chris matthews with "hardball" is next. hillary clinton. it's about time. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. i remember when general eisenhower ran for president. i was sitting in a movie theater. my tad dad was sitting to my right. is he president, i asked, about to get on a plane? no, dad said, but he will be. nobody outside of incumbent presidents and not even some of them has in all the years since enjoyed such a commanding position going into a presidential cycle as hillary clinton. the number one reason is that her candidacy would be not just a campaign, but in a very powerful way, a movement. she is the world's most celebrated woman leader by far. she has made women issues an

important part of her agenda and she, hillary clinton, came close to winning the nomination five years ago. many followers are still out there, more committed than ever she'll win in this time. let me add an obvious. there are many women my age and older who have spent their lives voting for men of uneven quality, uneven character, uneven greatness, waiting to put a woman in the white house as president of the united states. for them, after the big they of 2008, their rallying cry perhaps not even spelled out, deeply felt, deeply shared, deeply passionate can be summed up if three words, it's about time. i know a woman should be saying this, but not me, but politics is my business. if i didn't know all this in the air right now, i would have to be completely out of it. we want hillary is not going to be a resounding call in this country yet. it's going to be heard forever once it starts and going to come about a lot sooner than 2016. tina brown is an expert on all things. editor in chief of "the daily

beast" and "newsweek" and holding the annual women in the summit this week where hillary clinton will speak on friday. howard fineman is also with me, editorial director at "the huffington post" and msnbc political analyst. tina, dear. >> hello, how are you? >> you got the big get. the big get. you're good at the gets. hillary clinton -- >> we're excited she's coming. you know what, she came last year and the year before so she really is passionate about women in the world. it's terrific. >> i thought that she was going to take a breather, go off to the ranch somewhere, have a nice -- enjoy herself, get physically back in shape. rest up. get sleeping again. eating right. the whole thing we all talk about doing when we go from one job to another. it seems to me there's no respite for her. she's going right to the big speeches. she's giving yours. she's going to be visible as heck. front page of "the new york times" today said, "clinton in transition. keeps opponents and donors frozen." "hillary clinton left the state department nearly two months ago

but she still needs a staff to keep up with the considerable business of being hillary clinton. a half dozen work in a tiny corporate space on connecticut avenue down here in washington in what is called her transition office. transition to what? mrs. clinton and her aides have not yet said. the question hovers over her every move and has frozen if place the very early, but some potential candidates, very important presidential maneuvering on the democratic side." back to you, ttina. it seems to me this campaign has begun. >> it's very interesting. last year when she spoke at women in the world, she introduced by meryl streep. lincoln center, 2,500 women just got to their feet and they roared. it felt then as if she announced her candidacy then, she could have just taken that show and captured the white house. when, you know, four years' time, who knows what will happen. there's an enormous ground swell for hillary clinton. whether it can be maintained,

don't forget, last time it seemded like it was going to be a shoo-in last time. along came barack obama and captured the exceptionalism hillary had. being the first black president in the end got more traction than being the first woman president. that was in her sense an unlucky thing to happen if she's fit and wants to do it, and if everything being as one thinks it will be, yes, it will be a shoo-in. who knows. >> how about tina brown? do you want her to be president? >> i'd love to see her get it. i'd love to see her get it. i think this woman is so qualified for this role. she's been so superb in so many different roles. who has more experience? who has more wisdom? who has more contacts at this point? this woman is absolutely so well qualified for this job that if she didn't do it, it would be a tremendous loss i think. >> okay. tina brown. hold on there. howard, let me talk -- i think the pilot light's been on in washington right now. ann lewis has an operation. she's been keeping the orrecord for a long time now.

it's a group called no limits. you have an office in "the new york times," rudenberg's piece, another group called the transition office. usually when you have two offices, that's a sign something's going on. just guessing. >> you have the master fund-raiser of the democratic party and close to the clintons saying in that same piece, hold your fire, everybody. you know, that was basically an announcement to everybody who would be a potential hillary donor to just say wait, you know, let's see what's going to happen here. everything she's doing, everything her husband is doing, is certainly designed to keep the option open and to keep the possibilities alive. hillary doing the same-sex marriage video that she talked about. bill clinton deciding whom to endorse or not endorse based on whether -- >> down in kentucky. >> in kentucky. in the los angeles mayor's race. in a maryland democratic house race here. so they're laying the groundwork for people that they're supporting who will be loyal to them. this year, next year, the year after, if hillary, as expected,

ends up running. >> tina, les go bat's go back t other clinton. bill clinton is the big dog in politics. my home state of pennsylvania, altmyer wouldn't make a decision for hillary. then he went up to kathleen cane who ran for attorney general up there, loves her to death. she gets elected. he's with her. all over the place. chasing after poor bill richardson. he goes out to california and picks the mayor's race in a primary. he is like the late jim farley. the big democratic boss going around the country. it seems to me there's only one purpose for all of this. her. >> there's no doubt bill clinton would love her to run. i mean, he blooe believes she should have got it last time. he's passionately behind her. he's making sure the options are oiled, ready to go and in place. i do think it's genuine. i don't think she's being coy, that she hasn't yet made her decision. she is extraordinarily

passionate about her entire -- >> why can you say that, tina? can you report anything on that? can you give me hard reporting why she wouldn't run for president? >> i've been told by enough people who do know hillary very, very well, that she is still waiting to see whether she really wants to do it. it's a time-out. she went through it. don't forget, she had that brutal year running. nobody knows more than hillary having lived with this campaign every single time with her husband and gone through it. the absolute brutality of it, how nothing is a given, nothing is a shoo-in, she's going to have to fight as hard as anybody did. things changed. the whole world has blown up and changed and rearranged. >> don't you think people make up their minds about their life sometime in their teens? hillary clinton when she was at welsian, and gave a spellbounder of a speech. it was back before the '92,

race, '91. she gave the big speech followed up by bill clinton. she was running as leader of the that ticket in ways. i think she's been running since wel welsley. >> both she and bill were running from the time they were kids, i think. tina is very aware of "vital voices" which is an organization of global women of accomplishment. social advancement around the world. hilla hillary's been very dedicated to that. >> she found it. >> she helped to start. tina is very involved in it. they're having their big event at the kennedy center tomorrow. i mention that because that's very much a part of who hillary is. when she thinks about vital voices and all those women leaders around the world, i think that weighs on the side of her definitely doing this because it's part of her concept of what women need to do in the world. it's not just about her. it's about her commitment to activism around the world with women. and i think that that also will

get her in this race. >> the we at the back of everyone's mind is -- >> can i finish this thought? >> she brought women into every plank of what she was doing in the state department. no question, a hillary presidency, she'd have the biggest bully pulpit in the world to change those issues. no doubt about that. that would bring the focus she knows. there were health issues last year. she's still just a little bit still in hover position. i don't think she's fully, fully committed. we will see. my guess is she will. >> mine, too. let me ask you, tina, about what this means to the vice president. vice president joe biden. it seems to me what she's been doing, this sort of ruffles and flourishes, this preliminary she's doing. she's not hiding. is sending a signal to him she's almost inevitably going to run. i've heard different stories, i can't report them, that he sort of knows that, that he's aware it's very hard to run against her. he wouldn't probably do it. what do you think position he's in right now? can he even begin a campaign

when she might well have a campaign? >> i think he has to wait. i think that he knows that if she's running, there's to point in him going through all of that. i think he won't. so i think he's waiting to see. i think he would support her obviously hugely if he did. i'll be interested to see what she says at our event on prfrid. she'll talk about her women e s eefs's agenda. she'll have a captive audience of 2,500 people who care passionally about those issues and this is the place to say it. >> i've never seen anything like this since ike when i was 5 years old or something, in this case, a guy, this case, a woman, is a formidable candidate. biden wouldn't run against her. that's a reasonable assumption. >> if i can put it -- >> what was also interesting, chris, she also kept her policy apparatus in place. she's creating, for instance, her former chief of staff who was an ambassador for women, she's now going to be heading up the institute for women peace

and security at goreorgetown. hillary is keeping in tact her policy apparatuses with all her supporters deployed in very key positions. >> first she kept them -- she brought them out of the white house and kept them in tact at the state department. and now she's positioning them around town, georgetown, and these various offices and so on. my point about the generational thing, with ike, it was that he represented the world war ii generation. >> he received the nazi surrender. >> yes. but he was the leader of the world war ii generation. after they came home. it made perfect sense to make ike president. in terms of the women's movement around the world, the way hillary views herself as part of it, that's one of the things that's going to get her -- if she has any doubt, that's one of the things -- >> like teen ina said, she's a r to her people. remember that guy? anthony quinn played him. river to my people. >> absolutely. >> i think that's what she is. >> there are so many people in a holding position with breath held hoping that she does. that's a fact. all these key people around, you

know, the entire political spectrum are just waiting for that sign. there's an awful lot of very powerful women, too, who, by the way, will all step forward as major bundlers for the hillary clinton doning machine. >> okay, well, tina -- >> they will all step forward. >> tina, you're the best. by the way, we have a big news story coming out of our program already. one of the most powerful women in the world, one of the most respected women in the world, tina brown, has endorsed hillary clinton tonight. thank you very much for joining us for that. tina brown. >> i'll get it on -- >> "the daily beast." howard fineman of "the huffington post." coming up, is the republican party at risk of losing culture conservatives? social conservatives like rick santorum and mike huckabee are warning the party now not to get too modern out there, not to tone down on issues like gay marriage and abortion. here's the choice, republicans, go to the middle and alienate the base or stay on right and alienate everybody else? what will we make of the saber rattling from north korea? that little guy scares me.

i don't know what he's up to. he's young, untested and scary. the country's leader is making wild threats and we've responded by sending over b-2 stealth bombers and other military planes that to the area. it's scary. is this all just bluster by the north or something more dangerous? that's the question. in the case of the district attorney down in texas who was shot to death in his home with his wife, the police say his death may be part of a white supremacist plot. this also scary. finally, the desperate case by some on the right that president obama's pastor is a racist. and once again, it's rush limbaugh leading the charge. and this is "hardball." the place for politics. cold feels nice on sore muscles, huh?

you know you could just use bengay zero degrees. medicated pain relief you store in the freezer. brrr...see ya boys. [ male announcer ] bengay zero degrees. freeze and move on. [ male announcer ] book ahead and save up to 20 percent at doubletree.com, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy. doubletree by hilton. where the little things mean everything. wow. looks like caroline kennedy is headed to tokyo. according to the "washington post" the daughter of the former president will be president obama's pick to be ambassador to japan. kennedy was an early supporter of president obama along with her uncle the late senator ted kennedy during the 2008 presidential campaign. caroline follows a long list of

high-profile ambassadors to japan including former vice president walter mondale, mike mansfield and also howard baker. it's a high-level position. good for her. we'll be right back. yeah? then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. silence. are you in good hands? a talking car. but i'll tell you what impresses me. a talking train. this ge locomotive can tell you exactly where it is, what it's carrying, while using less fuel. delivering whatever the world needs, when it needs it. ♪ after all, what's the point of talking if you don't have something important to say?

♪

do you see the party ever pivoting or doing a 180 on gay marriage? >> they might. if they do, they're going to lose a large part of their base because evangelicals will take a walk. >> take a walk. welcome back to "hardball." social conservative wing of the republican party is not about to roll over and be ignored. as "politico" reports today they're sick and tired of gop autopsies that point the finger of blame for 2012 losses at them. anyway, culture conservativists like rick santorum and mike huckabee intend to stand firm on social conservative ground. that ground is pretty far to the right. remember rick santorum's comments about continraception when he was running for president? >> one of the things i will talk about no president has talked

about before the dangers of contraception in this country. the whole sexual idea, many in the christian faith have said, that's okay, contraception is okay, it's not okay. >> meanwhile, you have jeb bush at this year's cpac trying to temper the party's image. >> all too often we're associated with being anti everything. way too many people believe republicans are anti immigrant, anti woman, anti-science, anti-gay anti-worker and the list goes on and on and on. >> the republican party establishment and social conservatives are girding for a battle between themselves. joy reid, managing editor of the grio. thank you for joining us. hogan, i don't want to start a fight here, but i think there's one brewing her. mike huckabee expressing frustration evangelicals have with the regular republican party. they've treated us, i guess, like a cheap date.

always good for the last-minute prom date. never good enough to marry." those of us who remember high school, men and women both, that's language, a cheap date, late call for a prom. is that the way social conservatives feel about the republican establishment? >> i think so. look, i think for years now they've used that wing of the party, i guess, i'll include myself in that group, to go out and get support, get out the vote, turn out for those social issues. going so far to put gay marriage on the ballot in many states as karl rove so famously did that helped propel george w. bush to presidency. once we get there and once we actually get somebody elected, nothing actually gets accomplished and i think we're tossed aside and now we're left picking up the pieces saying, wait a minute, we were promised all these things and we're getting nothing for our investment. mike huckabee is one of those guys who has been on that side of the social issue for a long time. he's a former pastor. rick santorum the same way. not a former pastor, but his

views on the social issue have been well established. he wasn't afraid to address them. sometimes to his detriment, me being the spokesperson for that campaign, of course. it's where he stood on those issues. someone like mitt romney refused to address them, had a pretty good story to tell on social issues but refused to address them because he wanted to run the campaign on the fiscal issues. he left the conservatives who are focused on social issues on the sidelines, thus they didn't come out and support him like they should have. >> let me go over to joy. it seems to me -- it reminds me of the movie "fatal attraction" where the woman said, who was having the affair with michael douglas, i will not be ignored. you're not going to ignore the fact you've been entangled with me. don't pretend to have a relationship with me and dump me on monday morning. >> george w. bush was elected and re-elected in part on a promise he was going to enact a lot of things social conservativeses dearly wanted. you could say karl rove really did use that base to come out for him in '04 when his election was not as sure, let's just say.

one of the things that george w. bush telegraphed he would do for evangelicals was a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. he would move action on federal bans on abortion. that he would assemble a supreme court that would overturn roe v. wade. they got nothing for it with a president who probably identified more with them -- >> they got the iraq war. >> that's not what he ran on. >> he played to the very right wing feelings of evangelicals about israel, didn't he? >> that's right. evangelicals were some of the most supportive, even of policies like the detention policy, what we consider the torture policy. evangelicals stuck with george w. bush until the bitter end, got nothing for it. >> they got a war for it. they wanted that war. >> they didn't get the social issues they thought they were going to get moving forward on abortion and gay marriage. >> i think that's true. hogan, here's the story. i remember when ronald reagan was president and remember every time they had the right to life

rally in washington, you may well have attending. he would address them by public address, electronics. hook up some sort of speaker system from the white house. that always carried with me a metaph metaphor. i'm with you sort of, but i'm not really one of you. >> right, look, rick santorum issued an e-mail in support of mitt romney at 1:00 in the morning. i mean, it goes to show you while he wasn't supportive of that, he was giving lip service from a distance. he wasn't in the fight. that's the thing. we have to be in these fights daily as the social conservatives. we expect once we've been promised something to get something for it in return. but look, these social issues, i think, are important. we've got some problems here with a lot of the african-american community, but also with the hispanic community. these issues can be used as hooks to get into these communities and actually have conversation about policy. the problem is republicans are so far off or have been so far off on immigration reform, on some of the social safety nets

that we can't even get into the door to have a conversation about the ways we're similar. instead, we're saddled with the ways we're different. that's been a huge problem for us in the last two presidential election cycles. >> isn't it the culture right that really has a problem with legalizing people who came here illegally, if you will? aren't they the most bo sieve rouse in opposing legalization of people who came here from across the border? >> i don't think so. i think the people on the right are focused on the law. we don't want people to be rewarded for breaking the law. >> that's what i just said. >> i'm sorry? >> that's what i just said. they don't want to give these people legality if they came here illegally. >> no, no, they're not against legality, chris. they're against legality without penalty. >> oh. >> they've already broken the law. you can't just let them be citizens. make them go to the back of the line, make them pay the penalty. we should welcome everybody. that's the tenet of christianity, for heaven's sakes. >> chris, as you just said, there's a cross current between the evangelical right, the tea party, wings that have opposed

immigration reform. the most hardline elements of the party. it swims in the same stream. evangelical christians with by some estimates 50% of republican primary voters. to the extent the party looks extreme, a lot of that is due to this base that comes a lot from the christian right. discarding these folks is not an option. i mean, years ago i interviewed matthew staber of the liberty council. he said, look, we're at the republican party as long as they're with us. we have an option which is to stay home. it's not as if they have nowhere to go. they're not going to vote democratic. they may not come out. evangelicals do believe it wasn't them who cost mitt romney the election or john mccain the election. in their view of it, those two candidates didn't talk about culture conservative issues and lost because evangelicals stay home. republicans do have some risk. >> hogan, i don't know if you picked a horse yet, i hope you do because we'd like to have you on to talk about it. who do you think could win the

republican nomination with a culturally conservative view, not a libertarian view, but believes we ought to be doing something, restricting abortions, to basically fight history, if you will, on the same-sex marriage front and deal on the issues that are trickery socially. do you think someone like that who's willing to hold the line on the cultural right could be the nominee? who would it be? >> that's a great question. i'm not sure yet. joy brought up a great point. 50% of voters are the most conservative, at least that's what we think. for the last two cycles we put forth moderate candidates, and i think one of the issues here is in that piece that jonathan martin wrote in "politico" which was great, by the way, was the term "self-identified evangelical." yeah, i'm a self-identified billionaire. it doesn't make it so. the true hardcore evangelicals in this party are going to stay focused on the social issues forever, and they will not deviate from those for anybody or anything and mostly because they believe that their reward

is in eternity. losing elections because they don't care about winning elections. they care about the long-term goal. >> i think what hogan just said hits on a point. fact that people in the evangelical right think john mccain and mitt romney are moderates is part of the problem, too. that pew research poll showed the base of the republican party is cleaving away from the rest of the country. on a lot of cultural and social issues, they are staying hard and fast in their positions but the country is moving away from them. >> it's easier to decide between the two parties than it's ever been in my life, by the way. you sit down, decide which party you're in today, it's easy to decide which one you're in now. these issues are really pulver vi pulverizing. the right wing is making the desperate case now, some people are, that president obama has a pastor problem again. they've said that before. who else but rush limbaugh is the leader of the attack squad? there he is bouncing. i love that bounce. what is he doing? this is "hardball,". the place for politics.

if we don't double the number of kids graduating from high school in the next 8 years, our country won't be able to compete globally. what uncle sam needs now are more good teachers. are you up for it? you can help kids graduate. the more you know.

thto fight chronic. osteoarthritis pain. to fight chronic low back pain. to take action. to take the next step. today, you will know you did something for your pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a pain reliever fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults.

cymbalta is not for children under 18. people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. take the next step. talk to your doctor. cymbalta can help. only hertz gives you a carfirmation. hey, this is challenger. i'll be waiting for you in stall 5. it confirms your reservation and the location your car is in, the moment you land. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz.

ha! back to "hardball." now to the sideshow. first, when will they ever learn? sue everhart, georgia's gop chairwoman spoke out against same-sex marriage. here's her quote. "you may be straight as an arrow and have a friend who's straight as an arrow, say you have a great job with government where you have this wonderful health care plan. ha would prohibit you from saying you're gay and you all get married and say, they still live separately but you get all the benefits? there's no way this is about equality. to me, it's all about a free ride." that's the head of georgia's republican party, about people pretending to be gay. did you ever think of a man and a woman doing exactly what she just worried about? also things took a turn for the political yesterday when president obama and his family attended easter surface across

lafayette park in st. john's church. the pastor, dr. luis malone called out some of the religious right. "it drives me crazy when the captains of the religious right are always calling people back. for gays to be in the closet, for immigrants to be on their side of the border." now the response from rush limbaugh. in reaction to a caller who said president obama inspired a racist attack from that pastor. >> that's an interesting take that the president inspires it, inspires racism. it may well be the case. so obama's presence inspires this guy to go all divisive, all racist and start jamming on the republicans for wanting blacks in the back of the bus and women back in the kitchen. when he can't name a single person who does. but the president of the united states, you may be right, may have inspired that in this preacher. >> actually, rushbo, racism is

the belief that one race, whites, should rule all others. get your definitions straight. next, there's, of course, no evidence sharia law is infiltrating the state of florida, but lawmakers are pushing a bill that would prevent islamic law from finding its way into american courtrooms. hayes suggest we think of it as a vaccine. >> did your parents have you vaccinated against different diseases? >> yes, sir. >> that was a preemptive gesture on their part which i would hope you're very thankful. this is similar to that. your mom and dad did not want you to get sick from those dreadful diseases. i don't want any american to be in a florida courtroom and be influenced, have their constitutional rights violated by any foreign law. that's it. this is not complicated. >> so why don't we pass laws saying the rule of mars cannot be applied in, say, florida courtrooms? finally the white house commemorates april fool a's day

with a special message from the president. >> looks like you were expecting somebody else. april fool's on all you all. i'm a cute president and i hope everyone has a nice day. i made it to the white house. i'm here. think i'm stuck. >> kid president. that's him. made his mark as a youtube sensation. he's apparently risen in the ranks. up next, north korea rattles i weapons again. is there something different this time? you're watching "hardball." the place for politics. [ male announcer ] what do you get when you take 100% whole grain brown rice and wheat and bake it with real sweet potato or savory red bean? a new line of triscuit crackers with a delicious taste and a crispier crunch.

brown rice triscuit. a new take on an old favorite. that your mouth is under attack, from food particles and bacteria. try fixodent. it helps create a food seal defense for a clean mouth and kills bacteria for fresh breath. ♪ fixodent, and forget it. bjorn earns unlimited rewards for his small business. take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorn's small business earns double miles on every purchase every day. produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less? ahh, oh! [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. here's your wake up call. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. choose double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? [ crows ] now where's the snooze button?

♪ [ indistinct shouting ] [ male announcer ] time and sales data. split-second stats. [ indistinct shouting ] ♪ it's so close to the options floor... [ indistinct shouting, bell dinging ] ...you'll bust your brain box. ♪ all on thinkorswim from td ameritrade. ♪

i'm julia boorstin with your cnbc market wrap. stocks begin the second quarter with declines. the dow falls 5. the s&p is off 7. the nasdaq sheds 28 points. manufacturing activity slowed in march but it remains in expansion mode. the economists expected a flat reading. meanwhile, construction spending rose slightly more than expected in february. and ebay was a winner after several analysts raised their price targets on the stock. shares were up nearly 3%. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. now back to "hardball." welcome back to "hardball." the tension in the crkorean peninsula has been rising to scary level the over the past cup days.

it started february 12th. thread to a new round of sanctions at the u.n. on march 7th. north korea on march 7th announced it was canceling the armistice agreement that ended the korean war in '53. united states and washington started flying b-2 stealth bombers over the korean peninsula in what has been seen as a show of force to the north. last week north korea cut off its military hot line, its red phone, if you will, to the south. and on saturday the country announced it was entering a state of war. today the south korean leader promised to deliver a strong response to ending north korean provocation. at the white house, jay carney tried to tamp down concerns about rising tension. >> this pattern of bellicose rhetoric is not new. it is familiar. we take it very seriously. we take prudent measures in response to it. but it is consistent with past behavior. >> where is all this heading?

nbc's jim maceda is in seouseou south korea. they're saying things we can pursue economic advance for his people at the same time they develop nuclear weaponry. that means we don't have, at least in their minds we don't have a lever to puni isis isish they do. >> reporter: that's right, chris. and we may not have a lever. you know, the big question is whether this guy is insane or whether he is very sane, very rational and knows exactly what he's doing. the south koreans, i tell you, they think it's bluster. they say they've heard this all before. this ratcheting up of pressure, of tension, of rhetoric. which is why this city of seoul, some 10 million people, remain relatively calm. you think about the dmz only 30 miles away. it's going about its business quite normally. it's always been, chris, extremely unlikely that kim jong-il would launch a

full-scale offensive against the south. we're trying to figure out where this is all going. he wouldn't use all of this artillery and missiles and 700,000 soldiers amassed on the border. kim jong-un is a young man. he's naive, but he's not crazy. at least not the experts -- the experts don't think that, the ones we're talking to. they say he wouldn't sacrifice his country in a battle he couldn't win. it's much more likely we could see a smaller strike. something like the torpedo attack in 2010 on the south korean vessel. it killed almost 50 south korean sailors. that's the kind of nightmare scenario. you've got these war games going on for yet another month. we know how much that antagonizes kim jong-un. so striking a small south korean ship is a real danger. why would he do that? primarily to gain credibility.

not just with his people, but also with the military top brass. he only came up two years ago, and these are the kinds of things, these semi wars or virtual wars that do wonders for strong men like kim. by the way, a number of sources here were holding their breath over the past few days, but they're now telling us that the crisis, at least they think, has crested. that it's already behind us. back to you. >> okay. jim maceda in seoul. joining us, ben, he worked for the national security council under president obama. let's get to the heart of this thing. why is he doing it? what's the danger to us? >> sure. i think when we look at issues like this and scenarios like this, we look at a couple different things. timing, audience, and context. the north koreans have had a knack for landing big events on holidays. this is not being taken as an april fool's joke. the u.s. demonstrated, the government demonstrated, we can see that within the next few weeks of exercises that are

going on because our commitment is strong to japan, to korea, and to the region. as to why he's doing this, obviously there are a lot of people trying to delve into the mind of this young leader. let's keep in mind he's meeting with his own parliamentary assembly, if you will, as real or facade as that might be. >> about as real as independence in that army over there. i've never seen a country with more robots. everybody smiles the same way, march the same way, move their hands the same way, move their bodies the same way just as long as this guy is watching. >> this touches on the real tragedy, chris, as you know, in north korea. with this military-first philosophy, all these resources that otherwise would go to the development of their own people are going to the mailitary. >> why do they have a military? >> they built up this scenario where the world is against them, and, of course, this dates back to the -- >> who would want north korea? i'm just being sarcastic. why would anybody want to invade that country? >> at the end of the day, this

is this mythos that the father and grandfather built up. as such, look at the messaging he's giving his new people, his new administration. >> let's talk about us. >> sure. >> back in 1950, his grandfather made a mistake of attacking the south. of course, they got them back to the very stiptip of the peninsu. it looked very bad for south korea. we came in there because of the landing on the mcarthur, we threw them back up. we pushed too far, we brought the chinese in. it's a series of unintended realities. first of all, they attacked. then the chinese attacked. every time we were off base. that's my fear. how to we read this guy to his benefit? how do we know it's time to scare him back into his box if we can do that? >> let's look at what we do know and what has been done. the president, tom donovan, have been making this very clear. we need to shore up our alliances in the region.

these exercises, every spring, the north koreans know this, you touched on, as did jim, the assets in that region. the other thing that has happened which is important to remember is the passage, unanimously, including china of resolution 2094 at the u.n. last month or the month before which tightens even more, not only sanctions in general, but really goes after the means through which proliferation could occur, smuggling can occur, luxury goods get to north korea. this is the way -- >> unfortunately, we've already done that and he's still threatening. >> there's a difference, of course, as you know, between threats. >> my big fear is he's going to paint himself into a corner where he has to be as bellicose as he sounds, as dangerous as he sounds. he's not gives himself a way to escape which scares me. we have to go. i hope we don't have to have you back because that means there's trouble. we'll have you back for other reasons. thank you, ben chang. up next, it's a murder mystery in texas. a district attorney is found shot to death with his wife.

could it be part of a white supremacist plot down there? they already had the assistant d.a. killed. that could have been them, too. this is "hardball." pt place for politics. since, we've worked hard to keep it. today, the beaches and gulf are open for everyone to enjoy. we've shared what we've learned, so we can all produce energy more safely. bp's also committed to america. we support nearly two-hundred-fifty thousand jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger.

take a look at this. the cover of the new issue of the "the new republic." look at those faces on the cover. there i am along the top with rachel maddow and the reverend al sharpton plus chris hay, alex wagner, joe scarborough. the headline is slier than fox. the inside story of how msnbc became the voice of the left, a

proven article about msnbc pres, my friend, phil griffin. chris hayes' new show called "all in" debuts at 8:00 p.m. eastern on msnbc. but i wondered what a customer thought? describe the first time you met. you brought the flex in... as soon as i met fiona and i was describing the problem we were having with our rear brakes, she immediately triaged the situation, knew exactly what was wrong with it, the car was diagnosed properly, it was fixed correctly i have confidence knowing that if i take to ford it's going to be done correctly with the right parts and the right people. get a free brake inspection and brake pads installed for just 49.95 after rebates when you use the ford service credit card. did you tell him to say all of that? no, he's right though...

tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 but there is one source with a wealth of etf knowledge tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 all in one place. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 introducing schwab etf onesource™. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 it's one source with the most commission-free etfs. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 one source with etfs from leading providers tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and extensive coverage of major asset classes... tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 all brought to you by one firm tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 with comprehensive education, tools and personal guidance tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 to help you find etfs that may be right for you.

tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 schwab etf onesource-- tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 for the most tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 commission-free etfs, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 you only need one source and one place. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 start trading commission-free with schwab etf onesource. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 call, click or visit today. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 investors should carefully consider tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 information contained in the prospectus, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 including investment objectives, risks, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 charges, and expenses. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 you can request a prospectus by calling schwab tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 at 800-435-4000. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 please read the prospectus carefully before investing. we're very much on alert. we obviously have some folks that are out to do harm to elected officials, and so we take that very seriously. we're still in shock i guess is the best way to describe our feelings about this latest incident. >> we're back. texas on high alert right now after at law enforcement official, another d.a. was murdered.

kaufman county district attorney mike mclelland and his wife, cynthia, found shot and killed in their home over easter weekend. the murders could be part of a white supremacist plot. part of a task force that took down leadership in the aryan brotherhood of texas. the murders this weekend come two months after m arian brotherhood of texas. at the time of another death, the warning was sent scum to responsible for the murder. >> i hope the people that did this are watching because we're very confident that we're going to find you, we're going to pull you out of whatever hole you're in and we're going to bring you back and let the people of kaufman county prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. >> with me now from kaufman

county is david gutierrez. what's new with this terrible case. >> reporter: there's been several developments. we've seen stepped up security here at the courthouse. escorted by armed guards as they came to work, the d.a. was closed to the public today. this afternoon we heard from federal law enforcement officials that agents are analyzing these .233 is caliber shell casings found at the scene on saturday. authorities are very tight-lipped about the investigation and officials tell us that's because they have very little to go on at this point. there's a lot of speculation going around, like you mentioned, this could potentially be linked to a white supremacist group. quite frankly, besides some evidence that is loosely tied together, law enforcement officials have not ruled out anything. it could be a white supremacist group, it could be a drug

cartel, a copycat or a lone wolf with a grudge against this prosecutor. they simply do not know. this came to light on saturday when authorities around 6:45 p.m. found mike mcclellan as well as his wife cynthia at their home and they found them at their home and they found lots of shell casings there. they were shot multiple times. according to a search warrant affidavit that we have just obtained, they were shot multiple times and also we're hearing that cell phone tower records of calls made locally are also being subpoenaed by the local authorities. there's a lot of speculation about what this could be but no firm ties yet and authorities are really trying to go through a lot of different avenues to see how this plays out, chris. >> thank you very much, dave gutierrez is in texas. brian levin from california state university at san

bernardino, thank you for coming back, brian. we always have you on at a bad time. we have to be aware of what is going on here. what do you piece together here? there was a case he was involved with as a task force leader. we saw his threat to the -- suggested threat to that group, apparently. how does it all fit together here? the arian league brother hood and this killing? >> great question. let's not forget that back in 2005 a judge had two of her family members killed and initially speculation went to white supremacist when it turned out to be a disgruntled litigant. let's look at a couple of things. mike hasse who was assassinated on january 31st, that happened the same day that two arian brotherhood of texas, both 40, pled guilty to rackateering and

conspiracy charges in houston and the kaufman district attorney's office is part of a multijurisdictional federally led operation that was huge against the arian brotherhood of texas that came down in november 2012. also remember that of all of the domestic groups, the arian breer brotherhood of texas has killed the most people in the last decade or so. it's a very violent group and we have an ongoing case of which the kaufman district attorney office was a part of and we also know that abt members live in that county. so this is not just merely blank speculation. there are pieces of the jigsaw puzzle incomplete. the two point to the people

inside and outside? >> well, the abt is a related group to the arian brotherhood. it started in san quentin in california in 1960s. arian brotherhood of texas which is independent started in the 1980s. they have been involved in a series of killings and they basically do a few types. mostly internal hits to people who are insubordinate within their organization. >> i got you. >> but they also do executions as well and torture. very few hate crimes, though. >> brian, thank you so much. when we return, let me finish with what we've got. the fear from north korea. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. [ male announcer ] this is bob, a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat.

the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban

without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine? ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com.

[ male announcer ] book ahead and save up to 20 percent at doubletree.com, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy. doubletree by hilton. where the little things mean everything.

let me end tonight with this. i think we've got to worry about north korea. there's something wild and unrully going on there. the young leader seems to not know what he looks like outside the country. just check the haircut. you see, the boss, can he tell the military what to do? is he among the people to intimidate the military that might challenge him? these are questions that he's challenging right now. it would be nice to hope that he won't go too far to show his force of will. we can't be that hopeful. i wonder what pressure we can apply without speaking the guy, telling him to limit his strength to words and words alone. his