weiner's circle getting smaller. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. it's time to get to the heart of this matter and why above the weird pieces an of the story why we care. in fact, why i care. you can say all you want about all politics being local but the role of mayor of new york is to work for the people of new york but to represent more than the people of new york. he or she stands at this country's front door and right there in the media capital itself. and ever since i can remember the mayor has been a major representative of this country welcoming visitors, celebrated and not from around the world. we know their names well.

we know them well. fee rel lola guardia, john lindsay, ed koch, rudolph giuliani, mike bloomberg. they are household names, not just in this country but in the world at large, so the question of who stands out there representing not just new yorkers not just democrats in many cases but us is a question worthy of debate. and tonight we have the front-runner for the office of mayor of new york city, city council speaker, christine quinn. thank you, speaker quinn, for joining us. it's great to have you on the show. >> thank you. >> i don't think you're ready for this maybe you've been thinking about this, the public role of mayor of metropolis, gotham, the big apple, the greatest city in the world, the center of the consciousness of the universe as john lennon called it. how big a public role is that in the context of this sleazy thing we've been talking about? >> it is an enormously significant thing. people look to new york every day for ideas, for inspiration,

for motivation. their children all over america and the world who go to bed at night dreaming that some day they'll get to live in new york city. so who leads the city it matters it first for the 8.48 million people here but it matters for the world. and time and again, i've seen what we've done in new york replicated not just by other cities but by other countries. about a month after we passed our smoking ban, the entire country of ireland implemented a smoking ban. we are one of the world leaders, and that's why i want to be mayor. to make sure this city moves forward for the people here, but also as an inspiration for urban centers across the world. and that's more important now than ever, chris, because more and more americans are moving into cities. that's where the population growth is. and we need the mayor of this city to be the best mayor they can be. but also, i'm going to be a mayor who brings an urban agenda

to washington and gets washington to pay attention to american cities. >> let's talk about that public and the private. because when i went up there in new york, the thufrl newspaper editors, to go to new york city, even from philadelphia was the biggest deal in the world. i want to ask you about this private thing. one of your opponents in this race has been claiming all his behavior all over the world is probably in hong kong they're talking about it, he keeps claiming whether he's right or wrong, you got to tell me, it's somehow a private matter. then why are we talking about it? because we all know about it. my question, are is the line that your huge role you want to play and you're the front-runner in the latest polling, where does that is public role end and you can say this is just my public line? is it online? is it on the phone? is it in the bedroom? where's the private life? i don't believe your opponent is right. if it were private, we wouldn't know about it. >> that by definition is the answer. if it was really private, we wouldn't all know about it and

be discussing it and have it be known over and over. the other issue here is a pattern. we see with former congressman weiner a pattern of reckless behavior and a pattern of an inability to tell the truth. i think everybody agrees people should have private lives. elected officials should have private lives but private lives are things that are, in fact, our own and private to ourselves. not things that get broadcasted out kind of in a broader sense than that. i think that's the distinction here. i think it's pretty clear. >> let's go to the civil issue here. last night on "hardball," eliot spitzer is running for comptroller. i won't ask you whether you endorse him or not. >> i have not. i'm offering >> eliot spitzer madenous talking about anthony weiner today. let's watch. i think he gets to a question i want you to answer. >> a public official used their office equipment to engage in the kind you have pasttime that will anthony weiner has been involved in in the last couple years, would you fire them? >> i think the answer is yes.

we have had a number of instances over the years where of course, municipal employees, state employees have used computers and the like for improper purposes and there is as appropriate sanction for that. >> you're not going to vote for anthony weiner. you don't think he should be mayor of 0 new york? >> fair point. that is correct. >> he should not be mayor of new york. >> that is correct. >> get back to you, madam speaker. the first part of that question, if you walked in the room and saw an employee doing what mr. wiener has been doing relentlessly perhaps up till now, would you fire them? >> absolutely. it's a totally inappropriate and unacceptable use of in this case government equipment. i think that would be true in any office but you're at a higher standard in government. it would be unacceptable. but that said, look, i don't think eliot spitzer is in a position to be pointing fingers at anybody. as it relates to their private lives or their behavior in these kind of areas. >> so do you think you would vote for him? >> elliott, no, i have

enthusiastically endorsed scott stringer. >> let me ask you about this question as i an woman. the front-runner in this race, you're the front running woman in this race. i want to ask you about being a woman. terry oh me was on last night, head of the national organization for women. she said of weiner's conduct "mr. weiner has a problem and his behavior is sexist. it's not respectful of women. get tote that point. i know you speak for a lot of women in this race. talk abouting this because people say consenting adults. people say mutual. they say sexting back and forth. i've learned stuff i didn't know about. i asked one night, do women sext? i don't know. i've been married forever. let me ask you the question, what is this for women? what does his behavior say to you as a woman and a leading woman candidate? >> for me as a woman who loves the city, i need a mayor who's responsible. i need a mayor who puts the interests of new yorkers first,

not their own self-aggrandizement first. this is irresponsible behavior. behavior that's focused on himself, not the people of the city. and that matters to everybody. but for women who are still more low income families headed by women than not, women still not making the same amount of pay that men get, women still struggling tong break through so many glass ceilings, having a mayor who is going to move the city forward and a mayor who has a record of having done that, that's the kind of mayor i'll be, and that's what women need because they want their lives to get better and they want their lives of their children, their daughters to be better than theirs has been. that means adult leadership. >> well, christine quinn who mentioned the irish ever, i never forget you're irish. just kidding here, the speaker of the new york city council and front-runner in the latest polling. congratulations on the polling. best of luck in this race.

it's going to get hotter. we'd love to have you back. joe walsh is editor of salon dealing through these issues. she looks like she's cheered up a bit watching her as a person and new friend of mine. i'm impressed by she's upbeat, cheerful. this is a weird race to be in. i think uncomfortable for everybody. she seems to be doing well in the polls. you thoughts about the women issue. is there will something aggressive about this behavior by a nastily aggressive by mr. weiner? >> i think there is. i think there's a problem here you know when he said last week he was sorry to the women he had inconvenienced, the young woman who's come forward now sydney leathers, she may have some issues in her own life but she's only 22. i think to reach out as a public figure to start poking her on facebook like an idiot juvenile, and to lie to her, to lead her along as she says he has and she's got the texts or the sexts to prove it, i think is

degrading to women and disrespectful to women. i would also say quite honestly, i think it's fair to judge him in the way he's treated his wife. again, it's her business and their business in their marriage, but there's something at minimum, there's a lack of compassion and lack of decency to do this again and drag his wife through this even though she's standing by him. i think there is a sense that this is -- that it's okay to reach out to the random women, some of the women in the first go round were not exactly enthusiastic recipients or participants. so there's something off in his view of women. i would agree with christine about that. >> i'm not so sure you're right about in this between him and his wife business because as the speaker of the house, speaker of the council up there just said and as spitzer just said the other night, if you do this with your office equipment it's not like calling your mother back home in nebraska. there's something different in the communication going on. it's not just misuse of

equipment. it's a prurient use of the office equipment. apparently in the office you're allowed to distinguish between good and bad behavior in this regard. i wouldn't think it's automatically limited to just the spouse. >> that answer applied to the question about women and how he treats women. so there are other public issues about it, but in terms of that realm of how he's treated her, she's the ultimate judge whether that's decent treatment. but i would say even that that suggests at least a lack of empathy and compassion. >> we've got tape of anthony weiner a chance. i saw dog day afternoon about a desperate guy who robbed a bank and he's desperately trying to appeal to the crowds. there's hopeless kind of root for me, i'm the underdog. it's a classic scene. i think this is what this guy weiner is up to right now. let's watch. >> huh? come on, put them over your

head. tell them you've got an attempted robber. arm them. nobody's been hurt. go back there, man. get over there. he wants to kill kill me so bad, he can taste it. attica. attica. attica. attica, attica. attica. attica. attica. you guys are attica. >> this new york guy that doesn't have a prayer in heaven of being elected mayor of new york is out there doing this. he's stirring up crazy trying to make himself a victim of himself but somehow a victim of the media, of us, of the clintons even as of today. he's trying to blame them for feeling uncomfortable about the guy. is this going to work? you're a political expert. is this going to work. >> no, that's compassion on your part to compare him to that will an amazing accomplishment by al

pacino who does make him a compassionate figure. i think you're right. there's a kind of desperation and appeal to the crowd and you and i talked about in this week when he it broke at the beginning. the first time around there was a sense in new yorkers he deserved a second chance and some people, some liberals didn't like folks in washington telling them who their representative should have been. they thought he was a good standard bearer. now that is not the sense i'm getting. he is sinking like a stone in the polls. i expect that to continue. the appeal to the crowd is desperate, but i don't think it's going to work. >> i think we're a day or two away from hearing from clinton people. we're already hearing from dee dee myers very trusted by them. i think they're beginning to signal this guy is embarrassing as they begin the slow takeoff for the presidency. thank you, joan walsh, for coming on again tonight. coming up -- you're in new york. one reason to care about anthony

weiner's behavior is it does involve hillary clinton. she's such a pro now as she had lunch with the president yesterday. future presidents having a chat together. beautiful pictures of them in the rose garden. breakfast today with joe biden perhaps telling him the bad news she is going to run. what was a underground campaign is now becoming it seems to me, a develops transparent thing to get us used to the idea. this isn't a guessing game. she's going for the presidency eventually. president obama makes the republicans i think an offer they can't refuse. it's a pretty good offer. certainly a good deal starter. they can can actually get somewhere. i don't think they they're going to do it. and bradley manning, talking about good news, bad news. found not guilty of aiding the enemy but convicted of multiple charges that could add up to 100 years in prison bibi my calculations is more than life. let me finish with the offer of republicans, well, it's an offer they can't refuse but they may

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be happy. be healthy. well, republicans up in alaska may still like sarah palin but the rest of us is say not really. that's check the "hardball" scoreboard. according to a new ppp poll, she would be the republicans choice for senate should she decide to run. but against mark begich, palin trails badly. 52-40 over palin. 12-point spread there. we'll be right back. the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town. you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare. now that we're expecting, i like the fact i can go onto angie's list and look for pediatricians. the service providers that i've found on angie's list actually have blown me away. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust.

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no mother, no father should ever have to fear for their child walking down a street in the united states of america. >> welcome back to "hardball." that was, of course, former secretary of state and possibly the future president hillary clinton just two weeks ago speaking to the country's largest african-american

sorority in d.c. and addressing the death of trayvon martin sounding very much like a candidate for higher office. it's not what the she has been saying lately i think but what she's been slowing us that signalled to me she's all in for 2016 and wants us to know it. yesterday we saw a very flattering picture of her and the president sitting as equals as the president sitting with another president. very presidential picture over in the rose garden. few get that treatment. today in the morning, she had to eggs and scrambled eggs and toast with the vice president of the united states perhaps to pass to him her thinking. there's more. the former secretary of state has released a web videonouncing her support for gay marriage. she stood side by side with president obama and three former u.s. presidents down in dallas at the bush library dedication as an equal to them. she's giving speeches and writing a book about her time as secretary of state, all of that experience she picked up in four years. the super pac called ready for hillary is now being advised by

a hilary confidante and top strategist, harold ickes, along with high profile donors and bundlers they're all connected to form one grass-roots movement that could give her the advantage from the get-go in and when she gives the go. today the group announced it has raised over 1 million bucks. three years ahead of the next election. these are what people in politics call optics that point to a much less coy hillary clinton profile as of this week, laying the groundwork to become barack obama's heir apparent and the next leader of the democratic party and then onto the presidency. joining me is former pennsylvania governor ed rendell and michelle goldberg of the daily beast. governor, i do think and you are an expert and much closer to the clintons than i am, both to bill and to hillary, i think they're no longer playing the cat-and-mouse game. she will now is looking fabulous. i know i shouldn't talk about looks for a woman. i'll say it, the way she's presented herself always gets me

in trouble. she looks presidential as hell. i'll put it that way. the dark suit, the haircut, everything said this person looks ready for primetime. ready to go the game. she's got game right now. i'm looking at her and saying no more pretending i might or might not. the coyness is gone. your view, your knowledge i guess. >> chris, she's doing the things she should be doing if she wants to become a candidate. i'm not 100% certain that she's crossed the rubicon. i think everybody around her has. hillary clinton has an opportunity that almost nobody else in politics have, when we're leaving the office, the biggest concern we have, people who served for a long time is will i still be relevant when i'm no longer in office. the answer most times is no, not nearly as relevant. but hillary clinton can go around the world for the rest of her life driving women's issues and being one of the most important people in the world outundergoing the stress of a campaign. you're right about the optics.

they're certainly doing things that are much more conducive to getting ready to run. but i don't know if she's crossed the rubicon or just place holding right now if says she does decide to run. i'm in the minority. but i sat with both bill and hillary at bill gray's funeral in philadelphia a few weeks ago, and she was doing the things you have to do as a candidate. i'm not sure she's 100% there because she's got that rare opportunity to still have her voice heard loud and clear the rest of her life. >> that's true. i think though, let me go to michelle on this because it's a reporter's question, too. when i look at the picture of them in the rose garden, i don't see the past. i see the future. that's not a lunch between a former yesterday. this is a between a future -- i guess i've got the right audience. this is the future. this looks like a future youth meter here to me in looking at it. >> she's done skuch a good job at repackaging herself from

2008. she has already the massive base she had the last time she was declared the inevitable nominee, but since then, she's shown i think her humorous side which was a side of her people didn't know about. she's kind of been very savory digitally which she wasn't in 2008. she's been really smart about or not her but her super pac has been hiring some of the smartest people in the obama camp, and so you know, all of that acrimony that was -- that's all gone now. >> speaking of which governor, it looked to me like last time, obama could be sarcastic to a fault. she's likable enough. but if she runs for president, she's running against some real characters. even vicious characters potentially. i'm not saying they're always vicious. ted cruz, i look the an rand paul, they're not going to be afraid to take the heat to her. they'll go after her and call her a lefty and going after benghazi every night of the week. it's going to be a vicious attack on her.

you know they're not going to feel i hope we can appeal to the media. they'll play to their own crowd. this isn't going up against a regular republican like romney. this is going to go up against the hardest right there is. >> no question about it. then again, that's a decision she wants to make. does she want to undergo a year or two of that type of stress. her first testimony at the first benghazi hearing, she handled those tough old boys pretty well. i don't think hillary clinton is going to back down toive anybody. she believes what she believes. she's strong, lieu kid, clear. nobody's going to scare hillary clinton. if i would tell you an american politician who is fearless right now, it's her. >> did they know they had the wrong team last time when they ran? they didn't have the right advisors? >> we all made it clear to them. i think they know that. >> let me go to michelle. do you see a new team emerging around the secretary of state who might would suggest she's

going to make this a better effort and more state-of-the-art effort, a little less of a cotillon of friends and more like the best she can get to help you win? >> i think it's clear that's what's happening. it was really significant that they hired the obama campaign's jeremy bird who was is really important for their kind of legendary turnout operation. all the things that she was beaten last time. she's going to have an advantage on this time. >> she's running >> so she's running? ing >> i mean. >> she's hiring a get out the vote expert and she's not running? why would you hire a get out the vote if you weren't going to run stloo working for the super pac. >> go ahead, michelle. >> i said he's working for the super pac. she's working on her behalf, not working for her. >> what about harold ickes? why would he be helping her? >> because harold ickes wants more than anything in his life for her to run again. so do i. i do think there's a difference. >> have you?

>> have i? i've crossed it. i'm for her. >> if you're not here with us, which we love having you, i think you're chief of staff at least. at least. >> we'll see. >> maybe bigger. >> we'll see. >> you don't want to take d.o.t. or one of those jobs. come on. thank you, governor rendell who knows more than he says at all times. thank you, michelle. i do think she's running. i think this week was a great week for her. up next, poor joe biden, forever wonder what life looks like through the eyes of newt gingrich? this is "hardball," the place for politics. he's at a zoo, of course. distribution systems," "and one of the most efficient trucking networks," "with safe, experienced drivers." "we work directly with manufacturers," "eliminating costly markups," "and buy directly from local farmers in every region of the country." "when you see our low prices, remember the wheels turning behind the scenes, delivering for millions of americans, everyday. "dedication: that's the real walmart"

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is nothing new in new york politics. >> it's not the first time mayor of new york city has had troubles like this. this goes way back, in fact, we got into the archives and we pulled a clip. here now another very well-known mayor of new york city who engaged in this kind of thing himself. it's stunningly surprising. watch. ♪ >> i do hereby affix my signature and present to you an autographed photo of my [ bleep ]. call me if you want to get wild. you too, phyllis. >> disgraceful. i love laguardia. a former democratic presidential candidate has wait weighed in on the new york mayoral race. it was howard dean, the 2004 democratic candidate who was famous for his scream, of course, after the iowa caucuses. well, he's been quietly

campaigning for bill de blasio, the city advocate at several events across new york. he's been reenacting that infamous 2004 moment. >> but i realize as i was getting up here tonight taking off my coat that this shirt which is kind of wrinkled and all that and looks kind of like a hot day, it's ten years old. this is the shirs i was wearing when i gave the scream speech in iowa. so brooklyn and then we'll go to the bronx and then we're going to go to manhattan and all the twigracie mansion. yeah! >> well, i guess that's maturity. he's grown up. here's something different, by the way. really different if you're interested. newt gingrich was the latest to try google glass, the wearable computer that responds to voice commands. he recently posted a video. he filmed with the device from the peoria zoo in illinois. if you ever wanted to know what it's like to see through the eyes of newt gingrich, there's

your chance. >> okay, what's her name? >> bibi the. >> hello. there you go. >> newt gingrich is the strangest there is. finally you'd never guess what guantanamo bay detainees are reading these days. if you're thinking about it, after returning from a tour of the facility, v congressman jim moran told the huffing post "rather than the koran the book requested most by the detainees is "" 50 shades of grey."" i guess that says not much is going on down there. so what the hell. that was jim's comment. up next, president obama makes the republicans an offer they can't refuse. or can they? you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. an people, we've been able to clear away the rubble from the financial crisis. we started to lay a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth.

but we're not there yet. what we need is not a 3-month plan or even a 3-year plan. we need a long-term american strategy: job security with good wages and durable industries. a good education. reducing poverty. reducing inequality. growing opportunity. i'm going to keep pushing to make high-quality preschool available for every four-year-old in america it's time for the minimum wage to go up. (cheers) but i won't be able to do it alone, so i'm going to be calling... on all of us to take up this cause. good jobs; a better bargain for the middle class... and the folks who are working to get into the middle class; an economy that grows from the middle-out. that's what we need. (cheers) i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars. [ major nutrition ]

i'm julia boorstin with your cnbc mark wrap. the dow lost one point, s&p gained just under one point and the nasdaq is at a 12-year high adding 17 points. home prices showing a big annual gain. prices jumped 12.1% in may from a year ago. apple shares rose above the $450 mark for the first time in two months is, shares up nearly 14% in july so as far. facebook shares gained more than of% after announcing 80s jumping into the mobile games publishing business. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. now back to "hardball." there are a growing number of republican senators who are trying to work with democrats to get some stuff done.

that's good news. the bad news is that rather than keep our focus on what should be our priority which is go e growing our economy and creating good middle class jobs, we've seen a certain faction of republicans in congress hurt a fragile recovery by saying that they wouldn't pay the very bills that congress racked up in the first place, threatening to shut down the people's government if they can't get rid of obama care. >> welcome back to "hardball." that's the president out there today, recovery was his message today in tennessee, his fourth stop in five days as he ramps up a campaign to fix america's economy. today was all about the plan, a grand bargain designed to entice republicans with the promise of cutting, catch this corporate tax rates in exchange he wants to raise the minimum wage and add new investments and infrastructure paid for by changes to the tax code including new taxes on foreign earnings at least one time only. no surprise i guess in this environment the republican leaders are saying, total opposed to this thing.

they would think it's self-serving what he's proposing and call it a nonstarter for republicans. today's event wasn't just about the economy i think. it was also about the reserves. in every stop the last five days, obama has aggressively attacked the republicans for its obstructionist agenda, its lack of leadership and lack of focus. he says their focus has been on phony scandals talking benghazi and the irs i guess. for a white house playing defense with things like the irs controversy and the national security leaks and obama care glitches, it's taken the offensive on this issue for good reason. we're talking about more than economic recovery for the white house. this is about power and politics, boll declaring war on enemies with specific terms. john brabender is a republican extravagant gist and margie o'mara is a democratic pollster and strategist. he's laying down what looks to be the beginning of discussion. republicans would love corporate tax cuts a drop he's offering from 38 down to 25 for manufacturing. he said going to spend more

money on highways something republicans have always supported. they love spending money on highways. they love to spend that money, it means economic development in rural areas. number three saying minimum wage. all the republicans have to do is say we liking that corporate tax cut. yes to that, on the infrastructure, as long as you don't waste money. on real construction and three the minimum wage i'm not going that high. we'll give you a little bit. we'll give you a cost of living adjustment. why don't you guys come back positively on the republican side? >> there's a mistake among republicans we very this pavlovian response every time obama opens his mouth we say no. i had hope for this speech maybe he would say something we could agree with. the problem is, obama talked about middle class and hard working family jobs and instead he turned it into a political speech where he wrapped the republicans, he complimented himself and what he put forward was raise taxes over here so we

can create temporary project tz. >> he's calling get rid of loopholes. >> that's always been the case of lowering rates. >> why didn't they get rid of them before then? >> he's finding revenues over here so he can create temporary projects not careers for hard working families. >> i've studied reagan for years. reagan said lower rates is the key issue. get the rates down and people want to invest. it just seems he's talking republican talk here, spending money on real construction, not bs waste. he's talking about real construction jobs helping business and talking about business getting a huge break on the tax side. >> absolutely. why don't republicans come to the table and try to negotiate? >> counter offer. >> that's what the american people offer. >> let's take manufacturing >> why don't you guys come back with a counter offer. >> i'll have one for you right now. manufacturing, he said we're going to give go discounts to people back here. that's not fair to existing manufacturer who's never left. get rid of tax completely for manufacturers and get the

payroll tax. >> get rid of the taxes on all corporations that manufacture. why don't we get rid of the government that goes with it. >> that's a different argument. >> that's what you want to get rid of it. what government are you for getting rid of when you get rid of all this revenue? this is what always happens dynamic score keeping. this is what the republican party is doing. i'm afraid for the country's interest it's not working. this no go thing is working, what he's some way defending >> it's not -- maybe republicans think this is a good political strategy but that's not borne out by the data. washington post found last week a majority of republicans feel that the leadership of the party is taking them in the wrong direction. >> is that on immigration or economics. >> total. >> i wonder. >> total. and then. >> let's show those numbers. basically it says among republicans they think their leadership is not going in the right direction as you just said. 37% say it's going in the right

direction. among democrats they like the way the president and the leaders in the house are doing it. in the senate, 672% say right. your party's not being represented well. >> first of all. >>. >> you're here for the republicans. >> i'm not going to play the role where i have to agree with everything they say. they're making a big messaging mistake. they will no longer are fighting for hard working middle class families. obama catch us in the rope-a-dope and let's us fight for ax breaks for the wealthy. that has hard working americans think we don't understand their life. >> what i'm saying is as a party, we're not going to grow and get the white house back till those people believe we're fighting for them. >> what does the president have to do -- are here's my concern. i think we're going into the fall, i love the fall, but we're going into the fall and what looks like is not everybody in your party but the cruzs and the rand pauls and mike lee, the new guile from utah, are basically planning to put a stranglehold around the government and bring

it to a crawl. it's going to affect the economy and the stock market. not only will it bring a strangle hold to american politics, as the economy starts to struggle, they'll have a double whammy. come christmas when we should be making money for everybody and holiday season, the economy will be slowing. the republicans will say the economy is slowing because of obama and it will be because of their shutting down the government. >> i hope that's not what happens. i hope republicans are not looking at sabotaging the economy is going to be good for them politically and good for the people in their district if they go home and talk to the people struggling and think i can live with that because i've scored a point against obama, i mean, i don't want to believe that folks come to washington and that's their goal. but. >> do you believe it? >> are you being rhetorical? i don't. >> i believe it's what they're doing. i think it's exactly what that he doing. >> there may be a few people who

feel that way. >> they will think they're sampson and the temple. they don't know what they say. they just bring it down. >> there's plenty of blame on both sides. >> i don't think the president wants to bring things down. today he was out talking about the republicans. let's listen to him. >> the point is, if washington spent as much time and energy these past two years figuring out how to grow our economy and grow our middle class as it spent manufacturing crises in pursuit of a cut at all costs approach to deficits, we'd be much better off. i don't want to go through the same old arguments where i propose an idea and they say no because it's my idea. wasting the country's time by taking something like 40 meaningless votes to repeal obama care is not a jobs plan. that's not a jobs plan. >> eighth become his plauz line, by the way. trying to repeal obama care is not a jobs program. >> my advice to the president is, and i mean this honestly, hover wrote that speech he should fire them because that was a very divisive speech at a

time where he had a good topic to talk about. everybody cares about jobs and economic development. he gave a very divisive speech that did nobody. >> who would have called and said i'm calling a press conference. the president was positive today. let's work together? who would have said that? who. >> this is so much hunger in this country for people to see them actually work together on both sides. >> boehner, i think everybody's margie, you're the democrat. i think they've given up on boehner having the leadership skills to do that. >> he's not even saying where he stands on key issues. of course, the president's going to highlights what the obstacles are. it's important for us to be reminded. the american people know what's happening and they blame republicans more than democrats two to one. they know where the obstruction is coming fromming >> we only have one economy and housing is getting better and some signs are getting better. this is the recovery. it's not great. the two parties could kick thing

up to a higher gear if they all worked together. john brabender, not really defending the republicans which was the right job to take and margie oh mara, thank you for coming on. up next, bradley manning found not guilty of aiding the enemy and also convicted today on 19 other charges. he could face more than 100 years in prison which is an awful lot of time for one person. this is "hardball," the place for politics. hey mom, is there a dressing room around here? no. mom, check it out! energy drinks.

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we talk a lot about the civil war within the republican party between the establishment and the far right. and 50 careers ago, it was much the same. that's what william scranton, the governor of pennsylvania rose to national prominence as a kennedy republican. he supported civil rights, invested in education, even raised taxes in pennsylvania. in the 1964, he took on the conservative barry goldwater for the republican presidential nomination. scranton won his home state of pennsylvania and goldwater went on to lose the general lakes in a landslide. scranton never ran for elective office again but later served as ambassador under president ford. today we learned he died at the age of 96. a great, great republican. we'll be right back. [ whispering ] uh! i had a nightmare!

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[ doorbell rings ] ...and let the good life in. we're back. it was the largest leak of classified information in american history. u.s. army private bradley manning admitted to giving the anti-secret sit website wikileaks more than 700,000 military reports and diplomatic cables. his defense attorneys kooirzed him as niive. but well intentioned. whistle-blower. anyway, is he a whistleblower. system prosecutors said he was a traitor. today manning learned his fate. a judge found him not guilty of the most serious charge. he faced aiding the enemy but he was convicted on 20 separate charges lesser charges related to espionage, theft and computer fraud. he now faces potentially get this as many as 136 years in prison. he's a young guy. but that's a frightening number of years. michael hirsch is chief

correspondent for the national journal. gentlemen, the reaction to the verdict, what is yours, sir? >> michael? >> it seemed to me to be on the whole fair. at least in the eyes of the law. i think many legal commentators thought the aiding the enemy charge was too far over the line which set a dangerous precedent particularly for the free flow of information to the press in the future, but you know, the espionage act was perhaps applicable. mishandling classified information certainly. i think it's hoped that the judge will in the end not sentence him to the maximum and there will be compassion shown. >> david, do you think he'll give him think he'll give him a simultaneously serving of the sentences so it won't add up to a thousand years the way it's going now? >> let's not forget that bradley manning, he spent nine months in solitary confinement before he was tried. during that period he wasn't even allowed to have clothes in

the solitary cell? >> no clothes? >> no clothes for nine months. >> what is that about? isn't that cruel and unusual punishment? it seems like what has that got to do with anything, that kind of treatment of a prisoner? >> it's overkill. and i don't understand the administration's approach here. everyone has talked about it before that obama, the administration has carried out more prosecutions of leakers than all previous administrations combined. you know, this charge of aiding the enemy was unnecessary. the judge did do the right thing, i agree. but you're going to create more leakers. you're turning julian assange and wikileaks and snowden and manning into i think heroes for people. and it's just overkill. he violated the law. he should go to jail. he violated the oath he took. but not for 136 years. >> well, let's look at this, julian assange, the key here, the founder of wikileaks who told reporters 56 today that manning was a hero. that's his word. after the trial, he said, quote, it is a dangerous precedent, an

example of national security extremism. this has never been a fair trial. let me go back to. this how do you see, michael? i just wonder whether there is more information we don't get because it's kept classified. was there real damage here done to our agents, to our officials around the world, to our espionage people, our spies? they're never going to tell us, but inside it's going to be the ferment that leads to the desire to punish this guy. >> i think that the desire to punish him on the part of the government is simply to create a deterrent effect. i don't think there was any real damage that we know about. no one lost their lives, as we saw in some of the cases of spies of the past like james during the cold war. and then in fact there is substantial circumstantial evidence that the wikileaks thump in tunisia had a enormous effect in starting off the the protest there's that led to the arab spring. so if you believe in democratic movements in theish world, it may have had a beneficial effect. >> the highest profile leaker

since bradley manning, edward snowden fled the country. he is currently in russia at the airport, and the country's attitude to snowden is decidedly mixed. look at this. this is really interesting for our country. it's us we're talking about here. 55% of our country view him as a whistle-blower. only 34% view him as more of a traitor, which is obviously the worst term. but the latest poll more people had a negative view of snowden than positive. 34 to 11, which seems to be at odds. david, how do you klain splain that that people don't like the guy. they disapprove of him, but they think of him less as a traitor and no worse than neutral whistle-blower? >> i guess i would go to my overkill argument earlier. what he did was wrong. most people think it's wrong, but they think the government is overreacting in the way they're going after him with this sort of worldwide manhunt. i think that he is a whistle-blower. he started a very valuable debate about this meta data, the

tremendous surveillance going on. so the politics is changing on this and views of snowden will change as people don't like the surveillance. >> thank you so much, david rohde, and and thank you, michael hirsh, for your expertise. we'll be back after this. this day calls you. to fight chronic osteoarthritis pain.

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let me finish tonight with this. president obama made an offer today, an offer the republicans can refuse. they can sit on their hands and mock him. they can play politics and refuse to even make a

counteroffer. or they can grow up and start negotiating. that's if they really do care enough about the country's slow recovery to kick it into a higher gear. the president has put something on the table. he put out proposals, a big chop in corporate tax rates and a total gimme to business. he has also proposed a big road and bridge mending program back to lincoln and on through eisenhower and the latest highway haved. how about the republicans come back and say look, we'll take the corporate tax hike. we'll take the road and bridge spending piece if you keep the costs tight, and we'll give you a minimum wage hike that at least covers inflation. if the republicans want to kick the economy into a higher gear, that's what they do. as roth would put it in the godfather, i'm going to take a nap now, michael. if the money is on the table, i'll know i have a partner. if it's not, i know i don't. time for the republicans to

match it. if they really want to partner in growing this economy, they'll act. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "politicsnation" with al sharpton starts right now. thanks, chris, and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, history's repeating itself. and guess what? it's on the president's side. 48 years ago today, president johnson signed establishing medicare and medicaid. signing the social security act into law. over the years, it's strengthened our safety net and has saved millions of lives. today the president spent that monumental anniversary defending his own health law in going right after republicans who are standing in its way. >> rather than keep our focus on what should be our priority, which is