changed. great to have you with us on "the ed show" tonight. thanks so much for joining us. it's 121 pages of, they they they're redoing their policies? no. no, they're not. "politics nation a" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening, rev. >> good evening, ed. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, america dpupt b leave soldiers behind. today there are real question the about how sergeant bowe bergdahl was captured and whether he willingly left his unit. nbc news has wlelearned the arms performing a full inquiry. but today, president obama says the united states has a commitment to any captured american soldier no matter how he fell into enemy hands.

>> the united states has always had a pretty sacred rule. and that is, we don't leave our men or women in uniform behind. and that dates back to the earliest days of our revolution. let me just make a very simple point here. and that is regardless of the circumstances, whatever those circumstances may turn out to be, we still get an american soldier back if he's held in captivity. period. full stop. >> we don't leave our women or men in uniform behind. it's as simple in a self-evident statement as that. one that shouldn't really need defending. and yet apparently it does. especially from the right wing.

>> i would be very, very careful before you run the president out at claiming victory at earning the release of somebody who in effect went awol apparently. >> it's one thing to trade terrorist for a real p.o.w., someone who's taken on the battlefield, fighting honorably for or country. it's another thing to trade away five high-rank iing officials wn he walked away. >> to evaluate who's worthy of being rescued and who's not. now some are even going after sergeant bergdahl's father, bob, for a tweet he sent to a taliban spokesman four days before his son was released. it said, i'm still working to free all guantanamo prisoners. god will repay for the death of every afghan child. the new york daily news accused

dog bergdahl of tweeting with the enemy, and over at fox, some are saying bog bergdahl's beard looks suspicious. >> he has learned to speak pashto, the language of the taliban and looks like a muslim. >> really? he said he was growing his beard because his son was -- because his son was in captivity. your son is out now. if you no longer want to look like a member of the taliban, you don't have to look like a member oof the taliban. are you out of razors? >> this implication is nasty and transparent, that somehow bob bergdahl is un-american, and somehow the united states government should consider that when thinking about the rescue of his son. to be sure, many americans have questions about the release of these taliban prisoners and democratic lawmakers want to know more about how it was handled, but these are tough

issues and there should be questions of policy not politics. joining me now is phillip mudd, former deputy director of the cia's counterterrorism center, and ken goud, center for american progress. thank you both for being here. >> to uh. >> phillip, there are a lot of issues swirling here. but isn't the basic question whether you leave an american soldier there or not, isn't that the basic question? >> i think it is. look, i'm not a politician. i served in the bush white house, bush 43. i was nominat, ma'am by preside obama for a job. i don't believe this is complicated. you have five members of taliban captured on the battlefield. you have one serviceman captureden the battlefield. i don't care how he was captured. he's an american. the commander-in-chief has the right to authorize a battlefield transfer, a transfer of

prisoners. ain't that complicated to me. they can debate it on the hill, debate it in washington. i don't see why this is so difficult. >> ken, where do you stand on this? >> i think phil is exactly right. i mean, this is not a very difficult issue. especially when we understand that the five guantanamo detainees that were transferred very likely to have to be released back to afghanistan relatively soon anyway because of the specifics around their case. they're taliban, not al qaeda. they were not prosecutable in either a military court or a american federal court, and because the war in afghanistan, the u.s. involvement in the war in afghanistan is winding down, we were probably going to have to let them go anyway. it wasn't much of a trade. >> let me make sure i'm understanding you, ken. you're saying they could not have been tried with what they were charge the with, they were held in guantanamo bay for. they could not be charged in

military or criminal court here and they would have been sooner or later, with the war winding down let go anyway? >> that's exactly right. . it was probably sometime relatively soon after our combat role in afghanistan ends at the end of this year, we would have had to have released them. we couldn't prosecute them in our courts. they were party only to the conflict in afghanistan. they were taliban, not al qaeda. and our war in afghanistan was ending. we were going to have to let them go. this wasn't even much of a trade. i don't really quite get the hu hullabaloo about it. >> let me ask you this, phillip. soldiers from sergeant bergdahl's own platoon are critical of him. here's what they say. >> we all served together and we were all in it together over there and he broke that bond by leaving us. you rear just going to let these guys go for somebody you're already saying you know walked away? that's just not right.

>> he's an american soldier. he still is. you can't leave anybody behind, but to label him as a hero when all he did was leaf his guard post and get real heroes killed, those are people who did something influential, not just, you know, leaving their guard post. >> now, their anger is understandable, phillip. but, you know, does it change the basic point that this country's committed to rescuing its captured troops. .even if it's to face military justice back here on american soil. >> i can understand their anger, but when i was an analyst i was taught to the clear about differentiating among three things, what you know, what you don't know what you donthink. we know an american soldier was lost on the be theattlefield. we think or speculate that he

walked away because he had psychological problems, we wanted to go awol. we don't know that. should we retrieve a soldier? yes. should we ask him questions later on about why he left and maybe face a tribunal? yes. those two questions are separate. >> what bothers me when i hear all of this, and i agree with phillip. either you're going to prosecute, investigate or find out none of it is true, but the alternative is, are we suggesting that we leave them there to die. there's a suggestion that he should have been left there to perish? >> bowe bergdahl was kind of a cause celeb on the right before he was rescued. it was just two weeks ago that one senator issued a press release demanding that the department of defense do everything in its power to secure his release. senator mitch mcconnell, he

joined others in the senate also urging that the defense department do everything it possibly could to get sergeant bergdahl out. >> mitch mcconnell said this? >> mitch mcconnell said this. and now that he's out, now that it appears to be associated with president obama, it's the worst thing that has ever been done and could possibly lead to impeachment. i find the politics around this so distasteful. and i really find it unpleasant that we have to sit here and argue and defend the principle that we need to bring all of our troops home. it's just crazy. >> late today, we even hear, phillip, senator feinstein suggesting the administration might not have acted legally by not consulting congress. feinstein says i strongly agree we should have been consulted. laws should have been followed. i deeply regret that it was not.

how important is this? put this into context for me. >> i think adults need to sit in the room across the aisle with the president and discuss it. both sides, i hate to tell you, are right. there's a law that says the president is supposed to consult with congress about release of guantanamo prisoners. and another law says the president is commander-in-chief. he's the decision maker. i was there with the fbi and cia and watched this roll out. neither side is wrong, but spitting across the aisle and citing law doesn't work in washington. everybody's got a law that supports their case. you've got to say okay, we disagree, we've got to work it out. that's why that city doesn't work. >> it comes back to what i said in the begin, this should be about policy, not politics. when you're sitting there telling me mitch mcconnell and others were calling for the administration to do all within its power just not too long ago

to release this very same person who they're now in many ways denigrating, this is politics, not policy at all. >> yeah. it's just a terrible episode. and i think getting to the congressional notification point, you know, i wish the obama administration had managed to provide some measure of advanced notice to congress. they didn't need to do the full 30 days. i think the exigencies of this case would have warranted a much shorter time frame. but i think we could have avoided some of the controversy if the obama administration had just placed a few calls to the leaders of the senate and house intelligence committees and the leaders of the parties of the various chambers to just inform them, maybe even only a matter of a few hours before the plan was actually executed. that would have eliminated at least some of the complaint. but no one in congress has asserted that the president doesn't have the authority to make this move. they are complaining only about the fact that they weren't notified in advance.

and that's just bickering around the edges. >> all right. i'm going to leave it there. i want to thank you both for your time this evening. and let me say this. i think the issue here is that we have an american serviceman that should not be prejudged, certainly not abandoned, left to perish because of some speculation, unproven allegation. even if they prove to be right, they should be proven in a military process here, or other legal process. but we cannot now set a precedent that we're going to guess, decide, and therefore based on that rescue or not rescue someone who will be left in the hands of enemies to perish or die because we think something may have been amiss.

coming up, move over benghazi. there's a new impeachable moment in town and it's coming from dick cheney and the right wing media complex. plus, there's a battle raging in washington to fight for economic equality and fairness. and today, a major milestone in that fight. labor history was just made in seattle. we'll live in that city ahead. and how can we stop billionaires like the koch brothers from flooding money into our elections? democrats have a new plan today. stay with us.

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the controversy surrounding the release of sergeant bergdahl is dominating the conversation on social media today. and we want to know what you think.

why are some republicans upset over sergeant bergdahl's release? is it because they're angry at him? or are they worried about the threat posed by five released taliban prisoners. or is it just another chance to criticize president obama? the poll is live on our facebook page and on twitter. so vote now and be sure to leave a comment. we'll have your answers later in the show. good job! still running in the morning? yeah. getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables for only 50 delicious calories.

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forget benghazi. there's a new right wing attack in town. now they're using sergeant bergdahl's release to slam president obama and look who's one of the first to run in front of a camera? >> i think they have, in fact, negotiated with terrorists and i don't think they got a very good deal. there's a distinct possibility that these five will, in fact, go into battle. i think the whole transaction represents really bad staff work be very, very careful before you run the president out at sort of claiming victory after having earned the release of somebody who went awol apparently. >> really bad staff work? says the man who got us in an unnecessary war? the guy who sent our soldiers into battle doesn't think the president got a good deal. and his wannabe successor piled

on, too. the sarah palin took to facebook to attack the president saying he, quote, blew it. and others accused him of helping terrorists. >> the president may have very well committed a federal crime by giving material assistance to a terrorist organization. >> the president said he wouldn't negotiate during the shutdown. but yet obviously negotiating here. so he won't negotiate with you guys but he negotiated with the taliban. >> the only reason why this thing is announced, the only reason why this happened is because the president is trying to get the va off the front page of the newspapers. >> andy mccarthy, a friend of this program has a new book out. he says the president should be impeached for this. that's what he does say. it's crimes and misdemeanors. >> in my view, it's a very, very valid argument that people are going to start talking about. >> release an american soldier from captivity and get impeached? some democrats have raised concern that members of congress should have been notified about

the deal earlier. but this stuff, accusing the president of helping terrorists and negotiating with the taliban is really beyond the pale. president obama said we don't leave our men or women in uniform behind. too bad so many on the right don't leave any chance to attack behind. joining me now, patrick murphy, who is the first iraq war veteran to serve in congress. thank you for being here, congressman. >> thank you, rev. >> the they're attacking the president for getting a soldier home. and dick cheney is leading the charge. what's your reaction? >> rev this is the same dick cheney, when he was of fighting age in his 20s and the vietnam war was going on and everyone was getting drafted, he said i have better things to do than serve in vietnam. yet he wants to disparage the commander-in-chief. he wants to go against a whole

military ethic that we leave no one behind. now listen, whether it's the sergeant deserted or not, if he deserted, court-martial him. let him rot in jail. let him rot in an american jail, but we bring those missing in action home. we do all we can. this was an easy call. >> the operative word, congressman, is if. we don't know if in i of that is true. what i don't understand is how we are going to suggest, imply, infer, to leave him there to die while we speculate on any of these things. but let me ask you, because one of the reasons i was very happy to have you on, you serveds in iraq. and we call found out what happened with the weapons of mass destruction that didn't exist. how do you feel when you see dick cheney, the proponent of that war sitting up in judgment of this administration doing

something as clear as bringing a soldier home that was held in captivity. >> dick cheney doesn't get it, rev. he never got it and he'll never get it. i pray for his soul to be honest with you. i'm just going to leave it at that. i pray for him because he needs to understand that he was part of the one of the most colossal mistakes in american history. it was barack obama who came in after the bush/cheney left who tripled the troops in afghanistan and now he's bringing those troops home. but for dick cheney and glenn

beck and sarah palin who, you know, did half a term of governor before she quit on that job, to criticize president obama for doing the right thing, and to say things, like he should be impeached, the rule is, the law is you have to consult with congress. republican congressman mike rogers, rev, you know, he's the chair of the intelligence committee in the house of representatives, said, we were consu consulted back in 2011. it is now time to stop with politics. >> let me ask you this, congressman, quickly. those that served, three fellow officers that served with bergdahl that have been very critical of him, what would you say to them tonight? >> gentlemen, thank you for your service. if this is true, let's do an investigation. let's have you testify at his court-martial here on american soil, but let's bring him home first. let's do what is our standard,

bring everyone home. we leave no one behind. >> congressman patrick murphy, thank you so much for your time tonight. >> thank you, rev. >> coming up, senator elizabeth warren is talking about a rigged system that favors the rich. but something just happened in a major city that could level the playing field. and our gop l-- are gop lawmakes trying to create segregated voting districts? the next big battle at the supreme court. that's ahead. ♪

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>> it's primary night in several states tonight, and in alabama, that means it's voter i.d. night. for the first time voters in alabama must show a photo i.d. to vote. the state's republican party is so concerned about fraud they're even sending people out to look

for it, offering $1,000 reward for information that directly leads to a conviction of a felony for voter fraud. but the real fraud is the law itself. msnbc.com's zachery rolph introduced us to a new face of voter suppression. 93-year-old willie. he's been voting since he first registered back in world war ii. but today, when he went to vote in alabama, he was turned away because he doesn't drive and doesn't have a form of i.d. . >> i went down there and they told me i had to get something with my name on it. i said i don't know how to go over there anyway. i just decided just let it

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raking in record salaries. the average salary is $10.5 million. president obama says give america a raise. >> so many, not just democrats but republicans too, support raising the minimum wage. it's the right thing to do. if you work hard, you should be able to pay the rent, buy your groceries, look after your kids. this will help families, it will give businesses customers with more money to spend. >> join the rest of the country. say yes. give america a raise! >> well, on monday, america didn't get a raise, but seattle did. the city council unanimously passed an ordinance for a $15 minimum wage.

the highest in the nation. supporters packed the council chambers for the vote and cheered the passing. this fight is not over, but seattle is becoming a city of hope for the working poor in this country. now it's time for congress to act. joining me now is seattle -- from seattle is congressman jim mcdermott, democrat of washington and maria terrae is a kumar, the president of vot voto latino. thank you both for being here. congressman, your city is leading the way on the minimum wage fight. will it spur action in roy washington, do you think? >> the people are getting restless. and a little town out here, sea-tac voted to change the minimum wage. everyone thought it was a freak. it's only a teeny little town. yesterday, our big city, seattle, gave a $15. that shows you, this is moving

across this country. the president is talking about it, and everybody recognizes the middle class is being sweezed. seattle, it takes $16.02 to stay above the poverty line if you consider all the things that people have to pay for. so we're just trying to keep people at the poverty line, which isn't -- that's not high living. >> it takes $16.02 to stay above the poverty line in seattle. so going to $15 still doesn't quite bring you over the poverty line. so all of them act as though this is some great handout and some kind of system of just giving people things really don't understand what they're talking about. >> that's about luteally right. when you talk about rent, rents are high and food. and gasoline is $4.15. and you start down the list, goi, you can eat up $16 an hour, $15 an hour real quickly trying to take care of a family of four. so we're just trying to keep up

with this and give people a chance to make it. >> maria, you know, when we look at some of these facts about minimum wage, americans overwhelmingly support raising the minimum wage 71% favor an increase in the federal minimum wage rate from $7.25 to $9. proposals to increase the minimum wage have been introduced in 30 other states, and these wage increases would pump an additional $22 billion into the economy. i mean, it just make sense socially. it makes sense economically, it makes sense politically to do this. i mean, why would they go against this. >> i mean, the idea of working poor should be an oxymoron. unfortunately it's a reality for millions of americans. but when we look at raising the minimum wage, such as seattle does, or the president's proposal, which was $10.10, you're talking about raising

over 58% of working poor to actually middle class. that's significant, because all of a sudden, as the comingman stated, all of a sudden they're thinking not about how to make ends meet, but also how do they actually have upward mobility so they can invest in other things, not just putting food on the stable and makes ends meet. that's huge. at the end of the dpa, we have to take a step back and saying why are we working every single day? are we working so that we're not suffering and making sure that our children are not suffering? or is it so we can have a thriving middle class where we can continue being an economic powerhouse. >> you know, congressman, we saw senator warren at the top of this segment. she also talked about how the gop is trying to stack the deck against the poor. watch this. >> look at the basic premise behind the ryan budget. preserve lots of loopholes for those at the top, cut taxes for those at the top. and how do they plan to pay for it? by cutting the investments that create opportunity cut the

investments in education, in infrastructure, in research. the things that help build a future. that drives us toward more inequality, but more critically, it undercuts the basic premise of this country. >> your reaction to that statement, congressman? >> well, you know, my family came here with fnothing. my grandfather had a second grade education. my father had only a high school education and aulg the kids in our family have got degrees in college and advanced degreeses. and that's what america has made possible in the past, but you can't do that today if you're working two or three $7 an hour jobs to keep your family together. you haven't got money to give your kid a chance to go to college. and then you've got to start thinking about your parents and what's happened to em this. the middle class is being squeezed, and the real american dream is being snuffed out by

these guys who will not give money back at the top. >> but can the american people, does the middle class citizen understand that. i mean, you' got all these rich guys, these billionaires flooding the political system with money that is totally have people voting against their own personal economic interest, congressman. how do we break through. make people understand it's them, not somebody else. it's them that's suffering from these decisions. >> but i think, empbd, just the fact that you have over 238 state demonstrates that yes, you can be stagnant right now at the congressional level, at the national level. but work is being done at the state level. american people are paying attention and saying okay, congressional members, you're in a stalemate, make sure it translates into victories like we saw today in seattle. >> can we push the state movement?

the states that are operating to washington so it happens on a federal level congressman? or is there too much money floating around where we can't move your colleagues? >> if the voters come out in this election and their first question to their candidates is, do you support an increase in the minimum wage, you're going to start to see some people get pretty antsy. right now people say well, they're quiet back home, so it must not be bothering them. but if the people start letting this them know that it's bothering them, you're going to see some people wake up tomorrow and say what's going on? seattle? i hope that's not going to go on. >> i'm going to have to leave it there. thank you so much. thank you both for your time. have a good night. >> thank you, reverend. coming up, republicans scheme to hurt democratic voting goes to the supreme court. we'll have that story. and how do you stop billionaires like the koch brothers from

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add brand new belongings from nationwide insurance... ...and we'll replace destroyed or stolen items with brand-new versions. we put members first. join the nation. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ >> today, senate democrats held a hearing for a new plan on a constitutional amendment to stop the flood of billionaire money trying to buy our elections.

the koch brothers have been funneling millions of dollars into election, often in secret. democrats want to change thby amending the constitution to let congress regulate this so-called dark money. >> the republicans act like it's the end of the world. >> this amendment today if adopted would relegal the free speech protections of the first amendment. citizens are still astonished, that members of congress would dare vote for repealing the first amendment. mr. chairman, when did elected democrats abandon the bill of rights. this amendment if adopted would give congress the power to ban

books and to ban movies. >> repealing the first amendment? abandoning the bill of rights? what's he talking about? the gop's argument makes no sense. unless you buy the idea that money is the same as free speech. which means that people like the koch brothers simply have more speech than the rest of us. it's not fair and a new film looks at what it's doing to our democracy. joining me now are the filmmakers behind "citizen koch." thank you both for being here tonight. the influence of the koch-backed group, americans for prosperity, now here's a clip fra the film.

>> hi. this is jerry. i'm a volunteer for americans with prosperity. i want you to know that mayor tom berry has raised taxes every year but once since he's been mayor. >> do you think in the post citizens united world that you have more freedom? >> it doesn't impact us at all. we don't do election advocacy. >> really? >> again, citizen united impacts americans for prosperity in no way, shape or form. >> this is not election advocacy? what about your corporate funders? isn't it just another way for them to get money to elections? >> we don't discuss our funding. but we -- we don't discuss our funding. >> how can they say with a straight face they don't do election advocacy when you have them on film calling, talking about berry, the candidate

there. i mean, how can they say this? >> they're talking about a political candidate in the days before an election. we saw that, actually, we didn't really expect to bump into americans for prosperity or the kochs in wisconsin when we went there. they sort of inserted themselves into the story that we were cov covering. we wanted to see what kind of impact citizens united was going to be having at the state level. that's what drew us into wisconsin. >> but when you go back and ask scott walker's campaign spokesperson about billionaire donors like the koch brothers which backs the americans for prosperity who they identify themselves on the phone, that's what was so stunning. they're actually saying who they are. but when you asked about what does walker get in exchange for this kind of support, well, let's listen to the answer. >> what do out of state billions like bob perry and foster friesz

and the koch brothers seek to get from governor walker. they contributed million dollars to his campaign. >> more than 76% of the governor's contributions have been for $50 orles less. >> how about the high-dollar donors. >> i'm not in position to speak about these contributors. but more than 76% of our contributions -- >> you're not answering your questions. >> i'll take another question. >> they don't really want to talk about this, do they, in terms of the high-dollar donors. she had one chord guitar and played that line they gave her, but they really don't want to elaborate on the high donors. >> and they expect not to be asked. and frankly, we weren't invited back to another scott walker campaign event after that. >> do you know the koch brothers also backed the anti-union push of governor walker. an agenda with a devastating

impact on union workers. and you talked about it in the film. watch this. >> walker is a bully and i was a union man. and if it wasn't for the union, i couldn't have retired. i would have worked till i was 100. >> my wife and i are county workers and when i took the job, i took a pay cut for benefits. and i'm losing my benefits. >> how does the koch brothers financial interests dove tail with the agenda that we see in the gop. >> we learned that this union busting is really all about -- it's a political strategy on the part of these extremists like the koch brothers. what they want to do is take the money of organized labor out of the political process entirely. the money of organized labor is an aggregation of funds of ordinary working americans. like you guys were saying, they want to spend their money as much as they can, as much as

people will permit without anybody knowing what they're doing. >> and that's the real concern, aside from parties, is having billionaires on one side with no counterbalance. and they knock out any counterkind of balance. when you see the koch networks spent other $400 million in 2012, americans for prosperities plan to spend $125 million this year. do most americans really realize the secret money that's been funneling the right wing causes and candidates in your opinion? >> the right wing tries to hyde it and corporate interests try to hide it. they know that would not be popular. this is the money of the wealthy drowning out the rest of us. >> interesting film. congratulations on the film. and thank you so much for your time. go to citizenkoch.com for more information on the film, including when it's coming to a city near you. we should note that we

reached out to koch industries for comment on this film and have yet to receive a response. ahead it's a big political night. primary elections are around the country, and a night we must talk about a voting story with supreme implications. and we have news on the mother accused of trying to kill her children by driving her van into the ocean next. [ male announcer ] your eyes. even 10 miles away... they can see the light of a single candle. look after them with centrum silver. multivitamins for your eyes, heart and brain. centrum silver. for the most amazing parts of you.

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>> big news in the case of the mother accused of trying to kill her three children. ebony will kerrson, the pregnant mother who drove her three children into the atlantic ocean back in march has been released from prison after posting her $90,000 bond. earlier this year, she drove her minivan carrying her three children into the ocean in daytona beach, florida, telling police she was trying to escape and abusive husband. the judge ruled she's not allowed contact with any of her children, including her newborn son. will kkerson is awaiting trial,t to begin in august. we'll continue to follow this story. co: i've always found you don't know you need a hotel room

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>> there are elections in several states today and voter i.d. laws are on full display. but tonight, another voting story we need to talk about. the the supreme court has agreed to hear a major voting case from alabama. democrats there argued that republicans in their state have redrawn legislative maps to intentionally marginalize african-american voters. for example, here was alabama's third congressional district before the lines were redrawn. and here it is after gop redistricting. what does the change mean. well, suddenly the district's overall white population jumped to nearly 71%. as a result of these changes, more and more districts in the state are becoming segregated. and this same plan is being used

by republican legislators all over the country to limit democratic power. >> the black caucus has been worried the new lines are diluting the black population, making it harder for the democratic party to win elections. >> are democratic lawmakers manipulating black voters in order to maintain their grip on pow. >> texas added four congressional seats in 2012 when the republicans drew map with three new districts that favor them. >> state gop lawmakers are getting down right creative in the district maps that ire drawing. >> take a look at the north carolina's 12th congressional district. that little zigzag it does through the state, assures that it encircles african-american communities, limiting their influence on other districts. here's another from pennsylvania. in some areas, this district is only 800 feet across. so why the weird outline? in this instance, it is done to

make the district more firmly republican. that's why this alabama case matters. republicans are literally shifting the outcome of power by playing with maps. it's not right and it's not fitting of our democracy. and now for the results of our question of the day. why are some republicans upset over sergeant bergdahl's release? the response to this one was wh politic viewers think it's just another chance to criticize president obama. 8% think the gop are worried about the threat posed by those five released taliban prisoners, and 2% this i thenk the gop is t sergeant bergdahl. obama took action and the republicans need another benghazi.

why are they upset? because barack obama brought him home, plain and simple. tammy says they are desperate for anything to make their party relevant. well, thanks to all who voted. and head to our facebook to post your comments. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. trouble with the deal. let's play "hardball." \ trouble with the deal. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." troub. let's play "hardball." let's play "hardball." good evening, i pem chris matthews in washington. the questions most reasonable people are asking concern u.s. security. was it good for the u.s. to have these five top taliban figures released back to the region? is it plausible the effort by the taliban to get them back is strategic on itsar