ils. for me and the fabulous nicole wallace, thanks for watching, and until tomorrow, sayonara. "hardball" with chris matthews is next. he's back! let's play "hardball"! good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. did you catch president obama today? if you didn't, you missed the start of what could be the wildest barnstorming presidential campaign ever, certainly won by an incumbent and certainly a campaign for someone else. barack obama made it clear today that it is personal. he's in the race to secede him, because he passionately wants hillary clinton to win. and fanatically wants donald trump to lose. lose humiliatingly.

lose in such a mortifying way that he'll disappear from the country's public life. in a clear sign the president knows how to do it, he chose pennsylvania today as the place he would plant his stake in donald trump's heart, knowing that trump knows he needs pennsylvania. he went there today in the 80-degree heat to rouse philadelphians in the same way he did in getting himself elected in '08 and '12. he wants to use his presidency now to demolish the man who refuses to retract his celebrated charge that barack obama isn't a legitimate president. that he somehow snuck into the country, assumed an identity, and used affirmative action to get into harvard university and into the white house. well, donald trump should have been more careful in who he made as an enemy. this up with's coming back for payback. for a second straight day, by the way, hillary clinton was off the trail recovering from pneumonia. but she will resume campaigning on thursday. today president showed why many consider him to be the democratic candidate, hillary clinton's beth surrogate out

there. the president called clinton tough, prepared, and fit to be commander in chief. here he is in philly. >> can i just say, i am really into electing hillary clinton. this is not me going through the motions here. i really, really, really want to elect hillary clinton. i believe there has never been a man or a woman more qualified than hillary clinton to serve as our president. >> well, it was a gorgeous day in the city, which is now the global city right now of this country. as i said, president obama is more fired up after going after clinton's republican opponent, donald trump. he said trump's vision of the country is dark and pessimistic. he called trump out for hiding his tax returns, love this phrase, hiding his tax returns. and says donald trump isn't fit

to be commander in chief. >> i keep on reading this analysis that trump's got support from working folks. really? this guy who spent 70 years on this earth, showing no concern for working people. i mean, he wasn't going to let you on his golf course. he wasn't going to let you buy in his condo. and now suddenly this guy is going to be your champion? one candidate, family fouation has saved countless lives around the world. the other candidate's foundation took money other people gave to his charity, and then bought a 6-foot-tall painting of himself. you know, he had the taste not to go for the 10-foot version. he's not offering any real policies or plans. just offering division and offering fear. and he's bet ting if he scares enough people, he might scare

enough people to win this election. >> there are words in this speech that are magical to the political ear. one is, he's hiding his tax returns, hiding them. not showing them to us, hiding them. the second was, this man of the people, donald trump won't even let you even on his golf course. anyway, secretary clinton could benefit, of course, from the president's help today, just as polls show the race between her and trump tightening. president obama is enjoying some of his best approval ratings ever. catch this. in the brand-new "washington post"/abc poll this week shows president obama at 58% approval. nobody's got numbers like that but him, and the nbc/"wall street journal" poll last month, he has the support of 98% of african-americans. that's not a big surprise. 90% of democrats. and nearly 60% of young people. can the president help win this race, we'll see. joining me now, ed rendell. howard fineman, global editorial director for the "huffington pos post". and with me here in washington, susan page, washington bureau chief for the "usa today."

so we've got a guy so excited, he's in after-glow from the steelers last night. he and his son, nick, went up to fedex field, but the fact is the, the steelers did play a hell of a game. and i know the governor likes the steelers almost as much as he likes the eagles. governor, republicans have this weird sense, i don't know what you call it, heartbreak hill might be a good phrase for pennsylvania. they always think they can win it, and they don't. what's going on with their thinking so wrong that they think they can knock off this guy, win the election for president by winning pennsylvania? >> well, because, in non-presidential years, democratic registration ads, which is over 900,000, that dissipates because they don't run in nonpresidential years. but in presidential years, the turnout is extraordinarily good and president obama can jack that turnout up better than

anybody. i want to refer you to 2010, chris, when there was a senate election between pat toomey and joe sestak. the president came in to philadelphia two times, michelle came in once, and their message was, they're out to get me. and he took that message into the city, into different areas of the city. and even though it was a republican wave year, sestak lost by a little less than two points. and the turnout, pat toomey told me, when he saw the turnout in philadelphia, he thought he'd lost. so no one can generate better turnout like the president. he is the best. he is the turn-outer in chief. >> okay, howard, it's personal with this guy. i mean, i hope you agree with me. i think he wants to be trump almost more than he wants hillary clinton to be a successor. he wants this guy disgraced and humiliated. he wants him out of there after what he did to him. >> chris, a couple of things. first of all, i've been covering this a long time, covering presidential politics. and i don't remember an outgoing sitting president, campaigning this hard, this early. i think it's almost unprecedented, number one.

number two, the language that president obama used today in philly, that's tough language. that's political. you know, dynamite. and it's still only september. i mean, and he's already got the pedal to the metal. that's number two. number three, philadelphia is the key to pennsylvania. because in part, as the governor knows, western pennsylvania has been trending more republican. in the counties around pittsbur have become more republican. they're sort of part of an lashya, not the east coast. . so trump's going to get his votes out in the western part of the state and it's crucial for the president to turn out those people that you talked about. african-americans, registered democrats, and most importantly, i think, young people of all colors. white, african-american, hispanic, et cetera. they've got to turn out to make sure that pennsylvania remains heartbreak hill for the republicans. >> you know, it's interesting. we have an independent democratic president who's very popular right now. it's hard to believe we're saying a popular president, after all he's been through. but he is.

58%. i can't think of a popular president, if you go back to eisenhower, he campaigned very hard for nixon at the very end. but nixon was stupid and thought to bring him in early. come into philly, get a half million to a million people. even in new york, you get big crowds. but this time, we have a popular president, who seems to really like the person he's campaigning for. unlike -- and bill clinton and al gore had that weird conflict of relationship there. >> well, first of all, hays a popular president so he can do the candidate some good. and the candidate also likes him. it goes two way. john mccain, george w. bush at that point was politically toxic. ronald reagan had a complicated relationship -- >> but he did some campaigning for george sr.. >> but not the kind of campaigning we saw today by barack obama -- >> obama was gleeful today. >> he was joyful. it was like, why don't we -- we don't see that on the campaign stump, with either of the candidates we've got. they don't seem happy to be there. he seemed happy to be there. >> governor, you're the expert.

by the way, the best mayor the city ever had. pennsylvania is a weird state. explain pennsylvania to the person who doesn't get it. you can be in three quarters of the state and think you're in alabama republican wise, and then you go to pittsburgh, and especially philly and the 'burbs around it, and you realize you're sort of more in jersey or new york. you're in a different state. >> it is, it's too separate and distinct states. urban and suburban versus rural. and there's a lot of rural area. pennsylvania is a very big state, biggest state east of the mississippi, in area. and six different tv markets. but the key, howard is right about turnout in philadelphia. that's key number one. key number two for democrats to carry the state is to win the suburbs by significant numbers. barack obama in 2012 carried the four suburban counties, which as you know, chris, used to be republican territory. he carried it by a margin of 120,000. hillary clinton is on a pace to carry it by double and maybe even triple that, if the polls

are correct. if she carries the suburbs by 250, the city by anywhere near what barack obama carried it, she's going to come out of the counties, three quarter of a mill votes up. >> and that's a third of the state. that's a third of the state. howard, let's take a look at pennsylvania and the country. my argument, i might as well give it away now. leah atwater, one tough political operative, he said the best way to win a campaign, if you can do it, is to find the state that the other side knows they desperately need to win, and then early on, yank it away from them. take their heart out early, break their spirit, like atwater did it with michigan against the democrats. if they take pennsylvania away from trump, doesn't he know he's going to lose? >> i think the mathematics, chris, don't work, because pennsylvania has enough of an latchya in it, enough of those rural areas, and enough county

around pittsburgh that are becoming more republican. >> i know that. >> so trump, trump has to win every one of those votes, because he's basically maximizing white conservative rural turnout. and x urban turnout. he's got to get that maximum to have a chance at pennsylvania. also, the electoral college mathematics any way you cut it don't work without pennsylvania. i don't see how trump can win without p.a.. >> take this one. president obama today mocked donald trump, his sarcasm today was so rich. he knocked trump for his bromance with vladimir putin, his role modeling of the guy. it was rich stuff today from president obama. let's watch. >> you've got the donald, who just last week went on russian state television to talk down

our military and to curry favor with vladimir putin are. he loves this guy. loves this guy, and when they interview and ask him, well, why do you support this guy? he's a strong guy. look, he's got an 82% poll rating. well, yeah, saddam hussein had a 90% poll rating. i mean, if you control the media and you've taken away everybody's civil liberties and you jail dissidents, that's what happens. >> you know, susan, everybody -- i watched all the faces, like we all do in crowds, the faces -- those people were having a great time. and they completely got all his shots. they completely -- there was no communication problem. they got the humiliation, the ridicule he was throwing at trump. >> you know what's the best way to make a point, to put the knife into somebody? it's with a little bit of humor. which is what he was doing there, by ridiculing the notion

that you would have praised -- >> the irony. >> the irony, yeah. and it's like everybody -- and as you say, everybody understood it. and rather than a frontal assault about, well, you know, vladimir putin is a despot, to talk about it that way, it's just, it engages the crowd, it makes the point. it's what makes politics fun. >> you know, governor, i remember you campaigning and your connection with people. and this guy's ability to get the philadelphia attitude, almost. the attitude -- come on! this is a joke. this guy, i mean, the rich ridicule that everybody -- like giggles fans, for example, they don't like the other side much. is this going to work with some of the republicans up there. he was saying today like a lot of stuff, that the president was, this isn't the party of lincoln or reagan. this is something outrageous and you moderate folks watching on television should be thinking about voting for hillary. >> yeah, i think so, chris. i think that's going to work for suburban republicans, who are essentially moderate. i think the president actually laid off a little bit. i thought what donald trump said friday night was the single most

frightening thing he's said on the campaign trail. that when the iranian votes circle our naval ships, stray into iranian waters and make derisive gestures towards our sailors with, if he was president, we would blow them out of the water. we're going to start a potential world war because someone made gestures to us? good lord he's unhinged! he's unhinged! >> i think, chris, i think all the people in pennsylvania who would be impressed by that threat, and i know who those people are, they're already voting for donald trump. i think the governor -- the governor's point is partly that you've got these suburbanites, including a lot of women, you know, who are looking at that, and you know, they don't find that amusing. you know, they don't find the threat amusing. >> i know. like the robert de niro character in taxi driver. you talking to me?! you talking to me?! that's all we need is a president like that, with a hair trigger. thank you, governor rendell. thank you, howard fineman. good luck with those steelers. who's that running back?

williams? unbelievable. >> deangelo williams. he's only number two. wait until we get le'veon bell back, baby. >> okay, baby. anyway, coming up, donald trump's right to make hillary clinton pay for her basket of deplorables comment, but the clinton campaign says the issue's a winner for them. that's an interesting development. and can trump claim the high ground for what hill raary said? maybe not. and what's bill up to? conason spent a lot of time with him and he's with us tonight. and donald trump's trying to talk about hillary clinton's absence from the campaign trail. he's pushing a plan to give families a tax break for child care expenses. we'll keep an eye on that and whether trump's going to speak during our hour. finally tonight, my election diary on where the campaign stands right now after what happened today in philly. this is "hardball," the place for politics.

we know you need wi-fi like you need air. that's why we offer free wi-fi at breakfast, by the pool, even while you're sleeping. you can exhale now. enjoy free wi-fi and free hot breakfast.

book at hampton.com for a guaranteed discount. donald trump yesterday promised to release very specific numbers from a recent physical he had. well, today, television host dr. oz says that results or some results from that physical will be revealed on his show this thursday when trump appears there. but dr. oz made clear today, it was up to trump what he chooses to reveal during that program. let's listen. >> what if there's some embarrassing things on there? >> i bet you won't release them. >> well, it's still going to be his decision. >> it's his decision. look, the metaphor me is, this is a doctor's office, the studio. i'm not going to ask questions he doesn't want to have answered, and i also don't want to talk about anybody else. we're not going to be talking about secretary clinton, for sure. and i don't want to talk about things that are outside the health purview. >> we'll be right back. where we explore. protecting biodiversity. everywhere we work. defeating malaria.

improving energy efficiency. developing more clean burning natural gas. my job? my job at exxonmobil? turning algae into biofuels. reducing energy poverty in the developing world. making cars go further with less. fueling the global economy. and you thought we just made the gas. ♪ energy lives here. ♪ ♪ take on any road with intuitive all-wheel drive. the nissan rogue, murano and pathfinder. now get 0% apr for 72 months, plus $500 bonus cash.

wehile my opponent slanders you as deplorable and irredeemable, we call you hard-working american patriots who love your country and want a better future for all of our people. >> i love the gestures he uses. they're like jesus gestures in the religious books. inappropriately, of course. welcome back to "hardball." that was donald trump today continuing his line of attack on hillary clinton for her remark this friday, this past friday, that half his spottupporters ar quote, a basket of deplorables. while trump has called her remark the biggest mistake of the political season, and while clinton regrets characterizing half of his supporters has deplorable, some in the clinton campaign say they welcome this debate. jesse ferguson reached by nbc news today says the trump campaign is seemingly inviting a debate to the extent to which his campaign has promoted and fueled an alt right hate

movement that many americans do find deplorable, as we saw monday night when his vp nominee refused to call david duke deplorable. the trump news strategy has started to backfire, according to the clinton campaign. press secretary brian fahrenthold said ever since clinton expressed regret, trump has been fighting on our turf, their turf, the clinton. but mike pence has refused to use the word "deplorable" in rejecting -- even though he rejected david duke, he wouldn't use hillary clinton's term "deplorable," for whatever ran. and kelly anne conway said that he should have called him deplorable. pence said later today he would not validate the language clinton used, validate being his word. >> yesterday, i was asked a question about that. and i repeated that again. and, the simple fact is that i'm not in the name-calling business. but i'm also not going to

validate the language that hillary clinton used to describe the american people. hillary clinton wasn't talking about that bad man. >> i'm joined right now by msnbc political analyst, robert costa of "the washington post." robert, give us the reportage on this thing. who's going to win? my theory is, topic decides who wins. no matter what the argument is, if you're on certain topics, it decides who wins. what's your view on this one, racism, all the other isms that clinton mentioned on friday and how many other people make the description. >> talking to clinton allies and clinton advisers, there's a sense that that the more they can bring the alternative right into the national debate, clinton's on good footing. and they want to have that conversation in these final seven to eight weeks of the campaign. but the other school of thought is, when you talk to the trump people. they think this reinforces trump's pitch as some kind of anti-establishment force in american politics, us versus them, am a spiro agnew, richard nixon type vibe going on with

the trump argument. >> who's right? >> i think right now -- >> who's most convinced they're right? i want to ask you a fair reporter's question. who's the most cocksure that talking about deplorables and who called who deplorable is a victory for which side? >> it depends how the suburban voters swing. if you're in north carolina and that research triangle, if you're in ohio or pennsylvania, how do you hear this kind of debate? when you hear deplorables, does it scare you away from the trump campaign? do you get skittish, or does it make hillary clinton the secretary's campaign feel like something that you can't be part of? >> well, with thank you much, robert costa. great reporting. the clinton campaign has launched a counteroffensive in the wake of trump's attacks. let's watch how tim kaine today cited governor pence's comments about david duke to defend his running mate. here's kaine. >> just in the last couple of days, trump has been going after hillary, because she gave a speech, calling out deplorable comments. you know, she advanced the

notion that if you're chumming around with the head of the cuckcuku klux klan or people who have that title, that's deplorable. you have to call that out. if you can't call it out and you stand back and you're silent around it, you're enabling it to grow. you're enabling it to become more powerful. we want to be a nation of the positive virtues, not the dark emotions and not the negative virtues. >> i'm joined now by msnbc political analyst, michael steele, former chair of rnc, as well as former michigan governor, jennifer granholm, a senior adviser to the pro-hillary clinton group, the super pac, correct the record. you first, governor. who's winning on this one? because it is the turf, if you're a progressive, you don't like -- you especially want to go after the alt right. >> so the president today suggested this defines the character of a nation. this is really a debate about who we are. so if 87% of trump's supporters believe that muslims should be banned from this country, which they do, if 65% --

>> a lot think obama's a muslim. >> right. 65% think that obama is a muslim. and 59% believe that he was not born in this country. and 50% believe that blacks and immigrants are more prone to criminality. that, the strain that has been -- >> the nature, bent toward crime. >> right, bent toward crime. by virtue of being african-american or an immigrant. the point is that he has given this movement some voice, some life, and that, to me, is really -- and to her, is a fundamental issue of who we are. because that's not america. and to say that's not acceptable is really important. >> michael, your views? >> i think from a political standpoint, this is advantage trump. because i think it's a reflection of a lot of -- it's not just republicans, although they like to cite those polls. i would say this is a broad swath of americans who have this view. again, when the national poll

was taken over the summer, 56% of american people, white, black, hispanic, republican, democrat, said that islam was not compatible with american values. so there is this undercurrent that has -- that has attached itself to some degree, to the campaign. i think when it comes to the david dukes of the world, the campaign has certainly recently been much more emphatic about it, but i think -- against it. but i think the reality still plays to the undercard here, that this is a topic that still resonates with a lot of people. when you give context with respect to how you talk to the ameran people about this, and when you start blang them and kind of laying this out at their footsteps -- >> i want to know, do you think -- you would say david duke is deplorable. >> i would say david duke is -- is -- >> deplorable! >> is un-american. >> but why wouldn't you use that word? >> because it's hillary's word. >> because it's hillary's word.

i would use something far worse that i can't say on national television. >> okay. >> let's talk about this one. this is what i find not mystifying, but, i don't know. this country had 250 years of slavery, legalized a slavery, before we had a country, we had slavery. we had is 100 years of jim crow. whatever's been since, which hasn't been perfect on racial stuff. now we have two parties arguing on who's better on race? it strikes me as odd that one party says, we're pure perfect and the other side's no damned good. i don't think it's true. i don't think people are that simple. and i don't think partisan label defines your views about humanity. >> absolutely right. and all three of those points, you are spot on. because this type of discussion becomes a side bar discussion, because it doesn't go to what you actually articulated at the very beginning, who we are as american citizens. when you pull it into the political, then it becomes a partisan discussion. >> but that whole point is that

this is not about the republican party. >> hillary -- >> it's not about the republican party. there is a slice of trump voters that go way beyond what the republican party would ever stand for. the party of lincoln. >> so let me ask you, governor, how, then, should i react as a black man running for the united states senate in 2006 when i'm called an uncle tom by a sitting member of the state legislature, who's a democrat, in my state? a sitting member of the united states congress -- >> but that's my point! >> well, this is my point. this is my point. you want to sit there and slide this off into one side of the political pie. what i'm saying is, this speaks to a broader problem that we have in this country, and when you bring it into the political context, you lose sight of the reality that we all deal with every day. i don't look at this, when hillary clinton said that i didn't put it in political context, i said, you're now talking about a broad swath of the american people. and that's going to be the problem. not whether it's republican or democrat. >> listen, i don't disagree with you at all. my point is saying that this

swath, whatever that is, that unacceptable swath, you could say they're democrats, independents, or republicans, but they have attached themselves to donald trump. and that's the problem. >> should hillary clinton have said that there's a basket of people. i don't like that, like binders of women. a basket of deplorables, half, whatever the percentage she said she meant to say, she said half. is that fair? >> no. no. and she came back and said -- >> if it was a quarter, is that fair? >> no. >> previously, she had said, there's two groups, and not putting a number on it. >> do you think it has anything to do with her health? they put that in the paper today. somebody put it out that it was a bad weekend for her, in other words, if she had taken a rest -- >> she would be the last person to use health to excuse that. no, no, no. >> i don't know. who knows, by the way. >> she had previously said two groups, and she misspoke, and she apologized. >> if she had said a fifth -- >> whatever! >> but using the phrase basket

of deplorables, i wonder where the phrase itself is troubling to a lot of people. >> it is troubling, because even when you say two groups, i don't care how you cut it, that's 50%. >> no, that's not. >> well, it is. if i say, there are two groups that support you, that means -- >> how big are they? >> but i'm just saying -- >> the point is -- the point is that this -- >> yeah, okay. >> -- this strain of thought is trump's strain of thought. >> i've been trying to figure out, governor, as well, i've been trying to figure out if there's an alternative. like, i always try to figure. suppose a republican said this about a democrat. and i keep thinking, what would be the worst thick they could say about democrats. half that party are socialists! i say, wait a minute, that's not so bad. democrats wouldn't be so offended that. so what could you call people on the left? what would be deplorables on the left? what would you say a bunch of democrats are deplorables. what would you mean. >> from my perspective -- >> be careful. >> lefties? >> no, i would just say that we tend to look at this thing through just one lens. my argument would be, this cuts

on both sides. you don't sit there and say that there are racist a -- people on the democratic side. >> i agree with you on that. >> that's why i find the whole thing -- >> a poll said that 60% of americans think that trump is -- not a bigot -- what did they say? >> biased. >> that's it. biased. >> i've still got a problem with trump on that, not on his perm view of people, but why he calls the first african-american president some sort of usurper. he's got to get past that before election day. and if that doesn't come up in the debates, i'll be amazed. >> he does. you cannot have a conversation -- >> he might as well get it behind him now. come on here and get it behind you. michael steel and jennifer granholm -- >> come on! come on! >> great guests. up next. we haven't seen a lot of bill clinton on the campaign trail, so what's he up to these days? author joe conason has been tracking the former president for his brand-new book, wi"man the world." and he'll be here next. this is "hardball," the place

for politics. my belly pain and constipation? they keep telling me "drink more water." "exercise more." i know that. "try laxatives..." i know. believe me. it's like i've. tried. everything! my chronic constipation keeps coming back. i know that. tell me something i don't know. (vo) linzess works differently from laxatives. linzess treats adults with ibs with constipation, or chronic constipation. it can help relieve your belly pain, and lets you have more frequent and complete bowel movements that are easier to pass. do not give linzess to children under 6 and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. it may harm them. don't take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. if it's severe stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include gas, stomach-area pain and swelling. talk to your doctor about managing your symptoms

proactively with linzess. runstaying in a differentns hotel every night. so i use the hotels.com rewards program to earn free nights. which i can use for my new friends here. thanks, captain obvious. you're welcome. roger that, sir. my name isn't roger. supported by hotels.com. afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road. healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me. get between you and life's dobeautiful moments.llergens by choosing flonase, you're choosing more complete allergy relief and all the enjoyment that comes along with it. when we breathe in allergens,

our bodies react by overproducing 6 key inflammatory substances. most allergy pills only control 1. flonase controls 6. and six is greater than one. with flonase, more complete relief means enjoyment of every beautiful moment. flonase, six is greater than one, changes everything. ♪ i know more about isis then the apprgenerals do. age. john mccain, a war hero. he's not a war hero, he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured ok. donald trump compared his sacrifices to the sacrifices of two parents who lost their son in war. how would you answer that father? what sacrifice have you made for your country? i think i've made a lot of sacrifices, built great structures. i've had tremendous success, i think... those are sacrifices?

i'm milissa rehberger. here's what's happening. the attorney general for new york has opened an investigation into the trump foundation. eric schneiderman says he's concerned the charity may have engaged in some impropriety regarding the laws governing charities in new york state. and u.s. households got a raise last year for the first time since 2007.

incomes surged 2.5% in 2015. that's the largest gain since 1968 when the census bureau began gathering data. back to "hardball." she's doing fine. she, she was even better last night, before she went to sleep. she had a good night's sleep. she just got dehydrated yesterday. she's worked like a demon, as secretary of state, and as a senator, and in the years since. >> that was bill clinton last night in a retire interview talking about his wife's health. but what is bill clinton, the man who revolutionized what it means to have a post-presidency really up to day to day? i find that question somewhat fascinating. possibly the first gentleman of the united states sat down with the author joe conason for conas conason's brand-new book, "man

of the world." conason gained access to bill clinton, chelsea clinton, friends, supporters. he got in the door. joe conason joins us right now. good luck with this book. it's a nice cover, although his head's cut off. the strangest thing, at the pto. >> thank you, chris. >> let me ask you about bill clinton. this is total "people" magazine stuff. he's still a young guy by post-presidential standards. he's still generally healthy. what does he do every morning? does an alarm clock go off? de get up, go to the office, take a shower, go to work? what does he do every day? >> the days are different, chris. there are travel days for him, especially in the campaign season, he's traveling around the country a lot for hillary's campaign. there are work days at the foundation, especially now because as i said in the book, they've been considering for months what to do if she does become president, with the foundation. they know -- >> what does work mean for bill clinton? work. when he says, i've got to go to

work today, what does that mean? >> well, work means the work of the foundation. overseeing the work of the foundation. it means, at different times, it's meant things like writing books. you know what that's like. you sit in a room and he's usually working with an aide, doing something like that. work means going out and raising the money for the foundation. they raised, you know, an endowment that's a quarter of a billion dollars over the last few years. there's a lot of different kinds of work. >> you know, i just did some checking. bill clinton and hillary clinton together have ran in 18 elections, actual elections. november, you know, campaigning, doing the whole things. 18 elections, starting when he ran for congress out in arkansas, than ran for attorney general, then he ran for governor, and lost it and ran one five times in a row. then lost and ran for president a couple of times. won both times. hillary clinton has won now for senate twice. ran for president, a second time now. they both ran for student office. what drives them, in terms of elections? why do they run so often?

what drives them to run as politicians, for their whole lives, really? >> i think, you know, i don't is a cynical view of them. i think they really want to change the world. i think they've wanted that since they were kids. and it goes through various permutations of what kind of change they think should happen. and at what pace and in what ways. but i think they've always felt they wanted to make things better. and i think they like the power and the, you know -- he likes campaigning. you know, as you know, she's wonkish. she likes the issues, she likes the study, she likes to get into it. she's not a natural campaigner like he is, but they both find aspects of politics that are rewarding to them. >> "man of the world," that's your book, good luck, joe conason. the cover with that little bit of head missing thereupon inin

top. donald trump's in pennsylvania tonight, trying to cut into hillary clinton's support, pushing an issue that is meant to appeal to women voters. and three things you might not know about this election coming up. you're watching "hardball." the flags are ready for trump. love those flags. be right back. early warning of approaching weather. because safety is never being satisfied. and always working to be better.

w...i was always searching for ways to manage my symptoms. i thought i had it covered. then i realized managing was all i was doing. when i finally told my doctor, he said humira was for people like me who have tried other medications,... but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief... ...and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections... ...including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers,... including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions,... ...and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb,... ...hepatitis b, are prone to infections, ...or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. if you're still just managing your symptoms, ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. bp drilling teams train

in virtual reality simulators in here, so we're better prepared for any situation out there. because safety is never being satisfied. and always working to be better.

welcome back to "hardball." tonight, donald trump's holding a campaign event in aston, pennsylvania. he's enlisted his number one surrogate, his daughter, ivanka, to help roll out a policy proposal, which the trump campaign says will help with the cost of child care. the trump campaign has taken advantage of secretary clinton's absence from the campaign trail today to go after a key voting bloc, educated, affluent mothers. ivanka trump, mother to have three, is one of her father's most trusted advisers and reportedly has helped shape the proposal. according to the "washington post," she has, quote, encouraged her father, that would be donald trump, for weeks to evolve policies that would appeal to parents that feel

overburdened or underserved by existing programs. the campaign released this statement, quote, after spending his entire career and this entire campaign demeaning women and dismissing the need to support working families, donald trump released a reaggressive it and insufficient maternity leave policy thaz out of touch, half baked, and ignores the way americans live today. i'm joined now by ruth marcus, a great columnist for "the washington post," john brabender, a smart guy, if occasionally wrong, stephanie chirac is with emily's list. clearly he needs women voters. clearly he needs younger voters, because they're the one with kids, generally. my kids have kids. and child care is a big deal. it costs a lot of money, people want a break. they need a break. >> child care is really expensive, it's a huge cost for families. donald trump needs more support from women voters. he is not going to get -- it

would be astonishing if he got majority support from women voters. but what this is geared to is narrowing that gap a little bit. and it is really a chasm right now. if you look at any of the numbers, any of the polls, women voters like him less, support him less, than men do. educated women voters. the kinds who might be going to work and really struggling under child care expenses, even more. >> yeah. what do you think? do you think married women look at him? because married women have kids. other women do, too, of course. but, we're looking at sort of a target audience here. somebody with kids of -- not preschool age, school age, who make a moderate income, and for them, it's impossible. they've got to go into a local neighborhood child care situation, they don't like, they may not be able to afford individual child care. that's for better off people, period. so he says they're going to get a tax break. >> and it's tax deduction,

instead of a tax credit, which is helpful this more they make. it's actually not getting -- >> they say he can make up to $250,000 a year, which is six times the natural average, and a break up to $10,000. >> it's a tax deduction, not a tax credit. but i think what's really important to think about, you are exactly right. he has lost so much, never really had it, but with women voters. and particularly, he's even now, in most polls, losing college-educated women, which was not the case. so, yes, this is a ploy. we're less than 60 days out. >> how is this a ploy if a democrat did it? >> first off, there isn't much to it. it is the bare minimum. >> i think it shows -- >> he's showing a little leg in a sense. showing, to use a term, i think he's trying to show he cares. >> well, it's politically incredibly smart, strategically. first of all, he's doing it in pennsylvania, doing it on the eastern side of pennsylvania. so strategically, that's smart. second of all, this is not a

conservative republican plan. there will be some conservatives who say, why are we doing this? he is doing this in a way that a lot of women will say, this makes sense to me. unlike hillary, he's not raising taxes to pay for it. and it is reaching an audience -- >> so where's the money coming from? >> he says he's going to do it from saving money in the unemployment program. >> waste, fraud, and abuse. the old kennard. the old tricks. >> we can't believe there's waste in the federal government. >> can't they get rid of waste first and not have new programs. >> can't they get rid of waste first and not raise taxes? >> or pay more -- >> you're all talking about this being desperate. the "l.a. times" tracking poll has trump over three points over hillary. where are these people voting if the women aren't voting for him. >> -- pennsylvania -- >> which is -- >> i love that question. you're right. let me explain. john, that's right. these numbers are very close nationwide. and yet every category of people, women, minorities, younger people, are all voting against him. how is that true? and he's running a little bit

behind hillary? how is that possible? >> what we really need to -- >> 90%? >> men are not voting for him 90%, but men are voting for him more than women are. i think the answer to your question about why is this a ploy is, because it's coming now. this is the kind of thing, i have to say, that hillary clinton has been talking about, a, for months, and b, for her entire career. and imagine how smart it would have looked if donald trump had raised this, for example, in his convention speech. or months before. >> abortion -- >> ivanka did, but -- >> she's not running for president. >> i want some news here. trump's campaign manager, kellyanne conway, who's very smart about these things we're talking about, earlier today was talking about hillary clinton's policy proposals. let's listen to kellyanne. >> we can't really find a lot about her child care policy on her website. maybe they're putting it up now as i speak to you, but we know they talk about it, but we're actually going to do it. >> well, according to the associated press, comparing policy proposals by the numbers,

donald trump has offered only seven detailed issues on his website, while hillary clinton has offered 38. the one title goes to hillary. and here comes ivanka, by the way. we have to take a little peek at this thing in pennsylvania, eastern pennsylvania, here's ivanka, the daughter of the candidate. >> good evening, everyone. a few years ago, i read about a single mother facing homelessness, whose child care arrangement failed her the morning of a final job interview. out of options, she made the tragic choice to leave her young children in a hot car while she attempted to secure the job in order to better the life of her family. she returned to the parking lot following the interview to find her vehicle surrounded by the police. her children had been hospitalized and she was jailed and charged with felony child abuse. as i have traveled around the country with my father, stories about the hardships caused by our existing child care system,

one that is too expensive, too outdated, and too inaccessible, come up time and time again. just last week, i spoke military spouse who recounted the vicious cycle responsible for holding so many of american families back economically. she relayed to me the frustration i've heard all too often of not being able to work and bring home a second income because she can't afford quality and reliable child care. stories like these go straight to my heart, and they've steeled my belief that there has to be a better way. i have three young children myself, and i'm grateful daily for the means to pursue two of my dreams, being a mother and investing in a career that fulfills me. i recognize that far too few women can say the same for themselves, and that i am more fortunate than most. this must change. as a society, we need to create

policies that champion all parents enabling the american family to thrive. my dad agrees, and he's in a very unique position to do something about this problem and the numerous other problems facing tens of millions of parents and caregivers across our country. today child care is the single-greatest expense for many american families even exceeding the cost of housing in many of the country. it's depleting the hard earned savings of men and women across our nation and it's at the root of wage inequality by disproportionately affecting women. the federal policies that are in place to benefit families were written more than 65 years ago to serve a primarily male workforce that no longer exists. dual income families were not the norm in 1949 when the current tax code provisions regarding families were

established. today, however, women represent 47% of the u.s. labor force, and in many two-thirds of married couples, both spouses work outside of the home. 70% of mothers with children at home also work in a professional capacity and 64% of these moms have kids age 6 and under. the number of households led by single mothers has doubled in the last 30 years and approximately two-thirds of these women work in low wage jobs that offer neither flexibility nor benefits. my father has created a plan that is designed to bring relief and to provide working parents with options so that they can make the decisions that are in the best interests of their families. safe, affordable, high quality child care should not be the luxury of a fortunate few. historically this has not been an area that has received nearly as much attention in the policy world as it deserves.

while there are systems in place for older children, hardly any intellectual energy has been devoted to addressing the needs of families with children from birth to 4 years old. in particular, little focus has been put on determining how best to alleviate the enormous financial burdens child care places on low income and middle income families. at the same time, the united states is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not provide new mothers with paid maternity leave. my father's policy will give paid leave to mothers whose employers are among the almost 90% of u.s. businesses that currently do not offer this benefit. this is a reform that is of critical value and long overdue. my father's plan also recognizes and supports the many women who may not be but have left good

paying jobs to care for elderly dependents. this is another example of people who have been routinely ignored by federal policies. having employed and empowered thousands of women at every level of his company throughout his entire career, my father understands the needs of the modern workforce and is offering a new and innovative solution where others have not. my father's plan also acknowledges the vital contribution of stay at home moms and parents, fathers and mothers, who will ensure that they, too, will receive these benefits. raising children full-time is one of the hardest jobs anyone can do, and it's essential that our policies recognize and honor that reality. as an employer, a mother and a woman who works both inside and outside the home, these are topics i consider of critical importance.

the policy my father is about to outline is one that i'm proud to have helped conceptualize and ensuring its enactment will be one of my top priorities when he's elected come november. >> okay. what do you make of this, ruth? >> i think that ivanka trump is a terrific surrogate for her father and she's making an argument, a reasoned argument about an important issue, but it's not an issue that donald trump has paid any attention to or will paid any attention to now. >> can he jump into something like this two months before an election and say i really care about child care? >> we're 56 days out. and already through his rhetoric alienated women so badly that, a, minor policy that i really think is a ploy here that's minimal will not fix this problem with women voters. >> i'd like to get into the casino business. it's a little bit odd, john.

>> but this is not about child care. this is about -- >> let's watch him. here's donald trump. >> thank you, everybody. that's very nice. beautiful. thank you very much. and i want to applaud my daughter ivanka for her work and leadership on this issue. she has been working so very hard. ivanka's been deeply invested in this since long before the campaign began, i can tell you that. i'm very grateful to her for her work, her efforts and this proposal which we're going to be outlining right away. i think it's going to make a lot of people very, very happy. a lot of moms very happy. i want to also take a moment to recognize congresswoman kathy mcmorris rogers, the chairwoman of the house republican conference, and a mother of

three small children who has been such a leader and worked so hard with us. so kathy, we want to thank you very much. also, we're joined tonight by some amazing members of congress in our audience. congresswoman blackburn, loomis, black, hartsler. come on up. they worked so hard on this. come on up. >> well, i won't tell you -- my name is marcia blackburn, and i'm from the great state of

tennessee. and i want to say thank you to all of you for the warm reception that you have given to us, and i want to say a special thank you to mr. trump. focusing on the issues that affect working women -- >> well, election diary tuesday, september 13, 2016, we're watching it. mark down today as the date president obama entered the 2016 election and showed his stuff. that stuff is his light, joyous, mischievous assault on the person of donald trump. obama wants this one. he wants it for hillary clinton because she'll protect his legacy personally, protect what he's for politically. she'll do for him what any president needs once he's left the trappings of the white house. president obama once said privately that the two things he'll miss when out of office are the plane, air force one, and the valet who sets out his clothes in the morning and keeps his room neat. one thing he's determined not to be without is having a president

in the white house speaking well of him and carrying on his basic policies. the last thing he wants is to go down in history as the president whose terms of office the american people rejected with such gusto they were willing to replace him with donald trump. the vital importance of today is that, despite a surrogate for hillary clinton, who was unmatchable by the other side, a surrogate who knows just where to strike at the opposition, lee atwater, a terrifying smart for the republicans once developed a method for breaking the other side's heart. find a state that they know they need to win that early on take it away from them. today we watched the president of the united states, a man from the other party execute the atwater tactic with glee. pennsylvania is mine, he actually said today, that means you lose. and that's hardball for now. thanks for being with us. "all in" with chris hayes starts right now. tonight on "all in" -- >> do you mind if i just vent

for a second? >> hillary clinton calls in backup. >> i really, really, really want to elect hillary clinton. >> the president lets it fly in philly, dressing down donald trump. >> he won't let you on his golf course. he wasn't going to let you buy any of his condos. now suddenly this guy's going to be your champion? >> tonight barack obama's impassioned rallying cry, and why he was touting the single-biggest election headline of the week. >> republicans don't like to hear good news right now. >> plus "the washington post" on the latest explosive reporting on the foundation. did they flip the deplorable script. >> hillary clinton wasn't talking about that bad man. >> and new questions about donald trump's health to be answered by dr. oz? >> i'm not going to ask you a question she doesn't want to have answered. >> "all in" start