thanks for watching. i'm john seigenthaler     in  chicago. let's play "hardball." good evening, i'm chris matthews in washington. leading off tonight, my kind of town, chicago is. and the rest of illinois, too. that's the tune rick santorum hopes to be singing after tuesday's illinois primary. the obama team may like to see this bop race drag on, in fact all the way to tampa. they could be rooting for santorum to nail another hole in santorum's case.

also, the war on women. to republicans, it is a democratic fiction. to democrats, it is the season narrative. catch this. the tie-breaker. arizona republicans are about to pass a bill that actually allows employers to require women getting reimbursed for birth control to prove they don't plan to use them for birth control. get it? we'll try to. and republicans say the price of gas could come down if only we'll drill, baby, drill. democrats say we are already drilling and the price keeps going up. who's right? as if things couldn't get worse in afghanistan, karzai wants u.s. troops confined to barracks by next year. he's now questioning whether only one american was involved in that terrible massacre. is there any way out of this mess over there? finally, let me finish with the long family secret of ours, who my mother voted for back in 1960 in the kennedy/nixon race. it's a big st. patrick's day story. we begin with the fight for illinois. john howell man writes for "new

york" magazine, and david writes for "mother jones." both are nshs political analysts of the highest order. what we have is this. poll taken wednesday, two days ago. of likely republican voters in illinois, shows romney on top with 37. santorum at 31. gingrich, way down there at 14, and paul at 8. let me go to you, john heilemann. is this a chance for greatness for santorum to win a big state? >> certainly a chance for greatness, chris. the state of illinois hasn't had a competitive primary in decades on the republican presidential side. it is very much a state geographically divided between the north and south. you have republican, suburban republican counties around chicago and suburbs that are pretty moderate, should be romney country. then down state illinois, very conservative, much more like the south than like anything around chicago, and that's good hunting ground for santorum. gingrich has more or less

abandoned the field there, headed down -- made a quick stop there yesterday or today, is headed now to camp out in louisiana. that 14% that gingrich has may erode considerably, may erode to santorum's advantage. it would be a huge win for santorum if he could pick up illinois after coming in so close in michigan and ohio, winning in the industrial midwest. it would be a big blow to romney psychologically, it would give santorum huge bragging rights going forward. >> i love this idea. nothing impressed me as much as the pictures i have seen in movies, never been there, of the beautiful chicago suburbs. i keep thinking of that wonderful movie with the gorgeous elizabeth shue, adventures in baby-sitting. those people look to me like perfect romney voters. well-off, well-turned-out, well-educated republicans who are probably good on the fiscal issues because they love to save taxpayers' money on poor people's programs but are pro-choice on all the other things on social issues.

romney country, right? john? >> yes, yes, sorry, thought you were talk to go david corn. >> yes. i wanted to get your information. talking about rich republicans. >> absolutely. look, chicago suburbs, i went to college at northwestern university. i know the suburbs pretty well, it's a very -- they are very well off, they are -- they are culturally, socially, politically well-aligned to romney. as i say, down state, it's very conservative. you go to peoria, it is like nashville than it is like chicago. >> what about the northwest side, ethnic people, the polish people and the catholics there, are they going to go with santorum? >> they could on cultural conservative issues. you talked about john hughes territory if you think of the movies, "home alone" and things like that. if i was the mitt romney -- >> was that in chicago suburbs? >> yeah. if i were in mitt romney camp, saw poll numbers like that, 36, 37, 31, i would be damn scared because rick santorum continues

to outperform his polling numbers. i think there's a good reason why. the intensity gap. if on tuesday, you look out the window, it looks like it may be a chance of rain, the romney voters say oh, i don't think so. but the santorum voters say oh, biblical rain? this makes sense. i'm going to the polls. >> i love it. let's take a look. here is mitt romney. his ad in illinois. this is the killjoy of all-time. what we have been watching. a big word for something really petty. the absolutely negative ads run over and over again by rom. usually by his offshore operation, this restore our future super pac. this one run by his campaign with his name on it. look at the new mitt romney campaign ad running in illinois that goes after rick santorum. >> who can turn around the economy and defeat barack obama? not rick santorum. santorum's real weakness is the economy. he's never run a business or a state.

his plan? economic illiteracy. inexcusable. the worst idea of any gop candidate. rick santorum. another economic lightweight. mitt romney, ready to lead the nation to a new era with the boldest gop agenda since reagan. >> i'm mitt romney, and i approve this message. >> that is the most downbeat, grim ad. it's dark in color, dark in mood, dark in music. only at the end does it say anything slightly upbeat. john, that's the despicable kind of politics i hate. it drives down voter participation. it runs people out of politics. who wants to join a business described like that? who wants to be a young person in their 30s and run for politics if that's the crap you have to put up with. john heilemann. >> it is certainly not inspiring. yet as you know, chris, romney campaign has been successful running negative campaigns throughout this primary season, and they do it very well. they have been successfully doing it, they had big financial

advantages, poured a lot of negatives ads on the air, whether it's through the campaign itself, usually more so through the super pac. it's worked for them in the past. i talked to john braybender, rick santorum's chief strategist, he is saying we have to stay focused on the economy in illinois. >> thank you, have a nice weekend, john, up in new york. and david corn, thank you so much, my buddy. coming up, republicans insist there's no war on women. of course, they don't see it that way, the democrats do. and this is hot, hot politics. gender politics. then why are republicans by the way out in arizona about to pass a bill that would require women trying to get reimbursed for birth control to prove that they're taking it for medical reasons, not to do with birth control? this is strange. we're going to try to explain it. this doesn't help the republicans but it's ahead and you're watching "hardball" on msnbc. tired eye relief with hydroblend™, only from visine®. just one drop instantly soothes and revives tired, overworked eyes. and comforts them for up to ten hours.

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and a landmark lawson a woman who does the same job as a man can get the same pay. >> we'll make sure that our daughters have the same rights, the same chances, and the same freedoms to pursue their dreams as our sons. >> wow. welcome back to "hardball." that excerpt is from a new 17-minute obama campaign video. that message of the president's stump speech these daze. he makes clear the first piece of legislation he signed at president of the united states was a law that benefits women. at a time when women's access to health care is being challenged in washington, d.c. here and numerous state legislatures around the country. it's a powerful message and very hot politically. lily ledbetter has fought for women's rights, the rights for equal pay. she didn't stop until it was law. the lily ledbetter fair pay act. she tells her story in her book "grace and grit." we're fortunate tonight, congresswoman allison schwartz of pennsylvania from where i grew up, one of the nine states

with legislation pending, it's not her fault by the way. this is the state legislature, she's a national legislator, that would have women have to have an ultrasound before an abortion. welcome to you both. i don't know where to start. let's start in pennsylvania. there are two measures. let me go with congresswoman schwartz. try to explain to us. you're opposed to it, i assume you are. why are republicans in harrisburg, pennsylvania diddling around with this. ultrasound requirements in an age, what, 40 years after roe v. wade. isn't this another way to punish people having chosen to have an abortion? >> i can't speak to motivation of legislators who are pushing for this in harrisburg or the governor who is supporting it and really was pretty offensive when he said, look, women can just look the other way when this invasive procedure and

unnecessary one at that is being done to them. it's pretty insensitive and outrageous. all you can say is they're ignoring the real concerns that women and men have, which is access to healthcare, access to women's health services that includes pap smears, mammograms, and full gynecological examinations and contraception. and it's pretty off the charts in terms of what really most men and women in this country are thinking about, which is i want access to my health care that i need, and honestly, we're really interested in the economy and jobs, and thank you lily ledbetter for stepping up and the concerns that so many of us have. we ought to be meeting those challenges and instead seeing legislation that is just time and time again hammering on ways that they can make it much harder for women to access health services they need. >> hold on, lily ledbetter, because the congresswoman has brought up something we have to get a right response. here in his own words is the governor of pennsylvania tom

corbin on this issue. here he is explaining what his defense of this requirement in this piece of legislation in a state law that would require that women be forced basically to look at a screen of a son gram, i guess, in effect, an ultrasound, before they choose to have an abortion, as part of the procedure. here he is explaining what he thinks about that requirement. >> wouldn't change it, as long as it's not intrusive. we're still waiting to see. >> making them watch, does that go too far in your mind? >> make anybody watch, okay, you just have to close your eyes. but as long as it's on exterior, not interior. >> well, lilly ledbetter, i want you to get into this. generally, i know you're not an expert on this, but a case where the republican party for whatever reason is pushing very hard here to i think make having an abortion, also certainly not a joyful experience for anyone, to make it even less so, and

make it something i would think, putting a burden on a woman, forcing her through a new procedure on top of ones she is already going through. what do you think's going on here? you've been through all these fights, you're a pioneer. >> well, i tell you chris, you've hit the nail on the head. this is a war on women, and women across this nation i hope are waking up and listening to what's being said by the republican party, and this is too much control over the women's lives and to say that they have in their life because this is not right in this country, and i'll date myself. i go way back. i remember when roe versus wade was passed into law. i remember young women who needed abortion and could not get one. they would have to use other means, go out of the country because no medical doctor or facility would do them before roe versus wade, no matter what the reason. this is a war on women. now we can't get our birth

control medication insured and get payment for it without having to prove all these things? this is not right. this is not right. >> well, i take it back to congresswoman schwartz. this is politics. try to divine the other side here. you're defending women to do their own decision making which makes perfect sense to most people. on the other side there seems to be people culturally or whatever, from their own moral perspective or whatever, getting very aggressive here. i mean, these issues i thought were settled. certainly i had not heard a sermon in my own religion against birth control since the 1950s, seriously, as a church-going person, never heard it within my cultural world and religious world. to bring it to the public square, to bring it into the legal world, to fight it there, it seems to be very aggressive for people. my thought. your thought. >> you know that you've seen men and women across this country

support access to contraception. they do. and they use contraception or they don't. that's their personal decision. but the fact is that it is a part of women's healthcare, and men support it as well. so from a political perspective, i have to say, i understand there are people who -- it's a difficult issue for some people, people feel very strongly about it, but religious freedom in this country means our government doesn't make those religious or moral decisions for you, and offers opportunity for women to get the health services they need, and this is a conversation i thought we had years ago that we would have access to important women's medical care, and it would be done in a safe and legal way. and so really, this -- this is really an interesting political decision on the part of the republicans to take this on time and time again, on the federal level we've seen -- we almost shut down the government over

trying to not fund planned parenthood and family planning services. we've seen obviously recent legislation to try to make sure contraception is not part of standard insurance packages, which it is now in this country. so you're right. some of this felt it was settled, bringing up issues that feel very extreme, very right wing, very narrow agenda, again when all of us, many of us, and most americans want us to be tackling improved access to health services for all americans, making sure we tackle issues around the economy. >> okay, congresswoman -- >> it's hard to understand. and it's losing women's votes. >> it's great to have you represent my own area where i grew up. the 58th ward. great to have you up there with those people. let me ask lilly ledbetter, one of the most famous people on the show in a long time. what do you think politically is going on in the republican party? why do they take up the cause against as you see it, against women as a gender? what is it in their culture that

makes them keep going to the ramparts in these wars against women's rights? >> evidently, they don't recognize women for what they are worth and their value 2, it sort of distracts from the campaign right now. what really is important. and it's just like what the senator said. we need jobs in this country. we need to put women back to work. we need to get our women for our family's sake paid equally to what the men are paid, and we've got to focus on our american families to get this country built back up to where we were at one time, being number one around the world. and we're losing it with our family issue, with women having to work two jobs, maybe two and a half, working on a weekend, to make ends meet and still can't, and have to have help from their families. another thing i learned traveling this country, chris, is that the older women in this country make up the largest

group of seniors, and we, most of us, are widows, and some are having to move in their children's homes, and this is not right. this is a hardship in this country on the american family, and it's just a fundamental right that our families can get these healthcare services covered, that we can be paid equally for our work, because it is a fundamental american right. >> thank you so much, it is an honor having you on, lilly ledbetter. my daughter works at google, she's a college grad from penn. if she found one of the guys working her level made more money, i wouldn't want to be between her and the boss. anyway. thank you. lily ledbetter, allyson schwartz, thank you from pennsylvania. i'm watching your career, by the way, all the time watching how well you're doing on ways and means. and perhaps something greater soon. up next, mitt romney's dogged once again by that old story of the dog, the irish

setter up on the roof of his car. it ain't going away, governor. check out the side show.

here we are, back again, back to the side show. first up. the joy ride continues. yesterday we had some fun with that infamous, notorious story of mitt romney strapping his dog, fair enough, in a kennel to the top of the car for a long road trip to canada, that will just continue to dog him if you will on the campaign trail. an article by bob shrum suggests who's got the role of romney's dog in the 2012 presidential race. quote from his column. republican voters are now the political equivalent of mitt romney's famously abused dog, seamus. mitt has put voters on the roof of his car and he's driving for the nomination, whether they

like it or not. more accurately, he is sputtering toward the nomination as the roof-bound electorate periodically poops on his parade. there's a graphic picture for you. great picture words there, bob, thank you for that. up next, on the offensive, chicago mayor rahm emanuel president obama's ex chief of staff, just delivered a dig at mitt romney. remember romney's reaction to rush limbaugh calling a georgetown university student a slut for supporting employer-covered contraception. remember that? watch this. >> not the language i would have used. i'm focusing on the issues that i think are significant in the country today. >> here's recalahm, the mayor o chicago, in his signature attack mode. >> give advice to the republicans, they don't take it, i don't want to give it. they'll make whatever decision they want to make. but as you look at the fortitude

and strength, the determination and vision the president made, juxtapose to mitt romney who doesn't have the fortitude, the strength, the character, in hi view, to stand up to rush limbaugh. if you can't stand up to rush, how are you going to stand up to russia? >> romney hit the chicago suburbs today to campaign for next week's primary. finally, just kidding. talk about a campaign snafu, the republican and democratic parties in monroe county, iowa, held their conventions last weekend. not everything went without a hitch. here's a hint, both conventions were held in the same building. gop candidate dan dolan arrived to speak at the republican convention. according to the candidate, my staffer runs up and says, hey dan dolan is here, can he speak? they stopped everything and i get up there and give my speech. i get it done, a guy raised his hand and says, i think you want to talk to the republicans. that's right. the republican hopeful, dan boy there, was speaking to a room full of democrats.

that's the stuff of nightmares. ask about it later -- asked about it later, dolan said he's not sure how many votes i won in that room that day. anyway. that's "hardball" for now. happy st. patrick's day. coming up next, "your business" with j.j. ramberg. a feel the power my young friend. mmm! [ male announcer ] for excellent fruit and veggie nutrition... v8 v-fusion, also refreshing plus tea. could've had a v8. [ female announcer ] the gold standard in anti-aging. roc® retinol. found in roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream. it's clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. now for maximum results... the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum to create retinol correxion® max. it's proven to be 4x better at smoothing lines and deep wrinkles than professional treatments. new roc® retinol correxion® max. nothing's better than gold.