>> i've had republicans say to me nobody is going to vote on this. >> it's all trump. >> i've got to go. thank you all, we'll be back tomorrow with more "mtp daily" and "with all due respect" starts now. you can watch more march madness after that. i totally had web versus gilmore in the finals. happy st. pat's and top of the evening from all you all from houston, texas. judge garland on cruz's side, grass greener? what is black and white and red all over. this new york times story, we'll talk about it, the presidential nominate in both parties head into spring, the lagging candidates getting more and more pressure to exit. talk about cruz v kasich in a

moment, but first the gray lady is reporting that president obama told a group of donors in texas that bernie sanders is nearing the end of his white house bid, and he said the party should soon unite behind hillary clinton. that's what the times reported at the white house today. press secretary josh earnest disputed the report, claiming the president is not taking sides in the nomination fight and only making a case for party unity before the general election. john, will these reported remarks by the president, even though they're being denied to some extent, accelerate efforts to get sanders out of the race? >> well, let's first start, the disputing of the report is not categorical. let's be clear. president obama could say what he is reported to have said without taking sides, co say bernie sanders' time is coming to an end, without taking sides officially. so you know, do i think that barack obama could read the delegate math and read the

delegate toll totals, i do. what most people recognize, bernie sanders is not -- very unlikely to be the democratic nominee, i do too. does he think the party needs to unify in order to keep a republican from succeeding him in a particular donald trump, i think do too. so i believe obama probably said something close to this, and i think it's the case a lot more democrats are going to start saying the same thing soon. >> yeah, the clinton people intended to wait more to start this drum beat, but they've started it in part because of her huge success on tuesday. and in part, because donald trump looks like he may be cruising to the nomination. they do not want a democratic fight that goes through june, if trump has got this thing sewn up faster. president obama is reflecting that reality. >> president obama and the clintons have one thing in common. they both understand the value of money in politics. how important it is to have a lot of it in order to win tough

races. and hillary clinton does not want to spend money beating someone she has already basically beaten, bernie sanders, when she could be saving that money to take on someone who is going to give her a really hard fight, whether that's donald trump or somebody else. >> iron wrul rule of politics, will get out. the president knows that iron rule. >> yes, not a dumb man. for some important updates, ted cruz team arguing, john kasich is so far behind, he is running an absurd campaign. two of kasich's former rivals and two of cruz's rivals seem to agree. marco rubio went to his office, he got a standing ovation. couple of weeks ago, he was calling cruz a liar. but last night, according to a minnesota newspaper, he told reporters in that state that cruz was quote, the only

conservative left in this race. now, let's talk about an even bigger u-turn, you might remember that lindsey graham said this about ted cruz just about a month ago. >> if you killed ted cruz on the floor of the senate, and the trial was in the senate, nobody could convict you. >> that might leave you thinking that the day that senator graham would support senator cruz would be the day that pigs started to fly. well, apparently, the pig flying day is upon us. >> bottom of the hour, fox news alert, pigs are flying actually today, because lindsey graham is supporting ted cruz for president. yep. >> that is correct. lindsey graham, the lindsey graham, is hosting a fund-raiser for ted cruz on monday, and graham says that in order to stop donald trump, he'll help crews, quote, in every way i

can, end quote. so mark, my question for you, why are rubio and graham siding with cruz over kasich and what effect might it have on the race? >> well, look, lindsey graham has thought for a while that john kasich would not have enough strength to slow down donald trump. he looks at the map, the message and he believes that a more conservative person, which cruz is, compared to trump in many ways, is the only way to stop him from getting the majority of delegates. it is not some newfound love or appreciation. it is the only vehicle to stop donald trump from being the nominee. in the case of marco rubio, i think, you know, john kasich does have some positions more moderate and i think some people in the party, conservative activists and others are saying we want a conservative nominee and that leaves us one choice, which is ted cruz. even though john kasich is conservative in a lot of ways. >> i agree with everything you said there, but one additional

layer to the analysis, both of these guys are united states senators, and ted cruz is also a united states senator, although he presents he is not. the fact that senators are sticking together, not surprising. the fact that more governors have now rallied to kasich is surprising. i'm not surprised of the world's so-called greatest deliberative bo body backing their friend. >> this conservative activist in washington by phone today, thinking about getting a third candidate in the race, ted cruz has picked up some conservative endorsements, it will be interesting to see if he can build momentum. now that you don't have big contests, it will be hard for cruz or kasich to build up the momentum to become the alternative. >> even though the bell went off, we should say john kasich did get the endorsement from the

former governor of utah. >> picking up support, but cruz had a better day on that front. all right, as previewed on tuesday night, john kasich started going after donald trump a little more aggressively than he has. in response to that comment that trump made about how he thinks the grassroots would respond if the party tries to wrestle the nomination from him in cleveland. kasich tweeted this, quote, donald trump said there could be riots if he is denied the gop nom in a contested convention. that's more unacceptable language. also from kasich, this tweet, quote, this implicit acceptance of violence, the kind of rhetoric pulling people apart. in the case of a chaotic convention, one name being floated is the house speaker, paul ryan, who is the guy who be behind the podium, chairing the convention entire voting process, overall. here is what ryan said today, when he was asked for the

umteenth time, if it ends up deadlocked. >> it is not going to be me. i made a decision over a year ago not to run for president. i really believe if you want to be president, you should run for president. people are out there campaigning. they're canvassing, primariepri that's who we should select from our next president. let's put it to rest and move on. i had six days notice taking this job. i learned after becoming speaker that i'm the chair of the convention. so i will have to obviously bone up on all the rules and all of those things. my goal is to be dispassionate and to be switzerland, neutral and dispassionate and to make sure the rule of law prevails and make sure that the delegates make their decision however the rules require them to do that. >> so john, ryan is demierd,

what affect does it have on the possibility that he could be the white knight at a contested convention? >> it creates certain complications, which i'm going to bet you're going to outline in a minute. it creates real advantages. he'll be in a position he can mainta maintain neutrality up until the last moment, drafting a position in neutrality is the right way to get it done. he is running the show, becoming the eventual nominee in a contested convention requires knowledge of the inside game, ryan will understand, this inside game better than anyone when we get to cleveland. >> yeah, look, it makes it in some ways more likely and some ways less. he'll be so amassed in running the thing, the white knight coming in, who don't want trump,

is the symbolism. the added symbolism of the guy in charge, i won't say it's exact like this, but kind of when dick cheney picked himself to be the running mate. oh, by the way, i'm taking this thing. it makes it harder, although you pointed out some ways would be easier. >> it will be ugly. when we come back, why hillary clinton is laughing at donald trump at a new web video, after this. ♪ [ whimpers ] ♪ so when you need a dog walker or a handyman, we can help you get the job done right, guaranteed. get started today at angie's list, because your home is where our heart is. [engines revving] you can't have a hero,

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yesterday, you may recall, we showed you a new web video that donald trump sweet tweeted out, showing hillary clinton barking like a dog, and vladimir putin. a super pac, turned the tables on the donald.

>> who are you consulting with consistently so you're ready on day one? >> i'm speaking with myself. number one. because i have a very good brain, and i've said a lot of things. all right, mark. whatever you think of that, what does it tell you about how team clinton is thinking about what it has to do when donald trump goes on offense? >> my sense is that they look at that web video that trump put out yesterday and didn't treat it like triefle. they saw both in its cutting nature, and in the implications of its viral quality. it got played a lot on cable and bounced around the web. they decided they had to be now and i predict they'll be in mode the rest of the way, he brings a knife, you bring a gun. he brings a gun, you bring a

bazooca. he cannot let him do what he has done with his other opponents. >> the war room to the point where it's now become commonplace, you respond to everything always, don't let anything that is any way negative about your candidate go unchallenged or unreplied to. i think they've learned not just from yesterday, but from previous tangles with trump. they can't afford to let those go unanswered. also, they want to throw a big elbow at trump and say hey, you know what, we're not going to passive here. there will be a price to pay if you come after us unprovoked. >> they have to get to the point where they can succeed where the anti-trump efforts have failed on the republican side. they have to be able to, if they're going to, you know, do well, they have to effectively mock him. trump is so good at mocking others. they've go the to get to the point. of course, one of the biggest areas that people have who have tried to take down trump, from

their point of view, easily mocked person in politics. >> and no one does it well. >> they haven't been able to do it to make it effective. all right, the possibility of a general election matchup between hillary clinton and donald trump is many factors hoverering over the capitol hill fight pick for the supreme court will get a hearing. while republican leaders haven't changed their positions whether there will be a hearing, there are a few gop senators who have agreed to meet with thenami, merrick garland. they've noted the party is taking a gamble by blocking gar land, since the outcome in november is totally unknown. >> if republicans are not successful in the november election, ho election, i hope we are, then we need to look at this at a lame duck session in november. i would rather have a less liberal nominee, like merrick garland, than a nominee that hillary clinton, if she were president, would put forward.

>> so that is one point of view on the republican side. not necessarily a majority. today, patrick leahy, the democratic from vermont, committee member, former chair of the committee, called for his colleagues to vote on garland by memorial day, in an army of democratic senators have been all over cable news the past 24 hours, towing the party line. john, at this moment, with the back and forth since we last spoke about this, which side is winning the scotus tug-of-war over garland. >> white house, democrats winning right now. because right now, the media is with the white house. i think rightly so. we're all saying that the senate should do its job. you're hearing it even from cores of conservative media. you guys are killing yourselves here. this is the kind of thing that has done damage to the republican brand in the past by seemingly to be intrag enter. to not get the guy a hearing,

shoot him down, shoot him down. but make it look like you're willing to at least do your jobs. >> yep. look, democrats, politics, you know the side is winning where they're saying the same thing publicly and privately. they're saying we're going to win this, and privately, they like the way things are going. it's easy to find republican strategist to say the mistake was to come out early, we're not winning the fight. no hearing, keep the base happy, not pay a big price. some of them are worried about paying a price, when public opinion is still fluid but look, democrats often have the media on their side, because liberal bias. a case for the media believes the democrats are doing the right thing. i think overtime, if the white house continues to perform this way, public opinion is going to shift in a way that's going to spook the republicans. >> right. that jeff flake thing, he is giving voice to something a lot of people are thinking. not a position of strength to negotiate some crazy lame dumb

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well where you guys, houston, phoenix, but i am here. >> we'll all around. senator, i know you have an open mind about this nomination, republicans in some way we talked about maybe made a mistake by saying they don't. i'm wondering what decisions the judge has signed that concern you that you want to ask him about? >> well, i'm actually just starting to look at his record. obviously no one knew he was the pick until yesterday. but what i do know as a former prosecutor myself, that's not an easy job and he oversaw two of the most high profile difficult criminal cases of our time, and that's the uni-bomber and the oklahoma city bombing. i know in the criminal area, he has tended to be a little bit more conservative than some of his liberal colleagues on some of the cases. there is about ten different cases like that. so obviously, that, someone who a prosecutor, i can understand

that. and i want to look at what those cases are, as well as the rest of his record. i think the main point here today is as you noted earlier there are some republican senators, senator collins said she was going to do her job and meet with him. senator flake and five or six of them have agreed to meet with him. and today, i thought angus king said it best, for the ones who haven't agreed. are you afraid you'll like him too much? you know, he is a good guy with a great background. >> senator, i know you like a lot about him, i take your point that you're now probably just reading his record and his decisions. i'm ask a brief question, brief answer. any general areas that you know about how he has ruled where you've got concerns that you want to hear more about? not where you like what he has done, but concerns? >> well, again, i literally found out about this yesterday. when we were in the rose garden, or an hour before, so we're gathering his record and i'll see what concerns i have. i tended to in the past with

sonia sotomayor, first amendment case, sullivan case, i asked about criminal cases, because of my background as a prosecutor. i want to look at some of the stance he has taken. i personally think we should have cameras the supreme court, because i know you things would like to see things immediately. i'm ask him about that. so i have a lot of good questions to ask him. >> senator, i know yesterday that planned parenthood, cecile richards, not enthusiastic, acknowledging a lot of questions, open questions about reproductive rights. does that issue give you any pous from wh pause from garland's record. >> i want to look at his positions, but for me, what's really important here is the fact that he is someone that is known as being fair. that he has had the respect of

democrats and republicans. you look at some of the comments they've made in the past, the fact that he received the votes of senator hatch and senator mccain, senator collins, senator cochran, senator roberts, people who have been here a long time. with senator hatch once saying, challenge anyone to come to say why he wouldn't be a good nominee. so i will look at the record, and i have not made a decision yet. like everyone else, i plan on meeting with him next week. but what i think is important here is that we need to is a hearing to ask those questions. yes, i will ask those questions at a private meeting. but my constituents have a right to know his answers. >> let me just ask you the question on the politics of this. there is a lot of groups on the left who look at this choice and are not overly enthused, and it's not so much a matter of merits, but a sense of opportunity missed. this is an overwhelmingly male white institution. they were happy when kagan got

on the court. do you think president obama played it too timidly, a 63-year-old white man to fill antoni scalia's seat. >> i would not use that adjective to dedescribe him. in fact, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would describe his actions where he is focusing on moving ahead an cuba and many other things, being far from timid. he has picked the person he thought was best for the job. twice, judge garland, who is close-up there for these previous nominations, one nomination, nominated kagan, and the other, sonia sotomayor, two women, one hispanic. the first african-american president with a number of cabinet members of color, including the attorney jen of the united states. i don't think they can question his street creds.

>> you know iowa pretty well, politics, public opinion to cause grassley to change his mind whether there should be a hearing or not? >> i think that's going to be up to senator grassley. i've worked with him on a number of issues. we have some major bills on a pay for delay with pharmaceutical companies, and i've had a good working with him. and i hope that he will be listening to his constituents, i don't know what the numbers show in iowa, but they tend to have an open court system. speaking of cameras in the courtroom, they have them in iowa, they are transparent and open. the iowa register has been open on it. if you look nationally, two thirds of the american people favor going forward with the hearing here. now, senator grassley or any other senator do not have to vote for the nominee, but i think they need to hear him out and let their constituents hear him out. this is a public servant that

deserves it and our country deserves the hearing. >> asenator, thank you. >> speaking of judiciary committee, the committee's chairman, charles grassley, as we've said, is getting challenged in his state over this issue. he is being challenged for reelection by several democrats, including the state's former lieutenant governor, patty judge, about her race and about this issue, senator grassley, right after this. i talked to my doctor and found a missing piece in my asthma treatment. once-daily breo prevents asthma symptoms. breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo opens up airways to help improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine

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joining us now from des moines, former lieutenant governor oh of iowa, his democratic candidate, trying to challenge chuck grassley, patty judge, thanks for joining us. patty, i'm curious about, you've jumped on the supreme court issue pretty hard, just in the last 24 hours. just explain to me what you're

doing right now, both as a matter of process and a matter of politics to try to bring pressure on charles grassley to bring merrick garland up for real consideration in the u.s. senate. >> well, sure. i first started talking about this issue very soon after justice scalia's death, when almost immediately, chuck grassley informed us he would not hold any hearings. he is evidently not ever backed off of that position. i think that's the wrong approach, and that that is an obstructionist way of handling government, and we deserve better. now, with the name, garland put forth by the president yesterday, i think we should need to have a hearing and learn about this gentleman. i think that's senator grassley's job as the chairman

of the judiciary committee and i hope he'll do that. >> beyond the merits of what you're making, talk to me about the politics and the theory of the case by which you think this is an issue senator grassley could be vulnerable. >> well, i believe he is vulnerable on this issue. you know, this election cycle, we really have seen so much dissatisfaction with politics as usual, and playing political games. i think the voting public across this country and definitely here in iowa, is really fed up with that. we saw that in our caucuses, and we're seeing it now across the country. it is an issue that people feel strongly about. whether it is obstructing a hearing, whether it is refusing to pass a budget, whatever the issue, i think people expect that elected officials do the job. find a path to finding

solutions, and not just to fold their arms and say no, we're not going to do it. >> governor, with all due respect, you've won some and lost some races in iowa. chuck grassley has won a lot. what makes you think -- how can you make the claim he is out of step or out of touch about what iowaians think about this, given his track record. >> we've been watching him over the last few months, and definitely believe that public opinion is not with him. i think this is a very -- he is very vulnerable on this issue. and we intend to keep it in front of the public. i think it is having a real effect on him. his answers are just not -- don't hold much water. and iowaians see through it. we pride ourselves on our politics, and people can see a lot of double speak when they hear it. >> do you predict he'll lose the general election regardless of

whether you're the nominee or not. >> well, you know, i think i'm the best candidate, or i would not have gotten into the race. we know that it takes someone with some name identification, and someone that canceriously challenge him. as you said, i won a lot, i've lost a few. i am a known person here in the state. just as chuck grassley is. i think this is going to be a good head to head contest. >> tell me, governor, what your sense is beyond this issue or the other areas in which senator grassley is vulnerable? he obviously has been in that office for a pretty long time now and seems to be one, not just won a number of election gs, but won them commandingly. what are the other issues on which you think he would take the fight if you're the nominee? >> well, you know, we never know in an election how things will turn from now until next fall,

but i definitely believe that he is vulnerable on issues like protecting social security, affordable health care, affordable college, raising the minimum wage. these are all issues that should be happening. he and the republican leadership are stone walling on them, and there are things we need to make happen. and soon, after this next election. >> just a political analysis for your state, it has become a battle ground at the presidential level has gone blue the last couple cycles, but has at this moment at least, a republican governor and two republican senators. what is the current kind of state of iowa's purpleness as it were? >> iowa is always kind of purple. and again, i think that's because we are so political with our first in the nation caucuses. people listen, and study and talk. but as you said, we've gone blue

for the last two cycles, and i believe that that will happen again this cycle in the presidential race, and i believe that we have a chance at taking one of those senate seats. >> all right, thank you, patty judge. we appreciate you coming on the show. coming up next, mark halperin will give us a glimpse into the ted cruz campaign. if you're watching us in washington, d.c., you can also listen to us on bloomberg, 99.1 fm. rsey and check out shotsy tuccerelli's portfolio, what's it to you? or i'm a scottish mason whose assets are made of stone like me heart. papa! you're no son of mine! or perhaps it's time to seize the day. don't just see opportunity, seize it! (applause)

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joining me now here in houston, ted cruz's chief spin mi meister. you guys are picking up endorsements that rubio quasi endorsement and lindsey graham. did senator graham talk about he gave the endorsement. >> a lot of conversations with a lot of different folks throughout the last couple of weeks or so. look, we're thrilled to have senator graham back us, and host a fund-raiser for us and show us support. we're expecting more to come. of course, this morning, senator rubio saying ted cruz is the only conservative in this race. that goes a long way. we're seeing and sensing more and more of that. we had carly fiorina endorse us last week. she has been campaigning across the country.

what we're seeing more and more, people recognize that ted cruz is the true, consistent conservative. even those who have campaigned against him. he'll fight against washington as usual. clearly, based on the results of the election, people are fed up with washington. they want to see change. whether they're currently in washington or washington outsider, they want someone who will stand up and fight washington and they're acknowledging that ted cruz is the person. we have to number nate someone to defeat donald trump. >> i want to say two things about strategy your campaign has been involved in. one is you competed in florida, you come peepted in ohio. it's great to compete everywhere. but donald trump won one state, john kasich won the other. why compete in arizona, a state by all indications, donald trump is ahead. do you think you're going to win arizona. >> there is a strategy going on here. part of it is to play in places where we can --

>> do you predict ted cruz will win arizona. >> we're looking to do well in all of the states. >> doing well doesn't help you. you've got to win or you get nothing. >> look, the strategy up until now is to acquire as many delegate as we can. >> are you planning to win in arizona? >> our strategy to -- >> is that why -- >> the win in florida was successful, was it not? is that you're going on television, is that why the senator is going there. >> we're going on television in arizona, utah. >> i'm going to move on. i'm going to ask you one more time. are you trying to win arizona? >> our goal is to acquire as many delegates. moving forward with the map. the next 22 primaries we have on the map. they are -- they look good for us. 14 of them are closed primaries, which are more beneficial for ted, given republicans going to the ballot box. four of them are republicans and independents, which are beneficial. four that are so-called trump

primaries, that are open for democrats, independents and republicans. so we're looking at the next 22 primaries are hot -- many of them are favorable to ted. close primaries, when we have republicans, hard-core conservatives coming out to the ballot box. >> another people are questioning is you all put out a memo on election known, and you're making claims about the ability to get a majority of the delegates, or to even win more delegates that donald trump. that's kind of undermining your credibility in sort of convincing people that there is a path here. is there actually still today as we sit here a path where ted cruz wins the majority of the delegates before the convention. >> i ever the memo he right here. there are several paths to victory here. it could us winning the 1,237 out right and having it settled before we get to the convention. >> let me stop you. that's what i'm asking you. have you heard people saying,

that's strange, it makes it look like you don't have a path, because you're claiming that's a path. >> no. >> nobody said that to you but me? >> i'm saying. >> people are saying that is not a path. there are other paths, but that one isn't a path right now. >> several paths to ted cruz victory, and that being one of them. the other is acquiring as many delegate as we can, taking it to convention and winning it on the convention floor. we feel, when we get to convention, when there are more conservatives, more committed along, lifelong republicans, deciding this, that ted cruz is going to walk away the winner. and this is what makes the election so exciting. of course, we got into this not knowing who would be in this spot at this stage of the game, this time last year. and it's going to be an exciting -- it's been an exciting campaign. there a chance to will be decided at convention. but the key, our strategy moving forward, we've got tremendous resources to execute or long-term strategy.

we're going to continue to do what we've been doing. competing hard in these states where the delegates are awarded proportionately in order to rack up delegates. as i said, with the closed primaries on the horizon, they're beneficial to ted. >> senator cruz is emphasizing the border and immigration as he competes in winner take all arizona. tell me what the difference from your point of view between ted cruz and donald trump on the -- from what mr. trump has been the signature issue of immigration. >> one thing for sure. ted will not be flexible on anything he says or does or executes when it comes to immigration. he will be in arizona tomorrow. he'll be on the border, touring the border with a farm family. they're going to be sharing with him -- >> what's the difference between trump and cruz. >> one thing for sure, ted has been committed to first and foremost securing the border. >> has donald trump? >> some pie in the sky story about we're going to get mexico to pay for the wall. that's not going happen.

ted is providing practical solutions to the immigration problem, first and foremost, securing the border, enforcing existing laws, and not providing amnesty for people in the country illegally. >> how would you characterize, you characterize trump's position as people here illegally as amnesty. >> absolutely. we don't know what donald trump is going to speak tomorrow. he is on both sides ever virtually ever issue and even acknowledged on many news outlets that what he is talking -- what he said "the new york times," when he had the off the record conversation with "the new york times" reporter, admitting that what he has been saying on the campaign trail with regard to immigration, that he has no intention whatsoever of carrying that through if he were to be the nominee. that speaks volumes. he has said many times whether he has taken both sides of the issue, or said he would be flexible on it, or in this case, acknowledging to a reporter that what he is saying about immigration is simply campaign

rhetoric. that should be concerning. >> as we head to the northeast, a bunch of northeast contests left. donald trump is from the northeast, john kasich's profile closer in many ways to the kind of republicans who win primaries in the northeast. what are the arguments you would make to say ted cruz can do well and win delegates in states like new jersey, connecticut, new york, pennsylvania. >> we're going to continue to have momentum as we move through the next primary and caucuses states. we're going to have the resources to execute a ground game and that's critical. our ground game is what got us a victory in iowa and has carried us through the states that we've shown tremendous victories on and acquired delegates. we have a tremendous amount of resources, not in temples of having raised $72 million, but we have a strong field operation that we're executing to various states, and that is going to play a key in us winning in all areas of the country. whether it's northeast or out west as well. >> thank you so much for ted cruz campaign.

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joining us once again, our number cruncher in chief, ken goldstein, for what we call by the numbers. march adness. that's very puny. ken, thanks for joining us from washington. i would like you to talk about a topic that you've referred to in terms of bracket busting. talk to us about the expectations about the kind of money we're going to get spent on ads and what has actually happened. i have a feel the expectations and reality are somewhat different. >> sure. some have the number a bit higher, but a good consensus political ad spending was going to be in 2016 was about $4.2 billion, about 57% on broadcast, 25 mers on cabl% on .

to date, we've had a little under $370 million spent on political advertising in the presidential race. and of that overall number, about one-third of that, even more than one-third of that should be on the presidential race. is what we've seen so far, that $369 million more or less than it should be if we were on pace to meet those numbers. so on the one hand, it's a little bit more. so if you look back to 2008 or back to 2012, that's way more money than was spent on tv in those races. but there is a couple of factors that show the pace slowing. so first of all, the great majority of that spending was just in three states, new hampshire, iowa and south carolina. and the pace has slowed after that. and the other point is, this is especially the case on the republican side, the majority spenders on the republican side, who spent over $75 million with

right to rise, and over $50 million with conservative solution project, were the super pacs of two candidates, jeb bush and marco rubio, who aren't in the race any more. so it seems higher, but there is some danger signs, and then of course, there is the trump effect. >> all right, ken, let's talk about the trump effect and what we like to call the un-sweet 16. trump has gotten good ratings for tv, but he has not spent a lot for a republican front-runner on ads. if he is the nominee in the general election, what is the danger for these tchlts v stations that tend to make a lot of money from political ads if trump continues to earn free media and not on paid media? >> as you said, tv executives love the high ratings that trump generates, but they're very concerned about what trump could do to that ultimate ad spent. he has only spent $17 million

himself on advertising. but the big danger for some of these broadcasters who have become veriry ry reliant, the g, talked about a bunch, spend, i don't know what the technical term, is a ton of money on political advertising, whether they sit out the presidential race. so that's a real possible, two real possible down factors. trump himself is not going to spend a lot. two, not going to be lots of republican groups coming to bat for trump. on the other hand, i'll hedge a little bit here. if trump changes how the 2016 elections look, that could increase spending in some other races. so maybe trump makes some states competitive that weren't competitive before. that could draw ad spending in those states. or what if trump on the ticket makes some senate races and some

house races more competitive than we could have thought, and so all of those super pacs and groups that would have spent big money for republican and the presidential race are now spending the big money to defend house and senate seats. >> ken, i'm a pretty big basketball fan, but you don't have to be to know the worst thing you can do on the court is an air ball. in fact, people say air ball, air ball. during the games. you have come to the conclusion that the anti-trump spending so far on the air is basically an air ball. please explain. >> well, you know, again, it's difficult to do this in real time, and it's more fun to be the couch coach than the real coach, rather than screaming air ba ball. i i do this it was. about $80 million has been spent against donald trump, which when you measure that against all the free media that he has gotten, isn't a ton. but what's even more perplexing

to me is over half the anti-trump spending has happened after march 1st, after super tuesday. so they've done it when lots of the elections had already happened. when lots of the delegates had already been selected. or even you look at a place like florida, where we recently had a primary. and a lot was made of the $8 million that was spent in the last week against donald trump. well, one, $8 million isn't really a lot of money, and two, almost 50% of florida republican voters voted early. so all of that money was spent when half the florida republican primary electorate had already voted. and then recently, we have an ad that was out that has women reading quotes, inflammatory quotes from donald trump, it's a 60 second ad, and it seems

powerful, but started airing this past tuesday, march 15th, after not only super tuesday was done, but after florida and north carolina and ohio and illinois and missouri were done. which is a bit perplexing. >> right. so not only an air ball, but came after the buzzer. not so great. thanks to ken goldstein for that great segment. up next, what elizabeth warren will not say, and who won the day, after this. for fewer interruptions from the amazing things you do every day. live claritin clear. with extraordinary offersmance saon the visionary ls, the generously appointed es and the new, eight-passenger lx. ♪ this is the pursuit of perfection. people are taking charge of their type 2 diabetes with non-insulin victoza®.

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houston, houston, who won the day? >> ted cruz, the rubio and graham endorsements are a big deal. >> i agree with you 100%. ted cruz. all right, you know who could have won the day. cbs this morning, if they played their interview with elizabeth warren differently. see what i mean in this heavily edited version of their interview. >> you've not yet made an a endorsement. >> i think bernie should be in the white house. i think he should be president

of the united states. >> all right. sayonara. coming up, "hardball with chris matthews." if all else fails, the plan to stop trump, let's play "hardball." good evening, i'm chris matthews, in washington. well, the defenders of the gate are sharpening their swords if they can't stop trump once inside, do they retreat and fight him from without. they appear to be in chaos. after a dismal showing in four out of five state, the anti-trump forces wonder if there is time to stop him before, during or after the republican convention. a group of conservatives met