Washington Watch w/Roland Martin, 01.17.10 [Transcript]

MR. ROLAND MARTIN: At the top of our agenda this week: the search is on for survivors of Haiti’s massive earthquake, expected to claim tens of thousands of lives. Plus, President Barack Obama is front and center on directing the U.S. response, and Democrats make major progress merging House and Senate healthcare reform bills.

Our “Washington Watch” newsmakers this week: Mike Hammer, chief National Security spokesman for the White House talks about U.S. efforts to help Haiti and what we can do; and House Majority White James Clyburn gives us the inside story on the healthcare negotiations and the prospects for a new jobs bill. Plus, Kurt Schmoke, dean of Howard University’s law school and former mayor of Baltimore; the Reverend Jim Wallis, author of his new book Rediscovering Values; and Deborah Simmons, columnist for The Washington Times, examines the realities of race in American society.

And in our “Washington Watch” news panel, April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks; Kevin Chappell, White House reporter for Ebony magazine; and Michael Fletcher, White House correspondent for The Washington Post. And Politico.com’s Nia-Malika Henderson spoke to First Lady Michelle Obama this week about slavery, race and the President.

[END OF SEGMENT.]

(SEGMENT 1)

MR. MARTIN: The death toll is mounting as rescuers comb through the rubble left behind from the massive earthquake in Haiti this week. Meanwhile, survivors of the quake are growing weary waiting for international aid to reach them. And back here in the United States, some Haitian-Americans are still waiting to hear word from loved ones.

Joining me now with more on what the U.S. is doing to help Haitians and Haitian-Americans is Mike Hammer, Chief National Security Council spokesman for the White House.

And, Mike, glad you are joining us on “Washington Watch.” It has been a stunning week, an amazing week, watching what is taking place in Haiti. The U.S. Marines, they have arrived there. What can we expect now, with the U.S. being on the ground and being, I guess, some would say, in control of the situation, if you will?

MR. MICHAEL HAMMER: Well, Roland, thanks for having me on your show. Of course, from the moment that we heard of the magnitude of its earthquake, President Obama has instructed his national security team to be on top of this. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on her way to Asia. She’s come back. Secretary Gates, of Defense, is staying in town. Everybody – it’s all hands on deck.

What we’ve been doing is getting our folks on the ground. The – the s- — the U.S.S. Vincent has arrived. It’s an aircraft carrier. It’s off the coast, with 19 helicopters. We’ve got folks on the ground assessing the situation. The key here in these early days is to save lives, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to get supplies in, medical and otherwise.

MR. MARTIN: It’s interesting. A lot of folks I’ve been communicating with on Facebook and Twitter, they keep saying, you know, “What is taking so long?” but I don’t think people truly understand what – what happens with logistics, but also there roads are not clear. So, you could – so, you can have all the aid get there, but if you can’t drive those trucks through the country, you still c- — it’s – it’s to no avail.

MR. HAMMER: Well, Roland, you’re absolutely right. I mean a – a disaster of this magnitude is a tremendous challenge. Our folks in the military are very experienced. Our people in the Agency for International Development, folks on the ground there – we have the Fairfax Search and Rescue Team that’s deployed, saving lives already; but, yeah, you’re right. The roads are impassable. The port is damaged. It’s going to take a bit of time, but we’re doing everything we can, ‘cause we know it’s critical, and we want to do everything we can for Americans down there and, of course, for the Haitians down there.

MR. MARTIN: The President has committed $100 million in aid, but he also made a point that that is simply not the end o- — of the support. That is the short-term. So, what – what can we expect, if you will? I know it might be too – too early to talk about it, but as this country is going forward – because I mean, look. A 7.0 earthquake – they said the aftershocks, which could be 4.5, 5.0, could last for months. And so thinking forward, how – how do we respond in terms of, you know, down the road – what to expect for this country in our hemisphere?

MR. HAMMER: Right. Well, as President Obama said, these hundred million dollars are a first sort of quake infusion of humanitarian assistance. Of course, we’ll be looking over the next weeks and months ahead what more money is necessary to rebuild the country. So, this is a long-term commitment from the part of the United States. We are neighbors. We’re good neighbors. We’re seeing a lot of generosity, of course, from the American people; but the focus here from our government is to be helping not only for the short term in the days in – in – in addressing – helping the survivors, but also to help them rebuild their country.

MR. MARTIN: Well, a lot of Americans have been contributing online in terms of the social networks, but what specifically should they be doing? I’ve had people say, “Hey, I’ve rented a semi trailer to collect canned goods.” Is that really what is needed right now? Or, is it something – some other form of aid?

MR. HAMMER: Well, I’m glad you asked, Roland, ‘cause we know people are really – w- — there’s an outpouring of support from Americans – Haitian-Americans, and th- — what we really want to see is – is cash – money – contributions to the organizations that ‘re working down there. People should be af- — you know, careful. There may be scams out there, so go with reputable organizations. You can go on to WhiteHouse.gov. There are links there that will guide you to these organizations – the Red Cross, others – that are doing really terrific work. But be careful, but be generous. And that’s what we’re encouraging folks to do.

MR. MARTIN: So, it’s not a question right now of going in your closet and pulling out clothes that – that you’re not wearing. It’s a matter of saying, “Send the money now, and the organizations will then decide what is needed,” whether it’s mobile hospitals – things along those lines.

MR. HAMMER: That – that’s exactly right. And we’ll – you know, through the government; through other, international organizations, we’re providing the food; but the money, of course, is helpful to then be able to buy and go out and get those supplies. We think that we’ll have, in the next couple days, food supplies for up to a million people down there. So, really, everything is being done; but, yes, money is what is needed right now. We appreciate everybody’s interest in trying to help out in whatever way they can, but that’s what is needed right at the moment.

MR. MARTIN: A- — and – and some of the other things I guess you would suggest with faith-based organizations – they probably will come in on later – la- — later date. That’s probably where a lotta those other things may come in handy, providing for people, whether it’s furniture, clothes – things along those lines. But as you say, short-term, it is simply cash.

MR. HAMMER: That’s right. And then over the long term, I’m sure people will continue to be generous. There’ll be other opportunities. We’ve got to clear the rubble. We’ve got to open the roads. We’ve got to r- — rebu- — help with the port, so that these supplies can go in. That’s what we’re focused on right now.

MR. MARTIN: Real – and real quick, where can they go to make sure they’re not giving money to scam operations – the sites they sh- — the reputable sites they should find?

MR. HAMMER: Well, I would recommend go through the WhiteHouse.gov. That’ll lead –

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MR. HAMMER: — you to other sites. Do your own research on the Internet. If you’ve never heard from these people, you get a strange e-mail – hey, go with what you know, and, hopefully, that way we’ll prevent anybody being abused here.

MR. MARTIN: All right. Michael, we certainly appreciate it. Thanks a lot.

MR. HAMMER: It was a pleasure, Roland. Thank you.

MR. MARTIN: All right, folks. If you thought getting the healthcare reform bill out of the House and the Senate was a difficult task, then imagine the hurdles congressional leaders are now facing to come up with a compromise of both bills. House Majority Whip, Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, has been in the middle of the battle; and he joins us on “Washington Watch.”

[END OF SEGMENT.]

(SEGMENT 2)

MR. MARTIN: Folks, lots of news happening this week, and here to discuss it in this week’s “Washington Watch” panel is April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks; Michael Fletcher, White House correspondent for The Washington Post; Deborah Simmons, columnist for The Washington Times; and Kevin Chappell, White House reporter for Ebony magazine.

All right, folks. This week has been just stunning – the coverage coming out of Haiti, to see the devastation, to see the carnage; but what I thought was interesting in terms of the response: the President was emphatic in every statement in terms of how this country was going to respond. What is driving that? ‘Cause even all his – his National Security Council folks, they’ve even reiterated how he has made clear, in essence, he doesn’t want any screw-ups. He wants total cooperation and total focus on this.

MS. APRIL RYAN: One, compassion, but the main, overall thing is leadership. We’re seeing this president lead and ordering all of his departments and galvanizing and showing compassion for the neighbor to the south. And it’s about leadership beyond compassion. So, this is one way that we’re seeing how he is as a leader. A year or so into his administration, we’re seeing leadership.

MR. MARTIN: Have you seen any of the President sort of come out with that – I mean he – the kind of language he used was also a little bit different than we’ve heard, typically.

MS. DEBORAH SIMMONS: Well, ye- — no- — yeah, not only that. It is leadership. There’s no doubt that that is a huge element in – in what’s going on, but it’s also post Katrina.

MS. RYAN: Yes.

MS. SIMMONS: We – he remembers that we were all sitting around, watching the –

MR. MICHAEL FLETCHER: Right.

MS. SIMMONS: — television reporting the news about what was going to happen, and then watched an administration not move and not act. He knows that from Wyclef Jean to Russell Simmons to Tiger Woods, even –

MS. RYAN: Yes.

MS. SIMMONS: — the entire – America’s cha- — charitable spirit is showing, and he nee- — knew he need[ed] to take a lead in that, to help mobilize that. The thing will be what will we see in the next week or two, because we ha- — have heard a few negative stories coming out about what’s not going on, on the ground down there. So, he has to –

MR. FLETCHER: But –

MS. SIMMONS: — follow through on the commitment.

MR. FLETCHER: — and I think his response is in sync with the scale of the tragedy. I mean this is a huge, huge tragedy. We’re –

MR. MARTIN: In our –

MR. FLETCHER: — talking about –

MR. MARTIN: — hemisphere.

MR. FLETCHER: — yeah exactly. And we talk about Katrina, and that was awful, you know; but –

MS. SIMMONS: Yes.

MR. FLETCHER: — you’re talking about, I think, fewer than 2,000 dead in – at the end of the day, and the estimates in Haiti are –

MS. RYAN: At least –

MR. FLETCHER: — you know, who knows?

MS. RYAN: — 50,000 –

MR. FLETCHER: Fifty thousand, maybe 100,000.

MS. RYAN: [Crosstalk] – thousand. Excuse me.

MR. FLETCHER: No infrastructure to really provide aid. It’s – it’s a big, big challenge; a huge human tragedy.

MR. MARTIN: Kevin, I’ve watched a lot of the coverage. What I found to be interesting [is] folks are talking about, “Well, where is the aid?” “Where is the aid?” “Where is the aid?” “What’s going on?” And what I don’t think the media has adequately done is truly explain to people what it really requires to galvanize 10,000 people who are, in essence, going into places, constructing – reconstructing a country, hospitals, schools, clearing roads. You just don’t jump in a truck –

MS. SIMMONS: Right.

MR. MARTIN: — and take off for Haiti, if you’re the U.S. military.

MR. KEVIN CHAPPELL: Right, exactly. And the – the President has passed his first test. I mean he’s come out forcefully, said that we need to do whatever we need to do, put the full forces of the – of the government behind these efforts. Now it’s the l- — the logistics of getting – turning his words into actions. And like you said, I mean, when you have the airport that’s not fully functional, you[‘ve] got ports that – that – that you can’t pull a ship up to, it’s going to take some time. A- — and – and he has to pass his next test as far as making it happen.

MR. MARTIN: Also –

MS. RYAN: Roland, Kevin –

MR. MARTIN: — go ahead.

MS. RYAN: — Kevin – Kevin’s so right. I talked to Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and she said, you know, as we are doing this search, rescue, humanitarian efforts, we’re still in the process of rebuilding. And they’re trying to assess how to rebuild the infrastructure that was already very poor, at best, on a good day. And, you know, when they’re talking about rebuilding, looking at the port in Port-au-Prince, they’re trying to gauge all the time, because they said every time they think they can rebuild a certain way, they’re finding something else wrong.

MR. MARTIN: Well, [it’s] interesting that the prime minister of the country – sorry. Sorry, their U.S. ambassador was on CNN this week, and one of the things that he said was that Port-au-Prince, he said, was a city built – built for 50,000 –

MS. RYAN: Um-hum.

MR. FLETCHER: Right, right.

MR. MARTIN: — and 2 million were living there –

MS. RYAN: Yeah.

MR. MARTIN: — you know, which is – you know, which is stunning whe- — when you talk about those particular numbers.

President Bill Clinton – all over the airwaves this week as well. And I thought it was a class move by the President to move that quickly to ask President Clinton and President George W. Bush to both get together to –

MR. FLETCHER: Right.

MR. MARTIN: — drive humanitarian aid from the private sector.

MS. SIMMONS: Absolutely. You know why? Because there’re people who ideologically are so inclined to say, “Don’t contribute, because it might help President Obama. It might help his standing with the – with the Black community. Don’t do anything.” So, to –

MS. RYAN: Let’s say the name –

MS. SIMMONS: — get –

MS. RYAN: — Rush Limbaugh.

MS. SIMMONS: — so, to get – did you hear what she said?

[CHUCKLING.]

MS. SIMMONS: So, to get –

MR. MARTIN: I – I’ll –

MS. SIMMONS: — so –

MR. MARTIN: — deal with Rush later in the show.

[CHUCKLING.]

MS. SIMMONS: — right, right.

MR. MARTIN: Don’t worry about it.

MS. SIMMONS: So, to be – so, to be able to get the immediate past president, who had to face what happened and didn’t happen with Katrina, and Bill Clinton, who tried to change our foreign policy relations with Haiti – that – that was a stunning move.

MR. MARTIN: Well –

MR. CHAPPELL: And – and they’re two of the biggest fund raisers that the country’s ever known, so I mean they – they should be able to get the job done.

MR. MARTIN: And –

MR. FLETCHER: And this is a page out of the book from Katrina again –

MS. RYAN:

MR. FLETCHER: — when you had, you know, former President Bush –

MS. RYAN: [Crosstalk] – Bush and Clinton, yes.

MR. FLETCHER: — and – and Bill Clinton again – right. And Bill Clinton. That’s right.

MR. MARTIN: Well, see, you know, it was interesting. I had some folks who – on Facebook and Twitter who were saying, you know – you know, “Why ask Bush? He’s t-” – “He did nothing.” And – and when he was going out of – leaving the White House, I wrote a column, and I said, I think one of think one of his post-presidential moves should be going back to rebuild the Gulf Coast, that – you – in terms of the private sector. So, I – I – I just think that – that folks who were big critics of him on the left – African-Americans – this is where you step back and say, “You know what? I don’t care what you think politically. I don’t care wha-” – “if” – “if” – “if you didn’t agree what happened with Katrina. This is a whole different deal, and it’s time to move forward and say, ‘How do you best operate now,’” as opposed to holding on to old grudges.

MS. RYAN: Right. And this is –

MS. SIMMONS: And there’s something –

MS. RYAN: — also –

MS. SIMMONS: — called “redemption.”

MS. RYAN: — yeah.

MS. SIMMONS: [Laughs.]

MS. RYAN: That’s right. This is a way for him to redeem himself after sitting – telling “Brownie” he did such a great job –

MR. FLETCHER: “Heck of a job” – right.

MS. RYAN: — yes – in – in New Orleans, when, indeed, New Orleans, how many years later, is still trying to rebuild and bring the city back to the flavor that it once had. And now – and now Haiti – I mean when I went there during the Bush years, I mean you had people in the streets selling meat on – on – on a board, in a street that was dirty and water running through it. And then they were selling tires – the bu- — cut-up tires for shoes. This is the type of poverty we’re talking about in Haiti – on a good day.

MR. MARTIN: On that particular island, you have [the] Dominican Republic on one side.

MS. RYAN: One side. Yes.

MR. MARTIN: You have Haiti on the other side, and – and, April, you made a point earlier in terms of the rebuilding there. And – and I – I – it – it’s – I hate to have to say it, but in many ways, with this level of devastation, it truly, I think, can drive the change, if you will, in terms of how do you remake a country; because now what you’re going to have, I think – you’re going to have people looking at Haiti now as a – in a – a more holistic situation. Because, look. The political infrastructure totally has been demolished –

MS. SIMMONS: Yeah – [crosstalk].

MR. MARTIN: — the presidential palace –

MS. SIMMONS: Yep.

MR. FLETCHER: Gone, right.

MR. MARTIN: — parliament. And so now you’re talking about even – you s- — before, it was trying to – well, how do you put a Band-Aid on all of those homes were- — that weren’t built right? Now we have to reconstruct a whole country, and so I think it may change, really, the approach to Haiti from the international community over the next ten, 20 years.

MR. FLETCHER: And it might also change the political dynamic, too. I think before this, there was probably a little bit of fatigue, and I think you’d talk to average Americans about Haiti, they’d say, “Oh” – you know, their reaction, I think, would be, oh, one catastrophe after another. But this is so huge, and I think it touches m- — you know, most people, I think, are touched by this tragedy.

MS. RYAN: Yes.

MR. FLETCHER: And I think people will want to come in and – and try to help, like you say, in a holistic way, rather than saying, “Haiti is beyond hope.” I think people will want to, you know, invest in it and –

MS. SIMMONS: Yeah. Now –

MR. FLETCHER: — and make a difference.

MS. SIMMONS: — but only if we keep the story and the images of what’s happened to the human lives down –

K: Precisely.

MS. SIMMONS: — there. The presidential palace can be rebuilt. Churches, schools, hospitals –

K: Precisely.

MS. SIMMONS: — can be rebuilt. But those lives are gone, and we haven’t a clue right now as to how –

MS. RYAN: [Crosstalk] – number –

MS. SIMMONS: — many more –

MS. RYAN: — or the scale.

MS. SIMMONS: — are there. And it doesn’t matter what faith or religion. And I’m getting ready to get –

MR. MARTIN: Go ahead.

MS. SIMMONS: — here – [chuckles] –

MS. RYAN: I’m with you. I’m feelin’ it.

MS. SIMMONS: — those are human beings. And I don’t care whether you’re Christian, Jew, or not. It doesn’t matter, because those are human lives, and a[n] earthquake can happen anywhere.

MS. RYAN: Anywhere.

MR. MARTIN: And – and – and –

MS. RYAN: Anywhere.

MS. SIMMONS: And we have been hugely blessed that California –

MS. RYAN: And but for the grace –

MS. SIMMONS: — ain’t slid over into –

MS. RYAN: — of God go I.

MS. SIMMONS: — the Pacific –

MR. MARTIN: And – and – and –

MS. SIMMONS: — right now.

MR. MARTIN: — and – and le- — and let me also say this.

MS. RYAN: There but for the –

MR. MARTIN: On – on – on –

MS. RYAN: — grace of God –

MR. MARTIN: — on that particular point as well, that when you look at the comment by Pat Robertson in terms of making a deal with the Devil, it – when I watched that – those videos –

MS. RYAN: M-m-m-m.

MR. MARTIN: — and I saw a guy who was in – who was u- — under a concrete barrier, and they sai- — somebody asked him, “Are you panicking?” He said, “No, I’m praying.”

MS. SIMMONS: Right.

MR. MARTIN: When I saw people sitting here, singing spir- — hymns and praying, I then say, “I’m sorry, Pat Robertson. Where’s the Devil with those individuals?” That, to me, is kind of the egregious stuff. AT the end of the day, those are human beings.

MS. SIMMONS: Right.

MR. MARTIN: And those are people who, frankly –

[CROSSTALK.]

MS. RYAN: If you believe in God –

MR. MARTIN: — in a time of need – absolutely.

MS. RYAN: — if you believe –

MR. MARTIN: Kevin?

MS. RYAN: — in God, you believe in humanity and love for another person. “Love they neighbor” –

MR. CHAPPELL: But you ha- –

MS. RYAN: — “as thyself.”

MR. CHAPPELL: — you have to keep the story in the forefront, like you said. And, unfortunately, with New Orleans we haven’t done a good enough job keeping that story in the forefront.

MS. RYAN: Well, the Vice President has gone down, and – and – and we’re not hearing about that. The Vice President went down last week to New Orleans for the recovery effort, to find out what’s going on – this vice president of this United States – but we’re not talking about it, because, I guess, you know, mainstream media doesn’t look at it as still a problem. We’re not talking about all the people – the convention center going down there, still; the money, the revenue, that the city is still bringing in; and –

MR. CHAPPELL: Well –

MS. RYAN: — also the money that the city –

MR. MARTIN: At – at – at –

MS. RYAN: — needs.

MR. MARTIN: — at the end of the day, the reality is then that’s our responsibility –

MS. RYAN: Right.

MR. MARTIN: — and we have to use our –

MS. RYAN: Absolutely.

MR. MARTIN: — voices to –

MS. RYAN: That’s why we’re here.

MR. MARTIN: — constantly check them –

MS. RYAN: That’s why we’re here.

MR. MARTIN: — on what they’re not doing.
All right, folks. We’re out of time. Enjoyed it, April, Michael, Deborah, Kevin. Thanks a bunch.

MR. FLETCHER: Thank you.

MS. SIMMONS: Thank you.

MR. MARTIN: All right, folks. Senate Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid’s racially insensitive words about then presidential candidate Barack Obama calls for a deeper conversation about race in America. Well, nobody else wants to do it. We’ll do it. We have the conversation with Kurt Schmoke, dean of Howard University’s law school; and the Reverend Jim Wallis, author of Rediscovering Values, and they will join Michael and Deborah right after the break.

[END OF SEGMENT.]

(SEGMENT 3)

[VIDEO CLIP.]

PRES. BARACK OBAMA: First of all, let me speak directly to this controversy around Senator Harry Reid. Harry Reid is a friend of mine. He has been a stalwart champion of voting rights, civil rights…. This is a good man who has always been on the right side of history. For him to have used some inartful language in trying to praise me, and for people to try to make hay out of that makes absolutely no sense.

[END OF VIDEO CLIP.]

MR. MARTIN: Of course, that was President Barack Obama talking with me regarding Senator Harry Reid and the comments that he made. Some folks were saying that, well, shou- — we should shut the conversation down, but the President even said that, no, we could use this opportunity to actually have a true conversation about race.
So, here to discuss it is Kurt Schmoke, dean of Howard University’s law school and a former mayor of Baltimore, Maryland; the Reverend Jim Wallis, author of Rediscovering Values; Deborah Simmons, columnist for The Washington Times; and Michael Fletcher, White House correspondent for The Washington Post.

Folks, thanks for joining me. Do we do an injustice when one of these issues arises, and then folks say, “Sh-h-h. Be quiet,” and shut it down, or turn it into the Republican-Democrat, liberal-conservative thing, as opposed to saying, “Wait a minute. Do people actually think and voted the way Senator Harry Reid described the situation?” What about that?

MR. KURT SCHMOKE: Well, some people do think that way. That – obviously.

MR. MARTIN: But what’s wro- — what’s wrong with talking about it?

MR. SCHMOKE: Well, I don’t think there’s anything, but you remember when Bill Clinton, a- — as president, tried to have a national conversation about race and really had an elaborate structure to – to do it, and not too many people wanted to talk about it.

MR. MARTIN: But he- — but here’s w- –

MR. SCHMOKE: It’s one of those things that folks just don’t want to talk about.

MR. MARTIN: But, Deborah, I remember him doing that, and I think part of the problem there was – as I remember, several people who wanted to speak at those panels –

MS. SIMMONS: Yes.

MR. MARTIN: — and then the panel said, “No, you’re not invited.” And I’m sitting there, going, “You want people to speak at those panels and have the very conversation we say we want to have.”

MS. SIMMONS: Right. Here’s the – here’s part of the problem, I think – is that when people say, “Let’s have a discourse about race,” no matter what setting it’s in, that it’s going to fall into the whole reparations for slavery –

MR. MARTIN: Or blame game?

MS. SIMMONS: — blame game, Black folks as victims and that sort of thing. And that’s not where we are in 2010. In 2010, we’re right where Harry Reid just put it. We’re where you – where we have put people in positions of power. The leader of the U.S. Senate, an ex- — very exclusive ca- — club calling somebody a “Negro.” I mean really!

MR. SCHMOKE: [Chuckles.]

MR. MARTIN: But j- — j- –

MR. FLETCHER: But that’s more – you know – you know, I don’t want to be – [chuckles] – making any excuses for Harry Reid, but it feels like a generational kind of thing, the use of the term “Negro.” And I think the problem with a conversation in ra- — on race, particularly in a political kind of setting, is that people get upset immediately. I think no one feels that they can be honest in a conversation about race, because, you know, everyone’s looking for – you know, for the slip; looking for – you know, for the blame game or whatever it may be. And everyone – you know, people are so dug-in.

MR. MARTIN: — but –

MR. FLETCHER: So, it’s a very tough – I think for any political leader – I don’t think they gain any points by kind of trying to moderate the dis- — this discussion. I covered Bill Clinton’s conversation on race, and that got eclipsed, in part, by the Lewinsky scandal –

MR. MARTIN: — sure.

MR. FLETCHER: — but also it’s because, you know, people didn’t want to partake in a[n] honest way.

MR. MARTIN: Well, here’s the deal. R- — Reverend Wallis, the thing about that is – with the conversation about race – you want people to get upset. You want there to be acrimony. You want there to be anger and dissention. I’m sorry. To me, a conversation about race in America should likely look like marriage counseling.

[CHUCKLING.]

MR. FLETCHER: [Unintelligible.]

MR. MARTIN: People –

[CHUCKLING.]

MR. MARTIN: — no, no, no. Seriously.

REV. JIM WALLIS: You got it.

MR. MARTIN: And e- — first of all –

REV. WALLIS: You got it.

MR. MARTIN: — I – I’ve been divorced, and – a- — and – and so wonderful marriage now, thank God. It’s a godsend – that woman. But the point is when you go through marriage counseling, you go through the ups and downs of mistrust. Nobody wants to talk, but once you cross that threshold, all of a sudden, people begin to pour out. Now you get to the real heart of the issue.

REV. WALLIS: Well, first of all, we’re not in a post-racial society.

MR. MARTIN: Oh, I agree.

REV. WALLIS: Okay? I’ve said it, and we’ve talked about this. Race was America’s original sin, a long time ago. It’s changing. The conversation is changing, but let’s keep having the conversation. To not talk about it is foolish, because it’s in the air. It’s – it’s the air we breathe. So, let’s have a conversation. So, I think the conversation’s all good.

MR. MARTIN: Ho- — how –

MR. SCHMOKE: Can –

MR. MARTIN: — how –

MR. SCHMOKE: — can I –

MR. MARTIN: — go ahead.

MR. SCHMOKE: — can I pick up on the – Mike’s comment, though, about generational? Because I do think younger people – I – you know, I see them every day up at the – at the Howard law school, that they are looking a the issue of race very differently than I –

MR. MARTIN: Absolutely.

MR. SCHMOKE: — or my parents are. And when I look at the political landscape and see Congressman Davis running for governor of Alabama –

MR. MARTIN: Aurtur – Aurtur Davis, yes.

MR. SCHMOKE: — and – and Congress- — Autry Davis – and – and Kendrick Meeks now announcing for U.S. Senate in Florida – those are jurisdictions where, you know, if you just looked at their racial past, you wouldn’t even contemplate doing that. But they’re now saying, “We think that we have moved to a different point, that we can win.”

MR. FLETCHER: Yeah.

MR. MARTIN: But I think politics always seems to be different than anything else. I mean you can – you can elect a then Senator Barack Obama President of the United States, but then when a study comes out showing that if you have a Black-sounding name, you have a 50 percent less chance of getting a callback for a job than if you have a White-sounding name, then that – to me, tha- – - that – that’s where the real issue is.

How do we, then, though, get people to – to reach that point of honesty to assess themselves and how they’re raising their children, the kind of comments they’re making? Even the President, in his race speech, he talked about hearing his grandmother make comments, and she’s making these comments, and it’s a Black kid sitting right in front of her who’s her grandson.

MS. SIMMONS: Grandson.

MR. FLETCHER: Yeah. Yeah, racial change is almost – it almost feels evolutionary. It’s funny. I – I look at my kids, and – and they’re in college now, and when they were in high school, they went to all-black high schools. But it’s interesting. They have a different kind of friendship patterns, different kind of partying patterns. I –

MR. MARTIN: No, no, no. They’re not –

MR. FLETCHER: — remember when I was –

MR. MARTIN: — they’re not –

MR. FLETCHER: — a kid –

MR. MARTIN: — now, I don’t mean them. No, no. Here’s what –

MR. FLETCHER: — but I mean –

MR. MARTIN: — I want to know. Whe- — whe- — when you were raising them, though –

MR. FLETCHER: Yeah.

MR. MARTIN: — were you cognizant of your personal views on race, and were you aware of what you were possibly saying in and around them that was also playing a role in what they could be thinking out in the future?

MR. FLETCHER: Well, I tried to be. My wife and I tried –

MR. MARTIN: Okay.

MR. FLETCHER: — to – tried to be that way, but I’m really interested in watching, like, kids – they – they – the music they share now is – like, Whites and Blacks tend to listen to, you know, similar kinds of music.

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MR. FLETCHER: When I was a kid, that – that didn’t happen. So, I think these things happen almost – in such a slow way, that you can’t perceive them, until you look back. And you say, “Wow. We” – “We’ve gone from here to there.” Not to say that everything’s all right, ‘cause we know whether[?] – you talk about – you send testers out to – for an apartment –

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MR. FLETCHER: — for a job, you see huge racial disparities there, but there is some change, and – [unintelligible] –

REV. WALLIS: I[‘ve] got an 11-year-old and a si- — six-year-old. They live in a – in a very multicultural environment. So, I say to folks all the time, “Who do your kids have play dates with?” “Who are their friends?” “Who are their teammates?” “Whose pictures are up” – “up in your house?”

MR. MARTIN: Right.

REV. WALLIS: “Who do you talk about?” “What music do[?]” – what’s the politics of this in a household? It is generational. And my 11- and six-year-old, they – they are much more sensitive on this stuff. It’s part of their life. You know, they – they have deep friendships across racial lines.

MS. SIMMONS: Right.

REV. WALLIS: And that’s what’s going to change us.

MS. SIMMONS: And in – and in our personal lives, the multicultural thing is there, live and in living color; but when it comes to politics and multiculturalism, that’s when there’s a huge double standard. We shouldn’t – it says a lot when we’re talking about whether – where – where Duval Patrick is, where Barack Obama was just five years ago. I mean – [snaps her fingers] – Obama progr- — did more than pr- — he sped up the ladder. He ran up that ladder –

MR. FLETCHER: Right.

MS. SIMMONS: — as fast as he could, and he had a lot of folks pushing – multicultural folks pushing him up there.

MR. MARTIN: I love what Reverend Wallis had to say, because I was speaking to a[n] MLK gathering in Wilmington, Delaware, and so – a multiracial group of students on the stage –

MS. SIMMONS: Yeah.

MR. MARTIN: — and they were all talking about getting along and things along those lines. And then I began to ask questions. I said, “Well, okay, fine, yeah.” A- — and they were saying all the right things.

MR. FLETCHER: Right.

MR. MARTIN: And I knew everybody on that stage was lying.

[CHUCKLING.]

MR. MARTIN: And I said, “Who do you eat with?”

REV. WALLIS: Sure, yeah.

MR. MARTIN: And all of a sudden, you saw a little shift in the movement, and then I began to probe deeper. I said, “Okay. Who eats in your home?”

REV. WALLIS: That’s right.

MR. MARTIN: Then all of a sudden, I then turned to the – ‘cause the parents were in the audience. I said, “Now, I” – “My question for you is, ‘How are you raising your kids?’ Are you talking about Dr. King, and you’re all here at the program.” I said, “But you don’t even invite someone of a different ethnic group to your home.”
That, to me – this whole notion of a conversation about race is that when we are in forced situations – school, job –

REV. WALLIS: Yeah.

MR. MARTIN: — it’s not voluntary.

REV. WALLIS: Yeah.

MR. MARTIN: The real issue of race in this conversation, and the conversation, has to take place is our voluntary actions. Who do we eat with and talk with and, as you say, who’s on your walls – things along those lines.

REV. WALLIS: Yeah, yeah. And – and – a- — and the big change in – in urban America is with Barack Obama, kids – the – the – you know, a few years ago, never thought they could do anything now think they can do anything. I mean young kids –

MS. SIMMONS: And tha- –

REV. WALLIS: — of color really believe now they could do anything, be – that’s a huge cultural change.

MR. FLETCHER: That’s profound. I mean –

REV. WALLIS: A big deal. And that’s –

MR. FLETCHER: — that’s a big deal.

REV. WALLIS: — happening all across –

MR. SCHMOKE: But the –

REV. WALLIS: — the country.

MR. SCHMOKE: — you know, the conversation, though, is even – the conversation on race is going to end- — evolve, because, you know, African-Americans are no longer the number-one racial [sic] minority.

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MR. SCHMOKE: So, we’re going to have conversations about, you know, Latinos and then within that group and within the Asian group. I mean – so, I – I’d say we’re in a new era of diversity in America, but not a post-racial America.

MR. MARTIN: But shouldn’t we also make it perfectly plain – perfectly clear that there’s not going to be this huge conversation, and then we all go, “Okay! We’ve had it! Done!”

[CHUCKLING.]

MR. MARTIN: “Thanks for coming. Time to go home”? That it is one that continues. As long as there’re people who’re passing along stereotypes –

REV. WALLIS: Yeah.

MR. MARTIN: — and misperceptions, you have to continue to have –

MS. SIMMONS: Right.

MR. MARTIN: — the dialogue and learn from each other.

MS. SIMMONS: It’s – it’s like –

REV. WALLIS: R- – relationships.

MS. SIMMONS: — yeah. It – personal and professional relationships. We’re 40 years – more than 40 years past James Brown hollering at us, proclaiming, “Say it loud.”–

MR. MARTIN: “Say it loud. I’m” –

MS. SIMMONS: “I’m Black, and” –

MR. MARTIN: — “Black, and I’m proud.”

MS. SIMMONS: — “I’m proud.” We’re – we’re two generations of folks past that. What we’re not beyond, however, is still pointing out and saying, “Oh, no. The dark-skinned Black guy over there,” “the light-skinned woman over there,” “but, you know, you remember that Asian woman who used to” –

MR. MARTIN: But you – but you kno- — but you –

MS. SIMMONS: — we’re not – we’re not –

MR. MARTIN: — know what?

MS. SIMMONS: — beyond that.

MR. MARTIN: But you know what, Deborah? Here’s the deal. I – I – I’m really not offended by that. Here’s why. Because when I’m describing somebody, you’re sitting there going, “You know, the tall guy who you always see in the hallway at work,” and people look at you. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

MS. SIMMONS: The tall –

MR. MARTIN: “You know the tall, White guy over there?” “Oh, I know who you’re talking” –

MS. SIMMONS: Right, right.

MR. MARTIN: — “about now.”

[CHUCKLING.]

MR. FLETCHER: That’s right, that’s right.

MR. MARTIN: The reason I don’t have a problem with that [is] because I see that as simply a part of the description of — if the guy who wears baggy jeans every day, or a hat, or something, it’s simply a p- — who they are. The difference, to me, is when I have animosity towards this guy, or suspicion, because he’s a White guy.

MS. SIMMONS: But, see, to me, that’s irrelevant; because if we look at Barack Obama, if we look at a Tiger Woods, you can’t go there with the race thing –

MR. MARTIN: Okay.

MS. SIMMONS: — anymore.

MR. MARTIN: So – so – so – okay. So, if we – if we had this panel, and we had April Ryan sitting here and Nia-Malika Henderson sitting here and you sitting here, and somebody was saying, “I don’t remember who Deborah is.” [Slaps the desk.] “The Black woman with the” – “with the” –

MS. SIMMONS: “The one with the” –

MR. MARTIN: — “with the braids.”

MS. SIMMONS: — “dreadlocks.”

MR. MARTIN: They would go, “Oh, Roland, I know exactly who’re talking about.”
It’s – to me, I ju- — I t- — I just see that simply as a description, as opposed to a negative.

MR. SCHMOKE: I –

MR. MARTIN: I get your point, though, but –

MR. SCHMOKE: – one quick – real quick story, though, ‘cause my son was I elementary school. And – and talking about different perspectives, my – he’s coming home, and he’s all ex- — excited about the friends that he’s met there, and he’s going on and on about this one particular guy. And my wife and I are looking a- — and so I finally say, “What color is he?”

And he looked at me real curious, and he says, “I think purple.”

[LAUGHTER.]

MR. SCHMOKE: And he di- — [crosstalk]- — that was his response.

MR. MARTIN: [Claps.]

[CHUCKLING.]

REV. WALLIS: The shift that’s going[?] among our kids is diversity isn’t anymore a problem to be solved, but a value that enriches your life and makes things better. The kids really see diversity as a va- — not in – an instrument towards something else.

MR. MARTIN: Or a negative.

REV. WALLIS: Or – or, “Let’s negotiate the quotas here.” No, it’s about, “Yeah, my life is better when there’re people who are different than me in the house, in the room, on my team, over for dinner, in the conversation.”

MR. MARTIN: Bu- — but – Michael, go ahead.

REV. WALLIS: “And my church.”

MR. FLETCHER: [Crosstalk] –

REV. WALLIS: How ‘bout that?

MR. FLETCHER: — in the political context, though, I think it raises hackles all over the place, and we still haven’t kind of crossed that bridge. You know, we ta- — talk about Barack Obama, but he can’t talk about race a lot as president, because it feels like a political negative for him. When he talked about the Gates arrest, you saw what happened. It was a kind of a backlash right away, and it – it felt like his comments were very, you know –

MR. MARTIN: Well –

MR. FLETCHER: — you know –

MR. MARTIN: — but a- –

MR. FLETCHER: — very modest, really.

MR. MARTIN: — but that goes back to people not wanting to be honest. And the thing that I said constantly after the Skip Gates deal was, “No, the President did not give a presidential answer. He gave a Black-man answer.” He gave an answer. The Black man is saying, “I know exactly what that feels like.” And I said, “So, I’m not going to get offended by that.”

I just think at the e- — at the end of the day, if we want to deal with race, it’s – bring me all of your drama. I always say if you tell me in the South, “No coloreds allowed,” I know exactly where you stand. I’ve always disliked when people said, “Oh, no. You’re welcome to come in.” [Turns his head as though speaking to someone else.] “Now, you know we’re not gon’ hire them.”

[CHUCKLES.]

MR. MARTIN: So – so – s- — and so – so I always appreciated at least w- — in the – in the South, the Civil Rights Movement, it was real clear in terms of where folks stood.

MS. SIMMONS: Right.

MR. MARTIN: F- — about ten –

MS. SIMMONS: But that –

MR. MARTIN: — seconds.

MS. SIMMONS: — but that – but that’s different. My dad –

MR. MARTIN: But – but it’s just honest and out-front. Go –

MS. SIMMONS: — my dad –

MR. MARTIN: — ahead.

MS. SIMMONS: — applied for a job in Washington, D.C., from Pittsburgh, in 1956 –

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MS. SIMMONS: — came down, applied for the job. And you know what the man said? “Oh, you’re Black.”

MR. MARTIN: Right. So –

MS. SIMMONS: [Laughs.]

REV. WALLIS: The Jeremiah Wright controversy –

MR. MARTIN: And, Reverend, we[‘ve] got about ten –

REV. WALLIS: — you know, that –

MR. MARTIN: — I[‘ve] got to wrap it up – this conversation. About ten seconds, literally.

REV. WALLIS: — that made the Philadelphia speech on race possible.

MR. MARTIN: That’s true.

REV. WALLIS: You see? So, it was redemptive, ‘cause we had tough conversation, and then that speech – that wouldn’t‘ve happened, that speech, if the Jeremiah Wright controversy hadn’t happened.

MR. MARTIN: And I want the conversation to continue, but I’m outta time.

[CHUCKLES.]

MR. MARTIN: I certainly appreciate it.

REV. WALLIS: Thank you.

MR. MARTIN: Mayor Schmoke, Reverend Wallis, Deborah, Michael, we certainly appreciate it.
Folks, you can hear more from my interview with President Barack Obama tomorrow night at 8 Eastern, as TV One celebrates the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

[END OF SEGMENT.]

(SEGMENT 4)

MR. MARTIN: Politico.Com’s Nia-Malika Henderson is here now.
Nia, how’s it goin’?

MS. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON: Hey, there, Roland. Good to see you.

MR. MARTIN: All right. I talked to President Barack Obama on Monday for TV One’s MLK special that’s airing tomorrow at 8 p.m. Eastern, but this week you sat down with First Lady Michelle Obama, and she had some interesting comments about slavery and race in America?

MS. HENDERSON: She did, indeed. This was the third time that I got a chance to talk with Michelle Obama over this last year in the White House, and she – she talked about Reid. Of course, that was the topic of the – of the day, and she essentially said that Reid had no reason to apologize to her, that she knows Reid. She knows Rei- — she knows Reid as a good man and a man who’s done good works.

And in terms of what she thinks the President and her responsibility is in terms of defusing some of these racialized comments, or even engaging in a kind of national conversation about race, she said that the President and the First Lady’s role is to shed light when they can shed light, but o- — but, otherwise, to let these co- — conversations kind of bubble up naturally from just regular folks.

MR. MARTIN: And I mean you talk about this whole notion of “bubba-” – “bu-” – “bubble up naturally,” I – one of the pe- — things I keep saying is, you know, what? All of a sudden, does he become, you know, professor of the country on the issue of race? I mean, frankly, there’s a whole lot there, as opposed to sitting here, saying, “Well, let’s have” – what – “a daily, fireside chat,” or something.

MS. HENDERSON: Yeah. No, I think you’re exactly right. And one they thay [sic] – one of the things that she said was w- — that everyone is really still new to this. The Civil Rights Mew- — Movement is, you know, 30 years old, or so; and that these are conversations that ’re going to have to be ongoing. But this idea that, for instance, the President can hold town halls – you know, weekly town halls about race – that’s not really the way that she feels like she can address it.

She did talk about her own connection to slavery. Of course, The New York Times ran that big story a couple of months ago about her, that she’s essentially a great-great-great-granddaughter of a slave. And she said that’s something palpable, that she recognizes, that she feels; and that she can see the shift, racially, when she walks downstairs. And she can see, you know, a lot of the butlers and the people who work at the White House are Black, and they, of course, have worked under all – all White families up until now; and so that it’s something that she thinks about and can feel.

MR. MARTIN: Well, first of all, I mean, certainly some interesting comments there from the First Lady and, frankly, providing the sort of candor; because, otherwise, if – if – you know, without your explaining it, most people that – who are, you know, reporting on what took place really won’t talk to the First Lady about these kind[s] of issues. And, frankly, I think it’s important that we actually do. So – so, Nia, we surely appreciate it. Thanks a bunch.

MS. HENDERSON: Great. Thanks, Roland.

MR. MARTIN: All right, folks. Still ahead, the Web come[s] to the aid of Haiti, devastated by this week’s massive earthquake. News One’s Smokey Fontaine will let you know how you can help.

[END OF SEGMENT.]

(SEGMENT 5)

MR. MARTIN: All right, folks. The Web is playing a major role in humanitarian aid for the victims of Haiti’s worst earthquake in its history. News One’s Smokey Fontaine is here to tell us what’s being done and how the Web is being used to mobilize people across the globe.

Smokey, let’s jump right into it. There certainly has been a quicker reaction on the Internet to this earthquake in Haiti, as op- — opposed to hurricane Katrina. In fact, President Bill Clinton was c- — was on television, saying that with – with the tsunami in Indonesia, they raised a billion dollars for that effort, and half of it came from online. Many think they’re going to exceed that – and that was five years ago – with what’s happening now. It’s amazing how so – how the Net’s being – play – the role it’s playing.

MR. SMOKEY FONTAINE: I mean look how – look how far we’ve gotten. People are donating via text message. This is something that folks – you’d never think they’d be comfortable with doing.

MR. MARTIN: So, the – so the- — they’re giving you a number. And so c- — I keep hearing this “donate 5 or $10.” So –

MR. FONTAINE: Yeah.

MR. MARTIN: — so when you test to that number, are you paying then? Are they charging your phone? What’s –

MR. FONTAINE: It’s charging –

MR. MARTIN: — happening?

MR. FONTAINE: — it’s charging your cell phone bill. It’s a very simple process. You text – you have a code, so 5-0-1-5-0-1 –

MR. MARTIN: Which is Wyclef Jean’s –

MR. FONTAINE: — that’s the Red Cross. There’re two –

MR. MARTIN: — [crosstalk] – 5-0-l-5-0-1.

MR. FONTAINE: — major ones where you can text.

MR. MARTIN: Okay.

MR. FONTAINE: 5–0-1-5-0-1, you text the word “Haiti” – H-a-i-t-i. It’ll ask you, “Do you want to donate $10 to the Red Cross?”

MR. MARTIN: Okay. So, that’s 5-0-5-5-0-1.

MR. FONTAINE: You say –

MR. MARTIN: I’m going to do –

MR. FONTAINE: — yes.

MR. MARTIN: — I’m going to do it right here.

MR. FONTAINE: Do it right here. It’ll ask you if you want to confirm that, and you – once you say yes, $10 will be charged to your cell phone bill.

MR. MARTIN: So, text “Haiti.” And what’s the other one?

MR. FONTAINE: The other one is for Wyclef Jean’s organization.

MR. MARTIN: Right?

MR. FONTAINE: That’s Yelé. That will take $5 from you.

MR. MARTIN: Right?

MR. FONTAINE: You text the word “Yelé,” Y-e-l-é – to 5 –0-1-5-0-1. It will give you a confirmation message about your donation.

MR. MARTIN: So, both are 5-0-1-5-0-1?

MR. FONTAINE: Yelé is 5-0-1-5-0-1.

MR. MARTIN: Right?

MR. FONTAINE: The Red Cross is actually 9-0-9-9-9.

MR. MARTIN: Gotcha. 9-0-9-9-9. Gotcha.

MR. FONTAINE: Two organizations. The Red Cross said that they raised over a million dollars in a day.

[INFORMAL COMMENTS.]***

MR. MARTIN: The Web is playing a major role in humanitarian aid for victims of Haiti’s worst earthquake in its history. News One’s Smokey Fontaine is here to tell us what’s being done and how the Web is being used to mobilize people across the globe.

And, Smokey, it’s been amazing. You know, when – when – when we had the Indonesian tsunami, President Clinton said a billion dollars was raised, and half of that came from the Internet. That was five years ago. Many folks think – think we’re going to es- — eclipse that this time with Haiti.

MR. FONTAINE: I think this Haiti humanitarian effort is going to best that. Folks are comfortable making donations via their cell phone, via text message. This is –

MR. MARTIN: Now – now, I – I – keep –

MR. FONTAINE: — something we haven’t seen.

MR. MARTIN: — seeing that. Now, w- — now, walk us through that. So, am I paying with a credit card, or e- — wha- — what’s happening with the payment?

MR. FONTAINE: You’re paying directly for your cell phone bill. You’ll get billed at the end of the month, the way you normally do.

MR. MARTIN: Okay. So –

MR. FONTAINE: There’ve been two organizations that ’ve –

MR. MARTIN: — right?

MR. FONTAINE: — been doing this really well. The best is Wyclef’s. His organization –

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MR. FONTAINE: — is called been doing this really well. The best is Wyclef’s. His organization –

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MR. FONTAINE: — is called Yelé. All you need to do is text the word “Yelé” – Y-e- –

MR. MARTIN: I’m going to go ahead and do it right now –

MR. FONTAINE: — -l-é.

MR. MARTIN: — so –

MR. FONTAINE: — Let’s do it together.

MR. MARTIN: What’s the number?

MR. FONTAINE: It’s 5-0-1-5-0-1.

MR. MARTIN: 5-0-1.

MR. FONTAINE: The text message should be “Yelé” – Y-e-l-é.

MR. MARTIN: Y-e-l-é. Go ahead.

MR. FONTAINE: Click “send.” It’ll ask you if you want to – if you’re comfortable donating $5.

MR. MARTIN: Okay.

MR. FONTAINE: It asks you for a confirmation. You go back and say yes.

MR. MARTIN: Okay?

MR. FONTAINE: The $5 will be donated to the Yelé organization –

MR. MARTIN: All right.

MR. FONTAINE: — and the $5 will be taken from your credit card bill later on.

MR. MARTIN: Okay. All right. “To c-” – “To confirm,” okay. Gotcha. Go ri- — I reply –

MR. FONTAINE: You see how –

MR. MARTIN: — with “yes.”

MR. FONTAINE: — in- — see how instant it is. They raised –

MR. MARTIN: [Crosstalk]- –

MR. FONTAINE: — over a million dollars in one day. You’ve now donated this –

MR. MARTIN: So, I just –

MR. FONTAINE: — $5.

MR. MARTIN: — confirmed. All right. Now, wha- — and what else? Red Cross?

MR. FONTAINE: The Red Cross is doing really well. That’s a $10 donation.

MR. MARTIN: Okay.

MR. FONTAINE: The number to the Red Cross is 9-0- –

MR. MARTIN: 9-0?

MR. FONTAINE: — -9-9-9.

MR. MARTIN: 9-9-9.

MR. FONTAINE: There, text the word “Haiti.”

MR. MARTIN: Okay.

MR. FONTAINE: H-a-i-t-i.

MR. MARTIN: Haiti. Gotcha.

MR. FONTAINE: It will be the same process. It’ll ask you to confirm your $10 donation directly to the Red Cross.

MR. MARTIN: Okay.

MR. FONTAINE: Once you confirm, it’s taken out of your cell phone bill. The Red Cross said they’ve already exceeded $5 million of donations via these micr- — it’s called “micro giving.”

MR. MARTIN: Now, what about these scams going on? Because, obviously, thieves love this thing, too.

MR. FONTAINE: Um-hum. Well, what we’ve seen during big natural disasters is that these opportunists online create fake sites.

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MR. FONTAINE: “ILoveHaiti,” “HaitiCares,” “LetsSaveHaiti.” And when you search for Haiti, ‘cause you’re looking for information, you’ll pull up these phantom sites. They’ll have a “DONATE” button on it. You’ll click “DONATE.” You’ll go through the same process with your credit card, but it’s not going anywhere. It’s going – it’s – y- — they’re stealing and scamming your money.

MR. MARTIN: Well, we had Mike Hammer on – the National Security Council spokesman, earlier, and he said go to WhiteHouse.gov, where they have the legitimate organizations.

MR. FONTAINE: Make sure you know the name of the organization you are contributing to, or donating to. The Red Cross; Wyclef’s organization; you know, Doctors Without Borders. Make sure you know what that is.
This is not just something for Haiti. We’ve seen this through all natural disasters. We saw –

MR. MARTIN: Right.

MR. FONTAINE: — through Michael Jackson. This happens online a lot. But know who you’re donating to.

MR. MARTIN: Well, I’ll tell you what. A lot of people are doing it. Alonzo Mourning, former NBA star – played with the Miami Heat — he’s j- — he’s in Haiti now. They’re raising funds as well, and a lot of folks are raising money online. But, again, be safe. Know where your money’s going.

MR. FONTAINE: Be safe, and you will have – you will make a change.

MR. MARTIN: All right. Smokey, we appreciate it. Thanks a bunch.

MR. FONTAINE: Thank you.

MR. MARTIN: Folks, it’s time now for “My Perspective.”
It is simply stunning to watch the human carnage going on in Haiti: lifeless bodies along the streets, schoolhouses filled with children eager to learn and now felled by the 7.0 earthquake. We’ve watched an amazing outpouring of love and compassion – individuals putting aside talk on social networks about their inconsequential life drama instead sending money and resources on Facebook, Twitter and other online outlets.

Yet, even as more individuals show the best in them, we have to witness the deplorable and sickening actions of individuals who’re so callous and uncaring, it is beyond belief. We have listened to the Reverend Pat Robertson and blowhard Rush Limbaugh make some of the most insensitive and asinine comments we have ever seen, ignoring the plight of the citizens, but giving us their warped view of what is going on.

Then we have the top, three new- – shows on Fox News – Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck – devoting less than seven minutes total – total – to the situation in Haiti on the second day of the catastrophe. Sure, theirs are opinion shows, but to think some of the other issues matter more than what’s happening there? Pathetic and utterly defenseless.
The owner of Fox also owns The New York Post, and for two days, Haiti didn’t merit the cover of their front page – just another piece on the New York Jets, or the President’s healthcare plan.

And you call yourselves news organizations?

Do we give them more attention now by remarking about this? Of course, but we should call them out for their shameful and pathetic conduct and those who protect them from criticism, such as Matthew Balan and his cohorts at Newsbusters.org, a conservative media website. They decry everything said by the left, but when one of their own says something stupid, they ignore it. Millions listen to Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh every day on radio and television, and millions watch Fox News Channel’s opinion shows. But to ignore what is happening in Haiti, or use the situation to advance your ideological and so-called “religious” view is immoral. And I hope and pray those who watch and listen to you see through your shallowness and turn away, because you don’t deserve their support.
That’s my perspective. What’s yours?

[END OF SEGMENT.]

(SEGMENT 6)

MR. MARTIN: I’m here with my new HP TouchSmart, and we begin today’s feedback segment with an e-mail response to Armstrong Williams’ comment that Michael Steele wasn’t a slave to the Republican party. Now, here’s what Stacey Hopkins had to say. “Steele is ambitious, and the GOP had to have known – or, perhaps, underestimated – Steele’s propensity to be outspoken. And the one criticism I can’t place on him is that he isn’t acting Black enough. With his comments to the GOP power structure that it could either get out of the way or shut up – sounds like they’ve got a true undercover brutha on their hands.”
Stacey, that’s pretty funny there.

All right. The next one comes from Rick. He says, “Good ol’ Harry says he could’ve chosen his words better.” What words? What better words could he have chosen to insult Black folk?”

And our next comment came from Irvin Griffin, Jr. He said, “Senator Harry Reid should be taken to task, just like any Republican would be if they made those same comments. I also think the Republicans’ outrage is as fake as a WWE wrestling match.”

All right, folks. A special programming note: join me on Monday night at 8, 11 o’clock Eastern time, for “Living the Dream,” an interview with President Barack Obama, in honor of the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Here’s a taste of what the President had to say.

[VIDEO CLIP.]

PRES. OBAMA: If after having gone through the worst financial crisis and recession since the Great Depression, we are not rebuilding this economy in a way that’s more fair, more just, provides greater op- — employment opportunities – if I have not succeeded in that, then I think people are right – [unintelligible – lots of ambient noise, banging]* — frustrated, and[?]* might even be angry with me. The only thing I ask – not just from African-Americans, but from all Americans – is to understand where we s- – start from.

[END OF VIDEO CLIP.]

MR. MARTIN: Well, that’s it for TV One’s edition of TV One’s “Washington Watch.” I’m Roland Martin. Goodbye, and have a blessed week – and be sure to give and pray for the folks in Haiti.

[END.]

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