>> well -- >> do you think that o'donnell's qualified for the senate? okay. >> well, certainly better than the guy who was there before. >> ron, we'll do it again. telephone survey i asked are you in favor of abolishing the public school system? 96% of you said no. that's the "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. "hardball" next. we'll see you tomorrow night. >> go tv, get out the vote. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews down in washington. leading off tonight, keeping hope alive. if the democrats are to avoid a republican landslide, they're going to have to inspire some of the people who put president obama into office now to get out and vote again this year. they've got to keep alive that political network that drove millions of the youngs to the polls in '08.

first time voter, african-americans, women, progressives have been less enthusiastic than their angrier, older, whiter republican counterparts. this afternoon, the president held a town meeting on mtv and b.e.t. and country music television making the case that voting is not something that you do just in leap years. is it going to move people?ç also can, christine o'donnell smile and enthusiasm close the gap with chris coons? let's check out that debate that happened just last night. also, get a beat on the harry reid head-to-head with sharron angle that's coming out tonight. coast to coast, 2 and a half weeks before election day. and it's come to this, one candidate is actually accusing his opponent of wanting to kill puppies and kittens. gas them by the dozens. it's raining cats and dogs in the nasty campaign ad wars. plus, the good friend dick cheney accidentally shot in the face is speaking out now and now we've learned that he and cheney weren't such good friends at

all. he was in much worse shape than we knew and that cheney for whatever reason has yet to apologize to the gentleman. and finally, what a view. it's not often that you see this. two hosts of "the view" getting up -- there they are, walking off of the set in the middle of the debate. what did bill o'reilly say that got them blasted out of their seats? that's bill on the "hardball" sideshow. where we've got him tonight. all of that's ahead. first the latest polls and the hot races around the country. start with nevada two new polls show a very close rate now. a new las vegas review journal/"mason-dixon" poll. up two over senate majority leader harry reid. 47-45. still, some undecideds there. and a new suffolk poll has reid up three over angle. wow that's different. 46-43. reid and angle debate tonight, boy is that close. now to connecticut where quinnipiac's new poll shows dick blumenthal the attorney general leading wrestling maven linda mcmahon.

he is gaining for whatever reason. we'll continue to check the "hardball" scoreboard and off. big races each night leading up to election day. and now the battle for the senate. delaware candidate chris coons and christine o'donnell faced off in the debate last night. here's some of the action. let's lift seen in there's been lots of discussion in the national media about things my opponent have said or done they quitely think are distraction from the core issues that delawareans ask about. ask both of us about. >> you're just jealous that you were not on "saturday night live." >> i'm dying to see who's going to play me, christine. >> if you're saying what i said on a comedy show is relevant to this election, then absolutely. you writing anç article, forge the marxist comment. you wrote an article saying that you learned your beliefs, articulate and intelligent marxist professor and that's what made you become a democrat. that should send chills up the spine of every delaware voter. >> oh, god.

throwing names around and for that and the race and the ones that will determine who controls the senate and that one will not determine who controls it, let's turn to msnbc news chief white house correspondent political director, chuck todd. and the washington post, chris cillizza. chuck, it looks like that race is stuck around close to 20 points for chris coons. >> yeah. >> one of the luckiest people on planet earth this election cycle. it's a terrible year for democrats with the exception of chris coons. >> it's a reminder every nomination is worth having. you know, anytime you see candidates think, but oh, i don't know if i will run this year. well, that's what mario cuomo, bill bradley, dick gephardt said in 1991. they'll let that guy from arkansas have the nomination. sure, let bill clinton have it, he'll never beat bush for a second term. every nomination is worth having chris coons is proving it. and scott nick adams in alaska may prove it. you know you never know. if you think it's your time to run, run. >> and it's a three-way race in alaska and anything can happen. a democrat could even win up there.

your chutthoughts other than chris cillizza. >> add to chuck's point. real estate it's location, location, location. in politics, let's be honest, it's timing, timing, timing. everybody said, senator named barack obama, he just got elected, he's going to run in 2008 against hillary clinton? that makes no sense. well, barack obama knew timing and i think if you're bo biden, son of the vice president, the guy who we all thought was going to be the nominee in delaware from the democratic side, you've got to be kicking yourself a little bit because, look, as you said, chris, there's a lot of races that may decide the senate majority, this isn't one of them. chris coons plus 20 points in this perhaps he went from a guy who is a decided underdog on september 13th when we thought that mice castle was going to be the republican nominee, to a guy who is an overwhelming favorite, 24 hours later, you know, it's -- >> okay. but can i just -- can i to use the a david r david craigry phrase can i impact that a little? any candidate who thinks back what should have, could have happened is crazy. no events that had taken place had he gone into that race.

there may had been a totally different reality back then. those movies when you go back and time and screw up everything because something different happened. you don't know what -- don't get into that would have, could have, should have are, chris. you're too young to start thinking about that. i'm sorry, chuck. >> chris, you know, if my aunt was -- never mind, if my aunt had something she'd be my uncle, right? isn't that the way that the saying goes. >> would have, could have, should have. chris cillizza, you know what our slogan is here right now, lean forward. lean forward. >> i'm leaning forward. >> lean forward don't look back. more from that hot delaware debate and it was interesting. she's very likable, clearly, christine o'donnell. everybody would love to have a cup of tea with her, i think. at least meet her somewhere. she seems like fun. is she prepared? let's check out the candidates. let's lift seen in he's in lockstep with barack obama and harry reid and that's why harry reid has called him his pet. i'm not a democrat. but i know that what's happening

in this country right now is not what my democratic friends voted for when they voted for change in 2008. >> ms. o'donnell has experience at running for office but not at really running anything. at delivering catchy slogans but at not delivering at any real solutions, and frankly that's sharpening the partisan divide, not at bridging it. she's focus toad little on the issues that really matter to delawareans and too much on the issues make for good sound bites. >> the talking points. do you see this, guys? both of them are doing that, looking down. >> yeah. >> chris cillizza, the one charming thing i hope that this isn't -- the charming thing about christine o'donnell is that she was who she is. witch or whatever. >> yep. >> it was her. now she's reading the talking points from randy schunnerman, this intellectual, that's supposedly making sarah palin into something of an intellectual. complete talking points. >> yep. >> anybody could be reading this crap. >> well you know, chris, in a way i understand what she's doing. she's trying to moderate herself. she's trying to say, look, all

of the stuff that you've heard about me, it's not true. we've seen this in her much-publicized ad when she said i wasn't a witch. because i think that her campaign thinks, chris, that the only chance that he has to win is essentially even say delaware. >> look at that. >> i'm someone who is an outsider, someone who can come in and shake things up. this race being a referendum on christine o'donnell is not a winner. frankly what it's going to be in the debate or in her td ads but not a winning strategy in the state that barack obama won 62% of the vote. >> she should be alead. go to the pollster's trend line now the nevada. boy a race to watch. it's so fascinating. look at that. this would drive a person kraelz. imagine being either one of these candidates, sharron angle or harry reid. look at those numbers. they're just entangled there like a dance of death. and none of them seem to be able to break much. chuck, you here. neither one of of these candidates are popular. i i think i can say that. >> right. >> the people of nevada would prefer anything to these two people. they can't seem to buck 45%ish. somebody's going to win in race,

it looks to me with 47% with none of the above grabbing seven or so or six. and this other candidate, the other tea party guy getting two. isn't that how it's going to turn out? nobody gets 50? >> well, the fact that harry reid has a chance is a reflection on sharron angle, right? >> yes, absolutely. >> the laws of politics say, harry reid should be done. he's unpopular. there's all of this money being thrown at him. just the laws of political gravity say he should be a done candidate. but look, he was not and that's because sharron angle hasn't closed the sale. i think that this debate tonight does mean a lot. >> yeah. >> for sharron angle. you know, chris wrote about this earlier, this afternoon. i completely agree. i think that it's her chance to sort of close this deal. she could end this race tonight if she comes across as -- and i tlang she only has to meet a minimum bar. >> right i agree. like reagan. >> yeah, they're ready to get rid of reid. >> senatorial behavior, all that she has to do. she doesn't have to win, just a

senator. your thoughts, chris. >> yeah, i think that chuck is right. i look at harry reid's numbers. people want to fire the guy. you know, that's always the first hurdle that you have to get over as a challenger. do you want to fire this person or keep this person? it's a big hurdle. it's not that big of a hurd well harry reid. approval ratings in the 30s, low 40s. never gets above 45%, 46% on the ballot test but sharron angle, chuck mentioned this, amazingly has not cleared what is one of the lowest bars in senatorial politics. simply saying i can stand on the zaj with the guy, well she'll be on the stage tonight. probably the most important candidate to night and if she's adequate she wins. across the country the trend lines that you're developing, i love this stuff. i say connecticut and california are stronger for democrats right new. it looks like blumenthal and boxer out there. the democratsç have amendment with sestak and giannoulias. and against -- and against

mccain -- >> fooirn gold. >> feingold now the wisconsin. >> right. >> i'm already forgetting his name he's in so much trouble. >> uh-oh. >> by the way i think that manchin's coming back but a real tough one for him out there and patty murray i'm surprised call that so close. alaska. gito alaska. you broughtta up a minute ago. could a democrat be elected senator against alaska against two republicans? >> here's what's going on there. you know this anecdotal evidence but in the anchorage in the business community now the anchorage, okay, that were -- think of them as sort of the ted stevens' coalition. okay? the late-ted stevens. the people who want to do business in alaska, and they sit there and they say, we don't think joe miller's a guy that's who understands how to get federal money back to alaska, how everything works. they're very nervous about him. they prefer murkowski. but they're not convinced that this writing campaign can work, and so you see mcadams benefitting from a pretty amazing fund-raising quarter for

alaska. he's getting real money now. and there is a bed hedging, you have conversations going on in alaska circles, talking about this idea of what to do. the preference is murkowski but if she can't win and then their second choice is mcadams. >> chris, just really quickly. >> go ahead. >> just very quickly that race. i agree, as i always do with everything that chuck said, one thing to add. polling in that race is incredibly difficult -- >> very. >> because you have mill who were is the republican nominee, mcadams' a democratic nom neepboth of them are going on on the ballot, not have a murkowski you'll have to write her name in. polling usually says would you vote for miller, adams or murkowski. that doesn't exactly -- >> exist, right. >> -- accord tok what the poll -- what the experience will be in the ballot box so it's really hard to know. is she really at 32 or 33 and right in this race? sore that only when people are prompted with her name, is she at that? >> right. >> and point of fact on the day of the election, she drops way down because people don't remember to write people in. i mean, a reason that no

senator's been elected as a write-in candidate since strom thermond. not saying that she has a chance just hard to know. >> the bigger issue joe miller is running a terrible campaign. he had this weird presser earlier tzis week, he said i'm not going to answer any more questions about my background. and i'll tell you this, you know, look, it may be popular among conservatives to bash the media, it's an easy thing to do. >> yeah. >> but you know what, that does turn off a lot of voters because it looks like, what are you hiding? what's the big deal. >> yeah. >> look a little stronger. >> he seems about as likable that guy in the social network i just saw the movie last night. joe miller seems like that kind of guy. >> wow. >> i don't think that people will like this guy. described as unlikable. we'll see. i'll leave it to the voters obviously. i think that that race is wide open. thank you, chuck, thank you chris cillizza. next week all week "hardball" hits the campaign trail. monday it's off to kentucky. and i'll interview senate candidate jack conway. on tuesday in new york covering the big races there. know then wednesday to chicago, where i'll interview senate

candidate alexi giannoulias. on thursday back home in philly and senate candidate joe sestak. coming up, president obama courts the youth vote at an mtv townhall. [ male announcer ]

the polls showing that nevada senate race is still a toss-up. the associated reports that democrats are sinking big money in that race now the nevada to try to save harry reid. the committee responsibility for electing democrats to the senate will spend another 2 million bucks on campaign inç nevada. shifting resources away there that missouri race for carnahan is struggling against republican roy blunt. well, that's an interesting shift to 2 million bucks. reid's opponent sharon angle meet tonight for their -- and this is interesting, first and only debate. why is that? may be possible. in pursuit of this goal, lexus developed the world's most advanced driving simulator, where a real driver in a real car

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now, the president obama's mtv townhall event.

joy ann vide political columnist for the "miami harold" and contributor to the grio website. and alex, the white house correspondent for politicsdaily.com. i'm going to start with you, alex. was there something new or fascinating in what the president had to say to the young folk today. >> no. is the short answer on that, chris. >> okay. >> you know i was looking back through some of the old 2008 presidential campaign messages that he had had out there and it was really poetry in motion, you know? i mean just the language, the rhetoric, the sense of soaring possibility, and you know he's trying to gin up the youth base that the point, and there's a dearth of that to say the least. the mtv townhall today was very long on. legislative accomplishments that the president has succeeded and winning in the last 20 months but it was short on enthusiasm and definitely short on that sort of -- that momentum and that enthusiasm that he had as a candidate in '08. >> what were the crowds like? i'm not sure that you answered that crowd fully. were the crowds enthusiastic, or just supportive in kind of a

polite way? how would you describe their reaction to him? >> well, mtv apparently did a casting call to get the folks that they had in the audience today. and it was subdued. you sense that these were very well-rehearsed questions, they sort of went to you know, questions on health case, immigration, the economy, and they had very rehearsed answers from the president. so in terms of excitement in the room and a sense of buzz, i didn't sense that. >> yeah. no buzz. well, let's go. here's president obama when asked whether he thinks -- well, here's an interesting question, whether he thinks that people are born gay or whether they choose to be gay. i thought that we're past that one now. but let's listen. >> dear president obama, do you think that being gay or trans is a choice. >> i don't profess to be an expert. in is a layperson's opinion but i don't think it's a choice. i think that people are born in a certain make up and we're all children of god. we don't make determinations

about who we love. and that's why i think that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is wrong. >> well, that's my view. let me go to alex wagner on ç that. that kind of answer, i think, will work with the younger audience. i think that older, more traditional people who've been talked to people like people like trent lottt the former republican leader who keeps talking about like it's coke or pepsi, like we made our choice in the lionel richie song have, a certain sort of different view completely of something to me that seems like common sense. but that answer, how's it going to work? >> did you want to go to me or joanne. >> joe. >> are. >> joanne. >> oh i'm sorry, yeah i think you know, yes, i think that young people definitely have a lot more liberal attitude toward things like you know, gay marriage, toward don't ask, don't tell, for gays in the military, et cetera. so i think that barack obama is speaking to that sort of real cultural difference. i think that is the way that he is different. you know a lot of people compare barack obama, let's say, to a

john f. kennedy, but if you look at a kennedy, he didn't represent a huge cultural change from, let's say the world war ii generation, because he fought in world warp ii. some the same cultural values, whereas obama or really bill clinton, they kind of represent that total seachange cultural and rationally and ethically that we're seeing at play in the elections this year, where you have an older, sort of wider electorate that's more traditional. and obama speaks to the younger generation and have a completely different cultural background to their parents and grandparents. >> you are so right. i rarely -- i mean it's not my job to say that you're right or wrong but certain is everything that i believe. i think that bill clinton was this new breed of presidents and i think that obama's another one, basically post-world war ii. >> correct. >> he didn't night world warp ii unlike older predecessors, didn't have that sort of big band sound, sort of the white american mentality, the straight america, at least on the surface, imagery of the country, self-imagery. >> right. >> and, alex, i think that the

question is to you, again. the president, he was asked here about ending the military, again it's a sexual question, orientation question, ending don't ask, don't tell. here's what he said. >> the difference between my position right now and harry truman's was that congress explicitly passed a law that took away the power of the executive branch to end this policy unilaterally. so this is not a situation in which -- with a stroke of a pen, i can simply end the policy. i agree with the bankç princip that anybody wants to everybody? our armed forces and make sacrifices on our behalf on behalf of our national security, anybody should be able to serve, and they shouldn't have to lie about who they are in order to serve. and so we are moving in the direction of ending this policy. it has to be done in a way that is orderly, because we are involved in a war right now.

but this is not a question of whether the policy is in -- will end. this policy will end. and it will end on my watch. but i do have an obligation to make sure that i'm following some of the rules. i can't simply ignore laws that are out there. i've got to work, to make sure that they are changed. >> alex, i guess back to you on the question. i want to get on this question of racial it's racial climate in the country, it seems to be deteriorating among the communities in this country. but, alex, it seems to me the question is right there. you saw those people, they're very tentative, very respectful, that wasn't an army ready to march, though, was it? >> not at all and he got another question later on about race relations in the country in the wake of the arizona immigration law and the ground zero islamic center controversy. and he sort of -- he had -- i mean, for lack of a better term, sort of a mealymouth to that, effectively the -- but it bends towards justice and you know we're making congress slowly, slowly. i think for -- for a group of voters who wants -- who wants to

see social change and has enthusiasm for social issues, that's not -- i mean that's not -- that's not going to put the spring on their step en route to the polls. >> get to the answer that he gave. here's quiet about the racial climate and the president's response. let's listen. >> -- make progress on race relations in fists and starts, we make progress and then there's maybe some slippage. oftentimes, misunderstandings and antagonisms surfaces most strongly when economic times are tough. and that's not surprising. you know, if everybody's working and feeling good and making money and buying a new house and a big screen tv, you're less worried about what other folks are doing. and when you're out of work and you can't buy a home or you've lost your home and you're worried about paying your bills, then you become moreç worried about what other folks are doing.

and sometimes that organizes itself around kind of a tribal attitude. and issues of race become more prominent. having said that, i think we've got to keep things in perspective. you look at this audience, this audience didn't just exist 20 years ago. you know the amount of interaction, the amount of understanding that exists in your generation, among people of different races and different creeds and different colors is unprecedented. >> well that's all true but let me go to you joe-ann, and the question to me is anition. >> right. >> and interaction. he used the word interaction in a different way. but back in the campaign i covered -- i was probably -- as inspired eye made fun of saying it, physically thrilled by some of the speeches that he gave because it was about america. he's not talking about america anymore. he was not talking about this country that we love and the way that it moves things and makes

things happen. it's not in his vocabulary anymore. he's talking about programs, talking about don't ask, don't tell issues. he's talking about issues instead of america. he was much more interactive. i look at that audience, they look like a tablow, like at mad madam tuss -- tuss owed's. the fact of the matter is, you look at a heated up tea party meeting, they're jumping out their seat. they're jumping around. they're animate pchd they're yelling back and forth. your thoughts. it's a different crowd. >> yeah. i was smiling what was going to, i was listening to it because it kind of sounds like a college class. like i could see myself back in college taking a class from this guy. he really comes across very much like your, you know, your favorite college professor. and you're right. i think that this just really showed you the gulf between campaigning and governing and how it's a lot easier to sell that message of, yes we can. i mean, that speech that he gave it's new hampshire speech was so

brilliant, you know, that it was hard not to be thrilled by it for people who -- whether they were for obama or not. but when you actually governing, you can't sell that same message of absolute possibility the second time around. this is two years later when people have seen two years of ç sausagemaking. two years of what the process is really like. and i think a lot of people figure, if we sent this guy to washington and he can't change it, that's the reason a lot of people feel demoralized and a lot of young people do. they still like him. he's still doing very well in the polls with younger people but it's hard to inspire the same kind of hope and possibility because they've seen the reality. and that's where he is. >> well, check out franklin roosevelt's speech in '36, the second time that he ran. i think that he still had it. anyway, thank you joe-ann reid and alex wagner for joining us. coming up, what did bill o'reilly that got "the view's" joy behar and whoopi goldberg so upset that they walked off of the set?ry somet ng new?

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back to "hardball." time for the "sideshow." first up, bill o'reilly himself causing trouble on "the view" he got into a debate about that mosque near ground zero, things got agitated. >> and let me break this to you, 70% of americans don't want that mosque down there. so don't give me the "we" business. >> i want to see that. >> do you want to bet on that? do you want to bet on that. i'll show you that noel a minute. >> so american it's. >> don't want down there. >> then why is that? >> because it's not appropriate. >> why isn't it appropriate. >> because muslims killedous 9/11. >> no, no. >> oh, my god. that is some [ muted ]. >> muslims didn't killous 9/11?

i'm telling you. 70% of -- >> i don't want to sit here. i don't want to sit here now. i don't. i'm agitated by that statement. >> about muslims killingous 9/11. >> o'reilly quickly apologized and joy and whoopi did return to the set after walking off. anyway he was the kind of guy that women really like these days. next, recession, what recession? steve colbert last night hosted the president's top economists austan goolsbee who tried to explain why extending the bush tax cuts for the highest brackets was a bad idea. >> to give that big, red circle -- >> yes. >> -- will cost $700 billion. >> and we rich people -- >> doesn't work. >> we'll naught right back into the market. we'll put it right back into the market by investing in chinese paper mills and indian tech companies. look, we did that in 2001. >> yes. >> it didn't work. why do that again? >> prosperity after that, didn't we?

>> no. >> a lot of people got rich. >> no. >> in the last ten years. don't rewrite history, my friend. >> and it was followed by the worst recession since 1929. >> but at some point -- >> that didn't work. >> i got -- >> let's not do that again. >> i did fine. i did fine. and i'm middle class. i'm middle class. what is wrong with that? what is wrong with that? maybe those people just didn't work hard enough, you know? >> you know, it sounds like republican argument, colbert's isn't all that different from a lot of tea party candidates, in particular. what they're saying. not just about bush tax cuts, but also about unemployment benefits which they think is unnecessary. and the minimum wage that they would like to get rid of. now fortunate big numbers. sharron angle's campaign pulled in $14 million, this is little nevada, $14 million in three month, far outraising her ay reid. but how much is the money pouring into that race for both candidates is from out of nevada -- outside? four to five bucks. 80% of the money in the case where politics is not local. $4 to $5 in that senate nevada

race out there, not coming from the nevada. so is this government of and by the people? anyway, up next, we've got the latest and the greatest political ads from the midterm campaign, including one where a candidate -- this is the best ever -- accuses his opponent of wanting to kill dogs and cats. puppies and kittens. what an awful person. [ male announcer ] opportunity

is a powerful force. set it in motion... and it goes out into the world like fuel for the economy. one opportunity leading to another...

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i'm page hopkins. here's what's happening. military officials are confirming that seven of eight allied troops killed in afghanistan today were americans. the obama administration has scheduled an extensive review of the war for december. the justice department is asking a federal judge to delay an order in the military's don't ask, don't tell policy. the president vowing again today the policy will end on his watch. meanwhile, a federal judge in florida has agreed to hear arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of new health care reforms. now we'll take you back to "hardball."

back to "hardball." well, the political ads are always fun and they're coming out fast and furious in the final weeks of the elections. we're going to rate some the latest ones with democratic strategist steve mcmahon. a republican strategist. ru russ. here's illinois incumbent governor the appointed governor, lieutenant governor, he became governor, when what's his name, b-rod had to go do other business like face the jury. pat quinn, nice guy, here he is, put out this ad against his republican challenger, bill brady. politifact checks for accuracy rating this one, i love this, half true. but is it effective? let's listen. this is the most unusual ad of the year. >> ♪ç

>> shame on bill brady. i'm a republican but i don't support him for the euthization of animals. >> well, apparently this bill, alex, that brady put into hopper in the state senate out there allows you to kill animals that you have in shelters by the dozens rather than at one at a time. i don't know what constituent service he was rendering there, but i'd say he's gite problem. alex? rex, rather. >> yeah, i think that the ad's just kind of not believable. you know there has to be something that you actually you know watch, that actually you think maybe there might be a shred of truth here, and i think that this one doesn't work at all you. >> don't think that that little gas chamber worked there that woman on the beach in her bathing suit? by the way i wonder wa season they filmed this ad in. it doesn't seem like that's an illinois seasonal ad right now wearing a bathing suit out in lake michigan. >> one of those ads that's designed to get attention, i don't think designed to move

voters and obviously it worked if tar purpose but rex raises a good point. it's not prevalent, relevant to the lives of the american people. i'm not sure it's an effective ad in the long run. >> take a look at this one. a movie trailer spoof for coons, called "taxman." put out by christine o'donnell's campaign in delaware. >> one man who was county executive castle countot brink of bankruptcy. hide your will. hide your lights. because he's taxing everything out here. chris coons is the tax man. >> again, are we at the edge of absurdity here, will that work? >>un her whole candidacy is pretty much at edge of absurdity so why wouldn't her advertising be just like that? i mean, look, again, this is an ad that's designed to get attention. i don't think that it's particularly credible. i don't think that it's particularly well documented and

she's 20 points behind so she's trailing along, it's not going to work. >> rex. >> i might disagree. i think that is a very compelling ad. obviously people. are very concerned about people's attitude on taxes and spending. and there's a real solid theatrical quality and i think this is the kind of ad that will capture people's attention. it doesn't immediately seem that something interesting in terms of production value that draws you in and i think that it just might persuade a few people. >> why wouldn't you if you're a republican in delaware, go to the republican mat, which is the basis of why most people are republicans. they want less government, less taxes. it's the thing that saves them from going out of business in their worst of times. if you have a candidate who's not that strong, like christine o'donnell, because of her background and her crazy, sort of lifestyle, stuff like witchcraft, you wouldn't try to sell her. you'd say, wait a minute, when in doubt, vote against the tax and spend democrats and just give an intellectual argument. what's with this freak show of this dark guy in his shoe coming in the dark. vote for her because it's one less vote for taxes. >> well, i don't think it's a freak show. what it is a powerful theatrical

ad, that'll capture people's attention and pull you in. >> okay, well, maybe you're right but i don't think so. >> it's a freak show. >> let's go to the democratic committee. it's an ad attacking connecticut, republican candidate linda mcmahon and her company, the world wrestling association, whatever it's called, wwe. let's listen. >> linda mcmahon brags about her business experience. the real story? her company violated safety standards. was criticized for tolerating steroid and drug use. inserted death clauses in workers' contracts in order to avoid responsibility for their deaths. the record? 17 of her former workers under age 50 have died. linda mcmahon, a bad ceo. a worst senator. >> i think that works. >> i continuing works, and the information is presented, it's backed up, it's relevant, it's credible. >> it's facts. >> it sort of does everything that a political ad is supposed to do. not perhaps as interesting as

the other ads that we've looked at but what happens with political advertising is, sometimes the more memorable the less effective it is. this is a less effective ad. >> an ad of course -- in any ad will work in a vacuum and it also has to be -- you know what took place before this ad? how are you going to respond to this ad? so you really just can't take a look at an ad on the face of it and say is this going to be effect sniff well, it would be effective if the only thing going to run and weren't going to be a counter. >> what did she say when you have a followup question did you really have 17 people die in your business? a death clause? you're serious.ç you're laughing. i'm not saying it's the worst thing that of lived. i think it's theater. wrestling is basically gross, people get the hour it but once you realize it's not just theat theater, just bad form that people are getting hurt in it and having to sign releases they're going to get killed, it is like the movie "the wrestler," you know? and you go wait a minute, this is beyond acceptability, isn't it? >> i don't know the specific facts of this case.

i somewhat am immediately left with the assumption that i'm not going to take full face of the political ad that's making these claims. >> yeah, somebody who makes political ads he's not going to believe it. >> let's take at ones that we don't know about. a couple of house democrats who are campaigning and using speaker pelosi as the bad guy. congressman jim marshall of georgia. let's listen. >> georgia is a long way from san francisco, and jim marshall is a long way from nancy pelosi. jim marshall doesn't support nancy pelosi, he voted the same as republican leader 65% of the time. >> there's a guy who says he's an eco, not a choice. and here's alabama congressman bobby bright. another southern democrat, the first democrat to actually campaign against his own speaker. let's listen. >> i've heard my constituents and they don't want a liberal running the house. they want a conservative. i'm going to vote for the person that will allow me to best represent my constituents. i've already voted to repeal a portion of it and i won't stop

there. and anyone who tells you otherwise is just damn right lying to you. i'm most independent, member of congress and what i try to do is bring people together to make good things happen for our country. >> well, rex, it looks like those a couple of democrats fighting for lives in districts who don't want to vote for pelosi, obama, they're lucky they vote for them. >> chris, you're absolutely more right. nothing more fun than us is watching democrats masquerade as republicans and this year i'm looking for the democrats across the country that are actually running on obama care and their support of the stimulus package. >> well, they did -- well, his record is he didn't rote for obama care. so how can you run against him on obama care? >> well, i'm talking in general but in terms of democrats in general, in terms of the race as being run across the country. my point is, these are democrats who are really you know running against nancy pelosi, running against washington, when in fact that's really who they are, part of. that's a majority that they've been a part of it and they're running because theyç think th they can read the election and

they can read the electorate and they than they're on the wrong snide watched ronald reagan run against federal deficits after eight years of sending deficits to congress here, got away with it. every year he sent a deficit to congress, every year he approved one and ran against one so it does work. steve mcmahon thank you. total cynicism works. thanks for joining us, rex essal for joining us. up next the man that dick cheney accidentally shot in the face four years ago is talking. why is he talking now is we're going to find out. he's -- apparently hasn't gotten an apology from cheney yet, that's sort interesting and this is "hardball." [ male announcer ] in the past, landing an airplane was complicated, with a series of stepped altitude changes. [ air traffic controller ] okay, 245, proceed to your next cleared altitude. [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] today, truecourse flight management systems from ge allow for fuel savings, lower emissions and less noise...

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that crist would be even with rubio if kendrick meek would pull out. the de facto democrat in the race and picked up in the endorsement in one of the country's biggest liberals bobby kennedy jr, the environmental lawyer and nephew of the former president of course called chris -- 8 champion for environmental causes anv bobby's got the cred to say that and chris was also endorsed in week by california governor arnold schwarzenegger. so the in-laws are getting together. "hardball" will be right back.

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the vice president shot a man in a hunting incident on saturday. shay any's shotgun pellet remains lodged in the man's heart. three days later does the vice president owe a word of explanation to the american people? let's play "hardball." >> welcome back to "hardball." that was one of the most bizarre cold opens. today "the washington post" brought us back to that wild incident where the vice president shot a man in the face he was hunting with. we interviewing cheney's victim hairy whittington. >> you know, because i thought it wows be interesting. it's sort of like the motivation for all newspaper articles. maybe somebody wants to read about this. >> where are they now? >> where are they now. >> it wasn't as they used to say in western -- he didn't just wing the guy. >> no. he shot him quite substantially

about three quarters on the right side, hit him in the face, the neck -- >> a buckshot. >> no, not buckshot. birdshot, smaller pellets, lady. >> how far did they go in. >> all over his body. he's got one around his heart and -- he's got 30 pieces of birdshot through him. >> when he goes through an airport. >> he can make it through. >> they're going to have a facial expression. >> that's for sure. >> did he know dick cheney? >> he had met him three times over about a 30-year period just as an acquaintance. they were not friends. they were not buddies. they had never been hunting together before. it was very casual. he knew somebody -- >> how do you shoot somebody? i don't hunt. i know they sling their rifles. they don't carry them around

loaded. they're very aware of the angle, they know where peopleç are an wear red clothes and do things to make sure they don't hit. how do you hit somebody? >> in this case mr. whittington was looking for a downed bird in the tall grass. they were in a line. cheney followed a quail because that's what they were hunting. quail is flying across. he swings to the right, and there's mr. whittington in his line of sight. now, that's a violation -- >> did he see him when he hit him? >> well, he didn't see him when he hit him or he wouldn't have pulled the trigger. >> i didn't mean to say that. do you think subliminally -- >> i think that was the case. >> yeah. >> but you don't fire when someone's in your line of sight. >> remember the tag from "love story," "love means never having to say you're sorry?" >> yes. >> did he ever say "i'm sorry?"

>> mr. whittington would not say it out loud, but he never said. >> my problem -- this is an accident. that wasn't. thank you. paul fahri, thanks for reporting. when we return, something about those 33 miners and how they were trapped underground in chile and what they taught us underground and what they taught us helping them come out. what a season, what a statement. you're watching "hardball." [ wind howling ]

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let me finish tonight with a deep observation about mankind. down 2,000 feet in the ground a group of # 3 men not only survived for 69 days but prevailed. what a story of human faith, hope, charity, and, yes, community. i know that last word drives people on the right crazy, community. their's is the popular notion, every man for himself. grab what you can, screw the masses, the whole cowboy catechism. how would they survive and the young wons living aboy with the attitude of every man for himself. this is about all of us being in this together, it's about mutual reliance and relying on others, not just to do your job but to come through in a clutch. somebody had to get the food and medicine down to those guys, and they did. somebody had to drill the hole down to get them and somebody did. the whole time, those 33 human

souls kept the faith. i was with god and i was with the devil one of the first guys out said. they both fought for me, and god won. so in his way did mankind. the group of miners stuck down a half mile into the earth organized themselves. they had one guy in charge and another a spiritual leadering still another working on health, still another a director of entertainment. it remined me as i said the other night how john mccain and others survived in the hanoi prisoner war camp. it promises to be a huge number of americans with drawing their confidence. it's headed toward being something quite un-american, a statement that we are not in this together f for that i blame the people even now who seek to meet their need for notoriety by yelling fire in the movie theater. or even that stranger candidate