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tv   Hardball With Chris Matthews  MSNBC  April 10, 2012 2:00pm-3:00pm PDT

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the political tax rule. "hardball" with chris mas thewes starts right now. >> i'm chris matthews in washington. leading off tonight, going, going, gone. it wasn't long ago -- good evening, i'm chris matthews from washington. leading off tonight, going, going, gone. it wasn't long ago that rick santorum looked like the guy that just might knock off mitt romney, but he lost michigan, he lost ohio, he lost wisconsin, and it increasingly looked like he was going to lose his home commonwealth of pennsylvania. so today rick santorum suspended his campaign. though he refused to mention romney by name, you bet he did.
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nothing stands between romney and the nomination. check your calendars, by the way. the general election starts today. on that last point, president obama knows that times are bad this fall. he won't get reelected arguing, i've done a great job. so he's making a different case right now, that if you're struggling, it's not because he's failed, it's because the system failed. the republicans have stacked the deck in favor of the rich against the rest of us. obama clearly thinks it has a winning strategy here. plus the trayvon martin case, lawyers for george zimmerman said they are no longer his lawyers. they said an odd behavior on zimmerman's part. we'll get the latest from sanfo sanford, florida. and we'll learn how dangerous it is for anyone in this country to defeat obama.
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we begin with rick santorum tonight exiting the race. his campaign communications director and also the great howard feinman. rick santorum is out. here's what he said, your candidate, in leaving the campaign, announcing it this afternoon. let's watch. >> ladies and gentlemen, we made the decision getting into this race that our kitchen table, that while this presidential race for us is over for me, and we will suspend our campaign, we are not done fighting. we are going to continue to fight for those voices, we're going to continue to fight for the americans who stood up and gave us that air under our wings
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that no political expert would have ever expected. >> no one would have expected it. we all. nobody believe. that's pretty far right, because i think it is. >> i think he was the second to last campaign that really mattered. why did he quit? i think that in order to secure the amount of delegates we needed to, and a few things had to happen. we had to do well in pennsylvania and push all those delegates and say. z and then in third was texas. it looked like it was going to
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happen last week, a big movement was afoot -- >> he doesn't like mitt romney, does he? >> yeah, he was fine. >> he didn't say he won the nomination, he just ignored them. about the i way, i think he's right to not like them. this is fairly personal, maybe effective, but it sdz in pennsylvania rick santorum as defeated by did he have. rick santorum lost his home county by 30 points. >> he lost across the board with voters. among demt krats or young and. >> we fired him as senator.
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why pro people from this message. . . he didn't even run for reelection because the poll numbers were so bad, he quit. . >> let me try to depending the reality you live in. the reason rick santorum's candidate. . it was personal, you hid it below the selt. i think, obviously, there is no love. what normally happens in a tough primary season, may be marge
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marge. why did they will -- mitt romney needs everything that looks like convincing finality and if he's dropping $20 million ads on rick santorum in pennsylvania, he was eager to do it. grind some dust in pennsylvania and he would have done it. >> you know when you're in a race and you're knocking everybody off the track, is that what romney did? did he win positively or negatively? >> that's a good question. >> he didn't run one positive ad the entire cycle, everybody knows that. >> so rick, your guy, was he both the steward of people who believed in him and those who didn't believe in romney? >> i think they were a little both. they were looking -- you're telling me, you got a great
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pla place. the very hours after the other guys leave the race, he's not a true conservative z is that going to be the campaign slogan of the republicans. >> go ahead, howard. >> i'm just. z if i'm mitt romney, my enthusiasm level is going down by the second. one of rick santorum's veng. he really did connect with a very conserved products. here he is, describing his as a candidate in -- people would
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say, how did that happen? how were we able to come out in the middle of norway? because i understood if i wonder if i can be interpreter of that. your voice can be heard and mirrorically can. >> i always liked it personally, but i disagree with a lot of things. i like this because one of the reasons my look is the punk. you see her running 2016. get out until he loses pennsylvania. i'm not going to see we haven't talked about it. . there are a lot of people.
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and by the way, there is an implication here. >> what do you mean? >> if you're preparing for 2016, you're preparing for romney to lose. >> yes, it is. and there's no job anticipate buzz. >> this young boy just admitted the fact he's planning to run in 2016. >> i'm just marveling at hogan having wandered into this den and he's confirmed that he might do that. they've already talked about the possibility of santorum running in 2016. >> because romney is going to lose in 2012, for whatever reason. >> there's no other reason. your guy has an opening in 2016. >> you haven't said that he's a conservative. >> he's more conservative --
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>> that doesn't mean anything. >> well, look, i think in the end that rick santorum will campaign for mitt romney. and i think he's going to campaign for him amongie van l je -- the evangelicals. i talked to governor tamron earlier, and he said, look, rick, i would like to meet you. >> what santorum is going to do, i think, and hogan, correct me if i'm wrong, is he's going to talk about barack obama. mr. santorum isn't going to talk a lot about mitt romney. >>. i don't know that that would be. >> do you think he might be for
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rick was out there taking it on the jib, everybody. let me ask you a question. the middle, even from the center left were very affected by what looked to be a lunch pale case. >>. so 49% -- or 49 of that 50% republicans often get in general elections like 2010 and run on that line and not -- i've got my conversation for pennsylvania, joe, why did it get into contraception and all this stur.
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you guys took -- come on, chris. >> my old speech of i hope we bring in consensus in this campaign. >> that's 5 minutes of a 45-minute speech. most of his speech was blue collar. nobody -- there was a cultural war here. but looking back on it. i think he got off track a little bit. if he had stuck to the scene, if he could i did a got job, om am. you guys are running in 2015 because you expect romney to lose. >> another addition of the cow.
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it's so much fun, howard, because we're both. coming up. president obama is. wealthy, parents should pay their fair share and they're not doing it. but help. fairness versus a way out. this is "hardball." hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals.
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could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old 401(k) into a fidelity ira and take control of your personal economy. this is going to be helpful. call or come in today. fidelity investments. turn here. that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. let's check the "hardball" scoreboa scoreboard. we have new numbers from maine, obama leads romney by 18 points, 55-37. wow, that won't last, i don't think. that's according to a new automated phone poll.
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the poll also found independent king trounsing in the race. king is at 56 over the republican and democratic parties, even though he would caucus once he makes the senate. i say he becomes a democrat, effectively. we'll be right back. [ chuckles ] yes. yes, it does. ♪ call 1-800-steemer do you really think brushing is enough to keep it clean? while brushing misses germs in 75% of your mouth, listerine cleans virtually your entire mouth. so take your oral health to a whole new level. listerine... power to your mouth.
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the president thinks he's found a winning message for his campaign. he made a strong push for congress to adopt what he's called the buffett rule. let's watch. >> a share of our national income going to the top 1% climbs to levels we haven't seen since the 1920s. the folks who are benefiting from this are paying taxes of one of the lowest rates in 50 years. that's wrong. that's not fair. so we have to choose which direction we want this country
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to go. do we want to keep giving those tax breaks to folks like me who don't need it or give them to warren buffett, he definitely doesn't need them, or bill gates, he's already said, i don't need 'em, toor do we wanto keep investing in those things to give to our economy. >> republicans are lining up behind a budget plan that would slash social services for the poorest americans, programs like medicaid, while giving deep tax cuts to the wealthiest americans, up to 12% for people making over a million of year. the president speaking that economic fairness will sit better with americans. robert rice served as secretary of labor under president clinton. his new e-bike is called "beyond outrage." let's go to the fight here. it does seem to be a classic american fight. the president is making it here,
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not saying i've done a great job as president, but saying, no, i'm on the right road. the road is fairness. we should not be out there giving tax breaks besides the obama tax cuts. when we have to, will it go towards poor people or not? >> it will be a winning situation. mitt romney is the poster child for wealth and power and privilege in this country. he also fell into the trap, it seems to me, of endorsing paul ryan's budget which, as you said, gives a huge tax break to people at the top and also cuts medicare and medicaid and food stamps and a lot of things that the middle class, the lower middle class, the poor depend on. kind of a reverse robin hood budget. we're going to see a lot more of this. we're already hearing and we already heard in december a
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great speech, i think, that the president gave out in kansas about fairness. he used the word fairness in december and then 15 times. >> that's a good korege. i want to ask you this question. why do you. if they're giving tax break more money in addition to money they've already earned with tax breaks all over the place, and the reason they give poor people a. why would a poor person work harder if you slashed medicaid, the chance for his kid to go to college? why wouldn't you. >> my thought is that you're right, this presidential election will be about two themes, democrats talking about
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bush, what he was talking about, fairness, farn, farn. that will be the president's message. for mitt romney to win this race, he has to use the word that neither you nor robert rice nor barack obama has been using at all lately, and that is growth and prosperity. that has to be the message. get tax rates down. that worked out well for us, too, by the way, not just bush. >> the one thing he did at the helm was cut taktsz. that gave us what we got in twine. why do you say it's the road to prosperity when it was the road to doom. >> chris, you could make the same argument about chris's statu statues. most people would remember the culinary is very positive. >> well, we cut the tax rates to 2003. in 2003.
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the economy crashed because of t the. we had four or five. my good friend steven moore, doesn't want to admit that after the bush tax cuts in 2001-2003, median wages started to drop ng. and if bill clinton's. >> this whole supply. >> bob, you know that on april 1st, the united states became the highest corporate tax rate in the world, and now, if we do the bumper pool, we'll have a 30% capital gains. >> we're the.
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let me. . >> this morning paul ryan took a wipe at the buffett law. he doesn't like like t. i think people think of him as the morning joe. >> no, we can surpass it. >>. let me get. he. people over the million-dollar range should be at the same rate. >> the request for the 25 years i've been in policy, i've been a strong advocate of a flat tax, a
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single ray with no. why can't we have a simple, no loophole, flat rate, low rate tax system because i'm not talking down on america. you cut me, i believe, at red, lyse. >> we're going to have a vote. you're predicting that we'll probably give them an argument that they will support the buff fe buffett rule. we have to bring our taxes down, not up. >> what people don't want to remember is that for three decades, the average annual growth of this economy was faster than it's been the last three decades, since the reagan administration. in other words, history is on the side of barack obama, and
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those who say that the rich should pay their fair share not just because we have a huge budget deficit, then we also have a deficit in terms of education and roads and bridges, but also because that kind of fairness, that type of fairness is completely compatible with economic growth, which is what steve moore says it's not. but look at history, it absolutely is. >> he is my hero and chris matthews' hero, john kennedy said those taxes were too high. >>. >> steve, i know what i started, but this one area, no one knows more than you. . >> now, the democrats are wrong. thai become.
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>> ox, we have to go to the president first. >> and we're not going to do that under the ryan budget. fairness, argument. let's watch the president today. >> here in america, woe. here in paper. here in america, we can meet any challenge. here in america, we can seize any moment we can make this century another great century. >> 50 years from now, the republic kands will be coming off a show in all of. if it's 2%, they'll say we have more fun.
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here it comes, thank you. thank you. up next, can. >> it still on its woof, by wait. . you're watching "hardball." [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. omnipotent of opportunity. you know how to mix business... with business. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle.
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the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. back to "hardball." now for the side show and what a side show it is. ask just about any of mitt romney's rivals and they'll tell you they had the dog seamus on the roof of a station wagon for a 12-hour trip to canada. how loving owners transport their dogs.
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today they're here for the long haul. >> when did you stop channelling gail collins and talk about that poor dog put upon the roof? >> i am a dog lover. >> i have a rescue. i would never put him on the roof of my car. who would do that? >> well, mitt romney. >> he always does that deadpan way. the story speaks for itself. it ain't going away. finally, did you ever think you would hear newt gingrich dispensing hair and makeup advice? while trying to make a point about health care, no less. here's what newt said to a group of north carolina high school kids about a plan for personalized health care just yesterday. here i quote him. this is newt again. quote, think about it. if you're going to go out on friday and you're going to put on makeup, each of you has a different skin tone and you have different hair color, and you
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may want to create a different effect. if you're going to church, you probably wear one level of makeup. if you're going out on a date, you may wear a different level of makeup. we're going to be able to have very personalized medicine the way we have very personalized makeup. what is with this guy, newt gingrich? is he looking for a job as the next sales rep for mary kay? up next, the latest on the trayvon martin shooting case. the lawyers for george zimmerman quit, saying they lost touch with their client. ♪ surf's up everybody get your boards and your wetsuits ♪
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drop in the year. the nasdaq down 56. renewed worries about europe. also the upcoming earning season in america weighing on stocks. however, hewlett-packard shares going down, and after the bell, alcoa reported earnings that actually beat estimates of those shares rising after hours, and that is it from cnbc first in business worldwide. now back to "hardball." > . we are withdrawing as counsel for mr. zimmerman. we've lost contact with him. up to this point we've had contact every day. he's gone on his own. i'm not sure what he's doing or who he's talking to, but at this point we're withdrawing as counsel. >> wow. welcome back to "hardball."
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that was craig sonner, former attorney for george zimmerman. zimmerman was the neighborhood watch volunteer that shot and killed trayvon martin over a month ago. his attorneys say they have not heard from george zimmerman since sunday, chfwhich was two s ago, and have given up representing him. we have investigative corresponde correspondents who have been covering this case. ron, when you're lawyers, that's not a good sign of the health of the client, i would say. >> well, they said a number of things. they said the final straw was that zimmerman apparently tried to contact the special prosecutor, angela cory, on his own today by telephone, and his lawyers said they did not think the prosecutor would speak to him under any conditions because that would make the case more complicated. that was the last straw. that's what they were referring to when they said he was acting on his own. they also said he is not in the state of florida but he has been
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in touch with them by phone. he has not ever spoken with them face to face during this entire process because it has not been safe or possible. we now know it's because he's been out of the state. despite everything else they heard, they still believe he acted in self-defense that night. again, they say they haven't talked to him since sunday. just a very, very strange and baffling development in all this, chris. >> who is managing the legal defense fund we've read about for zimmerman? >> there was some confusion about the web site that's been set up over the past couple days. the lawyers say it is a real web site being run by george zimmerman. apparently his father has played a role in this as well, trying to help it just to get set up. his lawyers say that is legitimate. we don't know if he's contributing to it, how much money he has raised.
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again, there was a very convoluted process in how that came to be. we were all expecting today that the special prosecutor might denounce his decision, there might be an arrest, there might be zimmerman turning himself in, but suddenly we're in front of the federal courthouse and the lawyers are saying they're taking themselves off the case. >> on that point, the prosecutor, there was a wonderful takeout piece on her today that gave a good background on her. she is a tough law and order prosecutor. the question, i guess, is what do you make of the fact that she's chosen not to impanel a grand jury? >> that's not totally unexpected. they were actually pleased with that decision because they are concerned about a closed door process, which is what the grand jury would have been. they wanted to be present for all the proceedings. they wanted to see all this done in public very transparent and out in the open, so they're very
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pleased by that. one thing a grand jury means is that zimmerman would not be charged with premeditated murder, you need a grand jury to do that, is and that's one thing we can be certain of. it's a very courageous decision. >> is that a good objective assessment, the fact that she chose not to go to a grand jury but to decide she's going to make the call herself whether to indict? >> well, that's what people are saying, and for many the scenario, a very plausible, possible scenario would be to hand this to a grand jury, the grand jury decides not to indict, and then you have a prosecutor come forward and explain to the public why this didn't happen. some prosecutors use grand juries for cover. when you have a complicated case, it gives them an out. so for many to say take this on your own and make the decision is very great. >> let me go to michael with me.
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given his lawyers have dropped out and he's on his own, apparently. >> george gone rogue, basically. >> to be totally fair here, the pressure on this guy, if he picks up a newspaper, a magazine or watches any program. >> of course. he's not totally in communicado. i just got off the phone from one of his friends. they talked about the lawsuit -- >> turn it around. could it be he doesn't think much of these two lawyers? >> then you get another lawyer rather than call and talk to the prosecutor yourself. >> do you think maybe on the political right, there are people more sympathetic to him that have been offering themselves up for legal help? do you hear much of that? >> frank taffy told me there was a $10 million donation for the defense fund.
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he says that's not true. >> might as well get something from the lawyer. >> it depends who lawyers. the other thing is -- one of the things that was interesting is, from the lawyers they learned he had called sean hanity, and apparently neither hanity nor zimmerman will tell them what they discussed. >> let's listen a bit more to the zimmerman lawyers, what they had to say today. >> we learned that he had called sean hanity of fox news drebtly, not through us, and we believe -- i can't confirm this -- we belief -- believe he spoke directly with sean off the record and he's not even willing to tell us what our client told him. >> this shows how little we know on what exactly happened, because there's only one live
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witness, the man involved in the shooting. the victim is dead, which is the case in most street shootings, i guess, but we have no way to get around the attorney. the prosecutor is very respectful, according to the times today. correct? >> there's so much that we haven't seen that you would need to form a judgment about what happened here, and certainly a prosecutoorl prosecutorial judgment. ballistics would tell us the angle from which the bullet was shot. it could support zimmerman's story or contradict zimmerman's story. >> whether he was being rushed or not or whether he just shot him. >> the autopsy report from trayvon martin, where the bullet resides, medical reports from that evening on just how serious the injuries were. >> well, we had the head
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bleeding and nose -- let me ask you this. the stress test, because i'm fascinated with the veracity. how safe is it to believe in a stress test, a voice test. >> it's the kind of thing that if presented in court would be challenged by other experts as these things always are, so i don't think we should form any final conclusions on that at all. >> do police believe him? >> some police believe him, they use him at times, but i don't think a prosecutorial decision will be made. just another thing on whether the prosecution contacts him. >> we'll find out. it's a very difficult case to find the truth here yet. up next, a reminder of how dangerous it is politically for anyone in south florida especially to say anything nice
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about fidel castro like, i love him. a miami sports figure fighting to save his career after saying he loves the cuban dictator. this is "hardball." they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times. never taking a bailout. there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries. the strength of a global financial leader. the heart of a one-to-one relationship. together for your future. ♪
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well, the senate race up in massachusetts certainly shaping up to be the marquee matchup this election year. now elizabeth warren, the democrat, has doubled the
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republican. warren took in nearly $17 million last quarter versus 3.4 by senator brown. brown still has 15 million in his war chest, of course, 4 million more than warren, but she is well within the margin of error. she can win this race. we'll be right back. wake up! that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. i bathed it in miracles. director: [ sighs ] cut! sorry to interrupt. when's the show? well, if we don't find an audience, all we'll ever do is rehearse. maybe you should try every door direct mail. just select the zip codes
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where you want your message to be seen, print it yourself, or we'll help you find a local partner and you find the customers that matter most. brilliant. clifton, show us overjoyed. no, too much. jennessa. ah! a round of applause. [ applause ] [ male announcer ] go online to reach every home, every address, every time with every door direct mail. [ male announcer ] get it now at red lobster's lobsterfest. 12 tempting choices like lobster lover's dream or maine lobster and shrimp. but only for a short time. now at red lobster. i'm laura mclennan and i sea food differently. to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? well, there is. [ male announcer ] it's called ocuvite. a vitamin totally dedicated to your eyes, from the eye-care experts at bausch + lomb. as you age, eyes can lose vital nutrients. ocuvite helps replenish key eye nutrients. [ male announcer ] ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. now, that's a pill worth taking.
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[ male announcer ] ocuvite. help protect your eye health. we're back, and here's some advice if you happen to be in south florida, don't say you love fidel castro. that's what ozzie gian did in an interview with "time." he was forced to apologize to an
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outrage down there. whether he keeps his job, even, is very unclear right now. the incident shows, obviously, that even 50 years after castro took castro took power in cube why, how powerless it is to say anything complimentary, especially in south florida. chairman of the city commission down there, sir, give us a sense of what this means to people when they hear a prominent figure of perhaps a bound that people love, a baseball team with a new stadium and everything, saying about the guy that took their country away from them. >> it is about the most insulting thing that you can say about the community. fidel castro was a dictator, hasn't come up among the democratic process. he is a systematic violator of fund manial human rights and that's been documented by a variety of different organizations. on top of everything else, this community is full of exiles who lost their homes, who lost their
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lively hood, to this person, to this tyrant, this regime. so it is basically the most -- the worst thing that can be said by someone in this community. >> let's take a look at exactly what he said to "time", quote, here it is. >> i love fidel castro. i respect fidel castro. you know why? i lot of people have wanted to kill fidel castro, but that, whatever sb is still here. do you even want to think about what he was trying to say? was he trying to say the guy is a bad guy but he has been able to survive or was he saying, i love the guy? >> i have no idea what he was trying to say. i understand that he is someone who is, you know, generally speaks off the cuff. and extemporaneously but there is no way it justify what was said or to explain it. >> okay, guillen traveled back it miami to hold a press conference where he apologized for his comment. let's apologize to mr. guillen. >> because it was misinterpreted
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by what i mean in spanish, when he ask me in spanish, i want to say something -- i was taking spanish and saying i cannot believe somebody hurt so many people over the years. is still alive. and i say a couple things i cannot say right now to the guy. when exactly what i was thinking. or what ways saying. >> was there a mistranslation of the word love from spanish to english there or english to spanish or either way for a guy thinking in spanish and saying he was misinterpreted. is there any lead way there? >> there isn't. the word in spanish is amore, the word in english is love. it is not like it is a word that doesn't translate. i don't know how he can explain it to be completely frank with you. and the cube an community of course, is extremely hurt. outraged by his statement. >> what do you think about this guy, is there any restitution?
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it is no capitol offense. do you take away his livelihood. sn do you say he can't management team? if people don't show up for the games, somebody in management will say, this guy is costing us money and we got get rid of him. what do you think here? >> i think they have to make a definitive statement. they suspended him for five games. i can tell you ways at the stadium during the press conference. there was a protest outside. the sentiment is that that was not sufficient. so i think they need to think long and hard about how insulting these statements were. and how can t can affect them as you mentioned in your bottom line. >> my view is this guy bought the wrong ticket in the cold war. the other side, if the communist had won that guy would be standing in central park watching the execution of anybody with any political talent in this country. so i'm with you guys, on this one. >> thank you so much. >> castro was no good.
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when we return, let me finish with a preview of coming attractions. in 2016, how about this, hillary clinton against rick santorum. that's a good one. you're watching "hardball." listerine cleans virtually your entire mouth. so take your oral health to a whole new level. listerine... power to your mouth. cubanso take your oral health to a whole new level. ca jun raw seafood pizza parlor french fondue tex-mex fro-yo tapas puck chinese takeout taco truck
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let me finish tonight with this. rick santorum is no longer candidate for president in 2012. he hopes he made clear to be a candidate for president in 2016. imagine the contest. imagine santorum coming back
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after the defeat of mitt romney demanding on the ground that false prophet, romney, failed to deliver the goods. imagine the moral indignation that rick santorum would be able to skplash, the personal right he would claim to blast away at any other candidate, especially one calling for anything short of all out ideological warfare, all out cleansing of the republic of any speck of liberal intent. this is the prospect of what happened today. by leaving the campaign before the april 24 pennsylvania primary, the former senator from that common wealth maintained his political viability. he had he stayed in the race and lost in pennsylvania on his on turf he would leave a deep record of defeat. the common wealth would fire him as the romney ad put it, would have rejected him once more. well, now santorum can march on. pretend to root for romney this november. all while remembering ad that
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romney ran against him, the one about him being fired by public office by his home state. he can say all of the right things, all hoping that his chance will be next time when romney paid the price, shown the insincere conservative that he is, that he lost to obama. now comes got part. can you imagine a presidential campaign in which rick santorum is the republican candidate and hillary rodham clinton is the democratic candidate? you think we would have to read the newspapers to know where he stand in even have a set of political tv debates it appreciate the vast and indeed grand canyon that separate the two of them? all i can say is, woi, this would be the campaign everybody watching right now would hope for, root for, give up their vacations to watch. think of it, former senator rick santorum versus former u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton. let's dream of it, together. and oh, thanks, rick, by the way, for saving yourself for the big one. that's "hardball" for now, thanks for being with us