Tonight, we'll bring you the latest headlines on the 2012 race. All week long, immigration has been a huge topic on our show. No news yet from the Romney camp over his stance on the issue — still. But, we might have a breakthrough, folks. His team told reporters they plan to offer up more details during a speech to Latino leaders tomorrow in Orlando.
If you happen to be surfing around YouTube today, you just might see this new anti-Obama ad by RightChange.com, "The Most Arrogant Man in the World." Derivative, yes. But you have to give them points for effort riffing off a Dos Equis commercial. "Stay ignorant, my friends!"
One political party wants to completely decriminalize marijuana. And not just allow medical marijuana, but make marijuana possession for anyone completely legal. In The Rewrite, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell has details on a surprising step towards saner drug laws in this country coming from an unexpected place.
This may be the most inexplicable campaign ad ever... in the history of ever. No, really.
Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher, who is running in Ohio as a Republican for the U.S. House released this online ad linking the Holocaust with gun control. Wurzelbacher told POLITICO, “I’m just stating the fact that history is very important — people need to understand what happened. Different countries around the world have tried to disarm their citizens, and then have tried to exterminate their own now-unarmed citizens.”
Harry Reid name-dropped the latest Internet meme today at his weekly press conference. When asked by a reporter about the DREAM act and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader jokingly hit back with, "I don't want to answer that question. That's a clown question bro."
He got a few laughs from the surprised press corps for borrowing the line from Bryce Harper, a Nevada-born outfielder who plays for Washington Nationals.
A new ad from the secretive right-wing group American Future Fund thanks Republican Senator Mitch McConnell for "defending free speech." The 80-second spot entreats us, over some good ol’ American fiddles, to remind Obama that he swore an oath to uphold our right to free speech, by which it means the Supreme Court decision on Citizens United v. the FEC, which held that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting political donations by corporations and unions. So in other words, it makes the argument our nation's founding fathers "fought and died" for justice unlimited campaign spending. (I must've missed that lesson in my history text-book.)
“Don’t be fooled,” stated AFF Founder Nick Ryan. ”Obama and his team are attempting to hide their radical and dangerous plans under a cloak of so-called democracy. What they really want is to suppress the voices of those who disagree with them. They want more control over what is said and who is saying it. It’s un-American. It’s wrong.”
It's worth mentioning the American Future Fund is itself a 501(c)(4), operating its own super PAC, the exact type of organization that the Citizens United ruling made possible. And now they've made an ad defending the same cause which enabled them to acquire the amount of money necessary to make an ad defending the same cause which enabled them to acquire the amount of money necessary to...
The irony is so sinister that I have to go and curl up in the fetal position. If you need me, I’ll be under the cloak of so-called democracy.
Was it something he said? Or was it the fact he just never finished his own version of the DREAM Act before Obama announced his immigration bombshell? Looks like Marco Rubio isn't being vetted for Romney's VP slot as once thought. We'll have more on that tonight at 10pm ET. Here are some of the stories shaping tonight's Last Word rundown.
New poll shows Americans agree with Obama’s immigration policy 2-to-1
Perhaps one of the many reasons Mitt Romney doesn't want you to see his tax returns is he doesn't want you to know how much he deducts for dancing horses. In 2010, it was written off as $77,000 business deduction. MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell rewrites Mitt Romney's justification for trying to deduct the cost of his show horse from his taxes.
The way to fight back against Republicans who ban you from speaking after using the word "vagina" on the House floor? You perform "The Vagina Monologues," naturally.
Massive crowds gathered today on the steps of the Michigan capital to watch State Rep. Lisa Brown and about 10 other female lawmakers give a dramatic reading. The congresswoman was silenced after uttering the word "vagina" on the floor last week while debating an anti-abortion bill.
"I have not asked you to adopt and to adhere to my religious beliefs. Why are you asking me to adopt yours?” Rep. Lisa Brown demanded. “And finally Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but no means no."
That got her barred from speaking the next day. Michigan House Speaker James Bolger said in a statement that she "failed to maintain the decorum of the House of Representatives."
Apparently, it remains taboo to mentioning the female lady parts.
President Obama cast Senator John Kerry to play the role of Mitt Romney in rehearsal debates. The former 2004 presidential candidate will help prep Obama for three crucial TV appearances this coming fall, in which he'll face off with the Republican nominee on a range of issues.
It's not just the wicked Massachusetts accent. According to the Washington Post, Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod called him "the obvious choice."
"There is no one that has more experience or understanding of the presidential debate process than John Kerry,” said Axelrod. "He's an expert debater who has a fundamental mastery of a wide range of issues, including Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts."
Kerry and Romney also share two other gaping similarities: both also have super-sized bank accounts and have been heavily criticized for flip-flipping on policy issues.
No word yet on who Romney will pick to play Obama for his own dress rehearsals. He's currently in the process of auditioning VP running mates on his bus tour.
Mitt Romney and the Republicans have found a number of creative ways to side-step the question, “Will you repeal Obama’s immigration order to grant temporary relief from deportation to the children of illegal immigrants?” Check out the highlight reel above, and keep in mind: this is only from Monday morning, on a single network!
Why is the GOP evading? Perhaps because the future of their party’s electability is at stake. According to the 2010 census, the Hispanic population makes up 16.3% of the country’s population. That’s a 43% increase since the previous census in 2000, making Hispanics not only the nation’s largest minority group, but also its fastest-growing one.
If Mitt Romney and the Republicans say that they would, in fact, repeal Obama’s new initiative, they risk alienating an increasingly influential voting bloc for this election and perhaps many more to come. On the other hand, if Romney admits that the president was right, he risks aggravating a conservative base whose high turnout in such a close race will be crucial for victory.
This, ladies and gentleman, is called a pickle. Hence the evasion.
Authorities are now investigating the cause of Rodney King's death over weekend. Officials ordered toxicology tests, though results won't be known for a few weeks. His body was found in a swimming pool on Sunday.
King became the iconic face of the 1992 L.A. riots. He was stopped for speeding and beaten by four Los Angeles Police Department officers. A bystander videotaped the brutal incident, in which police hit him more than 50 times, kicked him on the ground and zapped him with stun guns — sparking widespread civil unrest. After all was said and done, more than 50 people died, nearly 3,000 were injured and thousands of businesses were trashed.
Twenty years after his almost-deadly beating, Rodney King reflected on the infamous riots and gave his perspective on the killing of Trayvon Martin during an appearance on The Last Word. He was a guest on our show just a short time ago on April 25. In a Very Last Word web exclusive, he thanked supporters for keeping him alive.
Before we get the gears rolling with your regularly scheduled programming this Monday, let's first start by giving a quick shout out to Paul McCartney. The former Beatle turns 70 today, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. He just played at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, he's set to close the opening ceremony at the London Olympics and he even appears on Jimmy Fallon's new CD. Happy B-day, Macca!
As for longevity in politics, that's a whole different story. Here are some of the other headlines catching our eye right now.
Josh Weed, a therapist from Seattle, and his wife Lolly published a post on Josh's blog a few days ago.In it they told his readers that he is both Mormon... and gay. The couple uses the post - which is nearly 64-hundred words long - to explain their unique relationship in great detail.
Lolly knew Josh was gay when they married.The couple has three daughters.And because of their genuine love for each other, Josh describes their sex life as, quote: "a better sex life than most people I personally know. Most of whom are straight."
Josh remains, in his words, “very happily married to a woman” even though he has long identified as gay, because he also considers himself a “a devout and believing Mormon.” When Josh came out to his parents at the age of 13, his father served in the local stake presidency, meaning that he helped oversee several Mormon congregations. His parents nonetheless remained supportive of him—as did Lolly, who has been friends with Josh since the two were kids. Despite his homosexuality they have all agreed with his decision to stay true to the doctrines of Mormonism, including temple marriage, which can only be “between a man and a woman” and is “ordained of God” as one of the religion’s most sacred covenants. Weed says that this decision is an entirely satisfying one. “I am gay. Iam Mormon. I am married to a woman. I am happy every single day.”
After publishing their story online, the couple says they received a slew of very positive responses on their blog post. In this YouTube video they talk about that - and explain a bit more about why they are sharing their story.
Josh and Lolly's story underscores recent developments within the Mormon community on homosexuality.
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell airs at 10pm ET, Monday through Thursday on MSNBC. The show channels O'Donnell's extensive background in politics and entertainment.
