Arianna On 'Countdown': You Never Just 'Have' The Votes For Anything Major, You Have To Go Get Them

Arianna appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" Friday night to discuss the abandoning of a comprehensive climate and energy bill by Senate Democrats.

Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell said he's seen similar moves in the Senate, and challenged Arianna to explain, "What's wrong with giving up when you don't have the votes."

"But Lawrence, you know perfectly well, as a student of history, you never have the votes for anything major," Arianna replied. "That's what Lyndon Johnson told Martin Luther King in March 1965 when they met about the Voting Rights Act, and Martin Luther King went out and the Selma March happened, and suddenly a few months later when had the votes."

WATCH:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy