Another sloppy day in times square. Welcome to morning joe. Weve been promised mika like 8,000 pounds of snow being dumped on our well, boston got it. We havent gotten it. Boston, i think, you know they dont get no place to put that snow. Theyre getting hammered, man. Well get to that. Unbelievable. So last night, pretty excited, the university of alabama had a screening of selma. Nice. Just down the street from here. University of alabama grad
sponsored it. A lot of people may or may not know that. Nan a giant in the publishing filed also there. But it was an extraordinary movie. I cant wait to see it. Have you seen it yet . Okay. So we can know briefly about this. I was stunned at the depiction of lbj as somehow this guy, you aint going to get no voting rat. Aint going to lbj in many ways, of course not my kind of politician odd logically but on the issue of civil rights he dragged america from 1865 into the 20th century. He alone. Saying, lbj saying this will cost democrats the south for a generation. You want to talk about profiles encouraged. What lbj did is, lets face it what jfk didnt have the guts to do, and lbj is easy to hate. Conservatives have been doing it for a long time. I was i was just flabbergasted. I understand the directors wanted to set this thing up so its like oh, they dont have an ally anywhere. You know the truth of the matter was remarkable enough. What happened in selma, you know, everybody was crying in the theater. It was one of the great courageous movements of our time. And it changed the way my children live. It changed the way my children went to school. It changed the way i went to school. I started in an integrated school in meridian mississippi, in 1969 because of what they did in selma. And because of what lbj did. I was just stunned. It was an incredible movie. I didnt get that part. When you have the platform that movie has and you take
license with history, its unfortunate. So many great things about it and yet to diminish the role that johnson played in civil rights when as you said he took on and changed the country. Willie this is a footnote to an otherwise remarkable movie. Please see this movie. I am. Its a great movie. It is a shame, that one bit is a shame because the rest of the depiction of that movement is so beautiful and the acting is so good. In some corners lbj gets too much credit that he was leading the Civil Rights Movement and obviously it was Martin Luther king and foot soldiers on bridges and highways and lunch counters. But in this movie its just wrong. Inaccurate. Its unfortunate that lbj went on to be a meth dealer. Thats a problem. I dont know why they put that in there, either. No lbj obviously, again, remembered for failings on nam. But on civil rights even though
he had to bring a large part of the country kicking and screaming with him, he was a man, a generation ahead of his time. And i was just mentioning the fact that i started school in 1969 the fact that this chaos was going on through the 1960s, the fact that when i went to the university of alabama in 1981 in this state, in 1981 and Race Relations there were as good or my roommate at alabama later said better than they were when he went to Syracuse Law School four years later. Its remarkable. And for a southerner to do it, you know for a southerner to take on his native region and change it forever. A guy from texas who had been a se segregationist himself and still condemning Richard Nixon for being too aggressive on civil rights in letters. Incredible. I bring that up not just to talk about what an honor it was to
view it with my friends at the university of alabama but also because i wake up this morning, read the news and see that you have a state judge in alabama saying to state judges across alabama, you are not bound by a federal order. This is judge rory moore who got in big trouble sometime ago because he ignored other federal orders. And now, mika we have judges across the state of alabama, a state that i love and revere but state judges who apparently havent read the supremacy clause. University of alabama is an extraordinary law school. I know a lot of men there, you need to call your law professors. If theres a conflict. This is tough. When you getting legal advice for me i did willie constitution allow but not so
much in this other stuff. But if theres a federal order and it trumps a state order, you got to follow the federal order. Thats what the 1960s thats what it was all about. With that little tip, okay you, too, can be a judge but if youre in alabama and youre a judge you probably watch this show, love ya i really do i respect you. Youre a great guy, great woman. Lets shake hands next time we go to the university of alabama game. Well yell roll tide. If youre a war eagle, im stupid i root for auburn when they play alabama because i love alabama so much. But friend do me a favor. Follow the federal law. Let p Supreme Court determine this. What youre doing, its just its against supremacy clause. Heres wully geist. Hes going to talk to you. Mika i have a quote from a professor of law at the university of alabama. Roll tide. Here we go. Judge moore, Justice Moore, may sincerely believe state law takes precedence over federal law. If thats so its unford fortunate because its plainly wrong. You learn this in did you learn that at the university of alabama . No i learned that at the university of Florida Law School but the only reason i knew how to read is because i went to the university of alabama because when i showed up there i was barefooted and but we thought you only learned to count to number one. I did only learn to count to number one because were number one, roll tide. I would say joe is rambling about this judicial showdown under way in alabama where several counties began issuing marriage licenses to day and lesbian couples. That makes it the 37th state to do so but not without a fight, as joe mentioned. Wellknown judge is lead that fight. Nbcs Pete Williams has that story. Reporter day m marriage came
to the heart of the deep south. Samesex couples began getting licenses in alabama after a federal judge two weeks ago struck down a state ban on day marriage. Justices scalia and thomas said the Supreme Court should have granted alabamas request to put that ruling on hold until the state rules on day marriage nationwide for months. Thomas said it may well be seen as a signal of the courts intended resolution of that question of day marriage nationwide. Roughly twothirds of alabama counties refused to grant the marriage licenses. Were not handing out samesex marriages. Reporter reporter roy moore, chief justice of the Supreme Court, urged local officials to ignore the federal court ruling. In 2003 he defied a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state Supreme Court building. He was removed from office but reelected three years ago. So that was Pete Williamsreporting. Pete also reports i its unlikely the Supreme Court could have allowed alabama to grant these marriage lie sents only to rule against them later this year. The high court takes up the issue this spring. And will rule by june. Usually you dont think the federal government should get involved in peoples lives, tell people who to do. I always think that state legislateors and judges have a right to trump what federal court says. Since 1994 it wasnt popular in my district but ive always been agnostic on the issue of day marriage the federal government. I think the federal government should stay out of day marriage just like marriage, the marriage debate on either side just like i think they should stay out of the abortion debate on either side. I think i believe federalism is that states communities, churches, 350e78 shouldchurch es es, people should decide these
things. That said, that said i remember having a call with jeb bush telling him about somebody who wanted to be Supreme Court justice a justice in the state of florida. He said can you talk to him . So i drove over to his office and i talked to him. I knew he was he liked me. I knew he was pro life. He was really pro life. I said i got one question for you. If the state legislature decides to do something thats against your beliefs on abortion and push pro choice, what are you going to do . He said im going to follow the law. I dont legislate from the bench. I follow the law. Called jeb. Jeb, good. You know he became he became a justice in the state of florida. Youve got to follow the law. If youre a judge, you got to follow the law. If you dont follow the law, you need to leave. Even in this case i disagree with the federal judges ruling. If youre a judge youve got to follow the law. Lets see if this applies to tradition in this nek story. I understand its not law, but president obama and israeli Prime MinisterBejamin Netanyahu were taking swipes at each other from abroad. There were reports that netanyahu is considering downplaying his address to congress on his trip next month. House Speaker John Boehner invited the Prime Minister without consulting the white house. Seen as a break with protocol. Do you follow protocol joe . It depends on whose protocol it is. Exactly. Nbc news has learned as of now he plans to go ahead with his address in front of the full chamber, first since 2011 at a Campaign Event yesterday netanyahu didnt hesitate to tweak the u. S. Saying quote, while some are busy with protocol or politics a bad deal with iran is taking shape. President obama wont back down on his decision not to meet with netanyahu during the march trip. Yesterday he said if netanyahus political election in israel during an event with german chancellor angela merkel. As hutch much as i love angela, if she was two weeks away from an election she probably would not have received an invitation to the white house. And i suspect she wouldnt have asked for one. So, you know so you know that was wobdnderfully awkward. Did he complete the sentence . Joining us now nbc news host of Andrea Mitchell reports, Andrea Mitchell. How consistent is this rule about not inviting foreign leaders in the days before an election . Well, its politics and protocol. Its not a rule. How consistent have we followed it . How much of a break with protocol is this visit . Its more than just the election. I think in this case its the fact that john boehner issued
the invitation without consulting with democrats, the fact that the israeli ambassador had met with john kerry for two hours, didnt tell give him a heads up this was coming. So they felt blind sighted at the state department, at the white house, and democrats in congress. Now youve got joe biden saying hes going to be conveniently out of the country. He hasnt said where he was going. He said there was a previously scheduled trip. I talked to a number of Democratic Senators who are very strong supporters of israel and these are jewishamericans and they are not going. So youve got youve got senators, Democratic Senators and house members as well saying they are going to boycott it. There were some senators saying should we turn our backs on it . Trying to figure out how to walk the line here. But theyre basically not going to go. They view it as a political stunt. And they think it was inappropriate of the Prime Minister to have either accepted this invitation then there were some suggestions from jewish islam that perhaps boehner did
it without boehner misled the israelis into thinking the democrats were onboard. So throwing boehner under the bus. Let me ask you a question, andrea andrea. Get us into the head of netanyahu the best that you can. If my feeling is personally, just my personal belief is if netanyahu feels like he has to do this now because of worthy iranian negotiations are, im almost said hostage negotiations, back in 1979. Because of where the negotiations are then thats one thing. If it really is just a stunt to thumb his nose at an unpopular president in israel thats quite another. Based on your reporting, what is the key driver of this decision by netanyahu to risk a rupture in israels most important relationship . Well, i cant get i side his head but i think it is iran and the fear that there is a deal, you know that could be inked in march. This is an exsothreat. Its a very closely fought election. Hes going to have difficulty if he wins creating a coalition as it is. Israel is in a very tough place politically. And this is blowing up because generally, you know appearing in congress as he did in 2011 at another very difficult time with barack obama personally did boost him quite a bit. I talked to him we interviewed him right after he was on the hill. And did an interview on msnbc and he was just flying high because of the applause and the standing ovations. He has, i think, in his advisers have misjudged this because they normal the usual supporters who would be with him, would be with him at the apac conference where he was going to speak anyway are not with him on this. And the sort of trial balloons that maybe he would come and just speak to apac he made a clear at a rally last night in israel he is determined to go. I was emailing back and forth with the israelis and late last
night and they said theres no give on this. If hes going to find an exit ramp hes not looking for it right now. Youve been watching thissish recallyamerican relationship for a couple of years now. Just a few. Can you remember a time where the relationship has been this strained or at least this publicly strained . Yeah. I mean its difficult between the Prime Minister and the president but it was back in both under ray gandry again and bush 41. Jim baker famously said congressional hearing if the israelis wanted to get in touch with him he knew the number 2024561414 giving the white house switchboard. James baker also had a famous quote which we cannot repeat here now about israel and the jewish people. Please dont. We like our television network. You like your morning joe. Yes. How about andrea still remembering the phone number. How good is she . Exactly. Exactly. Well. I take it youre going to be talking about this a great deal today on your show . Yes. And you know we talked to nick burns, former high ranking diplomat from harvard. This is not good for israel its not good for the United States. The iran agreement pros and cons of it are going to be controversial enough. A lot of people are arguing it is a bad deal it does give Iran Nuclear Equipment that can be converted. For all the talk about verification verification, you know, theyve cheated before. Either this is a breakthrough and a legacy agreement that barack obama really wants or its a bad deal. It needs to be canceled. The fact that hes coming to lobby against the president s policy is what pushes it over the top and almost unprecedented to give him that platform to lobby about the president s position on more sanctions. Anyone here truly think its only about iran because i dont and you dont. I think its i think its about iran in a way that as
andrea said most israelis believe is a threat. I think the speech could also be given the day after his election. I dont think a mush roll cloud is is going to rise over tel aviv over the next two weeks. So its not about iran. Well, as i said i think it is about iran. I think the timing though is a bit rough. All right. Were going to move on. There was a lot of action yesterday surrounding Hillary Clinton still unannounced president ial campaign. First there was a word a top operative from a super pac backing clinton resigned from the board. David brock was reportedly upset over tactics used against other pacs. Brock resigned from priorities usa action and politico. Remarkable hair by the way. Yes, he does. Politico obtained a letter im jealous. He blamed what he called a, quote, orchestrated political hit job on other proclinton groups which he supports. Last week the New York Times pulled back the curtain on those groups practices among the findings that fundraiser Mary Pat Bonner received a commission as much as 12 1 2 of the money she brought in. Brock implied priorities usa supplied the information for the piece but now brock has written another letter saying this one saying hes open to returning to priorities usa and that theres been an effort to smooth things over. It brings back echos of 2008 when the clinton machine was expected to be a cash juggernaut but infighting among clicks sometimes got in the way. Lets bring in Political Writer for the New York Times, nick, so david brock is pretty Major Political character through the years with the clintons. Right. Cant forget whether he hates them or loves them. Hes been loving them for a while here. But talk about a bit of a messy launch to some of these pacs. I mean, you know this puts amazing here. We now have campaign infighting
without the campaign. This is where we are in the super pac era where candidates, precandidates outsource a lot of the grass roots stuff and fundraising and research to the outside groups which are not controlled by them. So you have these different camps of people who are jockeying for influence and prestige and for a place in her future Campaign World but theyre also jockeying over money. And what this comes down to is who is going to raise the most money and which of these groups will get the most money in the days ahead. So that 12 1 2 figure is that was that supposed to be shock that somebody received 12 1 2 for the money they brought into the pac . Its a very High Commission joe. But also its unusual to earn commission if n. Fundraising in general. Some consider it to be unethical. Fundraising retainers where youre paid a certain amount each month is more common. 12 1 2 on every dollar a group brings in is a lot of money and
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