it's going to be a message. not a sin veer vote. >> steve latourette thank you for joining us tonight. chris matthews is up next. which republicans won last night? the doers or the destroyers? >> good evening. i'm chris matthews in new york still. the republican wave last night was even nastier than the projections out there. one senate race in alaska is still to be called and another in louisiana is heading for a run-off but it could lead to a nine-seat pick-up for republicans. and with it, the strong majority control of the united states senate.

but the big question is whether the victory won in campaigns run against the president will be used to punish him or to deal with him. whether they're trying to destroy the obama legacy or bull a better future for the country. we're already hearing a familiar voice out there demanding destruction. here is rush limb sgau the mandate he gave the republicans last night. >> it is the biggest and perhaps the most important mandata political party has had in the recent era. it is very simple what that mandate is. to stop barack obama. it is to stop the democrat party. there is no other reason why republicans were elected yesterday. republicans were not elected to govern. >> that man has no good reason to exist. joining me, howard fineman and eugene columnist. both are of course, msnbc political analysts.

it seem to me that rush limbaugh is playing to an audience on radio. fair enough. many of us do it in this business. you talk to who listens to you. he is not talking to the majority of americans. he is simply riding in their cars between 12:00 and 3:00 eastern time, who are ready to be angry. and they turn him on to be angry. but not to guide a country. he is not a guidance book on democracy. >> as far as he went, rush limbaugh is right. a lot of republicans who did come out to vote did vote for that reason. but because washington in our political system is the main thing holding the country back. we have the entrepreneurial spirit, the economy is improving. the thing that's broken is our government. even republicans wanted that fixed. that's what mitch mcconnell and john boehner and the other republican leaders have to decide. do they pave the way for themselves in the future and help america by doing deals? or do they not? if this were a parliamentary democracy, the government would

have fallen. the democrats would be out. the republicans would be. in it is both the jeenl just and the curse of the founders and. the winners and losers have to work with each other. >> it is called the viet officially it could be a very good thing. and it it is incumbent upon the republicans to make it that way. if they want to win the presidency in 2016. because so far their message has been nothing but no. >> that's your voice. and i support it. here's mitch mcconnell. he has to deal with the president to get things done. one optical is likely to be his colleague, if you want to use that term for ted cruz. listen to him last night sounding like limbaugh. >> now is the time to go after and do everything humans possible to repeal obamacare. now is the time to stand up and say, follow the constitution, honor the rule of law and protect the bill of rights!

the era of obama lawlessness is over. >> what do you make of this character? he says things like lawlessness, abuse of power, references to felonious conduct by an administration but he 97 pointed to what it is. he just says it. >> he just says it. that's his style. gee, do you think maybe he's running for president? do you think maybe he's speaking to an audience that eats this stuff up? he is like rush limbaugh with a portfolio basically. >> do you believe there is a majority of americans who would want that man in lincoln's chair? that guy? that force? >> no. i don't believe that. i believe he is a smart and cunning politician and he is smarter than some of the stuff he says.

he says some of it for a reason but i don't think he has what it takes to become president of the united states. you notice though, he did say, you know, we'll do everything humans possible to repeal obamacare. what's not humans possible is repealing obamacare. right? because of the veto. so it's just words. it is just hot air. >> you've been writing for so many years. let me ask you. what is demagoguery turned out to be a great career plan? i mean, it is a good starter. it gets you noise for a couple years. but huey long got gunned down on the state capitol stems. i guess that doesn't always happen. usually they stop listening to you or you're drunk. theyer in end up as heroes, do they? >> i think not. where does this go for ted cruise? i'm not sure.

it doesn't go to any sort of career in the senate. he is in the process of alienating the senators and so therefore he won't have influence. even that will probably wane if the house leadership as i expected asserts itself a bit more. and if the tea party faction as i suspect has wearied of government shutdowns. to a certain extent. some of them do see what it produced the last time. and wasn't good for them. >> how about that fight between mitch mcconnell said today, when he was asked, he said no shutdowns. no ted cruz stuff. and he shod it right in his face. >> it that statement by mitch mcconnell at the hate of his prospective power. he has just been made the majority leader in effect. he is at the top in one of the

very first things he said was, no government shutdowns. that was aimed directly at ted cruz. ironically, mitch mcconnell who spent a lot of the recent years using the tactics of anger and the position of no to get where he is now, now is in the position of having to try to run something. i know him well. i think escapable of it and it he will make it his annoying isolate ted cruz. ted cruz will be glad to be isolated. initially. but that's not ultimately the route to the presidency. the presidency is always based on the idea of hopeful change. presidents don't get elected just on the basis of acker. that's not enough. you have to have a plan. you have to have a sense of uplift. and you don't get that from ted cruz who is posing, to me the whole story of ted cruz is that flag behind him.

>> secession. >> that was the world's largest texas flag. what does that tell you? what does that tell you? >> he is running to be -- any way. will he take a look -- here mitch mcconnell. he said there will be a divide government doesn't mean thing won't get done. let's watch him here. this is positive for a republican who could have said something much worse. >> earlier today i got a call from the president, the speaker and ted cruz, too, which i thought you would be interested in. all of whom it have the view that we ought to see what area of agreement there are and see if he can make some progress for the country. i always like the mind people that divided government is not unusual in this country. when the american people choose divided government, i don't think it means they don't want

us to do anything. >> he was also very clear about one thing. here he is in his words. >> let me make it clear. there will be no government shutdowns and no default on the national debt. >> mean while the government of the united states expressed confidence that he will be able to find common ground. >> i'm eager to work with the new congress to make the next two years as productive as possible. congress will pass some bills i cannot sign. i'm pretty sure i'll take some actions that some in congress will not like. that's natural will that's how democracy works. but we can surely find ways to work goat issues where there's brought agreement will. >> i'm worried here. both he and mcconnell talked about common ground. i'll get to this later in the show. it is pretty rare. that's why we have two political parties. well, today is wechbls there are certain things we agree on but we don't consider them important to argue about. the they can we argue about are what we disagree.

with i'll give you minimum wage over a period of three years. you give me a lower corporate tax rate. they're not talking about trading and negotiating. let's say if we can agree that we both like bruce springsteen. it is childish to say common ground. there is no common ground. the democrats are not for more corporate tax rates but they might go for them if you tied them together with a minimum wage hike. that's called a deal. compromise is kind of a dirty word in american politics these days until you don't utter it. but potentially, you do it. if you can figure out a way. so you can find common ground on the fact that gee, we need some improvements in the infrastructure in this country.

there's no common ground on how to pay for that. but there are deeld dpeels could be made on how to pay for that. and they could be present as common ground. >> why doesn't the president just play dirty and go, mitch, where would you like the highway built in louisville? i mean, kent used to do this. the sevenths in the congress in those days, democrats, they were southern democrats controlling the purse strings. he would say will you at least spend money on space? i'll put it in houston. put money on defense. you love defense down south. anything they want to spend money on. >> first the president doesn't think that way. he thinks in intellectual constructs. he doesn't think in horse trading. horse trading is not frankly, intellectual. i'll give you this if you give me that. it has nothing to do with the consistency of ideas. number two original a personal level. and i know him reasonably well.

he doesn't like, he doesn't love the meat and drink of politics. >> i thought this was true and somebody said it today. one of mcconnell's people said today. that those with gentlemen have only been in a room together alone once or twice in six years. and all the leadership and putting them all together. nothing will happen in that room. everybody will be ratting everybody out. there's no private conversation. he is like in one of the jefferson hotel meetings he sets up. i think it is partly because nate the president nor his advisers necessarily trust him in the room alone with much mcconnell. they're afraid mitch mcconnell will take them to the cleaners. >> really? >> yes. >> really! >> the president is not, at least he hasn't shown so far to be the kind of guy can deal one

to one in a winning or trading way with these people. >> you're trying to trick him into doing it. >> all i can tell you, in kentucky, the only thing they trade about is what kind of bourbon they're going to drink. >> that's just bs. no more beer summits. thank you very much for being on tonight. coming up, of a last night, it looks like the democrats tried to run away from the president. joe lewis said they can run but they can't hide. that could have been said of the democrats this year them didn't stick together and stand by the president. we must indeed hang together or most assuredly we should all hang separately. finally, the president wants to get the reform bill by the house. it is not a giveaway. it is a tough bill.

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we've got results now on some of the races we couldn't call last night. in colorado, john hickenlooper. mark udall lost his senate seat. in connecticut, nbc news has projected incumbent democrat dan malloy. that was a rematch from four years ago. the governor's race in alaska has yet to be called. nbc news is still calling that too he will to call on the following night. overall, that means republican there's control 31 governor's seats in the united states. democrats have 17 with alaska still outstanding. in vermont, to be determined by the democratic state

legislature. on the senate side we're still looking for winner in two states. in alaska the race between incumbent democrat mark begich and dan sullivan, still not called by nbc news. in louisiana, none of the candidates have met the 50% thresh hole required so there will be a run-off between senator mary landrieu who almost always sifs and republican bill cassidy. that will be held december 6th. she's still the one for you. and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure.

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they're tired of the agenda. they're passing judgment on the obama administration. and they're going to expect something to happen. >> he turned her into an obama clone. >> a refeud yags.

>> this is a reject. >> that was reince priebus. the republicans are taking a victory lap like that, sticking it to the president. they had it worked. it was a bad night for the president's party last night. senator joe manchin summed it up. democrats turned president obama into a pariah. they cut him off in the ticket in every big race. the rule was not successful. the coalition that turned out to support the president in 2008, 2012, single women, african-americans, all stayed home because the president wasn't out there campaigning for the people. today president obama acknowledged a huge chunk of the electorate simply sat on the bench. >> to everyone had a voted. i want you to know i heard you. to the two-thirds of vote hears close not to participate in the process yesterday, i hear you too. all of us have to give more americans a rent to feel like

the ground is stable benaetd their feat. that the future is secure. there is a path for young people to succeed. and that folks in washington are concerned about them. >> that was well stated. president obama is now fighting for his role. and did running away from president obama back fire big time? it sure looks like it. as benjamin franklin told the continental congress in 1776. we must indeed all hang together or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately. he meant that literally after they lost the battle for american independents. they would have been hanged. congressman, let me ask you that basic question. what would have been better, what happened or if the president had been out there carrying the banner for the party and rallying his elkorate? the presidential electorate?

>> it it would have been better if he were energizing the base. i don't know how you can vote for somebody for five years and then run away all of a sudden and say you had nothing to do with it and say vote for me, i'll set you free. it was a strange approach. what should have been a good competitive election turned out to be a shoot-out at the okay corral. no one left standing. >> what all the republicans had in their tool kit was the voting record of these guys. that's where they couldn't hide from. they were with obama. >> i think the democrats, eat you're a democrat or you're not. if you're going to be a democrat, you ought to connect with people in the things that matter most other. wise, they will define you. the party was defind by the other side twoufl party standing up and defining itself and without the president, we became as a party what others said we were.

so that was a turnoff to a lot of people which kept a lot of folks at home. you can't sit back and not energize your base. >> do you think there will be a candidate for higher office who rebecause thes to say whether they voted for the leader of the party or not? nobody got beat worse than alison grimes. >> i'm waiting for them to go down the entire voting logs and asked where they voted for attorney general. first of all, that was probably the most fumbled answer of the entire campaign. i do think people are misreading this election a little bi. i don't agree with everybody saying, this was a total repudiation of the obama policies. i think this was a repudiation of the grid lock and the problems, the dysfunctional nauch of washington. and they're calling in the back-up quarterback. and saying, oh is going to get -- obama could not get it done. will he give to it republicans. i think aware out there as the back-up quarterback giving a victory dance.

i think the way mitch mcconnell hand himself was the rate way. >> he only got one week before rg3 was back. doubt the rest of your pourt, the republicans got the peg the same way did you? you'd better go out there and do a better job of legislating and making the federal government work than the last six years? >> i think it is probably broken. part of the party will say we've been handed a mandate. everybody is behind us. it that that is misreading it. i think that really may vais would be to the party, let find some common ground. let's find something like lowering too. manufacturer for every job they bring back from overseas so we have a tax cut but it is related to a blue collar job. make the democrat supporters for that and get some credibility with the american people that we'll get this country moving. >> let look at the democrats hanging separately from cutting president obama their ticket.

we take guy and say don't vote for him. hear they are in action. >> why are you reluctant to give an answer on whether or not you voted for president obama? >> bill, there is no reluctancy. this is a matter of principle. >> the white house, they look down front 31 a last person they want to see coming is me. the policies where they've been wrong. >> did you vote for president obama in 2008 and 2012? >> would you leave her alone? >> you know, he has been a drag. i'm going to be honest. >> i wanted to convince him and show him his policies are not the rate treks. i'm not even campaigning for him. >> between here and alaska. >> those people were alison grime, mark udall, michelle nunn in arkansas. they all lost last night except mark begich.

congressman, it seem to me that the president now has the opportunity to do -- what would you do if you were him? would you do this imfwrag thing on your own? or would you try to get a bill? how hard would you threaten him as an alternative? >> i think what you have to do is realize what you have and what you don't. you have the bail to make trades. to figure out what the other side wants. how you can reach compromise. a consensus. you govern by consensus. whether it was lyndon baines johnson or up the o'neill, we were taught you give or take. if you can't horse trade, you won't get much done. and those who are not horse traders end up being defade. both sides want something. how you do it in a way your pockets don't get picked.

and it considering now with mitch mcconnell sxk as was said earlier, it means closing the door. >> so well said. lose the staff and get in each other's confidence and tray to find those zone where one guy really wants something and he can give you something else. the other guy wants something and he can give you something he will. it is not looking for kumbaya. they don't agree on the big stuff. thank you. always helpful here. up next, it takes a lot of guts to get throughout and run for office. what do you say when you lose? that's. says a lot too. sometime the truth of a person come in their concession speech.

back to "hardball". politics can be a zero sum game.

there's no prize for second place. while it is never easy to accept defeat the way a candidate accepts his or her defeat reveal a lot about the character behind the politician. let look back at some of last night's concession speeches. >> while tonight didn't bring us the success that we had hoped for, this journey, the fate for you, it was word it. >> i must confess that i have some sadness tonight. i'll miss waking up every day to go to work for the people of arkansas. as one chapter of my life closes, another begins. >> i thought about abe lincoln, his story about the boy who stubbed his toe, and he said it hurts too much to laugh but he was too big to cry. >> from the very outset of this campaign i decided to run a race that we all could be proud of. that has always been may standardism want to walk away

with no regrets. that's what i'm doing. >> this campaign has ended but our work to improve the lights of north carolina yandles and to build an economy that works for every one isn't over. >> there are a lot of disappointed people tonight including me. but we are lucky to live in a country where we have the freedom to be disappointed in the outcome of an election. because people come here from all over the world because they don't even get to vote. >> at our best we not only accept the electoral results but we practice the art of bridge building and reconciliation solely offer david my strongest possible support. >> while senator roberts won tonight, we didn't what's. we not only ran against senator robertsering with ran against the whole washington establishment. >> losing is not fun but what is most important is that we come

together as a state. this was a tough election. i understand that. >> up next, a big night for the republicans. the question is how will they work with president obama? the roundtable is coming up. and even though he was not on the ballot, get ready for chris christie for 2016. while every business is unique,

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>> it was true. on a rough night for obamacare and democrats, these are separate press conferences. talked about getting to work together if they ever meet. senators ted cruz and rand paul said said these guys are not good for greatness. >> now is the time to do everything possible to repeal obamacare. now street time to stand up and

say, follow constitution, honor the rule of law and protect the bill of rights. the era of obama lawlessness is over. >> that's the definition of a demagogue. put them in the dictionary. did you ever see that before? seven days in may? it looked like malt coup there with the big flag of texas. what is he? succeeding? thank you for joining us. >> the new york city mayor, rudolph giuliani. >> yes, sir. >> he wasn't a demagogue. no. >> not my definition. >> give me some words. let talk about the party. one where the guys at least talked about getting together at some point.

then you have rand paul, ayn incarn at. he wants to be president. in the worst way. who will win this battle? will anything get done between now and christmas? >> there are signs that cruz will win because he will go the if you arest out. the base loves that. i can people tell you ted cruz is the front-runner for the nomination. >> do you want that in. >> do i want that? for hatred reasons? >> i want what's best. >> had a most wants the president on the republican side to do immigration by executive order? >> ted cruz. he wants to go out and float impeachment to the base. the reality for ted cruz, there is a little thing call joni ernst with a republican star arrival who is every bit as set. but he did a whole lot better than he does.

he won't want his star power to compare. the last thing he wants is for her. he wants the base to be with him. the base will start with mitch mcconnell. there is no political incentive to do it. ted cruz will stand in the way of that every day. >> say what you said off break. what about his voice? would you would you describe his voice? >> it is tin write. i think part of the republican thing is to be a bit unnerving. don't be charming and well turned out like joni ernst. >> one of the thing aware talking about is a division within the party and we're not hearing enough about the division within the republican party. aware constantly hearing about the bickering happening within the democratic pourt. the party, i said it right hear on your show a few years ago. the party is changing.

the older pouring of the party is very different than the younger. there's a lot of division. a lot of change that happened and the question is are we going to listen to that change? we've listened to that. there is still, toi speak honestly, a lot of problems within the party and the party needs to address that change. >> i want to ask you a question. you're republican. what is it in the republican hard wing? right wing side that says no to any imzblags if you don't have a bill, you can't have enforcement. i don't know why they like the status quo with people pouring into the country illegally all the time. why do they like that rather than making it more organize? i think if we're going to talk about the real issue, it is about father, race, and constantly playing that card when it is convenient at time and that has gotten the party over snowe.

>> it is a real bill. that's what i can't understand will it is the best dale they're going to get. it has real enforce many. >> we have an opportunity to see if there will be some change. i'm hoping there will. >> the best deal they'll get is the one that helps them win elections. >> in the long run. the long returning up to 2016. in other words, once if they had all three branches of government, i think we know they would go. >> they would rather have a continued unorganized board situation. but is not it a fact, you come across to get a job. it is not even. most of white house to the same thing. no matter how thigh wall is. if you want to get the system, stop having illegal hiring of cheap labor. >> it wasn't the tea party it was. joe mccarthy. it wasn't the tea party that did that.

that was the regular order of the republican party. and they've been richly rewarded. the electorate looked at a government unfunctional and rewarded them in he have mid-term. it is only their base that's voting. >> what joy said before, ill loom made the the republican party. there are you a few people who will talk to the president to pass legislation. then the other people had a would like to impeach him. >> is that what ted cruz, does he want the president to reach out there. use his parole power, whatever the legal term is. a lot of people came in illegally. does he really want to it get that rocky in this country where you have a left rallying to the president for being gutsy and a rate which is outraged so nothing gets done for two years. >> honestly, that's where we are

rate now. if we're going to be honest about it. it is not where we're going to be in the future. >> then didn't mitch mcconnell sound better than that tonight? >> it is if we're talking about from yesterday to today, yes. even heard a lot of good rhetoric. grid lock on both. >> i don't think it has been a great getting together. when i heard today from a guy had a worked for mcconnell, they've only been alone once or twice in six years. that means they don't want to talk. mcconnell will his talking, we're going to do one thing. we're going to say no. we're going to say no every day. even to the point of shutting down government, ruining our credit rating as country. it would make the president look bad. >> you hear it today. yoeth like ted cruz at all. >> can you say something good about a republican? just for a second. >> i'll say something.

i think eisenhower was a hell of a president. >> okay. thank you. >> the roundtable is staying with us. when we come back, proof that words do matter. we'll look at one of the worst sets of words in this campaign. words matter. burn. then i went pro with crest pro-health mouthwash. it's scientifically proven to kill 99% of germs so you move to a healthier mouth from day one. no pain. all gain. go pro with crest pro-health.

today governor chris christie appeared on five morning tv shows talk about his plans. >> four years ago you said famously, i don't feel ready in my heart to be president. four years later, do you feel ready in your heart? >> i'll have to figure that out. >> when do you think you might do that? >> you know, the next number of months. we have to talk about it in earnest and make a decision. >> there's a guy with a healthy ego. the 2016 campaign has begun.

back with the roundtable. we saw some unexpected and bizarre moments and game story. in kentucky, democratic challenger grime wouldn't even say who she voted for, whether she voted for the leader of her party or not. >> why are you reluctant to give an answer to whether or not you voted for president obama? >> bill florks reluctancy. this is a matter of principle. our constitution grants hear in kentucky the constitutional right for privacy at the ballot box, for a seek ballot. in iowa, there was an attack on the iowa senior central. chuck grassley for being a farmer. what a terrible say to say to someone in eye wax you're a farmer. >> you might have a farmer from iowa had a never went to law school, never practiced law, serving as the next chair of the senate gentleman dish area committee.

who never went to law school, never practiced law, serving as the next chair of the senate judiciary committee. >> well, that's populism, isn't it? another snafu in iowa came when tom harkin went over republican joni ernst's looks. never do that! suggesting she was, quote, really attractive and she sounds nice. it didn't stop there. >> i don't care if she's as good looking as taylor swift or as nice as mr. rogers, but if she votes like michele bachmann, she's wrong for the state of iowa. >> hillary clinton told crowds in massachusetts that corporations and businesses don't create jobs. >> don't let anyone tell you that, you know, it's corporations and businesses that create jobs. you know that old theory trickle down economics. that has been tried, that has failed. it has failed rather spectacularly. >> we've all been there, that's

the cold sweat time. when the audience isn't quite -- even your liberal audience. >> there were a lot of democrats there. >> you want to talk on that? this is more interesting, this gender thing. i have learned, most guys my age, it took a while to learn it, don't talk looks when it comes to women. you can say vague words where she's really well turned out or attractive person. but anything that sounds like sex, you're dead meat. >> especially when you're making a cultural reference, probably a 20-something staffer fed him the line about taylor swift. >> he doesn't know who she is probably. >> and he threw that in there, that's not very smart. braley, that's your state, you understand, he didn't seem to understand his own state. the but the most annoying had to be alison lundergan grimes. but the answer to that is i'm a democrat, i'm the democratic candidate, of course i voted for him. i didn't vote for mitt romney. >> do you know if she did vote for obama?

>> i don't know, but just answer the question. but it was a nonanswer. >> when are we going to know? >> over the next two years when she's going to get beat up by a president that wanted her to give the write answer. >> unless she wrote in an answer. >> that's always the right answer. you the conviction of the politician. you say what you really thing. people like that. even if they don't agree with you. they love reagan. most people do not agree with reagan on issues of policy, he stood up and said, this is what i believe. what about it? people don't respect the other at all. >> i give her a little credit, but i think there's another reason. kathleen parker, she thought it was not just being coy or anything, she called it lie avoidance. she didn't want to say something that wasn't true because she may have told someone how she voted. you never know. she's a very loyal clinton person. i don't know that she voted for obama. >> i think you're right that she

probably was for hillary in the primary, but that wouldn't have hurt her. >> your point is well taken, she lost by 15 points, she wouldn't have lost by 17 if she said where she had voted and she would have one friend in the white house. >> she didn't carry women. so her problems were much deeper. >> there seems to be a problem with the republican party, with east coast ethnic people with interesting last names. yes or no? >> i think it will. >> thank you. we just got the word, chris christie will do better than rudy giuliani who didn't run anywhere. how the president needs to sell a tough immigration reform bill to get it through the house. there is a route to getting it done. just tell us your budget and the "name your price" tool helps you find a whole range of coverages. no one else gives you options like that. [voice echoing] no one at all! no one at all! no one. wake up! [gasp] oh! you okay, buddy? i just had a dream that progressive had this thing called... the "name your price" tool... it isn't a dream, is it? nope.

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let's finish tonight with this. listen to mitch mrk connell and president obama at separate press conferences today we were hearing from two different world. they've only been together alone one or two times in the last six years. a greater concern when when they're apart they fail to look around and see the same world. listening to them both i got the feeling they're looking for common ground. they may be able to reach an agreement. that's a very primitive notion. that's saying the only time they can reach agreement is when they agree. well, that's not negotiation. that sounds more like dating. look, we know the two political parties disagree on just about everything. everything we argue about certainly. that's why they're different political parties.

the basis of governing in a divided government is not finding common ground, which is very hard to find and not that important, it's compromise. i give you something, you give me something that i want. it's a matter of bargaining and trading, of being politicians. mitch mcconnell warned the president today not to do an executive order giving legal status to millions of people in this country illegally. he did so because the people voting for mcconnell and the rest of his party don't like illegal immigration. they want it stopped, not encouraged. the president's speech today never mentioned illegal immigration. he spoke about giving legal status to people who don't have it. that's not stopping the flow tomorrow or the next day of illegal immigrants. it's providing relief to illegal immigrants, the results of past failures to pass and enforce immigration law. we have two ships passing in the night. the party that wants to stop illegal immigration and the other party that doesn't even want to talk about stopping illegal immigration. the answer is not to find common ground again. it's to find a deal.

the president wants to help people here illegally. the republicans want to stop more millions from coming here illegally. and there's your compromise. kill the magnet of illegal jobs that's drawing the illegal immigration. give a real pathway to legality for the millions here. and guess what? that very compromise is contained in the senate immigration bill with a dozen republican senators aboard. that bill has passed the senate. the president needs to sit down at the table and convince republicans that the only way they're going to get an enforceable immigration law is they agree to the other half of the compromise, a route to legality for the millions of immigrants living in this country, many of whom are very law abiding citizens for many years. time for these two ships passing in the night to come together and deal. that's what politics is for. what good politicians are good at. the republicans want the immigration monkey off their back, this democratic president needs to deliver to the people in the latino community who voted for him and are counting on him.

a bill is better than a short-term executive order any day of the week. and that's "hardball" for now. "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. tonight on "all in." >> two-thirds of people who are eligible to vote just didn't vote. >> republicans regain the senate and they're already about to have their first big fight. >> it's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. >> as the president promises executive action on immigration. >> before the end of the year, we're going to take whatever lawful actions that i can take, that i believe will improve the functioning of our immigration system. >> plus, we'll look at how all politics are now national and why obstruction works for the republican party. then, the race results you might have missed last night. and why vermont's wild gubernatorial race still hasn't been resolved. >> um. i am