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MSNBC POLITICS NATION 8/29/2011('GOP’s States Rights=segregation and slavery=removing rights')
lexisnexis MSNBC Transcript ^ | 8/29/2011 | SHARPTON and guests

Posted on 08/31/2011 8:59:26 AM PDT by sickoflibs

REV. AL SHARPTON, HOST: The real showdown in American politics. Do you believe in a national American government?
Tonight, Rick Perry`s defense of states` rights, why it`s working and why progressives have to challenge it.

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Tonight`s lead, the real showdown in American politics. It`s easy to get lost in the day-to-day fights in Washington, but the truth is, there`s a showdown coming in this country, a showdown over the role of government.
Should the federal government have the main role in America, or should states have sovereignty? It`s a debate that goes back to the founding of our nation, and it`s been the dominant theme since the Civil War.
Texas Governor Rick Perry has shot to the top of the GOP pack by attacking critical federal programs like Medicaid and Medicare and Social Security.

SHARPTON: Yes, who knows what might come out of it?
Along the way, Perry has embraced the language of states` rights. That means limiting the federal government`s role in ensuring all of our rights — civil rights, women`s rights, gay rights, (illegal) immigrant rights, and basic human rights for all of us.
Right now, every top Republican 2012 candidate is reading from the states` rights playbook.

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RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the federal government and those reserved to the states or to the people. Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHARPTON: And southern leaders used states` rights to defend segregation during the Civil Rights era and to justify slavery before the Civil War. In his great “I have a dream” speech 48 years ago yesterday, Martin Luther King talked about Alabama`s governor`s lips dripping with the words of nullification, a code ward for states` rights.
Well, as I stood Friday with members of his family, looking at the Martin Luther King Monument, I thought about the real battle, the real challenge, the real political question in this country is really coming down to how they are going to try and divide us to win this battle of bringing down strong national government and embellishing emboldening state sovereignty.
That`s the question of 2012. Oh, they`ll play it where they`ll say to some, it`s about (illegal ) immigration rights, and that should be decided by states like Arizona law. No, it`s about same-sex marriage rights. No, it`s about civil rights.
It`s about all of us being protected by national government, federal government. If they are allowed to do states` rights to any of us, it will be states` rights that threatens all of us.
That`s what this show will be about, POLITICS NATION with a big “P.” Not the petty politics, the big “P,” those that want it bring this country back to the pre-1960s, where people did not have the protection of a national government that would make sure they could not be ruined or ruled by those that had regional biases.
Joining me now is Melissa Harris-Perry, an MSNBC contributor, columnist for “The Nation,” and professor at Tulane University. And E.J. Dionne, “Washington Post” columnist and a Brookings senior fellow.
Let me start with you, Mr. Dionne.
You have done a lot of writing on this whole states` rights situation. And I know you say some of them are disingenuous. But fact of the matter is, whether they are playing out of a hypocritical handbook or not, they are playing to a handbook that is dangerous for those of us that believe in civil rights and civil liberties in this country.
E.J. DIONNE, COLUMNIST, “THE WASHINGTON POST”: Yes. Well, when you - - thank you, Reverend.
When you look at the history of when states` rights gets invoked, it`s almost always invoked when the federal government is going to step in and protect some group in a state from a powerful local elite. And so, obviously, states` rights was very important before the Civil War to advocates of slavery. States` rights were very important to advocates of segregation who didn`t want federal civil rights laws.
But when you look at the history on a whole — and recent history — on a whole lot of questions, when local progressives who were trying to enact tougher environmental rules, many conservatives wanted to preempt that with federal power. When state attorneys general wanted to go after Wall Street, many conservatives said no, no, that`s a federal question.
SHARPTON: Yes. Well, that`s being hypocritical, but I think that problem that I have, and I think you`re right Mr. Dionne, that they play it both ways.
But the language, Melissa, is clearly that they`re trying to bring the country back to a state-by-state kind of governance, and that is a threat. I don`t care if it`s Eric Cantor — I call him, you call him Cantor, but he`s pandering to me — or whether it`s now Rick Perry, who uses it both ways.
When you look at the fact that — look at this statement. The code words of the rights, “states` rights,” “state sovereignty,” “nullification,” which Dr. King used in his speech, “10th Amendment,” when they use this, we are really hearing some dangerous language that I think that they feel with this president that they`ve tried to make unpopular and demonize from the beginning, with the deficit being as high as it`s been, that this is an opportune time for them to really bring us to a states` rights model.
That`s my fear, Melissa. What do you think?
MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. I mean, I think that both you and E.J. are right on this, which is to say there are code words being employed here and there is the reality of the way they actually make use of the federal government.
So those code words about states` rights I do think is their way of saying we won`t allow the, as you might understand, special interest to be protected. Now, obviously, they are not actually special interests, they are human rights. But there`s a way that this states` rights language becomes a kind of code word for segregation, a code word for making sure that there is no extension of kind of the full benefits of American citizenship.
Two groups of people that — you know, the fact is, quite honestly, the former confederacy, where I live, and in other parts of the country, this notion that black people, brown people, new (illegal) immigrants don`t deserve these rights. But the fact is —
(CROSSTALK)
SHARPTON: But E.J., even when you come out of the South — let me raise this, though, Melissa, because I think the danger is — and I`m frankly afraid that —
HARRIS-PERRY: It`s not just about that.
SHARPTON: That`s right. I`m afraid that a lot of the progressives are missing it in the small “p,” because, E.J., look the at states that have a proposals that are before it now some very northern, very liberal, very northwestern states, are also facing proposals.
So I think if we really don`t start really identifying what this means, and bring in different constituency groups together who would be threatened by this, we`re going to end up with a backward motion that will have traction that we won`t be able to stop.
DIONNE: Sure. If you look historically at the use of the words “states` rights,” Strom Thurmond, when he ran for president, broke away from the Democratic Party when Harry Truman was pushing for civil rights.
SHARPTON: And what was name of his party?
DIONNE: And that`s what I was going to say. His party was States` Rights Democrats.
SHARPTON: Uh-huh.
DIONNE: So clearly it was used in that way. And obviously, Rick Perry has talked about programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, suggesting at various points — I`m not sure he`s going to stick with those positions, but suggestion that, well, actually, these things are better handled by the state.
So, on the whole, through history, progressives have said that federal power is important in trying it make our country fairer. But I do think that this hypocrisy is very important to expose, because there are many progressive states in the country that have tried to go beyond the federal government in some of these spheres, and that`s when you get conservatives often pushing back, trying to use the federal government against progressive initiatives.
SHARPTON: Well, no, I think you`re right, hypocrisy is important.
But Melissa, from my study of civil rights, even before I was old enough to be involved, there were some that were liberal, that — and the hypocrisy became the biggest segregation. George Wallace being one.
So where I agree with E.J., hypocrisy is a concern, what is even more of a concern is if they get this language and this policy going. Look at the fact that Rick Perry, who is the leading candidate now for the GOP, he wrote a book, “Fed Up,” in which called these things unconstitutional — Medicare and Medicaid, civil rights laws, national labor laws, national minimum wage laws, bank regulation, consumer. All of these he wrote unconstitutional in “Fed Up.”
I don`t know if he meant federal government up, or fed up that he`s tired. Either one I am afraid of.
HARRIS-PERRY: Right. But look, here is the thing that we want to be clearest about what there is to fear here, and that is secession.
And when I say secession, I don`t necessarily mean that we need to be afraid that Texas is actually going to leave. But we have actually seen the GOP at this point secede from the responsibilities of governing.
What we saw occur in the debt ceiling debate, the willingness to hold the entire country hostage, behind a kind of ideological line in the sand, is a kind of secession. It`s a refusal to in fact use the power of the federal government to meet the responsibilities of the federal government.

And so that has a true domino effect, a kind of cascading effect for all of Americans. It is easy to buy into this language if you think that the power of the federal government only protects a few special interests. But when you recognize that the real danger here is a danger that the government will cease to exist — this is Lincoln`s concern, that we must preserve the union — and so this kind of states` rights language is literally about the danger of secession, of one of our political parties.
And we need both. One of them refusing to do the work of governing. And I think that, for me, is where the single greatest danger lies.
SHARPTON: Well, I think that I agree with you. I also agree with E.J. about the hypocrisy. But I also fear that we are seeing a lot of MIA, missing in action, from progressives understanding this is a bigger fight, it goes way back.
I don`t only talk the talk, I walk the walk. I`m not going to let them turn back the clock without a real fight.
Melissa Harris-Perry, E.J. Dionne, thanks so much.
DIONNE: Thank you.
HARRIS-PERRY: Thanks, Reverend Al.
SHARPTON: Ahead, we knew the right wing was going after minority voters, but news today shows it might be more organized than we thought.
Plus, Eric Pandor — I mean, Cantor — wants relief from hurricane damage to be offset with spending cuts.
Way to go, Eric. That`s government working for the people.
And Michele Bachmann thinks God is a conservative.
You`re watching POLITICS NATION, only on MSNBC. Stay with us.

Full transcript at
POLITICS NATION for August 29, 2011(Al Sharpton )


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: melissaharrisperry; msnbc; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; racebait; racism; sharpton
This is the kickoff show of POLITICS NATION host Al Sharpton and off to a good start, accusing Republicans of racism.

Opposing spending is racist
Opposing Obama-care is racist
Opposing tax increases (except FICA) is racist
Promoting any states rights is racist
Criticism of obama is racist

He is the expert.

1 posted on 08/31/2011 8:59:32 AM PDT by sickoflibs
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To: Kaslin; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; stephenjohnbanker; DoughtyOne; calcowgirl; Gilbo_3; NFHale; ...

This kickoff show was a doozy, hiring a professional race-baiter to complain about Republicans.


2 posted on 08/31/2011 9:03:07 AM PDT by sickoflibs (Over-taxed means 'paying too much in taxes', not zero taxes)
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To: sickoflibs

“Showdown”? Sounds like the wild west’s shoot-out at high noon. Is that what he’s advocating? All this violent rhetoric coming from the left...


3 posted on 08/31/2011 9:04:21 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: sickoflibs

People have more control on what happens to them on a state level.

You take that away and a lot of basic freedom erodes.

There is a pendulum that swings between states rights and the federal goverment rights. right now it has swung WAAAY to far over to the federal level, idealy it should be somewhere in the middle zone.


4 posted on 08/31/2011 9:11:28 AM PDT by GraceG
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To: GraceG
RE :"People have more control on what happens to them on a state level. You take that away and a lot of basic freedom erodes."

What are you, some kind of racist??

Freedom=slavery, dont you know that?

5 posted on 08/31/2011 9:20:22 AM PDT by sickoflibs (Over-taxed means 'paying too much in taxes', not zero taxes)
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To: GraceG
** Power Divided is Power Checked ** Where does one flee to when the Federal Goobermint infringes on your rights?
6 posted on 08/31/2011 9:37:50 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB (My mind is like a steel trap: rusty and illegal in 37 states.)
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To: sickoflibs
hiring a professional race-baiter to complain about Republicans

What a NOVEL idea! I wonder why NO ONE has EVER thought of this before!

7 posted on 08/31/2011 9:45:02 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter knows whom he's working for)
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To: sickoflibs

Leftists define “freedom” as “freedom from personal responsibility”.

Of course, “personal responsibility” is a racist code phrase, donchaknow.


8 posted on 08/31/2011 9:46:03 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter knows whom he's working for)
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To: WOBBLY BOB

The left doesn’t want you to be able to escape their grasp.

This is why the “secession card” freaks them out so much.


9 posted on 08/31/2011 9:46:53 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter knows whom he's working for)
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To: sickoflibs
That`s government working for the people.

That's really government working over the people.How can a runaway train be working for the people?

There are other systems more preferable and efficient that can work for the people.

10 posted on 08/31/2011 12:28:47 PM PDT by oyez ( America is being pimped.)
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To: MrB

Soon freedom will be defined nothing left to loose. It will be just me and Bobbie McGee.


11 posted on 08/31/2011 12:34:55 PM PDT by oyez ( America is being pimped.)
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To: sickoflibs
"E.J. DIONNE, COLUMNIST, “THE WASHINGTON POST”: Yes. Well, when you - - thank you, Reverend."
Tis enough to make one want to throw up.
12 posted on 08/31/2011 5:32:16 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned....Duncan Hunter Sr. for POTUS.)
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