
contributed a total of $873,511.
|
| 00:30:36 | We are now very close to being
able to deliver desks to three
of the four districts in ma law
we we have targeted for the
first stage of this project.
|
| 00:30:52 | We have received some big
donations, one for $36,000 from
miles nadal, who heard me talk
"
but no contribution is too
small.
|
| 00:31:03 | $48 Buys a desk that seats two
children.
|
| 00:31:04 | $24 Gets one child off the
floor.
|
| 00:31:08 | And just might connect that
child to the learning experience
as never before.
|
| 00:31:11 | If you go to
com or call
1-800-for-kids, you can buy a
desk as a last minute gift for
someone on your list who has
just about everything.
|
| 00:31:18 | And unicef will send your gift
but no contribution is too
small.
|
| 00:31:22 | $48 Buys a desk that seats two
children.
|
| 00:31:23 | $24 Gets one child off the
floor.
|
| 00:31:26 | And just might connect that
child to the learning experience
as never before.
|
| 00:31:36 | If you go to
com or call
1-800-for-kids, you can buy a
desk as a last minute gift for
someone on your list who has
just about everything.
|
| 00:31:47 | And unicef will send your gift
recipient an e-mail saying a
desk has been donated in his or
her name.
|
| 00:31:56 | I announced last night that i
bought a desk as a christmas
present for ann coulter.
|
| 00:32:02 | According to the comments on our
blog, I was not the only one.
|
| 00:32:07 | So thank you ann for helping to
inspire the last word audience
to continue to outdo themselves
during this season of giving.
|
| 00:32:12 | And to our audience, I am
struggling each night now to
find the appropriate words of
thanks for what you are doing
for african students and for the
families of the malawi workers
who will make their desks.
|
| 00:32:30 | For now, another simple thank
you will have to suffice.
|
| 00:32:33 | And tomorrow night I will report
the total unicef has processed
as christmas eve approaches.
|
| 00:32:44 | Also, you may remember last
night I told you about a teacher
who left a comment on our blog.
|
| 00:32:47 | R. ellison.
|
| 00:32:48 | He pulled all his students'
desks from the classroom and had
them try sitting on the floor.
|
| 00:32:51 | He sent us this picture of his
class.
|
| 00:32:54 | His students are now working
together to raise money for the
k.i.n.d. fund.
|
| 00:33:07 | ellison and some his
students will join us tomorrow
night right here on the last
WORD.ncer ] OPEN UP A CADILLAC
During our season's best sales event
and receivethe gift of asphalt.
|
| 00:33:20 | Experience the exhilaratingcadillac cts
with a direct injection v6.
|
| 00:33:25 | It's the one gift you canopen up all year
long.
|
| 00:33:29 | See your cadillac dealerfor this attractive
offer.
|
| 00:33:31 | Backed by the peace of mindthat only comes
from cadillac premium caremaintenance.
|
| 00:33:36 | The season's best sales event.from cadillac.
|
| 00:34:41 | job
repairview.
|
| 00:34:43 | Esurance customers love this app.
|
| 00:34:45 | Yeah, daily photo updates sent to your phone
so you can follow your car repair while it's
in the shop.
|
| 00:34:50 | That's what the esurance tech team does.
|
| 00:34:51 | We innovate.
|
| 00:34:53 | What else is on here?
|
| 00:34:55 | ..
|
| 00:34:57 | Ooooh, frank.
|
| 00:35:00 | ...Daddy gets his dance on.
|
| 00:35:02 | Nice knee caps bro.
|
| 00:35:03 | [ Female Announcer ]REPAIRVIEW, AT NO EXTRA
Cost.
|
| 00:35:06 | See for yourself at esurance.
|
| 00:35:07 | people when you
don't.
|
| 00:35:11 | Beer and wine and cupcakes.
|
| 00:35:13 | I was doing the corporate grind like everyone
else.
|
| 00:35:16 | But to be successful, I knew I had to be
different.
|
| 00:35:19 | Ink, ink, ink, ink, ink.
|
| 00:35:21 | I mean, I love that card.
|
| 00:35:22 | It does thingsdifferently too.
|
| 00:35:24 | Great customer service,
going above and beyond
to help me outas a small business.
|
| 00:35:27 | It's accepted in twiceas many places
around the worldas american express
and if I ever need to getmy employees ink
cards,
they're free.
|
| 00:35:34 | Make your mark with ink.
|
| 00:35:36 | Chase what matters.
|
| 00:35:38 | Go to chase.com/ink.
|
| 00:36:22 | >>> In our spotlight tonight,
the next episode in our what's
WRONG WITH john McCain series.
|
| 00:36:31 | Surely a war veteran who spent
five and a half years as a pow
in vietnam would want to do
anything he could to help those
coming home from the
battlefields of afghanistan and
iraq.
|
| 00:36:44 | But as the bag tries to deal
with an epidemic of suicides
among the troops, the number's
nearly doubling over the last
five years, one congressman says
his efforts to help those who
went to war and now cope with
the mental scars has been
BLOCKED BY john McCain.
|
| 00:36:59 | It would mean $10 million, a
tiny figure by washington
standards.
|
| 00:37:16 | A tiny number in defense
spending to start an outreach
program for those coming home
from active duty to do something
called individual ready reserve,
or irr.
|
| 00:37:20 | Essentially, keeping them on
call to return from civilian
life to combat if needed.
|
| 00:37:22 | That's what army sergeant
coleman bean did.
|
| 00:37:32 | Serving twice in iraq.
|
| 00:37:33 | But his family says when he came
home to new jersey he couldn't
get the help he needed for
dealing with ptsd and in 2008 he
took his own life.
|
| 00:37:45 | That tragedy moved democratic
representative rush holt to
create the provision which was
ultimately cut from the defense
spending bill passed today in
the house.
|
| 00:37:49 | Joining me now, congressman holt
of new jersey.
|
| 00:37:52 | Could you just explain this $10
million provision?
|
| 00:37:56 | What it -- why it was needed in
addition to the other mental
health resources that are
already available to veterans?
|
| 00:38:06 | >> Well, lawrence, you explained
the background well.
|
| 00:38:15 | When sergeant bean killed
himself, I talked to his family.
|
| 00:38:19 | And pledged to do what I could
to see that this sort of thing
would never happen again.
|
| 00:38:23 | To their credit, they conducted
really studies around the
country and it was apparent to
us that we need outreach.
|
| 00:38:32 | It's not enough to let these
veterans or the reservists
self-diagnose, and if they
imagine they have a problem, go
see somebody.
|
| 00:38:46 | It's really important to get
them where they are.
|
| 00:38:51 | And so this provision that the
house has passed twice now, the
house of representatives, would
provide for trained counselors
to reach out to these reservists
at least every 90 days, probably
by phone or in person to see how
they're adjusting to civilian
life.
|
| 00:39:08 | It's a -- I think a fairly
straightforward common sense
approach.
|
| 00:39:10 | And as I say, it passed the
house twice.
|
| 00:39:11 | It disappeared in the
house/senate conference.
|
| 00:39:19 | Last year it was because of
objections by unnamed senators
for unspecified reasons.
|
| 00:39:30 | The same thing happened this
time, except that I began to
SUSPECT THAT senator McCain had
something to do with it, so i
spoke with him.
|
| 00:39:39 | And indeed, he said, this is an
overreach.
|
| 00:39:40 | In order to -- this proactive
approach is really unnecessary.
|
| 00:39:44 | And, you know, I -- you have
said, and I -- or people are now
very much aware that the rate of
suicides in the military is
greater than in the general
population.
|
| 00:39:50 | It is growing.
|
| 00:40:03 | You know, it's -- 10% higher
among the military than the
general population, among
marines it's 20% higher.
|
| 00:40:08 | Clearly there's a need for
outreach here.
|
| 00:40:14 | And when I said this to senator
McCAIN, HE JUST ESSENTIALLY GOT
Mad and said don't lecture to me
about military suicides.
|
| 00:40:21 | I said, I wasn't lecturing, I'm
just explaining the need and why
we need to do something to reach
out.
|
| 00:40:28 | So anyway, now I know why it's
disappeared from the defense
authorization bill.
|
| 00:40:34 | Earlier in the program, you were
talking about all the
legislation that's been done
since the election.
|
| 00:40:46 | A lot of good things, the
defense authorization bill has
some good features and some bad
features, actually, but this
should have been in there.
|
| 00:40:52 | >> NOW, WAS IT -- senator McCain
getting mad when confronted on
legislative activity is a very
common experience for senators
who have dealt with him before.
|
| 00:41:01 | As they can all report.
|
| 00:41:03 | But when he talks about don't
give me a lecture, it sounds to
me like he needs a lecture on
these suicide figures.
|
| 00:41:10 | Did it -- did you have the sense
that he was getting new
information when you were
telling him what was happen
something what the statistical,
the horrifying new statistical
picture of military suicide
looks like?
|
| 00:41:33 | >> You know, I don't know how --
you know, how much he knows
about the situation.
|
| 00:41:42 | I presume he does, because
everyone hears about this.
|
| 00:41:47 | And anyone who either goes to
hearings of the armed services
committee or interacts with
military brass or the veteran's
administration surely knows
about the effort that the dod is
undertaking, that the va is
undertaking.
|
| 00:42:05 | This legislation, I think, is
important -- this provision that
I inserted in the bill, because
it deals with the reservists who
often fall between the cracks,
they're not looked after by the
va, they're not in a regular
military unit.
|
| 00:42:24 | They're often on their own
between deployments, and so i
thinthere's a particular need
for these reservists.
|
| 00:42:32 | It's hard to get the statistics
on suicide rates among these
categories.
|
| 00:42:34 | It appears there is a real need
here.
|
| 00:42:35 | senator McCain, you know, said
at one point, well, maybe you
need this in new jersey.
|
| 00:42:37 | But we don't need it in arizona.
|
| 00:42:37 | Well, I beg to differ.
|
| 00:42:39 | I think we need it in all 50
states and the territories,
wherever people are serving.
|
| 00:42:44 | >> Just absolutely shocking.
|
| 00:42:50 | Maybe you need this in new
jersey, we don't need it in
arizona.
|
| 00:42:52 | Congressman rush holt, democrat
of new jersey, thank you for
your time tonight.
|
| 00:43:01 | >> I'll keep working on it, we
need it.
|
| 00:43:02 | Thank you.
|
| 00:43:03 | >>> Sarah palin's camp fire
attack against first lady
michelle obama is firing up the
gop.
|
| 00:43:06 | A fellow republican and
presidential primary opponent of
palin's is trying to get the
last word against palin.
|
| 00:43:12 | That's tonight's rewrite.
|
| 00:43:17 | >>> Bill maher's christmas
address to the world.
|
| 00:43:19 | He says oprah winfrey has made
it clear, the real reason for
the season.
|
| 00:43:24 | Last word's holiday cheer
correspondent michael musto will
referee the fight between bill
and oprah.
|
| 00:44:35 | policies
?
|
| 00:44:36 | Bring in the parrots.
|
| 00:44:39 | Home. Auto.
|
| 00:44:40 | Life.
|
| 00:44:40 | You see, Jack, when your home, auto and life
insurance
are with separate companies, they're just
noisy, right ?
|
| 00:44:46 | But when they work together ?
|
| 00:44:47 | ♪♪ Home ♪♪ ♪♪ Auto ♪♪ Life ♪♪
|
| 00:44:49 | Wow. Beautiful.
|
| 00:44:51 | Nationwide Insurance can getyour policies
in sync,
and save you up to 25% !
|
| 00:44:56 | I didn't know theycould sing like that.
|
| 00:44:59 | Hit it, fellas.
|
| 00:45:00 | ♪♪ Nationwideis on your side ♪♪
|
| 00:45:40 | >>> Republican fight club.
|
| 00:45:41 | Someone in the gop is taking on
sarah palin for attacking
michelle obama.
|
| 00:45:44 | And that person is also a fellow
employee of fox news.
|
| 00:45:47 | Details in tonight's rewrite.
|
| 00:45:49 | >>> Is bill maher saying there's
a war on christmas and it's
oprah's fault?
|
| 00:45:57 | Michael musto gets the last
word.
|
| 00:46:11 | ♪♪
|
| 00:46:11 | ♪♪
|
| 00:46:12 | [ Male Announcer ] YOU KNOW HER.
|
| 00:46:15 | We know diamonds.
|
| 00:46:16 | And with 25% off our best selling jewelry,
together we'll find the perfect gift, right
down to the wire.
|
| 00:46:22 | That's why only zalesis the diamond store.
|
| 00:46:56 | ]
here.
|
| 00:46:58 | Whoa! that achy cold needs alka-seltzer plus!
|
| 00:47:01 | It rushes multiple cold fighters,
plus a powerful pain reliever,
wherever you need it!
|
| 00:47:06 | [ Both ]♪♪ OH WHAT A RELIEF IT IS! ♪♪
|
| 00:47:11 | ]
season
smile.
|
| 00:47:13 | With crest 3d white
professional effects,
you'll start seeing a whiter
smile after just three days.
|
| 00:47:17 | For a smile that's sure
to stand out.
|
| 00:47:21 | ♪♪ ♪♪
|
| 00:47:22 | crest 3d white professional
effects whitestrips.
|
| 00:47:35 | >>> Time for tonight's rewrite.
|
| 00:47:36 | As the food fight between
michelle obama and sarah palin
obama now has an
unexpected ally.
|
| 00:47:39 | This whole thing started in july
when the first lady was
promoting her let's move
initiative to get healthy food
to american children while
fighting the enormous juvenile
obesity epidemic.
|
| 00:47:49 | >> Kids won't like it at first,
trust me.
|
| 00:47:50 | But they'll grow to like it.
|
| 00:47:56 | Or deciding that they don't get
dessert with every meal.
|
| 00:47:57 | As I tell my kids, dessert is
not a right.
|
| 00:47:58 | Or they don't get it every day.
|
| 00:48:12 | >> Then on sunday the latest
edition of the newest reality
show featuring the most recent
vice presidential candidate who
will never be president aired on
tlc, and sarah palin took on the
first lady lying about what you
just heard michelle obama say.
|
| 00:48:29 | >> Where's the s'mores?
|
| 00:48:29 | This is an honor michelle obama
said the other day.
|
| 00:48:35 | Enter mike huckabewho has done
his share of healthy and
unhealthy eating.
|
| 00:48:48 | Here's what he had to say
yesterday.
|
| 00:48:49 | With all due respect to my
colleague and friend sarah
palin, I think she's
misunderstood what michelle
obama's trying to do.
|
| 00:49:02 | She's not trying to tell people
what to eat or not trying to
force the government's desires
on people.
|
| 00:49:08 | But she's stating the obvious,
that we do have an obesity
crisis in this country.
|
| 00:49:12 | And the health care costs are
staggering, with 80% of health
care costs in this country going
toward chronic disease, a lot of
which is caused by obesity.
|
| 00:49:17 | The first lady's campaign is on
target, and it's not saying that
you can't or shouldn't ever eat
a dessert, but it's saying, if
you start rewarding kids with
sugary things and make them
think when they're good they get
sugar and when they're bad they
have to eat vegetables.
|
| 00:49:35 | You do what happened, really
what happened to me and a lot of
people.
|
| 00:49:38 | We condition ourselves to think
we're really only good when
we're sugaring it up.
|
| 00:49:42 | >> Thank you, mike huckabee.
|
| 00:49:46 | >>> She's the host of the
highest rated talk show in
american history.
|
| 00:49:57 | ...
|
| 00:50:00 | Will you marry me?
|
| 00:50:01 | Oooh, helzberg diamonds.
|
| 00:50:03 | Yeah, well he must have saved some money
with geico.
|
| 00:50:05 | Reminds me of the gecko mating call.
|
| 00:50:07 | Really? how does that go?
|
| 00:50:10 | Shoo be doo be doo.
|
| 00:50:14 | 15 minutes could save you 15% or more
on car insurance.
|
| 00:50:22 | ..
|
| 00:50:22 | Everyone's eating tacos outside bill's office.
|
| 00:50:25 | [ chuckles ] YOU THINK THAT IS SOME INFORMATION
I would have liked to know?
|
| 00:50:29 | I like tacos.
|
| 00:50:32 | You invited eric?
|
| 00:50:33 | I thought eric gave you the creeps.
|
| 00:50:37 | [ phone buzzes ]
Oh.
|
| 00:50:42 | [ chuckles ]YEAH. HEY.
|
| 00:50:43 | [ Male Announcer ]DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND.
|
| 00:50:45 | Get it first with at&t.
|
| 00:50:47 | The nation's fastest mobilebroadband network.
|
| 00:50:48 | Period.
|
| 00:50:50 | Rethink possible.
|
| 00:53:28 | >>> She's the host of the
highest rated talk show in
american history.
|
| 00:53:30 | And every year around the
holidays she airs an episode in
which she gives away some of her
favorite things.
|
| 00:53:38 | But this year one episode wasn't
enough.
|
| 00:53:41 | The 300 audience members for the
first episode of oprah's
ultimate favorite things
received a free 52-inch 3-d
on, seven-day cruise
plus 20 other gifts.
|
| 00:53:56 | Those present for the second
episode received a free ipad,
diamond earrings, a 2012
volkswagen beetle and 17 other
gifts.
|
| 00:54:04 | And then scrooge -- I mean, bill
maher has a problem with that.
|
| 00:54:06 | >> Merry christmas.
|
| 00:54:13 | I saw one of the most deeply
disturbing things I've ever seen
on television last month.
|
| 00:54:18 | Here's how it was shown on the
nbc evening news.
|
| 00:54:23 | >> If you had tickets for the
oprah winfrey show for any day
of this year, this was the day
you wanted.
|
| 00:54:28 | This was her final annual
favorite things.
|
| 00:54:31 | Audience members will need a
wheelbarrow to take home all
their stuff.
|
| 00:54:42 | >> How can you look at this and
not immediately know what, at
the core, is so rotten about
this country?
|
| 00:54:50 | This is our real religion,
greed.
|
| 00:54:56 | Oprah's show purports to be a
lot about spirituality.
|
| 00:55:02 | If it was, then wouldn't she
tell her worshipping flock to
sit down and stop losing your
[ bleep ] over material stuff?
|
| 00:55:08 | >> Joining me now from the
village voice and daily
musto.com blog, michael musto.
|
| 00:55:13 | I will never be brave enough to
pick sides in a clash between
two show business giants like
bill and oprah.
|
| 00:55:18 | So can you help me find a way to
say they're both right?
|
| 00:55:30 | >> Well, I just came from a free
meal, lawrence, so I'm the
perfect person for this story.
|
| 00:55:34 | I think they're both a little
right.
|
| 00:55:35 | I love bill maher, he's funny
and insightful.
|
| 00:55:38 | He is right about oprah sending
mixed messages.
|
| 00:55:42 | >> Be careful with the rest of
your answer.
|
| 00:55:45 | >> She's pan dering to greed,
isn't that what all television
show does?
|
| 00:55:49 | It's about commercials and
selling merchandise to the
public.
|
| 00:55:53 | At least she gave it away.
|
| 00:55:55 | In this economy, people are
basically eating dirt for
dinner, she's saying, here's a
crimping iron, you'll love it
until you have to pay taxes on
them.
|
| 00:56:06 | >> What is going to happen to
american television when oprah
moves on?
|
| 00:56:14 | Sarah palin seems to be waiting
in the wings.
|
| 00:56:18 | Oprah said she saw sarah palin's
show on tlc, and they said,
she's charming and very
likeable.
|
| 00:56:25 | Is sarah palin on her way to
becoming the next oprah?
|
| 00:56:35 | >> Well, oprah's clearly lost
her mind in addition to her talk
show.
|
| 00:56:39 | She's lost all faculty here.
|
| 00:56:39 | Sarah palin needs to become a
reality show footnote.
|
| 00:56:41 | Which I'm sure will happen come
2012.
|
| 00:56:45 | I'm more worried about oprah
winfrey, and her new network,
own.
|
| 00:56:48 | This is perfect time for
christmas, it's always been a
battle between jesus and santa.
|
| 00:56:54 | The spiritual, and if you
weren't good, you don't get your
cha-cha heels.
|
| 00:57:00 | We do forget to commemorate
jesus and oprah.
|
| 00:57:03 | But we don't forget to buy
things, do we?
|
| 00:57:08 | >> What about the civic duty
side of oprah?
|
| 00:57:12 | She couldn't possibly be doing
more to stimulate the economy
than all of this spending on her
audience?
|
| 00:57:22 | >> She's increasing tax payments
that will be coming in as soon
as these people realize you have
to pay taxes on this or you go
to jail with wesley snipes.
|
| 00:57:32 | She's making you want to buy
more.
|
| 00:57:37 | It's not enough to get one yacht
cruise, you get addicted and you
want to see the world.
|
| 00:57:41 | Even though you don't have a
home.
|
| 00:57:44 | >> Michael, that's going to have
to be the last word on oprah and
bill maher.
|
| 00:57:50 | Thank you.
|
| 00:57:51 | >> Thafrmgs you.
|
| 00:57:51 | >>> That's "the last word" from
los angeles.
|
| 00:57:52 | You can follow us on our web
page on msnbc.com.
|
| 00:57:53 | Once you are there, you can find
all you need to donate to the
k.i.n.d. fund.
|
