the middle east and why israel will not make any close to the kind of concessions that president suggested. republicans have chosen to stand right behind the prime minister. one example mitt romney saying the president has thrown israel under the bus. when was the last time we saw american politicians lining up with a foreign leader against the president of the united states? also, let's talk about those republicans. back in november, president obama looked like a goner. today huckabee's gone, newt is self-destructing, and romney failed to break out of the pack. how did we get here so fast? plus another sign of how much our culture is changing. for the first time in history the gallup poll shows a majority of americans supporting gay marriage. for some, this next this story might be related to the last one on gay marriage. the end of the world is scheduled for tomorrow precisely at 6 p.m. no matter wherever you are. my advice, don't stop flossing. let me finish with a man who fought for a once ungrateful country who has finally seen his dream come true. we begin with the block-back from president obama's mid eve speech. chris sill liza is a political analyst and jon tharn martin is here with politico. men i want to show you something. this is the heart of the controversy when it comes to an arab-israeli peace deal. we have an american president saying this -- to the lines of 1949 to reflect current realities and ensure that the palestinian state is viable and contiguous. now, that is not the american president you're thinking of. take a look. >> achieving an agreement will require painful political concessions by both sides. while territory's an issue for both parties to decide, i believe that any peace agreement between them will require mutually agreed adjustments to the armistice lines of 1949, to reflect currents realities and to ensure that palestinian state is viable and contiguous. >> president bush made that statement in 2008 during a trip to jerusalem. the 1949 armistice lines that he referred to are the same thing as the pre-1967 borders that president obama is talking about. so chris cillizza, i will start with you. here is the "wall street journal" today, obama's israel bombshell. >> well first of all, let me say, i always refer to people who know better about this. i talked to one of our reporters here, scott wilson, who was a bureau chief for a long time. remember in jerry mcguire tom cruise plays that agent. he says the things we think but do not say. it seems as though this is something that everyone who studied this region closely generally agrees was going to have to be a starting point if we were ever going to get to real deal between the israelis and palestinians. yet the very fact the president said it, even though as you point it out, it has been said before, somehow stoked this gigantic media furor. you know, as someone who has probably been part of stoking media furors for things that politicians said in the past, i don't want to say that i'm culpable but in some ways i'm not sure we are focused on the right thing. look, i think this is in keeping with the way president obama approached in foreign policy but domestic policy. which is people are going to have to give. compromise means neither side winds up happy. that's what he said after they cut that budget deal and avoided the government shutdown. the rhetoric doesn't seem to be anything new. and i defer to experts who tell me that details really, president obama hasn't said it but it is broadly understood that's where they started from. >> jonathan, it is funny, chris mentions jerry mcguire. this is the language in which i like to speak, because i was thinking harry potter. we raised four kids in a harry potter world. this is the volt voldemort, but it is ever-present, it is always on people's mind but very few want to say it. especially if you are the president of the united states. is this so revolutionary today? >> it is the messenger, not the message. it is the same reason why you see somebody like mitt romney and newt gingrich trying to scramble on healthcare because the ground shifted politically. nobody in 2007 and 2008 cared about a mandate in the republican party. it is because president obama pushed that in the healthcare bill that it is now an issue. president bush was broadly aware. president obama is on the israeli/palestinian borders back in 2008, but now president obama pushing it, it is a different ball game. politicians -- >> let me show you the contenders, because i think this is very predictable. here is the 2012 field or at least a portion of it. mitt romney saying president obama has thrown israel under the bus. tim pawlenty who i think gets in monday -- president obama insistence on returning to the borders is a mistaken and dangerous. gingrich -- no president has suggesting that 67 borders aught to be in the negotiating position because in essence he has given them a huge braej without giving up anything. michele bachmann saying once again obama betrayed our ally, israel. >> who is the constituency in support? we all know there is a constituency against him when he wades into the waters. >> i think what he is hoping for is the people who believe in genuine compromise. now, that's not -- to jonathan's point, that is not a republican primary electoral. these folks are opposing president obama because opposing president obama is good politics in a republican primary. i wrote about it this week, and i think it is important, everybody dismisses donald trump. oh, it was a joke. but here is what i think politicians learned from trump, be confrontational. fight on all fronts at all times against the president, because that's what the primary electoral wants. they do not want any compromise. they just don't. >> but it is not the way you win a general election. i have been saying jonathan that 40% of the country is ready to vote for president obama. 40% ready to vote against him regardless of this election. this is all about the 20. i don't know that this plays into the hands of the 20. >> which is why it'll be a very interesting, michael, to see mitch daniels if he does get into this race. look at what he said on this news regarding israelis and palestinians. he was much more tempered than the other republican candidates. >> he said it on my radio show yesterday. let me -- >> oh, good plug. >> that's a segue for you. >> and i think politico picked it up. thank you for that. this is me with mitch daniels. >> cue it up. >> i'm not saying that it is -- that is not worth continuing to work on, but what is going on in the arab world these days we can now see has little or nothing to do with israel or palestine. it has to do with tirr ran cal regimes, which is really a stifled prospect of their people who are now restless for a better life. i think that should be encoloneled. i don't think right now it pays very much of a dividend to spend a whole lot of time continuing to try to cut the gourdian knot of israel and palestine. >> jonathan, what do you think of that explanation? >> it is far less predictable that what the other contenders have done, which is bop president obama with a 2 by 4 up side the head. >> he has said he wants a much more respectful campaign. he is not doing the red meat attacks that other folks will. now, chris makes a good point, that might not play well with the republican bake, but michael, like you said, there is an element of folks out there hungering for that brand of politics. don't forget that part of the reason obama did so well in '07 and '08 is because he did talk about transcending politics as usual. there may be folks out there who want to hear that kind of language. >> michael, can i -- >> let me just can ask you about that story if i may. >> sure. >> the timing of this is all precipitated by the fact that house controlled by the gop had invited the prime minister to speak to them. you tell the story. >> well, yeah. >> look, this is -- you had the prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, coming to speak to congress. then you have the meeting today, which we've heard and seen a lot of. probably not as much as you, me and jonathan, political junkies, would like to see, but we've seen what's come out of that meeting. and yeah, i think the president rightly wanted to try and get out in front of this and i think what he's done, this is to jonathan's point, what he's done time after time, during the campaign and in dark moments of his presidency, when he is down a little bit, is draw on the idea that the american public underestimates them, that they do want people who are willing to make tough choices. jon huntsman, you know this guy had a chance to take a whack at the president if he wanted to. he was very kind of restrained. he didn't put out an official statement of any sort from his pac. he responded to a question in hanover by saying we should let israel do what they think is right. that's really different tonally from bachmann, pawlenty and romney. daniels and huntsman are doing something very different and similar to what obama did in '07, '08. >> very good observation. you can't cut the tension when they got together today, the prime minister and president. let's just enjoy a couple of cuts of what took place. >> our ultimate goal has to be a secure israeli state, a jewish state, living side by side in peace and security with a contiguous functioning and effective palestinian state. obviously there are some differences between us in the precise formulations and language. and that's going to happen between friends. >> the only peace that will endure is one that is based on reality, on unshakeable facts. i think for there to be peace, palestinians will have to accept some basic realities. the first is that while israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace, it cannot go back to the 1967 lines. because these lines are indefensible. >> jonathan martin read the body language. tell me what you see. >> well i think that benjamin netanyahu is much more in the mood for confrontation. which helps him politically back home. i think obama wants to be more conciliatory there. you notice president obama never brought up the '67 lines. it was prime minister netanyahu who brought that up. president obama is trying to broker some kind of compromise. some kind of peace deal to the middle east. for the republican candidates, it is in their interest right now, overwhelmingly to president -- to oppose president obama. it makes the most sense. >> final question for each of you. here it is. the president will speak to aipac sunday. i want you come up with the applause meter score 1 to 10 on how well he is received. we will start with chris cillizza, on the 1 to 10 applause meter, the president walks in -- >> whatever is polite on the 1 to 10 scale. look, it's not going to be an uproarius standing ovation, but i don't think they'll sit stone-faced either. >> i think he'll get a 5 or 6 but look don't forget with you know jewish american voters in this country obviously care about israel but also vote democratic overwhelmingly. if the president can get that he is for axwoorgs rights, the role of government, i think obama will do very well -- >> thank you both. chris and jonathan, we are out of time. i appreciate it very much, though. >> thanks, michael. >> with newt gingrich making headlines for the wrong reasons, it is a bad week for the republican candidates for president. are we good to see a big name shake up that field? you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. >> dominique strauss-kahn posted bail. a judge in new york ordered the ex-head of the imf released from jail. he was sent to a temporary home detention to lower manhattan. initial plans to stay with his wife fell through because of objections in her apartment building. the judge ordered a strict house arrest, including monitoring by armed guards. strauss-kahn is accused of attempted rape and other charges and all we need to do is change the way we're thinking about them. a couple decades ago, we didn't even realize just how much natural gas was trapped in rocks thousands of feet below us. technology has made it possible to safely unlock this cleanly burning natural gas. this deposits can provide us with fuel for a hundred years, providing energy security and economic growth all across this country. it just takes somebody having the idea, and that's where the discovery comes from. i've been looking at the numbers, and i think our campus is spending too much money on printing. i'd like to put you in charge of cutting costs. calm down. i know that it is not your job. what i'm saying... excuse me? 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[ male announcer ] with xerox, you're ready for real business. >> so let me say on the record, any add that quotes me, because those words have been inaccurate, and when i make a mistake, and i'm going to on occasion, i want to stand up and share with the american people, that was a mistake because that way we can have an honest conversation. welcome back to "hardball." that was newt gingrich on tuesday predicting the future. 72 hours later the future arrived. here is a new ad running in south carolina. >> if newt gingrich says the republican plan that would essentially end medicare is too radical. governor haley thinks the plan is courageous and gingrich shouldn't be cutting conservatives off at the knees. mitt romney says he is on the same page as paul ryan, who wrote the plan to essentially end medicare. but with mitt romney, you have to wonder, which page is he on today? priorities usa actions responsible for the content of this advertisement. sdplu willie brown is the former mayor of san francisco, and former speaker of the california state assembly. alex wagner is also an msnbc contributor. i think the danger for newt gingrich in part is many americans voting in the next election weren't of voting age. they weren't paying attention. many weren't in the drill so to speak, at the time when he was in office. so this is a first impression. >> and what an impression it is. newt put it mildly i think when he said it's been a challenging week. sort of double-down then double back. >> i think my favorite quote of the week i think yesterday when he was saying he likened his campaign to hallieey's come. something of this magnitude or originality only comes once or twice. the media can't wrap its head around that. it is a campaign in disarray. i think you are seeing blow back from the donor base. you have seen the republican party letting out a collective ouch with the democrats going on all of the candidates with medicare now. and real defense mechanisms. so to your point for younger voters just introduced to newt gingrich right now, i'm not sure this is a case of putting one's best foot forward. >> mayor, how do we get to where we are? last november it seemed like anyone other than the president would stand up for a great shot. if they emerged in the gop field. yet the world seems to have been touch upsidedown. let me show you a poll that shows romney leading 20% but undecided gets 20%. palin at 12. gingrich at 9. giuliani who as far as i know not in the race is getting 7%. talk to me about the transformation that we have seen from the tea party victory, retaking of the house to the current field. >> i think that each of the republican potential candidates have not demonstrated the kind of qualities that would cause anybody to become very excited about that candidacy. i think you will see sarah palin coming back, because at least she has some legs and some credibility. in addition thereto, it wouldn't surprise me if the governor of new jersey suddenly appeared, because you see, the republicans just don't have a candidate. over the last six months, everybody who has put their head up has demonstrated an inability to organize. >> i had the opportunity yesterday mayor to interview mitch daniels on the fiscal issues i think the man's got a pretty solid record. alex, let me ask you, how do you assess mitch daniels getting into this race? >> he is the great hope for i think the republicans right now. there's so much interest. you have laura bush calling mitch daniels' wife, who is apparently the linchpin whether he will run for office. giving out a luke skywalker, you're our only hope message there. i think there is real interest there. chris christie will be drafted. showing you guys, i will not run for president. i think that speaks to a field that nobody is particularly happy about. i think you could put bob dole in that poll, and he probably would get some portion of the electorate. >> let's listen to this. >> i think we know with reasonable certainty that standing up there on the west front of the capitol in 2013 will be one of three people. obama, pawlenty and daniels. >> mayor, pawlenty gets formally into this thing -- i lose track, but there seems to be so many steps unlike the old days but it seems like governor pawlenty gets in on monday. how do you assess his candidacy? >> i don't think it will go anywhere either. we are literally subject to criticizing people, looking at people, examining people and unless you have been out there, you really don't get a chance to lay your program in place and have it not contested by the news media and the respective organizations. pawlenty will be in that same position and i don't think he will do as well as sarah palin. >> one wonders if there's a name out there, someone who will emerge that we haven't spoken about. here is peter king on msnbc earlier today. listen to this. >> if you saw a smile on my case, it is because when i was growing up in sunnyside queens, i never thought a network would be asking me if i was running for president of united states. some of that reality still hasn't sunk in. but my job is to be reelected to congress and do my job on the homeland security committee. but if something happens with the presidential race, i'll decide at that time. right now, don't expect to see me in iowa or new hampshire. unless i campaign for chris christie or mayor giuliani. >> alex, peter king? >> i don't see it. i think he las a lot of negatives after his hearings on that side of the columns. but what is the down side to entertaining the possibility of running? sarah palin, nobody puts a baby in the corner. everyone is jumping in. everybody has a sense of hey, why not? in the worst case scenario, it'll raise your profile. >> i want to ask you about the week that arnold just had. one of the subplots has been what governor schwarzenegger is going through, and spouses are always a subplot to the election year. so we now know or we think he know he carried on this relationship of sorts before he was elected. it didn't come to light. if it had come to light he would never have been elected. but what occurs to me, i want to see if you buy into this. his record might be mixed. but there is no ethical improprity with which i am familiar. so does schwarzenegger in a way stand for the proposition that there can be separation between one's personal and public business? >> i think he is the classic example of exactly that. i think you put it as succinctly and as directly as the american people should put it. that is that he was the governor of this state. he has engaged in some conduct five years before becoming the governor. that it did not take one thing away from his performance on the substantive issues and not until he left office, that this becomes something that we were concerned about. i would say to you, it's clear now, that you can have a private life. you can have a private life that should not interfere with your performance. in whatever position you've been elected to. >> alex, can i get a female perspective? i have to tell you, i get telephone calls from people who when we address these things. and they say, no, if you cheat in your private life, you will cleat on the public's dime. i'm not so sure that's the case. i look at arnold. i understand what the numbers were when he left the office, but gwynethics? as far as i know, it's beyond reproach. >> it is something called character that unfortunately has been absent from our political discourse as of late. and i do think it's linked. i think if we are trusting them to go forward and make decisions for us as a nation, how they treat their loved ones and family factors into that. >> i don't know that it factors into what kind of governor he was. this is like a elaborate experiment. we now have a case where we know there were impropryities, yet it doesn't appear to have spilled over into his public office. >> it is a personal decision. i think the way someone treats their wife is exemplary of what kind of person they are. and their character drives their choices politically. >> i'm not trying to recommend that those who cheat on spouses jump into the political fray. but one wonders if there aren't people thinking about the way these things are handled, they could be good public servant, but maybe there's a pot issue or who knows what, a dui, and fill in the blank and they think, who needs it? i'm not getting into this protect logical. >> that's where most people now in the world of politics or are thinking about the world of politics will do an examination of their own on themselves. they will do research. and any little thing that can be exploited keeps them usually from entering the fray. and we lose some of the most talented people we could ever want to be in place to assist us. after all, the current president of the united states of america, the questions were asked about his character as it relates to drugs during the early years of his life. he was very forthright, very up-front, and the people elected him, and he's performed very well. >> mayor, i got to leave it at that. i think mayor willie brown and i think alex wagner as well. thanks for being on "hardball." up next, the political ad that some are calling the most depressing of all time. that's next in "the sideshow." you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. boy, i'm glad we got aflac huh. aflac! oh, i've just got major medical... major medical. ...but it helps pay the doctors. pays the doctors, boyyy! 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[ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. >> welcome back to "hardball." now to "the sideshow." first of up, spoiler alert -- jack davis is tea party candidate running at tight three way race for congress if new york. davis made headlines this month when he assaulted a rival campaign worker carrying a video camera. now he has come out with a new campaign ad that some are calling the most depressing of all time. check it out. >> daddy. >> hey, dad. >> honey, you're early. >> i don't have a job anymore. company's moving to china. >> how can we pay for my chemotherapy without health insurance? >> will mom be okay? >> both parties support trade deals that ship our jobs overseas. jack davis will fight to keep jobs in america. >> i'm jack davis and i approve this message. >> republicans believe that davis may draw enough votes away from their candidate to give the race to democrats. we'll find out when voters head to the polls on tuesday. next an endorsement goes up in smoke. we told that you willie nelson was backing gary johnson for president. johnson's big issue, legalization of pot. catch this, willie nelson has just rescinded that endorsement, now saying he previously pledged support to denis ka sin niche. i didn't know he was running. who also is for legalizing pot. now for the big number. no question that newt gingrich stumbled out of the gate but can he still have a chance? can campaigns recover from rough starts? newt may want to follow the following statistic about baseball. at had end of may baseball teams played about 50 games apiece. how many ended up winning 90 games and putting themselves in playoff contention? according to "wall street journal" today, just 9%. the surest indication that where you start is likely where you'll finish. newt of course can only hope that baseball stats don't apply to primary politics. 9% is tonight's very telling not-so-big number. up next for the first time in history of the gallup poll a majority of americans support same-sex marriage. that could mean big things for the 2012 election. that's ahead. you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. 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[ male announcer ] university of phoenix is proud to sponsor education nation. because we believe an educated world is a better world. is proud to sponsor education nation. discover customersl are getting five percent cashback bonus at home improvement stores. it pays to switch, it pays to discover. and here's what we did today in homes all across america: we created the electricity that powered the alarm clocks and brewed the coffee. we heated the bathwater and gave kelly a cleaner ride to school. cooked the cube steaks and steamed the veggies. entertained dad, and mom, and a neighbor or two. kept watch on the house when they slept. and tomorrow we could do even more. we're cleaner, domestic, abundant and ready now. we're america's natural gas. the smarter power today. learn more at anga.us. hello, i'm milissa rehberger. the former head of the imf was released into the custody of a private security firm earlier this evening. he'll remain in home detention on $1 million cash bail and a $5 billion bond awaiting trial on sex charges. an increasingly bloody crackdown on protesters, killing at least 27 today. documents from osama bin laden's compound show that al qaeda was considering hijacking and blowing up oil tankers. a jury has been sworn in in the florida murder trial of casey anthony, who's accused of killing her daughter caylee. macho man randy savage was killed today in a tragic car accident in florida. back to "hardball." >> welcome back it to "hardball." americans' opinions have been shifting on gay marriage over the past several years. a new poll out by gallup reached a milestone. for the first time ever in their polling, more than half of the americans support legalizing gay marriage. the 53% majority is nine points higher than gallup polls last year. that's almost a reversal. who are the americans changing their minds on this issue and what role could this play in 2012? david smith is vice president of human rights campaign and r. clark cooper is executive director of the log cabin republicans. men, thanks for being here. it seems to be a generational kind of divide, clark, does it not? >> it is, and we have seen that in the republican party with polls. in fact, anecdotally, last congress, when we lobbied with staffers and members on the don't ask/don't tell, the majority of staff were for repeal of don't ask don't tell which didn't match up with congress. 90% of hill staffers we lobbied says, i'm with you, you just have to convince my boss. we have seen this with young republicans, college republicans. essentially the younger voters, this is 18-34 demographic by are talking about. >> the difference among age groups staggering here. 18 to 34 support legalizing gay marriage while less than 4 in 10 do at age 55 and up. >> yes, and younger people are voting in much larger numbers. the actual more striking numbers is the number of independents that support marriage equality. that is encouraging for the 2012 elections and should be a warning shot to the republican field that this issue is not to be played with politically. >> clark, it is interesting because when you look at the breakdown among the parties, the difference is striking, as david suggests. the d's and i's have seen increase in support but republicans are holding firm at 28% favoring legalizing gay marriage or i could say only 28%. i wonder whether it means that this issue will continue to be used as an issue for voter turnout campaigns. >> hopefully not in the wrong way. what i mean by that is you look at the numbers, and there's different stratas. abc/"the washington post" put out that 31% of americans support same-sex marriage or marriage equality. if you look at civil unions, the numbers of republicans increase to about 50%. that's where the dialogue in conservative community is most support some sort of legal recognition. the issue where several fellow conservatives and folks i worked with in the bush administration were wrapped up on is the word "marriage." so it is about educating fellow conservative its and republicans, is that marriage is about full equality in the law. a courthouse process and not to get hung up on the religious process. >> i've said, david, that most conservative of views on this issue is to be supportive of same-sex relations along the line of, that's your thing, i'll do my thing, it is none of my business and what goes on in your bedroom is none of your business. >> hey, there's some green shoots in the republican party on the issue of marriage equality. you have ken mellman, former rnc charm in support. actually very active raising money for marriage of quality in new york state. you have john mccain's campaign manager in support. you have the cheney family. >> there is a lot of encouragement within the republican party for support. even though the house republican leadership which tends to be on the far right is defending the defense of marriage act in a very vociferous way. we should encourage more republicans to be supportive. clearly the american people are siding on the side of fairness. they are coming on the side of fairness. this is not the only poll that shows this. as clark alluded to, this is the fourth national poll in the past few months that sho that the vast majority of americans or over 50% support it, and it's a tipping point. >> clark i'm reading, just finished reading janney scott's biography of the president's mother. a white woman with roots who marries truly an african-american. what struck me in the book, and when i interviewed the former numbs number of times reporter "new york times" reporter is fact that when that marriage took place, somewhere '59, maybe 1960, the interracial marriages were still prohibited and about half the states in the country. you look at that now and say may god that was only '59 or 60 or '61. my question is, in our lifetime, because the three of us look like we're relatively of the same age, will we look back and say, huh? that was illegal in the course of our lifetime? or will it be the next generation where this will come to fruition? >> no, we will. ted olson who is huge advocate for marriage equality, he and david boyce who represent the perry versus brown case in california, ted just referenced that this week about this is loving versus virginia. this is the case brought forward regarding interracial marriage or that it was illegal at the time. in fact, marriage certificates were created by the state in many states to actually prevent or preclude interracial marriages. again we shouldn't use the state to impede upon people's right to love each other and be with each other. it is actually anti-federalist to have a federal statute to be an incursion upon states' rights and individual libbers. >> thanks for being on "hardball." we appreciate your time. up next you may not want to make plans for next week. that's because this weekend is the beginning of the end of the world as we know it. at least in the minds of some believers. that's ahead. this is "hardball" only on msnbc. it bringsings your bestbs s it hit helps the lhe of companipanies like the she smallestt ofof startups.ups. th ththat lets yos your employeloy, pa and custcustomersvate and sharee so you can can unleash tsh the of your mor your peopleople. down the hill? 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[ indistinct talking and laughter ] whew! i think it's worth it. working with a partner you can trust is always a good decision. massmutual. let our financial professionals help you reach your goals. so for anyone hoping to see ousted illinois governor rod blagojevich take the witness stand in his retrial, you might be in luck. sources tell nbc in chicago that he might testify in his own defense. publicly the defense team says they are ready with people of some prominence which some speculate could include u.s. congressman jesse jackson jr. and chicago's new mayor rahm emanuel. stay tuned, we'll be right back to "hardball." [ man ] i've seen beautiful things. ♪ i've seen the sunrise paint the desert. witnessed snowfall on the first day of spring. ♪ but the most beautiful thing i've ever seen was the image on a screen that helped our doctor see my wife's cancer was treatable. [ male announcer ] ge technologies help doctors detect cancer early so they can save more lives. bringing better health to more people. ♪ ♪ it's the end of the world ♪ as we know it ♪ it's the end of the world ♪ as we know it ♪ and i feel fine welcome back to "hardball." where will you be at 6:00 tomorrow, may 21st? it's important to know, because it could be the end of the world, or so says harold camping, who founded the family radio network. on his website, a video warnings of what's to come. here is a clip. >> the whole world has to know that judgment day is near. this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come. >> we have to talk about this. this is not an option. we have to say it again and again and again. may 21, 2011, is the day of judgment. >> david corn is the washington editor for "mother jones" magazine and msnbc political analyst. david, i have decided i'm in the wrong area of radio. because i'm from philly. we got these billboards around us in philly. i've seen them in jersey. i woke up this morning in indiana. there it was as i drove to the airport. how are they funding this? there has to be a lot of money in religious broadcasting that supports this. >> there is. "mother jones" did a story on this group today according to their 2009 tax forms, $72 million in assets. many of those coming from donations. so michael, if you can get a couple thousand, tens of thousands of people out there to believe you indeed are a prophet, you can ask them for money and you'll get a good bit of it in return. >> i happen to have spoken myself to harold camping. he's the gent behind this, who says the end is near on my radio program. you might find it interesting to see what he sounds like. >> where do you expect to be on may 22nd? where do you expect to be on may 22nd? >> oi may 22nd, i expect to be in heaven because the rap amateur occurs on may 21. >> and those who don't accept or believe that which you're offering, where will they be on may 22nd? >> they will be many the second day of judgment that continues for five months and this whole world by that time will be a total shambles. there will be millions that have already been killed in the initial earthquake, unquestionably. that it's going to be coming along in every city as may 21, 6:00 p.m. arrives because that's what -- >> 6:00 p.m. sir, what if you're wrong? >> there's no possibility, you know, the bible is absolutely -- god's given so much information and we don't have any plan b at all. >> okay, david, this is "hardball." let's assess the political ramification of this. if a whole host of folks go to heaven on saturday night and the rest of us are left here fending for ourselves, but presumably we can still vote in the 2012 election, how does it bode for the president? >> well, you know, i have to say i think judgment day is really good news for newt gingrich. things can only get better for him with the rap amateur. it's really hard to take any of this seriously. it's a great water cooler subject. personally, if you ask me personally, i just can't believe the mayans were wrong. they said 2012. so what does this guy know that the may yabs don't? >> i'll tell you what i found sad, i'm sure you read that front page story in "the new york times" today, you've got a middle aged couple raising three teenage kids, the parents buy into it. here are the kids who i assume for facebook for the rest of their lives are going to be confronted by this story. >> that is the sad component. i joked earlier that they raised $72 million. this is money that's come from people probably could be using it for much better purposes such as maybe giving their kids a better education than what they're getting right now. >> here's what's even worse, initially i said to myself, okay, on sunday, at least everybody now knows that the gig's up. and therefore that funding source dissipates. it seems like the experts say that faith will be strengthened when it doesn't happen because they'll have some excuse for it. >> harold camping is 0-1 so far. he predicted a judgment day as well back in 1994. it didn't come around. what was his explanation? i didn't have my reading in the bible exactly correct. so now a few years lart, he seems to say it's going to be better. i want to know where they're holding the press conference on monday morning. >> here's new york city mayor michael bloomberg on the upside of armageddon. >> i can just tell you this, official policy from the sanitation department and the department of transportation, if it does end tomorrow, alternate side parking will be sus pended. i think alternate side parking will take on a whole different meaning. >> where are you going to be tomorrow at 6:00? i'm going to be have a pop and one for harold camping as well? >> i won't be paying my credit card bill just in case, but i'm supposed to be out with my daughter playing soccer. i think we'll do that and we'll be waiting for the tremors. >> come monday, i'll be the guy reciting the lord's prayer at the end of my broadcast. thank you, david corn. if the world doesn't come to an end tomorrow, you can follow me at twitter. when we return, the story of a vietnam hero healing a 40-year-old wound. you're watching "hardball." e way we're thinking about them. a couple decades ago, we didn't even realize just how much natural gas was trapped in rocks thousands of feet below us. technology has made it possible to safely unlock this cleanly burning natural gas. this deposits can provide us with fuel for a hundred years, providing energy security and economic growth all across this country. it just takes somebody having the idea, and that's where the discovery comes from. 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[ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. let me finish tonight with a story about changing times. nearly 40 years ago david christian attempted to pursue a law degree after returning home from the war in vietnam. he'd been through held and the last place that he expected to face more of the same was in academia. the climate many the late '60s was often unhospitable to those who served in that war, even the highly decorated. he first enlisted in the paratroopers at age 17. he was the youngest second lieutenant in army history at 18. then the youngst lieutenant and then the youngest captain. the wound he sustained in many vietnam battles drove him to retirement at the age of 21. he'd been shot in the back, chest, both legs and left arm. he was paralyzed in his right hand, received napalm burns on 40% of his body and spent six years recovering. he earned seven purple hearts, the distinguished service cross, a bronze star, the air medal, and two vietnamese crosses of gallantry. after rehab he graduate frd villanova university in 19 months and then enrolled at the rutgers university law school in 1973. because of opposition to the vietnam war and tip thi to those who fought it, he said the faculty made fun of him. he remembers faculty members posting listed of purported vietnam heroes that included the loifs the north vietnamese. he was in con substantiate pain. he received little sympathy from his law school and dropped out just a few credits shy of graduating. well, two years ago more than three decades after he left, his daughter contacted rutgers to see if dad could return. christian was readmitted, studied for a year and yesterday at age 62 david christian graduated from law school. when his classmates used