You dont respect in arent there . I have faith in this country, darn it, i have faith in politics. I believe good people can come to agreement and stop taking cheap stupid shots at each oesh. It didnt work once. It took us to civil war. But that was due to slavery. It was economic, historical. We came all to know moral. This fight is whether to implement a law that the United States congress passed, that the president of the United States signed, that the Supreme Court of the United States declared constitutional. Is it a sign of weakness for Speaker Boehner to say when he gets up in the morning, were going back to the regular american system. Sorry crazies, were going to enforce the law and move on. Jonathan martin writes for the New York Times, jonathan kay port on the washington post. Jonathan march thin, youre chuckling. Its sad. All he has to say regular order, ladies and gentlemen, were going to enforce a law that we wrote and the president signed. And he would invite a challenge to his speakership if he was to do that. The more likely scenario chris at this point given a few days into the shutdown and the debt ceiling is looming here in a matter of a couple of weeks, is that Speaker Boehner will try to merge the debt ceiling vote with the vote to get the government to reopen and try to extract some kind of a sweetener from the democrats so he has some cover to sell it to his members and then bring up one vote. Its a lot easier for boehner to make his members take one vote on this than it is to do two separate votes on both the cr to get the Government Back open and also to raise the debt ceiling. Jonathan, thats good news. It sounds to me like he understands the stakes, he understands the president will not buckle to a short term deal on the cr and face another compromise on the debt. I think its good. Jonathan, im going to call you mr. Cape horn and mr. Martin to keep us street. Mr. Capehart, didnt it sound they might be willing to break with the crazies, i dont mean republicans are crazy, i mean the 30 or 40 that wants to say no because of obama. I hope youre right. I hope your sense of optimism turns out to be right. A as weve seen time and again, they never seem to be satisfied. Every time he tries to do something thats the right thing to do for the country, they slap him back. Whats unfortunate, is that he buckles to them. Ill be curious to see have you figured out why . If he why he buckles . Why does he buckle to 30 . I dont understand it. I really dont. I mean, hes our colleague here dana milbank has taken to calling him spokesman because hes following his caucus instead of leading them. I dont mean actually i do mean to compare Speaker Boehner to speaker pelosi. If the shoes were flipped and this was speaker pelosis house, theres no way she would have a vocal minority and her majority telling her what to do. Jonathan martin, go ahead. I was going to i dont think im being im not trying to suggest that the conservative hard liners in the house would be pleased with one vote on both the cr to open the Government Back up and to raise the debt ceiling. I just think it would make them less angry. Theres no good options for boehner given his own politics right now. I do think rolling two tough votes into one and hoping to get a face saving measure be that the medical device tax or something to throw in there and schedule one vote on the house floor. That sounds right to me. Is probably the better of bad scenarios for the speaker. Sounds right to me too. Although it does get to the body of the health care bill. In an interview with casey hunt today, at the time cruz levied a wild accusation to president obama and the democrats. The position of the democrats is remarkable. They want 100 . Thats why were facing this shutdown because their position is extreme. I dont know what to make of that. Cruz has been the architect of the shutdown and the default strategy. Take a look at this twisted logic when he was specifically asked about a default. No rational person supports a default. We should never default on the debt. The democrats want government by crisis. They want shutdowns. This is harry reids shutdown. They want to threaten a default to scare people. Its how weve gotten a 17 trillion national debt. They believe it furthers their interest to under no circumstances should we default on our debt and irresponsible of president obama and harry reid to suggest otherwise. Jonathan martin, im pretty good at following people when they talk. I cant follow that. Hes saying under no circumstances he implies would i support a default. Yet hes holding them to the threat that he will default. Is there any sense to that . You got to define this objectively. Where is the objective statement there to track . Well, hes trying to place the blame on whats happening and what may happen in the future on the democrats. Hes fighting from a defensive posture because hes trying to pushback on this notion that he and he alone is responsible for the fact that the government is shutdown. He and a lot of his colleagues are trying to spin this to put the shoe on senator reid and president obama. Where this really gets interesting, though, is less the Government Shutdown and mortgage debt ceiling. I agree. Its one thing for ted cruz. Let me nobody wants to have a debt ceiling collapse on their hands. Do you think do you report or analyze the fact that he seems to be responding in that interview there for the first time to the heat that the republican establishment is putting on the politicians here. The House Republicans especially. But both of them. That they cannot bring down our American Economy and call themselves americans. They cant do that. There he is for the first time pushing back against default. Whereas before, that was the thing he wanted to put the obama care stuff right on. He wanted to put it right on the debt ceiling. Not the cr. The debt ceiling. Target it. Thats a good point. So i think hes moved back a bit according to your piece on the front page is what im talking about. I think hes trying to suggest to republicans there too, you might not like me or my tactics, but look, i dont want to see the country default either. I think youre right, thats also a message to the more establishment folks in his own party. Jonathan martin, great pieces in the times and Jonathan Capehart from the washington post. What was this fight about, about republicans make willing an end run around democracy . They refuse to accept they passed the Affordable Care act. When promised to do it. Remember that caught on tape moment of the two republican senators calculating the best way to spin shutting down the government over the Affordable Care act. Kentuckys governor says opponents should get over it. Its going to help poor people. Steve bashir joins us next. Well, it just happened here near washington, d. C. Finally, sleeping on the job. Heres Congressman George Holding on the house floor yesterday. Maybe he was worn out by the shutdown debate and had heard enough of the speech of louie gohmert. I dont blame him a bit having to listen to that stuff. This is hardball, the place for politics. Clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. It targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. Youll see younger looking skin in just one week. One week . Thats just my speed. Rapid wrinkle repair. And for dark spots rapid tone repair. From neutrogena®. Because an empty pan is a blank canvas. [ woman 2 ] to share a moment. [ man 1 ] to remember my grandmother. [ woman 3 ] to show my love. [ woman 4 ] because life needs flavor. [ woman 5 ] to travel the World Without leaving home. [ male announcer ] whatever the reason. Whatever the dish. Make it delicious with swanson. [ woman 1 ] thats why i cook. Welcome back to hardball. If theres one quote that explains the mess were in, it would be this one from anonymous aid. Quote, the minority of the minority of the senate gop is going to run things until our leadership gets some backbone. Wow. A tiny fraction of the minority is tearing apart the u. S. Government and threatening the Economic Security of the country. In a delusional quest to upend the law. The New York TimesThomas Freeman captured this weekend when he urged president obama for the sake of democracy not to give into them. Quote, what is at stake in this Government Shutdown forced by a radical tea Party Minority is nothing less than the principle upon which our democracy is based. The majority rule. When extremists feel insulated from playing by the traditional rules of the system that theyre insulated, if we do not defend those rules namely majority rule and if you dont like a policy passed by congress signed by the president and affirmed by the Supreme Court, then you have to go out and win an election to overturn it. You cant just put a fiscal gun to the countrys head. Then our democracy is in peril. Well said. David corn from mother jones magazine and Cynthia Tucker visiting professor at the university of georgia. By the way, Tea Party Republicans say this all comes down to a need to compromise. They dont like the law the president does, so lets get together and find a middle ground. Lets watch their logic here. In other words, were going to kill the thing you did legally, constitutional, whatever and we want you to happily agree to kill half of it. I think king solomon pointed out about that. But here he is. We started out with a position that we dont want any obama care. That is what we truly believe. We think its bad for the country. President wants all of it, 100 . I would think a compromise would be both sides come off their position some. The House Republicans have acted reasonably and responsibly to act on two different principles, the government should be funded and the American People should get relief from obama care. We have repeatedly made reasonable and responsible compromises. I think it is indefensible that president obama and harry reid have forced a Government Shutdown. The reason we have a Government Shutdown is because theyre refusing to compromise, theyre refusing to negotiate. Let me go to david corn. Is there a new acting school in washington . I mean, seriously. This is the method acting. How do you convince yourself, even, that a law thats been passed, upheld by the Supreme Court and three years old, you have a right to destroy it or slice it in half because why . You remember the dictators, im not naming particulars, its been what mine is mine and whats yours is negotiable. Thats what dictators do. Theyre acting like dictators as a minority theyre acting like this. It strikes me as a little of invasion of the body snatchers. Theyre reading from the same script. They think if they sound reasonable, the public wont think they are unreasonable and putting us into default because theyre having a tantrum over a law that was confirmed by a conservativeled Supreme Court. Thats what it boils down too. And were going to see at the end of the day whether barack obama is going to, you know, keep to the position hes had. You know, two years ago in the 2011 debt ceiling fight, he did negotiate, he did yield to get what he thought was the best deal possible to prevent the economy from going over a cliff, being pushed over a cliff by the republicans. And what did he teach us by doing that . He resolved to himself he wouldnt let this happen again. And so were going to see whos right at the end of the day. Im looking at the face of ted cruz, cynthia. Im looking at that face. Hes either an actor or hes somehow he always has that sad eyed look like ive been let down by my mommy and daddy or my country. Or its the sad look of moral indignation. Another sign of the dick at that torial mind. He looks like hes been screwed, if you will, in modern parlance. Because a bill was agreed to and a president reelected on it somehow hurt his sensibilities. What do you think of this guy . Who is he . I think ted cruz was promoted and elected to office by a faction of the republican party, that small minority, that tea Party Faction. And he is beholden to them and to himself. Remember, ted cruz is out for ted cruz more than anybody else. And he believes the best way. Hes ambitious. He wants to be president. The best way he can to make a name for himself is to continue to promote the crazy ideas of the tea Party Faction that put him in office in the first place. Never mind if it brings down the country. Never mind for that matter, if it threatens the whole global economy. Ted cruz is all about ted cruz. Let me go here now. Somehow many republicans say they think theyre winning here, like him, despite all the polls show americans blame the republicans for the shutdown. And all the fighting going on right now. Phil gingrey said quote, theres some pain and suffering but i dont think that compares one bit to the pain and suffering of being stuck with a lifetime of obama care. Thats why im holding pretty firm on this. Heres Michele Bachmann on fox this week. Lets watch her in action. I think we will continue to hold on. Ultimately the republicans are the conservatives that are going to Work Together to make sure that we can push back obama care. Were really very energized today. Were strong. This is about the happiest ive seen members in a long time. Because we see that were starting to win this dialogue on a national level. What do you make youre laughing. What is this . Bodybuilding, moral rearment . Its like a subjective therapy theyre going through. If we fight this law, were going to somehow become stronger people and thats made it worth it to the country . Remember, Michele Bachmann thought she was going to end up as president. So what she thinks about reality doesnt have much bearing upon reality. You know, i recently read a book about this guy named tip oneill and ronald reagan. I know it well. You know it well. One of the things that struck me was they had some major league fights, some battles back in those days. And when tip lost as he did in that first year a couple of times, you know, he put it aside and, say, on the tax cuts and he waited a year or so later. Turned out the tax cuts reagan passed were creating tremendous deficits and then he came back and said weve got to do something about this and he forced reagan into compromises that led to raising taxes. In this instance rather than cutting Social Security. Rather than cutting Social Security is what reagan wanted to do. Right. So in this instance, well have these guys saying get rid of obama care first. Wait a second. You have millions of people coming to sign up. If it is going to crash the economy, then you can come back and say see, we were right, they were wrong. Lets do something about it. If reality has given us that point, then the American People will vote more for republicans and will come rallying. Its called repeal. Tried for prohibition about a decade. Didnt work so we got rid of it. Theyre afraid to try it because theyre afraid people are going to like it. I wish we had more time. Cynthia, one last quick word. They are afraid people are going to like it, chris. Thats the reason theyre fighting so hard to shut it down. Im with you. Thank you so much. Have a nice weekend, if you can, if youre not working for the government. This thing about you have to show up but were not going to pay you, thats not going to last long at the tsa with women and men checking our luggage. I want them happy. Thank you both. Up next, sleeping on the job. Whats got this congressman snoozing away . I think hes got a good case. Louie gohmert was talking. The birther. Better not heard. This is hardball, the place for politics. Time for the sideshow. Its been a long, tense week for washington with Congress Working overtime lawmakers playing political games over the shutdown and yesterdays car chase. Republican representative George Holding of North Carolina was feeling a bit worn out presiding over the house floor last night. As you may have seen, cameras caught him snoozing during Louie Gohmerts lengthy speech. I sympathize with the gaia sleep. He may have to carry that small embarrassment for awhile, the congressman joins the ranks of many other politicians who have been caught nodding off. To commemorate his nowfamous slumber, weve put together a montage of other great political naps. Lets take a look. [ snoring ] its about trying to do whats right for the whole country. And if your heart doesnt [ snoring ] theyre willing to work in a collaborative fashion with the federal government. [ snoring ] and if your heart doesnt break when you read these stories dont you love it the way the guy wakes up and realizes hes on camera . Finally, the republican governor of pennsylvania tom corbett has ignited a controversy after trying to back track which likened gay marriage to underage marriage. In doing so, the governor then made it worse by comparing samesex marriage to incest. Theres an old one. Listen to how that played out at the local cbs station up at harrisburg. There was a controversial remark made by a member of your legal team comparing gay marriage to the union of 12yearolds saying both are illegal. Which you called inappropriate. It was an inappropriate analogy. You know, i think a much better analogy would have been brother and sister, dont you . I dont know. I dont know. Im going to leave the comments to you and your team. That was a safe response by the interviewers from cbs. I dont know, i dont know. Im going to leave that to you. Thats hardball for now. Thanks for being with us. Up next, your business with jj ramberg. [ male announcer ] pepcid® presents the burns family bbq. Guys, you took tums® a couple hours ago. Why keep taking it if you know your heartburn keeps coming back . Thats how it works. You take some tums®. If heartburn comes back, you take some more. That doesnt make any sense. It makes plenty of sense if you dont think about it really, honey, why cant you just deal with it like everybody else . Because i took a pepcid®. Fine. Debbie, youre my new favorite. [ male announcer ] break with tradition, take pepcid® complete. It works fast and lasts. Get relief from your heartburn relief with pepcid® complete. Three 18yearolds loox looked at how rental Car Companies were being run. This is coming up next on your business. Install businesses are revitalizing the economy and American Express open is here to help. Thats why were proud to present your business on msnbc