at the united nations a call to war against isis. >> those who continue to fight for a hateful cause will find they are increasingly alone. >> talk of good versus evil evokes comparisons to his predecessor, president obama promises this is different. >> we do not act alone nor do we intend to send u.s. troops to occupy foreign lands. >> at home republicans see war footing as a potential complain plus. >> this is what foreign policy looks like without clarity and conviction. >> just five weeks to election

day, prond brand new cnn polling. and she's back. >> it's really, really good to be in kansas, or as barack obama would say fly-over country. >> sarah palin joins the fight in the unlikeliest midterm battleground. "inside politics," the biggest stories sourced by the best reporters now. welcome to "inside politics." i'm john king. thanks for sharing your sunday morning. with us to share reporting and insights, maeve reston "los angeles times" mia malika henderson of "the washington post." president obama standing before the world this past week at the u.n. defending new u.s. military strikes in the middle east and telling other world leaders it's time to pick sides. >> we will not succumb to threats, and we will demonstrate that the future belongs to those

who build, not those who destroy. >> in addition to new air strikes against isis in syria and iraq the united states bombing an al qaeda spin-off the white house says it's planning major attacks on the west perhaps here in the united states. look how "the economist framed it" "mission relaunched, war again the refining challenge." julie pace you cover the white house, using that image as barack obama as george w. bush it seems in the closing weeks of the 2014 campaign we thought would be about the economy and obama obamacare, it feels like 2004 when president bush was president. >> when you look at the language the president used when he was at the u.n. last week this say guy who has talked about how even though we have a powerful military we can't fall back at the military. the at the u.n. he says the only language isis understands is the language of force. he calls them a network of death. this language that president barack obama doesn't use that harkens back to axis of evil. he will say and his advisers say

this is a different war than the war that bush started but is he looking at military action in the middle east for the last two years of his presidency, that is something he's not going to be happy about. >> let's listen to that. let's listen to that sound bite where the president didn't say axis of evil but you make a key point this is not the barack obama we met in 2008. >> the only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. so the united states of america will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death. >> network of death. >> i think it shows you that the commander in chief is feeling all of this in a very personal way and is speaking with more force now and he really has to make a convincing case to the american people who as we've talked about are very wary of ground troops and prolonged engagement in that region. >> as a transformational moment for the president who campaigned on ending two wars, who has, he now own this is fwar.

this is obama's war. he has to convince the american public that his decision not to arm the syrian rebels when his military advisers urged him to a year ago was the right decision, whether or not his decision to hold off on bombing the assad regime was a good idea and whether pulling troops out of iraq was a good idea. history will judge whether or not this war which he is now launching is going to work and whether he can build a coalition domestically and internationally for this sustained mission. >> to nia's point the president and the pentagon deserves credit for pulling together the coalition quickly. the saudis maybe not doing anything, but part of the bombing campaign. in the short term he has to a degree you heard scott brown in the open say where is the clarity. he has muted the republican criticism. they say he was late to the game, should have been involved in syria earlier but he's essentially doing what they want to do as well. >> that rolls the ball forward because they want to argue about

the past, the points that you just made. did he pull out troops too early, et cetera, but if you move the discussion to what we're doing now and you lay out clear steps about what this coalition of the willing is trying to do, and explain a complex situation in a strong, passionate way like that, you can potentially bring the american people along with you, it potentially neutralizes it as a campaign issue which will be important for a lot of vulnerable democrats in the states looking close. >> you have to think this unanimity among democrats and republicans, white house and capitol hill, unless this goes very well over the next couple of weeks which no one seems to think this is a couple week mission that's going to fade quickly. we'll get into discussions about ground troops, possible combat missions. >> whether or not they want to authorize as you hear boehner say when does this discussion happen, in the lame duck, does it happen in the new congress? when would it happen in the new zmong what the new congress looks like. so there's all of this moving of the ball. >> a lot of that may determine

what happens in the several weeks before congress comes back to make thatic calculation. some republicans are saying you shouldn't take ground troops off the table. another we saw the former secretary of state, likely democratic candidate in 2016 hillary clinton, in august she gave the interview to "atlantic" magazine she mocked the foreign policy don't do stupid stuff. she had to apologize to the president. listen to clinton at the global initiative saying sure i disagreed with the president about arming syrian rebels but no big deal. >> i can't sit here today and tell you that if we had done what i had recommended we would be in a very different position. i just can't. you can't go and prove a negative but what i do believe is that the situation now is demanding a response and we're seeing a very robust response. >> she really stepped into hot water the last time the way that she talked about the differences with the administration we are all thinking oh well she's

suddenly stepping out and trying to draw a contrast with obama. you did not see that that weekend. it's important to remember the contest of that, that was a panel on the development of a baby's mind, what she wanted to be talking about, her grandchild at cgi and she was pressed by sanjay gupta on that point, clearly did not want to talk about it and would like to move on to something else but she's got a tricky road to go to. >> this is going to be the constant thing s she playing for a primary audience or general election audience. the primary voters still like barack obama and obama probably is going to grow more popular by the time he leaves office he has to distance himself in order to cater to the voters. >> she doesn't seem ready to do it yet. >> they're also looking at a president who they liked because they felt he was more anti-war than hillary clinton and now we're looking at a president who looks a lot more like george w. bush in terms of his stance on war and launching. >> we've all talked to voters out in some of these states about this and i think from the staunch democrats you just hear

this incredible hesitation. they want to trust the president on this. they're not sure how long they want it to go on and you know, they want a better explanation of what's going to happen. >> if she moves too far away from the president who outflanked her in 2008 somebody else might guess get closer. let me end this segment with this test. you were at the clinton global initiative this past week. bill clinton was asked in a conversation with charlie rose why people think he's such a great politician, political animal. here is the test according to bill clinton. >> to be really good at this, you've got to like people. you've got to like policy, and you got to like politics. you got to have a pain threshold. >> so if that's the bill clinton test, let me go around the table and start this way, does hillary clinton pass it? >> on some of those counts she does. she obviously likes politics, i think she likes people, she does understand it's a contact

support, she talks about growing a thick hide as a rhinoceros but it's bill clinton. who can pass this test and be up to par with bill clinton, very few people. >> 2008 hillary did not pass that test. the question is whether 2016 hillary will pass the test. >> a reporters people. >> we did see in iowa her really work the rope line, really try to do more to have this personal interactions with voters going forward, and the trouble for her seeing bill clinton and hillary clinton on a stage one right after another all week it's striking that contrast, he's such a natural and she's very much that sort of workman candidate who is reading the script and it's an amazing contrast. >> if she doesn't run that will be the reason why, because of the press and amount of attention and scrutiny. does she want to sustain this when she'll have a grandchild in the coming weeks. >> hard to be judged as a political figure next to time.

>> for anyone. >> up next, brand new cnn polling in two of the most critical 2014 senate bathle grounds. plus the republican establishment needs sarah palin's help but first this week's politicians sometimes say the darnedest thing, back to the former president bill clinton, here's his out of this world idea for improving the congress. >> the answer to the political gridlock we have in america is to send the congress to meet in the space station. >> sir, they're usually round trips. you want it that way or the one-way? >> no, no, if i were to say one way i'd have to say who stays and who goes. the cat that dra. [ meows ] ...and let in the dog that woke the man who drove to the control room [ woman ] driverless mode engaged. find parking space. [ woman ] parking space found. [ male announcer ] ...that secured the data that directed the turbines

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welcome back. 37 days just over five weeks to election day, we have breaking news right now that shows you how xet i have the fight is for the control of the united states senate. you see the races that are highlighted. these are states with big senate races, if they're blue inside the yellow line they're held by democrats. if they're red inside the gold and yellow line they're held by republicans. republicans need plus six a net gain of six seats to get control of the senate. even most democrats concede republicans are likely to win montana, south dakota, and west virginia. so how do they get the other three? part is to make sure they hold georgia, kentucky and kansas. more on that in a minute. to get the other three democrats start here, alaska. they think that's a good cause for a pickup there. close race but the republicans are confident they can get that one. you comment to arkansas a close race. republicans are reasonably

confident they can get that one. our new poll shows you another big republican target, mary landrieu is the democratic incumbent. she's ahead of her republican opponent 43-40 but remember in u louisiana you need 50% plus one. if this were the result election day she ends up in a runoff and in the runoff her chances much less likely. one of the drags in louisiana the president's approval rating, just 40% of voters approve the president's performance, 56% disapprove. watch louisiana even though the democrats on top republicans will be encouraged by our new poll in that state. next up north carolina remember the president won it in 2008, lost it in 2012. kay hagan, the democrats will be encouraged by this, 46% tom killetz. lib tear sean how ghaugh, 7%, h could be the spoiler to keep

this race in democratic hands. very close with the democrats on top in north carolina. the president is a factor in this race underwater, 42% approve, 52% disapprove. the president underwater there manu but if you look at polling in iowa and new hampshire he was in the 30s. at least in those states he's in the 40s. when you look at the numbers you have to say mary landrieu is in trouble. kay hagan is holding on. >> there's more evidence that mary landrieu will be in serious trouble if they get into the runoff in louisiana which looks like she will be the best chance for this emto keep that seat. she needs to win outright on november 4th. there's no sign that she is. the larger issue for the democrats, though, is ensuring they get their voters out to the polls. they are doing pretty well registering voters but not doing well in ensuring those voters actually come out an election day and a big reason why is dissatisfaction with the president and the direction of the country and if they can somehow overcome that, then they

could prove victorious. >> here is an interesting question about louisiana in particular, when it comes to democratic turnout. there is a large african-american population. they still like barack obama. does barack obama help mary landrieu in the end if this becomes a turnout thing? >> that's a challenge for her. lot of white voters don't like the president so she's stuck between trying to court voters and her base. >> you have a december runoff with control of the senate at stake. hairy landrieu is losing and her only chance is to bring in the louisiana. president. >> you want to support the president and people saying that they are going to get out there and support landrieu, but that balance that she's trying to do is really kind of remarkable. the obama care ad dinging the president that did not run in the center places where

african-americans would have seen it but all the white voters in the outer areas they were targeting. mary landrieu is a strong closer. her people are very good on data and they have working for months on turning people out and we'll see if that works. >> i think the dna of the state there is going to matter a lot on election day and the fact that in 2012 obama loses the state by 18 points compared to north carolina which he lost by 2%. african-american voters big factor there and republicans trying to go after the voters and frankly argue to them it hasn't been so great under barack obama. >> rebuilding and katrina. >> part of the challenge is that seat would matter if the republicans hold their own and they have a race in georgia they have to hold, could be a runoff. close race in kentucky seems to be moving their way. the one we're having a field day with is kansas where you have the republican incumbent versus

an independent who won't tell voters if he wins whether he'll caucus with the republicans or democrats. the republican establishment in a word despises sarah palin and yet who does the republican establishment need to help in kansas? >> anybody with a liberal record, supporting barack obama, supporting obamacare, supporting amnesty, supporting harry reid? that's not independent. that's someone who is trying to shnooker you, kansas. >> what does it tell us? i'm not trying to pick on governor palin but if you talk to leading establishment figures in the party, she is not a favorite and yet they need her. >> they do, because kansas, the republican party is badly, badly divided there. you see moderate republicans revolt from the governor, sam brownbeck in a tough race there and pat roberts in the senate primary had a contentious primary against a tea party

challenger. he beat him by only eight points. robertson is a hard-time consolidating that support and winning backing from the tea party voters. sarah palin can help with that. the question is at the end of the day does roberts bring his voters back home? it's not clear. the polls show the race close. >> they're getting everybody out there. sarah palin, john mccain, rand paul, jeb bush. it's all hands on deck there. >> they're sending their strategists in there. trying to revamp the campaign. >> you have a challenger in the race who won't say who he comes to washington who he's going to caucus with. he basically said he'd caucus with whoever has the majority. >> it may come down to one seat, could come up with him. >> 37 days left, anyone who tells you they know how the senate is going is making it up. we have a lot of great races. everybody sit tight. tom roe's news today, our great reporters share tips and get you out ahead of the big political news just around the corner.

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they're randomly tested for drugs and alcohol... but not us doctors. you can change that: vote yes on proposition 46. your lives are in our hands. around the "inside politics" table ask our reporters to help keep you ahead of the curve on the big political news. >> i talked to folks about what's next for him and the next couple of months he's going to wrap up his tenure, he's going to look at adjusting racial profiling in the federal police force and beyond that, once eric holder is gone he's interested in writing a book, teaching and maybe some foundation work to get back to his roots and his legacy which is around civil rights. he was very animated and engaged with the president my brother's

keeper program and i'm told that post being obama's heat shield for the last six years he's going to detox and turn to really some of the things that really animate him around the civil rights era. >> fascinating to keep an eye on that. more than a month ago you told this was coming julie pace. >> one of the dark horse candidates liberals are pushing to replace holder, jenny dirken a retiring u.s. attorney, a woman, also a lesbian which would make her the first openly gay cabinet secretary and the president's lgbt supporters feel nominating an openly gay cabinet secretary would round out his record on gay rights but there's also politics involved. if you have republicans in a position they may have to weigh how tough they go after a gay woman in the lead-up to a presidential year where they're trying to look more inclusive that could be headaches for the xwop. >> fascinating decision the president faces. >> manu? >> triage race for the senate. democrats and republicans are

starting to weigh which races to spend their millions of dollars in the final weeks of the campaign. you've seen republicans start to hold back spending in states like michigan which looks like it's slipping away from the republicans, will the democrats do the same in the states like kentucky where allisyn grimes she's shown further in the race with mitch mcconnell. runoffs in georgia and louisiana, republicans are setting aside millions of dollars to spend in louisiana. >> money, money, money. mae? >> we're looking athe the presidential field it won't be too long before we talk about 2016 full time, one of the names floating around is carly fiorina of california who ran for senate in 2010 and it's just going to be fascinating to watch how much do republicans want a strong female face in that mix.

she was not a terribly good candidate. she ran into all kinds of issues because of her hp background with offshoring but she's been dipping into new hampshire, making it clear she's thinking seriously about it. so is this the woman that they want out there kind of as their front woman within that field of candidates? we'll see. >> interesting to watch. keep trying, some people are persistent. one of the biggest tests of the 2014 midterm elections is already beginning, early voting in minnesota and iowa. other states are about to follow. by the time it's done, top strategists in both parties think as much as 30% of the vote could be cast by early or absentee ballots. . has become a huge fight as early voting expands and democrats generally, not always but democrats generally won the war of early voting in the key battle grounds looking at the 2008 or 201 presidential election. republicans promise this year it

will be different. democrats say their turnout, their technology will be the big edge for all of the senate races so close to watch, even an eye on the early voting numbers. that's it for "inside politics." thank you for sharing your sunday morning. "state of the union" with candy crowley starts right now. a new front opens up in the fight with isis. war without borders or without end. today, isis, the long haul. will president obama's shiny, new coalition stick together and what does winning look like? a retired general, a former diplomat and a sitting senator on the war ahead. plus, the feds won attacks against isis could prompt lone wolf attacks in the u.s. if, yiocya. we'll talk with president obama's national security adviser tony blinken. >> the brutality of terrorists