over the last election and, look, spent $27 billion because they're null so don't tell me that you didn't think that you could affect peoples' decisions. >> a great pointed. thank you both. i will see you back here monday night 6:00 p.m. eastern on the beat. "hardball with chris matthews" starts right now. more, let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews out in los angeles. roy moore says he's not going anywhere. the republican alabama senate candidate responded to yesterday's bombshell "washington post" story quoting a woman saying he inappropriately touched her when she was a 14-year-old girl in 1979. he called the charge completely false and misleading. those are his words. let's listen. >> i don't know miscorfman from

anybody. i never talked to her, never had any contact with her. allegations of sexual misconduct with her are completely false. i believe they're politically motivated. i believe they're brought only to stop a very successful campaign and that's what they're doing. i don't remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother. >> well, the white house issued a cautious statement earlier today. here was sarah huckabee sanders. >> like most americans the president believes that we cannot allow a mere allegation, in this case one from many years ago, to destroy a person's life. however, the president also believes that if these allegations are true, judge moore will do the right thing and step aside. >> well, some republicans went much further, calling for moore to step away right now. mitt romney tweeted nbt until proven guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections. i believe leigh corfman. her account is too serious to ignore. moore is unfit for office and

should step aside. well, late today two u.s. senators mike lee also of utah and steve daines of montana announced they were pulling their endorsements of moore. and the senate republican campaign arm severed financial ties with the moore campaign. then there were the bizarre reactions from moor's supporters. according to the religious news service, jerry fal well junior said it comes down to a question who is more credible in the eyes of the voters, the candidate or the accuser of the he added and i believe the judge, that's moore, is telling the truth. in alabama the state audio tore jim zbleeg her reached back to the bible to defend moore. he said mary was a teenager and joseph was an adult carpenter. they became parents of jesusful there's just nothing immoral or illegal here. maybe just a little bit of unusual. interesting reading of the bible there. anyway, today he told nbc news, quote, that it was taken out of context of the my point was given the algsds that roy moore

denies they're trying to paint the dirty old man syndrome which doesn't exist. there's been a long history of row mansz and marriages with teenage girls. just an example. humphrey bow gart and lauren ba cal. she was a teenager. they finally got married when she was 20. well, state representative ed henry said the women accusers should be prosecuted if they believe this man is predatory. they're guilty of allowing him to exist for 40 years. i think someone should prosecute and go after them. you can't be a victim 40 years later in my opinion. i'm not buying it. it's too easy for someone to make these accusations. well, trump's alabama campaign cochair also cast doubt on the "washington post" story. let's listen. >> i do not believe the women. you know, and i don't know exactly because i saw the same thing, the same accusations made when president trump was running. i don't like to see it.

i think it's false, but one way to get down to it is just to require them to take a polygraph test. >> well, to make sense of all of this if you can i'm joined by the assisting managing editor for politics christine that bell tone, john archibald and susan dell%o. boy, this is sticky wicket they say, as the brits would say say. what a strange story this is. christy, it just seems to me, seeing that this is a political show and it's not "access hollywood" or something like that, that what we're seeing here is people go to their corners. no matter what the facts are, no matter how yucky the thing is, you go to your side and play defense. >> and you have to keep in mind that a lot of the establishment republicans that are distancing themselves from moore right now didn't want him in the race to begin with, right. they backed the guy who was appointed -- >> there is a reason. >> well, because he won the election and they would like to make sure that their numbers

stay the same in the senate. in the end this comes down to politics. but what's really -- >> in other words it's too late to get somebody else in there. the ballot has been printed and that's it. >> right. look at hollywood, i mean, there is a film that had kevin spacey in it as a supporting actor that they have completely recast christopher plumber in because of everything the accusations that have been coming out. >> jumped the character's age by 20 or 30 years just to justice to situations like this. >> right. so the entertainment industry is seeing a widespread phenomenon right now and actually taking action to change that. now, what's going to happen in politics? roy moore could still very much win this election. it's also far away and a lot can happen, whether that be more allegations. whether he decides he's going to talk about this further, whether he does step aside as some people are urging him to do. the bottom line is he says she's not true. he doesn't even know her. you can't give somebody a polygraph when this is the type of accusation that's being leveled. it's a criminal charge in alabama at the time that this

happened if it is true. >> well, john archibald, where are we at on this? is there any talk of polygraph for the senate nominee, for the accuser and to make her case more dramaticically throughout the rest of this campaign? there's about 30 some days left for her to speak. >> there are people calling for it. and of course, we'd all love to see that happen, but there is a lot of effort to discredit without really going through steps to know whether it's right or not. i mean, the supporters of roy moore are doing back flips to try to discredit this. >> you know, i'm watching this, susan. first of all, this guy -- i don't even know. i hate talking religion on television for a political show, but i don't mind it. it was a virgin birth of jesus. this idea that they were having sex doesn't square with certainly the christmas story of jesus, mary and joseph that i grew up with. i don't know why these people are reaching so desperately for these parallels and then

humphrey boeing art and lauren ba cal. she was about 19 or 20 going on 30 perhaps at the time. she was a grown up person. i mean, i watched those movies. she wasn't some 14-year-old. it's an absurd comparison. they're reaching really hard, really hard here. >> they are. and you're right. it is desperate. right now there's a message out there, either elect a child molester or a democrat. and some republicans in alabama are saying i'd rather elect a child molester. well, it's time for the republicans to stand up and say no to this. we've seen two senators take away their endorsement. we've seen that the senate funding for the republican senate committee has taken away the funding. these are all good steps and they must continue. these women put their name out there, and it is so difficult for them in their communities. these aren't famous women who can go hide away for a couple of weeks and lay low if they want to. you have to go to the

supermarket. their children have to go to school. this was extremely difficult. so, yes, i believe them because they have a lot more on the line. and that these accusations or calling for poll graphs, i'd rather see moore take a polygraph. i'm pretty sure he wouldn't pass it. he's been a pariah all along for a lot of republicans. let's not forget when he went to washington just a couple of weeks ago, he wouldn't take questions and a lot of people stayed very far away from him. he really has not been active. and john can talk more about this. but he hasn't been active on the campaign trail. and i don't expect to see him out there that much now. so this interview and a few interviews won't clear up this problem. and republicans have to continue top stand up against him. >> john archibald, there's not going to be any kind of criminal case or even civil case. this isn't going to go before a tribunal of any civil nature. it does seem to be something that's going to be tried in the press. what do you make of that? how do you like that? >> that's true. and, you know, we're not going to find out between now and

election day the truth of these allegations. which is why many rpgs have decided that it's just not worth considering. i think what a lot of people don't understand is how much the mitch mcconnell actions, how much the so-called establishment republican rebuke of roy moore only helps roy moore because essentially that's what pushes him over luther strange in the primary and there's so much animosity there that none of that drips down on alabama. he's not going anywhere. >> what is the phrase "washington post" mean there politically down there in alabama? when a voter hears the phrase "washington post," honestly what do they hear? >> they hear fake news, which is -- hurts the soul of an old newspaper guy, but that's the way it is. there's very little trust there right now among those people who support roadway moore. >> and yet those people, chris, just as an fyi, they all believe

"the new york times" which they also have a problem with. but when they were accusing harvey weinstein, they had no problem believing that and calling for obama and other democrats to step away from him. >> right. we don't know really what alabama voters are believing in their press, but we do know that the strategy is to attack the media and then go on fox news and talk about that there. part of the whole system is breaking down here, and if people are only hearing one bit of information, they're never going to be able to make a decision for themselves. and i will say, you know, the l.a. times we've been at the forefront of both at the entertainment here at looking into abuse allegations, misconduct allegations, harassment allegations. these are not stories that are taken lights. we spend a lot of time reporting them. we're very careful. and that "washington post" story did not read like they put it together real quick. it didn't read like faye fake news. >> no. >> clearly -- >> almost an interrogation of six different people interrogating her. >> and those stories, everybody takes them very seriously and it's really important to be doing this right now. this is a phenomenon we're

looking at across all industries. >> roy moore said he wasn't going anywhere and blame the attack as we just heard on the media or a media conspiracy. here he goes. >> the "washington post" has attacked my foundation. they've attacked my wife and now they're attacking me personally on a sexual matter. i don't know what's going next, but i'm sure that in the next four weeks they're going to come out with another article because they've got an agenda and they're fulfilling their agenda right as we speak. >> well, that attack by the candidate was echoed by steve bannon, his supporter. let's listen to steve. >> the baysos amazon "washington post" that dropped that dime on donald trump is the same bezos amazon "washington post" that dropped the dime this afternoon on judge roy moore. now, is that a coincidence? that's what i mean when i say opposition party.

right? it's purely part of the apparatus of the democratic party. >> well, let me go back to john archibald. there's a new axis i hadn't heard of before the baysos amazon "washington post." it's almost like the well, world war ii kind of axis. does this ring familiar? does anybody know who jeff baysos' politics are or amazon which seems to be pretty ant septic politically, why they would have a left wing bent? just because they're big time? is that it. >> i think there is. they're a big time, new age -- i think it's a finely crafted phrase that was thought about for a while, and i guarantee you it resonates with some people here. >> what do you think about the race? i'm looking at the poll numbers. let's take a look at them right now. this is a new alabama poll of likely voters. it means it's been screened. these are people that are probably going to show up. it shows them basically 46 all. is that what it smells like down

there, john? >> yeah. i don't know. i think that's pretty optimistic for the democrat. it may be drawing closer, but polls here have not been very accurate. it would be a real surprise still for me for him to be that close. but, you know, it's a single race election. turn out has been historically low in these things. >> not now. do you think this -- i would think this would juice the electric tort in a lot of ways. i want to get back to susan. this is going to get -- i just looked at the numbers today. 80 some% of the people in alabama new yesterday tall about this story and they're all going to know about it. i don't care if you're the least political person on the plok, you're going to have heard this story and have an attitude about it. >> you are. and to go to turn out, one is the -- i guess the question will be i know that there's a local rois in montgomery county which can turn out towards the democrat. plus like we saw on tuesday,

either women are going to come out strong or there's going to be a lot of republicans who are kind of disgusted with what's going on and not come out at all. and that's what we're looking at in a special election. but this is going to be an ugly 30 days. there's no question about it. and just to that clip that you showed about steve bannon, he's one to talk. right now he's representing child molesters and exfelons and that's not the party -- >> who are those people you're talking? >> the child molester is roy moore and former convicted flon is michael grm up in new york. that's who he's getting behind after his career in the white house? that's not what the republican party is. >> the democrats have to be careful here, right. because we know national democrats are google doug jones' name. they're very vested in this race. >> that's not going to help. >> exactly. and alabama voters may not appreciate that type of message. and the other part here is that we are talking about a senate

election where you've got establishment republicans who are saying, you know, we're not going to back that guy now. don't forget what happened a year ago. that helped donald trump win the presidency. >> you know, i've been thinking for years before this guy, trump. at least a year i should say. freddie krueger keeps coming back in the next movie. anyway, thank you. not the president is freddie krueger. he's just like that. thank you from birmingham alabama. we're going to have much more on our top story later in the hour, but first nbc news reports the special counsel robert mueller is investigating a secret deal between former national security adviser michael flynn and senior turkish officials. flynn was allegedly offered, catch this, millions of dollars to seize one of presidenter dough juan's opponents here in it country and hand him over to the turks. this is dirty business if it's true. plus tuesday's election was a moral boost for democrats and progressive. of course, they how do they

build on that momentum for 2018 and 2020. and the continued fall out from the roy moore allegations. steve bannon is standing by the alabama senate candidate. we heard that. but he's calling for the ouster of another republican lawmaker, majority leader mitch mcconnell. fine. let me finish tonight with trump watch. this is "hardball" where the action is.

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welcome back to "hardball." we learned this week that in the case of former national security adviser michael flynn, special counsel robert mueller has assembled enough evidence to bring charges against him. well, now nbc news is reporting new details about mueller's interest in flynn's work on whaf of the government of turkey. specifically his potential involvement in a plan to forcibly remove one of president erdogan's political opponents from the united states and deliver him forcibly to turkey. well, the plan which the uncoming national security adviser discussed with turkish officials in a meeting during the transition could represent, quote, a potential quid pro quo in which flynn would be paid to carry out directives from anchora secretly while in the white house and on the white house payroll. in exchange flynn was offered upwards of $15 million to be paid directly or indirectly if

he could complete the deal according to two sources familiar with that meeting. well, it's the kind of leverage that mueller could use to persuade flynn to become a cooperating witness in the larger russian investigation. well, late today flynn's lawyer said in a statement we have intentionally avoiding responding to every allegation but today's news cycle has brought allegations about general flynn ranging from kidnapping and biebry that are so outrageous and prejudicial that we are making an exception to our usual rule. they are false. i want to julie on this. tell us as much as you can about the nature of what we know to be true here about a conversation between turkish officials and general flynn about the question of whether he would participate in forcibly getting somebody back to turkey that was an enemy of erdogan, the president. >> so of course we stand by our reporting. carol lee and i very much have been reporting on this for a

long time, and we have sources that say that michael flynn -- and that mueller is looking into weather michael flynn in december of 2016 when he was already working for the trump president altransition met at the 21 club in new york, just blocks away from trump tower where he was working on the transition with turkish officials and was offered upwards of $15 million if he could secure the removal of the elderly muslim clerk who is a political opponent of turkish president erdogan. this is something that the turks had been pleading for for a long tomb. they asked the obama administration to review this. they dismissed it. and then we know that after trump came into the administration and after flynn became his national security adviser the fbi was asked again to review this case with no new information. so what mueller is looking for now is whether or not flynn

exploited his position as national security adviser and was influenced by a foreign power in this position. this, of course, could fall under a bribery statute without even taking that money he could be subject to prosecution. >> to win a bribery case, i've watched this for years you almost have to have a tape, don't you? you have to show a quid pro quo conversation. if i do this, you have to do that and that has to be basically sealed in a conversation. it can't just be an inference or some assumption made. how would you get something like that in a case like this unless one of the people were wired in real time? >> well, of course, it's difficult, but we know that special counsel mueller has the ability to subpoena businesses. he could look at the 21 club, people who met there. he could try to talk to people who were involved in this meeting. we know that he is speaking to witnesses who worked with flynn in the flynn intel group because he's very interested in his business of lobbying on behalf

of turkey. that, of course, would encompass this. and the grand jury is hearing from more witnesses through the end of next week. this is something he's pushing really hard on, chris, because he wants to be able to turn flynn into a cooperating witness because, of course, flynn gets closer into the trump administration than someone like paul manafort or george papadopoulos ever would. he actually served as part of this transition and in the white house. >> ken, you know that thing that term in mathematics, something gets close to close to close. it keeps cutting the distance in half but it never quite hits. it's the theory of limits. that's what this case is like. it's so teasing because every time we get an account like this account which is probably totally true, but it never quite satisfies because you never quite get to that point where they were heard saying if you do this i'll do that. it's very teasing, very appetizing because it seems to get -- they're in a meeting. they talk about a certain topic. there was an offer made and

pause, nothing. you'd go i'd like to know a little more here. that's the pattern. >> yeah. i don't think you have to get all the way there. we saw that in the manafort and the gates indictments where there's -- you know, there are foreign agent registration act violations, alleged tax violations, there are alleged money laundering violations. and what you have here already is the groundwork for a case that's similar to that, indictment similar to that. flib has already acknowledged that he did not properly register his work on behalf of this dutch company that is turkish owned through the foreign agents registration act. this is another meeting. this meeting in december in new york city, even if there was no money that changed hands, even if there was no contract that was signed, just the fact of that meeting where they're talking about ways to influence u.s. foreign policy, perhaps extra legally, but nonetheless influence u.s. foreign policy, that should trigger the foreign agents registration act and he did not register that work.

>> if he didn't perform any service, didn't carry out this request, this professional offer, that would still be a violation of the law, you're saying? >> that's my understanding, yes. because you're meeting with a foreign principal about influencing u.s. foreign policy. doesn't have to be money changed hands. there's been cases without any money changing hands and my understanding is that this would fit that bill. >> bob, we've known each other a long time. it looks like a very impressive prosecutor who is building what might be called leverage on a lot of people. he's got michael flynn, if he broke a couple of laws he could throw a book at the guy. nobody wants to go to a prison even if it's a technicality for ten or 20 years. threatening their son. nobody wants their son to go to jail because of something they got them into. it looks to me like he's building with one goal in mind, get trump. >> well, probably to get the truth. he wants to pressure these

folks. there are a whole host of potential felonies that i think michael flynn could conceivably face. i don't think we could know what mueller has until some of these cases go to trial. even the indictment, if there is an indictment, isn't going to tell us everything. but there's one real clue to this, i think, and that was the president asking james comey before he fired him as fbi director to go easy on mike flynn. you know, donald trump is not someone famous for his loyalty to anyone but his family. >> he's not saint francis, no. >> anybody else could be thrown under -- >> keeping him at bay? >> well, it suggests. isologicically suggests that trump is worried that flynn could put him in a whole world of hurt. >> you've got to worry about what trump might do to -- you have a loyalty to those who have appointed you, but to his son, that doesn't even touch the loyalty factor here. he's got to look out for his family. >> well, his son obviously was

involved in all sorts -- all parts of his business and obviously is vulnerable here. and i think he will worry about that. but beyond that, he's got to think about what's going to happen to him to what's left of his reputation and my guess is that maybe he's hoping that if things go badly tlum will give him a pardon. >> why not? you've also been reporting for nbc news that robert mueller is also investigating a meeting between general flynn and this is a strange one congressman dana roar backer. i've known him for a long time. he's a staunch advocate for lifting sanctions with russia r. mueller's interest in the nature of flynn and roar backer's could mark the first time a member of congress could be wrapped in the investigation. an fbi agent told mr. roar backer in 2012 that russian spies were trying to influence him as an algt of influence, someone to steer washington policy-making.

julie, what is the politics here? it used to be when i was growing up for thousands of years that republicans didn't like russians. they considered them communists. they particularly didn't like the kgb. they were the bad guys and the black spies white spies stories they were the bad guys. why would roar backer like putin? >> you know, this relationship has always caused a lot of people to raise eyebrows. we even had that tape that the "washington post" reported on earlier this year where kevin mccarthy, the republican leader on the -- when p kevin mccarthy was trying to say if anyone is being paid by russia, it's trump and it's roadway backer. it's very strange that his name has come up and up again. he's also advocate for dropping the magnitsky act and for giving protections to julian as sang. the fact that his name is coming up at a meeting with michael flynn is of course an interest

to robert mueller, and they are now looking at e-mails exchanged between the flynn intel group and roadway backer staff. we know that they had a meeting september 20th in d.c. and that at this time he brought in a number of people from his flynn intel group, the lobbying firm, not from the campaign. but it's hard to separate those two because at the time he was also work is as an adviser for the campaign. he's running into this place where he's trying to have both ways, being the lobbyist and the adviser. >> again i'll joke jackie mason. this is blood all over the place and there's russia all over these people. russia russia russia. i've never in my life heard of so many russian contacts by the republican side or any side in american politics. and i think it has to do with lots of rubles looking for a place to go. anyway, thank you. i think we should follow the money and i know we are. thank you all of you guys. still ahead, the continued fall out from the roy moore allegations. and up next, how do democrats

get the momentum coming out of tuesday's mass save -- these victories are like 1974. we're going to ask eric gar saet, a possible 2020 contender. this is "hardball" where the action is. i can guide you in? no, thanks , santa, i got this. looks a little tight. perfect fit. santa needs an f-150. that's ford, america's best selling brand. hurry in today for 0% financing for 72 months across the full line of ford cars, trucks and suvs! and just announced... get 0 % apr for 72 months plus $1000 cash back! take advantage of these exclusive holiday offers during the ford year end sales event.

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side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. ask your doctor about victoza®. richard louie with some breaking news for you. the "washington post" is reporting that the body of a u.s. soldier killed in an ambush in niger last month was found with his arms bound and a wound

indicating he may have been executed. comedian lewis ck said recent allegations of sexual misconduct are true. he apologized to the women involved for using his power irresponsibly. fx announced today it is serving all ties with the comedian. the first major arctic blast of the season is producing chilling temperatures across the north and southeast. back to "hardball." today virginians have answered and have spoken. virginia has told us to end the divisiveness that we will not condone hatred and bigotry and to end the politics that have torn this country apart. >> tonight we declare the days of division are over.

we will move forward together. >> welcome back to "hardball." tuesday's democratic victories from maine to montana provided a much needed boost, a big moral boost for a party which many argue has lost its way since last year's election. but the high is already waning and democrats have yet to deal with two fundamental structural problems, a lack of leadership nationally and a unified message. with 2020 only three years away and president trump historically unpopular, a slew of potential democratic contenders has popped up across the country. from joe biden to elizabeth warren and los angeles mayor eric garcetti who just last week decided to pass on a run for governor of california. he was re-elected last march in a massive landslide. well, certainly i'm with you on this. >> yes. >> and i don't even like the word infrastructure. i want rapid rail. i want everything. i want to reunite a polarized

country. >> i think mayors know how to get things done. >> he's a good mayor. >> mayor pete out there. we've got mayors from dayton, from columbia, south carolina, from nashville. we know that washington is so broken it's up to us to show people how you can actually create jobs, fix this country and build our future. and i think people are frustrated not just with the white house but the inaction that -- >> why don't the leaders -- i'm watching nancy pelosi and chuck schumer. they just wait for the president to propose a tax bill and they wine about it. they're not proposing stuff like rebuilding the country. why don't they do it? >> and the money that was -- >> you're saying and -- why don't they do it? why don't democrats have a plan. >> they're so busy playing defense. schumer does have a plan. i think what we forgot is the same night a year ago that trump was elected president, cities passed $230 billion of infrastructure. that's almost a quarter of the trillion dollars they're talking about. so while we need washington to

step up, we're not powerless where we live in the states where we are, the local communities to get that job done. that's what we're doing here in l.a. we passed the largest transportation infrastructure package times two. 15 rapid transit lines, 715,000 jobs for the next 40 years in this town. >> how do you get the democrats to get the white working class back to the party? >> start speaking english again. start speaking normal plain straightforward english to people about jobs, infrastructure and not being obsessed about a democratic agenda. start getting into an agenda for the american people again. i think people don't wake up asking who is in charge of the democratic party, who is running our state party. they don't care about those battles. they want to see people talking to them about their education, debt, health care, those things where people live and we've got to go back to that. >> are you running? >> i'm not a candidate for president. i'm the mayor of a great city. >> would you like to be president of the united states? >> well, i'm focused on 2018 right now and making sure we can

flip the house, protect what we have and get a party in power -- >> i think you're smiling. by the way, i think you're running. it's your decision, not mine, obviously. is there anybody better than you to be the democratic -- anybody better than you. >> i never assume i'm the best person. >> who is better than you? >> well, joe biden is a dear friend of mine. >> you're going tore running mate. thank you. >> i hope you run. up next, the political damage from the roy moore bombshell. other republicans may be distancing themselves, wouldn't you, from the alabama senate candidate. but steve bannon has made it clear he's standing by his man. you're watching "hardball." look at the guy, right. he's got his jobber on too. that's to show he's a regular guy. you're watching "hardball." needles. essential for vinyl, but maybe not for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

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by his man. he backed him in his primary fight against luther strange, even campaigning on his behalf. well, the former white house chief strategist has also accused senate majority leader mitch mcconnell of trying to destroy moore and in an interview he launched yet another attack on mcconnell. let's listen. >> the senate and mitch mcconnell have been the most outrageous in their lack of support of president trump's agenda. >> so that's their greatest offense is not supporting the president enough. >> the greatest offense is not supporting the president enough as of now. i think he showed his contempt for the grassroots movement. i think he showed his contempt for the really the trump movement in those actions and so, yes, mitch mcconnell has to go. >> do you think mitch mcconnell will be majority leader at this time next year. >> i absolutely do not think he'll be majority leader. >> let's bring in liesa cohence, clarence page and ginger gibson. it's a great team. why don't you all begin to

assess in the order of naming you about how the republicans get out of these chinese handcuffs. i mean, it seems to me the more they support this guy and they already pretty much have done it, they're stuck with him. but if he wins they're going to have to explain him through history, the indiscretion of the past and if they lose with him, if he gets blown out of the race, the democrat wins. eliza, you first. >> they're in chinese handcuffs. the i think that's the best way to say it. they have a very narrow majority in the senate. they could really use another republican to help get their agenda such as tax reform through. do they really want their republican to be someone who is accused of dating a teej arj and not quite denying it. he's used things like i can't remember and generally. we've seen republicans and just tonight we saw two senators unendorse him which is sort of showing where they're feeling. >> you know, clarence, you and i

are of a similar past. i never heard a guy say i've never dated somebody without asking permission of their parents. never dated anybody. it's the craziest thing i ever heard. can i meet your parents. oh, got to ask your parents before i take you to the movies. and he's talking about a 14-year-old. what would you say to the parents to a 14-year-old when you're 32? i mean, it's cockamamie. >> hard to imagine one of my colleagues said that he didn't touch a 1-year-old girl even when he was 14 himself. i think this is such a shocking story. in that regard. but chris, you know, we've been around long enough to have seen what happened like after the lewinski scandal. a lot of people in the republican base feel like well, they let bill clinton get away with it and this is no worse than that and blah blah blah, but people are really adjusting rationalizing as much as they can in order to keep party unity but the chinese handcuffs one is

not a bad one because it's certainly appropriate. >> this is all tricky business who just covers politics, but the difference between lauren bacall and a 14-year-old, i'm sorry, i've seen all the movies. i mean, i don't get the lauren bacall reference to a 14-year-old. i don't even understand what we're talking about here when people make these defenseless defenses. >> and humphrey bogart wasn't running for the u.s. senate in alabama. republicans are in a tough spot. i've heard some suggest that mitch mcconnell may be better off with a democrat from alabama knowing that the next time that that seat was up it would be a win in their column. i think their biggest liability is going to be all the tape recorders that would be in front of roy moore for his duration of time in the senate. reporters would be knocking to him to get his comments on nearly everything, and that's a liability because every time he gives a quote that ends up in a story, it's a reminder not just to the voters of alabama but the voters across the country that this guy managed to get elected

if he wins and would be in the united states senate. >> well, i think you're right. they could at least get rid of him. they could get somebody else in there. roy moore was championed, however, by steve bannon. here are some of the candidates that he has encouraged to run. it's a hell of a list. >> this contra september active thing, my gosh, it's such inexpensive. back in my days they used bear aspirin. the gals put it between their niece and it wasn't that costly. >> john mccain is falling down on the job. he's gotten weak, old. >> you brought up his age. that's a tough attack. >> i'm a physician. i see the physiological changes that happen in normal aging in patients again and again and again over the last 20, 25 years. >> do you think that homosexuality or homosexual conduct should be illegal today? that's a where he or no question. >> homosexual conduct should be illegal. >> should be. >> congressman michael grim does

not want to talk about some of the allegations concerning his campaign finances. we wanted to get him on camera on that but as you saw refused to talk about that. back to you. >> i would not -- >> eliza, that's the murderers row that has been cooked up by steve bannon. i mean, these characters, michael grim threatening to break like a boy and we're going to outlaw and all this stuff. one after another. these are strange candidates, including the one that beat strange. >> and it's quite a list and it's a lit that the republican party has to figure out how to deal with. i mean, kelly ward, who was the one that said that senator mccain is too old, she right mou is the leading person because jeff flake dropped out of the arizona senate race. we saw immediately republicans

saying the only good news here is that a more mainstream candidate can get in they call her conspiracy theorist kelly. and so republicans are going to have to fug out what is better, to have a republican in the seat or to have one of these people on bannon's list. >> what a choice. we'll be right back. i've got to get right back with you in a minute. starting with you, clarence will give me scoops for the weekend. this is "hardball," where the action is. even a swing set standoff. and we covered it, july first, twenty-fifteen. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

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president trump is gearing up for a series of meetings later today at the opec summit in vietnam -- a peck summit in vietnam. there it is, in which president trump was seen sharing small talk with russian president vladimir putin. well, the exchange comes amid word from the white house that there will be no formal meeting due to scheduling conflicts on both sides. despite that, white house secretary sarah huckaby sanders says they will be in the same place, are they going to bump into each opts and say hello,? certainly that is likely and possible. how coy. we'll be right back. and administrative paperwork, your days of drowning people are numbered. same goes for you, budget overruns. and rising costs, wipe that smile off your face. we're coming for you too. at optum, we're partnering across the health system

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metal detectors. also, you pay think of taking greyhound back to washington. >> it's nice to know if you wait in line to do something, it doesn't make any difference. >> reuters poll this past week found that 79% of americans think that tax reform should help the middle class as over corporate tax rate cuts. however, only 8% of americans think that tax reform actually will help the middle class and most believe that it will help the wealthy. >> smart. thank you. >> back to alabama, some conservative lawmakers, while they haven't publicly spoken about distancing themselves from moore, they're talking about possible write-ins that our conservatives not to split the ticket and they're talking about jeff sessions, who is currently the attorney general and mel brooks, the congressman from alabama. >> wow, i don't know, it can be very tricky the ballots have been printed. when we return, let me finish the night with trump watch.

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trump watch friday november 10th, 2017. this has been a nasty week for the trump team. first the punch in the gut from the voters on tuesday, in the first big electoral test victory since last november, voters yelled a layout no to the man in the white house the blast came especially strong from the suburbs, which usually decide elections in this country. the second came with a charge that u.s. senate roy moore became involved with a 14-year-old back in his early '30s, the reaction from fellow republicans has been swift and negative believe donald trump has gotten himself in trouble to deep he may not be able to climb out of it. what is different this time is voters are now calling the president to account. they sided with him last year when it was the attitude of the political establishment. the issue now is the person felt that and performance of donald trump, himself. if he continues to perform as he has the last year, if nothing

changes in his conduct, it's hard to see how the voters' verdict will be any more positive a year from now when the country votes to pick a new congress and that's "hardball" for now, thanks for being with us "all in" with chris hayes starts right now. tonight on kwl all in" -- >> do you remember dating girls that young at that time? >> not generally, no. >> roy moore speaks out. >> i don't remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother. >> reporter: tonight roy moore's selective defense and the republican party, trapped between roy moore and corporate tax cuts. -- then. >> lock her up. lock her up. >> explosive new reporting that president trump's national security adviser may have been secretly bribed on behalf of a foreign government. >> general flynn is a wonderful man. >> and from roy moore to louis c.k.