Page 5 - Mark Morial News Today

>> i kind of ignore the showing in all of that. thats "melodrama" that will play itself out one way or the other. 24 people, 400 people, that is what it is. how that is ultimately framed in my view is what we have relied on in the past and that is a president who speaks into the moment and clarifies and defines where we are as american citizens when it comes to this type of hate-filled response to fellow americans. and the fact that the president is giving us sort of, you know, sort of a lightwe...

That here we are now some 50 years later having to deal with a president, a republican president who, to the point that was just made, gives countenance to it, that gives room to that. so, the party has to now, irrespective of the president, the party has to account for this because i dont know how we go into a black community, into an hispanic community and say, come, join us, be a part of us. its not justify to say youre conservative, not enough to say you go to church on sunday. its not enoug...

Streets of charlottesville. mark morial, i want to ask you. we talked a lot about how damaging this resurgence of white nationalism and white supremacy is to our national conversation, but the flip side of it is that we have seen a lot of americans stand up, take to the streets and say, no, this is not, this is not who we are. we are standing against this hateful speech and language and, you know, in some ways it could be viewed through the most positive possible lens as an opportunity for peo...

Kind of hate. >> john harwood, can you weigh in on how this conversation has evolved and the question that elle was putting to the man she spoke with there, this question about how it affects our culture and has it infected it? >> sure its infected our culture but the point that elle was making about people covering their faces is simply an illustration of how fringe a movement this is and that was reflected in the poor turnout today. but if you step back on this larger issue you were rising wit...

>> absolutely. john put it exactly right. one of the things that we tried to do during my time at the rnc and it wasnt just at the national level but what i emphasized was the party has to be where the party is, at the local levels. so state party leaders, county chairman and national committee leaders to go out into the community and make the case. you cant get a bullhorn and stand on pennsylvania avenue and say we support black agenda but in the local community they dont find a republican comi...

Reporters there. what will he say when hes caught off guard? i think that will be far more illustrative and far more instructive. kasie. >> and we should note of course, jeff, the permit that was given to mr. kessler was for upwards of 400 people. he showed up with just two dozen. jeff bennett, thanks very much for your reporting. well be checking back in with you tonight. >> sure. >> meanwhile i want to welcome in my panel with me on set, former rnc chairman and political analyst, michael steel...

Spray, whether its a south lawn scrum, whether -- hes going to do an event tomorrow. there will be some press pool reporters there. what will he say when hes caught off guard? i think that will be far more illustrative and far more instructive. kasie. >> and we should note of course, jeff, the permit that was given to mr. kessler was for upwards of 400 people. he showed up with just two dozen. jeff bennett, thanks very much for your reporting. well be checking back in with you tonight. >> sure. ...

Presumably that would come from it. there was no consideration given to the poison that would infect the body politic within the gop, that here we are now some 50 years later having to deal with a president, a republican president who, to the point that was just made, gives countenance to it, that gives room to that. so, the party has to now, irrespective of the president, the party has to account for this because i dont know how we go into a black community, into an hispanic community and say, ...

>> of course, today was also a day of mourning in charlottesville. heather heyer was killed one year ago today after a man drove his car through a crowd of counter protesters during last years white nationalist rally. she was just 32 years old and her mother, who you saw there, was -- laid flowers today on the makeshift memorial and two state troopers were killed as they tried to keep the peace in the streets of charlottesville. mark morial, i want to ask you. we talked a lot about how damagin...

And the fact that he still cant do that, that to me is the lesson that every american should take from what we see this weekend. >> mark morial, to michael steeles point, the president is not out front leading on this tonight. >> the rally by the unite the right group is an absolute flop, a failure, a poor showing. 30 people and all of this anticipation, all of this mobilization, all of the public resources spent by the city of washington and the federal government and the taxpayers for 30 peopl...