remembered in history for doing something positive toward leading toward real positive change. and those of us that stand with them say, we just want the process to be fair. and a fair process should lead to wherever the evidence brings us. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now pch. ferguson, what comes next? let's play "hardball." ♪ ♪ good evening, i'm steve kornacki in for chris matthews. all eyes on ferguson once again after a night of violence following the decision that a grand jury has decided not to file charges against darren wilson in the shooting date of michael brown. dozens of people were arrested. 12 businesses were set on fire.

other stores were looted. some protesters threw rocks and bottles at police. police responded by firing tear gas. they say at least 150 gun shots were fired. two police cars were set on fire. missouri governor has ordered hundreds of additional national guard troops to ferguson. and today the attorney for michael brown's family, benjamin crump, called the legal process broken. late today michael brown's father told reverend al sharpton he felt authorities have crucified his son's character. >> i was upset. i didn't understand. it just let me know that where we live is not where we thought -- or what i thought. it's what people been saying all the time for a nice little minute, that this was a racist state. >> also today, darren wilson broke his silence in the media.

in an interview he says he has a clean conscience over his actions that day in august. >> as you know, some of the eyewitnesses have said, at that moment he turned around, he turned around and put his hands up. >> that would be incorrect. incorrect. >> no way? >> no way. >> no you say he starts to run, stutter steps, starts to come toward you. >> at that time, i gave myself another mental check. can i shoot this guy? legally, can i? and the question i answered myself was, i have to. if i don't, he will kill me if he gets to me. >> even though he's 35, 40 feet away. >> once he's coming that direction, if he hasn't stopped yet, when it he going to stop? >> and for the second time in two days, president obama spoke out and called for peace in ferguson. take a listen. >> to those who think that what happened in ferguson is an excuse for violence, i do not have any sympathy for that.

[ applause ] i have no sympathy at all for destroying your own communities. but for the overwhelming majority of people who just feel frustrated and pained, because they get a sense that maybe some communities aren't treated fairly or some individuals aren't seen as worthy as others, i understand that. and i want to work with you. and i want to move forward with you. your president will be right there with you. >> msnbc's chris hayes joins us now live from ferguson. let's start with today, the developments today. the president speaking out again. we are now hearing for the first time in public from darren wilson. michael brown's family speaking out. everybody absorbing all the evidence that was released by the prosecutors. all of that, the people have been absorbing today on the ground in ferguson. how is that going over? >> well, i think that people remain frustrated and angry, who

are folks that were anticipating, or hoping to see an indictment of darren wilson. i certainly don't think darren wilson's statement put out by his attorneys last night, which failed to mention michael brown's, or his statement today that his conscience is clear in his interview, is going to make them feel better. at this point, we're all in a strange situation of sifting through a massive amount of documentation. you know, any complex incident, any case that will go before trial, will have a lot of conflicting facts, conflicting eyewitnesses. i think what makes this process weird, it was a secret process, that now after the fact, we have a time capsule that folks are sifting through. no one here that i've talked to at least, who is sympathetic to protesters, or suspicious of bob mcculloch and the process that produced this outcome, feels any kind of, you know, any kind of -- feels any sense that

things are better because there's all this documentation out there, or darren wilson is giving his account. at the same time, i think media coverage here, locally at least, really focused very intensely on the burning and the looting that happened last night. there's definitely a sense from some people in the community that law enforcement fell down on the job, that they want to see a stronger presence in the streets, that's part of what is guiding jay nixon in ordering the national guard troops. so right now, this entire stretch where last night was kind of bedlam, to be honest, is entirely shutdown. there's no access to it. there's been police tape all day. it's entirely quarantined this evening. >> chris, there's been -- we're getting word the national guard, will have 2,200 troops in ferguson tonight. there was a lot of criticism last night -- we're looking at a live shot of the troops getting ready for tonight. there was criticism last night and today that maybe the response from law enforcement, we heard people criticizing the response from the national guard

as being too light, standing back too much. what's the expectation about how they'll be handling tonight? >> i think the expectation is, they'll come in very heavy. i think last night, there are folks i've talked to here, who they have the suspicion, and this obviously is i'm just reporting what their perception is, but basically a decision was made to let ferguson burn. i can tell you in terms of first hand accounts that the police presence i saw last night was far, far, far lighter than what i saw in response to 200 protesters, mostly non-violent when i was back here in august. there were times back in august where police would line up in front of the commercial structures to prevent looting. there was no one here. no law enforcement for two or three blocks here last night. so we're not going to see that tonight. here we've seen this area cordoned off. i imagine they'll shut down access to the few blocks to the ferguson police department. so it will be interesting to see

how all this plays out as we go deeper into the night. >> all right, chris hayes live for us in ferguson. appreciate that. joining me now, julia reed and co-host of the cycle and jim cavanaugh, former special agent in the bureau of alcohol, tobacco firearms and explosives. your reaction, the president reiterating what he said last night. what are your thoughts about what you saw last night and what you witnessed today? >> i find it very difficult to imagine a circumstance where this particular police department, this prosecutor, can be any productive relationship with the community in ferguson. we interviewed people earlier today, this afternoon, who were saying the same thing, that police essentially abandoned west florissant avenue, which is the commercial artery, the heart of commercial ferguson. and the sense that individual

protesters claim -- and we weren't there -- saying they were called monkeys by police officers, just the attitude between police and the protesters is mutual, the mistrust is mutual. just the decision to make that announcement so late at night with so many angry people on the streets, i don't understand it. i still don't understand it. >> ferguson mayor held a press conference this afternoon with community leaders, all of them calling for peace. >> we're hearing some more, what sounds like gunfire nearby. that's gunfire. all right, just a hail of gunfire just now.

yeah? okay. >> we're being told to fall back. i'm going to throw to you in the studio. >> all right, that is not the mayor of ferguson. that is chris hayes last night. that was footage of what was playing out last night. but jim cavanaugh, let me pick up on what julia was talking about, about the law enforcement response last night or lack of response as some are saying and the same for the national guard. from a law enforcement perspective, about how, what the proper approach should be. as chris was saying, over the summer, the criticism back in august, was, this is too heavy, too intense. the militarization of the police. do you read last night as sort of overcompensation for that. as chris said, there's a lot of suspicion that maybe there was something more sinister in what was going on there. >> i really don't see anything more sinister. the police want calm. they were hoping to get it. i think the chief and the captain had personally worked the community very hard, had a

lot of meetings in the ensuing months, and thought they'd try a little stepback, and that doesn't work. so with the gun shots and the ars arson, albeit, done by a handful of people. one person with flammable liquids can go around starting numerous fires. so they'll regroup and you're going to see it heavier tonight. you'll see more s.w.a.t. officers, bullet-proof vests. if that gunfire picks up again, you'll see more of that. they've got to have an operational plan to protect the fire crews to knock down those fires earlier. because a fire can get out of hand and burn down a few blocks. so we're going to see a change. you need to have more officers and i think you'll see that in small groups, more out in the city, so they can respond and arrest the small group of people that are shooting guns and burning buildings. and they're not citizens with the protesters. the people of ferguson, they want the police. they just don't want to be beat

down by the police, or unnecessarily shot by the police, or picked up for every little infraction and charged hundreds of dollars. but they want the police. they want to live there. they have families, businesses. i don't think we should think the community is not supporting the police because they're angry over this incident. that's not the case. they want the police, but they have to arrest the arsonists and shooters. >> i'm told we now have the sound from that press conference. the mayor of ferguson and other community leaders appealing for peace tonight. >> we work hard to build a more diverse and stronger community. >> whatever the solution is around this issue, none of it will be resolved by violence, and what we've seen in our community tonight. we're crying out to all of you all for peace and for healing with us. this is not the answer to continue to destroy us. >> we are all in this together. we are all on the same side. we want to let our police

officers also know that we're on the same side. we're not fighting each other. we're fighting for a cause, together. >> we are definitely saddened by what has happened. i drove down the street before i came here and i was in tears. it really, really looked bad. >> so we talk about what happened last night in terms of the violence, as joy said a minute ago, there's this whole debate over whether this should have been announced at the time it was last night. whether it was something that could have been announced earlier in the day. i'm wondering from a legal standpoint on this, if the grand jury makes its decision, i think i was told it was about 2:00 in the afternoon, the grand jury makes this decision, practically speaking, i guess you have to alert the officer. so there's protocols in place there. is there something that could have been held overnight without anybody finding out? what's the right way of handling

it? >> they could have done it earlier in the day. and if they needed more time to do some alerts, some of which are required under law, they could have held it until the next day. as a practicing attorney and a reporter who covers this stuff, i've never seen a grand jury conclusion, indictment or no indictment, announced late at night. period. then you add to the sensitivities there, that's why people are frustrated. so there were two traumas for a lot of folks in ferguson last night. one was the ruling itself, which again, let's be clear, if there had been an indictment, that wouldn't necessarily have been a show of support for the officer. that would just mean he gets his day in court. with a killing like this, you could have a filing straight away without the grand jury. so it was one-sided in the sense that no indictment was going to upset one side more than the other. yes, the prosecutor works with the police.

but no, the folks who are patrolling don't control events. the prosecutor alerts them of what he's doing and his timing. what bob mcculloch did here, whether he meant to or not, has acted to create events in such a way that there's a lot of criticism, much of it deserved of the violence and the arson and crimes that were committed last night. yet, there's a question here in the management of this justice whether that deliberately or not exacerbated events and that's the second trauma. because these events will continue. if folks want to protest, that may still happen. i'm not sure he did the police a favor today. >> thank you all for joining us here. protesters and demonstrators want something for the death of michael brown. the question is, will they get anything? that's up next. this is "hardball," the place for politics.

right now, you can get a single line with 3 gigs for $65 a month. 3 gigs ... is that a lot? that's about ... 100 app downloads, 45 hours of streaming music, and 6 hours of video playing. (singing) and five golden rings! ha, i see what you did... (singing) four calling birds...three french hens ...(the guys starts to fizzle out) two... turtle...doves... i really went for it there ya you did ... you really, really did now get 3 gigs of data on one line for $65 a month. switch to at&t, buy a new smartphone and get $150 credit per line. governor jay nixon thought he got a jump on preparation by calling in the national guard last week.

but ferguson's mayor said that was not soon enough. >> the national guard was not deployed in enough time to save all of our businesses. the decision to delay the deployment of the national guard is deeply concerning. we are asking that the governor make available and deploy all necessary resources to prevent the further destruction of property and the preservation of life in the city of ferguson. we'll be right back. transit fares! as in the 37 billion transit fares we help collect each year. no? oh, right. you're thinking of the 1.6 million daily customer care interactions xerox handles. or the 900 million health insurance claims we process. so, it's no surprise to you that companies depend on today's xerox for services that simplify how work gets done. which is...pretty much what we've always stood for. with xerox, you're ready for real business.

which is...pretty much what we've always stood for. i've never seen a civil rights law or a health care bill or an immigration bill result because a car got burned. it happened because people vote. it happened because people mobiliz mobilized. it happened because people organize. it happens because people look at what are the best policies to solve the problem. that's how you actually move something forward. welcome back to "hardball." that was president obama earlier

today, addressing the unrest in ferguson as the community prepares for another potentially volatile mix of protesters, police, and demonstrations as people in the streets, not just in ferguson, but all across the country, want something for the death of michael brown. the question is, will they get anything? they will turn their eyes to attorney general eric holder's civil rights investigation, especially now that thousands of pages of investigation are in the public sphere. where do we go from here? pete williams, nbc news chief justice correspondent, joins us now. just in terms of the justice department, the obama administration, can you tell us what your understanding is of how they're looking at this now and whether or not they'll bring a case? >> they're looking to see if there's enough evidence to prosecute officer wilson for violating michael brown's civil rights. so a criminal civil rights investigation. but it's a higher legal standard than there would have been in the state to see if he violated

state law. because to bring a federal case, the justice department would have to show that a police officer used excessive force willfully, meaning on purpose, with the knowledge that it was wrong. now, there have been cases like that. the justice department prosecuted four l.a. police officers in the rodney king beating, but in that case, you had videotape to help prove the case. there's no video here, and the government would have to prove in essence, one prosecutor told me today officer wilson -- former prosecutor, i should say, they would have to prove that officer wilson didn't think he was in danger. that's a very difficult standard to meet. >> all right, pete williams, thanks for joining us. as i mentioned, thousands of pages of transcripts, interviews, forensic reports and photographs have been made public in this case. it's a complicated jumble of evidence. "new york times" headlines calls it a mass of evidence, much of it conflicting.

prosecutors are taking heat for dumping all of this evidence on the grand jury and basically telling them to figure it out on their own. a former u.s. attorney and current attorney joining us. >> i'm looking at this because i've been looking over the evidence that's been presented and a couple things strike me about it. a lot of the accounts from witnesses are very different than accounts that we heard in the media back in august and towards the end of the summer. the other thing that jumps out at me, it's all over the place, what you're seeing in that report. when you look at the evidence that we've now had 24 hours to examine, from the grand jury's perspective, do you see how they would look at that and say, i don't think we can bring much of a case right here, without any direction from the prosecutor? >> well, i think what they would do is what they've normally done with respect to the prosecutor is do what the prosecutor is communicating to them to do. this was different than any other case that the grand jury considered in their entire time

seated as a grand jury. this prosecutor dumped this evidence on them, dumped all of this information on them, and like you said, said, figure it out yourself. in effect, that's communicating to the grand jury, that we really don't expect you'll do anything with this. and remember, the grand jury is not sequestered. so they can hear and they can read and they can see everything else that's going on out here. so they also have the information coming from the outside with respect to what the expectation is from the prosecuting attorney's office. >> kendall, let me pick up that point with you. my impression of this just from afar, this is a prosecutor who did not believe there was a case here, his heart wasn't in it. but he didn't want to be the guy standing there saying, this isn't going any further. in effect, he was looking for cover from the grand jury.

throws all the evidence at them and say, i don't want to make of it, maybe you do. is that a fair interpretation? >> i think it's a legitimate interpretation. there was never a strong interest on part of the prosecuting attorney, who undoubtedly is extremely close to the police community as are many prosecutors. at the same time, he picks a process that is very unusual. we know grand juries don't operate this way. usually they're led by a prosecutor with a clear sense, and they bring the credible evidence and witnesses that supports the narrative and probable cause. you don't have to potentially conflicting information, in this case, 60 witnesses that were poured all over this grand jury. so i certainly think it's consistent with the view that there was never a desire from this county prosecuting attorney to prosecute this to begin with. and he looked at the grand jury as a rationale and a mechanism for somebody else to take

responsibility for a difficult decision. >> just legally speaking, what is the obligation for a prosecutor in mcculloch's position? if he's looked at the evidence and if he honestly -- his good faith interpretation of the evidence is, i don't think there's a case here, what is his obligation at that point in terms of how he deals with the grand jury? >> if he doesn't think there's a case, he shouldn't go forward with it. but he should step up and accept responsibility for the decision and in fact explain it to the extent that it can be explained. there are a lot of prosecuting attorneys that make difficult decisions, and sometimes don't prosecute police and get a lot of resentment in the community for doing it. but typically, they own up to it. typically they accept responsibility. they don't normally throw all the information and all the responsibility on a grand jury. >> here's how officer wilson described -- i'm sorry. go ahead, lizz.

>> absolutely. remember earlier in the summer, it was bob mcculloch who gave the charge to governor nixon to man up and make the decision on whether or not bob mcculloch was going to be removed from the case. i think kendall makes a wonderful point that bob mcculloch should have manned up, if he felt there was no evidence to proceed with an indictment, instead of hiding behind the grand jury and playing in the court of public opinion that i'm giving all this evidence to them so that we can reach a fair decision. that's not true. man up and say that i don't think that there's a case and do not hide behind the grand jury. >> already, kendall coffey, lizz brown, appreciate the time tonight. up next, the unrest goes national. leaders are calling for calm as we approach another night of protests. this is "hardball," the place for politics. the equipment tracking system will get you to the loading dock. ♪ there should be a truck leaving now. i got it. now jump off the bridge. what? in 3...2...1... are you kidding me?

go. right on time. right now, over 20,000 trains are running reliably. we call that predictable. thrillingly predictable. how can in china,sumption impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain, and the use of medical technology in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 70% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. oh and could you turn on air conditioning i'm starting to sweat. i'll just do it myself. useless. that's nice.

set's the mood. have your entire house within reach, even when your devices aren't. introducing relay by wink it's like a robot butler, but not as awkward.

[ male announcer ] over time, you've come to realize... [ starter ] ready! [ starting gun goes off ] [ male announcer ] it's less of a race... yeah! [ male announcer ] and more of a journey. keep going strong. and as you look for a medicare supplement insurance plan... expect the same kind of commitment you demand of yourself. aarp medicare supplement insurance plans insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. back to "hardball." anger reverberating across the country last night with thousands taking to the streets to protest in metropolitan areas across the country.

even now in new york city, more demonstrators have gathered in front of the lincoln tunnel, blocking rush hour traffic at that critical artery. there's also a bizarre episode that occurred yesterday when the city's top law enforcement official, the commissioner was splattered in the face with flake blood, thrown by a protester. today reverend al sharpton and michael brown's family made it clear those that resort to violent do not stand with michael brown. >> those that got violent last night, those that acted in a destructive manner does not represent the spirit of michael brown. if you do anything to harm others, you're on your own side. you're not on brown's side. we are on the side of michael brown to fight for what is right. don't lower those standards. [ applause ] >> the challenge thou for supporters of brown is to channel frustrations into effecting some positive change.

joining me now, trymaine lee from ferguson. everybody on the streets upset by the announcement from the grand jury, but beyond that, in terms of looking forward and looking to the future, are there specific things that the protesters are looking for that can be done, that could come out of this positively speaking? >> now, there are groups that have organized from the very beginning, their main goal under a big banner that black lives matters and under that, systemic changes they want on the ground, in terms of the way the warrants, fines and fees are used. they adopted an ordinance about the way that money is used. they want more participation in the system. if you listened to president obama's speech tonight and he talked about the frustrations that many black communities in particular have with law enforcement. he said, it's not just a ferguson issue. it's an american issue. so a lot of this is about raising awareness.

those in civil disaobedience training, those who are planning disobedience in the coming days, that will be applauded. they want to make this much bigger than ferguson, much bigger than michael brown. because they'll say michael browns are all over this country. and fergusons all over this country. >> we turn now to the mayor of baltimore, maryland. let me ask you, what played out in ferguson and we're wondering what will happen tonight, if you were talking to the protesters right now, they're listening right now. what would you tell them they should be pushing for? >> i think the key thing for elected officials to do, isn't to tell them what they should be pushing for, but to ask them, you know, what is your agenda? how can we work together? as mayor in baltimore, i have these conversations all the time. for me, it's not about telling communities what they should want, but asking, how can we work better together. i think that's a key component that was missed in ferguson.

it's very clear there was not a relationship between the elected officials and the community, the police department and the community. and it's hard to backtrack and to develop a relationship after a crisis. the work needs to be done on the front end. >> you know, we talk about potential of specific things that could come out of this, one thing i've been hearing is this idea of body cameras on police officers, and obviously, if there had been a body camera on darren wilson, i think this would have been -- i don't know how it would have turned out, but i think it would be different. it would be a different story right now, because we would have video evidence of exactly what transpired. what is the status of that when you look nationally for the push for body cameras? seems like a common-sense thing to have. >> the challenge is, i think too many people think it's the cure-all. one of the things that i'm working on in baltimore is repairing the relationship between the community and the police. that's the work that needs to be done. i invited the department of justice and doj in to work with

us on our community policing efforts, on our -- to take a look at our excessive force and police brutality complaints. we have to work together to build that up. yes, body cameras are a part of it. i have a work group now helping me to implement our body camera program to make sure we get it right. but that's just one piece of it. you know, there are plenty places in the country that have body cameras and still have those problems. if you don't have those relationships of trust, to undergrow any program with the police department, it's not going to solve the problem. so, yes, body cameras are important. i think when baltimore implements our body camera program next year, we'll probably be in the largest city in the country that has a body camera program and i'm looking forward to that. but people have to understand, it's more than cameras, you have to do the work, you have to do the work in training, you have to do the work in listening to your community.

you have thoo be in tune and yo have to encourage transparency. that didn't happen in ferguson. >> you talk about the breakdown between the community and law enforcement. i wonder, when you look at your own city and the relationship between the police and the community, do you ever -- i wonder if sometimes when there's frustration in the community are there things about law enforcement that maybe those in the community who are frustrated with law enforcement aren't looking at, in your view, aren't looking at the right way? are there misperceptions when it comes to the community about what law enforcement is all about? >> i'm sure there's misconceptions, but the problem is, when people assess blame to that. you know, for me, it's about getting the information out there. i try, in my role as mayor, to do everything we can, to look for new ways to increase transparen transparency, to look for new ways to communicate with the community. because it's not about -- i'm not going to tell you that your way of looking at things are wrong. i want to hear how you see things, and then we can have a

dialogue. we can have a discussion about what my goals are as mayor as far as public safety and making sure that we don't have the number of homicides that we continue to have in baltimore. i'm not going to tell you what you should think, but we have to meet in ernest and to listen. if you're not doing that, it's hard after a crisis to try to do that repair work. >> stephanie, mayor of the city of baltimore, thank you for joining us tonight. >> thank you. up next, an update from the ground in ferguson, missouri. isis, ebola, lacking in the mid terms, now violence in ferguson, the ultimate test of crisis management for president obama. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. 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. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like 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 free 30-tablet trial.

[ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. [ m'm... ] great taste. [ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request.

i'm page hopkins, and here's

what's happening. major airlines are waving fees for flight changes at airports across the northeast, ahead of the nor'easter that's expected to dump wet, heavy snow along the east coast. the storm is expected to complicate travel for millions for the thanksgiving holiday as conditions worsen on wednesday. the national weather service has issued warnings for many areas in the storm's path. new york area airports already preparing by securing extra staff and equipment. now we'll take you back to "hardball." ♪ ♪ welcome back to "hardball." let's go back to ferguson, missouri, for an update on the ground from yamiche alcindor, reporter with "usa today." this is night two since the announcement from the grand jury of their decision. what is your sense and expectation of what we'll be

watching tonight? >> well, i can tell you the governor has sent 2,200 national guardsmen here tonight and he said they'll not stand back like they did last night. they'll be out front at businesses, walking the streets at the main thorough fares on west florissant avenue. a different approach from last night. i think we'll see a lot more, or i'm hoping, a lot more calm tonight, because people are going to be met with soldiers, essentially. but i think people are still angry, i think people are still very much processing this decision. because people feel very wronged by what the decision was. so i think people are still processing and still very angry, which is what i think fueled some violence from yesterday. >> is there a sense, in talking to the protesters, how long this will continue to go on for? >> well, i can tell you the protesters said even before the decision that the grand jury's decision was not going to be the pivot point. they were going to continue to protest because they think it's

way bigger than michael brown. they think this is about trayvon martin. this is about eric gardner, this is about oscar grant. all these people they named as martyrs in what they think is the fatal criminalization of black youth. so i think this is definitely going to go on for sometime. i think we'll see a sustained movement here in ferguson, missouri. >> all right, yamiche alcindor, appreciate you joining us on the ground in ferguson. last night, president obama urged everyone to accept the decision, urging peaceful protests and restraint. but even as he spoke, chaos was breaking out in the streets. >> first and foremost, we are a nation built on the rule of law. and so we need to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make. there are americans who agree with it. and there are americans who are deeply disappointed, even angry. it's an understandable reaction.

but i join michael's parents in asking anyone who protests this decision to do so peacefully. let me repeat michael's father's words. hurting others or destroying property is not the answer. >> all right, joining the roundtable, nbc news senior political reporter perry bacon. steve clemens washington editor at large for the atlantic. and harold ford, former democratic congressman from tennessee. let me start with you. i'm juft curious, what did you make of the statement last night? was that an og lig tore statement? >> i think he summed it up pretty well. the statement was fine. it was unfortunate and perhaps not his intention to have his statements paired right alongside a visual of what was happening there. probably wouldn't have taken questions, but i think the president had to make a statement. as you think about the protests,

political leadership, if you believe in peaceful protest, the police have a responsibility to protect peaceful protesters and arrest people who are not. i'm struck by something we talked about, the fact there hasn't been more constructive things talked about on the ground, whether it be the automatic appointment of independent counsel when there's violence with police officers and unarmed minors, talking about the need to train cops better. darren wilson said he would have performed the exact same way if he could do it all over again. perhaps how we're training cops, to deal with constituencies, needs to be changed. i'm hofpeful that will come out of the protests. >> in terms of the dialogue and the conversation that we're talking about here, one natural facilitator of that conversation would be the president of the

united states. the president of the united states can get people talking about whatever the president wants to get people talking about. at the same time, one of the stories of the obama presidency, when we wades into particularly racial topics, i'm not sure it gets people talking at all, as much as it creates predictable lines of division. do we have a sense how much the white house wants to be weighing in on this issue to make something positive come out of this? >> you heard last night, the congress had mentioned police training. the president talked about that last night. he talked in an interview on abc as well. but in general, the white house focus is on keeping calm, and the message last night was both to the protesters and the police. eric holder put up video on friday with a similar message. they're right now focused on not the policy down the line, but fixing the challenges right now. i talked to one official today and they are talking about ideas going forward. you mentioned body cameras earlier. the idea maybe not having the

police, but military gear in the future, which maybe escalates things. so they have a list of ideas, but they want to focus on the here and now and getting things calmed down first. >> steve, i'm curious as to your reaction to the president. again, he spoke hours ago in chicago, i think it was. do you see an opportunity at all for the president in terms of exercising leadership and trying to get something out of this, beyond just the frustration we're seeing right now? >> i don't think he exercised leadership last night. i think it was a stern schoolmaster's lecture that failed to connect either with the people emotionally that were feeling distraught about the outcome of that. nor did he reach to other people observing what was going on. i thought, when you think back, what would bill clinton or other presidents have done in that role? they would have told stories, reflected on their lives. president obama is one of the most gifted orators of our time. we've seen what we can do. and he failed, i think, completely to use that important

moment at a dire time in america's identity as to soul-searches over this, to connect. when the president has that instinct to go out and be the schoolmaster and give a lekt ur why, he needs to hold back and reach deeper. >> you are looking at your screen, these are live pictures from the west side of manhattan, near times square. we said protesters had blocked off part of the entrance to the lincoln tunnel. this is in times square. you see police starting to move in a little bit. the protests may be evolving in a slightly different direction there. again, these are live pictures from new york city right now of protests in response to that decision from the grand jury last night. the roundtable talking a little bit more after this, they'll stick with us. squeeze a break in, but up next, more on the politics of unrest. this is "hardball," the place for politics. it's not about how many miles you can get out of the c-max hybrid. it's about how much life you can fit into it. ♪

the ford c-max hybrid. with an epa-estimated range of 540 miles on a tank of gas. and all the room you need to enjoy the trip. go stretch out. go further. you never dwell on how you don't it was made...ut it... it's just a blanket after all... but when everything else has been lost, the comfort it provides is immeasurable. the america red cross brings hope and help to people in need every 8 minutes, every day. so this season give something that means something. support us at redcross.org you're down with crestor. yes! when diet and exercise aren't enough, adding crestor lowers bad cholesterol up to 55%. crestor is not for people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. tell your doctor all medicines you take. call your doctor if you have muscle pain or weakness,

feel unusually tired, have loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark urine, or yellowing of skin or eyes. these could be signs of serious side effects. i'm down with crestor! make your move. ask your doctor about crestor. still to come, much more from the msnbc team on the ground in ferguson, missouri. be right back. a secure retirement. a new home. earning your diploma. providing for your family.

real associates, using walmart's benefits to build better lives for their families. opportunity. that's the real walmart. right now, you can get a single line with 3 gigs for $65 a month. 3 gigs ... is that a lot? that's about ... 100 app downloads, 45 hours of streaming music, and 6 hours of video playing. (singing) and five golden rings! ha, i see what you did... (singing) four calling birds...three french hens ...(the guys starts to fizzle out) two... turtle...doves... i really went for it there ya you did ... you really, really did now get 3 gigs of data on one line for $65 a month. switch to at&t, buy a new smartphone and get $150 credit per line.

today, the entire world is appalled by the brutal murder of jim foley by the material rest group, isil. >> the truth is until we stop

this outbreak in west africa, we may continue to see individual cases in america in the weeks and months ahead. because that's the nature of today's world. >> we are back. beheadings, ebola, those are a couple of the crises obama has faced in just the past few months. the white house intruder, the ferguson i shassue. chris matthews began "hardball" like this. >> a high school freshman opens fire in a school cafeteria shooting a table full of his friends and then themselves. a rookie convert attacks four policemen in new york with a hatchet. a doctor back from west africa becomes this country's fourth ebola victim diagnosed here. all of this hardly 48 hours from

the terrorist attack on the canadian parliament. it's friday night, october 24th, a week before the elections. >> and those elections gave the president no reprieve after the wave. president obama, his own campaign staff named him "no drama obama." harold, let me start with you on this. we were talking about that statement last night. we heard steve clemens before the break. that's one krcriticism i've hea about him. he seems to have a restans to some of the symbolic also perkts of the president. he seems to say look, there's not much i can do. i'm not going to pretend. some people say when it comes to the president silcy, there is a

certain amount of acting to do. >> i can imagine how a hard-working american citizen might feel. that was just three or four weeks ago now, you think about canada, the shootings, the attack here in new york. this president is going to continue to face this avalanche of things. and sometimes you get the sense as you watch the white house and you watch the president, that you can't believe these things are happening. none of us can. but you don't want the white house projecting that. you need to seem confident and secure. i know that the attorney general is focused on determining whether the federal charges should be brought against this officer. there's oval shrill a tall standard for that. there are a lot of legal issues associated with that. i hope going forward, they hold a conference around these issues. really police america. i don't think black communities are the only ones facing these

kinds of issues. there's no doubt it's worse and it certainly gets a lot more attention. but relation shships across the nation may need to be examined as a result of this. >> yeah, we had that split screen we showed last night. it reminded me when the b.p. -- the british petroleum oil spill was going on. you're watching all of that oil spew out into the gulf right there. i'm watching that last night and saying why isn't someone telling them to get off the screen. >> i prareally thought at that moment, he shouldn't be speaking. he wants to no cuss on policy all of the time. the president will probably argue look at ebola. no one in mitigating circumstance has ebola right now. i succeed in fighting the policy.

he's been asked if last few days will you go to ferguson. >> coming up on "all in." we'll be right back. we'll be right back. ords for m than 30 million patients? or that our software helps over 20 million smartphone users remotely configure e-mail every month? or how about processing nearly $5 billion in electronic toll payments a year? in fact, today's xerox is working in surprising ways to help companies simplify the way work gets done and life gets lived. with xerox, you're ready for real business.

and life gets lived. get to the terminal across town. are all the green lights you? no. it's called grid iq. the 4:51 is leaving at 4:51. ♪ they cut the power. it'll fix itself. power's back on. quick thinking traffic lights and self correcting power grids make the world predictable. thrillingly predictable.

twhat do i do?. you need to catch the 4:10 huh? the equipment tracking system will get you to the loading dock. ♪ there should be a truck leaving now. i got it. now jump off the bridge. what? in 3...2...1... are you kidding me? go. right on time. right now, over 20,000 trains are running reliably. we call that predictable. thrillingly predictable.

ferguson is bracing for what comes next as we ebb e enter the second night following the grand jury's decision. msnbc.com reporter amanda is on the corner. what is the mood there right now? >> reporter: hi, steve. the national guard is already in place here in ferguson in front of the police department. it's a much different scene than what we saw last night. now, out of last night, there are a number of questions being raised, e raised, including where were the leaders out of this movement. if missouri was under the state of emergency, where was the national guard? in order to justify a more intensified force today, we know from local leaders that will will be more police force on the ground tonight. >> all right, amanda, in

ferguson, thank you for that. that is "hardball" for now. our coverage continues with chris hayes now from ferguson on "all in." >> good evening from ferguson, missouri. it is quiet at this moment. on august 9th, when this all started this year, officer darren wilson pulled his police vehicle from all people, the other one tells his story tonight. i just spoke with dorian johnson, the friend who was there during that encounter with officer wilson. you can see we've got some police vehicles going become e by and whose eyewitness testimony offers a very different ape count of the key moments leading up to doran's death. he t