easily into, but to make the x decision, to build a bridge and not a mote each and every day whether on tv or at the grocery store. "hardball's" up right now. bewitched, bothered and bewildered. let's play "hardball." what a time in politics. i am not a witch. not since richard nixon said i am not a crook have we heard such a grotesque claim of innocence. it came from christine o'donnell in her ad. >> i'm not a witch. i'm nothing you've heard. >> tonight, we've got this and all the latest op the races arn the country including a new poll that has some good news for

democrats. plus, remember the words of deep throat follow the money? now, there's a new report that the u.s. chamber of commerce which is backing republicans, is running attack ads from cash raised overseas. who are those companies and what do they want for their money? also, it's gas like calling yourself a witch or claiming there are headless bodies in the anthony a desert that have led some anthorizona candidates to from the press. plus, it turns out that joe miller was for unemployment benefits before he was against them. aparentally, he pick ed up his obss after his wife was receiving them. let me finish with this question. why can't politicians just fess up when they get caught.

let's check the newest polls. we'll start with two of likely voters with very different story lines. "the washington post" has republicans up six points now. a month ago, that same poll had them up by 13, but here's the bad news for democrats. in a new gallup pop, very big legal for republicans. 13 points among likely voters. now to state races. in the senate race in california, boxer in front over fiorina by four points. in connecticut, dick blumenthal had a seven-point lead over linda mcmahon in a poll taken before the debate. now to florida where marco rubio is at 46% with charlie crist and meek way behind. governor's races, jerry brown picking up a seven-point lead

over meg whitfield and in the new york's governor's race, cuomo over carl paladino. he says he's going to take out anybody he doesn't like. we'll continue to check the scoreboard each night. let's go to pat buchanan and david cornyn. i think you two are my favorite guys here in terms of belief. you both have very firm convictions. here's christine o'donnell on bill maher's show talking about her involvement with witchcraft. >> i was dabbling into every other kind of religion before i became a christian. >> you were a witch. >> i was. >> i was, i was a witch. now, here's christine o'donnell's newest tv ad paid for by her campaign. >> i'm not a witch. i'm nothing you've heard. i'm you.

none of us are perfect, but none of us can be happy with what we see all around us. politicians who think spending, trading favors and back room deals are the ways the stay in office. i'll go to washington and do what you'd do. i'm christine o'donnell and i approve this message. i'm you. >> well, that's a nice little tune playing on the piano. that was a real piano. don't be mocking. that was a real piano and i think it's a real person. the question is, how does she square her innocent appeal, she's a very likable person. i'd like to meet her. who says she dabbled into these things. >> maybe she's goofing around on bill maher and that stuff. >> that was a joke. >> probably made up a lot of it. what she's doing here is running

against the washington establishment and people -- mocking, ridiculing. >> you never heard of him. >> she's not running against coons. she's running against you. >> but i like her, so it's not going to work. >> she's saying i'm one of you. it's us against them. >> david cornyn, what people are saying about her is what she was saying about herself in the tapes of bill maher. >> no one's making this up. it reminds me of pat's old boss saying, item not a crook. when you come on saying what you're not, she's not a hobgoblin or source. she's said so many silly things, not about herself, but policy. china has a plan to take over. scientists have created mice

with human brains. she has shown she's not ready for prime time. >> i don't know where you stand on evolution, but she said the other day in a quote, she said otherwise monkeys would be chasing in front of us. >> the vast majority of people believe evolution and christian creation should be side by side, but again, look at what she's doing. >> you weren't taught it. >> i never took biology. what she's trying to do, she's trying to connect with the people of delaware. it is us versus them. i would vote for her in a second. i would not vote for coons. the guy is a beard ed marxist. >> i think you got the nail in

that coffin. this woman is not ready and barely got out of college. >> harry truman didn't go to college. >> what's worse, a cleanhaven marxist or bearded? you think it's better -- here's the mcmahon campaign. a devastating ad right before last night's debate. we're going to show you the ad followed by blumenthal addressing it. >> would you lie about serving in a war? >> we have learned something very important since the days i served in vietnam. >> blumenthal did again and again. >> i'm proud of my military service. on a few occasions out of hundreds when i commented on it, i described it inaccurately and

i regret it. i take full responsibility for it. it was not intentional. but that is no excuse. and i want to say that i am sorry. specifically to our veterans and most especially to the veterans of vietnam. >> can you explain the fact that i take full responsibility for it but it was not intentional? how do you say that? >> the interesting thing about this, chris, even that in some of the same speeches, he said it right sometimes and wrong. he contradicted himself really within five, ten minutes of one another. it doesn't seem it was an outright deception. >> why would he do it? >> i think it's inexplicable and he'd be up 20 points if he hadn't of made these dumb mistakes. >> you saying serving in vietnam

is a slip of the tongue. >> at the same time, he described his service accurately. if he's trying to lie, he's a bad lier, which might be a good thing to have in politics. >> i think you speak with four tongues on these issue. i don't know why you're defending him. you defend every single democrat. >> no, not necessarily. >> name one you don't support. >> well, i don't -- >> name one you don't support. >> i don't endorse candidates. i tell you what i think about him. he talked -- >> okay. >> i think it's a problem more than anybody. >> when i came home from vietnam and when i was in vietnam, come on. >> here's mcmahon.

>> and we need people who know how to create jobs. we need people who have walked in those shoes. we need people who have experienced when things aren't so good. i've been bankrupt. been back from bankruptcy. i've had the opportunity because of this country, to grow and to experience what a lot of our folks are experiencing now. mr. blumenthal doesn't have that experience. he's been on government payroll all his life. >> that is an effective shot. she's got two. first, this guy lied about vietnam. second, he's been on government p payroll his whole life. i don't know if she can win, but if there's any two messages -- >> she's been exploiting wrestles. she's been taking advantage of workers and saying we don't -- >> okay. i don't have any idea. this is the flip of the coin. i want to know who's going to

defend carl paladino. two faces of carl paladino. first, threatening a reporter and then in his new ad where he comes off as rather pleasant. >> take you out, buddy. >> how you going to do that? >> watch. >> this is not about my family. this is not about divorces or affairs. it's about a plan to restore prosperity to new york state. >> we see a moment where he says, i'm going to take you out, buddy. >> first one was a real guy. >> i can see it, chris. >> okay. you're a journalist. you went to the columbia journal institute. he probably doesn't like you. if he said that to you, what would you make of that phrase? take you out. >> i think i would take him seriously.

>> what do you think of the phrase, i'm going to take you out. i think that's the best quote of the campaign here. david, i don't know where you're coming out, but carl paladino, good guy, bad guy? >> i think he's a thug. if this is the best you can come up with in new york, then the party is in a lot of trouble. >> last year got rough with hillary clinton. >> this guy, comes up, i'm going to take you. imagine him defending. >> because he came off as -- before that, he was really moving. had cuomo really upset. cuomo was cussing. six points, i think this hurt him badly. >> he was moving because no one knew anything about the guy. >> they liked the racist cars he sends. did he send you one, pat?

>> i like it when you're against the upper class. i do. doesn't speak well of you, mr. corn, to be taking the position of cultural elite. >> having a college education is usually a good thing for government officials. usually a good thing. 20 years to get out of college usually means something. >> you are a speech writer for the president. >> i had eight years. zbh that's a long time. >> you were the establishment. he had the post office. >> i had nine. >> if you can count working as a capitol police, couple of senators, yes, about 10, 15 years. pat buchanan, they're both on the payroll. >> when i leave the studio. there are new reports that the u.s. chamber of commerce is

raising money from overseas to help republicans win elections. next on "hardball." ♪ ♪ [ growls ] ♪ ♪ [ polar bear grunting ] [ growls ] [ male announcer ] introducing the 100% electric nissan leaf. innovation for the planet. innovation for all.

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this is going to be hot stuff. are foreign dollars funding campaign ads in the u.s.? a report today on the u.s.

chamber of commerce and the fight for control of congress. here's what they say -- editor in chief of think progress.org, thanks for joining us. fascinating report. can you disearn where this money's coming from that's apparently coming through the u.s. chamber down here in front of the white house and going to republican candidates? how's the money run? >> let me tell you how this works. the chamber is running a $75 million ad camera to defeat democrats. it runs that out of a general account. that account is funded by foreign entities, including

foreign owned corporations. we don't know exactly how that money gets transported, but we know that money is going into a central account being used for running attack ads. >> goes into a big pile of money and out another door. >> that's it. >> is there any way they can argue the money didn't go through that route? didn't come from that source? >> they could argue they didn't have internal controls. >> here's what the chamber said, their spokeswoman said -- >> we want to know what the system is. it's not enough to just trust them. >> if you throw a pile of

dollars into a pile of dollar, what difference does it make? >> i think they're operating as a pack. you know how packs are. but the difference here is that packs disclose the money. >> let's go to the motive. i always like to know why. why would somebody overseas want to give to a congressional candidate in the united states? free trade? >> health insurers gave them money to run attack ads against health reform while claiming they were supportive of obama's efforts. wall street gave money to the chamber to fight regulations. it's a vessel -- >> is it money laundering? >> if the record proves anything is that people give them money

for a reason. when bp gave money, we'll lobby against. >> so, your store is the money came in the door through foreign sources. went out in terms of campaign contributions to kill democrats and that's all you know and you want to know more. >> if they say they have a system, they should talk about their internal system. the current law probts companies from foreign companies from donating into american elections. the chamber has lobbied against the disclose act. they said they want transparency. why are they fighting the disclose act. >> we don't know which foreign entities are giving the money. >> if you are a bahrainian business man, i would hand you this application. this is an actual application and it says foreign companies are eligible. you're asking, am i eligible. you can get $10,000. where does your check go? right here to washington, d.c.

to a general account. >> thank you so much. let's turn now to chris van hollen, the chairman of the democratic national campaign. what do you make of this charge that the u.s. chamber of commerce is filtering money from overseas into the republicans' campaigns? >> it's a troubling possibility here because what you would have then is foreign controlled interest trying to influence u.s. elections by using the chamber of commerce as a conduit. we know that the u.s. chamber of commerce bitterly fought efforts to take away taxpayer subsidy, loopholes that went to companies that ship jobs overseas, that outsource american jobs. we got that passed overthere. the fact of the matter, their position has been one serves the interest of overseas profits of

corporations over american workers and american jobs, so it's not surprising to see them taking these actions. but we're seeing the potential now that out of this big, general fund, they are using it as part of it. we need to get to the bottom of it and the easiest way to do it is for the the chamber to disclose. >> here's the scary part. you work for an american car company, a steel company in pittsburgh. you're trying to fight for your job and you find out that somewhere in japan , there's somebody sending money to your senate or house candidate. in other words, they're against free trade and some sort of trade deal. they're trying to defeat your congressperson.

doesn't that scare you? >> it does. this is a moment of truth for the american voter. are they going to demand -- that these third party groups stumping millions of dollars of secret money into campaigns, are they going to come clean and tell us who's bankrolling them. who's interests are they serving. we know in this case that the u.s. chamber of commerce worked hard to stop legislation that would end these taxpayer rewards for offshore american jobs. but 60 plus is an organization, chris, that is funded by the health insurance industry which would make hurricahundreds of m the republican plan to privatize medicare, so voters have got to wake up and ask themselves the question, why are these outside interests secretly funding these candidates and what's their agenda because i can assure you it's not the agenda that serves the interest of the people in

these districts. >> how do you get regular people, people who are sort of center left or down the middle voters to get up on the morning of november 2nd and make an effort to vote when they don't have a lot of visceral anger out there? regular people say i think barack's done a good job. i like the health care. i don't like the tax breaks going only to the rich. they agree with your party, but with less passion than the haters do. how do you get them to vote? >> well, look, they need to be reminded about the day that barack obama took office, we were losing 700,000 jobs every monlt month. we've made significant process since then. why in the world would we want to return to a set of policies that serves narrow special interests and took the economy into the ditch? what we're seeing now are these

outside groups coming in. they were very well served by the bush economic agenda. that agenda didn't serve the vast majority of people in this count country. those groups are fighting hard to take us back and this is a wake-up call to people who don't want to go back. this latest issue about foreign controlled interests trying to influence the outcome of american elections should send a shock wave through the electorate. >> thank you very much. chris van hollen. up next, republican senate candidate joe miller has been railing against unemployment benefits, saying they're unconstitutional. apparently not when they go to his wife. check out the "side show" next. it gets better and better. [ wind howling ] [ technician ] are you busy? management just sent over these new technical manuals.

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back to "hardball." first, do as i say, not as i do. alaska tea partier joe miller has taken a tough stance against unemployment benefits. here he is last month on fox. >> why are unemployment benefits unconstitutional and in a time of a tough economy, a recession and now a kind of jobless recovery, what are you going to do for the 44 million people living in poverty? >> i think what you need to look at is the context. we had an extension of unemployment benefits several weeks ago beyond the past. what we have in the -- that if all goes wrong, it's the federal government's role to get in there and provide for the general welfare. >> well, talk like that makes

the following story all the more rich. back when joe miller worked as a federal magistrate judge, his wife worked there as a part time clerk. after she left the job, she applied for and received unemployment benefits. next, an oldie from christine o'donnell. she said she had classified information about the chinese plot to take over the u.s. here it comes --

no comment on that. time for the big number. let's look at world war i and how it officially ended sunday. that's when germany finished paying off its debt. some historians are calling this to real end to the conflict. by that measure, how long has world war i lasted? 96 years. from the beginning to the settling of the german war debt. up next, republicans and some big races are avoiding the press. will voters run out the clock without ever answering the tough questions? you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. ♪

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wall street staged a major rally. the dow jones sooed 193 points and nasdaq searching 55. interest rate drop in japan reenforced ideas that the fed is about to expand quantitative easing. a surprise jump in sector may also be boosting confidence. the tech sector looking strong today. microsoft says it will be looking to take on the ipad with its own tablet in stores by christmas. gold continues its rally and children's clothing retailer gymboree jumping more than 60%. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide.

welcome back to "hardball." from tea partiers like christine o'donnell and sharron angle to senators like david vitor, a number of candidates have gone mia, but can they win by dodging reporters and running out the clock on the pres-- john, let's look at this angle and the latest from here. she had a tough time clarifying her comment that people may seek second amendment remedies. here she is with john carl and

then lawrence lorneson. >> when you said it, if things don't turn out the right way in this election, people may seek first, second amendment remedies, what did you mean? >> i don't think that was -- >> you tell me. >> we were discussing in the context of the second amendment, having a discussion about the founding fathers and why they have put the second amendment into the bill of rights. >> our founding fathers put that second amendment in there for a good reason and that was for the people to protect themselves against a tyrannical government. you know thomas jefferson said it's good for a country to have a revolution every 20 years, i hope that's not where we're going, but if this congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those second amendment remedies, saying my goodness, what can we

do to turn this country around. the first thing we need to do is take harry reid out. >> there's an interesting thing there, this frightening language about using gun play to kill members of congress. then that wonderful phrase, oh, my goodness. is this frontier's woman talk? how can somebody put someone like this in the senate? >> it's her careless rhetoric. you can't actually believe that she thinks people should go out and shoot members of congress. she said -- her careless use of this rhetoric is disturbing. at the end of the original sound

bites, she said, we have to take harry reid out. i just don't think she understands the impact of it or if she does, he suddenly gets m amnesia about it. >> here's her latest fiasco. she trashed the republican party in a secretly recorded audiotape. let's listen -- what do you make of that? i don't know if that offends anybody? the republican machine is not exactly in great shape. it's not they are winning the elections, it's the attitude of the voters. how can this -- these kinds of

candidates, we're going to run through two or three, if they can allude more serious questioning, i guess they're hoping the voters will forget these wild comments. >> i think they hope the voters forget that they've already said and they're hoping they don't say any more. it's interesting that with these new candidates, what they loack is experience, so we often hear real conversation that will take place behind closed doors. they don't have the filters that an experienced politician does when they're careful not to say these things when in public. a careless use of language and in some cases, very dangerous language. i think what we're seeing several of them do is pull way back so they can't be caught making a mistake like this again and then try to run the clock out as you said earlier to

election day. >> here's jan brewer helped to support that tough immigration law. antiillegal immigration law. here she is having a brain freeze during her opening statement. i'm not sure what this tells you but i'm going ask what it tells you. >> arizona has been brought back, we have cut the budget, balanced the budget and we are moving forward. we have done everything that we could possibly do. we have -- did what was right for arizona. >> well, here's how brewer dealt with reporters asking her about her claim that illegal immigrants were behind beheadings in the desert. something she said before. >> why wouldn't you reanswer the

comment you made earlier about the beheadings in the desert. >> that's a serious question. >> this was an interesting evening tonight. >> do you still believe that? come on, governor. >> thank you. >> governor, what do you make of -- >> what do you make of that? with the candidate doesn't seem to either is having a lack of anything coming to mind or is just saying i don't know i don't say anything wrong, i won't get hurt. >> i think this is my favorite one because it is clearly just such a brain lock and i can't imagine like the sheer terror that must have been running through her when she realized she needed to keep saying something. this is a veteran. not a newcomer necessarily. and when i at least can respect in jan brewer, when she was

asked when will you go into another debate, when my poll numbers start to fall. maybe i'll go then. so she admits she is trying to run the clock out. >> i think it was jonathan martin this morning that said there used to be the old dean smith four-corner offense in north carolina where you just keep running the clock out. then they have the shot clock and you can't do it anymore. i guess there's no shot clock on these candidates. they can just not shoot the ball, not say anything. when they've said stupid things before and don't want to talk about they wim. >> if they don't remember their script, they'll pivot and go somewhere else. what's interesting in brewer and angle is that brewer started to chuckle in the same way you say angle chuckled with jonathan carl when taken off script.

if they go off script, they get into trouble, which is why they're doing the four corners. here in nevada, they're counting on the fact that so many people hate harry reid that they'll vote for anybody. >> could it be that ignorance is bliss? maybe it's right. the old phrase. thank you. i hope not. i hope you have to know something to get elected. thanks a lot. up next, republicans look to tie a popular government to president obama governor with tea party ties to -- they're trying to label lisa murkowski a sore loser. we've got hot new campaign ads, next. yea? we mail documents all over the country, so, what if there were priority mail flat rate... envelopes? yes! you could ship to any state... for a low flat rate?

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we're learning more about the tea party and its supporters, a new poll found that there is significant overlap between the tea party and the christian conservative movement. roughly half of tea partiers say the bible is the literal word of god and the same numbers say public officials should pay more attention to religion. in addition, the poll's author say there is no significant demographic differences between tea partiers and christian conservatives. "hardball" will be right back. te lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack that's caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. but plavix helps save lives. plavix, taken with other heart medicines, goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone, to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots. ask your doctor if plavix is right for you. protection that helps save lives. [ female announcer ] certain genetic factors and some medicines, such as prilosec, reduce the effect of plavix

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powerful and nasty. can they make the difference fo and msnbc analyst and eugene robinson, pulitzer prize-winning columnist for the "washington post" and msnbc analyst. his new book is called "disintegration, the splintering of black america." we will have more on that here are the ads, this against joe manchin, put up by the national republican senatorial committee. let's listen. >> obama's messing things up. >> spending money we don't v. >> yeah. >> stimulus, obamacare can. >> and joe manchin support it had all. >> joe is not bad as governor, but when he is with obama -- >> he turns into washington joe. >> and washington joe does whatever obama wants. >> yeah, well we better keep joe man chin right here in west virginia. >> away from washington. >> yep, the only way we are going to stop obama. >> so hokey, what do you think? don't trust him in washington? >> this has been the most effective argument against joe

manchin. people in west virginia like him a lot, very popular governor, so the argument is let's keep him here. >> keep him leashed. away from that washington -- >> where he will be corrupted. >> he will be corrupted, just be another -- >> he will go potomac. this ad for marco rubio in the florida senate race put up by american crossroads, the karl rove group, probably expect this one to be what it is. let's listen. >> the choice is clear. marco rubio stood up for taxpayers by saying no to the failed obama stimulus. charlie crist embraced it. marco rubio opposed obamacare with its $500 billion medicare cuts. charlie crist has flip-flopped. >> you think there is only two people in that race, would you? >> and you would never know one used to be a republican. they have turned crist into the democrat in this race, doing the same thing we have seen in the other states, tying him to barack obama. no mention of the fact that this once was a poster boy for the republican party. >> and don't even mention the candidate, the democratic party. >> don't know who it s. >> they don't worry about him as

much as the other guy. this is an ad by the national tea party group, criticizes lisa murkowski, lost that primary to joe miller. here it is, warning alaska broadcasters not to air, her campaign warning them not to use it here is part of the ad. let's listen. >> and now, lisa is trying to pretend she is running to serve us? yeah, right. >> so, i am here to tell you, you are disenfranchised no more. >> you lost, lisa. and it's time you respect that this senate seat doesn't belong to you. >> there you go. pretty strong knock there. >> yeah, a strong knock. i don't know how well that will work in alaska. this is a national group trying to interveep in alaska politics. she is well known, her family is well known. they are alaskan to the core. i don't know -- >> off point there the latest cnn/"time" poll has republican miller and murkowski, both republicans in a statistical tie, 38-36.

voters to write her name in, not sure that is hard to write the name in document have to spell it right, a strong effort there. >> yeah. >> so, well, let's go to wisconsin, russ feingold, fighting for his life out there with this ad but the nfl has some problems with this video. watch this is the ad put out by russ feingold to save himself. here is, well, the problem. let's watch the ad first. let's listen. >> they are dancing theth in end zone. >> pro-football, they call this excessive celebration. >> that is disgustive. >> they punish it with fines and 15-yard penalties, exactly the kind of behavior the corporate interests and ron johnson are engaging in, they are dancing in the end zone because they think they are going to take down the u.s. senator who has been named the number one enemy of washington lobbyists. >> another half to play supreme court is tied. >> fortunately, the game isn't over yet. >> what do you think of that ad? is that pathetic or what? >> it is. again, i don't like -- i don't particularly like the ad. and the nfl doesn't like it because they protect their brand, right? >> yeah. >> they he don't want their

brand -- >> hot dogging in the end zone, spiking the ball, the whole thing we have been through. i don't think people get t thank you, eugene robinson. your new book is called "disintegration." we will talk about t michelle bernard, thank you, as always. when we return, why don't politicians admit it when they are caught. the other guy says you got me. they don't say "you got me." ever. you are watching "hardball," only on msnbc. how are you getting to a happier place? running there? dancing there? how about eating soup to get there? and can help you keep healthy weigh campbell's soups fill

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let me finish tonight with the refusal of politicians to admit it when they are caught. believe me this is bipartisan. people in both parties right now are denying what everyone else can see. they have got their head so deep in the ground that they -- that all we can see is their rear sticking up high in the air. who should i start with? okay, how about up in connecticut? we showed you democratic senate candidate richard blumenthal in a tv ad by linda mcmahon, claiming on a number occasions he served in vietnam. he didn't, of course, never stepped foot in the country, muchless never got where the bullets were flying or rockets were hitting. he was never in it but got himself caught on several occasions saying he was.last night in the debate, he said he regretted describing his service in the marine reserves unintentionally and "inaccurately" why is he still talking like this? why is he refusing to say he never served in vietnam, should never have said he did and wasn't a slip of the tongue? why don't these people admit it when they are caught? we kids used to yell "you got

me" when he was playing cops and robbers. he was one of the kids who refused to say it i guess, when he was clearly hit. was he the guy who refused to foul some guy in basketball, a guy you want representing you what is happening in washington? representing you in washington? when you can't get a simple admission out of him when he is caught red-handed? how about meg whitman, hired someone for a decade then said she never newt person. she claims she never knew this person she treated like a member of the family was in the country illegally, never suspected it right. meg whitman, nobody believes you. you had the money to hire someone who was here legally, legally documented and you went for the cheaper deal. and now you're paying for t okay, can't skip over christine o'donnell, child lish about who she was and who she is. i don't know what sounds weirder when she said in on bill ma