having our country once again drawn into a civil war in another country. the concern that i think many people have is that we don't fully understand as well what the reaction of the russians will be to this action. so general, you -- and i thank you, general, and secretary kerry and secretary hagel. this is a tough job, and we really appreciate the sensitivity and the professionalism with which you are handling this. you talked about the russians now having four vessels in the eastern mediterranean. but you did not seem to be that concerned about them. syria is a proxy state of russia. they provide the military assistance, the training to syria. are you concerned in any way that a strike by the united states could increase the amount of military assistance that russia sends into the syrian regime?

>> it could, senator. i mean they -- there is some indication that they have assured the regime that if we destroy something, they can replace it. but that's not a reason for me to hesitate to act. and to the -- to your point, there is always unintended consequences of conflict. but as the secretary has mentioned, we know what the consequences could be, probably would be if we do not act. >> thank you. >> mr. secretary, and teresa, you look great. you look absolutely fantastic here today. it's my understanding that the u.n. chemical inspection team left syria on saturday, and that u.n. secretary ban ki-moon has directed the team expedition's analysis of the samples and information it has obtained. when do we expect to obtain that

data and the analysis made by the u.n.? and when do we expect that information to be made public? >> i'm sorry, which information? >> the united nations inspection team. >> senator -- by the way, mr. chairman, i'm looking over here at my successor in the united states senate. i don't know if there is a new initiation process here on the committee, but i notice he doesn't even get a name plate. ah! all right. i was worried about you. >> in the house they put it up for you. i'm learn hag the protocol is over here. >> we're dealing with sequester. so you have to do it yourself. >> i thought -- i thought massachusetts was on an even keel here for a minute. senator, first of all, welcome to the committee, and welcome to the senate. >> thank you. >> it's good to see you here. with respect to the u.n. process, we're hearing somewhere three weeks, anywhere from two to four weeks i suppose is the

range. but i think about three weeks is what we've been told. >> so would it be wise for us to wait for that information from the united nations in order to ensure that there is a signal sent to the international community as to the veracity of the analysis by the united states that chemical weapons have been used? >> well, let me speak to that, because it's a very important and legitimate question. first of all, the mandate of the united nations inspection team, which we have great respect for, and we're grateful to them and to secretary general ban ki-moon for their courageous effort to go in under difficult circumstances. and we have obviously pushed for inspections in other circumstances. the distinction here is that their mandate will only allow

them to say that a chemical weapons attack took place. they have no mandate to assign blame, who did it. and secretary general ban ki-moon has reaffirmed that this is in fact what they won't do. they won't assign blame. they will confirm what happened. now, can they provide additional information in terms of details and some additional evidence? the answer is yes. but will they tell us anything that we do not know today beyond a reasonable doubt? the answer is no. they can't tell us because they don't know have the technical means or the intelligence operation or the capacity to put together what we have released to the world in an unclassified document. and when you add what we have in

classified form that obviously i can't go into here, we have an even more persuasive case about what has happened here. now let me add to that, if i can, just one more thing. iran and syria itself have both admitted that a chemical weapons attack took place. so iran and syria are already telling us an attack took place, but they have chosen the improbable and illogical notion that the opposition did it. not the regime. >> my only suggestion would be that the united states declassify a higher percentage of the information that we have so that the american people and the international community can see it. and i think that would be helpful in this whole discussion. if we declassified, i think it would actually give more assurance to the international community. >> senator, i understand. and i have to tell you, the

unprecedented level of declassification already according to the intel community could possibly put at risk some sources and methods. now one of the reasons that it was chosen to release one is somehow it leaked from some place in the world, and it was already in several newspapers. so as a result of that, it was -- it was further declassified. but that itself is an intercept, an actual conversation now out in public that shows the regime acknowledging its own culpability, and expressing fear about the u.n. discovering it. so it is already it seems to me a sufficient level without tempting fate on sources and methods. >> on the administration draft resolution, would that draft authorization allow the u.s. military to conduct military operations outside of the syria?

>> no. >> it would not. and would it allow military operations against foreign governments other than syria? >> no. >> and would it authorize military operations against nonstate actors? >> no. >> thank you. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator markey. let me on behalf of the committee thank all of our distinguished witnesses. they have been testifying for an excessive three and a half hours, and i appreciate their information they've imparted with the committee. let me say that i appreciate the thoughtfulness with which each member has come to this issue at this hearing and expressed their concerns and their views. and i have listened closely and understand some of those concerns. i've listened to my colleagues

particularly express concern as to whether the actions we conceive would in fact deter or degrade the ability of assad to pursue chemical weapons attacks in the future. and i'm reminded in a much different context of an experience i had in my own life. general dempsey is actually originally from my area, jersey city and bayonne. and i grew up in a tough neighborhood. and we had a bully in the neighborhood. and i was walking along the street one day, and he just slapped me in the face and i went away and told my mom, and she said avoid him. avoid him. just avoid him. and a week later, i saw the bully again, and i did all my best to avoid him, and this time he punched me in the nose. and it was bloody, and i went back to her and said, you know, mom, i tried to avoid him. she said well, just avoid him.

and it wasn't until the third time when we were by a construction site that i got a piece of wood and whacked the bully, and that was the end of it. i never got whacked again. it's not quite this. but there is a lesson to be learned. assad has made a calculation now through inching up several times that he can use chemical weapons, or he believes he can use chemical weapons without consequence. and in doing so, there is a global message that in fact other state actors and other state nonactors believe they can do so as well. that's a critical challenge for the national security of the united states. and i hope members will consider that as we move towards final action. i want to advise members, and i think we're close to a text on a resolution, and so that they should consider that it is likely that we may very well be

in a business meeting some time after the classified hearing tomorrow morning. and we look forward to working with all of the members of the committee. senator corker, is there anything else? >> i think you've said it well enough. i want to thank the witnesses for spending this much time, not only in the hearing, but also in advance of the hearing. i look forward to the classified meeting tomorrow. and i want to thank all the members for incredible thoughtfulness throughout all of this. and i appreciate everybody coming back to be a part of this and taking it so seriously. thank you. >> with the thanks of the committee, this hearing is adjourned. >> that wraps up today's senate foreign relations committee hearing on a potential military strike against syria. the hearing lasted more than three hours as two cabinet secretaries and a four-star general made the administration's case for congressional authorization to attack syria for using chemical weapons.

the big theme today from the administration were that this would be limited involvement with no boots on the ground. no doubt congress is divided on this. and so are the american people. joining me now is democratic congressman brad sherman, who has indicated he would support limited military action in syria, and aaron david miller, a former state department adviser, now vice president for new initiatives at the woodrow wilson center. congressman, let me start with you. you heard senator robert menendez tell a story about backing down to a bully, his mother telling him to avoid him. after two times avoiding him, that didn't work, he took a piece of wood and he said he was never whacked again. what do you say to that? >> i say it's an interesting story from north jersey, but i'm not sure that i would draw the -- that that would be a reason for taking action with

regard to syria. i think my concern with syria is that now that assad has been open, has used chemical weapons against civilians on a massive scale, that if there is no cost to him from that, that he will do it again and again. that will set the kind of precedent where for decades to come, dictators will feel that they can use chemical weapons against their own people. that being said, the text of the resolution that the president sent over to us on august 31 is contradictory to the statements that the administration is making now. >> and how so? contradictory how? >> well, when you look at the resolution, it authorizes action of any type, including boots on the ground for any length of

time, not just the few hours or few days that the president is talking about. under this resolution, as long as what the president is doing is related to dealing with or necessary or appropriate to deal with the chemical weapons, he is authorized to do anything he thinks is appropriate. in the hands of a different president, that could mean occupying syria, changing its government, et cetera. it bothers me that the rhetoric is to describe this very limited action, but the resolution sent to us is a complete blank check. >> but you is said that you would support a limited involvement. so your objection is that the actual statement is too broad, and you would want a more limiting statement? or text? >> absolutely. what congress should authorize is no more than the president

has made the case for, which is a short-term effort hopefully without exposing our airmen to the risk of death to punish assad and to demonstrate to him that the use of these chemical weapons was ultimately a military mistake. >> all right. let me go to you, aaron david miller. you think the president ought to do something. do you think it ought to be limited? and do you think that the resolution should limit him only to a limited action? >> you know, reverend sharpton, i think the president has three options. do nothing, which is unconscionable, try to do everything, which is reckless, or identify the middle ground, which is a limited strike. let's be clear about something. the president and secretary of state use the words deter and degrade. the reality is i suspect this strike is going to be far more punishing, far more comprehensive than any of us have been led to believe, in large part because if you do not

attack chemical weapon stocks and storage facilities, then you have to go after delivery systems. and when you go after delivery systems, you can go after a lot of different military assets -- command and control, airfields, aircraft, artillery units. they could attack the fourth armored division, which was responsible for the deployment of these weapons. so we need to be -- we need to be clear here. this is the least bad option. and suspect if you want to be credible, the administration is going to have to find a way between launching a few cruise missiles into a storage shed and a sustained and comprehensive strike which will tip the battlefield balance. so i think there is risk there is uncertainty. and one more point. once you break the glass ceiling on military action, the pressure and expectation to respond again will grow. and not, reverend sharpton, necessarily in response to unconventional weapons. the regime may well in response

to this launch brutal and devastating offenses using aircraft, artillery against rebel and opposition forces. we just have to be prepared to be very disciplined about how we're going to respond the next time. >> all right. but let me ask you this, aaron david. the president said a couple of times that the strikes will be limited. listen to this. >> i want to emphasize once again. what we are envisioning is something limited. it is something proportional. it will degrade assad's capabilities. at the same time we have a broader strategy that will allow us to upgrade the capabilities of the opposition. >> now, you're saying that even if that is the intention of the president, it's going to take more than a limited action and it is unpredictable about how far it would go and expectations

would rise. am i hearing you correctly? >> yeah. i mean, look, reverend sharpton, there is risk and uncertainty, even in the least desirable action. and let's be clear. this president has willfully, and in my judgment wisely reached the conclusion that his strategic objective is getting america out of bad wars, not getting them into new ones. and that essentially means taking a very hard look at what the relationship is between the application of american military powers in instrument and the end state. i think barack obama knows he cannot end the civil war. all i'm suggesting is once you strike, and limited in comparison to what? limited in comparison to operation, you know, desert storm? limited in comparison to the second bush administration shock and awe? all i'm suggesting is i think this military strike will surprise people. it's not going to tip the

battlefield balance. but i suspect it will be punishing and devastating. and then the question becomes how do the syrians react, and how are we going to react. >> yeah. >> in the days ahead. that's the critical question here. and there are no guarantees. and every member of congress should understand that. they can craft whatever resolution they want with respect to authorization of use of force. but once military action is undertaken, you run into a range of unpredictable responses. and the administration has to have the authority and power to be credible if necessary to respond. and not to go back to congress every single time assad commits another horror and outrage. >> let me ask you. >> it's a very tricky road. >> let me ask you, then, congressman sherman, will the congress give the president authorization, or will they defy him? >> i think it depends on whether the president comes back to us with a much more narrow

resolution, and whether he goes on national television and persuades the public. i think there is also a little wisdom in the story from north jersey. when he hit the bully, he didn't act to incapacitate the bully. he didn't even hit the bully hard enough to cause the bully stop bullying activity in the neighborhood his sole objective was to keep that bully from hitting bob menendez in the nose. and likewise, we're going to hit syria, but probably not hard enough to keep them from bullying their own people, not enough to incapacitate them, but i think enough so that they'll learn that it's bad behavior to use chemical weapons. >> but the only gamble when you hit a guy, you better make sure he is just a bully and not really a guy that will keep the fight going. congressman brad sherman and aaron david miller, thanks for your time tonight. >> much appreciated. coming up, whatever you

think about our role in syria, one thing is certain, this is about more than politics. some republicans just can't see that. plus, ted cruz, get ready to meet bill clinton. the former president is ready to make a case for obama care, and he is not the only senator coming out. just when you thought it couldn't get any more absurd, the right-wingers are attacking president obama for this photo. also what's on your mind? e-mail me. friend or foe, i want to know. "reply al" is ahead. ♪

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no matter where you stand on syria, it's an issue that requires honest, thoughtful debate. well, for some on the right, it's just a new chance to launch personal attacks on the president. kansas congressman tim huelskamp tweeted today, since obama still refuses to tell us the whole truth about benghazi, why do gop leaders trust obama to be truthful about syria? it's personally reasonable to be careful about getting involved in syria, but calling the president untruthful, that's shameful. and over at fox, they're turning to the old stereotype, that all muslims are terrorists. >> listen to this video, senator mccain, of a syrian -- looks

like a fighter jet being shot out of the sky. listen to what they say afterwards. >> allah akbar, allahu akbar. >> would you have a problem with american christians saying thank god, thank god? that's what they're saying. come on. >> john mccain was right to push back against this anti-muslim rhetoric. but his old running mate is not on the same page. our favorite half governor from alaska posted on facebook, quote, so we're bombing syria because syria is bombing syria? and i'm the idiot? quote, let allah sort it out. let allah sort it out? there are legitimate reasons to oppose military action in syria, but it's beyond shameful to use this debate as a chance to trot

out anti-islamic rhetoric or make personal attacks on the president. joining me now is former congressman patrick murphy, democrat from pennsylvania. thank you for being here tonight. >> thanks, reverend al, for having me back on. >> you know, doesn't this kind of rhetoric undermine the serious substantive debate that we need to have about any potential military action, congressman? >> you're absolutely right, rev. i mean, the fact is that we are going to debate whether we're going to put our own men and women into harm's way. this is one of the most serious and somber responsibilities of the congress. and you have knuckleheads like that congressman from congress and the half governor who are just really politicizing this. and thank goodness we have patriots like john mccain who at least stick up against fox news when they try and parade that crap. but let me just say, i do believe that people like john

boehner, who came out for a syria action today and john mccain, i think they're sincere. but rev, the problem is that you have these other tea party knuckleheads that are in the congress by the way, who are going to play politics about this. they're going to move the football. >> it's not only the tea party, congressman. let me show you something else that to me beyond the pale. you know, some republicans will take anything to attack the president. let me give you this example. today in measure, former defense secretary donald rumsfeld was asked why the u.s. faces opposition in the middle east. let's listen to the answer. >> no. why do people criticize us? well, you want to blame somebody. if you want to learn how to blame, watch your president. just one time you would like to see him suck it up and take responsibility for something. >> suck it up and take responsibility for something. i mean, can you believe this

kind of disrespect from a former cabinet member? >> i can't. i mean, as you know, secretary rumsfeld was one of the key architects of the iraq war. an unnecessary warrer that had no connection to 9/11, that had no connection to weapons of mass destruction. if anyone should suck it up, should it be rummy who should shut his mouth. you would think he would have the decency during this somber time to keep his comments to himself. if there was any reason why we don't have credibility in the middle east for the next few decades, it's the bush/cheney/rumsfeld doctor that got us into that war in iraq. >> and i might add that you not only are a former member of congress, you served in iraq and was the first iraq veteran to serve in the congress. let me also give you this, congressman. conservative lobbyists and writer michael goldfarb told "the new york times," quote, right now the easy republican

vote looks like the vote against obama. so for many, this isn't about the merits of the situation, it's about a vote against president obama. >> and that's where the majority of these republicans are going to vote. listen, rev, i was born on a monday, but it wasn't last monday. and let me tell you, they play politics when it was bill clinton as the commander in chief, they played politics with bosnia and kosovo. the kosovo vote fell in the house that the republicans controlled. and that was the worst ethnic cleansing in europe since world war ii. nato and the u.n. acted. our republican congress didn't vote to act. and i served before iraq, i served in bosnia. i walked the fields of towns like srebrencia where thousands, thousands of muslims were slaughtered. and it didn't stop until we went in there and we stopped it. but we did it with the u.n. and that's why we need to have this debate right now in congress. they should get back from

vacation, and should be having this debate right now in the house and the senate. >> congressman, will he win the vote? will the president win the vote in the congress? >> right now he won't win it. he has to make the case. and we have to follow the pal doctor, rev. we have to make sure we have an end game on this. and we also need to make sure we exhaust our remedies. not just getting the congress to vote on it, but we need some u.n. action. we got to demand a vote in the u.n. security council. put china and russia on record to make sure that they say yeah, we're going to look the other way when this obscene atrocity happens in syria. >> all right. former congressman patrick murphy, thanks for your time tonight. >> thank you. ahead, the stars come out to support a key part of president obama's agenda. and the republicans aren't happy about it. plus, we'll tell you why the right-wingers are so outraged over this photo. seems like we have a brand-new phony controversy. stay with us. anncr: expedia is giving away a trip every day.

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there is just days to go before a major piece of president obama's health care law takes effect. so you know what that means? the right is trying to tear it down. senator ted cruz is out with the new tv ad attacking the law. and 80 house republicans are urging speaker boehner to block funding it. but there is a little problem. it's working. and they're up against a celebrity army doing everything it can to promote the law. will ferrell's funny or die website is already at work on videos that will publicize obama care. just last week, magic johnson was seen entering the white house. and when he left, he tweeted "don't forget that obama care officially starts on october

1st." katy perry has also gotten in on the action, even tweeting with the president about affordable health care. and then there is the biggest political celebrity in the country. >> let me ask you something. are we better off because president obama fought for health care reform? you bet we are. >> that's right. president clinton will make the case tomorrow during a speak at his presidential library in arkansas. so sorry, senator cruz. this isn't even looking like a fair fight anymore. joining me now is ray suarez, senior correspondent for pbs "newshour" and author of a new book, "latino americans: the 500-year legacy that shaped the nation." and michelle cottle, washington correspondent for the daily beast. thank you both for coming on the show. >> great to be with you. >> thanks, reverend.

>> ray, why is the white house using big names to promote the law? >> i suppose they could bring the chief economist from the brookings institute, but i'm sure that won't many 26-year-olds' socks roll up and down. you want people to know they only have to pay a fine if they don't sign up for it, and the insurance is more money than the fine. so you've got to give them voices, faces that they identify with, that they know who have the possibility to convince them to go do it. >> now, michelle, the white house held a meeting earlier this summer with celebrities help promote the law. jennifer hudson, jon bon jovi, others there. how key is this push, especially getting young people on board with the law? >> look, the administration kind of missed its budget for outreach and marketing for this sort of thing. if young people and healthy

people in particular don't get into these exchanges, the entire structure collapses. you have to have these young, healthy people in these exchanges in order to balance out the cost of covering older, sicker people. so it is extremely important that you find voices that young people will listen to and go out and sign up for these things. >> and the difficult part about it is that young people almost feel invincible. so you need an extra push to get them to even feel like they need insurance. >> well, it will be interesting to see after the enrollment period opens whether you start to hear the stories of people who are 27, 28, 29 years old and had an accident, a devastating illness, ooh chronic condition that bankrupted them, as it did many other people. you may feel invincible, and then something really bad happens, and you realize coy have used health insurance. >> no doubt about it. ray, while you're talking, your new book is about the latino experience. and no doubt the latino community is very much in the forefront of this health care

debate. senator ted cruz, who is leading the push against the law, says he is trying to scrap obama care in order to help the latino and african-american communities. listen to this. >> it's already law. why not just get on board and try it? >> because it's not working, and it's hurting americans. and by the way, the people it's hurting the most are the most vulnerable among us. the people who are losing their jobs are young people are, hispanics, are african-americans, are single moms. i don't think that's fair. i don't think that's right. >> the latino community, ray, is hugely important politically. why does the gop risk alienating them? >> hugely important politically, rev, but also widely underinsured and uninsured compared with america as a whole, it's the most underinsured and uninsured community of all. so telling them that you want to help them by getting rid of the law is interesting, i guess,

only if you have an alternative. if you're going to say -- and here is how i want to get you insured. but so far just trying to take down the law as far as the polls say hasn't had a lot of appeal. >> you know, michelle, some states are going to extremes to block the law. in missouri, local officials have been barred from doing anything to help put the law into place. and about half a dozen states won't enforce consumer protects that ban insurance companies from rejecting patients with preexisting conditions. so you even have former senator jim demint had this to say about the health care law last week. listen to this, michelle. >> i can not think of anything that is more unamerican than national government-run health care. those who believe in those principles of socialism and collectivism we've seen over the centuries, they see as their holy grail taking control of the health care system. it's such a personal service. it's such a big part of the

economy. if they can control that, they can control most areas of our lives. >> so there is real hard and in my opinion somewhat hysterical in some quarters opposition to obama care? >> absolutely. and they know that time is running out. i mean senator ted cruz has been out there making the argument that time is running out, and this is their last offramp before this kind of takes hold. and i think that that is absolutely true. i mean, everybody kind of misunderstand what's the law will do. nobody is really clear there has been a lot of efforts to make people frightened of it. and for whatever the law's shortcomings, it's also going to do a lot of good things. once people understand how this works, it's going to be a lot tougher to unwind it. so the republicans see this as the 11th hour. if they don't stop it before these exchanges start on the 1st, they're going to have a lot -- you know, it just gets harder and harder from there. >> you know, ray, for all the talk of being fiscally conservative, the right sure

doesn't mind wasting money. for example, today the michigan legislature passed a medicaid expansion, but only if its implementation was delayed that will cost the state $7 million a day, or $600 million total when it's all said and done. >> but that's not how they sold it. they said by standing up for principle, they're going to save money down the road by not implementing the expansion of medicaid under the affordable care act. i mean, nobody goes to the people and says we're going to bring you a special piece of legislation that is going to cost you $7 million a day. as michelle noted, they've got to dig their heels in now, because they're running out of time. when those exchanges open up on october 1st, the marketplace is open. and really, we'll see whether this whole thing works or not. >> what do you -- what is your take on bill clinton, coming out tomorrow at his library. he is really assuming this role of explainer in chief. >> well, he has helped and some

would argue saved obama's argument in the past, president obama's argument in the past. and when someone calls you the secretary of explaining stuff, well, he does break it down. and he is a very potent persuader. again, the proof of the pudding, we're going see, there are seven million people who have to sign up in the period, the window that opens after october 1st. 40% of those people are in the young age group that is the most highly uninsured right now. and as michelle mentioned, the numbers only work if they sign up en masse. they've got to do it after those marketplaces open up. >> michelle, give me your take on president clinton. he is coming out tomorrow in his role of -- as explainer in chief. >> i think it's absolutely right. he has the advantage of he is one step removed from the current political battle. and if anything, republicans have been playing up the clintons as a bygone era of more

reasonable democrats. so for him to get out there and do his whole explaining role, it should be a big help for obama. >> and ray, the new book is about the contributions of latinos in america? >> it insists from the beginning that latino history is american history. that it's not some separate branch of history that you have to learn in isolation. it is american history, just as much as the mayflower and jamestown and the civil war. >> latino americans. thank you, ray, for bringing it by. thank you for coming on, michelle cottle. thank you for your time this evening. and ray's book, the 500 year legacy that shaped a nation, latino americans. still ahead, a picture says a thousand words. and this one is exposing some new right wing hypocrisy. but first, the inspiring story of the woman who didn't let failure stop her from swimming into history. stay with us. uh, i'm in a timeout because apparently

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we're back with a new round of right wing obama derangement syndrome, oval office edition. this weekend the white house posted a photo showing president obama with his foot on the desk in the oval office. drudge report picked it up, and the far right's outrage machine went into overdrive. teaparty.org tweeted does seeing president obama's foot on the oval office desk make your blood boil? over at fox, lou dobbs says the white house released it mistakenly, thinking it's a cool image.

and comments from some other tea party forums got downright nasty. what a scandal, what an outrage. who would dare do something like that? president obama, that's who. he propped his feet on that very same desk. where was the outrage back then? president ford did it too. check it out. it looks comfortable. ford also used to sit on his desk. president reagan even used his desk as a snack tray. oh, the scandal! folks, the right wing's hypocrisy is clear, and so is their real agenda. attacking president obama for anything he does, no matter how big or how small. joining me are goldie taylor and dana milbank in his very unpresidential posture tonight. >> go, dana. >> sorry, rev. >> thank you for being here tonight.

dana, let me ask you, do these ridiculous small-scale attacks from the right serve a larger purpose? >> well, look. from the beginning of this presidency, there have been efforts to discredit him for anything. some are sillier than others. and as i've explored and you've explored obama derangement syndrome, it does appear that just about anything, like that poll that you mentioned in louisiana where a third of the republican voters were blaming president obama for katrina, which happened when he was in his first term in office. >> right. >> so he has managed to get under their skin. there has been an effort to portray him as something other than presidential, as something other than american. now probably in this case they didn't realize that there would be the old black and white photos showing previous presidents doing exactly such a thing. but, yes, outrage is conditional and seasonal. >> and goldie, as anything, for example, when the president

supposedly was bowing to foreign leaders like the president of china, but they ignore the fact that republican president richard nixon did the exact same thing when meeting chairman mao. >> sure. well, you know what it's like, reverend, when you fall in love. you fall in love, everything the other person does is right. everything they say is funny. but when you're not in love, when you a deep-seated loathing for someone, then nothing they say or do can be right. and that's what it is with the case with this president. there some racial animus at play? maybe. but i think this is really more about ideology and the very idea that the principles that this president holds dear, that his integrity, that his way of living, his sense of discipline, his sense of decency, his love for this country, have to come under constant check and charge by this right wing. it helps them to raise money. it helps them to get volunteers for their campaigns. it helps them to turn out the vote. it really does help support in

any number of ways. and it's a tool, a tool used by some of the mainstream republican media. >> that's what bothers me, dana, is that some of the mainstream republican leadership in some ways identify with this, or at least do not denounce it. for example, tea party activist david horowitz, in making offensive comments about president obama at a right wing conference that was sponsored by the koch brothers. listen to this. >> the reason we don't attack them is obvious, but no one will say it outloud. i will. it's because the color of his skin is black. actually, actually, he is half black. it is because obama is a minority that no one will hold him to a standard or confront him with what he has done. >> now, this conference was attended by gop leaders like marco rubio, ted cruz, governor

bobby jindal. i mean, doesn't it show how this kind of garbage has become mainstream in the far right? >> well, reverend, there has always been this kind of garbage out on the fringe. what has happened here is the republican party decided to try to harness the power of the tea party and embrace these folks. and the problem is when you do that, you need to be accountable for the things you have given the microphone to. the clowns who are out there on the fringe are given more attention because people are in the audience with them, because they're being promoted by leadership within the republican party. so it works both ways. it has helped them in election, but now you see that it's had the effect of countenancing this sort of behavior. >> you know, goldie, the president in this past march talked himself about the tendency of the far right to demonize him with personal attacks. listen to this.

>> sometimes i reflect, you know, is there something else i could do to make these guys -- i'm not talking about the leaders now, but maybe some of the house republican caucus members not to paint horns on my head. >> i mean, it's probably something he wonders about. but i don't know what he could do this. this is so deep seated and has become so vile. >> well, you know, dana is absolutely right about this. it is deep-seated. it is vile. we have really mainstreamed crazy in this country. so at the end of the day, this president can't do or say anything, really, to bring this back to the fold. republican leaders can't even go to the white house, can't shake this president's hand, can't have dinner with him outside of the purview of their constituencies, who would then hold them to account for being too chummy with him. one of the things that i said about chris christie and whether or not he is going to be able to run for the gop. there are pharr too many

pictures out there of him being chummy with this president. even in a kime time of crisis. the cat is out of the bag, and they're not able to stuff it back in. that's going to be a real problem for them come 2014 and even 2016. >> the other thing about this, dana, they have in so many ways disrespected this president that they've lowered the respect level of the office, something that could come back and haunt all parties for a long time. once you lower the bar to denigrating the president, to the degree that they have done this president. >> well, i think that's true, and i think it's been going on for some period of time now, that the idea of the disrespect not just for the person who is holding the office, but for the office itself. and eventually one becomes the other. now these republicans of 2013 didn't invent this, but they seem to have taken it to an entirely different level when even the president's foot on the desk becomes a scandalous issue.

but i think we can say objectively now that the president does seem to have a leg up on his opposition. >> true. >> you had two legs up on me, but i got even. goldie taylor and dana milbank, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you, reverend sharpton. friend or foe, i want to know. "reply al" is next. a writer and a performer. ther, i'm also a survivor of ovarian and uterine cancers. i even wrote a play about that. my symptoms were a pain in my abdomen and periods that were heavier and longer than usual for me. if you have symptoms that last two weeks or longer, be brave, go to the doctor. ovarian and uterine cancers are gynecologic cancers. symptoms are not the same for everyone. i got sick...

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it's time for "reply al." remember, friend or foe, i want to know. judith writes, when we were leaving mt. hope cemetery in rochester, new york, in june, we noticed a sign next to the frederick douglass grave. we walked down the path, turned left toward the grave when our jaws dropped by what we saw. it was very overwhelming. the thought was reverend al would like to see it. the sign judith is referring to is actually a picture of trayvon

martin on frederick douglass' grave site. you know, when i read your note, judith, i thought about how i read many years ago frederick douglass was asked by a young man what advice do you give young people that want to get involved in activism. and frederick douglass looked at him and said agitate, young man, agitate. it was that agitation which is why everyone knows trayvon martin's name. and that agitation will continue until we deal withstand your ground and some resolve. brenda says the republicans target, punish, and humiliate the poor and their children. is that their idea of what they call family values? yes, it's very interesting. you know, i think people that struggle to bring and make ends meet and find a way know more about family values than those that are born on third base and think they hit a triple. i was raised by a single mother who had to get help from time to time with food stamps and welfare.

but she taught me that life is about where you're going, not where you started. and she taught me don't make any excuses. you can be whoever you prepare yourself to be. and believe in yourself to be. that single mother knew family values more than someone who has a nurse to raise their children for them, teaching them nothing personally. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. obama's third election. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in new york. let me start with this. i can't think of another u.s. president who has done anything like this. president obama is now asking a hostile u.s. house of representatives to back an act of war against syria.