Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20140320

We will speak with jack matlock who served as a last u. S. Ambassador to the soviet union. What he says about russia may surprise you. Then moral mondays spread to were 39 people were arrested at the State Capitol this week. We will speak with one of those arrested reverend Raphael Warnock, Senior Pastor of the avenues or Baptist Church come the church of dr. Martin luther king. Then as Death Penalty drugs become scarce, the assistant Oklahoma Attorney general jokes with a texas colleague he might be able to help texas get the drugs in exchange for 50 yard line tickets for Top College Football game between university of oklahoma and the university of texas. This is revealed in an email obtained by the colorado independent, which also exposed how oklahoma injected leftover lethal drugs into a dead prisoners body. All of that and more coming up. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The Ukrainian Government is withdrawing his soldiers from crimea as Russian Forces continue to seize military bases. The announcement from ukraine marks the knowledge meant it has ceded control of crimea in the aftermath of this weeks referendum vote and subsequent russian annexation. At least one ukrainian soldier has been killed as Russian Forces take over ukrainian bases around crimea. Earlier today, Russian Troops reportedly released the commander of the Ukrainian Navy who had been seized in his own headquarters. At a United Nations airing today in geneva, the ukrainian diplomat warned russia is fullblown military intervention in ukraines east and south, a claim russia denies. President obama rolled out yes military intervention while condemning russias annexation of crimea. Were not going to be getting excursion inry ukraine. What we are going to do is mobilize all of our diplomatic resources to make sure we have a Strong International coalition that sends a clear message which is ukraine should decide their own destiny. Hashe crimea standoff sparked the worst eastwest crisis since the end of the cold war. Speaking during a visit to europe, Vice President biden said the u. S. Is considering sending Ground Troops to its baltic allies for military exercises. On wednesday, a u. S. Navy warship conducted a oneday military exercise in the black sea of the bulgarian and romanian navies. Meanwhile in moscow, the russian government said it is considering changing its stance on iran snookered talks in response to newly imposed u. S. Sanctions. We will have more on the crisis in ukraine with a former u. S. Ambassador to the soviet union later in the broadcast. Out a seriesrried of airstrikes on the steering military area, reportedly killing one soldier and wounding seven others. Israel called the attack retaliation for a bombing that wounded four of his soldiers in the area a day before. It was the first time israel has acknowledged bombing syria since the outbreak of the civil war there three years ago this month. Syria has closed its Border Crossing at lebanon after heavy clashes with rebel fighters driven from homs province. A federal judge has ordered National Election officials to assist kansas and arizona and imposing voter id laws instead of rejecting their requests. The Election Assistance Commission had refused to add state specific language sought by the states that would require proof of citizenship in order to vote. But on wednesday, District Court melgren ordered the arizonasg kansas and request. The ruling could pave the way for a twotiered Voter Registration system. The ruling wouldnt apply to federal registration forms, which followed her congressional jurisdiction. Hasnsas top attorney contradicted longstanding claims by the nations leading Technology Companies that they governmente of bulk spying on their servers. Speaking before the privacy and Civil Liberties oversight board, the nsa general counsel said the companies have offered full interneton to bulk spying programs. He said the firms, including apple, google, and facebook, may only have been unaware of details like the operations. Odenamed, prism the companies have denied knowingly aiding government leaks from Edward Snowden disclosed prison last year. The soninlaw of Osama Bin Laden has unexpectedly testified at his terrorism trial. Suleiman abu ghaith took the stand on wednesday. He described meeting with bin inen inside a cave afghanistan just hours after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the pentagon. He is the most senior alleged al qaeda member to be tried in u. S. Court in the years since 9 11. Recordhas been fined a 1. 2 billion to resolve a criminal probe of safety defects in its cars. The penalty includes it in mission that toyota misled customers about problems that forced the cars acceleration even as drivers tried to slow down. Attorney general eric holder called the find the largest of its kind. Billion represents the largest criminal penalty imposed on a car company in history of the United States. This is appropriate, given the extent of the deception carried out by toyota in this case. Put simply, toyotas conduct was shameful. It showed a blatant disregard for systems and laws designed to look after the safety of consumers. By the companys own admissions, a protected its brand and head of its own customers. This constitutes a clear and reprehensible abuse of the public trust. Holder says the case could serve as a model for resolving other car safety cases, including the General Motors recall of millions of vehicles over faulty ignition switches. A mentally ill homeless veteran has died in a new york city prison cell was apparently kept at a scorching temperature. Formermurdough, a marine, had been arrested for trespassing after sleeping in a stairwell. Prison Officials Say theyre investigating whether he died because of an overheated cell. Homeless people in new york city has reached a record high. The coalition for the homeless reports more than 53,000 people slept in shelters each night in january, the highest amount ever recorded. There has also been a rise in people who are homeless and working. The report found one in four homeless families is headed by an adult who has a job. A new report reveals more information about deficiencies among staff at u. S. Nuclear missile base in north dakota. Last march, the air force base received a marginal rating on inspection, the equivalent of a d. The Associated Press says the rate was boosted by the performance of cooks and other support staff. On their own, the launch officers who hold the keys to Nuclear Missiles would have failed. There were also indications of cheating on exams. At least 92 officers at another base in montana have been removed from lunch duty and a prior cheating scandal. Againderal reserve is scaling back its Monthly Economic stigmas program. Under policy called quantitative easing, the fed has been 85 billion a month i never treasury and mortgage bonds in a bid to trigger economic growth. On wednesday, new Federal Reserve chairman tenet yellen said the program will be reduced by the additional 10 billion a month. She said extreme weather conditions have weakened the nations economic recovery. Unusually harsh weather in january and february has made assessing the underlying strength of the economy especially challenging. Broadly speaking, however, the spending and production data will somewhat weaker than we had expected in january, are roughly in line with our expectations as of december. Last Time Committee participants submitted economic projections. Those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. The Ukrainian Government has announced plans to abandon its military bases in crimea and evacuate its forces following russias decision to annex the region. Forces today, russian reportedly released the commander of the Ukrainian Navy, who has been seized in his own headquarters in crimea. Nations,ited ambassadors sparred over the situation in crimea. This is the Ukrainian Ambassador to the u. N. The declaration of independence by the crimean republic is a direct consequence of the implication of the use of force and threats against ukraine by the russian federation. In view of Russia Nuclear power status, particularly interests dangerous. Assert on the basis of customary norms, and International Law, the International Communities obliged not to recognize crimea is the subject of International Law or any the situation, treaty or agreement, that may be achieved by this territory. Russias ambassador to the United Nations defended moscows move to annex crimea. A historic injustice has been righted which resulted from Barbara Terry actions of the leader of the ussr at the time who with the stroke of a pen in 1954, in violation of the constitutional norms, transfer the russian region of crimea to the ukrainian soviet socialist republic, which was part of the same statement. He did this without informing the population of crimea and without their consent. Cared about the views of the crimeans. On wednesday, the u. S. Navy warship, u. S. Guided missile destroyer, conducted a oneday military exercise in the black sea with the bulgarian and romanian navies. And Vice President joe biden has been meeting this week with the heads of state of colon, estonia, latvia, and lithuania, promising washington would protect them from any russian aggression. On wednesday, president obama addressed the crisis during an interview with nbc7 san diego. Were not going to be getting into a military excursion in ukraine. What we are going to do is mobilize all of our diplomatic resources to make sure we have a Strong International coalition that sends a clear message, which is, ukraine to decide their own destiny. Russia, right now, is violating International Law and the sovereignty of another country. Continue to to ratchet up the pressure on russia as he continues down its current course. To talk more about the growing crisis, were joined by ambassador jack matlock. He served as u. S. Ambassador to moscow from 1987 to 1991. He is the author of several books including, reagan and gorbachev how the cold war ended. He recently wrote a column for Washington Post titled, the u. S. Has treated russia like a loser since the end of the cold war. Talk about the situation right now, what has just taken place, ukraine now pulling out of crimea. Well, i think what we have reaction in many history of a long what the russian government, with the russian president , and many of the russian people, most of them, feel has been a pattern of american activity that has been hostile to russia, and hesitantly disregarded their National Interest and has disregarded their National Interest. They feel having thrown off come in at some, dispensed to the soviet empire, that he was systematically from the time it started expanding nato to the and usingout them, nato to carry out what they consider offensive actions about against another country and in this case, serbia. The country had not attacked any nato member. And then detached territory from it. This is very relevant now to what we are seeing happening in crimea. To play continued spaces in these countries cant to its closer and closer ofders, and then to talk ukraine most of whose people did not want to be a part of nato now in georgia, this again and intrusion into an area which the russians are very sensitive. How would you feel if some russian or chinese or even west european started putting bases in mexico or in the caribbean or trying to form governments that were hostile to us . We saw how we virtually went ballistic over cuba. We have not been very attentive to what it takes to have a harmonious relationship with russia. Ambassador matlock, americans often look at these crises in isolation. Some of the press coverage does with them that way. From your perspective, you argue that we should see the continuum of events that happened from the Russian Point of view, for instance, the orange revolution for the pronouncements of some of our leaders several years back, the crisis in georgia a few years ago, and how the russians are seeing the original good feeling that most russians had toward the United States after the collapse of the soviet union compared to now. Yes, that is absolutely true. You see, in the orange ev, foreigners,i including americans, which were very active in organizing people and inspiring them now have to ask americans, how would occupy wall street have looked if you had foreigners out there leading them . Do you think that would have helped them get their point across . I dont think so. I think we have to understand that when we start directly interfering, particularly our government officials in the internal makeup of other governments, we are really asking for trouble. We were pretty careful not to do that in my day. I recall, for example, when i was being consulted by the newly elected leaders of what was still latvia, estonia, lithuania, they were still in the soviet union and they would come to us. We of course were sympathetic to their independence. We had never even recognized they were legally part of the soviet union. But i had to tell them, keep it peaceful. If you are suppressed, theres nothing we can do about it. We cannot come and help you. We are not going to start a nuclear war. Well, they kept it peaceful, despite provocations. What have we been telling the ukrainians and georgians at least some of us officials just hold on, you can join nato and that will solve your problems for you. And yet it is that very prospect that the United States and its european allies were trying to surround russia with hostile bases that has raised the emotional temperature of all of these things. And that was a huge mistake. Ingeorge kennan wrote back the 1990s when this question came up, the decision to expand nato the way it was done was one of the most fateful and bad decisions of the late 20th century. I want to go to Vice President joe biden who criticized russia recently during his trip to lithuania wednesday. I want to make it clear. We stand resolutely with our baltic allies in support of the ukrainian people and against russian aggression. As long as russia continues on this dark path, they will face increasing political and economic isolation. There are those who say that this action shows the old roles still apply. But russia cannot escape the fact the world is changing and rejecting outright their behavior. In a speech tuesday, russian president Vladimir Putin last of what he called western democracy on crimea, saying the u. S. Selectively applies International Law according to its political interests. Our western partners had to buy the United States of america for further practical policy to be guided not by International Law, but by the right of the strong. They started to believe they have been chosen and they are unique, that they are allowed to decide the fate of the world, that only they can always be right. They do whatever they want. Ambassador jack matlock, if you could respond to both joe biden and putin . Well, i think theres rhetoric on both sides and it is being very unhelpful. Russia now has returned crimea to russia. In the last couple of centuries been russian. The majority of the people are russian. They clearly would prefer to be in russia. And the bottom line is, we can argue until doomsday over who did what and why and who was the glenn who was not who was legal and who was not. Im sure generations from now, historians will still be arguing that. But the fact is, russias not going to get up crimea. The fact also is, if you really look at it dispassionately, ukraine is better off without crimea because ukraine is divided enough as it is. Theyre big problem is internal. In putting together disparate people who have been put together in that country, the distraction of crimea where most of the people did not want to be in ukraine, and ended up in ukraine as a result of really ist a bureaucratic whim think it was a reliability for ukraine. We should be concentrating now on how we put ukraine by together not we, but the ukrainians, with the help of the europeans and the help of the russians and at least with a benign view from the United States. The american president and Vice President directly challenging the russian president and threatening them with isolation is going to bring the opposite effect. All of this has actually increased president putins popularity among russians. Most politicians like to do things that make the more popular at home. Actinga that we are contrary to what russians would consider their very natural interests, that is in bringing an area which had been russian and traditionally russian for a long time back into russia, they look at that is a good thing. It is going to be very costly to russia, theyll find out, in many ways. But to continue all of this rhetoric, i would ask, how is it going to end . What is your objective . Because it isnt going to free up crimea again or give it back to ukraine. I think it would be most helpful to encourage the ukrainians to form a United Government they can begin reforms. The proposals before, both by the eu and by russia, would not have solved their problems. And theyre not going to solve ae problems by taking government the basically represents one half of the country and making it work on the whole country. And all of this interference, both by russia and by the west including the United States, has continued to split ukraine. That is the big issue there. We need to turn our attention more to it. I just hope everyone can calm stopand look at realities, china start sort of a new cold war over the ash stop trying to start a new cold war over this. As compared to the issues of the cold war, this is quite minor. It has many of the characteristics of a family dispute. And when outsiders get into a family dispute, theyre usually not very helpful. Ambassador matlock, if you are counseling the president for what would you urge them to do at this stage . Obviously, there are these pretty weak sanctions that have so far been announced. What would your advice be . All,ll, i think first of we should start keeping up whats down. Nd sort of let things work out to ship in military command and so on, is just going to be of further provocation. Honestly, this is not something that is going to be solved by military confrontations obviously, this is not something that is going to be solved by military confrontations. I think if we can find a way to speak less in public, to use more quiet diplomacy frankly, right now, the relationships between our president s are so poisonous, they really should have representatives who can quietly go and work with counterparts elsewhere. But fundamentally, it is going to be the ukrainians who have to put their society back together. It is seriously broken now. And it seems to me that they could take a leaf from the fence who have been very successful finns who have been very successful since world war ii in putting together country with wedes by being s respectful and careful of the relations with russia, never military struggles or allowing foreign bases on their land. And they have been extremely successful. Why cant the ukrainians follow a policy of that sort . I think it would also work for them. But first, they have to find a the disparate elements in ukraine. Otherwise, these pressures from russia on the one hand and the west on the other is going to simply tear them apart. Ambassador, on wednesday the head of ukraines First National tv was attacked in his office by aembers of the far right svobod party, including at least one member of parliament who serves on the Elementary Committee on freedom of speech. The attackers accused the station of working for the Russian Authority after it aired a live broadcast of the signing of the agreement between president putin the de facto crimean authority. The attackers are seen forcing the head of the channel to write a resignation letter. Heather mcgill of Amnesty International condemned the attack saying the acting ukrainian authorities must waste no time in demonstrating the basic human rights are protected in ukraine and that nobody will face discrimination because of their political views or ethnic origin. Ambassador matlock, can you talk about this attack and the role of these far right wing parties in the new Ukrainian Government . Well, im not informed about all of the details, but and i would say i think Russian Media has exaggerated that rightwing threat. On the other hand, those who have ignored it, i think are making a big mistake. We do have to understand the significant part of the violence at the maidan, the demonstrations, were done by these extreme right wing and sort of neofascist groups. Leaders to occupy prominent positions in the Security Forces of the new government. Think russians are legitimately concerned about that. Many of these things are not nearly as black and white when we began to look at them as is implied in much of the rhetoric that were hearing. I do think Everybody Needs now to take a quiet breath to really look at where we are, and to see if we can find ways by keeping our voices down to help the ukrainians in presentday road to Greater Unity and reform that will make them a viable state. Jet matlock, we want to better off without crimea. Ambassador matlock, thank you for being with us. He served as u. S. Ambassador to moscow from 1987 to 1991, and author of a number of books including superpower illusions. When we come back, we will be joined by Raphael Warnock, the minister of the ebenezer Baptist Church in atlanta. Reverend dr. Martin luther kings church. He was among 39 people arrested this week in atlanta. Stay with us. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Juan, you just wrote a piece in the new lord daily news that looks at how the new York State Senate has rejected a bill that wouldve provided Tuition Assistance on undocumented college students. Set desk some work set for bringing the bill to a vote before yet the necessary support. We waited three years. We want the new york dream act. Im from california, but im in new york. This is from coast to coast. This shouldnt just be based on little areas. Juan, what is happening here . A vote occurred early this week actually, the dream act, which would basically provide Tuition Assistance on the state to undocumented immigrant college students, would affect about 8000 currently. The vote passed 3029, but the rules of the new York State Senate require that you have to majority of the 63 sitting senators. When they called the boat for the bill, were well aware that one of the loan republicans who it said he would support the thatlation had left albany morning and this vote was held suddenly in the afternoon. It was held knowing there would not be the votes there. It was sort of an agreement between jeff klein, who shares power with a Breakaway Group of democrats that share powers with republicans in the state senate, along with the republicans. The governor, unfortunately, Governor Cuomo a democrat, was pretty complicit in the entire thing because the governor has not made any effort to get this bill passed. He made enormous efforts around the Marriage Equality act. He made a big push around gun control. He recently had spoken out charter schools. These are the issues he has made a priority, but he has said nothing about the dream act except that if the senate and the assembly passed it, he would sign it. He hasnt used any of his own capital to press the bill. What happens to the students . New york state has to have a budget deal by april 1. Theyre still the potential to put the legislation back in a copper must budget deal between the two houses, but the governor will have to exercise his power to do that. That is why there are these protest mounting. Theres a huge conference this weekend of thousands of latino eaters from across the state were the governor is supposed to speak latino leaders from across the state where the governor is supposed to speak. Get him to do something about the dream act, not just talk about it. We will certainly continue to cover that were going to turn right now to atlanta, georgia. Expansion now Medicaid Expansion now Medicaid Expansion now Medicaid Expansion now. That was the rallying cry this week of a rising Grassroots Movement that is spreading across the south. The protest at the Georgia State senate was the largest to date monday georgia, an outgrowth of the North Carolina moral monday movement, which has staged regular rallies against a republican since last april. The tuesdays action in atlanta, nearly 40 people were arrested road testing a bill that would bar the expansion of medicaid. Georgia has the fifth highest number of uninsured people of any state in the country. Under the Affordable Care act, an estimated 650,000 additional residents in georgia would be eligible for medicaid. But the state is one of a number of republicanlead states that have opted out of such Medicaid Expansion. Moral monday protest have taken place at the georgia State Capitol since cheney where he. Glory, glory, we need health care glory, glory, we need Health Care Protest in south carolina, 17 members of a truthful tuesday coalition were arrested outside the statehouse in columbia. It was the groups largest action, bringing its total arrest to 39 over the last three weeks. We go back to georgia where we are joined by dr. Reverend Raphael Warnock who serves as Senior Pastor of the avenues or ebenezer Baptist Church. He was among the 39 protesters arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience. He is the author of, the divided mind of the black church theology, piety, and public awareness. To democracy now talk about why you got arrested this week. Thank you so much, amy. It is great to be here with you. This is a critical moment in georgia politics, really, in the history of our country. Sinced submit that not brown versus board of education have we seen the kind of obstruction that we have witnessed and only in the state of georgia, but across the country, in the wake of a decision made at the federal level. Not since 1954 have we seen a federal decision made that would give ordinary american citizens access to the free seminar for its of our great democracy. The wake of it, we have seen the governor stand in the doorway and say, yes, the president may have signed it and congressman passed it, the Supreme Court may have upheld it, we tried to repeal is some 50 times in the was congress to we will not comply with the law. We will not expand medicaid. This is a critical time. People, regardless of their political persuasion, ought to be very concerned. Why do you feel the issue of the Affordable Care act and expansion of medicaid is so important to risk being arrested in your state . It was a small price to pay. It is part of our ongoing effort to continue to point to this issue, to shine a bright light on this problem. Dr. King, who is pastor of ebenezer radice church, said that of all the injustices, inequality and health care is the most shocking in the most inhumane. I agree with that. So it was a small price to pay to be handcuffed for a few hours. We were trying to dramatize the fact that there are a number of people some 600,000 georgians and more who were handcuffed to poverty, who could find away from poverty to the middle class if they could be a late of the fears and concerns of going to work every day without health care. It is quite ironic when you think about the push, if you will, of the gop, the emphasis on work and the ethics of work and the dignity of work. People really need to understand that what were talking about expanding medicaid come a we are really talking about, in this instance, the working poor. These are people who go to work every day. We see them clean floors and they work in Office Buildings press it was the people who have floorscare they clean and Office Buildings, sic sue was sick the bowl who have health care. They cannot afford to sign up for an insurance whole plan. At the same time, theyre not poor enough to get medicaid is the formula currently stands. This was an effort to provide medicaid, health insurance, to some 650,000 georgians. Georgia has the fifth highest level of uninsured persons in the nation. We are witnessing in this very moment the closing of a number of rural hospitals. While this issue is tragically and unfortunately racialized, often by those who are pushing against the Affordable Care act, the fact is, it crosses racial lines. It moves from urban to rural issues. There are a lot of people who are suffering as a result of this. So we felt it was important to continue to emphasize the need to expand medicaid. Dr. King said, the time comes when silence is betrayal. That time is now. The issue is Affordable Health care for all and the richest country in the world. Republican judson dealsuded governor decision not to expand medicaid. He likened the federal government slopping for Medicaid Expansion to the sales tax x car salesmen. According to the atlanta journalconstitution, hill said the Obama Administration is program lessubled solvent on the backs of the countrys needy and low income population. Lifeline,t is not a some project. This is a bill that georgia and america cannot afford. Response tot your that. Just be clear, the 600,000 ,eople youre talking about 100 of this bill would be paid by the federal government, is that right . That is correct. We witness just a campaign to misinform the public. Nowwhen that hasnt worked, were at a point where we are saying, well, we wont comply to the law. Yes, the federal government will cover 100 of this expansion. When you think about the argument on the other side, it is really difficult to wrap your head around it. The argument is that georgia cannot afford a program of Medicaid Expansion in which the federal government will pay 100 of the cost until 2017 when it will drop then to 90 . So permanently, the federal government will cover at least 90 of the cost. It would mean about a 1 increase in georgias total about 2. 1 10 years, billion. And for that investment in our citizens, we would reap 14 billion in federal funding over five years. Its calculated it would generate about 65 billion in economic activity. 56,000 new jobs. That is an incredible investment or return for very small investment. The truth is, we cannot afford not to expand medicaid and the state of georgia, while our hospitals are closing and while our people are hurting. Get the increase in revenue the increase in revenue would help cover this modest 1 increase in terms of our investment in this program. Any idea the federal government is somehow lying, we cannot trust they will do what they say they will do. I mean, it shows you the level at which people are willing to go to a struct this program. Clearly, the issue is not fiscal. This is a political calculation. Getting in the way of obama care is a part of the playbook for the midterm elections. People are clearly willing to throw down the gauntlet to protect our own power, in this case, tragically, at the expense of their own citizens. The death panels have already met. That death panel was georges georgesr legislator. They got together the other day and decided they would wrest authority away from the governor to expand medicaid to ensure it never happens. Woulden pass a bill that criminalize the passing on of credible information by stadium ploys tell people to enroll in medicaid. If the governor signs the other bill that was passed by legislature the other day, it will be a crime for state employee to tell ordinary citizens how to enroll in the Affordable Care act. We are at a new low and a scary time in history. Can your moral monday protest, they are part spreading across the south on these social and economic issues. It is a region that is more commonly seen as a conservative region. What is your expectation of the impact of the movement in georgia and some of the other states in terms of turning the tide on some of these issues . I am thrilled as a faith leader that this campaign is called moral mondays. The naacp has demonstrated incredible leadership with pulling this together. Im grateful for the leadership of outstanding people like my colleague from North Carolina who is generated much activity and organized a lot of people not only around this issue, but host of other issues. What we so desperately need in this moment is for other faith leaders, in particular, to stand up, unfortunately, over the last couple of decades, the most prominent and loudest voices often coming from the Christian Church and coming from the Faith Community have been reactionary, deeply conservative, and as i watch state legislators who attend Church Every Day every sunday, pass a bill to make it a crime doubt people sign up for health care, i wonder where did they go to church every sunday . Who is their pastor and who is their god . We need an alternative position opposed together people of faith and people who are outside of the Faith Community, labor unions, people who are concerned about the working poor, the nonworking poor. We are stronger when we come together. And i think the moral Mondays Movement embodies what our vision of america is, the beloved community that brings us together rather than divides us. It helps us to see we are stronger together, that dr. King. As correct, that we are tie what one affects directly affects all indirectly. None of us are well served when people are without health care in a nation that certainly can provide it through this kind of cynical, political maneuvering, were actually squeezing georgias economy when we have available to us a tool for scintillating the economy, create more jobs, and move people toward what we all want, and that is for people to be increasingly selfsufficient and dignified in the work. If you could just comment on the stand your ground ball that was just pass that also involves bringing guns into churches . Certainly agia is gunrelease date, but the gun lobby certainly feels were not really enough. Another terrible bill that passed from a really, youre too it the guns call everywhere bill. It lets ar guns in bars. It was allowed in universities, but that has been turned over. And in churches. Politics of fear and. Ivision of America America can do better than this. Georgia can do better than this. , reverend Raphael Warnock thank you for being with us. One of the 39 people arrested this weekend as part of the moral monday georgia movement. He is the author of, the divided mind of the black church theology, piety, and public awareness. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. When we come back, were going to colorado to find out about developments in the shortage of lethal injection drugs used to execute prisoners. Stay with us. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. We turn now to new developments in the shortage of lethal injection drugs used to execute prisoners. Wednesday night, texas put ray jasper to death in its fully stocked Execution Chamber for his role in a 1998 murder. Jaspers case drew worldwide attention after the website published one of his letters. This came after texas announced it obtained a new supply of the drug uses for executions, just days before its current batch was set to expire. Oklahoma announced tuesday it would have to postpone to executions because it lacks the drugs required to put prisoners to death. After texas, oklahoma is tied with virginia were having carried out the secondmost ember of executions in the country, and has but about 5 prisoners to death each year since 1990. In january, and executed Michael Lee Wilson using a controversial mix of drugs that civil Rights Groups say constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. 20 seconds into his execution, words were i feel my whole body burning. The delay in obamas executions comes as newly revealed records show state officials joking about wanting perks for helping texas find execution drugs during an earlier shortage in 2011. In one email, oklahomas u assistant attorney general dubbed the group of oakland officials who have been working to procure the drugs team bar pentobarbital and wrote he would the documents also show they injected lethal drugs into an already dead body for what they called disposal purposes. For more go to denver, colorado to speak with susan greene. Explain what you exposed. We exposed these flippant emails back and forth between assistant attorneys general who felt or had felt thwarted by texas there is a shortage in the country of lethal injection drugs. Theyre all sort of scrambling to find them so they can kill people on time. And texas had apparently not supplied oklahoma with the drugs if needed in an earlier execution and texas a few years ago was asking for help from state all around the country of how to do it the shortage. General inneys oklahoma from a feeling a little embittered by the lack of help from texas, were joking, as you said, they wanted in exchange for their help, 50 yard line tickets to a Football Game between oklahoma and texas, and then another colleague said, actually, we want more than that. Texas should throw the game for four years in exchange for our help. They went on to say, yes, we should be brought onto the field during halftime and sort of lauded and celebrated for our valor in helping texas carry out its tradition of Death Penalty injections, lethal injections. Then they actually took it further and said, for this, we should actually get passes to toll ways and other sort of roads that cost money in texas. Susan, your News Organization is in colorado. Why are you the one that is exposing what is going on in oklahoma and texas . Could you talk about what left you having to report this . Yes. Theres a freelancer in texas, an excellent reporter im sorry, in oklahoma named katie who had obtained these documents about two years ago and sort of sat on them, largely, because she felt nobody in oklahoma was going to use them. There wasnt a lot of investigative reporting about the Death Penalty or lethal injections in oklahoma, even though there is a state law there that says all information about these injections is shrouded in secrecy. And that law as it commonly happens among reporters, when you rub up against a law that says you cant have something, you ask for it. Katie asked for it. In their freedom of information request, she got those emails, plus, information about what amy mentioned, the fact theyre injecting not just one person, but nine people at least rejected with leftover drugs from these executions. These executions take place with what is known as a three drug cocktail. The first one is supposed to anesthetize the person. The second one is supposed to stop the breathing the third one is supposed to stop the heart. That is what the protocol is. That is how it happened before the big drug pharmacies that were supplying these drugs pulled them off the market. And the states had to scramble and go and before the state had to scramble and go to nonrelated drugs. All sorts of things happening in executions that are a little bit funky and unexpected. Not going as smoothly as they had in the past. We dont have much time. I was wondering if you could talk about more of the expose around oklahoma injecting an executed prisoner with leftover drugs. Exactly. They have the syringe is an basically, the men would die with the first drug, the anesthetic. They would die of an overdose, which is really not how it is intended. And because they had these two other syringes in his threedrug cocktail, to stop their breeding and stop their heart, instead of throwing them out, they injected them into the dead bodies for disposal purposes. It didnt just happen in one case, but in nine cases. Were pretty sure the families of those men dont know that happen. Even though they were watching the procedure, they dont know those men were already dead. Instead of just throwing the syringe is out and throwing the drugs out, theyre just injecting them into their bodies to get rid of them. So you leftover drugs and you dont have enough exclusion drugs. A lot to do with European Companies saying, you cant use our drugs for the purposes of executing prisoners as we believe the Death Penalty is wrong . Yes. Which has left the states turning to compounding pharmacies, which are kind of amen pop pharmacies around the country, that sort of with the ,atches of people injections essentially, unregulated. That is why youre seeing these unusual side effects or responses to men being executed ause no one really knows it hasnt been tested. No one knows the effects or how quickly it will act. All of the states are bound by the aid commitment, which ensures the right against cruel and unusual punishment. Quick question in colorado, the head of the colorado prisons just spent a day in solitary confinement . Yes. She spent the day in solitary confinement. He replaces our former corrections chief tom clements who was murdered a year ago yesterday. The man was let out of solitary confinement after being told he should not be let out because he was so messed up by solitary confinement. That he was too dangerous. He was appointed to replace him. Predecessorshis effort to reform and to limit use of solitary confinement to a use of solitary confinement to a new it was a golden age of filmmaking because we were all single, ambitious and we were in love with film. We felt that we were gonna take over the world, make real change and things were gonna be different. This was the time to make it. This was going to be it. So there was a great deal of urgency in that. Were still in love with film, but were not as ambitious and none of us are single. Annenberg media and with additional funding from these foundations and individuals and by