me and many young people. he taught me to stand up, be proud, be authentic. don't copy others but be proud enough and courageous enough to make your own mark. james brown made a difference. because of him, we have a better world. happy birthday, godfather. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. houston, we have a problem. let's play "hardball." ♪ >> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me begin tonight with this. glee, it's a tv show and also what we're seeing on stage in houston tonight. we're looking at the triumph of gunpowder over the will of the people. 90% of the american people we know want better background checks on who buys a gun.

they want a way to stop the felon, criminally insane and wife beaters, if you will, from getting more fire power. the nra has engaged in the same politics with the national republican committee. wayne lapierre loves reince priebus and wayne lapierre loves reince priebus. well, couldn't we look at the celebrations down in houston as the marriage between lethal hardware and the hard right and, yes, houston, we have a problem. joy reid and ed rendell, former governor of pennsylvania. the convention is taking place in houston, shows how far right the right has gone. the once bipartisan group known as the nra has gone so far right. look at this speaker's list. it's composed of hard right figures, people like sarah palin, ted cruz, rick perry, rick santorum, ted nugent and

dpl glenn beck. this afternoon, ted cruz took an end-zone dance, if you will, for helping to defeat the background check in the senate. let's watch his dance. >> a month ago you had the president holding press conference after press conference and his package of legislation that would have undermined the second amendment in washington look like an unstoppable freight train. well, i tell you, i was proud to join with my friend senator rand paul and senator mike lee. [ applause ] >> in writing a short and simple letter to harry reid that says we will filibuster any legislation that takes away the rights to bear arms. because millions of americans spoke out, two weeks ago when the proposals came to a vote, every vote that would have

undermined the second amendment to keep and bear arms was voted down. >> well, that one man kissing booth, rick santorum, also celebrated the bill's defeat. let's watch him in action. >> you stood up when freedom was under assault and you stood in the gap and you made a difference. you can point to what you just accomplished over these last few months when the entire tide of the national media and the popular culture was trying to erode a fundamental freedom. you didn't let all of the smoke in mirrors of trying to hide behind a horrible tragedy deter you from the truth. >> governor, i think these guys are gig tribute as though they are talking about the boys that took to hawk, took to the cliffs at normandy.

they backed the nra and yet it was almost like a reledigious experience for these clowns. i guess there's been things in the center left but what a smooching contest that was. >> and it's particularly disturbing, chris, because there's the under tone of not only defeating a bill to 90% of america but more importantly defeating president obama and that seems to be the main thrust here. we're not going to give the president a victory. we're going to defeat the president. we're going to defeat the president's attempt to take our guns. they lied to people. the bill, in fact, made a federal registry impossible because it made a rekricreationt a felony. they didn't want to give commonsense victory and they didn't want to give president obama a victory. frankly, that's disgusting. >> pat toomey, you were actually repeating what your colleague i guess from pennsylvania, mr. too

many toomey, has said. >> that's right. it's not about winning or losing. it's about what is wrong for america. they are going to pay for it because people are getting fed up. and as i said when we talked about this earlier this week, the people who care about this issue are not going away this time. >> you know, joy, churchill, my hero, said in victory magnanimity. they believe in rubbing the guy's face in it. they have limited the end zone dance as something minimally triumphant now. these guys -- i hear it's going to go on all afternoon. sarah palin is going to do one of these things. it's going to go on and on. i think it might be a dance over the grave. i think the governor is right. it can't be about less invasive

background checks. is this the holy grail for these people? >> i think so. i used to like it when the nfl did backflips. i was thinking i almost feel like the right is suffering from body dismore specific disorder. they have an in ability to see them as the way others see them. the rest of the country is looking at them thinking, wow, these guys are nuts. and the problem that the nra has now is that their power used to be that they were a bipartisan organization, such that he had ed rendell was simpatical with them. it is something that is a broad position in the middle. now they are associating themselves with the far, far right, the people that independents look at it, they are insane. the fact that they are entrenching themselves makes no sense. >> i think there are strong

lobbies, israeli lobby, aarp, they are all big time -- they played both sides, governor. they say anybody can play this game. you help us back our positions and we're going to play ball with you but these nra guys have said, no, we like one side of this fight. we're going to go with the conservatives. and it may work. it's working now. >> well, it's working in the short run. i think it's going to fail in the long run, chris. but think about this. this is an issue that a decade ago the nra supported universal background checks. there's been no difference in those ten years. this bill is actually a better bill, from their perspective, than the legislation they supported ten years ago. so they are on very, very shaky grounds and aligning themselves with one party and joy is right, the biggest problem that the republican party has, forget the nra, they took positions all last year that were totally out of the mainstream of america and here's an issue where the republican party is doing a victory dance, as you said, on an issue that 90% of americans

disagree with. it's absolutely stunning how myopic they are and they don't see what is happening around them. they are absolutely spiralling towards crushing defeat even more crushing than they -- >> and they bought a ticket here, guys. they bought a ticket on the next bad ticket on the next time a person is mentally deranged or is a wife beater, whatever we're going to call them, the category that would have been kept from getting a gun gets a gun and does something horrendous, heinous, and they did the permission slip. >> and even more than that, chris, i think the big risk for the nra is that if i'm a democrat, even a moderate democrat or conservative democrat or a republican running in a purple or blue state, i'm thinking to myself, if they are going to be that far to the right, maybe i can have some space to buff the nr achl. there's other money out there. there's michael bloomberg's money and i don't need to be associated with them, especially if i'm a pat toomey or kelly

ayotte that seems to be shaken from the response she's gotten in a purple state. >> here's senator kelly ayotte who has a rough couple of days facing constituents after voting down against background checks. she was confronted by the newtown principal's daughter who was killed in the massacre defending her students. yesterday she faced more heated backlash. let's look at this one. this is a new one. >> i really don't understand -- it doesn't make since to me. what is wrong with universal background checks? >> thank you. i will tell you in terms of a universal background check, as it's been framed, i have a lot of concerns about that leading to a registry that will create a privacy situation for lawful firearms owners. however, i do believe that our current system should be fixed.

>> an entirely different story for john mccain who was applauded yesterday for his support of the background check legislation. take a look at this. this is a former staffer to congresswoman giffords. let's watch this in her play. >> i would like to thank you so much for your vote on the manchin/toomey. [ applause ] >> after the events, she and other survivors of the 2011 shooting game 19 roses, 13 for the people, there she is, for the people injured that day and six for the people who died. you know, governor, i want to give you a chance to talk to politics on this. i think there are -- of course, i was saying this last night. the united states senate represents the people. it was designed to represent the states. therefore, you have montana, utah, wyoming. it's beautiful country,

obviously, and two senators. and then you have new york and two senators each. a lot of our people are et getting thin representation. they vote their ground and their people and their gun owners. how do you reapply the principles of democracy in the senate when it's not really built for that? >> well, interestingly, chris, first, kelly ayotte, that's the typical b.s. read the bill, senator ayotte. the bill does not go towards a federal registry. in fact, it points a criminal penal penalty. don't lie to people. you haven't read the bill or you're lying to people. that's number one. number two, it's inconceivable that we're going to go down this road. i mean, it is absolutely clear what has to happen now. absolutely clear to me. >> which way are we going? >> i think the republican party is headed towards disaster and

it's not too late. the kelly ayottes of the world should change their vote. we should try to get a revote here and try to get this thing passed. because as you said, imagine the next tragedy and imagine if that person got a gun at a gun show and that person wouldn't have gotten it had they applied through a universal background check. imagine the blood on the hands of the people who voted against this commonsense bill. >> yeah. >> and just the point you're making, the nra is implicitly telling people who have a problem with their background and know it, go to a gun show. >> that's right. >> if you have a problem, it's like a credit rating. we'll sell you the car without a rating. go ahead. joy, last word. >> you're absolutely right. the worst case scenario for kelly ayotte, jeff flake, ron johnson of wisconsin is to have this come up over and over again. they think they are safe because it's in 2016. that's a presidential year. they are in jeopardy anyway. you have a lot of democrats that want payback. that's going to be a

presidential year and if this vote comes up again, how much do you want to bet they will blink and get it over with. vote it and send it to the house and let it be their problem. >> let's pay tribute to people who show up at town meetings. >> yes. >> amen. >> people from the middle and left and the far right are showing up and making their voices heard. there will be people growling at you. you've got to walk through the doors saying, i'm here. i'm sane. >> that's right. >> toomey may get re-elected because he did the right thing. >> absolutely. the unkindest cut, the real pain being caused by the sequester cuts. tonight, promising heart attack research in paeril for lack of money. everybody wants to help the rebels in syria, but which ones? others want to establish an

islamist state. do you want to help them? a reality check from our own richard engel. and we learned today job creation is better than it has been in months. unemployment rate is down to 7.5. that's our angle tonight. we've already heard a lot from the nra. referring to the american civil war as the war between -- not between the states. the war of northern aggression. and that's talk of the cause. the lost cause. this is "hardball," a place for politics. a, even though she doesn't need them, cheryl burke is cha-cha-ing in depend silhouette briefs for charity, to prove that with soft fabric and waistband, the best protection looks, fits, and feels just like underwear. get a free sample and try for yourself. as soon as you feelon it, try miralax. it works differently than other laxatives. it draws water into your colon to unblock your system naturally. don't wait to feel great. miralax.

we've got the first polling on the massachusetts u.s. senator race. tuesday's primary. according to a new ppp poll, ed markey starts out with a four-point lead over gabriele gomez in the race to replace john kerry. that's 16% undecided and in a poll by emerson college, a six-point lead. a lot more undecided, so it's a race for markey. the democrats are taking it seriously.

michelle obama headlines a fund-raiser for markey later this month. we'll be right back. ♪ [ agent smith ] i've found software that intrigues me. it appears it's an agent of good. ♪ [ agent smith ] ge software connects patients to nurses to the right machines while dramatically reducing waiting time. [ telephone ringing ] now a waiting room is just a room. [ static warbles ]

also the sequestration cut a million out of the fema program, food banks, and homeless prevention around the country. here in new york city, two-thirds of the soup kitchens and food pantries in new york city already have to ration food. >> welcome back. this week, we've brought you reports how the arbitrary across the board spending cuts are hurting the poor and vulnerable. there was joe by the way you just saw there from the new york city coalition against hunger. before that, we told you about cuts in meals on wheels. tonight, we're talking about

reports all week, we're calling it the unkindest cut. we asked for your input and now, we want to share your responses, how the sequester is affecting you. from megan w. my federal work study is being cut by seven hours a week, looking for a second job. full time student workload. judith tweets $695 total and no food stamps. i live on peanut butter and oatmeal. we want to hear more on how the cuts are affecting you personally. tweet us, join the conversation on our facebook page and then go to tv.msnbc.com and click on hardball. i'll have that information again before the end of the show. today, we bring you another story of how these cuts are rippling through american society and affecting lives. these are cuts to medical research issued through national institutes of health and if you think they can't affect you, listen up. doctors at philadelphia's temple university were doing promising research on repairing the heart after a heart attack will have to cut back their work significantly because of these cuts. the lead doctor sums up this way

it is more likely we will miss something important now. we have so many wonderful things we can do right now, but we end up in this political climate. think about that the next time someone you know has a heart attack. john led a rally here in washington protest those cuts to scientific research. this misbegotten sequester is causing. two of the many speakers calling to end the sequester were cokie roberts and mara tyranny. >> not only was i treated for cancer at nih and was the direct beneficiary of that research and it could not be a stupider time to cut back on funding for medical research. >> i have a good sense of what's at stake and this debate about federal funding for medical research and the short answer is a lot. >> john is managing director of science policy and david cornyn washington bureau chief for mother jones. >> not only was i treated for cancer at a young age and was the direct beneficiary of that research, and it could not be a

stupider time to cut back on fund. >> for medical are search, the answer is a lot. [ applause ] >> john is director of science policy, american cancer research and david corn. everybody loves research because that means a better future. it means people can live to 90, healthy. if we don't do that, we're just going to fall back. if you don't have verge keeping up with stress, we're going to fall back. >> the most important investment that our company can make and that's what's so discouraging right now. when you're talking about the sequestration, it's a $1.6 billion cut for health. the past ten years, a decade, we've had cuts at the nih and going on f billion when you account for inflation.

so, we're at a time -- >> what's it mean in anecdotal terms? you can't do certain tests or what are you hearing? >> probably most discouraging is you're talking about researchers have about a one in ten chance to get funded, so all of the grants going to the national institutes of health, only one out of ten doors are we able to open. the most ideal situation is between 25 and 30%. actually, when congress decided -- >> you're turning down good proposals. >> they're on the cutting room floor right now. it's affecting young investigators who are deciding why should i stay in this area of career when the chances of my getting funding is so small right now. so, it's affecting labs across the country laying off people and right now, all of the, we have 435,000 people who are directly, indirectly funded. >> cancer survivor is a term we use today. isn't it great? we're used to the term.

>> 14 million. >> we know the term. it used to be cancer meant the end and now, survivor for so many people because of research. >> absolutely. 14 million survivors. >> you guys just amaze me what you can do. >> this gets to some issues in terms of the values we have on society. >> you mean the tax cut issue. >> what republicans are doing. before the show, one of your producers, connie, asked me, wasn't cancer research, meals on wheels, didn't they used to be bipartisan issues? indeed, they were. years ago, bob dole led the effort against hunger, but the republicans now have this view of government which is just cut, cut, cut. they don't, i really hate to say this, care institutionally, collectively. >> you know what they're thinking. the poor minorities. they're cutting the welfare. that's what they think. >> when you cut and you know this better than i do, when you cut this research, it means you're going to have more medical costs at the end if you

don't do stuff about diseases, we as a society end up paying more. so these guys talk about fiscal sanity and doing this, they're really adding more -- >> you know what the problem is? people think when they're cutting, and i think reasonable people. they're thinking we're cutting the money going to the drones in city hall. to the war to pass out the money. and by the way, waste, fraud and abuse, you cut spending. oh, we'll get rid of the waste. >> 85% of the dollars spent that nih has are going across the country. every university is doing this research. it's not money being spent in washington, d.c. >> so, when we cut spending, we're cutting real stuff. the middle class person saying great, they're cutting spending, oh, getting rid of that waste. you know how it works. >> it's easy, the right's done this for decades. to dem crate government, but what you've done, chris, is is to show meals on wheel,

treatment for cancer patients, head start, there are kids being thrown out, who are already in head start -- >> tell me about head start. what it does. >> a preschool program. >> disadvantaged kids. >> i know the difference from the kid who comes into kindergarten with some cools versus a kid who doesn't. it's really unfair. yet, here they are, throwing kids out. parents are crying because they're holding lotteries about who gets thrown out and where is the, we know what happens with the faa. >> we got to sell government, the best programs. don't sell waste, fraud and abuse because there's no reason to have that. a friend of mine said people don't do their best work when >> and listen, having volunteered in my own kid's school, i know the difference between some kid coming in for support versus someone who doesn't. it really is unfair. parents are crying because they are holding lotteries, not about who gets in but about what gets thrown out.

we know what happens with the faa. where's the -- >> we've got to sell government. don't sell waste, fraud, and abuse but it's the good stuff. a friend of mine years ago said to me, people don't do their best work when they are being peed on. you're not going to make them any better. you've got to look, we need inspector generals. that's what you need. thank you. you're not related to pete. thank you. you're still an okay guy, you're doing good work. and there's the information again. i want to tell you so you can really get involved. if you know one of these programs that's getting cut, you can tweet us, unkindest cut. also join the conversation on our facebook page at facebook.com. or go to your website and click on hardball. up next, we've heard a lot about already, the nra, but we haven't heard this.

the group's new president referring to the civil war as the war of no northern aggression. that's going to unite the country. we're in a tyranny. haven't you noticed? go back to jefferson davis. this is "hardball," the place for politics. [ lorenzo ] i'm lorenzo.

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in reality, long state is missouri and his own district are getting hit with cuts. a non-profit in charge of head start programs in several missouri counties plans to close five classrooms and reduce enrollment by about 200 children. the head responded this way, it's been in the news, all over the place. we are facing cuts in all our programs. food assistance and other programs are also facing slash funding in long's district itself. nancy pelosi's hoping for an answer to her prayers concerning the white house in 2016. >> i pray that hillary clinton decides to run for president of the united states. let's set aside for a moment the fact she is a woman. as a person, she will be the most qualified person to enter the white house in modern history. now, i have no knowledge of

anything except my prayers. >> it's been a big week for nudging hillary toward a run. henry kissinger and now, nancy pelosi, are urging run, hillary, run. next,when ever someone runs for office, we can expect a lot of digging into the their past. now buzz feed featured this nugget today. back in 2006, there was a debate going on in virginia's office. official state sign. he filed an amendment with his own idea. tax man. he thought the song would be perfect because quote, virginians feel like all they get is more taxes. he did not prevail. when it didn't become the state song, is state remains without an official song.

finally, a preview of what's in store when jim porter becomes president of the national rifle association next week. at an event last year, he talked about the nra's roots going back to the civil war, except he doesn't call it the civil war. >> started 1871 here in new york state. it was started by some yankee generals who didn't like the way my southern boys didn't have the ability to shoot in what we call the war of northern aggression. now, y'all might call it the civil war, but we call it the war of northern aggression. >> yesterday, i showed you a fairly dickenson poll, three in ten americans think armed revolt might be necessary to protect our civil liberties. porter has his thoughts on that very matter. >> i am one who still feels very strongly that is one of our most greatest charges that we can have today. is to train the civilian in the use of the standard military

firearm, so when they have to fight for their country, they're ready to do it. also, when they're ready to fight tyranny, they have the where with all and the weapons to do it. >> so, it's not about hunting, not about defending yourself against criminals. he's sounding off about tyrannical government and a possible takeover. up next, defense secretary chuck hagel says the administration is reconsidering arming the rebels in syria. but who are the rebels we like? richard engel's been talking to rebel leaders and joins us next to sort it out. # joo can [ lisa ] my name's lisa, and chantix helped me quit. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke.

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. here's what's happening. investigators say dna found on one of the boston marathon bombs is not a match for katherine

russell, the widow of tamerlan tsarnaev. the official cause of death was trauma and gunshot wounds. president obama is in costa rica meeting with the country's president. he will also be meeting with central american leaders. firefighters are battling a huge wildfire. the blaze is only s10% containe. now we take you back to "hardball." as pressure mounts for a worldwide response to the bloodshed in syria, there's renewed focus on the rebels there. "the new york times" reported over the weekend that many of the rebel groups are aligned with al-qaeda or islamists. richard engel interviewed a key player in the rebel military leader the white house is counting on to defeat the assad regime and prevail. leets watch. >> the regime used chemical weapons more than four times

against civilians. >> president obama has talked about red lines. do you think assad has crossed a red line? >> not just for one time. many, many times he crossed the red line. >> what do you hope the united states does? >> i like them to help us to have no fly zone for the whole country. >> richard engel joins us from turkey. robin wright is with the wood row wilson center. give us your appraisal of the possibility that we can find somebody over there that we can agree with and help on the rebel side. >> that is what the u.s. thinks they have found or u.s. officials are hoping they have found with the person you just heard from right now. he is the overall commander of the free syrian army.

he's german educated. an engineering professor inside syria. he defected about a year ago and the united states wants to support him. he's a moderate. he's the kind of contentious candidate, if you will. some washington terminology that u.s. officials are hoping they will latch on to if americans give him enough support. the thirry being if they give him money, what they're giving him so far, jackets, night vision goggles and medical supplies, that the more he is, the more his stock is rising, the worse it will be for other groups you talked about espousing a more radical islamic idealology. >> do we know if he's a contender to be a leader of the groups that eventually march into damascus? >> i think it's too early to tell if he will be accepted.

will he be able to emerge as such a gal vonizing figure. the problem with the free syrian army is that it is really not a single group. it's made of lots of different groups and that has been one of its main weaknesses. the other groups like the front and other more islamicly motivated fighting elements inside syria, are small, they are cohesive. they have a clear leadership and generally, they have been fighting very well. the fsa has had mixed performance and it's still too early to tell if with the new leadership, with more at least at this stage, nonlethal support, the fsa will emerge as the go to syrian rebel group. but we don't know if that's going the happen yet. >> thank you. hold on a minute. i got robin here. i don't sense watching this fight from here that this is slipping away for the assad regime. it's not like libya ft it's not moving that fast. it looks like it's going to be a while before one side wins. >> and clearly, the regime in syria is much better armed and

trained. it's had some of its forces decimated, but the fact is, it's superiority is many times that of the rebels. the rebels disadvantage is that there is no single commander of all the different units and they conflict with each other and the real quandary for the united states is if it provides arms to anyone, can it guarantee those will be kept by the people it likes? or will they be sold, stolen, borrowed by some of the extremist groups. our experience in afghanistan makes us very wary of what we give arms to and what they might be used for down to road, not just in this conflict. >> countries that have influence in syria, iran and russia. in chance iran's going to help us? no. >> syria has really become a proxy war between the united states and iran and russia has sided more with iran. forms a kind of axis along with china in terms of support for the assad regime and political clout that limits the international community's

ability to act with fwraeter sanctions. >> they really think they benefit with identifying themselves with a regime at this point? >> the irony of this is that for russians, it is a domestic issue and it particularly doesn't like the idea of the international community being able to say if there were protests, that they back the protests because russia facing its own. >> so, the muslims in russia are pro rebel. >> some, but they're anti putin. they want independence or whatever. >> this is a hard thing for me to sort out from this end, richard. what side is the arab world on? what side is the islamic world or is it a sunni versus shia area fight? >> very much a sectarian fight and you'll see lined up hezbollah, iran and the bashar al assad regime and many elements of the iraqi government fighting on the shia side. if you watch al jazeera or follow what's beginning on in social media, the people are

overwhelmingly with the uprising going on in syria. they are seeing reports daily of massacres. one just recently with dozens, if not many more people killed. sunnis who were butchered in sierra by shiite militias. the massacres happening all the time are getting a lot of public sympathy. in the united states, we've been focusing a lot of chemical weapons, red lines, how, when were chemical weapons used. in this part of the world, people watch every day and they see the massacres carried out by firing squads and by knives and blunt instruments on a daily basis in villages and that

certainly impacts people. >> thank you so much. up next, the unemployment rate's falling, believe it or not. job creation, we have a dow almost at 15,000. is that going to help democrats running in 2014? certainly wouldn't help if things were going the other way. good news is good news. this is "hardball," the place for politics. [ male announcer ] citi is over 200 years old. in that time there've been some good days. and some difficult ones. but, through it all we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our history matter to you? because for more than two centuries, we've been helping ideas move from ambition to achievement. ♪ and the next great idea could be yours. ♪

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the democrats are hoping to change history in the next election. will the economy help them to win the next midterms? this is next coming up. ♪ [ 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. why are 8 million people sleeping better tonight? why are 8 million people they went to a sleep number store. the only place in the world you'll find the sleep number bed with dual air technology. it allows each of you to adjust to the support your

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it sharply revised job gains. the lowest level it's been in four years. it's not great, but it's better. wall street loved the news. watched it almost get to 15,000. dow finishing, we watched it get to almost 15,000. it may get there at some point, at one point even breaking the level. this is the question, not is this good, is it getting good better later could help buck history and gain seats in congress. i'm not so sure. amy knows more than i. she's with the cook politico report and michael feldman. he is another democratic strategist. you're nonpartisan, you're partisan. >> right. >> when i think sixth year, even franklin roosevelt. >> eisenhower, pretty close, a nazi surrender, these people got blown away in their sixth year. >> right. >> how is obama going to avoid that? except for clinton.

because they were trying to take his head off. he survived because the public got mad at him. at congress. >> here's the good news for democrats, the silver lining is, they lost so many seats in 2010 there's no more seats to lose. >> who? >> the democrats. so they are kind of -- the question is, can they expand it? a good economy is better than a terrible economy. but structurally, when you look at just how few seats are in play, both by redistricting and the way that these -- >> by the way, the induincome be a good deal. >> it's a great deal. even in a bad year -- >> i look at me, fitzpatrick, how are they going to get knocked off? they have the name i.d. of serving four or six years. it's tough to become an incumbent republican in the burbs. >> they need to talk about the economy. this has been the problem for

that they are very good at saying we don't want to do whatever president obama does. they don't have a message for, what are we going to do. >> yes, this he do. you know what the message is michael? it would be a hell of a lot better if they cut taxes. >> and the strategy is, let's not give the president any credit. one of the issues litigated in this cycle is, are you helping improve the economy or just trying to score political points. the sequester is an example of this. it's an unnecessary drag on the economy. >> how does the drag the economy? >> it could be 800,000 jobs. that's a third of the job growth. >> so we're not cutting it? >> right. we should be working on a balanced plan to solve the deficit problem and not just try to score political points. >> i think the republican party exists today. it started because they were against slavery. that's a good cause. in the 1850s. i think they survived through thick and thin because they say to the average person who pays taxes, you vote for us, you pay less income taxes. you've got to pay property taxes, every license in the world. with us, you've got a better chance paying a lower tax rate. stick with us. you get a little break from us. the democrats will spend your

money. that's how they survive. isn't it? what else -- give me another case of being a republican. >> no. that is their message. that is their message. the problem is, that's not helping grow the economy and people are very sensitive to the fact that we're in a struggling economic recovery right now. are you helping improve the economy or just trying to score political points for the next cycle. are you getting in the way of a credit or whether or not they are getting credit or trying to solve the problem. >> do you think it's true, you you vote like a democrat, you can live like a republican? >> i do. >> it's tied to the economy, which is the health care law that gets implemented started on january 1st, right? it connects to how people feel about the economy. the most direct way that you feel the economy, a lot of people feel the economy is how much they are paying out in health care, whether it's their own personal checkbook or your employer comes to you and says, guess what, our rates went up 120%. i can't offer this to you anymore at the same rate.

that's how people will start to feel this. the one thing i will say about the sequester, and this is where i think republicans were smart, they made it not about priorities but they made it about budgeting, which is they said, look, the reason government doesn't work is that we throw all of this money in there and we don't give them any ability to put it into the right categories. so let's -- it's not about spending more. it's about spending it smartly. that was the argument that i think won on the faa issue where they said you can take this money and put it -- >> who won that argument? >> the republicans. >> you hard what i said before. >> you've heard the waste, fraud, and abuse. the waste, fraud, and abuse people are experts. the drones who don't do any work, they are surviving just like cockroaches. but these doctor, the people doing help for the poor people, they are the ones getting hurt thank you for coming on. mike, thank you. amy walter, an expert.

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let me finish with this tonight. i am against jihad and for the same reason i'm against the counter jihad. i believe there's a direction connection, by the way, between killing islamic people on television night after night. since the iraq war, it's played into the hands of those selling jihad. it's become a recruiting poster

for a suicide bomber. i don't want an east-west war. the people behind jihad do. they want it when they bomb the world trade center. they want the united states to declare war on the islamic world. we didn't. we blamed only al qaeda and this must be our watch word. attack only our enemy. if we become a belligerent in syria, killing arabs on global television, don't expect the people of arabia to see us as liberators. don't expect them to cheer us. don't expect the youth of the islamic world to sit and watch al jazeera to clap and watch the bombing. invading for oil, israel, western influence, we will be the infidel doing what we do, attack the land of islam. i believe zealotry is by its nature episodic. raising up in the 19 j century, and then there were decades of peace, the one sure way to keep the zealotry alive is to keep

the fire white hot for another decade, if we're lucky. starting a way is not a very sure way to end a war, it is a good way it make enemies. that's all for now. "all in" with chris hayes starts now. good evening from new york. i'm chris hayes. tonight on "all in" if you think the tea party went away, think again friends. they are still here and still trying to kill obama care. while the cable world was hyper ventilating about reese witherspoon's arrest, i will tell you about the stories that got shafted in click 3. and the probably ill advised victory lap going on right now in houston, texas. the annual meeting and exhibition is in full swing tonight and one of the clear themes to emerge among the star-studded cast