Ed Sh News Today

Man and there are thousands of people dying in wars around the world, but it also cuts to the heart of what kind of country do we live in? do we live in a country that executes people when theres that much doubt? and thats why i say we should be ashamed tonight, ed. its not just one man. in a way, it cut a hole in the heart of our justice system by moving forward the execution of troy anthony davis. >> jeremy skahill of "the nation" magazine, who has been following and reporting on this for seve...

That. what do you think took place in that four-hour time frame? how much conversation do you think there was? how might it have gone down? >> and remember, the court isnt in session right now. the regular term for the court is still in the summer session. regular supreme court term wont start for a little over a week now, about ten days from now, the first monday in october. so the justices are all over the place. some of them, i dont, frankly, know where they all were tonight. some of them pro...

What about president obama? now, taking it to the wealthiest americans. isnt this a slam dunk for the democrats to support him on this, saying that the wealthy americans have got to pay more? i mean, is he going to get enough support from his own party to push this through? what do you think? >> the answer to the last question is yes. he really punched everybody in the nose who wants to do nothing last week in his speech. and i think the republican party has to understand that the americans want...

Davis was treated in a different way when the eyewitnesss were being presented with photographs of the suspects. when you look at the vast majority of the evidence against troy davis, and you realize that there was no physical evidence presented against him, and that seven of the nine nonpolice eyewitnesss recant their testimony at a minimal, as a responsible american, you have to say, our country has no business putting that man to death. i dont believe that -- he is innocent, and im ashamed, e...

To be executed some time tonight. joining me now from our washington bureau is nbc news justice correspondent pete williams. pete, your thoughts at this hour, the way this all unfolded. we keep hearing from all of the people that were visiting with tonight on the network, that this case is so different. this case has got overwhelming, you know, evidence in it, presented by people thinking that, you know, this man is innocent. has there ever been any other case that would parallel this in your op...

But the main point, ed, here is the point you just made. this country today has 16% real unemployment. 25 million people without jobs or underemployed. what the country is demanding is a real jobs program to put the american people back to work. the republicans have nothing to say, except the same old mantra, lets give more tax breaks to billionaires and lets cut programs for working people and the vulnerable and the sick. so i think the president is now -- im sorry? >> well, i want to ask you a...

Americans come to help americans. they dont affect democrats or republicans, these storms, they affect everybody. if you go through my district, which is probably one of the hardest hit of all of these 52 districts, ed, youll see that people cant get back into their homes. many of the bridges have probably been really, really minimized, so that we cannot use them any longer. we need that money from fema and we need it up-front. because we dont know what the real damage is in this storm. we do no...

This president stand up and make it clear hes prepared to take on the big money interests, prepared to take on the multicorporations. those guys are doing phenomenally well. corporate profits soaring, richest people doing better than thaifr ever done while their effective tax rate is the lowest in decades. meanwhile, we have massive unemployment. what the american people want to hear the president say, and hes beginning to say it, is were going to put people back to work, were going to ask the w...

Number two in george bushs own doj come forward. thats why weve seen the former ward of this death row come forward and all call for a stay. and my heart right now goes out. it goes out to the macphail family who lost a hero 22 years ago. it goes out to the davis family who is sitting here, feeling helpless as their loved with one is murdered inside those prison walls. and it goes out, really, to the children of this country, who deserve to grow up in a country knowing that justice is done here....

Reporting that the supreme court has denied a stay of execution. for more on this, lets go to pete williams, nbc news justice correspondent. youre looking at pictures right outside the jackson facility in jackson, georgia. pete, its being reported by reuters that the supreme court has moved on this. what do we know? >> well, were all reporting that, ed, and its a very brief order from the court, as these are. i will read it to you in its entirety. it says, the application for stay of execution o...