are putting out. >> okay, eric burns, thanks for your time. >> thank you. >> that's "the ed show." i'm michael "the last word with drop in stock. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. leading off tonight -- fear. the stock market was having a tough time the last couple of week. today we saw bad time. the dow dropped 513 points today shaving off more than 4% of its value. the dow had its lowest close in 8 months. what happened today is bad for the economy, bad, of course, for president obama. the fact that the market itself was largely about europe's debt crisis is going to be of little solace to the people running mr. obama's re-election campaign. if they're hoping the

president's political skills plus a loser republican opponent will get him through next november, don't count on it. i worked for president carter against reagan and voters not accept the argument had you no choice but to stick with the incumbent. it's a losing strategy. plus, how exactly did the tea party, a minority in one-half of one-third of the government, the house of representatives, manage to shape the direction of the country to its will. facts, history, evidence, do not matter to them. all that matters is a commitment to ideology, and willing to risk among other things bringing down the economy if they don't get their way. senator pat moynihan of new york said you're entitled to your on opinion, not your own facts. the tea party disagrees. up in the air, 200 construction 70,000 construction workers out of work, why? because of another quibble in congress. an effort by republicans to make it harder for airline employees to unionize. it was solved today and we'll hear from transportation secretary ray lahood.

the "hardball" strategists are with us tonight. let me finish with the economic fear which is in the land. a big drop on wall street. maria bartiromo joins us from the new york stock exchange. thank you, maria. what happened? >> well, today we saw europe really set the tone, chris. you have a debt situation in europe that is spiraling downward. the peripheral countries are getting in involved whether italy will be able to pay its bill, same with portugal. a spiral going on in europe. that is one issue that set the tone. a new focus happened on the u.s. economy. remember, we're just coming off of a two-month stalemate where virtually, people aren't doing much of anything. whether it's companies, corporations or individuals. we were all worried about the debt, the deficit and we were watching what was happening in

washington. the back and forth, and, in fact, it materialized in people sitting on their hands, unable to make long-term decisions on anything, and as a result that is impacting economic activity. we have a jobs number tomorrow. the employment report coming out tomorrow after two reports of last two months that were very weak. there is renewed worry about the unemployment situation. of course that being the biggest issue for the economy in the u.s. all of that culminating to create fear, as you said, and uncertainty about where this market is heading next. people sold first and will think about it later. a couple of concerns coming together today on the heels of economic data that was weak. manufacturing coming in weak recently. retail sales coming in weak and all expectations that we are failing to actually see any real sustained job creation growth. >> are we possibly -- i should say a perfect storm? economically? whereby there's trouble in europe, there's this periphery countries like italy and i

ireland and portugal looking like they're headed towards greece and our country is somewhere in that murky neverland somewhere between good and bad, and at the same time the sense of hearing the largest market in the world, our politicians are in this inability to govern because of this endless fights. how can it all work together? >> very tough, chris. that's exactly what it is, and i think the american people are tired of hearing she said she said, it's your fault, no it's your fault. people want to see leadership and the country come together. and recognize that these are real issues. we've got real problems on the economic and global stage, growth happening outside the united states. this is a real issue. corporations in the u.s. generating much of their growth as result of growth in china, growth in brazil, growth in india. i think -- i don't want to be all gloom and doom. one part of this story is positive. the fact is, that the corporate sector is sitting on $2.5

trillion in cash, balance sheets are very strong post-2008, because they are lean and mean. they've cut jobs, they've cut r & d spending, and you are looking at a strong sector in terms of the corporate sector. that in and of itself is positive. the issue is, they're sitting on that money. they're not putting that money to work, because they do not have the certainty. certainty on the one hand of the regulatory environment. they don't know what their business will look like because they're afraid of policies coming out of government right now and the second hand, afraid that demand is not going to be there, because it hasn't been there. we continue to see weakness on the housing front. that's stuck in the mud. and we continue to see the retail environment uneasy. so as a result, you're not really seeing much movement of that cash. on the one hand it's positive, because there's wiggle room there. that strength in the corporate sector eventually you hope that money goes to work in terms of job creation. hasn't happened yet, chris. >> what a clear picture. thank you so much, maria bartiromo from cnbc for coming to join us this tough night.

the fear about this economy, the biggest obstacle facing president obama right now. i surely think it is. writing about the headwinds facing the president in politico today. and "new york" magazine, a big cover about the republican fight. john heilemann first. the perfect storm. europe in turmoil, countries on the periphery of hell waiting to drop out, inability to pay their debt. the united states going day-to-day basically in a clinch, a non-decisive clinch, was the smartest guy on the block mitch mcconnell saying i'm not going to let the republicans be blamed? this is all obama's baby? let him have it. >> i think it was. you mentioned before working for jimmy carter. the last time we've had nine consecutive drops, was february 1978. the memories should are strong for you of this kind of thing. i think that what we had was, we managed this week to avoid a

debt ceiling default, but i think the markets saw over the course of the last three months and month particularly the last three week as political default on the part of both parties, and they're reacting to a lot of thing. obviously, a lot of economic data in europe. bad economic data here, but also to this notion, as you put it, a clinch, a political default, that there is no -- that the government and the united states now is incapable of doing anything significant avoiding the worst possible catastrophe. the market is reacting. a huge problem for president obama going forward because republicans had done pretty well in laying this at his doorstep. >> let me go to -- i'm pretty pro-obama in many ways. alike the spirit of his administration and in terms of responsibility what it stands for in our country's history, but i wonder about the jobs program. right now let's talk jobs. the two toughest opponents he'll probably face and faces either of texas, rick perry. all they talk about is jobs. the president can't play that

game. he can't get on a bus and drive around like he's pawlenty saying i'm going to create job. he's got to do it, jim. how can he say i'm pivoting towards jobs and get on a bus? what's going on? does he have a program? >> that's his problem. he doesn't have a program people are buying into. government will not stimulate the economy. the economy doesn't need a nudge, it needs a jolt. the $2.5 trillion businesses are sitting on, $2 trillion, we'll have stagnation until then. that's bad for him. we have to articulate a plan a strategy for creating jobs. maybe tax reform, lowering the corporate tax rate, free trade deals through. he's got to convince business there's stability and some predictability in this market going forward. if he doesn't do it we'll could not having this cycle. business, hate, instability. we learned in the default, congress might do something nuts to default at some point or might not do the right thing in getting the balance sheets in order.

they're looking. looking for signs. nervous about what's overseas, nervous about what's happening here. >> you know, i look at this, look at what the president's done. signed on to a debt ceiling bill that reduces spending. going the wrong way, you could argue. talks about creating jobs, green jobs, perhaps with korea, something to do with infrastructure and none of it sounds right to the me. the word bank jumps out at me. that's not a solution. what, another commission? john, seems to me he's got to decide, like a kid riding a bike up on the curb. either go into the ditch, into the sewer when, what do you call it, the sewer drain, or stay up on the sidewalk. he's riding along the edge not doing anything. we've all been in that situation. i was a paper boy. reminds me of a guy on the bike afraid to do anything but go straight and eventually he's going to go over the side. why doesn't he come out with a big jobs bill? the deficit's going to go up anyway. it's going to go up because of unemployment. bring the deficit up positively

by calling for a real 2 million persons jobs program. everybody working. make a list of everything that needs to be done. put pictures on tv of the dangerous bridges, pothole-ridden roads. show what it looks like that isn't getting done and call for it to get done and call for boehner to sit on his hands and say no. why doesn't he call for something to be done about jobs? >> because he knows he will fail. >> because republicans would say no. >> i understand that. i'm trying to explain. i think that president obama, one thing we've seen over the course of 2.5 years of barack obama's administration. he is averse to hand-to-hand combat. he does not do that. many liberals and progressives who want the president to do various thing. wanted him in a debt ceiling fight to brandish the 14th amendment and push republicans into the corner. we could talk a long time whether that's the right or wrong thing to do or what you suggested is the right or wrong thing to do. president obama is not a

confrontationalist. at heart, his entire career even before politics, a guy who does not want to fight in that way. and you can ask him to try to be something else but you're asking him to be not barack obama when you ask him to do that. >> do you agree, jim? never do a public works because it would require hand-to-hand combat? >> i think it's the only option he has right now to come out with something bold and try to fight for it. truth is, you can't get the things you're talking about with let's do short-term stimulus. not happening. not in this congress. no way in hell after the fight he just went through getting democrats up to re-election to do more spending. everybody in congress is convinced with the exception of liberals it's bad politics now. bad policy, to be doing more spending. especially when independents have -- the idea of more government. >> but, jim, then he's done. if he has to be a faux

if he has to act like his main goal is debt cutting he's just a sort of a watered down conservative. doesn't he have to be an activist democrat to have a go shot as being a leader of this country otherwise he's following the tea party not fighting it? >> it would require a radical switch from where he's at. they made the decision after the election they're going for the center. win back independents and somehow navigate this country with a move with less spending. you saw where his heart at is at the beginning of the negotiations on the debt ceiling. he wanted to do something big, get entitlement and get to tax reform. lowering the corporate tax rate is something that the administration believed they could support that would get those businesses to start hiring. once they start hiring, the atmosphere changes. politics changes. you can start to readjust. until that happens, he is locked. he is a prisoner of this economy. he's a prisoner of a congress with no appetite whatsoever for more spending. >> this business community, john, has built up its treasury

of $2.5 trillion in cash by firing people. by not hiring people. by squeezing those who are working. they've done it in every corporation i know anything about. that's what they do. remove as many as they can of permanent employees, hire temporaries, hire part-time, whatever. they don't -- they do overtime and don't like to hire people. why do you or anybody think that cutting corporate taxes, giving business more of a break will get them to do what they know doesn't make money, which is getting rid of permanent employees? >> chris, there's a logic to tax reform in general. the argument would be that if you could get a broader -- cut taxes across the board after getting rid of a lot of loopholes and flattening out the code it would drive consumer demand and you add consumer demand, that go up, it creates a greater demand of products for american corporations and be able to produce more and therefore would have to hire more to produce more. that's the logic. i'm not endorsing it, but that's the logic of those who believe

that kind of tax reform would ultimately lead to more and better jobs in america. >> it's your -- if you're right, we're in a lot of trouble here, if you believe the companies don't want to do any hiring. government's not going to create the jobs in the next couple of years. there's no appetite. if we don't figure out how to get businesses to do it, it's not going to happen. there has to be some kind of compromise, some sort of concentrated effort by both parties to get business doing what it needs to do help grow this economy. >> i think we disagree. i think the american people have to be confronted with a choice. do you want the government to sit and do nothing or create jobs? i think they'll say create jobs. the worse this number gets. tomorrow, more reason to think about it. sadly enough. if that number goes up here to 10. thank you both. coming up, how did the tea party manage to take over this country? how's that for a question. they control less than half of the republican party. how did they get control of the

whole government? they don't seem to care about history or facts. only slashing government and are willing to risk wrecking the economy, we've seen that, if they don't get their way. how come? maybe i answered that. they're willing to extort. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc.

while americans don't like the deal of raising the debt ceiling, a gallup poll finds 46% disapprove versus 39% who approve. one in five said a step towards addressing the growing national debt and ironically democrats favor the deal far more than republicans despite republicans got nearly everything they wanted in the deal. 58% of democrats approve only a quarter of republican do. a third of independents. we'll be right back.

back to "hardball."

it wasn't long ago harry reid predicted the demise of the tea party. so much so, so much for that prediction. how has a small minority of political people amassed such a following? and you start, your column. i'm asking you now to do something you didn't do in the column. update it to right now. a 513.drop in the dow. a 513.drop in the dow. will that convinced the tea party they were right or the enemies of the tea party we took more than we can take? >> everybody will be guilty. i wrote in my story, we have a situation where everyone that sees their own truth. right? you know, daniel patrick moynihan would say you're entitled to your own opinion and own set of facts. the tea party sees their own set of facts as they want to see it.

not the same facts everyone else sees. more specifically, the tea partiers would say they didn't like the deal in the end. they brought the debate in their direction quite successfully ultimately, the michele bachmanns of the world opposed it, weak tea. and in part of fact washington wasn't getting serious about the deficit. a lot of people disagree. >> it's not the overseas markets? that caused this? it's the weakness of the deal. >> that's what they would say. >> dictating your own acts. there was not global warming no default of any significance, and also, michele bachmann, who is actually the leader thinking, would say things like, the founding fathers imposed slavery and dictate who the founding fathers were, going 30, 40 years later, the founding fathers. >> yep. >> am i answering my own question? they make their own facts up? >> you give me a segue, i agree with michael. everybody in washington points fingers at everybody else. expect that. the tea party does not have a

right to absolve themselves here actually, because before the debt ceiling deadline was hit, washington people on both parties were telling wall street, don't worry, we're going get a debt ceiling agreement. when they got one, so messy, so ugly, so crazy that wall street, which strives on predictability and hates unpredictability and instability, the whole tea party helped drag things further down. >> the key, the tea party thinking about economics. rush limbaugh explaining economics, we all were taught in school, spend money when the government down to offset consumers and business. what we're all taught. comes out of the great depression. hoover didn't do it, roosevelt did do it and it worked. here's rush limbaugh talking to one of his listeners. >> john maynard cain, if you want to know what cainian economics is, you're living it. barack obama, massive government

spending, massive debt, massive redistribution of wealth. the lie that government spending, deficit spending, can propel economic growth. they had no intention of saving capitalism. they wanted to destroy it and replace it. with socialism or marxism or fascism. >> he lost weight. says that word all the time. the heart the tea party. massive spending, hemorrhaging. hemorrhaging. the stimulus program of 800 to 900 billion dollars was a waste. >> right. >> it didn't bring the economy -- they've got a good argument with that. when you have a 9-plus unemployment rate, how can you claim you turned the economy around? the crayon level thinking. it works, doesn't it, for the argument? >> sure. the stimulus was a big setback for the economic theory. hard to explain it may have

prevented things from getting worse. the rush limbaughs point to unemployment and say it was a complete waste, it didn't work. also a trademark. it's not just that this economic theory doesn't work. never mind there's a lot of data that says it does. a lot of supporting data. this is a cover story for eliminating capitalism and big government running amok. it's a lie basically. it's a valid economic theory they rush limbaugh is turning it into. trying to hoodwink you and lie to you. that characterizes the movement. >> what do you think? the democrats want to replace capitalism with? never been able to make that connection. they raise most of their money from capitalism. >> makes up facts like he often does. no, look. we didn't spend up in on the stimulus. that argument is not getting a chance to be heard. king won say that. you had a representative of gdp during the roosevelt administration. in fact, world war ii, really pulled out of the depression. yeah, massive government spending.

and a war, right? >> and industry, that's what government does. buy stuff. >> up to this year, of this recent bad report we got, of very low productivity in the first quarter, is because of all the public money pulled out of the economy at a state side and local level. a private sector did a little bit creating jobs but all the money was pulled out. what's the tea party solution? pull more money out of the economy obviously more recession, possibly depression, and rush limbaugh is completely oblivious to that. >> the tea party prescription, cutting spending. you laid it out well. cutting spending, it's going to bring more economic bad times. in fact, worse. what will they say then? a new line? >> yeah. cut more spending. the government is too big. >> didn't go enough? a standard line of ap ideologue, didn't do enough. >> that's probably what would happen. and it's not that you can't find

a credible mainstream economist about the arcanian theory, but rush limbaugh, presenting a conspiracy theory. a fraud. you're being hoodwinked. you get a lot of that in the tea party. a fancy story to lie to you to promote another agenda. even the global warming, another capitalism. stems from the hatred of the free markets. has nothing to do with science or -- it makes it hard to have a serious conversation that gets anywhere because people are talking didn't- >> and detroit the auto industry, largely saved by government. >> who saved capitalism in the 1930s? fdr. fdr. not a very good job saving capitalism. roosevelt i thought ended the war. roosevelt kept it on his feet until the war came. >> doesn't hurt to put more money in the economy when you're in a depression. that simple. >> the tea party needs to read history. michele bachmann, the founding of our country, first. thank you.

nobody knows all the answers. they know less of the answer. thank you, sir. coming up, something you don't see every day. a major republican politician sticking it to the full mooners in his own party who talk of this phony threat of -- i like this guy christie. watch him in action, the governor of new jersey. a real jersey guy coming up next in the "sideshow." you're watching "hardball." only on msnbc.

back to "hardball" now. to the "sideshow." first up, hidden talents. a glimpse of the non-political side of a couple of the republican candidates this week. while greeting supporters in new hampshire, jon huntsman bent down and began playing something on the piano. let's listen. >> come on. sit down and hit a few. [ playing the theme to "charlie brown" ]

>> of course, the hard part, the theme to charlie brown, but he's not the only one. rick santorum's campaign on scraping the bottom of the barrel for cash, that won't stop the candidate from handing out free goodies. he told a group in iowa he and his family harvested 600 peaches from his home in pennsylvania and plan to hand out homemade jam at the upcoming straw vote calling it presidential peach preserves. with a name like santorum, it's got to be good. the voice of reason. new jersey governor chris christie took initial heat after appointing a sohail mohammed to the new jersey state bench. christie fired back as only he can when it was suggested by someone the new appointment means that sharia law could be

coming to his state. >> i nominated sohail mohammed because he's a good lawyer and outstanding human being. sharia has nothing to do with this. this is crazy. this law business is crap. it's just crazy and i'm tired of dealing with the crazies. >> tired of dealing with the crazies. i love it. how's that for putting the issue to rest this guy's a jersey guy. the big number. president obama announced plans for a bus tour throughout the midwest in an effort to refocus his initiatives on job creation. this pivot is not the first of its kind, however. how many times have obama announced a solicit to focus on job creation? seven times since the beginning of this presidency back in 2009. not an easy feat. up next, what's barack obama's best argument for re-election? and what's the best republican argument against it? we'll be right back. the strategists join us next. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc.

welcome back to "hardball." terrible news on the stock market. a drop of 513 points, fresh ammunition to republicans to make the case president obama is not healing the economy. what can the president say in his defense? time for the "hardball" strategists. a big night for republicans.

steve mcmahon playing defense. i'm afraid to say. take it away. batting practice for you. make the case. easiest night of your life. why the president should not get re-elected for a second term? >> simply, you ask the american people, is the country heading in the right direction, and depending on what poll you look at, your latest poll was about 67% say, no. i've seen it as high as 75%. >> make an argument. what's your case? >> four things. jobs, the economy, spending, debt. every one of those indicators people are unhappy with the direction this president has taken the country. if that's what the question of the 2012 cycle is about, barack obama is in real tough shape. >> what's the biggest issue going for you? >> the economy. clearly. >> narrow it down. >> jobs specifically. the economy more broadly. look at economic indicators, economic confidence, in gallup, latest numbers, the lowest of

the obama presidency. people don't think the economy is heading in the right direction. >> okay, you made your point. steve? >> listen -- >> jobs? >> it's jobs, it's the economy. the question on election day, whether people feel like thing are getting better or whether people feel like -- same thing we're getting worse. it's going to be a very hard day that day. >> i think they look at the back story and the future is the future. you have kids, wives, children to raise. a lot of people got retirement living to get through. you need certain things. who's your best bet for president? enlightened self-interest. vote for, let say, romney. the guy from texas. rick perry? >> elections are about two things. referendum on the future and on the incumbent. >> talk about the future. >> you don't get to do that. >> why is your guy better than obama? >> when running for re-election it's a referendum on the track record whoever's running.

>> pretend i'm asking the question. what does your crowd offer for the future to solve our economic problem? what does your crowd offer for the future? >> less government spending. more emphasis on private sector growth, more emphasis through the private sector not the government. i sat and listened to -- talking about kingsian economics, it's the private sector creating jobs. not the government. >> it ain't doing it. >> that's the big -- what the president believes. has democrats believe. what most americans believe, because it's true. chris raises a good point. the question, what are the republicans going to offer for a future and what, for instance, mitt romney will say about the fact that he made money in business buying up businesses, shutting them down, firing workers, moving them overseas. >> what most places do. >> it's what they do, not what people want a president of the united states to do. that's happening anyway. rick perry, great in the

republicans nominated another governor from texas, because it would make it easier for the president to do when he needs to do. remind people about the last governor from texas and when he inherited -- when he got -- >> that's not fair. >> you didn't ask to be fair. >> the next governor, rick perry, speak of the devil, gave an interview with cnbc he seemed to dis republicans. less listen. boy, that's a home game for him. let's listen. >> if some state decides to do something like pass a health care plan that, you know, is kind of like this obama thing and it's a failure, then we kind of go, oh, we don't want to do that. >> what do you think of that performance? >> well, look, rick perry is a masterful politician. i say that as someone who still has bruises from running a campaign against him.

if he gets in, he's going to be formidable. you don't need to be a political scientist or pollster to know that romney's health care plan is going to be a major issue in the party. >> he's your best bet to take on obama. >> romney? >> rick perry. >> i think romney's probably -- >> who's the best guy? >> i think romney matches up best, but there's a story about mitt romney you have to be told that will hurt him badly. >> you're going to tell the american people they have no choice but keep obama? your strategy? you're stuck with -- your campaign's going to be this is as good as it gets? >> elections are about choices. spend the next month or -- >> has any democrat or republican ever gotten elected -- you think i'm bad? wait until you see what's next. >> hundreds, thousands have. haven't you been watching. >> this is as good as it gets, your campaign strategy? >> the president will have to remind people what he inherited. going to have to convince people what he is doing is working. if you can't, that's a difficult thing for him and then tell people why he's a better choice

for the future. >> unemployment rate comes out tomorrow. if it's up around 10, what's that tell you? >> not a happy day in the white house. more important than the national unemployment, nine states barack obama won in 2008 that george bush had won in 2004. >> right on target. president obama must defend his territory. obama has to go back and win over voters in key ballot states he won before. look at the map right here. you can see, nine states, barack obama won in 2008, john kerry lost four years earlier, a lot of difficult turf. not naturally democrat. >> well, and to further that point, unemployment is above 8% in six of those nine states. >> yeah. >> so -- >> above 8% nationally, too. whatever the situation is nationally is going to be mirrored largely in those states, and you're right. it's a different map than it was four years ago. it's going to be a harder campaign, but they know that. they'll have $1 billion to

spend, and don't underestimate the importance of that, and use it early to define their likely opponent and don't underestimate -- >> respond to that interdemocratic strategist. heard that from both sides. don't really play defense. play offense. obama knows he's got terrible economics on tough terrain. a game fought in the mud or snow. not an easy campaign. he has to knock the other side. >> exactly right. put $1 billion behind trashing whoever the republican is, basically -- >> what does a voter do when they say they have a president that hasn't met up to their expectations and are scared of the other day? what do they do? don't vote? >> usually in that case, either not vote or vote for the devil you know as opposed to the devil you don't. >> democrats would smart to run a real red dog campaign. >> that's what i'd do. >> you guys, what a problem, you two guys. why don't you sit down with president obama now and really try to think through some novel,

imaginative ways to put people back to work because they don't have the answers right now. >> a lot of people are doing that. what tom and i do a little different. >> put the lipstick on the pig, what you guys do. on the other guy. >> steve has a job, i'll always have a job. >> you guys are absolutely. >> define what the choice is. >> that's what president carter tried to do with president reagan and they said, we're going to take a chance with the other guy. thank you. the american people are an optimistic breed and tend to look for the optimistic option. they'll never pick the pessimist. say this is as good as it gets. i hope obama has a good year. >> americans still like president obama. >> i think they do. >> look -- the unemployment rate is terrible. it is worse than it looks. up about 16. anyway, if you're a minority, it's worse. had a good night, but it was an easy one. up next -- see you. up next, does the deal end a

partial shutdown on the faa where republicans put some 70,000 workers out of work by holding up funding. a weird side show but real for workers that didn't get to strike. ray lahood will start it off. this is "hardball" only on msnbc.

treasury secretary tim geithner is expected to remain in his post.

the "new york times" reports today president obama and bill daley are threatening him to stay through the obama full first term avoiding a contentious confirmation battle for a successor, which may not succeed. we'll be right back.

this is a lose, lose, lose

situation that can be equally resolved if congress gets back into town and does its job. the house and senate through a procedural agreement said they'd review this with unanimous consent and have the fight they want to have when they get back. >> right. that was president obama yesterday calling for congress to take action on the faa shutdown before the end of the week, and it looks like it worked. senate majority leader harry reid says there's a deal to end the partial shutdown of the faa that put more than 70,000 workers off the job. for more let's bring in secretary of transportation ray lahood. who joins us live. thanks for joining us. the thing's over. what was it all about? why were we having trouble with our airline situation? >> chris, let me say a special thanks to senator reid, senator kay bailey hutchison and the president. and senator baucus. we had meetings at the white house every day. the president was intimately involved.

he cared about these workers and he instructed me and instructed staff on this every day until you get it solved, until these people get back to work. and so the president and senator reid, senator rockefeller, senator hutchinson really stepped up here. and there is an agreement so these people can go back to work on monday, or as soon as the president signs the build. the faa workers will go back to work. and it really was more about some members of congress letting their own agendas and egos get in the way of hard-working people, right smack dab in the middle of the construction season. this is not the time to be laying people off. chris, you've heard the speeches. so have i. jobs, jobs, jobs. well, people give a lot of good speeches. the way to create jobs is not to have legislation that lays off 70,000 workers. now because of extraordinary

leadership from the president and four senators, folks are going to go back to work, and are going to get paid. >> well, was there a piece of this deal and with organized labor? >> not really, chris. it was being talked about. it was more about essential air service. and our whole point was, pass a bill, and you can get back to the table and fix the labor issue, the essential air service issue, and some of these other issues. that should not stand in the way of 70,000 construction workers right smack dab in the middle of the construction season. this is their bread and butter season. this is when they make their money. and to have a few little items like this stand in the way of all these people, hard-working people, who have to make a mortgage payment, a car payment, their kids are about ready to go back to school and all that goes with that, so senator reid really got it done. the president really stepped up here. and the other senators that i mentioned. and on behalf of hard-working people, i'm grateful that this

agreement has been reached. >> when are we going to have airports that look as nice as the ones do in like capetown or jo-burg or around the world? l.a.x. is a dump. when are we going to have good-looking -- it's almost as bad as penn station in new york, which is a rat house. why do we have such terrible infrastructure even in the airline industry, where the airline industry is state of the art? >> it's simple, chris. we have not had a transportation bill for two years. we need people in congress who think big, who want to do big things, who want to do creative things. and want to put the money behind it. that's what we need. if you look at the president's vision on transportation, $550 billion over six years, that's more money than has ever been proposed by a president. the president's got a big view on transportation. let's do big things. and you know what, chris? if the congress were to pass a transportation bill, that equates to a jobs bill. a transportation bill -- >> i'm with you, you know.

i'm with you. >> puts people to work and does it in projects where people can really think big. >> i think you're robbing new york city down in the bottom of that penn station. you should arrive like a prince. new york the great empire city. and you go in there, and you get to the big apple, and it's a dump down there. and it used to be a beautiful building. l.a.x. is just so out of it. so yesterday, so smelly and old. pittsburgh, that's a great airport. thank you, secretary ray la hood. i'm beating your drum, sir. >> thank you, chris. when we return, the biggest problem facing president obama. fear. no jobs. you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. esurance instantly compares our car insurance rates with other top companies. with an esurance quote, you know you're getting a great deal. you can thank our tech team for that. sure, i'll let them know. bye-bye. aha! anything you want to share? with the tech team? oh, i'm dating that girl in accounting.

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let me finish tonight with a reality check. the reality we're getting from wall street today is as clear as the closing bell. people are scared, scared enough to be pulling their money out, to be stacking up their dollars where they can see them and nobody can get the them. fear. that's the reality out there today. and the question before the president is what's he going to do about it? it's time to recognize that we are in a period of recession. corporate america isn't hiring people.

it's finding every way it can not to hire people. even a modest pickup in the economy doesn't mean there will a pick up in job creation. want to bet on something today? bet on the jobless numbers staying up there in the nine category. bet on the country's corporations finding any way they can to make money without hiring full-time employees, the kind who want a good income and health care and a retirement plan. bet on corporate america to keep going with overtime, part-time, temporary, overseas, whatever it takes to avoid hiring full-time americans. this is what the president has been up against. and this is the back story to the current loss of faith. why would anyone have faith in the jobs market today? give me a reason. growth is stymied. we may be headed toward a second dip. even if he head up a bit, the people making hiring decisions are finding ways not to. you know why we don't have inflation today in america? because there aren't any shortages to drive up prices. we have factories with unused capacities, a work force almost 20% operating with

underemployment or unemployment. it's not a condition that makes for stout hearts or shopping sprees. people are sitting on their money and thinking of how they can find a deeper hole and stronger safe to lock it in. so it's up to the president to lead us out of this. if he's counting on corporate america to come to the rescue, he has been looking at his hope poster too long. if he's counting on the boardroom to make it easier for him to stay in the oval office, he's completely deluded. republicans don't think democrats belong in the white house. and most businesspeople are republicans. so today's a good day, mr. president, to get your people thinking about what the government can do to put people to work. public service jobs, public works jobs. it's time to pass out the shovels and get people to work. the deficit is high. it will get higher if the jobless rate gets any higher. your only choice is whether you want the deficit to rise from people being thrown out of work or being put to work. i recommend the latter. seeing people being thrown out of work spreads dread. seeing people being put to work