alec will join me tomorrow night. the lure of the wacko birds. let's play "hardball." ♪ good evening, i'm chris matthews out in san francisco on my book tour. let me start tonight with this. the wacko bird caucus is flying over the capitol tonight spreading in a default that could come over a week from now isn't going to hurt a bit. no way, they say. just go walking over that cliff and nothing's going to happen. nothing at all. the people's senator john mccain called the wacko birds are saying we can all fly. like the wacko birds, we can soar up there beyond reality. we can still end up high in the air like the strange birds that got us going over the cliff in the first place.

like the hawks that talk us into wars all the time. saying they won't last long, or i love this one, they'll pay for themselves. the rand paul types are now telling us, don't worry walk over that cliff. we can all fly. we're a country of wacko birds. you have to ask what's happened to this country. it's bad enough having to face the 40 senators who can regularly shut down a bill. we now have 30 members of the house who can stand out there and shut down the government. and just for fun threaten the economic standing in the world. when is john boehner going to lead his party and tell the right wingers out there to fly a kite? when is the president going to declare a deadline? the day and hour when he needs a debt ceiling bill on the table if this country's going to avoid the cliff that now looms before us, october 17th. just nine days from now. senator sherrod brown is an ohio democrat. senator, what do you make of your colleagues like rand paul, maybe you don't want to get

personal, but they're out there saying don't worry. we're going to walk off the cliff like a cartoon character and just keep walking. "a," why are they saying it? "b," what's the danger of saying it now? >> why they're saying it, it's a political party or a dominant faction of a political party now that doesn't believe in climate change, doesn't believe the president's born in this country, doesn't believe in the promise of stem cell research. and now they're denying that going -- that not paying our bills, not doing the right thing as a nation is not a bad thing. i mean, they are so wrong on this. i've spent the last two or three days just calling business people in ohio. most of them republicans. i don't know their party in every case, but across the spectrum. a lot of bankers, business leaders, hospital administrators. what does all this mean to you? they're increasingly scared because they are increasingly believing that the people you

refer to in your bird metaphor are taking this country somewhere where we shouldn't be going. we know what that means internationally. told this is a travesty internationally. what it could mean for the strength of the dollar, for international finance. it means student loans, people will pay more for their student loans. people won't get the small business loans they need or they'll be much higher interest rates. clearly it's a disaster for the economy. the worst thing, chris, is it's so unnecessary. they could just pass this and move on. then let's debate immigration, and jobs and budget deficit and all that. >> the problems of man are manmade. what a classic example here. take a look at this. this is a scary group of republicans i've mentioned. they say the government default is nothing to worry about. there are more of them every day. at present there are ten republicans that will willingly lead us to economic catastrophe. representative amash, senator

mulvaney, senator barion, senator schwiekert, senator king of iowa. senator yoho. senator crapo and senator coburn. senator toomey. they've been led by senator rand paul of tennessee who appeared on meet the press this past sunday. >> i think it's irresponsible of the president and his men to even talk about default. there's no reason for us to default. this is a game. this is like closing the world war ii memorial. they get on tv, say we're going to default. they're the ones scaring the market place. you shouldn't scare the market place. we should never default. >> let's say your plan works and you can pay the -- >> this group's peddling the fantasy a default won't happen

or if it does it won't cause damage. that view has been rejected by nearly every respected expert and economist in the united states and the world. look at the headlines from the past 24 hours. "new york times," default threat generates fear around the globe. "wall street journal," top bankers warn on u.s. debt proposal. and "the bloomberg news" u.s. default seen as catastrophe dwarfing lehman's fall." did we think they won't be gurgling like everything else? why don't they know it's a disaster and they've got their fingerprints all over it. what are they up to politically? >> it's hard to get in their minds and understand. they want a world without medicare, without social security, without an epa, without osha, without all the things that have helped create a middle class and helped sustain it.

but dissect it for a second. imagine what they're looking at. they think we just pay the interest on the debt. that means pay wall street, pay the chinese, the investors, the bondholders. but then what about medicare beneficiaries? what about the meals on wheels? what about veterans benefits? they just want to pay off the interest on the credit card as a consumer might do for awhile. >> that will only buy them a couple days. what i don't get is the strategy. i've heard ted cruz and the republican caucus has none. but what's the strategy to squeak by paying just pay the debtors. how many days can we hold off the old people? >> when you try to deconstruct it and look at what they're doing, when you take it a week, two weeks out, it's hard to believe this works politically. it's a disaster for the country. and politically doesn't work for them.

they're so blinded by their hatred or dislike of the president of the united states that maybe they just think that president obama will be blamed for it. these are people they go home, they go to the country club, they get on talk radio, they go to their town halls which are pretty much ginned up to be full of people like themselves. i don't know what they hear. i don't think they hear from a guy out of work. i don't think they think of a woman struggling with two kids that has a $10 an hour job and getting food stamps. i don't think they know people like that. they need -- if you saw the lincoln movie, i'm sure you did. when lincoln said i need my public opinion bath. they may need a public opinion bath in a couple of ways. one particularly is to listen to what people are saying. nobody that really thinks this through thinks it's a good idea. >> we'd be better off with scare crows instead of these guys. thank you senator sherrod brown of ohio. president obama take aim at these wacko birds today. let's listen to the president of

the united states. >> there's no silver bullet. there's no magic wand that allows us to wish away the chaos that could result if for the first time in our history we don't pay our bills on time. when i hear people trying to down play the consequences of that, i think that's really irresponsible. it's particularly funny coming from republicans who claim to be champions of business. there's no business person out here who thinks this wouldn't be a big deal. not one. >> david corn from mother jones magazine and msnbc political analyst. i am stunned here. i don't know what you would do if you put these guys in a lie detector, would it be a flat line? have they talked themselves into believing this? or is it just politics where they'll say we're not going to give the president the facts on

the table. we won't even give him there's a deadline. we want to push this and push this and push this until we get what we want. if the economy goes down, the world comes apart, hey, we get an extra inch of flesh off this guy. >> i think they are living within an alternative reality. i do think they kind of believe this in the sense that they came to washington to blow things up. if it's either the government or, you know, the financial system, they just don't like it. they want to disrupt. and i see them as ayn rand -- they have people back home and people on social media sites, talk radio who keep egging them on saying you can't blink. you've got to stare down obama and everybody else. and if it comes to the brink, you've got to be willing to go over the cliff with this.

and they really believe it. i think they're trying to justify, you know, the possible anarchy they would bring about by saying i don't think it'll billion that bad. >> is this weird thinking, it's almost like planet of the apes. when you see a million bones on the earth and they dig them up and find all this hard evidence of human life going pretty far back and millions of years, oh, it's only 5,000 years because the bible says that. or they see the water level going up around this planet. i'm sorry, this continent. miami going under water at some point. at what point are they going to say i guess we were wrong? >> i don't think at any point, chris. i don't think they are -- i think they're impermable to signs and facts and economic analysis. >> anyway, let's look at -- speaking of alternative reality, some republicans on the hardest right and the tea party are making the claim that defaulting on our debts would have zero, as they say, consequence. take a look at this bizarre

logic from joe barton of texas who spoke with cnbc earlier today comparing a government default to his household budget. >> we have in my household budget some bills that have to be paid and some we can defer or pay partially. we are not going default on the public debt. but that doesn't mean we have to pay every bill the day it comes in 100%. >> you think jack lew was lying when he says he can't prioritize? >> i'm not going to say anybody is lying. i'm going to say he's playing politics when he says that. >> wait a minute, david. because here's a guy i don't believe is a doofus. >> this is know nothingism. they have to pay $2 billion worth of bills each day. they have a million different transactions. they can't go through these in part because there's a government shutdown, they don't have the people who can do this which makes this more absurd. but they can't go through

picking and choosing which bills to pay and not pay. the system doesn't operate that way. and anyone who says it does doesn't understand it. >> give me the reason why -- it only buys them a couple days. sooner or later we can't pay social security benefits or veterans. so they save a few days in the argument. what are they going to do with the two days? it's the 19th of october, 21st of october. what are they going to do in those few days that's good for them? >> either because they hate obama so much or the current economic system so much they are willing to see what will happen if you blow it up. they want to shrink government. they want to destroy government. and they don't want any niceties to get in the way such as the prospect of economic calamity. >> i don't have a good argument against what you just said. thanks for joining us, david corn. >> sure thing. coming up, why president obama is right to fight this fight right now and break republican fever.

if he gives in an inch, republicans will manufacture one crisis after another and bury his entire second term. they'll take a little toe off health care, then the leg off, then the lower half of the body. they're not going to quit, mr. president, if you let them have an inch. also smart money has been saying that republicans would have to self-destruct in order to lose the house next year. now charlie cook says they're flirting with that possibility. out here in california they have a democratic assembly out here, democratic governor, and supermajorities in both houses and as i said jerry brown as governor. guess what, they've turned the state around completely. fiscally sound, organized, together. they don't have debt fights. they're together. finally let me finish tonight with a story of how political grownups once dealt with the debt ceiling. this is "hardball," the place for politics. the day we rescued riley was a truly amazing day. he was a matted mess in a small cage. so that was our first task, was getting him to wellness. without angie's list, i don't know if we could have found

all the services we needed for our riley. from contractors and doctors to dog sitters and landscapers, you can find it all on angie's list. we found riley at the shelter, and found everything he needed at angie's list. join today at angieslist.com the recent increase in cafeteria prices is not cool. when you vote for flo, we'll have discounts. ice-cream discounts. multi-cookie discounts. pizza loyalty discounts! [ kids chanting "flo!" ] i also have some great ideas on car insurance. [ silence ] finding you discounts since back in the day. call or click today. i like her. here's a big reason the current government shutdown is a lot different and could last longer than the last shutdown of '95 and '96.

during the last shutdown, more than 33% of house republicans represented congressional districts that bill clinton carried in the last election. today just 7% represent districts that president obama won last time. that means there are fewer potential crossover votes and a lot less incentive for republicans to work with the white house. that means a more polarized u.s. congress. we'll be right back. her. 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.

if reasonable republicans want to talk about these things again, i'm ready to head up to the hill and try. but i'm not going to do it until the more extreme parts of the republican party stop forcing john boehner to issue threats about our economy. we can't make extortion routine as part of our democracy. democracy doesn't function this way. and this is not just for me.

it's also for my successors in office. whatever party they're from, they shouldn't have to pay a ransom either for congress doing its basic job. >> welcome back to "hardball." that was president obama this afternoon again saying he would only negotiate with republicans after they reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling. john boehner responded later today. >> under the constitution and our system of government, we ask they sit down and have a conversation with us about funding the government, keeping it open, and providing to the american people under obama care. they refuse to do it. the president's position that, listen, we're not going to sit down and talk to you until you surrender is just not sustainable. it's not our system of government. >> well, the republicans have tried to deflect blame for the government shutdown and potential default by blaming the president for not negotiating. they painted his position as hard line and stubborn. for the white house this is more about breaking the fever as the

president says of the tea party before it destroys his second term agenda. according to the wall street journal, quote, the white house believes these crises give power to a minority of conservative house republicans who don't have the strength to push their agenda into the law be can in crisis stop the action. more important democrats are convinced they must break the cycle now or see much of the obama second term agenda sink away. joan walsh and clarence page. clarence, i want to ask you, the president is using the right words. he talks about extortion. even criminality. and he's doing it very calmly. does he have to behave like that? why doesn't he show a little outrage at the criminality he's accusing them of? because they really are kidnapping the u.s. government. it's only 30 people on the wacko right. why doesn't he just go after these people?

>> as much as we'd love to see president obama blow up the way we love to see rush limbaugh or hannity -- >> or me. >> or you, he's trying to illustrate that the democrats are the compromise party, the conservatives are the orthodox people. the principled people, quote, unquote. they don't like compromise. let's face it, the whole shutdown started because after the democrats in the senate had approved a budget that was a good, what? $20 billion or more less than what they initially wanted, and republicans wouldn't accept that because they wanted to defund obama care. president obama is finally realizing, i think, as well as other democrats that they've got to be hard liners too. otherwise republicans will just keep chipping away and chipping away. >> i watched colbert last night, he said the compromise for the

republicans was you lose to mitt romney. that was their proposal. you didn't take our first offer, what's the matter with you? >> look, i agree with clarence. i thought the president was terrific today. we've got a situation where we all pay attention to presidential elections for two years before they happen and then the public tunes in two weeks before. and they miss a lot of stuff and then they're paying attention. the american public is tuning in intensely right now. this isn't about obama care anymore. no, this is about bringing down the global economy. and the president, that was blowing up for barack obama. that was calling the republicans out. he was tougher than i've seen him most times. >> what do the bad guys want? i don't mean republicans or boehner even, what do the hard right rejectionists, do they want to erase his presidency? that's my thinking. they want an asterisk like barry bonds. he wasn't really president. there was some problem with his birth certificate.

by the way none of those bills really became law because he wasn't really president. >> i actually think some of them are stupid and don't understand how the global economy works. i think that's true. i think some of them believe we can pay some of our bills and not others. they're idiots. >> by the way, who's this congressman who doesn't pay half his bills? if i was one of the people that was paying the water bill, gas bill, whatever they have in texas. i'd think who is he stiffing this month? >> exactly. i don't know. some of them are dumb and others really do want to destroy this president. but there is a problem. they do think he's going to blink. there's a large -- even john mccain who's been pretty wonderful throughout this, john mccain said today he's not sure if he's going to sign onto harry reid's clean one-year debt ceiling extension because he wants to see the dynamics. all that means is he wants to see whether there's give on either side. that's why there can't be. >> let's look at more of the president's news conference late today.

he talked about the need to stop the brinkmanship by the republicans. let's watch. >> repeating this pattern. i know the american people are tired of it. and to all the american people, i apologize that you have to go through this stuff every three months, it seems like. but at some point we've got to kind of break these habits. and get back to the point where everybody understands that in negotiations, there is give and there is take. and you do not hold people hostage or engage in ransom taking to get 100% of your way. and you don't, you don't suggest that somehow a health care bill that you don't agree with is destroying the republic. or is a grand socialist scheme. >> clarence, i can just hear sean hannity say i just got him, he apologized. admits it's his fault.

he just apologized. i can hear the cheerleaders for the wacko birds already enjoying that line. what is the president afraid of here? does he see an opportunity? is this the galloping horse of history as i call it where there's a chance for him to pull the i'm the boss. you made a mistake challenging me. is that one of these moments? or is he just getting through the night? >> his hastily called press conference was really important for showing he has got the bully pulpit and republicans can say all they want to that democrats are causing the shutdown, the whole default crisis, but the polling shows the american people are punishing the republicans more and even conservatives in the new abc poll says that they -- over half believe republicans are going too far with this. that's the kind of thing that

indicates that president obama has an upper hand and he's using it now. >> i think so too. i think he has the upper hand for a few days. at some point, i don't know which way the wind's going to turn. anyway, thank you clarence page and joan walsh. up next, stephen colbert takes it to an absurd level. that guy's really funny. and this is "hardball," the place for politics. [ unr ass people like to pretend a flood [ e could never happen to them. and that their homeowners insurance protects them. [ thunder crashes ] it doesn't. stop pretending. only flood insurance covers floods. ♪ visit floodsmart.gov/pretend to learn your risk.

this isn't some damn game. >> that's right. this isn't some damn game. it's this damn game. introducing not a game, the official government shutdown home game. from the makers of not sorry and operation deny due to pre-existing condition. i mean, for pete's sake, what insurance company would cover a guy with a light bulb for a nose? >> that was stephen colbert last night on the gamesmanship taking place in washington. some think it's less like the

game of risk which it is. which is why most americans believe they don't have a clue. next, some at fox news forgot to verify part of reagan's adage trust by verify. a host on the morning show was fooled by a fictional story posted on a website over the weekend. here's how jimmy kimmel told that story last night. >> fox news experienced a little snafu over the weekend. on the saturday edition of fox & friends, the hosts were talking about the government shutdown and a world war ii memorial that closed. and pay attention to who reported a fake story that came from a comedy news website as if it was fact. >> we're going to talk a bit later in the show, too, about, you know, some things that are continuing to be funded. and president obama has offered to pay out of his own pocket for the museum of muslim culture out of his own pocket yet it's the

republican national committee who's paying for this. >> now, obviously president obama did not offer to pay to fund the museum of muslim culture himself. it was a joke. but it got them so excited, they couldn't help themselves. they had to report it. the other story on that website, by the way, was jesus christ boycotts hobby lobby. >> and you could say that the tonight show added their own spin. >> that's not all they got wrong. look at what went today. >> there has been an accident in outer space. an astronaut has become separated from the space station. all we know now is she looks a lot like sandra bullock. >> by the way, fox plans to make an on-air correction next weekend on the same show that made the error in the first place. but today the real museum of muslim cultures said they were not contacted by fox in advance of the story and gave this response to clarify their situation.

quote, we were surprised to be given this national stage by a fictitious news site. but we're an independent nonprofit institution. we're not federally funded and have not received any money from president barack obama but would love to be considered. everybody has their hand out. up next, could this shutdown debt ceiling crisis possibly cost the republicans the house of representatives? you're watching "hardball," the place for politics.

"first day of my life" by bright eyes

tom cotton has chosen to play washington politics and not tell the truth. >> it's not just that he's running frivolous ads at this critical time. >> but when congress was debating whether to shut down the government, where was tom? >> down in houston raising big bucks from texas fat cats. >> welcome back to "hardball." that was mark pryor's new ad hitting back at his opponent tom cotton. the fight is heating up, but ever since the 2012 election, the republican party has been on a self-destructive path, many believe. alienating many small groups and swing voters that cost them the election in the first place. they did lose the election last year. nearly a year out from the next national election, gop increases their chances every day of

blowing a winnable opportunity to wrestle back control of the u.s. senate. while it's still unlikely the democrats take back the house, the more they settle for chaos, the more they risk their majority in that chamber as well. the gop is making a masochistic effort to lose power and is flirting with just that possibility. that expert is charlie cook along with john feehery. is there a win direction right now, charlie, that will effect elections coming out of this fight over the debt ceiling and, of course, the shutdown? >> chris, you know, these kinds of things nobody wins. everybody loses to a center extent. one side always loses more than another. republicans are suffering from an enormous amount of self-inflicted damage. they're hurting their brand. and this is damage that can go for a long time. you know, and i would look at it just so much as the 2014

election. but i would look beyond it as well. 2016. for example, you've got 20 up in the senate in 2016 and only 10 democrats. and seven of those are in states that barack obama carried. so they're doing some long-term damage that's going to hurt them far beyond 2014. >> let me stay with you for a minute. i want to follow the thinking of charlie. this thing about cruz. i don't think cruz could ever be president. he doesn't seem to have the personality or the manner of a candidate. he's too hot for a presidential candidate. but i think rand paul is softening up around the edges. i think he's joining the club, if you will, becoming part of the washington world. he's not making enemies. he's making friends. i think he's the nominee next time the way the wind's blowing. i think you were saying something like that in your paper. >> yes, i wrote a column last week. i said next time rand paul sees ted cruz, he should give him a big kiss. >> wet kiss, you said.

>> a wet kiss, yes. that cruz is redefining extremism in the republican party. and it's making rand paul look absolutely mainstream. and at the same time, paul is working -- he's showed himself to be a much more pragmatic figure than his father then a lot of us expected. he's being more of a team player more than anybody expected and i think showing some smarts. like when you saw him speaking to the hispanic chamber of commerce. a remarkable speech of immigration. he's got a lot more savvy than we give him credit for. >> i think his filibuster worked and cruz's didn't. democrats believe they've been given a gift in ted cruz. they hope to tie him to the brand itself heading into 2014 next year. last weekend cruz and ken cuccinelli were speaking at the same event in richard monday.

he wanted him in there. >> look who's coming to virginia this weekend. ted cruz, the republican senator from texas who's the leader of the government shutdown. cruz is coming in to campaign for another radical republican ken cuccinelli. let's reject their extreme approach. >> a spokesman says about ted cruz, die hard republicans will consider him their best surrogate. we consider him ourself best surrogate too. wherever he goes, i think he's a political liability for all republicans. for the defense, john feehery. is this guy an albatross? does he darken in a negative way the republican brand, this guy? ted cruz. >> i think he's kind of like the republican version of miley cyrus. either you love him or you hate him. but i don't think ultimately he's going to have that much of a damage to the republican brand. i think he hurts right now cuccinelli in virginia mostly because there's so many federal

workers in virginia. but he's a rock star when it comes to the internet and the twitter world. and he's got a big grassroots base. and i don't think ultimately, though, unless he continues to attack other republicans, this is the problem with the party right now. there's too much republican on republican violence. and they're spending too much time attacking one another and not nearly enough time going after the president and going after democrats. the party's got to you fi. if the party unifies, they'll be in stronger shape. if they continue this republican on republican violence, it could be an ugly year. >> here's a great question that came out of your numbers today. everybody that watches this show wants to know which way the country is going. my question is this. why are there more people who describe themselves as conservatives than liberals yet more people describe themselves as democrats than describe themselves as republicans. that seems like a contradiction. explain. >> i think the term liberal has been miscredited to an extent.

when you look at 35% calling themselves conservatives. 25% liberal, 40% moderate. a lot of those moderates were people who may have called themselves liberals. president obama, for example, carried the moderate vote by 15 percentage points last year while he lost the independent vote by five. clearly there's a difference between moderate and independent. >> you're so right. i think we've got to figure a new language. you know what it is? if you say you're a moderate, you're probably pro-choice, i don't like the phrase, but you're for abortion rights. you're probably okay on same-sex marriage. you probably are pretty liberal where conservatives call you that. >> can i jump in quick? >> guy ahead. when i travel around the country, the phrase i hear more from people than any other single phrase is i consider myself a conservative on

economic issues, but dot dot dot. they'll either say tolerant on social culture issues. bill clinton kind of cracked the code of being moderate on social issues and culture and not that liberal on economic issues. i think republicans would be smart to kind of look at how they could work around this. >> clinton said wonderful things in '92 like they want to make abortion safe, legal, and rare. they want to hear it's rare. and also for people who work hard and play by the rules. they're not the welfare party. john feehery, that's the question for you. moderates. does the word moderates say to you you could be a republican? or does it mean you're probably a liberal but you're calling yourself a moderate? >> the first question, the point of why there are more conservatives than liberals is conservatives don't consider themselves republican. the republican party has got to heal itself. and they've got to be able to attract moderate conservatives.

people who are not so doctrine. you got to be able to attract those folks in the northeast and focus as charlie said on the economic issues. but, you know, we are a pro-life party and will always be. >> you and i could form a political party right in the middle somewhere. i'd be a little left of center, you'd be a little right of center. i think you're like scarborough. charlie cook, has hillary got it locked over rand paul? >> i would watch paul, but i'd also watch the governors. i'd watch scott walker, for example. i think he's somebody very interesting to watch. but the question to me about hillary is a political decision or personal decision. if it's political, she runs. if it's a personal decision, who knows. >> can she resist the women her age and my age? i'm a little older than her, can she resist the tremendous historic push she's getting from women who really think it's their time to have a woman president.

that powerful historic urge right now. i think it's out there. >> i think it's very, very real. but at the same time she'll be turning 69 years old. she will be the same age that ronald reagan was when he got elected president. she doesn't look 69 or 67 at this point, but, you know, it is what it is. does she feel up to it or not? i think it's a personal decision. >> don't you know that 40's the new 10 in come on. anyway, thank you charlie cook and john feehery. up next, what happens when democrats have the power? look what's happening out here in california. they're in total control politically and have turned this state around and up. this is "hardball," the place for politics.

three big elections coming up in the next few weeks. we've got new polling on all three. let's check the "hardball" score board. in virginia, new poll shows democrat terry mccauliffe holding his lead over cuccinelli. 41 to 36. pretty close. in new jersey, governor chris christie saw big in his re-election bid according to a new poll. christie 58, barbara buono, 25. and democrat cory booker has a 16-point lead over lonegan. 45 to 29. that election is one week from tomorrow. we'll be right back.

i'on in 6s. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs.

to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from. we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel with us. anywhere in the country. [ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay.

and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. conservatives who love to brag about american exceptionalism must come to california and see it in person. then be afraid. because while right wingers are taking over places like north carolina and texas and even wisconsin, california is creating the kind of modern liberal nation the country as a whole could only dream about. and only can't the rest of the country stop us, we're going to drag you with us. >> i think that guy bill maher has the sharpest mind around sometimes. i'm out here in california for my book tour. and the golden state is

unquestionably on a roll led by jerry brown. and supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature. no obstruction out here. california faces a new quandary. too much money. golden state. maybe it's time for democrats to do a little bragging. former mayor of san francisco is the national political correspondent with the "new york times." mayor brown, thank you again, by the way, i'll thank you in a written letter on my personal stationary, boy, do people like you out here in san francisco. talk about that other brown,

former mayor of oakland, former governor of california a hundred years ago jerry brown is now the kid. but look, he's back and look what's going on, now the state's working, what's working out here so well? >> well, the state of california is a state now that has said you can't draw your own lines if you're a politician or you don't need to be obedient to any particular philosophy or party. you better be interested in the needs of people. and that has produced the result that you see. >> and why did it work when he asked to raise revenues for education and all? why did that seem to work in a state that was for all those years tied down by prop 13 and refused to do anything on property tax or anything else. >> there was a recall in 2003, since that recall, things have been topsy turvy in the state of of california. children have suffered, old

people have suffered and prisons have suffered and that suffering has boiled over to the point where people have said no more. we are going to change the nature of how we do business. and believe me, the voters said, we will pay more under jerry brown's leadership and that represented the opportunity for the great divide and the great operation that has occurred. >> that's so interesting, adam, because the things i have known about the california political landscape has been you try the amateur, a good amateur, arnold schwarzenegger, that didn't work so well. and i have also heard for years the prisoners and the corrections officers haven't been able to do anything about it. has jerry brown been able to break loose those handcuffs that has held california's governor over the years? >> restrictions here are pretty intense. the fact he's coming toward the end of his career, remember his

father was governor, and i think he's looking at this term as a way to really kind of do a lot of legacy stuff that his father did that brown did not do so much on his first term. so cleaning up the fiscal house, that's the first thing, he talks about getting rid of the wall of debt. he wants to deal with the state's water problems and he's very directed and mature and he works very, very well with the legislature. >> let me go to mayor brown. i have heard one of the reasons for california's progressive politics was stuff for everybody. there would be highways for everybody, there would be open beaches for everybody. that it wasn't a dedicated liberalism, there was a wide open liberalism for everybody, therefore like social security, everybody invested in it. what is the formula now for

people liking this kind of government? >> we have finally been able to put it together so that in fact it's available to people. you know, we went through the turmoil out here on the immigration issue. during the time that pete wilson was the governor of the state of california. there was an initiative state wide to deal with that issue in an adverse way. but yet, people still came into california and they're now participating in the political process. in the state of california, the voters are literally demanding results. they don't want partisanship, they don't want the phony commitment to so-called philosophy, they really want to see things function and function work. and jerry brown, attorney general previous governor, secretary of state, mayor of oakland, presents the opportunity to do all of that. our only problem, frankly is the term limits. if we would get rid of term limits, and we have modified it somewhat. we'll be on the road to many

years of prosperity. >> but you never would have gotten to be mayor of san francisco, you would still be speaker of the assembly, mr. brown thank you for joining us, you have so many titles. thanks for coming on. we'll be right back after this.

let me finish tonight with this. i've got a story to tell you.

back in 1981 when ronald reagan came to town, guess what? he needed to raise the debt ceiling. that's right the same debt ceiling that his party had been voting to the last member against. not a single republican member in the house voted to raise the debt ceiling leaving it to the democrats to do it themselves and getting bricks thrown at them for doing it. reagan had to raise the debt limit himself. tip o'neill not wanting to rain on the new president's parade, wanted one condition. he wanted a letter from ronald reagan himself to every democratic member of congress to vote for the death ceiling. that's all just a letter. he was okay with helping reagan doing what he needed to do. the letters arrived, reagan got his vote. john boehner, are you listening? are you paying attention to history? it's time to lead your party out of this dead end canyon that history will blame you for. i'll be speaking about all this when politics work.

tomorrow night the ronald reagan presidential library thursday, jay leno, friday bill maher. i'm hitting the coast where the weather is warm and beautiful. that's "hardball" for now, thanks for being with us, all in with chris hays stars right now. good evening from new york, i'm chris hay hayes and today against continuing crisis, president obama took command of the news in the way only a president can do. speaking for more than an hour he laid out his position, congress must do its duty by raising the debt ceiling before the administration goes into any budget negotiation, he's willing to talk he said, just not under the threat of catastrophe. >> the president doesn't demand -- you don't get to call your