wild pigeons. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. remember when republicans forced a ludicrous vote to prevent sexual predators from getting viagra through the health care bill? either allowed it to be killed with amendments or forced them to vote against the viagra amendment. the democrats voted no, of course, and now aaron engel is accusing harry reid of using taxpayer dollars of giving viagra to child molesters.

and actors picked up in philadelphia had a certain -- remember, they were looking for a hippie blue dollar look? a fiscal conservative, by the way, backed by the chamber of commerce. obama. with the economy still bleeding, vice president spending time going after karl rove. also, if you've been waiting for the funny man to come back out, your wait is over. check out the side show. he's out there. let me finish with the latest mccarthy ad attack on obama. i think it's the craziest. a new con gregzal ballot polls. brand-new cnn opinion research poll, republicans have a

seven-point lead. that's getting big. republicans lead by eight. 45%/37%. we'll continue to check the "hardball" scoreboard. well, it's getting down to crunch time in midterm races. the accusations in atds are flying. richard wolffe and alex wagner, thank you both for joining us. let's take a look right now at this one. this is chris teeb o'donnell playing defense. her second tv ad a bit of a biography here. let's listen. >> i didn't go to yale. i didn't inherit millions like my opponent. i'm you. i know how tough it is to make and keep a dollar. when some tried to push me from this race, they saw what i was made of, and so will the senate if they try to increase our

taxes one more dime. i'm christine o'donnell and i approve this message. i'm you. >> well, alex do you feel like she's a sister in america there? i guess if you didn't go to yale and you didn't inherit a lot of money you're with 99.99% of america. therefore, she's with us. >> i did not, actually, in fact, go to yale. i found it interesting that the person who led voters to believe she went to ex ford and princeton university and clarmont is now talking a big game about being salt of the earth and not having gone to yale. the gop's latest crop is nothing new. remember sarah palin? she went to five schools. two in hawaii, two in idaho and one in alaska. played that like i am everybody

else. i am making my way in the world. and i think o'donnell is trying to do that as well. >> we know what's going on. it's not a bad play because we know what's going on here. a country that had enough with intellectuals because they haven't figured out the economy, to put it likely. so bring in somebody who says my claim is fame is i don't know nothing. but better than the people who say they know nothing. at least i'm not a fraud. >> she didn't quite get that. she still gets this about herself. instead of saying the intellectuals have got it wrong. the more she makes it about her the less she gets to what voters really care about. what she is thinking is someone new to the stage. she's under attack. she shouldn't be doing that. >> here's why. let's take a look. the democratic committee ad against o'donnell.

let's listen to the way they're going after her. >> o'donnell claims she'll control washington spending but look at her record. she was sued for not paying her bills. didn't pay her taxes. has a federal complaint against me for spending campaign funds on herself. if christine o'donnell wants to be irresponsible with her money, that's her business. but she's running for senate. and being irresponsible with our money is our business. >> you know, i have to go back to this, alex. well, i have to be careful how i say anything. i'm a male talking about a female. she's irresistibly cute. obviously she's attractive and all that. but she's playing on the cute thing. those pictures all portray her as an attractive young woman. maybe not senate material yet. it's a tricky thing. sarah palin is perky, upbeat, like mary tyler moore almost. that's attractive as hell.

your thoughts on that ad? what do you make of that knock on her? she's always smiling. she's always happy. people like that kind of company. let's be blunt. >> well -- >> your thoughts? >> well, i think there are -- there might be something insidious there, like, oh, christine o'donnell is this -- this kind of cheery, thoughtless woman who has no idea how to control her own pocketbook but i think that lawrence o'donnell made this point a few nights ago. it is delaware. delaware's all about taxes. and the american public is all about the economy right now. and i think in terms of messaging, the democrats are right on this. i mean -- >> if she's a dead beat, it matters. >> fiscal responsibility. >> you can't be a deadbeat, you're saying. >> exactly. >> you might be a witch but a deadbeat won't work. >> exactly. >> it's kind of strange up there you have to worry about your witch thing. you cover the deadbeat. shears sharon engel's ad hitting harry reid over a bogus --

remember we talked about this viagra thing. it was a time they accepted any amendments they had to accept basically the ball from the house. they had already gotten 60 votes. look how they're using it now. let's listen. but here's the kicker, reid actually voted to use taxpayer dollars to pay for viagra, for convicted child molesters, and sex offenders. what else could you ever need to know? about her ay reid? >> there they get a young attractive actress to play i guess sharron angle doesn't want to do these ads. is that unladylike? is that unladylike for her to go after viagra ads. get an actress to do it. an actor to do it. >> maybe you only want attractive women to be talking about viagra. i don't know. >> whatever. >> in terms of the marketing of it, i will say you know looking at that, you recall edward kennedy working across the aisle to pass no child left behind, and those days of bipartisanship are over. >> yeah. >> i mean, i mean, and now you

look at -- i mean this is such a clear, i mean, and in some ways sort of brilliant political maneuver by the gop month ago. i'm surprised it took them this long to bring it up. i mean it was completely absurd when it happened but it's this sort of kitchen sink playbook with sharron angle at this point and she's thrown everything that she's got at him. >> some people are putting. mike huckabee the republican on the political games, as he put it, being played in this viagra ad. let's listen to him, mike huckabee. >> but this is a classic example -- it's good politics, it's great politics but it's one of those instances where it sounds like he said, yes there's a bill that will provide viagra and that was the primary purpose of the bill. >> no but if it's in the bill and if he didn't read it i think, isn't that fair game? >> absolutely. it's not unlike when republicans attack democrats for their support of the national endowment for the arts and sponsoring andrew sirano's christ in the jar. hideous stuff like that. but it doesn't always work. >> that's not what it was. >> okay. >> shawn's got that wrong on the time. it wasn't about a bill that was

too complicated. it was about an amendment that was playing this game. >> i don't think this is a smart strategy. the more dirty that this race gets in nevada, the worst that it is for sharon angle because her real competition isn't harry reid, or the above. >> explain? >> there are three major choices on this ballot. >> four. >> well, the tea party guy as well. but none -- >> democrat, republican, tea party or -- >> you can vote none of the above in nevada. and none of the above cannot get elected but that will be significant protest to both of these people. you make them both unacceptable and the big loser out of this is going to be sharron angle. so that's number one. number two, classic ad, in ad history was for detergent, they showed these really dirty t-shirts, and the ad was so disgusting that no one wants to buy the detergent. that's what this ad is. it's so icky you don't want to go anymore near. >> here's harry reid going after her. let's listen. >> i work with kids who've been abused and their stories break my heart but when the assembly created a program to weed out sex offenders by helping youth and church groups to background chicks on volunteers, it passed

with only two members voting no. sharron angle was one of them. >> now i have no idea it's going to take a real trip to figured out why she voted against it but i am sure some good reason. it is weird the way that these people are cutting each other. alex? >> yeah, i mean we're talking about witches was kind of weird, talking about sex offenders and viagra all of the time i think is far ickier and to richard's point, the poll eye think it was the cnn/"time" poll showed sharron angle up by two with harry reid but 10% of those voters were picking none of the above. there is a clear -- that's a clear statement from nevada voters who are grappling with the nation's highest unemployment rate at 14.5%. their homes are being foreclosed on, they're leading the nation in that. i mean they need real answers right now. and this stuff is nonsense chatter. i agree with richard. this is something that does not suit sharron angle well. >> well, it gets worse. here it is in an event last week in muskegon, nevada. sharron angle got a question about muslims wanting to take

over the united states. here's part of her answer. >> we're talking a militant terrorist situation which i believe isn't a widespread thing. but it is enough that we need to address, and we have been discussing it. my thought are these. first of all, dearborn, michigan, and frankford, texas, are on american soil, and under constitutional law. not sharia law. >> absolute nonsense, richard. there's no sharia law in the united states. >> yeah. >> there's no laws requiring burqas or hands being cut off or anything else or stonings or any of that stuff that you see under the taliban. and they're just saying this stuff. >> yeah. >> what is it? isn't there some limit a big bell goes off and says, that's dead wrong? >> well, if people are

applauding it maybe they were in the place where they have the hillary for presidents signs. i don't know. some alternative reality. it would be -- it would be just a joke if these people weren't actually within a whisker of becoming a united states senator. and then they'd be making policy decisions and taking votes based on what they think of the facts and, clearly, i mean, where is this true? and who are the people she's talking to. >> alex, last question. has the establishment so offended people they're willing to vote for crazy people? or vote for people they're just loopy? >> i think -- >> question. >> i think that the frustration is absolutely part of it. i think people -- there's a lack of civil dialogue in this country and i think that using the muslim religion is a lightning rod to channel fear and hate. has been politically expedient for some candidates but i do hold out hope that the american voters will see past that. >> i wish that some people would roar out, no, you've gone too far. richard happy friday to you, columbus day weekend.

alex, great to have you on the show. for some people it's a three-day weekend but not for "hardball." up next republicans have pulled that ad in west virginia. remember the one that they hired three actors in philly, they figured -- there they are. the three guys for the casting call, and said give me some hickey guys, blue collar types. wear old clothes or whatever. they look pretty good to me. they're out there trashing governor manchin the popular governor up there. manchin's coming here in a surprisingly tight race but can he use that ad in his casting call that went after, quote, hickey blue collar people, as i said, to turn things around. have they gone too far? that's our question tonight. the governor joins us next. you're watching "hardball" on msnbc. well, in that case, i better get back to these invoices... which i'll do right after making your favorite pancakes. you know what? i'm going to tidy up your side of the office. i can't hear you because i'm also making you a smoothie. [ male announcer ] marriott hotels & resorts knows it's better for xerox to automate their global invoice process so they can focus on serving their customers.

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now to governor joe manchin, the democratic candidate in the

senate race in west virginia. governor, thanks for joining us. you know, there's been a lot of noise in our office about this crazy ad that's been run against you. you know, i'm from philadelphia, the only reason that's relevant is apparently these actors in this ad were picked up in philly. maybe we can were the philadelphia access, let's watch the ad and we're going to have some fun with this, governor. the ad that the republicans are running against you. >> obama's messing things up. >> stimulus, obama care. >> and joe manchin's supported it all. >> but when he's with obama. >> yeah he turns into "washington joe." >> apparently, governor, they're running that ad somewhere in your state but they've stopped running it now. what do you think that was all about? what's your take on that ad. >> chris, it's awful. it's offensive. there's been no apologies whatsoever from my opponent. i can't believe it but they're still running it. they might tell you that they're taking it off. it's still running and it's so offensive to west virginians. chris, what people don't realize is that the state of west virginia, we're one of the best financial shapes of any state in the nation. we've been ranked the third-best fiscally sound and responsive state. and they get no credit nar for what whatsoever.

but they want to have this in a disparage acknowledging light. and it's just awful. and our opponent has not apologized. he hasn't said, i'm sorry, that's not who -- nothing at all. so it really tells you a man that lives with his family in palm beach florida, is so far out of touch with west virginians, average west virginians. and this is why now we know he lives in florida because of what he thinks of us. it's unbelievable. >> let's get to that question. is he a legal candidate to run against you? is he allowed to run against you? i guess he meets the minimal requirements he intends to be in the state on election day is that all it takes in west virginia? >> well, i don't know -- i -- i'm sorry the senate -- i'm sorry i know the law. the senate's opened to anybody. let me ask you about the weird thing about his wife. is she allowed to vote for him? because i understand she took some kind of tax deal down in florida as a resident, a permanent resident. does that mean that she's a permanent resident of florida and is not allowed to vote in west virginia? >> chris, that's what we understand. it's a permanent resident and then she won't be able to vote for her own husband but yet they're asking west virginians to do it and they're so far out of touch.

but this ad's offensive, we've got the hardest-working coal miners, truck drivers, research, scientists. it's awful what they did. they could have said we're casting for hard-working, hard-working west virginians. the salt of the earth that made this country of what it is today. not at all. they went for absolutely the lowest blow and i'm offended. he should be offended and you know what he says, it's just politics. well, john, i'm sorry. it's not just politics to me or to west virginians. it's personal. >> would it had been all right if they just picked up three folks from west virginia that looked the part as far as they were concerned? country people that wear hats, you know, can hats whatever you call them, the john deere hats and working man's clothes. or is that they were hiring actors from out of state? what was it that offended you? >> the offended thing is basically the role-call as the casting call. >> yeah. >> they cast it and said basically looking for blue

collar hickey type people, dirty -- i mean this -- that's -- it's not who we are. >> i know. >> and chris -- >> is it just p.r.? are you saying people's minds are being warped by public advertisement? what is it? >> it's -- chris, it's a fear and smear campaign. basically they've spent millions of dollars. they're trying to buy the campaign. they've spent millions of dollars. and basically, we're mad. i'm as mad as they are in west virginia. >> why aren't the people in west virginia, you've been bragging on the people, saying how good they are, how developed they are as a people, as a society, and yet you're saying they're getting their minds twisted by the sophisticated advertising. if it's -- if it's smear campaign, what are the specific smears that you want to correct right now? >> well, the smears that we want to correct right now, as far as being a rubber stamp, i've never been a rubber stamp. >> is that a smear. >> is basically what they're saying.

>> they're calling you a democrat. >> you will go up and just basically -- they're going up and say you're going to vote just the agenda of whatever is up there. >> oh. >> that's not a west virginia democrat. it's not what we believe in. we don't believe in the expanding entitlement mentalities, if you can do something you should be working. and we do that in west virginia. we've turned it around. we have surpluses. we haven't laid anybody. we haven't raised taxes. we haven't cut any services. tell many how many states in america are doing that today? >> thank you, sir. well that gives you a taste of what's going to out there. by the way heard from one of the actors in that west virginia tv ad that the republicans put on, he says that he's actually pulling for manchin the democrat to win. he's going to come on "hardball" on monday. i love these little twists. up next senator al franken's taking pains not to be too funny but he's centered his ambitions on the campaign trail government del tele. catch "the sideshow" it's coming up from al franken. ♪

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first round up the usual suspects. watch stephen colbert take on david vitter and sharron angle last night. >> there are two terrifyingly great ads out there year from nevada senate candidate sharron angle and louisiana senator david vitor. >> harry reid is fighting for a program that would give preferred college tuition rates to none other than illegal aliens. >> next time you think you just can't work any harder, remember charlie melancon who used our money to benefit illegals. >> holy -- those are the same hombres. look at those two pictures. this is the most terrifying scenario of all.

there aren't enough stock photos of scary minorities out there. >> that is a riot. great catch by colbert. next, live from delaware. it's al franken. while minnesota's junior senator's taking care to shed his funny guy image, last night at a chris coons' campaign rally for senate, franken let loose. >> we need to work from now until election day, many of you have families, ignore them. except the little kids. you know, about 8 years old, kids can -- can survive. for their future. >> wow, we've got the point. now to a not so successful foray. florida governor charlie crist threw out the opening pitch in front of a sold-out crowd at last night's tampa bay rays playoff game. it wasn't pretty.

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