this has happened. >> katie, tracy, and jordan, thank you all very much for joining us tonight. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. bad company. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. give me a war and i'll give you a picture. give me a picture, and there might not be a war. that's the power we're seeing with this morning's release of this horrid video and still photo that "the new york times" acquired from a rebel group this week. across the top of the "new york times" we see men with rifles. those men are on the side we'd be backing. standing over men with welts on their back, men kneeling, men knowing they're about to die. men in the hellish crosshairs of an ethnic war in syria, where

one side has as its goal the genocide of another. a war in which hatred and revenge are the reason for fighting, the justification for the kind of brutality, the beatings, the death, all carried out in painful hell come to life. and then on one side you've got the hungry, unquenching cruelty aimed at the other. and overnight comes the word that we're getting into this war. the senate foreign relations committee led by john mccain and his partner chris coons of delaware have approved a measure not only backing an attack on syria for its use of chemical weapons, but a fresh new declaration that makes it the policy of the united states to, quote, change the momentum on the battlefield in syria, committing this country, the united states of america, to providing lethal, indeed, all forms of assistance to this syrian opposition. so here we are, faced with the horror of certain rebels and what could be coming in this senate approval of helping the syrian rebel groups, including the revenging executioners we see in today's pictures.

nbc foreign correspondent ayman mohyeldin. may endorse rebels we know little about when it's comprised of extremists and terrorists. those were exacerbated. it shows in the process of executing seven prisoners. you're to be see a clip from the full video. i should warn you. i will not actually show the video themselves. the video is quite graphic.

>> what happens next leaves little to the imagination. multiple gunshots ring out in rapid succession on the tape, followed by an unceremonious burial in an unmarked grave. this may be war, but it's the kind of brutality depict heard that raises questions about the kinds of opposition groups we may soon be supporting in this conflict. ayman, what do you think when you see seven men being executed after they have been obviously beaten quite well, standing there with their backs bare with all those welts, perhaps praying in this long, slow execution prosecution process we're see hearing by these so-called opposition leaders? >> well, there is definitely a lot of cop text behind looking at images like that there is no doubt about it. they are very disturbing. but the underlying issue in all of this is the fact that the syrian opposition by no means is respective of museum human

rights or even necessarily a practitioner of universal human rights. what i would say is when you look at the opposition movement in general, and that is a very loose term, i don't have you to look at the political movement which is represented by the syrian national council. you to look at the free syrian army which is a group of various defectors and others who have joined the ranks, and you have to look at those who are looking at this as an ideological struggle to advance islam, and more importantly to be part of a larger jihadist movement. and they're drawing on several others from across the region and across the world to join that fight. in making that distinction, you can understand the ideology between each one of these groups, what they're trying to achieve inside syria. and in that video, that video, believe it or not, is actually not the first time we've seen these types of images. we have seen many disturbing images over the course of the last two years of summary executions, torture, and some very horrific pictures and images involving children,

soldiers as well. so to assume that the rebels that are fighting to topple the regime of president bashar al assad are somehow beholden to universal human rights or that they're going to uphold human rights is extremely premature right now because these are rebels that don't necessarily have a very strong command and control structure, and more importantly, don't necessarily have an ideological motivation. the second thing i would add to that is to keep in mind that religion is an extremely motivating factor in trying to get people to fight the topple this regime. this is a secular regime. it is very easy to recruit using religion to try and fight a secular regime in this part of the world. and that's why you're seeing so many people from around the world being galvanized to the battle in syria. and it's also producing. what we don't know about this group particularly is who was behind the group, their i'd logical affiliation. and more importantly, their ideological objectives once and if the regime is ultimately toppled, chris. >> okay, ayman, thank you. stay there.

i want to talk to david ignatius of "the washington post." david, how does the united states find morality in a struggle between these kinds of people, religiously driven people willing to do anything who have no sense of the geneva conventions obviously, which is an understatement. at the same time, you want to make a statement against chemical weapons being used how. do we go into this? the president suggests it will be surgical. he asks a 90-day resolution for a two-day war. i find that very inconsistent. is it a two-day war? is it a 90-day war? and secondly, how did this measure, which supported a humanitarian response to the use of chemical weapons become this document i'm holding in my hands was passed in the middle of the night last night, which supports all kinds of aid to the rebel groups like the one we just saw there. it puts us on the side of regime change basically. it's called speeding up the momentum, a new kind of language, a declaration of support for that. i mean, we're getting into this war. >> the first thing to say, chris, is the video is horrifying. i've travelled with the rebels

in syria, and i can tell you first that that is not a picture of most of the rebel fighters, commanders that i met. but there is no doubt in my mind that those people exist. i think the dilemma the united states faces now is really an acute moral one. it's one that everybody should think through carefully. for me, the idea of living in a world in which chemical weapons can be used against civilians, and there is no international response is horrifying. i don't want to live in that world. by the same token, the idea of prisoners being lined up on the ground and executed summarily as we see in this video, i don't want to live in that world either. the one thing i would tell you and your viewers is i talk almost every day to some of the leaders of the syrian opposition. and they worry desperately about how to bring order within their own ranks. and one aspect of u.s.

assistance to them, which you've been criticizing understandably is it would give the u.s. more of a chance to help them fight the extremists who they admit are in their own ranks. absent that kind of assistance, i fear the extremists only get more powerful and the people you saw in those video become the dominant ones. >> making that point, it's hard to ignore the timing of the pictures coming out now. the release comes just a day after secretary of state john kerry spoke about this very subject in the house. here he is in an exchange with republican representative michael mccaul of text. >> who are the rebel forces? who are they? i have ask that in my briefs every time. the majority now of these rebel force, and i say majority now are radical islamists. >> i just don't agree that a majority are al qaeda and the bad guys. that's not true. there are about 70 to 100,000 oppositionists.

about somewhere maybe 15 to 25% might be in one group or another who are what we would be deemed to be bad guys. there are many different groups, al nusra, there are different entities. and sometimes they're fighting each other, even now. >> i guess the question, david, to you, and then ayman, is there a significant number of good guys secretary of state said there they might predominate if they do get the weaponry from us. and secondly, are there so many bad guys, we're just going to lose this thing? >> if there are tens of thousands of bad guys, as secretary kerry seemed to be saying, that's a frightening prospect, no matter what we do. we have to understand that. this is a terrible situation. i do think that the chance that the god guys will get stronger relatively is greater as the u.s. works more closely with them. i talked at some length yesterday by phone with the commander of the free syrian army in the southern front.

the guy is running he says 30,000 good guys. and he talked about the problem of extremists and how he is hoping to get control and stabilize damascus if they win. i have to tell you, i did not come away from that conversation confident he has the resources. >> ayman, let me ask you from your perspective over there in the mid east, in lebanon. it seems to me there is a group over there that wants to destroy, in fact commit genocide against the ruling sector, the clan that has been running syria for all these years, the alawites. it's all about blood and killing the other tribe. >> well, one, you certainly need to have the correct political representation within the syrian opposition. and keep in mind these groups that we're talking about, the extremists, the most extreme of the rebel fighters, they're not part of the syrian political opposition.

the syrian political opposition does incorporate and represent a good variety or at least a good cross section of the syrian society. it does not necessarily include a good representation of the alawite sect which has been extremely beholden to president bashar al assad or sometimes too afraid to break way from him, given the fact that they're under intense pressure. but keep in mind that going forward, and this is perhaps lessons we have learned since the arab spring is that there is still a good part of the syrian society that is contested for, that is undecided. they may not necessarily be with president bashar al assad, but they aren't necessarily throwing their lot or support behind the syrian opposition. so in the coming months, if in fact there is regime change and the syrian opposition does come into power, the numbers that we're seeing today don't necessarily represent the numbers we're going to see in the months or perhaps even the years ahead. and also keep in mind that countries that are closely allied to the united states, including turkey, israel, jordan, saudi arabia, they're

not going to want to see an extreme country run by groups like nusra and other al qaeda-affiliated organizations come into power in syria. the counter forces to them will increase in the coming months, perhaps in the year should they ultimately achieve their common objective, which is at this stage to try and top typical rental jet stream of president bashar al assad. there are a lot of variables and a lot of factors right now that are still uncertain to determine whether or not the opposition should be completely shunned aside or not. >> let me ask you, david, quickly. the people doing the fighting, the most ferocious fighter, aren't they islamists? >> yes. >> that's the sad story, the ones who will take the capital probably are the bad guys. >> no. the capital is different. i should make clear to your viewers, in the north, the extremists are the dominant force. they were when i was inside with the rebels in october and they remain so. in the south, they're relatively weak. so if damascus falls, there is less chance that these horrifying groups and leaders will take control.

>> okay. thank you very much. david ignatius of "the washington post" and ayman mohyeldin in beirut from us. coming up, african-americans, maybe the group most opposed to intervention in syria and most in support of president obama. so which side do they take here? and mission creep. we're no longer talking about a punitive attack here. we're now talking about taking sides in a civil war. and mitch mcconnell has been silent on syria, looking over his right shoulder in a primary challenge and over his left shoulder at democratic alison lundergan grimes. she has all the best chance of all the country to pick up a senate seat and help keep the senate blue. finally, you get to play "hardball" with me tonight. i'll answer your twitter questions. this is "hardball," the place for politics.

well, former defense secretary robert gate has british open his silence on syria and is urging congress to back the obama administration's position.

gates told politico the failure to do so would have a profoundly negative and dangerous consequences for the united states. not just in the middle east, but around the world both now and in the future. strong words there. gates a republican, served as defense secretary during george w. bush's second term and of course was kept on by president obama. and a programing note. coming up next on "all in with chris hayes," secretary of state john kerry makes the administration's case for military action against syria. coming up now, 45 minutes from now at 8:00 eastern. and we'll be right back.

we're not the only country that got young people. and i don't see any reason that i can explain to my constituents that their boys and their husbands and their brothers and their sisters should be going off to fight this monster for a civil war and have that as a priority to homelessness, joblessness and all the other serious problems we face. i can't sell that.

>> welcome back to "hardball." that was of course new york congressman, the inimitable charlie rangel. rangel's constituents like many in dribs across the country show little appetite for intervention abroad these days. it is these members of congress torn between their loyalty to the president, these are african-american members of congress and the opposition by constituents to any involvement in this war who may make or break the president's request for approval of the attack on syria. according to foreign policy magazine and the hill magazine, the leader of the congressional black caucus, congresswoman marcia fudge asked the congress members to limit their comments while nancy pelosi makes the push for the president. one of the members breaking her silence right now is representative barbara lee, a california democratic congresswoman from oakland and berkeley and the only one to vote against the use of force in afghanistan after 9/11. she joins us now. also joining us is "new york

times" columnist congressional reporter jeremy peters who is covering this debate. what are your feelings? you've got a mix of things going. i'm guessing as a democrat you're a loyalist to the president. but at the same time, other factors. what are the other factors in your thinking about this resolution that is coming to the house next week to authorize the president to go after assad? >> sure, chris, thank you. i continue to support the president. i have. and actually, i was the first member of the california delegation to endorse the president. and i certainly believe that he has moved cautiously. he has been very methodical in how he has approached syria, and in fact he did the right thing by coming to congress, asking for this authorization. i, however, feel that there are other options. there is just -- it's just not a military option or no option, chris. there are other options. i think what we saw take place in the senate is really an example of what can happen when you have a military option as

being the only option. this could end up in a regional conflict. it could end up with more people getting killed, more retaliation, and, chris, i worry so much about the collateral damage that could occur. and i don't believe this could be contained to surgical strikes, because we know that there are unintended consequences when surgical strikes take place. and, in fact, my concern is that more harm could be done. having said that, we must hold the assad regime, and i believe the evidence is very credible. the intelligence is credible. we have to hold him accountable. the world has to come together and address the use of chemical weapons in these horrific crimes. but your previous segment laid it out. this is a civil war taking place in syria. there are so many unknowns that are going on in syria, chris. so why in the world wouldn't we look at alternatives rather than make some decision to use force, not understanding what the full implications are. but i have to commend the president for coming to

congress, because now we see how this debate is taking place, and we see what the possibilities are. and we see that many of us are very concerned that a political settlement and a negotiated settlement would be set way back if in fact the use of force is enacted right away. >> okay. let me go to jeremy of the "new york times." let me ask you about the whole scope of the black caucus, which grows every year. there are almost 50 members right now. is congresswoman leanne example of the -- i mean charlie rangel the other day came right out against the president. he may have issues of obama period. everybody's got issues one way or the other. is this pretty much the theme now? they love obama. they like the fact that they get to vote on it, but they vote no? >> i think with members like charlie rangel, it's easier for the white house to discount that, because there is a feeling that charlie rangel is still upset that the white house didn't come out and back him when he was having problems.

>> they were very discourteous to a senior member of the house. go ahead. they were tough. >> i do think there are a number of members whom the white house is watching very carefully, and those are the ones who are going back home, and they're having 95% of their constituents say this is a bad idea. and this is a concern for the president, because these are districts where obama is exceedingly popular. his problems in the rest of the country. >> i want to go back to the congresswoman. one last shot from you. you say 95% against the war. the country. what is the country? 85% against the war? >> chris -- >> i'll go back to you, congresswoman. go ahead. >> chris, first of all, this is a democracy. people have a right and a duty to voice their concern and provide their input into matters of war and peace. and i think the african-american community like every community in our country has that duty and responsibility to voice their opinion in this great democracy. also, let me just say i'm not speaking on behalf of the congressional black caucus.

and the congressional black caucus has not taken a position. our chair is a wonderful, very strong chair. and in fact several members of the congressional black caucus have spoken out in terms of voice and their opinion, whether or not they believe that the authorization to use force should be supported or not. i personally believe that there are other options, and that we need to exhaust all of the other options. because as senator kerry said, there is no military solution, and in fact we've got to get to a negotiated settlement. military action leads us further away from achieving that goal. >> well, some members of the congressional black caucus right now have spoken out about this in your article for the times. let me quote some of the people from your piece. hakeem jeffries of new york said there are two major considerations to take into account, the prestige of an administration we strongly support versus an open-ended conflict in the middle east that risks the lives of the people we represent if war were to break out. not to mention the diversion of resources back into our own communities that sorely need it.

and his colleague from new york, congressman greg meeks, we know him, he said i wasn't elected just to go along to get along. i was elected to utilize my thought process and determine what i think is in the best interests of my district. i guess the reason we're talking with full respect about this caucus, the cbc is they are the base of the democratic party. they're the heart of the party you might say. >> absolutely. they're the base of barack obama's support. but he is not going to be able to lose very many votes in the house to have this resolution approved. when every vote counts, you want this. >> you know, i worked on the hill, congresswoman. and when it gets down to the close vote at the end. and the leadership, whether it's steady or mrs. pelosi, they get everybody in that corral. they say we may need your vote. do you think they're going to get your vote if they really, really need it? >> chris, as you mentioned earlier, i voted against the authorization to use force as it related to afghanistan right after the horrific events of 9/11 where over 3500 americans and people in our own country

were killed. that was a blank check. it was a terrible moment. that was a resolution that authorized the use of force until we repeal that. that has been used for drone attacks, for surveillance activities, and for other conflicts in terms of our resources and our troops. and so it is very difficult for me to figure out a way where i could use -- i could vote for the use of force when i understand what is going on in syria and know and believe secretary kerry and the president that the only way we can achieve some resolve, hold the assad regime accountable and stop the violence is by a negotiated and political settlement and the use of force leads us further away from that position. and so too much is at risk. this could end up in a regional war, retaliation could occur. so this would be very difficult for me. and chris, i am not going to support this effort. >> you know what?

i got to say to the congresswoman, thank you for coming on. and thank you jeremy. having read the senate resolution passed by the senate foreign relations committee last night with the full power of john mccain and his new satellite i guess chris coons of delaware, a totally hawkish document, it goes well beyond retaliation or punishment or any kind of punitive raid for what happened with regard to chemical weapons. it's a basically a mandate to get involved in this war and support the rebels. i think you're right, congresswoman. i would be careful of the language. you've got to be careful of the language of the hawks because they love to sneak it in there. up next, your chance to play "hardball." i'm going to answer your twitter questions. we're into twitter. this is "hardball," the place for politics.

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resolution changes the outlook for the 2014 congressional elections? yes, i do. i think it's going to anger many people on the left, the democratic party left who will not like the president's position. it will excite the people on the republican right, perhaps even more so. they're very libertarian these days and very isolationists. i think it's going to help the right in the next election. i don't think this war thing is ever good for people on the left, especially when the leader of the liberal party, in this case president obama, is leading the fight. on the our next question, which comes to us from allie lindsey from patterson, georgia. she asks chris, what are your thoughts on john mccain playing poker during a serious discussion to syria. i wish it was serious for him, the discussion with barack obama. i'm less concerned about the attitude he showed in playing poker than i am he stuffed into the resolution all this stuff about aiding the rebels over there. we have watched the rebels and what they have done with the horrific pictures. i'm not sure we should be out there cheerleading and blowing the bugle for that side. it's one thing to punish assad.

it's another thing to get into this war, which i'm against. the next question comes from kris owens. kris, what is something i can do to make america better? up with thing you might do if you're in good shape and you have obeyed the law and you have a decent record, join the peace corps. it's a wonderful life-changing thing for you and the people you help. you can only do good for two years. you can only have adventure. you can only come back healthier and cleaner and much more energized about life. you can't lose if you get in the peace corps. that's one thing i would do. the other thing is get into a political campaign. find a candidate you really believe in, and put your heart into it. it can't hurt there either. peace corps. think about it. and we'll be right back after this.

hey there. i'm veronica de la cruz. welcome back to "hardball." you could be forgiven for not realizing that yesterday's resolution on syria passed by the senate foreign relations committee could expand our potential involvement in that country to a whole new level. it sure did not dominate the headlines this morning. but here is the subheadline in "the wall street journal" piece on the syria resolution. the measure says goal should be change the momentum on the bald field. whoa. who said anything about change momentum on the battlefield?

wasn't this supposed to be about retaliation for the use of chemical weapons? "time" magazine also tucks it away in the second half of its headline. senate panel backs syria bombing, changing war momentum. this broad military latitude appears to be the price senator john mccain extracted from president obama for his support. and it reads to us like a pretty high price. here is the text. statement of policy. that is the words. it is the policy of the united states to change the momentum on the battlefield in syria so as to create favorable conditions for a negotiated settlement that ends the conflict and leads to a democratic government in syria. this language will have the vote of the full senate vote and reconciled with the house resolution. we're betting the more people notice it, the more lawmakers are going to balk at this. joining me is democratic congressman jim mcdermott and marsha blackburn of tennessee. congressman -- both of you. i want to start with jim mcdermott. i was stunned when i got this late last night after the committee voted. not only does it declares our policy to be support a changing momentum in the battlefield, but

it says the provisional all forms of assistance of the syrian political opposition. this is like a gulf of tonkin thing thrown in here. we're taking sides as an act of belligerence in that civil war over there. i was struck by it. congressman? >> so were we. when i read that last night, i thought wow. this has gone much further than i had thought the senate resolution would go. which was trying to define a narrow mission. and suddenly we had section 5 put in, which seemed very reminiscent to me of the resolution we worked on in 2002 going into the war on terror. i was very -- i was made very uncomfortable by seeing that, because i don't know what it means. there are some vague terms in this about deter and, you know, sort of de-emphasize some of their power. i couldn't -- i don't know what they're after.

and there is going to be a lot of debate, as you say. i bet there are 100 amendments on the floor of the house on the senate, and you see the same thing go on in the house. i don't think that resolution will ever be voted on in the house of representatives. >> let me go to congresswoman blackburn. by the way, thanks, congresswoman, for coming on. >> sure. >> i was stunned to see this new language. i don't know where you stand on this. it also plans for securing chemical, biological, and other weapon supplies. it puts the united states in the business of somebody on our behalf going in and looking for these weapons, all kinds of weapons. not just wmd. this seems to be a nose in the tent, as they would say in the middle east. the camel's got its nose in the tent. we getting into this civil war? >> well, i think that if you were in my district with me, chris, what you would hear from the people here, and many of them are military retirees is

number one, they think that the mission has not been clearly defined by the president. and then the resolution that came from the senate and the findings section that you just referenced in section 5 where it references changing the momentum, that causes questions there also. you know, who are we trying to change the momentum toward? what is it that we are seeking to be the exit? every military plan, every battle plan should have a clearly defined mission and execution and a strategy. and the problem is the president has not come forward in a leadership role. he has tried to pivot on just about everything. >> okay. let's take a look at the secretary of state. here is what he said. here is his case for military action against syria. generally. it's an interview with my colleague chris hayes, which is going to have the full program coming up after this program at 8:00.

let's listen to what he says. he gets into this issue of our role helping the rebels, getting into the war. not just punishing assad for chemical. here he is. >> if we don't do this, assad will have the message that he can use these weapons with impunity. we will have turned our back on the next batch of children, on the next batch of parents. we will have turned our back on the international norm. we will have lost credibility in the world. and i guarantee you if we turn our backs today, the picture we all saw in the paper today and the media of those people being shot, that will take place more, because more extremists will be attracted to this because they will be funded as the only alternative in order to take on assad. >> congressman mcdermott, there you have the argument. we have to put cash in the pockets of some of the rebels because the bad rebels will have cash from other sources. here he is making a case not for retaliation or punitive strike, but our involvement on the side of the rebels. this is a widening of our involvement, i believe. your thoughts. >> it sure felt like it.

it feels like this mission creep. when we went into iraq, we thought we were going to be there 60 days. rumsfeld assured us that we would be out, and that people would be there with flowers to put the on the ends of our rifles. and lo and behold, ten years later, we're still struggling. well, that's what you feel as you sit listening to this and watching them start out with a very narrow, confined, we want to send them a message. you cannot use this kind of weapon. but now it looks like we're trying to figure out how we can extend that and help the rebels and decide who is going in next. and i don't -- i -- it leaves me with a very uneasy feeling, because we're in a neighborhood where you have not only the russians sitting there, but you also have the iranians. and i worry that we are going to slide into something that we just have not anticipated. >> congresswoman blackburn, why do you think they need a 90-day resolution for a two-day war?

>> i think that they're trying to figure out a way to get something off the senate floor and get it over to the house. but they have some problems. number one, they have the inconsistencies that have come from secretary kerry and from this administration. and those are unfortunate for the president and the administration. you have number two, the inconsistencies of the president himself. and having this as immediate action was necessary, then punting it to congress. number three, you have the issue with the military being hit repeatedly with cuts to their resources. something this administration has been very aggressive on. >> i know. >> but they're turning around and asking them to do more with less. and every time i talk to my command team at ft. campbell, we talk about the diligence that they are going through daily to try to do more with less. but at a point you have to say we know we have a crisis, and it

is immoral what has happened in syria, but requiring our military men and women to do more with less and repeatedly cutting their budget is something that you can say is immoral also. >> speaking of morality, congressman mcdermott, you're a medical doctor as well. what did you make of "the new york times" cover today in the video we just showed earlier about the execution by these hating, hating, vengeful revanchists? we're going to kill all the alawites and kill seven of them in cold blood. hours after letting these guys think about it. you can't help but sympathize with these people about to die. they have already been beaten on their backs so the welts are all showing. and now they're going to execute them on television for their delight. it just it seems to me the torture here, what is it -- how do you describe this stuff? are these guys going to run a government when they take over,

these people doing this? >> we are looking at a civil war, chris, that i think most of us don't understand anywhere near the complexity. if you ask the members of congress, gave them a piece of paper and said tell me what an alawite is, there probably aren't 25 members who could give you a coherent definition of what an alawite is. so we're walking into a situation that is very complicated and very difficult to make a decision. i would disagree with ms. blackburn about one thing. the president was not the one to decide this. the congress is the one to decide this. and the congress was absolutely right, or the president was absolutely right in saying to the congress i want you to look at this issue and make your decision, because this is something all americans are going to take responsibility for what we decide. >> congresswoman, do you think the congress should have been given this vote? you said punt, meaning you didn't want the vote to happen in the house? >> no. i think it is fine. i think what we're looking at is

the way he has approached it, chris, with syria was no problem. it was no problem. then he was going to make a decision, and he was going to take an action. and then senator -- secretary kerry goes out, he makes a statement. and then all of the sudden that is pulled back. >> i agree. i agree with. >> and the president says oh, i'm going to send it to congress. that is confusing. >> the first time in a while. but it's dallying. >> it's good for you to agree with me! >> and likewise. and let me just tell you, i did think there was a sign there of several days of dallies that made it look like the president wasn't ready to make up his mind as well. >> yes. you're correct. >> and denis mcdonough and decide to put it to congress. but i do think the idea of congress having a role in foreign policy and war and peace is essential to the constitution. >> oh, i'm totally in agreement. >> and i agree with congressman mcdermott on that. thank you both for coming on that. >> sure. >> i know we have different attitudes even if we agree. i think it's more a coincidence than it is an agreement. thank you congressman mcdermott of washington state and congresswoman blackburn of tennessee.

up next, we have heard nothing from mitch mcconnell. isn't that interesting? nada, nada from the big guy. senator mcconnell, speak. could that be because he could be the one senator to lose his seat next year and doesn't know which way to waddle? this is "hardball," the place for politics. she loves a lot of the same things you do. it's what you love about her. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready.

and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. back with more "hardball" and the silence. don't you love it? mitch mcconnell said nothing, nada about syria. back after this.

alison lundergan. ♪ >> we're back. that was mitch mcconnell's spoof if you want to call it that on his democratic rival kentucky secretary of state alison lundergan-grimes. mcconnell found the time to put out creative web videos like that, he has yet to take a stand on the most pressing issue before the united states senate, syria. this week, a national republican senatorial committee spokesman brad dayspring told "the hill"

newspaper that grimes is just an empty dress implying she wasn't prepared to be in the united states senate. it's just possible that mcconnell and company are firing this spit balls at lundergan-grimes because they're scared of her because mcconnell is the only sitting republican in danger of losing his seat. michael steele was chairman of the republican national committee. and stephanie schriock, thank you. >> absolutely. good to be here. >> i want to ask you about -- this kind of thing. it just seemed to be, dare i say patronizing. you used the right word. that ad put out my pitch. >> well, we've seen this before. in 2012, we saw historic gender gap this country for two reasons. one, the republican party can't help themselves in insulting people and, two, the democrats continue to put up really strong women leaders to run for these offices and that's what we're going to see.

>> has the glass ceiling moved up past the senate? in other words, does a woman candidate for the senate in most states have a 50/50 state against a male candidate? is that gone, advantage of a male candidate? maybe not governor yet, but maybe governor, too. where's the glass ceiling right now? >> it is moving. we're seeing it state by state. think about 2012. we had elizabeth warren and tammy baldwin. they all broke those glass ceilings in the states. kentucky, georgia. >> you're doing a lot better on the coasts. the coasts are really good for women. >> you didn't mention the republican women who also got elected and -- >> to the senate? >> 2010 and 2012. nikki haley and kelly ayotte and the governor of new mexico, susanna martinez. again, to your point, i agree, the party is a little -- >> do you think the glass ceiling is above the born governorships now?

>> it's probably right at it, not clearly broken enough for women of either party to really -- >> let's talk about mitch mcconnell. we love mitch mcconnell in a nasty way because he's a negative force. he decided from day one he was going to destroy the hopes of this president. not do anything positive. just destroy this presidency. i don't like that kind of politics. it's called sabotage. >> the voters of kentucky are seeing that already. i mean, he's the most unpopular senator in the country. >> do you have the right candidate? is she the best possible candidate? >> alison lundergan grimes is a fearless advocate for women and family. she's going to come to washington, d.c., and going to help stop this gridlock by getting rid of mitch mcconnell. >> she's homegrown. >> you better believe it. >> michael? >> that's a nice sentiment. i welcome her to washington if she gets past mitch mcconnell. >> what is that guy's staying power about? >> i think his staying power is just his ability to do part of

what you're saying, to get down in the mud when he needs to. >> what's his charisma about? >> it's charisma. clearly he has charisma with the folks of his state that keep electing him. >> i was being sarcastic. >> he's the most unpopular senator in the country. >> help me out here, stephanie. why? let's put words behind it. being a republican incumbents, republicans don't like incumbents because they don't lake washington. they don't like anybody who had the job before. >> he has a problem in the primary already. people in kentucky are already out -- it's about the gridlock. it's about the obstruction. it's about preventing the senate from doing anything and about his record on will and families. this is a man who has voted against violence against women act. voted against equal pay. >> why would he do that? >> voted against the family medical leave act. >> why would he do that? >> it is a policy of the republican party. >> it's not a policy of the republican party. look, i mean -- >> let mike have a seconds. >> let's keep these things -- really. let's keep these things in perspective.

one, we are talking about this general election between a democrat and republican candidate and u.s. senate in kentucky a year out. number one. a lot of water will pass under that bridge. >> what show is this? >> i know. >> what's the name of the show? >> i know, chris. it's called "hardball." >> if you keep up, michael, if you keep up, you'll understand -- you know why we're doing it? i don't do -- this is one -- this guy has a target on his back. >> of course he does. he has a target within his own party and from the left. >> we have a great woman candidate. >> he'll be teaching somewhere next year. doesn't matter. thank you, michael steele. he's not going to have problems. he can go home. stephanie schriock, thank you for coming on. we'll talk about the glass ceiling again and again. i think it's going way up. i think hillary clinton is a favorite. the favorite. too big. too small. too soft. too tasty. [ both laugh ] [ male announcer ] introducing progresso's

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let me finish tonight with this. this is not a good time for republicans to seek renomination or re-election. they are not popular at home for the simple reason they spend their days in washington. washington is a no-no for the republican right. to go there is to do bad. to hang out with bad. this is the atmosphere in today's conservative party. it's people back home that don't like government, don't like anything about it, don't like the people they elect to it. it's getting to the point the only republican figures who are popular in washington are that smaller group who have recently defeated either incumbent republicans or republican front-runner who endorsed by the republican establishment. which makes you wonder about the

viability of a party that only likes those who have recently gotten rid of one of their own. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. good evening from washington, d.c. i'm chris hayes. my exclusive interview with secretary of state john kerry in a moment. and his response to a troubling new video obtained by "the new york times" which shows the moments leading up to the brutal execution of seven syrian government soldiers at the hands of syrian rebels. these are images which seem to buttress fears about what kind of rebels might be emboldened if the united states is to take military action against the government of syrian president bashar al assad. according to the "times" the video was smuggled out of syria a few days ago by a former rebel who became disgusted by the execution. we would like to warn our viewth