Transcripts For WHUT Democracy Now 20131021

Feed, and the contents of garbage bins. Signs on progovernment checkpoints read hunger or neil kneel. In alberta, canada, train during crude oil and liquefied Petroleum Gas ran off the tracks on saturday, sparking a massive fire in forcing roughly 100 people to evacuate. 13 cars derailed, one exploded and a lease to others also caught fire. Is the third time a Canadian National always train carrying Hazardous Materials has to reald within the past month. According for greenpeace canada d reuters the commander of the u. S. Apache pilots who were caught on tape firing on civilians in iraq in the infamous collateral murder video has spoken out about the incident for the first time. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Chris Wallach spoke to the army times ahead of the release this past friday of the fifth estate, a feature film about wikileaks. While it defended the walach defended the behavior of the pilots which was seen around the world after wikileaks posted the video, provided by whistleblower chelsea manning, in 2010. The video shows u. S. Pilots mocking their victims, celebrating as they carry out an attack that killed 12 people below. That includes two reuters employees. Hmaghrs driver saeed c survived an initial strike, but the pilots fired again when they saw people trying to load him into a van. Earlier this month, the pilots commander, chris walach, told army times in the maldives, police blocked voting in the countries reschedule president ial election saturday, claiming to some candidates had not approved the voter rolls. Election officials said police surrounded their offices in the capital revenging the vote. Former president and environment to advocate Mohammed Nasheed won the largest number of votes in an election earlier this month, but the Supreme Court rejected the results after another candidate claimed electoral fraud. International monitors called the election free and fair. On sunday, nasheed, whose ousted last or what he described as a coup at gunpoint, called on the current president Mohamed Waheed hassan to resign. We believe the only prudent a possible and solution for the situation would eed to today for wah resign and the speaker of the monument to take over the november 11,til which is just a few weeks, but for elections to be held not under the unelected or a representative rule of waheed. To speakent obama is today about the technical issues that have plagued the rollout of his Signature Health care law. The administration claims of some 476,000 applications have been filed through federal and state exchanges. They have not said how many people have actually enrolled. The New York Times reports it may be weeks or even months before the cascade of glitches is resolved. Unnamed sources say the enrollment process is masking deeper issues and millions of lines of code a need to be rewritten. U. S. E has summit its ambassador to explain reports based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden that show the National Security Agency Access more than 70 million french phone records over just 30 days. The report was coauthored by former guardian journalist wayne greenwald. It reveals how the u. S. Swept up Text Messages containing certain keywords and automatically recorded conversations that used certain numbers. The French Foreign minister called the tactics totally unacceptable. Earliereports have unveiled similar programs in britain and germany. Meanwhile, reported the german magazine der spiegel based on snowden poss leaks and co authored by laura portraits reveals the nsa has been systematically spying on the Mexican Government for years. Report shows the nsa hacked into an email server used by the president called her on in his cabinet members as part of an operation dubbed flat liquid. Last month current mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto summoned the u. S. Ambassador following reports the nsa had monitored his communications while he was still a candidate. Protests arey continuing to sweep across europe. In spain last week, group of scientist somewhere some wearing black, gathered to hold a moment of silence for the research they say has been killed by budget cuts. In portugal, tens of thousands protested saturday in the cities of lisbon against the governments plan to extend austerity cuts in next years budget. In rome, italy, tens of thousands took to the streets saturday, day after transportation, education, and healthcare workers launched a 24hour nationwide strike against continued austerity cuts in italys new budget. We are saying stop the austerity measures that only hurt the weakest, the workers come the pension is, the unemployed, those who are self employed. They dont touch in the slightest way the strong, those that have grown throughout this crisis and cause this. In montenegro, small group of lgbt people held the firstever gay pride march in the countrys capital despite being outnumbered 10 to one by violent, antigay extremists. Some 2000 Police Officers guarded the group of 150 marchers as they braved an anti gay mob that hurled firebombs and rocks. Anizers said meanwhile, samesex couples in new jersey have began exchanging wedding vows for the first time. On friday, new jersey Supreme Court rejected a request by republican governor Chris Christie to halt the marriages pending an appeal. The weddings began just after midnight. Cory booker officiated some of the states first ceremonies at city hall. South brunswick resident Marsha Shapiro explain why she and her wife wanted to be among the first. We been wanting to get married for a long time. Weve been together over 24 years. We were religiously married over 21 years ago. We have four children, one grandchild, and another one on the way. It is time that we get married. Last week in official in Western North carolina accepted in marriage license applications from samesex couples despite the North Carolina state constitutional amendment banning samesex marriage. An Company Register of deeds said he would ask North Carolinas attorney general to allow the marriages. He is the first deeds registrar in the south to accept samesex marriage licenses. Rate ine girl whose maryville, missouri sparked a nationwide outcry after the charges were dropped against her accused rapist, a wellconnected High School Football player, as written about the experience online. Daisy coleman was 14 when she says she was raped by Matthew Barnett at a gathering of high school athletes. Nightscribes how on that in 2012 she was told to drink from a tall shot glass she then describes how she was dropped in the snow outside her house in 22 degree weather, where her mother found her in the morning. She describes the outcome of the rape kit. When doctors verified our nightmares were real. She recalls how she was suspended from the Cheerleading Squad and people told me that i was asking for it and would get. At was coming online, people urged her to kill yourself, wish you try to do twice. She continues i refuse to be a victim of cruelty any longer. This is why i am saying my name. This is why im not shutting up. Daisys case would viral after an article in the Kansas City Star in a video by the root by the group anonymous. Daisy called the announcement a victory, not just for me, but for every girl. Those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. I am amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Congressre grows for to pass conference of Immigration Reform now that the Government Shutdown is over, we spend the hour with one of the leading dutch people leading a fight, democratic representative Luis Gutierrez of illinois. He has been working to improve immigration policy since he won his congressional seat in the early 1990s. Most recently he helped author a bipartisan proposal for reform in the house. The number of undocumented immigrants deported since president Obama Took Office is set to hit 2 million more than under any other president. In the time since the senate pass Immigration Reform bill in july, the department of Homeland Security has deported 100,000 people. During his weekly address, obama called on the house to follow the senate sleep. The job ofd finish fixing our broken immigration system. There is a Broad Coalition across america behind this effort from Business Leaders to faith leaders to law enforcement. It would grow our economy. It would secure our borders. The senate has already passed a bill with strong bipartisan support. Now the house should, too. The majority of americans think this is the right thing to do. It can and should get done by the end of this year. Speaking on sunday to fox news, republican senator marco rubio of florida suggested the president handling of the Government Shutdown had undermine efforts at Immigration Reform. Source early think Immigration Reform is a lot harder to achieve today than it was just three weeks ago because of what is happened year. I think the house deserves the time and space to have their own ideas about how they want to move forward on this. Lets see what they come up with. It could be better than what the senate has done so far. For more we go to houston to stea speak with Congress Members gutierrez. The chair of the Immigration Task force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a member of the bipartisan house gang of 7. He and seven other members of congress were arrested protesting washingtons fill your and immigration. It is not the first time he has been arrested for civil disobedience. In 2000, he was arrested for protesting u. S. Military for using the inhabited Puerto Rican Island as a bombing range. He writes about his decades of activism and organizing, and politics in his memoir, Still Dreaming my journey from the barrio to capitol hill. Congressmember gutierez, welcome to democracy now before we talk about your life and how you came to where you are, lets talk about the latest issue, the issue of immigration. President obama once again said he would take it up after the government reopened. But in the past, you have accused president obama of not lifting a finger on Immigration Reform. Youre from chicago, from his city, as well. We missed ahink wonderful opportunity, the grand opportunity. We had a majority in the senate and the house under a freshly minted president of the United States. I challenged barack obama at that time because as you recall, when he campaigned in 2008, he said he would make it his signature issue, get it done and signed the bill the first year as president of the United States. Yet he did little or nothing to promote it. We give up our majority in the house and weakened in the senate and two more years went by and we suggested to the president after he asked me in the oval office and said, Luis Gutierrez, put your thinking cap on. Lets figure out ways we can help immigrants now that we are in the minority in the house. We did that. Eventually, the president to send and issued executive order. There are 500,000 young immigrants across this country live in fearr of deportation. We want to make sure the next time they register with the government they register at a more permanent basis. I am happy, delighted to hear. Look, i think the president of the United States has a powerful sway. Should do say was we Immigration Reform again and a capture the headlines. That is the kind of power the president of the United States has. I would say that i hope given the conflict we just went through in the congress of the United States, a conflict of which i supported the president but i think you did the right thing, because he could not negotiate away what so many of us have fought for that is, expansion of health care for american people. I am happy and delighted he stood firm on that. But now it is time for him to challenge himself and to challenge the congress, specifically the house of representatives. I believe he should call speaker boehner, call the republican leadership. I think you should engage them in conversation. That is what camp david is for. It is a place for the president of the United States to sit down with leaders and accomplish legislative goals. Luis, when you say the president did finally agreed to use his executive power to help the dreamers in terms of different deportation, but even that step took quite a significant time, as i understand it, from the time he first recommended it to him and the time he finally did it. I think more than a year. Even there you had to go on a nationwide speaking tour around the country to drum up popular pressure on the white house. Could you talk about that, the importance of that popular pressure on getting some movement on Immigration Reform . Is very important moment. In december 2010, we passed the dream act in the house of representatives. It fails to reach a closer vote in the senate. Is the 18th, 19, 20 the prison th of december. It is just two or three days before christmas and the president says to us, we cant take conference of Immigration Reform but i want to work with the immigrant community in the next two years until i am reluctant president of the United States. We put our thinking ca up then we came up with deferred action. We say to the president , use discretion to make sure certain immigrant groups are not supported from the u. S. , that is to say use your discretion as president of the United States. So we get into a battle and all of the sudden, there are actors and actresses, eva longoria on the lawn of the white house saying, the president doesnt have any power that congress has to act, he cannot do anything individually. The momentum continues to grow. The hispanic caucus challenges the president. Dreamers across this country challenged the president. I remember a group was speaking and one says the 10 says, yes you can, mr. President. Marco rubio, in an opportunistic move says, welcome you know what . I want to do something for the dreamers. We said to the president , if marco rubio is going to stop the deportation and stops sort of short of citizenship, we need to stop the deportation and protect the dreamers. Then the president for months before the election signed an executive order in today there are 500,000. I have never been more thankful to the president of the United States and when he took that action. But we should remember that for a year and a half, the president of the United States in every venue he could he created venues. He created one of florida and el paso in which he specifically said, i cannot take any action. In the end, he did. We had a triumphed because of the processes and effort of our community. As juan gonzalez. Wrote, we are about to pass 2 million deportations under president obama. Your thoughts on that, congressman gutierez . Number one, look. Issident barack obama history, his tenure as president of the United States, is going to be marked by one of two things. Being the president of the United States has deported more than anyone else and at the rate hes going, we dont do conference of Immigration Reform , it has a devastating continuing effect on our community and he will have deported over 300 Million People. Pretty soon the banner headlines will be somewhere it is reach the 2 million goal. I want a president of the United States that signs a conference of immigration bill for two reasons. Number one, it stops the deportation and brings justice and fairness and equity to the immigrant community. Number two, not as important, but important am a i want barack obama to be known as the president that led us to 11 Million People reaching freedom in this country. Were talking to congressmember Luis Gutierrez. When we come back from break, were going to go back 30 years to the night when a molotov cocktail was thrown through his window. He opens his book with that incident. We will talk about his years of activism from chicago to puerto rico. Stay with us. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. With juanoodman gonzalez. Our guest for the hour is democratic congressmember Luis Gutierrez from illinois. He is a member of the bipartisan house gang of 7 that is been working on a broad Immigration Reform bill. His book is out this month, his memoir, called, Still Dreaming my journey from the barrio to capitol hill. Congressmember gutierez, talk about that night 30 years ago. So it is the first week of october, 1984. It is a nice night in chicago, probably about 60 degrees. Not yet cold. My wife and i come back from having dinner with our daughter and friends. I pick up the chicago tribune. I fell asleep reading it. I was on the couch by my living room window. About 3 00 in the morning, a rock is thrown through the window of my living room and a gallon of gasoline is thrown in, huge molotov cocktail. I still call it the ring of fire. It was secular and flames were high. I raced up to get my daughter and wife out of bed. I write about it because i think it is important people understand the context of violence and that it still exists, even in the 1980s in the city of chicago. An important time for me because when i was in high school and college, i was very politically active. And we hadmarried our wonderful daughter. We bought our first home. I used to watch public tv all of oldtime and watch this house and i send it my floors and clean up the varnish on the ,tairs, you know, i drywalled planted flowers. I caulked the bathroom. It was our first home. That molotov cocktail burned down our first home. The important thing is that i remember Robin Williams and watching my favorite tv and even on weekends having my sixpack of beer and playing dominoes with my friends. Look, my life changed because there was a black man named Harold Washington, congressman, who won the democratic nomination in the spring of 1983, for the mayor of the city of chicago. It should have been one of those quiznos for no one who will for someone who will win the 1 million. He almost wins and becomes mayor of the city of chicago. The precinct cabin captain lets think about that congressman Dan Rutkowski is not just one member of the house of representatives, is the powerful chairman of the ways and means commission. Even as a democrat, hes against euro washington. Against haroldre washington because he is a black man. They dont want a black and to be the city mayor. Yes we live north of the mason dixon line, but chicago is still andty troubled by race ethnic bias. A support washington. Andn against Dan Rutkowski in october 1984, the molotov cocktail comes through my house. I want to say, look, i dont express this in the memoir but i wife and i have forgiven. So as my daughter. We have moved on in our lives. We hope the people that through the bomb have found peace in their life. We certainly have. Luis gutierrez, you mention michalski st dan Dan Rutkowski. How was that formation, your political formation through the ward structure in chicago and coming up through the ranks there affected how you see politics in america . Look, i will be honest with you. Before Harold Washington won the democratic primary for mayor, i used to sit in my house and the captain would come by and say, is the sewer running well . If it wasnt, he would fix it. If there were tree limbs and question my homes, he would have the forrester department of the city of chicago, and crop them. If i needed a garbage can with a nicely to keep out the rodents that he provided one to me. I was very happy and very content, so they would come by and ask me to vote straight theet democrat and support local City Council Member for reelection. I really did not have much of a problem doing that. They asked me to vote democratic , major the city of chicago provided the kinds of services that i pay property taxes in order to get come and then they came to my house and asked me the same people who asked me on repeated occasions to support the Democratic Party, to vote straight democrat, to put up a sign and then change my life. It changed my life forever. I could not at that moment ,imply sit on the sidelines being confronted which was obviously a racist appeal to me and to my wife for our votes. Too many people gave up too much for me to have the ability to vote. They burned their houses. They put bombs in their churches. They were lynched and murdered so we could have civil rights and Voting Rights in this nation. So my life changed. Of episodes of crazy Robin Williams on tv, i had fewer beers, played less dominoes. The what changed and transformed for our family is being integrated. The next year after Harold Washington wins the general election, now mayor of the city of chicago, i decided to take on Dan Rutkowski. It was the only election i have lost. I still remember the night in 1984 in march when i got 24 of the vote. I remember saying to my wife, you know what . This is it, we will never do this again. I remember the radio saying, it is 7 00 and the polls have closed and a tear coming down my eye. It was happiness that i would not have to go out again. It is a very strong Democratic Party machine. All of my neighbors on my block had Dan Rutkowski. These are peoples whose karzai had helped start in the cold winters but sometimes shoulders snow goose children played with whose karzai had helped start in the cold winters, sometimes shoveled their snow, their children played with my daughter. All excited talk in about the next time we were going to win. I am happy for them that they had the courage and the vision with me. Two years later, i got elected to the Chicago City Council. He not only got elected, but yours was a decisive vote, wasnt it, and turns of Harold Washington being able to govern . Well, in chicago they called [indiscernible] they call it beirut on the lake. When then mayor nominates people to the board of education, when he nominates people to the chicago district, to the city colleges and the mayor has to make his appointees to all of these boards and commissions, they are blocked by the Chicago City Council because of the city who saidthey recalled mayor washington will never get anything done during his first i was going to say president of the United States because it almost reminds me of the congress and the republican party. They said he would never get anything done. Then theres a special election. The public should understand that i spend much more time writing about my relationship and how it helped me develop than anything else in the book. Harold washington was a mentor to me. He was the first mayor of the city of chicago may have been the first black mayor of the city of chicago, but the first mayor of the city of chicago for me to date me and thousands of other latinos an opportunity. He opened the floodgates of opportunity for us. So when i got elected in 1986 first of all, so there is a who sued the city of chicago saying, look, those 50 seats should not be 28 White Alderman and one latino, they should be more equal. We go to court and win. So i run. When asked mayor washington they say, what are you going to do about the city of chicago being sued . He said im going to say they were guilty, because we are. When i get elected to the city forcil, now there are 25 Harold Washington and 25 members of the vrdolyak group. The Chicago City Council, when there is a tie, guess who breaks the tie . The presiding officer who happens to be the mayor of the city of chicago. I know in the mayor presided over the City Council Meetings could never leave because if there was ever a vote on a procedural matter, yet a be there to break the tie. But the flood gate opened. Members of the board of education, all the boards and commissions, started to get approved. We passed a bond issue. Fix and repair streets, began housing and infrastructure, libraries. As soon as he got the power, got the 25 votes you know, it was great being the 25th. We were allimportant, all 25 of us, but it was good being the last part of that puzzle they gave him the power to begin the change and transform the city of chicago. Congressmember Luis Gutierrez , you ran for congress and won in 1992, ultimately then rutkowski, who you had first lost too, went to jail, very powerful congressman, though he was pardoned by president clinton. You go to congress in 1992, but i want to go back to your parents, to where you grew up and why your family moved back to puerto rico while you were in high school. Thank you, amy. As i write in the memoir, as i think about it, first of all, look, i think of my mom and dad. Its 1952. They were in new york. What headlines with a be reading . Not the one that juan likes today. Theyre talking about eagle coming from Puerto Ricans being lazy, bringing diseases, all wanting to be on welfare and being a new criminal element amounting the city of chicago. That is what greeted my mom and dad with their fit and six great education, without a coat on their back, without understanding the language. I see immigrants today confronting the same thing. My parents always had a dream and their dream was to return to that Beautiful Island of order rico. In 1969, they finally accomplish their dream. They buy their nice new french provincial furniture, german rate engineered record player and stereo, the new chevy nova and pack is up and we go back to puerto rico. You know what . For them it was returning home. As my mom would say, this is not mylanta. She always wanted to return to puerto rico. As we were leaving, my sister and i sing to the beatles yesterday. We watch the city of chicago vanish in our rearview mayor. My sister and i were leaving the only land we ever knew, the city of chicago and the United States of america. And you suddenly had to go to school and learn spanish. Juan, i grew up in the quintessential latino bilingual family, right . My parents spoke spanish all of the time and i spoke english to them. Iunderstood my english, understood their spanish. We got along just fine. I told and to my mom and dad decided to return to puerto rico. I still remember when i went to for my sophomore year there in high school and the , what is your im name . And i said my name one of the infinite ways it had been pronounced. I was glad they did not change the way it was spelled. I did not focus on the way people pronounce my name but now is important. Everybody started laughing when i pronounce my name. I returned the next day to the nowsroom thinking, at least i know my name. I learned a few words in spanish. Remember walking up and saying hello to a young girl in school and saying my name. She turned around and raced hand raised her frantically. The teacher said, what is it . She said i was bothering her. It was amazing to me. I grew up in the city of chicago, a city where we knew there were certain beaches we didnt go to, certain neighborhoods we did not walk into, certain swimming pools we did not go to. Chicago was segregated. My whole life is about being puerto rican and living in a puerto rico neighborhood. Now all of a sudden i thought i had returned home to an island that was puerto rico and yet i was called a gringo. I wanted to say that was a very painful time. Spanish] i certainly thought those were the two words that made up that time in my life. Eventually, members of the Independence Party and puerto rico embraced me. They said, you are part of our [speaks spanish] youre simply in exile that is return home. Juane archbishop of san once said to me, youve been puerto rican since the moment you were conceived in your mothers womb. It was a wonderful time of acceptance. Yes, rejection, and exception exceptions. I got involved in politics. In 1972, they passed laws allowing people to vote at the age of 18 and i was ready to go and vote and change puerto rico for the better and fight for its independence. And when he came back to chicago for college, you were an independent activist, is that right . Explain what you mean. I thought, look, there are three alternatives to the status of puerto rico. Their statehood. There is the current autonomous and there is independence. When i was in college, a staff a button from the young lords organization. I have puerto rico in my heart. We did more than simply speak about puerto rican and dependence. We made sure there were professors, latino professors for students there. We made sure everybody, ironically enough as an activist from puerto rican independence, i understood very early on in 1974 that if we were going to survive comic its not only had to learn about their culture and history, they had to learn english. I fought hard to create in english Language Program so the Young Students should come from the inner city could not only just get into the university for not just survive, but thrive and gain those english language skills. I remember reading sonia soto plus memoir about how she did not have the requisite skills when she got to college. I want people to understand i always thought i was self sufficient and independent not but for the island, personally. You only have that if you have knowledge. One of the basic fundamental points of knowledge is in any society is the language and being able to have a command of it. Were going to take a break and come back to congressmember Luis Gutierrez. As he got a break, you might want to sing along with the music, luis. I have been, amy. I have been. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Yesterday by the beatles, the song that Luis Gutierrez saying when he moved from chicago. Our guest for the hours the first latino elected from the midwest to the u. S. Congress. Yes, chicago congressmember Luis Gutierrez, out this month with his memoir, Still Dreaming my journey from the barrio to capitol hill. I wanted to touch on something you said just as we went to break about your role as a puerto rico in and ask you how is it i think theyre only four Puerto Ricans in the house of representatives, voting members, and there are many more mexican americans and how is it that a puerto rican u. S. Citizen born as u. S. Citizen becomes the leading voice for Immigration Reform in the house of representatives . Obviously, there are many mexicanamericans that are in chicago, but you have become really the point person on this issue in the congress. Well, look. When i got to congress back in 1992 and people started saying what were they going to prioritize and people said theyre going to prioritize education, the environment, prioritize different issues in the congress of the United States inking and housing issues there wasnt a lot of competition for immigration, obviously. I took it up in the beginning because when i kept going back to chicago, people kept asking me, how do i become a citizen . Ofad hundreds of thousands newly minted green card holders. In 1986, remember, i arrived at a moment in commerce 1986 39 people got their green cards. Right around 1991, 1992 they become eligible to convert those green cards to citizenship. So i am in a position to do that. Moreover, look at my life experience. I go to puerto rico and what do i do . I go to puerto rico and live in a part of the island that is intensely agricultural. I pick coffee beans. I know what it is like to work at hard work in the agriculture in an agricultural setting. But at the same time i remember my mom and dad and how hard they worked. I come from an experience in know how Puerto Ricans were treated when they arrived in new york city and arrived in this country. Givenk it is very natural look, as i wrote the memoir, it became more and more clear to me that the experiences i had politically and individually in terms of my family and my puerto , you and i juan have heard this expression time and again. Its part of being puerto rican in the United States, right . How many times when the conflict arises is a puerto rican suplee told, why dont you go back where you came from . Why dont you go back where you came from . Moment when iy a took my daughter. We had gone to the vietnam memorial. Korean wared our veterans for their courageous actions. We have spoken about all the contributions of Puerto Ricans that this country, the United States of america, yet when i returned to the capital that they, we were swarmed by secuty 80 suplee told us go back where you came from security aid who simply told us, go back where you came from. Sometimes youre still look at as a foreigner. I just want to say to new people to this country, look, people gave up a lot so i could have a congress. Role in the maybe there is no one to stand for my mom and dad when they reached the barrio in new york city are back in 1952, but there someone today as people arrive. I was in new york this weekend. There were more mexican restaurants and places that were mexican over on 110th and lexington and puerto rican. It is almost like theres a reason. Is immigrants. Congressmember gutierez, you dont care about making friends when youre making a very important point. When he first came to congress, when others are making nice, it was sort of like now. You had the wage freeze. Federal workers had their wages frozen. He felt congressmembers should abide by the same rules because they were exempted. Can you talk about what you did then. Sure. I have been campaigning. I remember it was wonderful, with billigning clinton. He gets his first aid of the Union Address and he talks about the deficit and we need to bring it under control and one of the first things he said is that we are going to freeze the wages of all federal employees. I remember as the members of the house of representatives and the senate stood up and applauded. I said, ok. The next morning, i ask my staff a simple question. So, were all getting our salaries frozen . They said, yeah, everybody but you because you will be exempt because you are a member of congress. I called up some colleagues and 8 of is introduced a piece of legislation freezing the salaries of members of congress. You cannot applaud on the house floor what you believe others should sacrifice if youre not ready to endure the same sacrifices. Endure is probably a hard word when youre earning 130,000 back then. Look, i just try to do what i believe was right and what i alieved was consistent with level playing field. I have done that in the congress of the u. S. Look, you asked me do i do those things today . Rarely. Today im making friends and to bringrelationships about conference of Immigration Reform. I am building those relationships most people dont remember the Luis Gutierrez of the pay freeze and stopping our special parking at National Airports were controlling how it is we got to send out flyers and information to our constituents days before elections. But i write about them in my memoir so people can see the kind of the arc of my time. I want to ask you about her relationship with another largerthanlife figure, the mayor of chicago rahm emanuel. You have not always had a Good Relationship with him, to say the least. You backed one of his opponents when he ran for mayor. Talk about your relationship with rahm emanuel and what kind of job you think he is doing as mayor of chicago. Tough job, mayor of the city of chicago. I was a City Council Member there. I loved doing the job. Rahm emanuel decides he is going to run for mayor the city of chicago. Ididnt support him, supported jury chico. One of the major issues he brought up even for the mayor of chicago, what is sure record on immigration . Background. Ave much the deportations were issue. He calls me up and says, Luis Gutierrez, i want to make this the most immigrantfrilly city in america. Well, i cant argue with that. That is consistent with my goals and priorities. He has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the , so they can get their work permits and study in college. He has made sure the city of chicago does not cooperate with federal authorities so that somebody has a Traffic Violation they dont wind up getting deported. Ur relationship has evolved he said to me, i want to take an eraser and he raise the talk were and start fresh with you. I love working with them. Take an eraser and you race the chalkboard and start fresh with you. I love working with him. About how iy on him use my energy and how best i use my time in congress, and we get to talk about how i strategize and what tactics i use to get conference of Immigration Reform. He is wonderful to be able to call to get this done. He wants to get it done. He was the city of chicago to be free of deportations, too. But today, you do get arrested. You been arrested more than once for testing. Why do you choose that form of civil disobedience . Well, first of all, it encourages others to become involved. It stops people from seeing you in distinguishing you as anything other than part of a broader movement. Sometimes you do it because no one else will. Sometimes you do it because no one else will. That is not what happened a few weeks ago. To be with so many of my colleagues. There were eight of us. You could see the capitol behind us, the places we go to work. There were hundreds of others that were arrested with us. Look, i think it is important to you bring energy to the community. Everywhere i go people tell me thank you. There is a connection with a broader movement. Plus, it is unfair and unjust. The deportations are not right. They destroy families. Sometimes it is appropriate and correct to deprive yourself of your own freedom and liberties to raise an issue so that others can be free and have liberty. Today it is not like the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It isnt like women who had to innd outside the white house 1917 in 1918 with woodrow wilson. Look, but there is still plus, there is a call back to civil rights when the black community there is that connection. We want to make that connection. This is the Civil Rights Movement of today. We have got to get it done. We have 11 Million People who live in the shadows. And talk tot down people, i clear the table so i can see paul ryan not as budget chairman, not a somebody whose budget i have voted and will always vote against, but as a friend and ally to free 11 Million People. So i create new friendships and relationships in regards to copper is of Immigration Reform. Lets face it, democrats did not do it in 2007, 2008 when we were a majority. We did not do it in 2009, 2010 we are in the majority. The senate has done their job. I have to figure out a way to take our minority of 201 democrats and get the 218 votes. Theres only one way to do that, and that is working with republicans. We must push the lies of the immigrant community the lives of our immigrant committed the head of our partisan politics. Democratic Congress Member Luis Gutierrez, thank you for being with us. His memoir, Still Dreaming my journey from the barrio to capitol hill. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. Tavis good evening. Tonight, a conversation with writer Brian Jay Jones about his new biography of jim jensen, creator of one of this countrys most beloved characters, come at the fraud. Despite his childlike wonder, he was a complex man kermit the frog. Despite his childlike wonder, he was a complex man can and then we will talk with kathy eldon about the struggles to rebuild her life after the devastating loss of her son. We are glad you have joined us. Those conversations coming up right now. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Tavis jim henson, creator of kermit the frog, ms. Agee and so many of the muppets is no doubt a beloved american icon. More complex than his followers made have imagined. Book written by Brian Jay Jones, lets take a look first at a clip at how jim henson action created kermit the frog. He is one of the supposed puppets. Inside of his head, theres nothing in there but my hand. So its just a little cloth pattern here. The eyes were half spheres. But hes very simple as puppets go. Some have gone a lot more completed. But he is truly a glorified sock puppet. Tavis you were telling me during the clip of that for you he was what you referred to as creatively restless during yeah, a guy restless. But yeah, guy who is constantly pitching. Even a guy with the most famous always the world was creating stuff. That creative restlessness was born of what . From the very early age, his dearmother, who he called , always encouraged him to drive to painted to so. He was always encouraged by his parents and his grandparents to go out there and find the fun in things, find the fun in life. Had he been he references a wee bit and you go into it much more in this new book. In terms of talking about the way he redesigned these muppets, whenpuppets, as it were they were at the time many still made of wood. I will let you tell more about the way he treated them. Nuc kermits face move or the other when you see kermits face move or the other muppets, in the actual design of these characters. His real genius in puppets on television is he figured out two things. First of all, if you are on television, the to the puppet has to be expressive and you have to have a mouth that moves and eyes a look focus. He figured id have to design and build puppets that look like that. But the two things that he did that seemed natural in our same little mole or seem normal is that you dont need a puppeteer. He would just film the puppet show. Jim decided and realized early on you dont need that. The four sides of your tv screen are your puppet theater. That was a huge breakthrough, realizing you can just film the puppet in real space and real time. But the other thing he also figured out was that, if that is what matters, you need to know what the camera is seeing at all times. So he put a monitor on the floor so he can always watch his performance and adjust in real time. And they still do that today on a misuse