After watching his party sustain a crushing midterm defeat, President Obama is facing tough choices, specifically on the issue of immigration. In September, it was announced that the administration would delay any action on immigration until after the November 4 election.
Now that the election has come and gone, activists are again pressuring the administration to act on immigration, before the newly elected congress takes office. On the other hand, congressional leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner are not mincing words: If the president attempts to act on immigration with executive action, it will “poison the well” for compromise moving forward they say.
What authority does the president have to take action from a legal standpoint, and how does that fit in with what makes sense politically? Could the lame-duck congress pass any substantial legislation before Christmas recess, or does the burden all fall on the President’s shoulders.
On Saturday’s show, we have The Nation.com executive editor Richard Kim, Daily Beast columnist Ron Christie, Author and comedian Lizz Winstead and Columbia University professor Dorian Warren on set to talk midterm fallout. Erika Andiola of the Dream Action Coalition will also join our panel to weigh in on President Obama’s path forward on immigration reform.
Then, the struggle continues. In North Carolina, home of the progressive “Moral Mondays” movement, incumbent Democratic senator Kay Hagan lost her reelection bid to Thom Tillis on Tuesday. What does the GOP wave election say about Moral Mondays and movements like it? Are they a failure, or do these midterm elections represent a launching ground for even more vigorous protests and organizing?
And 100 is nice, but nowhere near enough! One highlight of Tuesday’s election was in North Carolina’s 12th District where in a special election, Alma Adams became the 100th woman in the US Congress. We have representative-elect Adams to discuss what this milestone means, and why women continue to be underrepresented in government.
Finally, when school budgets get tight, arts programs are often the first to go. What happens when six young people from New York City schools underserved by the arts are given the opportunity to study at Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program? The film Some Kind of Spark tells that story, and we have director Ben Niles along with one of the film’s featured student musicians on to talk about the project.
Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10am ET on msnbc! And don’t forget to tell us what story is most important to you and why on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.
Jamiles Lartey