he is a birther with a capital "b." why not just come out with it? no comment. look, the idea that we are discussing the president's birth certificate five years after it was proven -- the whole controversy was proven to be false is outrageous, and that a member of congress cannot be statesman enough to say they questions about the question's birth certificate are not part of the discussion, let's talk about other things that i disagree with the president on. >> he won't even say anything. he says no comment. >> right. that goes to the leaders, when the leadership of the republican parties was asked about the president's birth certificate, they did basically the same thing. they winked and nodded and said "no comment." >> ryan, i'm not sure who mr. yoho thinks he's fooling. we have him on tape saying he wants to support steve stockman's birther bill. take a listen to this, ryan. >> steve stockman's got a bill that's going to look into the birth certificate again. would you be willing to co-sponsor it? so i called steve up and i said when i get back -

. >> why is it an issue with the birthers then?> i think we know why it's an issue with the birthers because it's obama and they want to use anything to delegitimatize president obama. but ted cruz is one of them. i mean, if you look at who has the ear of the grassroots, it is ted cruz. you saw him down in iowa. he has a certain charisma. almost like a televangelist. i do agree he can come across as humorless. but i think to those fighting mad tea party folks, he resonates. he has a strategy. it has worked impeccably. he has made marco rubio -- >> explain it to me. where is this oliver cromwell thing of his come from? where's this sense of i'm here to burn away? usually there's a reason for people to be totally far out like this. their parents or something. >> possibly. but that is what the country -- parts of the country are calling for. >> a.b., do you -- can you figure out this guy philosophical roots where they come from? >> i don't think it was because he was in the debate club. >> at princeton, right. >> i think that nia is c

>> a birther bill to attach to it. >> the birther bill. that's what they forgot. i don't know how they could have overlooked questioning the president's place of birth in addition to everything else that they've ever wanted. i mean, this isn't serious, is it? >> no, it's not. it's the romney economic agenda. it's basically saying agree to implement the economic agenda that we would have had if we had won the last election. in exchange for that, we'll cause the government not to default on its debt. it's not a serious offer. what struck me most about it is for the last couple of years, republicans have stuck to making budgetary demands. at least there was a semi coherent story behind this. in exchange for raising the debt limit, we'll require measures that reduce future deficits. that's the deal they got in 2011. the deal they got in 2013 was that the senate would have to pass a budget. so that didn't actually force further deficit reduction, but at least it was about the budget. now they're asking for things like net neutrality, which have nothing whatsoever to do

. >> you're not a birther. natural born citizen. >> no, sir.e have a legitimate difference on principle here. we don't want the federal government socializing the greatest health care system created in the history of the world. we in texas -- >> that's your philosophy. i accept that. do you believe that the afford abld care act was passed legitimately by the congress and house and signed by the president and do you believe all that to be true? >> of course, chris. laws can be changed. in fact, the congress changes laws all the tile. we're elected to do so. we are -- we've been in this last election, this was a keystone of ted cruz's election and my election. i support ted cruz, we're both committed as are the texas republicans to defund, delay, repeal obamacare. >> okay. that's all true. but you know what, congressman sherman, every american knew that obama was for obamacare when they re-elected him. mitt romney ran against him on it, the public chose president obama knowing he was obamacare and they said yes. that's my point. yours? >> a major

we'll repeal obama care, we'll keep whispering about birtherism.nything so we can say he wasn't on the list of presidents. that's not one of the face that is belongs on the list of presidents. maybe i'm paranoid. that's what i that i they're up to. >> facts are facts. >> what i'm talking about, this attempt to discount him. >> we talk about legacy. his legacy stands. we can see what he's done. and the durability of obama care is right there. with these quick votes against it. >> they're going to shut down the government over it. they tried to. >> right now, it looks like that would backlash against them like it backlashed against newt gingrich and his regime in the '90s. the innithing we got to talk ab the mid terms or the general elections. in the mid-terms, i think african-americans and a lot of other voters tend to vote democrat are less likely to show up and it's harder to generate that same kind much energy and you've also got a lot of safe districts. so people are better about turning out. >> congressman meeks, do you hear people talk about t

. >> the only thing i didn't see mentioned was a birther bill to attach to it. >> reporter: john pain the republican speak are in a very tough spot. he may face a stark choice, ask democrats for help patsing a clean resolution to cheap the government open or face a shutdown. back to you. >> thank you mike hav viqueira n washington. as mentioned start on the ground tuesday, 48 million americans without insurance will be able to shop for private insurance in online ex-changes. the on him bomb a administration says there are technical clicks with the government website healthcare d.gov. where this small business owners can go to purchase health care for their employees. there are also problems with a spanish language version of the site and hope to have them fixed by november. syria and iran are sharing center stage. the u.s. and russia have reached agreement on a draft security council resolution to get rid of syria's chemical weapons and iran is looking to strike ideal on its nuclear program within a year. al jazerra's john tear it's has the latest development. >> reporter: what as his

whisper about birtherism, so they can say he wasn't on the list of presidents, that face doesn't belongo the list of presidents. maybe i'm paranoid. that's what i think they are up to. >> we've already seen the right refashion history to suit their tastes, but facts are facts. >> what i'm talking about, this attempt to disgown him. >> if we talk about legacy, his legacy stands, and the durability of obama care is right there, these quick-siding votes against it -- >> they are going to shut down the government over it, they are trying to. >> right now it looks like that would backlash against them, just like it backlashed against newt gingrich in the '90s. we're talking about the midterms or general elections, because in the midterms african-americans and others tending to vote democrat are less likely to show up and it's harder to generate that same kind of energy. >> congressman meeks, when you go home, do you hear people talking about these characters? i've never seen this right wing so virulent, basically trying it to erase obama, kill the baby in its crib with obama care. it's like

the birther controversy. couldn't he have blown that out of the water a lot sooner than he did?the part of the president that i think doesn't want to engage with nonsense like that, and he's a constitutional law professor. he's a very serious guy. he doesn't love that part of politics. bill clinton liked to fight those fights. obama doesn't. he would rather not engage. so i think for a long time they didn't engage that. there was a policy in the white house, we're not going to answer that because it's too ridiculous. and then finally, they had to. they decided it's too distracting, we're going to put the birth certificate out, and of course, it didn't convince the people who aren't going to be convinced anyway. i think you're right. i think ultimately looking back, they would have better off if they had just answered it either themselves or had a surrogate do it from the beginning. >> i know you guys are a big tennis family, right? did you go to the u.s. open? >> we love to watch, and we love to play. the children, especially, have -- now at the age of 6, they're coming into the

. >> i did see mention was a birther still attached tpoeupt. >> twhaoeul the situation is -- -- while the situation the fluid. they will be in session both saturday and sunday. john boehner, the republican spokeer in a very tough spot. he may face stark choice, ask democrats for help passing a clean resolution to keep the government open or take the shut down. back to you. >> mike in washington. thank you. and new jersey democratic congressman served on the budget and the way's and means committee. >> i've always found that to be abvery reasonable person. i think boehner wants to. they put this together. they have the foundation for folks not -- they can't control their agenda and they can't control their votes. i anything can happen at this particular time. >>> so, we have tw two major events coming up here. the shut down of government and then the debt sealing i sealinge oh october pwhap can those have in u.s. economy? >> well, i think they already see changes in the stock market the last few days. i think thatty would be surprised if you look back at what happened in 1995 when the

press secretary jay carny said the only they did not attach is a birther bill.ill will go back to the house and speaker bane irwith the ball in his hand, but today boehner wasn't blinking. >> we're going to introduce plan that ties important spending cuts and progrowth reforms to a debt limit increase. the president says, i'm not going to negotiate. well, i'm sorry but it just doesn't work that way. we're not going to ignore washington's spending problem. >> not clear if boehner would have any compromise options that don't involve fracturing the republican caucus. >> trace: wendell, thank you. at lawmakers debate the healthcare law with a possible government shutdown looming we're getting a brant new look at the economy. the commerce department reports the gdp grew 2.35% from april through june. about what the economists expected. the gdp is the total dollar value of goods and services our nation produces. considered the betts indicator how the economy is doing, and while that number is a slight improvement from the previous three months, some economists say the

the only thing i didn't see mentioned was a birther bill to attach to it. >> that is the next fight.mediate fight is making sure the government keeps the lights on as of october 1st. harris? >> too bad you can't bottle snarkiness because there seems to be a lot on capitol hill. >> no doubt. >> thank you very much. by the way, the government shutdown will not affect funding for obamacare overall. that is the word from the feds. they say the insurance exchanges will open on tuesday with or without a government shutdown. president obama hit the road today to try to convince young people to sign up. remember, they need the revenue from those young people doing this. but we are getting word of yet another delay in the rollout of this. republican leaders claim americans are not buying the president's, quote, happy talk. ed henry is live at the white house. ed, now another delay. >> reporter: that's right, harris. the president at this nearby rally says signing up for these exchanges is as easy as going on amazon.com and buying a new television. and then a few minutes after the rally ended,

. >> the only thing i didn't see mentioned was like a birther bill to attach it to. >> reporter: houseeaders announced they will be in session saturday and sunday, but when it comes right down to it, john boehner may have a choice. he can ask democrats for help or stick with his conservatives, and that would result in a government shutdown, john. >> do we get a sense of what the gop are saying behind closed doors? >> it's interesting and complicated, but basically john boehner has been trying to appease his conservatives. approval of the keystone pipeline, a one-year delay in implementation of obamacare, and behind closed doors, conservatives would not go for it. they want to stick to their guns on this more immediate urgent issue, and that is the spending that comes up -- the shutdown that will happen if the spending isn't passed by tuesday, john. >> mike, thank you very much. >>> i spoke with democratic congressman who serves on both the budget and ways and means committees, and talked about where the discussions are right now. >> there's very little negotiation going on. we're waiti

. >> the only thing i didn't see mentioned was like a birther bill to attach to it. >> aljazeera, washington. >> today, members of congress will prepare for a possible weekend fight on capitol hill as the senate will vote to avert a government shutdown. libby casey is at the capitol. what will the senate vote on today? it is very difficult for people to follow. >> 12:30 this afternoon, the senate will begin a series of four votes and it will cell my nate in the spending bill that would keep the government funded past the fiscal year. the fiscal year ends september 30. tuesday morning, 12:01 a.m., the government would shut down unless congress can act. this is a legislation that would keep that going forward. >> what about a house resolution to defund obamacare? will the senate be voting to strip that part out? >> they sure will. watch for that this afternoon. that is expected to pass and will then feed into this larger bill. it will get kicked back to the house of representatives where house speaker john boehner who leads this raucous republican caucus has to figure out what his next move is

there's probably a big birther fre freakout where they're kicking themselves, he's secretly iranian.ll huge differences between our countries. everything from iran's nuclear program to their support for terrorist groups, but today's direct contact between these two men for the first time since new cars looked like this, this direct contact is a sign we might make progress on the differences between us and we might do it without a war. how did this happen? how did we get to this point? ever since the relationship between the u.s. and the iran fell apart after the iranian revolution and hostage crisis. americans have used sanctions to put them on iran to try to get them to stop doing whatever it is they were doing. president carter banned oil imports. froze iranian assets. reagan banned the sale of anything to iran that could be used militarily. labeled iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, he did also ship missiles to iran, but we're not supposed to think of that when we think of reagan. president clinton also banned americans from investing money in iran. the point, every time these

some of them choke on that because they want to play to the birther crowd.hen i've asked did the affordable care act get passed legitimately? yes. well, it was passed legitimately, why are they refusing to fund it and using the federal governments a hostage to do that? do it all right and then say that doesn't matter. let's start all over and defund it and kill it. kill the baby in its crib. that's extraordinary legislative behavior for somebody who never passed a bill. in other words, all he wants to be known as is a guy who killed a bill after it was passed. >> it's not he just wants to kill a bill. he wants to be known as the guy who stands up and fights even if it's the alamo, even if everybody dies. i'm the guy who's principled, i'm smarter, better, stronger, and more pure than everyone else. that has always been his motif. i traveled around when he was running for the senate and the amazing thing to me, jason is right. i still hear whole sections of paragraphs that he was saying then when he said i'm going to shake up washington, when he talks today. >

. >> in the past it was a fringe movement, the birthers and now what's happened is the obama did he rangemente moved to the center of the republican party and it is eating them alive. it is hollowing out that party and they will have victories. they will do well in 2014 and fewer people vote, but they are destroying the political party. >> thank you so much for joining us this afternoon. coming up, the curious tale of cory booker, senator rand paul and an afterable drug lord named t bo t-bone. should be fun. they are trying to fill empty store fronts and by from extra customers. find out how they plan to revive downtown sunday morning. >> brought to you by american express open. visit open forum.com for ideas to help you grow your business. the timing, the actions, the reactions. everything has to synch up. my expenses are no different. receipt match from american express synchronizes your business expenses. just shoot your business card receipts and they're automatically matched up with the charges on your online statement. i'm john kaplan and i'm a member of a synchronized world. this is wh

>> i didn't see mentioned a birther bill to attach. >> right, i'm sure they're just about to add thatright to our panel, msnbc contributor joy reid who is the managing editor of the grio.com and dana millbank of "the washington post." dana, your commentary on this experience, this has been exceptional and republicans appear to think it is literally christmas come early. they're making a list, checking it twice. i wonder if they're going to make hillary clinton wear an elf costume and feast on roast eric holder. >> i think that's just the beginning. they haven't put benghazi in there. >> that's a -- that's good. >> they have not tried to off big bird ainge i see nothing about sending all msnbc hosts to get mowed so i think we have a long way to go and this is really smart politics. you really want to try to jeopardize the full faith and credit of the united states. >> joy, the only chestnuts roasting on an open fire would be appear to be ted cruz's at the -- >> he pissed off -- >> what did you say? >> oh, i'm sorry. at the end of the day the opposition -- let's start with the health ca

. >> are you a birther then? >> i'm not going to comment on that, chris. on to talk about syria. >> okay. thank you for coming on. i mean it. thank you for expressing your views. gene robinson, you never know what you're going to hear here. >>> up next, what happens in 2013 doesn't stay in '13. how what happens in syria could determine the 2016 presidential election. this is "hardball," the place for politics. >>> up next, the sticky problem syria poses for 2016 presidential candidates. we'll be right back. >>> on what i believe was the single most important foreign policy decision of this generation whether or not to go to war in iraq, i believe i showed the judgment of a commander in chief. i think that senator clinton was wrong in her judgments on it. >> welcome back to "hardball." any doubt that the votes of position staked now on syria could have an impact on a 2016 run should watch that clip. senator rand paul, senator ted cruz, and senator marco rubio. >> i don't want see a clear cut or compelling american interest. i see a horrible tragedy, but i d

. >> perry, we have climate deniers, we have birth certificate deniers, birthers and now we have shutdowneniers, folks in d.c. on republican side of the aisle saying this is not going to be a big deal. it's fine, we can shut down for a couple of days or weeks, won't blame us, won't harm the country that much, it will be fine. perhaps this is because only a third of the senate was in washington in '95 and '96 and only a fifth of the house was. just because they don't actually remember or because they choose to not remember or because they were somewhat delusional. >> let's go with the they don't remember and they don't know. you know ted cruz was not in congress obviously for the last shutdown nor the house republican caucus. that's the key difference here. john boehner is aware the last government shutdown was not helpful to republicans because he was in the house leadership at that point. but he's pretty much alone. eric cantor and rand paul, ted cruz, you see a lot of members. also, you remember, most house republicans and most senators are in areas that are very heavily republican. the

the only thing i didn't see mentioned was a birther bill. even this did not satisfy about two dozen of the most extreme members of john boehner's house of crazy cards who want to duke it out over the looming shutdown before moving on to the catastrophic debt ceiling. with the house party caucus unable to support anything less than deporting the president to kenya in exchange for paying bills, a government shutdown appears more and more likely. as political rights, nobody, not even those in charge, know how the budget battle will end or if it will end. or perhaps nancy pelosi described the republican plan best. >> i don't know that they even know what they are doing. >> joining me today the chairman of the slate group jacob wiseberg, senior congressional reporter and washington bureau chief at the "huffington post" ryan grim. nbc news capitol hill correspondent luke russert. luke, it falls to you to explain what is happening and what will happen next. give us a time line of how things will roll out today. >> well, what is happening is that no

secession, we'll do everything we can to get the guy off the record books and whispering about birtherism so when it's over they can say that's not one of the faces that belongs on the list of presidents. maybe i'm paranoid. >> we've already seen the right refashion history to suit their tastes. but facts are facts. >> that's what i'm talking about. this attempt to try to discount him. >> if you talk about legacy, his legacy stands. we can see what he's done. the durability of obama care is right there. these quixotic votes against it. >> they're going to shut down the government over it. >> right now looks like that would backlash against them just like it backlashed against gingrich and his regime in the '90s. the thing we've got to talk about, are we talking about the midterms or the general elections because in the midterms, i think african-americans and other voter who's tend to vote democrat are the much less likely to show up. it's harder to generate that same kind you have energy. you've got a lot of safe districts so people are apathetic about turning out. >> congressman meeks, w

. >> you're not a birther. or anything like that. you don't question his birth? >> no, sir.e have a legitimate difference on principle here. we don't want the federal government socializing the greatest health care system created in the history of the world. >> that's your philosophy. i accept that. do you believe that the affordable care act was passed legitimately by the congress, both houses 60 votes in the senate and signed by the president when he was re-elected? do you believe that to be true? >> of course, chris. but laws can be changed. congress changes laws all the time. we're elected to do so. and we've been in this last election, this was a keystone of ted cruz's election and my election. i support ted cruz. we are both committed as are the texas republicans to defund, delay, repeal obama care. >> okay. that's all true. but congressman sherman, i have to say this before you say it. every american knew obama was for obama care when they re-elected him. mitt romney ran against him on it. the public chose obama for a second term knowing he was obama care. and they sa

yesterday yoho, we will talk birther buffoons next. >>> we've had every official in hawaii, democratt has investigate this, confirm that, yes, in fact, i was born in hawaii august 4th, 1961. we posted the certification that is given by the state of hawaii on the internet for everybody to see. >> it has been 162 days since president obama released his long form birth certificate in a bid to end the side show and silence the carnival barkers. but more than two years later there are still republicans who insist on turning the capitol building into the big top. >> so you accept the fact that he was a born american? >> i'm not -- no comment. >> no comment? now you say he's legitimate then you say but i don't think he's really necessarily native-born american, natural born american. >> i didn't say that. i just said no comment. what you said -- >> what does that mean? >> what i would like to say is i haven't studied it enough to spend the time on it to come back with an intelligence answer so i will not respond. >> a note to republican congressman ted yoho. you can go on whitehouse.gov rig

. >> are you a birther then? >> i'm not going to comment on that, chris.r expressing your views. gene robinson, you never know what you're going to hear here. >>> up next, what ps in 2013 doesn't stay in '13. how it could determine the 2016 presidential election. this is "hardball," the place for politics. clay. mom? come in here. come in where? welcome to my mom cave. wow. sit down. you need some campbell's chunky soup before today's big game, new chunky cheeseburger. mmm. i love cheeseburgers. i know you do. when did you get this place? when i negotiated your new contract, it was part of the deal. cool. [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right. i get out a lot... except when it's too cold. like the last three weekends. asthma doesn't affect my job... you missed the meeting again last week! it doesn't affect my family. your coughing woke me up again. i wish you'd take me to the park. i don't use my rescue inhaler a lot... depends on what you mean by a lot. coping with asthma isn't controlling it. test your level of control at asthm

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lady and i am amazed that the american people are not told fromomplete truth, even people like this birtherpeaking now. the major majority that passed this law at the time said the policy people will find out what is in it. not with nancy pelosi. the republicans did not vote to put this in, they did not have the opportunity to be able to discuss it before it was asked. harry reid has locked every way that any of this could be taken care of. as far as the debt ceiling and ,verything and the spending there is plenty of ways to take care of the waste and the spending that has been caused by the democratic sin. you are hanging the wrong people and you are not being honest and fair and telling the truth. post go --host: maya macguineas, , a chance to respond. guest: i do not have a political angle in all of this. the point about people not understanding the health care of it wasssed is true a complicated bill that we did not understand the effects of. my point is that we are in a situation where the tactics being used to call attention to things have become more troubling. they have increased th

the only thing i did not see mentioned was a birther bill to attach to this. is too serious to be playing games with. we saw with this kind of brinksmanship can do to our economy in 2011. that was not nearly long enough ago for people to forget. the american people would have for their elected leaders being willing to punish harshly innish them order to achieve these objectives and one imagines, as many have written, including republican commentators that there would be a political price to pay for it. i'm saying that the president will not negotiate over congress 's responsibility to raise the debt ceiling. the debt ceiling has to be raised and it is not a concession for everybody to do it. we should debate and discuss and negotiate over those differences but we should not hold the american people hostage while we do it and it is the height of irresponsibility to even suggest >> are you willing to approve the keystone xl pipeline over this? >> we are not negotiating and that is a perfect example of another item on the partisan agenda of the republican party a