Its really about seeing some light, even amidst darkness. That will keep us all inspired to keep striving for the light, smiles on kids faces like that. Thanks for watching. Im al sharpton. Hardball starts right now. Our worst enemy. Lets play hardball. Good evening. Im Chris Matthews in new york. Let me start tonight with the United States going after isis in syria. Can the president sell this war . Can we . If we get in this fight the obvious fact that we would help destroy the greatest danger facing the Syrian Government. Would a bold stroke against isis put us in bed with Bashir Al Assad the person barack obama swore he would get rid of . Tonight we look at the revolt
and development facing the american president. How to choose the greater evil . A terror group or a dictator who has shown hell do anything to save himself. Howard fineman is the editorial director of the Huffington Post and bobby gaush is from the digital publication kwarz. The u. S. Is sending missions over syria authorized by president obama this weekend to assess targets for potential air strikes against isis. They are using both manned and unmanned aircrafts for the purpose. U. S. Officials wont seek approval from the assad government. Meanwhile the pentagon is drafting plans for potential strikes against the terror group. The president hasnt okd strikes yet. Nbc news reports the decision could come as early as this week. The strikes would target isis forces, weapons and supply lines between syria and iraq. Today president obama, once again, talked about the need for rooting out the cancer that is isis. They juwarned it wont be easy quick. Speaking in charlotte, north carolina, he said this about the killers of american journalist james foley. Watch. Our message to anyone who harms our people is simple. America doesnt forget. Our reach is long. We are patient. Justice will be done. We have proved time and time again we will do whats necessary to capture those who harm americans. To go after those who harm americans. [ applause ] well continue to take direct action where needed to protect our people and to defend our homeland. There we go. Howard, i never liked that word, homeland. To me its civil defense. Its american. Thats neocon talk. But hes talking about us defending ourselves against isis in america. How drastic is that . Do you believe that threat . Is that something to justify National Action against some
soft country because he doesnt have Statutory Authority to go into syria. Is that why hes saying toward off a possible threat to us at home here . I thought it was significant that he mentioned the homeland, that distasteful word thats part of the modern language. I think the president is trying to contain his public commitment because if he really starts talking about isiss threat to the homeland, if he starts talking about 9 11 and post 9 11 terms then it amps up his responsibility and the urgency to take isis not only as a threat in the region, as a group against whom we have to secretory bugs for the killing of an american journalist and others. He has to explain to the American People why this group over there is a global threat to us here. That automatically takes him
further down the road to military commitment than he wants to go. Eventually the homeland he said there, i dont think is as important as what hes trying to limit. The question is whether he can do it once he steps down that road. The question is this. How can we attack isis, the number one threat now, i believe. You check me on this. To the Syrian Government of assad who he said a year ago he wanted to get rid of. At the same time destroy isis. That makes assad look like a stable government. Well, it is a hard choice to make between the two evils. There might be a third way. You dont simply go against isis. You simultaneously and there are indications from the administration that they are thinking of this. You arm the Free Syrian Army and improve the support to them. This is thethon religious, more secular, antiassad group that began their uprising against saddam three years ago. They were overtaken by isis because they were ignored. They didnt get the support they asked for early on. Its time to increase support to them. At the same time going after isis. Going after isis, if it is successful will create an opening. Assad will gain temporarily. Not for long, i think. If the Free Syrian Army, the other nonreligious groups that are fighting against assad are empowered they have shown that when they have the chance they can take the fight to assad. Maybe you disagree. When the American People watched the beheading of an american last week they watched that man with tremendous guts and fortitude to stand there knowing he was on camera. Knowing his family would see it, knowing he was going to die in minutes, knowing he would be done by a knife in his neck. He stood there and took it. The American People will either react positively or not. They will either get even or not. Or they will cook up another excuse to go to war with isis
like they are a threat to the homeland. Why dont we behave like a gut country behayes and say, no, you dont do this to our people. We are going to make you pay. The American People would understand that language. This has nothing to do with the sunni and shia and whats in iraq, mesopotamia or whatever they are calling it. They dont care about iraq and the kurds and sunni and shia. I dont understand why hes now talking about the homeland, changing the subject. He was off playing golf when he had the American Peoples attention. That execution had our attention. Then he flips off, comes back a week later all dressed up. Hes taken a shower. Back in a business suit talking about threat to the homeland. It doesnt sound right. It doesnt sound real. Right. It sounds like a legal excuse to go after someone he should say, damn it, you republicans, i dare you to stop me from going after the guy who killed our guy. Go ahead. Call for a vote. Well kill you on the vote. I dont understand why he doesnt fight when it comes to americans. I believed him last week when he said it hurt him personally. I have been mystified as have others. It wasnt that long ago when the president described isis as the j. V. Team. Within a few months they are the greatest threat to the United States. There is a threat in framing this narrowly as a threat to the American Homeland. We have talked about it before. You dont have to come to the American Homeland to hurt hearn americans. Jim foley wasnt in the American Homeland. There are thousands of americans closer to where isis operates in jordan, egypt, turkey. There are American Allies in europe and turkey is a nato partner. There are ways to hurt america. Isis said over and over again it wants to hurt america without coming to the homeland. If you frame it as, well, we are going to take action because we think they are coming to the homeland, that gives you wiggle
room. We have seen general dempsey they we dont have evidence that they are threatening the homeland. They are threatening america. Its not just the homeland. Sounds like the talk pushing us into the iraq war in the first place. Nbc news reported douglas mccar thur mccain was killed in syria fighting for isis. Hes from minnesota. In twitter posts he said he reverted to islam back in 2004. This spring he traveled to turkey and made it to syriament hes one of a small number or a handful of americans who have gone to fight for the terror group there. Howard, there are three reasons for us to fight isis. One is they are a blood thirsty mob of colors and bobby explained it better than i could. They are mad dogs, if you will, going after people to kill them, the joy of doing it. Or to rebuild iraq which is an illusion, delusion perhaps. Or protect him from the homeland. Why not pick the blood target, the one americans would react
to. As opposed to the other ones that im not sure are our goals anymore. Your thoughts. Why doesnt who im sorry. The president. Well, i think the president is stuck on his previous promises in the shape of his career of the presidency to try to avoid the whole troops on the ground notion. Yet at the same time as bobby was pointing out, he has to quickly shift from describing isis as the j. V. Team to a huge threat that requires american planes in the sky, drones, cooperation with unsavory people in the region to achieve where are you on that . To limited objectives. Where am i . Yeah. I agree with you, chris. If the president ever had a chance to strike back firmly and quickly and decisively without necessarily requiring him to engage in a long war in that
region, to make a point to the world. To make a point to the people we have been fighting, last week would have been it. Its not in president obamas nature. Hes proud of the fact that hes mr. Cool. That he supposedly takes a long time to measure and decide. That wasnt the situation. I think politically he may have missed the moment in terms of his ability to do that now. I dont think it adds up now uh. You know what . Im sorry to say that wasnt the last act of oh cruelty well see in the weeks ahead. Let me go to bobby on the eastern view from over there. Looking at us. They used to say the west. We fire back and get out. They can tell we are getting out of there. Airstrikes, do they send a
message on the attack or suggest we are in a retreat . In other words if we are up there shooting from are the air but not getting on the ground are we suggesting to isis, dont worry, air power cant do much. You will outlive this. By the way p its cowardly to do it this way. Until we catch one of your pilots of course. Airstrikes cant be the final solution. Right now the big problem in the area is everybody looks at iraq i didnt say and syrians. In mosul we pushed isil back. That sends the message that these guys cant be beaten when they come up against syrias force. Now the next part of the challenge in addition air strikes is going to have are to
be to get Ground Forces in operation. No american troops. They are the Free Syrian Army in syria. There are different elements that can be strengthened, should be strengthened. There are signs that the administration is beginning to strengthen them. Its not something that will happen quick. I want to say this guy douglas mccain, do you think hes in the company of the 72 virgins now . Is this what he was looking for . Theres nothing we have learned so far that suggests thats what he was looking for. He seemed to have a fairly ordinary life in the United States. There was clearly something missing. I thought its possible that when he fist went there, he went there thinking he would participate in something noble and got sucked into something worse. Thats often the case with people like him. They are drawn into conflict thinking they will do something meaningful with their life, help the helpless. Once they get there, they are brainwashed. Its a slide down a slippery slope. Howard, thank you for joining us. Before he was taken hostage and murdered by isis james foley was kidnapped in lib yachlt one of the people who helped him secure release back then and what might be done to win the release of other american hostages. Not long ago democrats talked about one of their own winning president obamas third term, if you will, in 2016. Now that third term strategy may be a precarious path indeed. Frank bruni of the New York Times wrote today on the deepseated pessimism americans feel about the direction of the country and leadership. Is there a leadership in or out of office that can restore americas celebrated confidence . Finally the perils of twitter. One thing a british diplomat shouldnt do is joke about
burning our white house back in 1814. Dont joke about that. We still remember it. This is hardball, the place for politics. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality for over 19 million people. [ susan ] my promotion allowed me to start investing for my retirement. Transamerica made it easy. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. Transamerica. Transform tomorrow. Transamerica. Why let erectile dysfunction get in your way . This is the age of knowing what youre made of. Talk to your doctor about viagra. Ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain. It may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. Stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. This is the age. Of taking action. Viagra. Talk to your doctor. Crest 3d White Whitestrips vs. Whitening trays. These trays feel a little loose. Its kind of hard to talk. The whitestrips really grip. Look at that. Crest supreme Flexfit Whitestrips grip to your teeth, and whiten as well as a 500 professional treatment. Crest whitestrips. The way to whiten. A new poll. Lets go to the scoreboard. The democrats have a fivepoint edge now. 4742 over the republicans in the generic ballot. Keep in mind the Huffington Post pollster trend has the race at nearly a dead heat. And democrats had a healthy lead in polling registered voters to over come heavy yefr republican turnout. Its expected in midterm elections. Also the edge the gop enjoys. Democratic votes tend to be heavily concentrated in a few congressional districts. Well be right back. Inus our e. Perfect timing. Were offering our bestever pricing on mobile plans for business. Run the numbers on that. Well, unlimited talk and text, and ten gigs of data for the five of you would be. Oneseventyfive a month. Good calculating kyle. Good job kyle. You just made partner. Our bestever pricing on mobile share value plans for business. Now with a 100 bill credit for every business line you add. Could help your business didavoid hours of delaynd test caused by slow internet from the phone company . Thats enough time to record a memo. Idea for sales giveaway. Return a call. Sign a contract. Pick a tie. Take a break with mr. Duck. Practice up for the business trip. Fly to florida. Win an award. Close a deal. Hire an intern. And still have time to spare. Go to comcastbusiness. Com checkyourspeed if we cant offer faster speeds or save you money well give you 150. Comcast business. Built for business. He needs to decompress. I dont know what kind of emotional state hes in. So whatever, wherever he is hes going to be in some kind of seclusion so he can be with the family and enjoy some quiet. Welcome back. That was nancy curtis, mother of released hostage peter theo curtis. We got a behindthescenes look at how her sons release came about and players involved. Qatar played a pivotal role in winning his freedom. An effort that was given additional impetus by the appeal of american executive David Bradley. It was this trio that drove the release of curtis. As recounted, David Bradley got the news he was released in a text message from the chief of the qatari intelligence at 9 04 a. M. On saturday this weekend. It said, done. Steve clemons works for bradley
and Atlantic Media was involved in early stages of negotiations. It wasnt the first time he was involved in hostage negotiations. He was involved in the effort to secure james foleys release from libya are before he was captured again and executed by eyes i is. Isis. Also joining me david rhode from reuters who was kidnapped in 2008 and held in captivity for seven months. We learned today isis has another american hostage sources tell nbc news they were taken hostage on a humanitarian mission for her own safety family members dont want her name released by us or anyone. Let me visit Steve Clemons. I have known you a long time. You work in the dark along with your boss. Tell us about getting release if you want to start with mr. Curtis. That would be good. What was your success in getting mr. Foley out the first time he was captured by the enemy . First, you know David Bradley well. Hes uncomfortable with this attention. He would say if he were on air hundreds of people were involved with the release of both men. I never negotiated with hostages. My role, as i think you know the effort to get james foley who we were involved with twice but james foley out of syria and away from his kidnappers, the issue was to David Bradley who has a huge heart and a huge machine and a way to organize things knew he had to bring qatar into this. I helped open up some of the relationships. We read in the Washington Post which is very important the pathway to the intelligence chief who played a key role. Broadly. What was interesting is this was a second play. The first play had been in libya when the Libyan Government took three journalists, there were other journal arists detained but one was a freelancer for Claire Gillis. James poly was one of the three people released. At that point i had helped david meet a number of people. Contacts with turki isish intelligence who were partly helpful and Michael Holtzman who was a p. R. Agent for gadhafi. He had good relations and we needed to talk to the gadhafi clan and penetrate them even though the United States was essentially at war with libya. Those relationships helped ease the way for foley at that time in libya are to be released as well as Claire Gillis and another journalist. It was unfortunate james was kidnapped again. David bradley sprung to action again to try to get him released. Through that it was the family of peter curtis who made an appeal to david, would he look at this. As i said, we are all very proud of David Bradley. Hes highly uncomfortable with the attention hes received. I think he would put other people at the forefront before himself of what happened. What do we know about bad guys . Is it greasing the skids with friends of friends . What do they want . What would they rather have that they would trade for . Its hard to know. I dont know what happened here in the qatari officials who played the key role here. I dont know if there was a covert operation where they got hold of the o. There was something in the story about having agents that located him. They want something. They held him for two years. They spent a lot oh of time. A lot of guards. They spent money on food. Qatar has influence with this group. People questioned the relationship. Al nusra is aligned with al qaeda. There are concerns that qatar is funding jihadi groups. We tried sending jihadi is s to send soviet soldiers. Thats a terrible strategy. How was qatar able to pull this off . How did you get out . An afghanistan journalist helped me escape. I was lucky. It was only seven months for me. They wanted prisoners or money and there was a desperate effort. We were very, very lucky. Hostage taking has become lucrative. A recent New York Times report says while european governments deny paying ransoms al qaeda and
other affiliates have taken in at least 125 million in revenue of which 6 million in the last year. Whats the story thats been floating around . I guess its authenticated of the demand by isis for 100 Million Euros which is 103 p million. Was that this serious or were they blaming us for not taking the offer . I think dade has a better feel for the dimensions of this. He was in there. David and i talked in the past about the different factions, different groups and Networks Trading the prisoners they have taken. Either they want to make someone happy or they are traded like a market to some degree. So i cant speculate why isis put such a high and unreasonable price tag on foley other than the fact that they may have thought one of the things i have learned is the more you seem connected the more you have your
name in the press. The more you see public profile. The stock value of that kidnappee goes up. Its a reason they work hard to keep it out of the press. Do they think americans have deeper pockets . They do. One of the odd things from the release today and im thrilled for the Curtis Family is kidn kidnappers will think qatar paid a ransom. Thats the perception. When i was held five years ago there was the famous raid that saved captain phillips off the coast of somalia. My taliban kidnapper heard the report on the bbc and he said, no, no, there was no navy seal raid. Its a lie. The American Government paid 15 million for the release of captain phillips. This is a great day, a wonderful thing that happened. We need a coherent strategy. Europeans are paying, the u. S. Is not. Kidnappings are spreading. The kidnappers have to admit we dont have the money we do. Thank you so much, Steve Clemons and david for joining us. This is serious business. Up next, there is Monkey Business in the office of speaker of the house john boehner, literally. This is hardball, the place for politics. One day, machines will be sprayed to be made. And making something stronger. Will mean making it lighter. One day, factories will work with the cloud. One day. Is today. That, my friends, is everything. And with the quicksilver card from capital one, you earn unlimited 1. 5 cash back on everything you purchase. Not just everything at the hardware store. Not everything, until you hit your cash back limit. Quicksilver can earn you unlimited 1. 5 cash back on everything you could possibly imagine. Say it with me everything. One more time, everything and with that in mind. Whats in your wallet . And with that in mind. No question about that. But your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. Cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be Ready Anytime the moments right. You can be more confident in your ability to be ready. And the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Do not drink alcohol in excess. Side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. To avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. If you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. Ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30tablet trial. Time for the sideshow. President obama returned from his vacation over the weekend. Letterman noticed the president was having a difficult time adjusting to life back in washington after time off. Heres why. Barack obama is back from vacation today. His aides will tell you differently, but i saw him holding a press briefing. I think his mind is still on
vacation. I brought in the tape. Look at this earlier today. A press brief briefing. [ blender whirring ] next up, john mccain actually john boehner compared the responsibilities of his job as speaker of the house to that of a windup toy monkey. His Office Released a video and a stuffed toy his staff gave him as a gag gift. Here is the explanation. This sits in my office on my coffee table. [ laughter ] every 15, 30 minutes my staff comes in, winds me up and i do my thing. Thats the most selfdeprecating remark i have heard a politician voice. Finally the enduring special relationship with Great Britain and the United States has been tested by a diplomat the tick dustup over a disputed anniversary. This weekend marked 200 years since the burning of washington by the British Military during the war of 1812. Among the architectural casualties was one of the most icon nick buildings in washington, d. C. The white house. On sunday it became the butt of a joke made by the british embassy. They posted a photograph on twitter of a cake with the white house on top. Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the white house, they said. Only sparklers this time. The fallout was so swift the brits tweeted an apology a few hours later. Apologies for earlier tweet. We meant to mark an event in history and celebrate our strong friendship today. While the fire destroyed most of the white house the sandstone shell remained and, believe it or not, you can find evidence of the fire damage in the white house basement under the north
portico. Up next, the strategy democrats are afraid to use in 2016. Running as obamas third term. Youre watching hardball, the place for politics. Ups is a global company, but most of our employees live in the same communities that we serve. People here know that our operations have an impact locally. Were using more natural gas vehicles than ever before. The trucks are reliable, thats good for business. But they also reduce emissions, and thats good for everyone. It makes me feel very good about the future of our company. So im going pro. [ male announcer ] new crest tartar protection rinse. The only rinse that helps prevent tartar buildup and cavities. A little swishing. Less scraping. Yes [ male announcer ] new crest prohealth tartar protection rinse. It helps you escape the scrape. Tartar protection rinse. Hey there, i just got my bill, and i see that it includes my fico® credit score. Yup, you get it free each month to help you avoid surprises with your credit. Good. I hate surprises. Surprise at discover, we treat you like youd treat you. Get the it card and see your fico® credit score. Heres whats happening. An open ended ceasefire deal has been reached between israel and hamas ending seven weeks of violence sparking celebrations in gaza. Russian president putin and ukrainian president poroshenko met. And the ice buckets are adding up. 85 million in donations over the last month compared to 2. 6 million last year. Back to hardball. Welcome back to hardball. President obama has come under fire from critics and supporters for appearing too detached. During his vacation in marthas vine yard especially. Its a problem of bad optics. Footage of him playing golf jux posed with the news of ferguson, missouri, which was tragic and the news of james foleys death at the hands of isis terrorists. The split screen of the stories projects an image of a president disengaged with the country and the world. Thomas rogers simon of politico weighed in today writing so why should he worry . You know who should worry . Hillary clinton should worry. She has some of the same flaws as obama. She can project a chilly public personality, remoteness, tre serve and detachment of ordinary people. If she can be labeled as obamas third term, she can be beaten. Its tough to run on the heels of a twoterm president from the same party. President obama may prove to be a drag on the democratic ticket, at least now. Ironically its the same situation that helped then senator barack obama elected himself in 2008 when his opponent senator mccain was burdened by unpopularity of w. Mccain had to distance himself
from bush while representing his party. An awkward balancing act that mccain was asked after about his only Campaign Appearance with bush in the general election which only lasted a minute. He was asked here. Can you talk about your notion with the president yesterday and the fact that you were seen in public for less than 60 seconds. Is that indicative of what well see the next six months . He came and attended in fact, was responsible for a fundraiser. I was glad he was there. Thats all there is to it. He sounded defensive there. Even president bush said so writing in his memoir, i thought it looked defensive for john to distance himself from me. I was confident i could have helped him make his case. But the decision was his. I was disappointed i couldnt do more to help him. As the incumbent its president obama who may complicate things for the democratic nominee. Joining me thousand is roger simon from politico and michael
steele, former rnc chairman. Trying to think like a democrat for a minute. Okay. Roger, to your piece, i dont know how you separate yourself from a member of your party who has been president for years without looking like a rat jumping from a ship. It didnt help al gore, not that hes a rat. He tried to separate himself from bill clinton after monica and that mess in a way that hurt him. He couldnt take advantage of the good economy. I never saw it done well except when george, sr. , ran riding off a popular president , reagan. How do you separate yourself from an unpopular president and not look like a rat . If looking like a rat will get you to the oval oh fis, you look like a rat. Hillarys problem is that president obama currently has low Approval Ratings. If republicans take both houses of congress in november, which
they might, the rest of his second term probably wont amount to much. How is she going to run as being obamas third term. Im not sure obama wants a third term if he could have one. He might say two is plenty. I think Hillary Clinton is not going to worry about the rat thing. Shes going to worry about the getting elected thing. What do you think, michael . I think thats right. As a matter of fact, i think hilla hillary, if shes smart will embrace the aspects of whats going on good in the country at that time. It will be attributed to the president. By and large define our own space. You have begun to see her do that as we have seen in foreign affairs. We have heard a little bit of distancing on things like health care. Shes already begun to carve the space up, to create the space for herself, if you will. She has to. Honestly, i think we presume too much to think the president will
be jumping up and down to help her. I think the president will likely want to take much more of a handoff approach to her campaign for a whole host of reasons. If she wants to distance herself from president obama shes conducted a le mans start as they say in racing. Appears to be distancing herself from president obama on foreign policy. Criticizing the administration inartfully. Dont do stupid stuff, she said in an interview with jeff goldberg. Not smart. She said great nations need organizing principles and dont do stupid stuff isnt an organizing principle. She broke with the administration on syria and other things. Certainly saying the failure to help build up a credible fighting force to the people who were the originators of the protest against assad, they were islamists. There was secularists and everything this the middle. The failure to do it left a big vacuum which the jihad ists have now filled. Secretary clinton seemed to be
criticizing the president with putin. Dont appear too eager to work together. Dont flatter putin with high level attention. Decline his invitation for a president ial level summit in moscow in september. That was tough stuff. It is. Going to talk to a guy whos known to be a good reporter but a hawk, jeffrey goldberg. Then to throw in the shot about putin when she had the big red reset button. Acted like she wasnt there. There is a danger politically in what shes doing. All the statements, distancing herself from obama on foreign policy, shes more hawkish. Shes sending the signal. She would use u. S. Troops overseas to fight jihadists. Failure to do so led to the current crisis. The trouble is thats not where the Democratic Party is. She is distancing herself before the primaries from her own
party. There is a democratic wing of the Democratic Party who is all for peace, who doesnt want more boots on the ground, no matter what. She has to worry about the primary before she fights in the general. You know are, there is an old phrase in politics, dance with the one that brung you. The reason the democrats are in the white house is they took a position against the craziness of the iraq war. She voted to authorize it. She did. At the time as a u. S. Senator. How ironic will it be if by late 2015, mid 2016 because of isis and other turmoil in the middle east we have boots on the ground. That will make for a very interesting dynamic within the Democratic Party for both hillary and the party itself. Then someone like Elizabeth Warren and others who are central left or progressive will have this space that that will be clearly defined, to rogers point because the base doesnt
like to have boots on the ground. Why do you complicate things, michael . Im sorry. You said to think like a democrat. Its so complicateded. When al gore was the democratic nominee in 2000 by the way, he did win the popular vote he tried to avoid using bill clinton on the campaign trail. That was a mistake. Despite clintons high Approval Ratings in the wake of the impeachment effort. Here is an editorial after gores unwillingness to use clinton. Instead of finding a way to embrace the accomplishments record of the clinton administration, gore ran away from clinton as fast as his legs could carry him. Gore would use tortured lo cushions to avoid to utter his name. Perhaps gore did need to distance himself from clintons personal failings but he managed to distance himself from clintons public success s at the same time. Roger, well said. What people forget because we dont care about it anymore is that gore was running in an
atmosphere of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The scandal was all of 98, a little bit of 99 and the Campaign Began in 99. Question after question, stop after stop to gore was, you know, are you with president clinton . Are you against him . Do you think he was immoral . Are you more moral . He made a political calculation that president clinton was a down side. Yeah. He was very good in campaigning for himself but as Hillary Clinton found out in 2008 he sometimes is not very good campaigning for other people. I would not take it as a given. Had he campaigned more with bill clinton he would have won in 2000. He might have gotten arkansas. Thats all he would have needed. Thats my point. All he needed was arkansas, tennessee or new hampshire. He didnt need florida. Or west virginia. Well tabe talking about thi on a bench in miami when were 93 if were lucky. What gore could have done to win. And darn it, ralph nader what did he do . Up next, the publics sour mood and what it might mean for november. Thats coming up. This is hardball, the place for politics. Where the reward was that what if tnew car smelledit card and the freedom of the open road . A card that gave you that im 16 and just got my first car feeling. Presenting the buypower card from capital one. Redeem earnings toward part or even all of a new chevrolet, buick, gmc or cadillac with no limits. So every time you use it, youre not just shopping for goods. Youre shopping for something great. Learn more at buypowercard. Com pehabits of cleaning theirld dentures with toothpaste, and dentures are very different than real teeth. Theyre about ten times softer and have surface pores where bacteria can grow and multiply. Polident is specifically designed to clean dentures daily. Its unique microclean formula kills 99. 99 of odorcausing bacteria and helps dissolve stains, cleaning it a better way than brushing with toothpaste. Thats why dentists recommend using polident. For a cleaner, fresher, brighter denture everyday. Its primary day today in a number of states. Two of them arizona and florida bear watching. The big event is in florida
where the republican turned independent, turned democrat Charlie Crist is expected to win the democratic nomination for governor. He would face rick scott Whose Campaign has picked up momentum recently. Democrats have a good shot at replacing the term limited jan brewer, both parties are choosing candidates todayment well be right back. Did you know, your eyes can lose vital nutrients as you age . [ male announcer ] thats why theres ocuvite to help replenish key eye nutrients. Ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. Ocuvite. Help protect your eye health. Say hi rudy. [ barks ] [ chuckles ] id do anything to keep this guy happy and healthy. Thats why im so excited about these new milkbone brushing chews. Whoa, im not the only one. Its a brilliant new way to take care of his teeth. Clinically proven as effective as brushing. Ok, here you go. Have you ever seen a dog brush his own teeth . The twist and nub design cleans all the way down to the gum line, even reaching the back teeth. They taste like a treat, but they clean like a toothbrush. Nothing says you care like a milkbone brushing chew. [ barks ] nothing says you care like a milkbone brushing chew. If you dont think feed the then you dont know aarp. Our drive to end hunger has donated 29 million meals, and counting. Find more real possibilities at aarp. Org possibilities. Were back. With novembers midterm elections just over two months away, about ten weeks, all the public polling suggests republicans are about certain to make big gains in the u. S. Senate races with a good chance of winning a majority. Smallerer gains in the house. The public mood is so gloomy it could be a liability for both parties. Americans are apprehensive about where they are and even more about where we are were headed. They dont see anything or anyone to lead them into the light. Theres sour on the president , on the Democratic Party, and on republicans most of all. Theyre hungry for hope but dont spot it on the menu. Where that tension leaves us is anybodys guess. Well written there. Our august poll illustrates the point. 76 of americans are not confident their children will fair better than their own. 21 are confident the country is headed in the wrong direction. The widespread pessimism makes this upcoming election in november especially unpredict bl. Of course. Joan walsh is an expert on many things in this area. Shes with salon and msnbc political analyst. Jonathan capehart is another expert, opinion writer with the
Washington Post, he writes those big editorials and is an msnbc contributor. Thank you, both. This is a subject you guys and i think all the all the time, the zeitgeist, our times. I look at the Unemployment Rate that seems to have gone dramatically, i look at the tou which would affect everybody with a pension way up. Yet, most people feel down and theyre disappointed in our leadership across the board and very pessimistic is the right word and not a fogood american word for their kids. Joan, i know you have kids. Whats yours . Im optimistic for my daughter, shes doing great, chris. Im not optimistic for our Young Children electively. Weve not replaced the postworld war ii engine of opportunity that propelled families like ours into the middle class. Weve not done that. We also have a very broken political system, i admit im a democrat, but one party, the Republican Party has run away from a lot of its traditional principles and has basically decided it is going to refuse to govern. So i think people do see gridlock, they do see a failure to act on things like infrastructure, which used to be a no brainer, or student loans, and theyre very pessimistic, understandably so. Jonathan, thats an opinion i share. I just heard it. Thats my opinion. I think theyve hidden the ball. The public doesnt see how the game is played. They just see the results. The results is nothing is getting done. Franklin roosevelt, someone told a story, when he was getting bombed in hong kong, just a day after pearl harbor, and we were on the losing end of that war. We lost half our navy. Everything looked bad. He said, as i lay there on the ground listening to the Roosevelt Speech declaring war, i knew wed win. He said, that was the greatness of franklin roosevelt. He knew wed win just listening to this guy declare ware. And my dad told me that. He always thought wed win the
war. Wheres that optimism today about winning the big fights we have today about the world . Well, theres no optimism because of whats been happening in this town since 2010. And that is a legislative branch that has decided to block everything that the executive branch is trying to do. One thing that i want to push back against, and that is this sort of collective notion that we have to find the one. The leader who is going to lead us out of this malaise and into sunshine and happiness again and i wonder, i think people what is it otherwise . Say that again . When has it been otherwise we got somewhere without a leader . Well, the point im getting to, chris, is that we have to start looking at, you know, the president is only were a democracy, not a monarchy. The president is very powerful but only as powerful as the legislative branch will allow him to be, and when you have a legislative branch that has dug in its heels and opposes the executive on everything, no
matter what it is, no matter how food good it is, no matter even if it was their and ideas, theres only so much that can get done in the country. Remember, president clinton was impeached by the republicans on capitol hill who were in charge of the house for the first time in 40something years and yet, he had a governing partner in speaker Newt Gingrich to get things done for the country. Wheres that for president obama . There isnt there isnt anyone. Joan, your thoughts. Do we need a leader or National Mood . A change in political systems . I dont think we can do that in our lifetime. Not a change in political systems. I basically do agree with jo jonath jonathan. We can critique this president on the margins. Its much bigger than him. Theres a problem, profwresives in particular, we get excited every four year, barack obama, howard dean, or going to be Elizabeth Warren and dont dig into congressional districts and state legislatures where reapportionment happens. It was my speech last night. I agree with you. We like the excitement. I do, too. Thank you, joan walsh. Thank you, Jonathan Capehart as always. Well be right back. This is the age of knowing what youre made of. Why let erectile dysfunction get in your way . Talk to your doctor about viagra. Ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain. It may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. Stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. This is the age. Of taking action. Viagra. Talk to your doctor. If energy could come from anything . Or if power could go anywhere . Or if light could seek out the dark . What would happen if that happens . Anything. When folks think about wthey think salmon and energy. But the energy bp produces up here creates Something Else as well jobs all over america. Engineering and innovation jobs. Advanced Safety Systems technology. Shipping and manufacturing. Across the United States, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. When we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. Thats not a coincidence. Its one more part of our commitment to america. Thank ythank you for defendiyour sacrifice. And thank you for your bravery. Thank you colonel. Thank you daddy. Military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa Auto Insurance can be one of them. If youre a current or former military member or their family, get an Auto Insurance quote and see why 92 of our members plan to stay for life. Let me finish tonight with this country, in august 2014. How are we doing . Well, if you look at the stock market, were going gangbusters, way up there, good for stockholders also with those with retirement money and 401 k s. The jobless rate is way down
from where it was. Theres some serious buts to this rosy look at things. First, there are a lot of people with nothing riding on the stock market for the system reason they dont have money to bet on the market. Second, a lot of people working on low wages or shorter hours or have simply given up looking for work. None of this gets counted in the overall jobless rate which is town. Theres this bigger but. Sense by tens of millions of people that things are not going in the right direction, were not leaving our Younger Generation in a better place. One in five americans today say theyre confident that our childrens generation will fair better than we have. One in five. Whats all this tell those politicians now plotting and planning on how to lead us come 2016 . Well, to me, the answer is schism. The American People want a president that will give them confidence. They dont want someone to take them back to 2008 and start all over. That was a time of the greatest financial crisis of the great depression. 2008 was a time of two wars people wanted very much to end. They want a leader who will take us from here