to create more opportunities for the people who want to join the middle-class, and congresswoman gabbarding to concentrate on the candidates, and she was asked if she could keep the focus on the candidates, and that is what we felt was important, and in the end she declined the invitation to come that was extended by bernie sanders' campaign, because she felt a distraction, and she continued to talk about process and not our great candidates. >> well, if it is a big tent party, why couldn't more dnc leaders say, we need more debates and other leaders like you say, that there is enough. >> well, there is plenty of opportunity, and certainly a discussion over the process, but she was asked to focus on candidate, and she apparently decided to focus on the process, and look, it is about the candidates, and the republicans at their debates are trying to out-wing one another, and talking about kicking immigrants out of the country, and talking about taking the access to health care away from the women, and opposing equal pay for equal work, and that is what we need to talk the bt, and she is e

i have done, chelsea gabbard is speaking the truth.ebbie wasserman schultz did not consult anybody apart from some advisors. she did not to talk to any of the vice chairs. many of them are furious-- and what the outcome is, both. is no other conclusion you can reach is that she did that to protect hillary clinton. john: when there was a proposal early taken to the campaign that they might do eight debates, the clinton campaign was the only one that pushed back, saying they wanted fewer. mark: if they say they want 6, which is just enough, and all five people on the stage to keep her from facing off against a smaller group. john: among those dnc chairs, some of whom are vocally outspokenly critical, like chelsea gabbard, and those who are not, who are still sitting on their anger about this -- what they see more problematic than the 6 is that only 4 are taking before the first vote in iowa. data regard that as a first 6. -- they don't even regarded as a first 6. it's a sham of a mockery. mark: debbie wasserman schultz has done a lot of

don't call tulsi gabbard and i, peopling telling untruths. fact of the matter, what we have to do is bring people together. i've been in different campaigns, the bradley campaign, the dean campaign, the obama campaign. when you have campaigns that start off as insurgent campaigns, you get a sense that everybody's against you. almost a paranoia. and it's essential for the central party to say, hey, look, it's all going to be fair and equal. we did that when the party met in minneapolis and all the candidates got the same amount of time. and frankly, i don't believe the conspiracy theory that this is something about hillary clinton. >> you don't? >> no. >> you don't believe that the chair of the dnc is doing the bidding quietly of the clinton campaign, saying, six is all we want? >> no, i don't. i think the chair and i have straight-up policy disagreement. i could be wrong, but i don't think so. i think, however, the way she arrived at it was to simply make the statement, ignore those of us who gave her good advice behind the scenes about how t

tulsi gabbard, stand by.talk about including what is going on in syria right now. you're a veteran of the war in iraq. you're in the reserves and congratulations beiing promoted from captain to major on this day. much more from tulsi gabbard when we come back. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern. some neighbors are energy saving superstars. how do you become a superstar? with pg&e's free online home energy checkup. in just under 5 minutes you can see how you use energy and get quick and easy tips on how to keep your monthly bill down and your energy savings up. don't let your neighbor enjoy all the savings. take the free home energy checkup. honey, we need a new refrigerator. visit

gab gabbard says it's because she asked for more debates. the committee has denied that it told gabbard to stay away from the debate tonight. congresswoman gabbard goes "on the record." new major in the army national guard. is that right? have you been promoted yesterday to major? >> yes. it was very special and moving ceremony. >> well, congratulations and i should also say aloha, now, tell me. >> aloha. >> what is the problem here? because debbie wasserman schultz says you are not disinvited. were you disinvited from the debate or not? >> greta, yes, i was. and i will leave it at that we are about to kick off the debate here shortly and i think it's important for us to focus on the variety of very substantive and important issues that the american people are concerned about and are facing our country. >> you weren't disinvited because there was some particular spat but rather because you thought there should be more debates in the democratic party and that apparently has rubbed the chairman the wrong way. is that a fair statement? >> greta

thank you, congresswoman tulsi gabbard.y appreciate it. >> thanks, chris. >>> up next we'll take a close look at what to expect tomorrow night as the democratic candidates prepare to take the stage for the first time. >> and the parties wouldn't talk to each other. when a moment turns romantic why pause to take a pill? or stop to find a bathroom? cialis for daily use is approved to treat both erectile dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any symptoms of an allergic reaction, stop

tulsi gabbard is a rising star. tulsi gabbard should be here tonight.s we do not have enough young veterans in the party, enough young women in the party, enough people in the parent she's a quad factor, not having tulsi gabbard here, whatever the reason, i think, is a very, very bad sign i hope she will be rest of the them sitting next to debbie. we need tulsi. >> tulsi, she's an iraq war veteran. yesterday promoted from campapt to major. the fact she's not here, whatever reason is unfortunate. >> in a battle, i want her in my trench. >> me, too. me, too. >> let's talk about hillary clinton now distancing herself from the president of the united states on this trade deal in the pacific with asian countries. she says it's bad for america, why would the president be doing something supporting enthusiastically if hillary clinton says it's a bad deal? >> look, i think hillary clinton has a steep hill to climb to explain to the american people tonight why the trade deal that she called to be a gold standard a few years ago is now something she's again. i wi

and congresswoman gabbard was asked to keep our focus on the candidates. we're a big tent party and have a variety of opinions. in fact, leader harry reid today was asked about, you know what he thought about the number of debates and agreed that six debates was enough. so the point is is that we shouldn't be focused on process. at this point, we've got to make sure, and i have to make sure, as the national party chair that i can get our party in the strongest possible position to launch our nominee when we eventually have one, you know, from philadelphia, back to the white house so we can continue the progress we've made as a country. >> let me make sure i'm clear. i'm trying to understand what you're saying. are you saying that she was told, that you communicated to her that she would be welcome at the debate, as long as she didn't say anything else about her desire for there to be more debates? >> first of all, she was not uninvited. it was made clear between our staffs that the important thing is during this debate, that we focus on our candidates, not

in response, the sanders campaign offered congresswoman gabbard an extra ticket.gresswoman tulsi gabbard joins me now, just promoted from capital to major by the hawaiian army national guard. congratulations, congresswoman. could this possibly be the case? could they really disinvite you because of this? >> hello, chris. it's good to talk to you. the answer is yes. plain and simple. >> how do you know that? >> i was actually on your network. i was on msnbc speaking with steve on "meet the press daily." the very next day i landed after a redeye flight from hawaii back to d.c. and landed to a message saying that debbie wasserman schulz's chief of staff had called mine and said, we saw her on msnbc and basically -- i'm paraphrasing -- but if she continues this then we really don't think she should be at the debate. >> why do you think -- why such a strong reaction? i know the dnc sort of came up with their basic plan for the debates and they want to make sure that people don't go to unsanctioned debates, you're punished if you do, but it really does seem like democra

. >> what about your vice chair, tulsi gabbard, the congresswoman from hawaii, who says you told her she could not come here today. that doesn't sound inclusive. >> that's simply not the case. the congresswoman was asked to focus on our candidates on the issues that are important to americans to draw a contrast with the republicans -- >> she says there should be more than six debates. >> we are a big tent party and welcome those opinions. this debate and every debate going forward is about the issues. she is continuing to focus on process which she's entitled to do. we asked if she could focus on those issues and she chose not to come because i guess she can't. >> she says that you said she can't come. >> that is simply not the case. what we said as my staff communicated to her staff is that she needed to focus on the issues and make a commitment to do that, and in fact, she said yesterday in a news interview that if she came, she would be a distraction so she chose not to come. >> bernie sanders told chuck todd on "meet the press" that he's a democratic socialist, not a capitalist.

you and i are now talking about tulsi gabbard rather than concentrating on our candidates. >> meanwhile, republican presidential candidate mike huckabee on twitter last night, and raising some eyebrows. at one point huckabee tweeting quote, racism exists, because we have a sin problem in america, not a skin problem. four minutes later he tweeted, quote, i trust bernie sanders with my tax dollars like i trust a north korean chef with my labrador. after the tweet got attention, huckabee added, poor liberals think it's racist to deplore a brutal dictatorship. the latest fox news poll has the race for the republican nomination in a statistical tie. donald trump leads ben carson by just a single digit. 24% to 23%. in a poll taken saturday through monday, senator ted cruz is in a distant third at 10%. with marco rubio at 9%. and jeb bush in fifth place at 8%. carly fiorina has fallen four points since mid-september. at the bottom of the field the governors, chris christie, john kasich, bobby jindal and former three-term governor george pataki, all pulling 1%. >>> now let's turn to the middle

let's get back to congresswoman tulsi gabbard of hawaii. this new u.s.ategy unfolding combat troops potentially in iraq and also syria, you think this is a good idea? >> wolf, i think it's a positive development to hear secretary carter talking about really taking a more stronger offensive approach to defeating isis by using our highly trained, highly effective special forces troops working in concert with these kurdish fighters on the ground, these kurdish special forces with some of these sunni tribes. people who are fighting on the ground very effectively against isis. again, i think the more we focus on defeating our enemy, isis, al qaeda and others, the more effective we'll be in accomplishing our mission. >> with the u.s. potentially on the verge of a major military escalation in the fight against isis do you believe it requires congressional authorization? >> i think that the president is within his right, he is authorized to continue to go after the enemy that attacked us on 9/11. they've gone by dimpt names, al qaeda, al nusra, isis, et cetera,

democratic national committee vice chair tulsi gabbard, a congressmember from hawaii, will not be attending today's debate -- she says she was disinvited after publicly calling for more than six debates. we will bring you a preview of tonight's debate after the headlines. iran's parliament has backed the landmark nuclear deal between iran, the united states and five other world powers. the vote comes after republicans in the u.s. congress unsuccessfully tried to block the nuclear deal. iran is expected to begin curbing its nuclear program in the coming days, in exchange for sanctions relief. turkey's deputy prime minister says a "large number of people" have been detained as suspects in the bombings of the peace rally in ankara saturday that killed as many as 128 people. the turkish government says the self-aggrandizement state is the crime suspect. -- crime suspect. in news from syria, members of the u.s.-backed rebel groups fighting syrian president was her al-assad reported receiving an influx of u.s. meat antitank missiles and what appears to be a response to russian airstrikes against

the dnc team wanted this first debate to have all the focus on the candidates and gabbard's people were told that if they couldn't commit to that, since tulsi was trying to publicly divide the dnc leadership last week, then they should consider not coming." you see, it's not that i'm disinviting you to my party, i just think you should consider not coming. so as that passive-aggressive battle continues, for now there are only going to be six debates. and sought candidates, who are not hillary clinton are obviously hoping to break through in some way. maybe bernie sanders will come out swinging to try to knock hillary clinton off her game a bit. the "washington post" is suggesting that jim webb could be the wild card who really shakes up the debate. jim webb? the guy who has such a low profile a magazine actually did an investigation into whether he was really running for president. maybe he's just been hunkering down and preparing for his big debate moment. but of all the things hillary clinton has to worry about, the biggest unknown is vice president joe biden. cnn is actually touting

now they want to do it again top defund planned parenthood. >> congresswoman gabbard was asked to keep the focus on the candidates. she chose to not come to the debate. we need to continue to focus on america's greatness and make sure that we can move forward and help people continue the progress we've made under president obama and democratic policies. >> i will note that is a different account. we will leave that there. here's my other question for you. in the issues you just mentioned one of them was not campaign finance refor. it's something both hillary clinton and bernie sanders talked a lot about. there's a candidate named lawrence lessig who is running. he will not appear tonight. my question is, is it the network of cnn or the democratic party that ultimately determines eligibility for who is on that stage? >> so we have discussions about our threshold and our view of what the threshold should be. ultimately cnn made the call on what our threshold was which was you know, having an average of 1% in a poll about six weeks before the first debate in three national polls. and you

this is odd for someone like a tulsi gabbard making something up. it's not her reputation.either. why would she say that? >> i have no idea. i think it's unfortunate she's decided that in the last day and a half we're going to focus on her and her opinion. we're a big ten party. she is entitled to her opinion that we should have more than six debates. there are others that feel that way as well. yesterday leader reed was asked about his opinion on the number of debates. he said six is plenty. we have a wide variety of opinions. let's set process aside. we'll have six debates, a number of candidate forums, coupled with the state pears and other media outlets. we'll have many different opportunities to see our candidates. it's my job to make sure we maximize those opportunities and make sure at the end of the day we draw the contrast between us and the republicans. >> congresswoman debbie wasserman schultz, thanks so much for being on "new day." >> you didn't wear your hat, though? >> i didn't. but you'll see it again. >>> how do democratic voters think the candidates did in

diplomacy in the reason and tulsi gabbard joins me for that discussion. later, the head of planned parenthood answers questions that congress wouldn't let her answer. we'll have chuck's interview with cecile richards. but the quicksilver card from capital one likes to keep it simple. real simple. i'm talking easy like-a- walk-in-the-park, nothing-to-worry-about, man-that-feels-good simple. quicksilver earns you unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere. it's a simple question. what's in your wallet? when you're not confident your company's data is secure, the possibility of a breach can quickly become the only thing you think about. that's where at&t can help. at at&t we monitor our network traffic so we can see things others can't. mitigating risks across your business. leaving you free to focus on what matters most. >>> if i were doing poorly, if i saw myself going down, if you would stop calling me because you no longer have any interest in trump because he has no chance, i'd go back to my business. i have no problem with that. >> that was

what can you tell us about tulsy gabbard being disinvited?> the democratic party is a big tent party. that's one of the great things about being a democrat, you'll have a lot of different opinions, whether it's about debates, philadelphia the site for the convention, even the primary calendar. this time eight years ago i was dealing with calls from reporters every day because florida and michigan had jumped further ahead. that was a real issue because we were losing delegates. >> why was she disinvited? >> this isn't an issue at all. all we ask is folks to focus not on interparty issues but focus on the candidates. we have several candidates tomorrow introducing themselves. they have an opportunity to present their vision for moving america forward. and that's where the attention should be. and so we want to provide that opportunity. that's why what we've done is we've built out more than 200 house parties and watch parties all across the country, 41 states that are going to be focusing in on everything that these candidates are saying, how t

. >> stand by, congresswoman tulsi gabbard. we'll have more. (vo) what does the world run on? it runs on optimism. it's what sparks ideas. moves the world forward. invest with those who see the world as unstoppable. who have the curiosity to look beyond the expected and the conviction to be in it for the long term. oppenheimerfunds believes that's the right way to invest... ...in this big, bold, beautiful world. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern. mcgladrey was founded to help growing businesses reach higher goals. soon our team of audit, tax and consulting advisors started taking the middle market to the global market. and now our network, spanning more than 110 countries, is unifying under one brand. mcgladrey is changing its name to rsm. experien

. >> can we talk about congresswoman gabbard? >> sure. she spoke out about wanting more debates. >> you'll have a diversity of opinions, whether it's about the city we choose for the convention, whether it's about the primary and caucus calton der, whether it's about the number of debates. we welcome that kind of healthy debate within our party but we want to focus right now on the candidates that are going to be on stage tonight. you were saying earlier this might be the hottest date on record for nevada for this day in history. that i think is going to be because we'll have a great debate on that stage. >> was she actually disinvited. >> what was asked of her staff is we wanted to keep the focus on the candidates. that's reasonable. she herself said she felt she'd be a distraction even after she was offered an extra ticket and decided not to come. >> she felt she'd be a distraction because she'd been disinvited. she was told not to come. bad move? >> i think she'd be happy that we're sitting here looking at what these candidates are goi

. >> congresswoman gabbard, always a pleasure to talk to you about these issues. will only grow by in multiples, but we'll also see, now these groups will have all these capabilities that assad currently has. >> congresswoman, it's always a pleasure to talk with you. >> thanks, ray yell. >> one thing you should know tonight, you don't even have to get up and change the channel, it's the documentary "blood lions." everybody who has thing this thing says it is absolutely fascinating and terrifying. you will not see lawrence o'donnell tonight, you will see "blood lions" coming up after the show. it's supposed to be amazing. will only grow by in multiples, issues and how republicans talk. but every once in a while, the republican party throws out a curveball. >> lyndon johnson is probably rotting in hell right now because of the vietnam war. needs to know dick cheney. >> what he did today is rather stupefying. that story is next. >> one nice thing about walter jones in north carolina is he just signs his name walter. 50i9s not like he's so well known that if you say w

. >> reporter: nevada's senior senator harry reid tried to mediate by slamming gabbard. >> i didn't think was running for president. what is she concerned about? >> reporter: she raced to trump's hotel which is across the street from the debate site at the wynn las vegas. >> what do we want? >> reporter: clinton struggling to get key union endorsements eager to greet culinary workers protesting trump. >> if you are going to run for president, then you should represent all the people of the united states. >> reporter: despite clinton's attempt to take on trump, a new fox poll shows she would lose to him and all of the other top republicans in hypothetical matchups. while vice president joe biden leads all of the major republicans head-to-head in the fox poll. biden decided not to use a sixth podium waiting for him so the draft biden team is out with a new ad hoping to get him in the race soon. >> you deserve a president who will never quit on you! >> reporter: democratic socialist bernie sanders and the others have never been tested on such a big stage. while clinton went through 19 debate

i believe tell is i gabbard, however, i think debbie wasserman schultz may change her mind after seeingary. >> you know, i have got the to agree with you there, eric. a lot of people say that debbie wasserman schultz does not have great relationship with president obama and that gang and that she's to hold her job and that's why she is pushing for hillary to win. hillary is really a seasoned debater. and i think we certainly saw that she performs very well so why wouldn't she want to put her candidate out there more? >> her candidate, hold on there, kid doe. her candidate, there were five of her candidates on that stage the other night. >> no, what i'm saying is her job is definitely many people feel more secure. >> no what you are saying is she you are showing us your hand, leslie. you exposed your hand. you showed us what we all already knew, that her candidate is hillary. >> that's the problem for her. it looks like her candidate is hillary. another candidate wasn't there joe biden who quite frankly is closer to president obama. so she has got to be very careful that she is being fai

. >> congresswoman gabbard, always a pleasure to talk to you about these issues. >> one thing you shouldtonight, at 10:00 eastern time after the show here on msnbc, it will happen right here, the documentary, blood lions. i have not yet seen this documentary. in the building him everybody who has seen this thing says it is absolutely fascinating and terrifying. you will not see lawrence o'donnell tonight. you will see bloodline here on msnbc coming up after the show it it's supposed to be amazing and comes highly recommended. stay with us. skrch... skrch... what are you doing? i just gotta scrape the rest of the food off them. ew. dish issues? cascade platinum powers through this brownie mess better than the competition, the first time. cascade. means striking a the right balancesco between economic growth, housing we can afford, and our quality of life. aaron peskin has been a champion for the middle class, fighting bad growth and income inequality. and mayor ed lee has transformed san francisco into the nation's most thriving city. vote peskin/lee. san francisco needs

congresswoman and dnc vice chair tul sill gabbard was on this network one week ago calling for debates. she says the next day she was disinvited from tomorrow night's debate. a person close to the committee told "the new york times" that wasn't true "she was not uninnen vited. the team wanted this first debate to have all the focus on the candidates and her people were told if they couldn't commit to that since tulsi was trying to divide the leadership last week, they should consider not coming." i just think you should consider not coming. as that passive aggressive battle for now there are going to be six debates. the candidates not hillary clinton are hoping to break through in some way. maybe sanders will come out swinging to try to knock her off her game a little bit. "the washington post" is suggesting jim webb could be account wildcard who really sthaiks shakes up the debate? jim webb be? who has such a low profile al o a magazine did an investigation into whether he was really running for president. maybe he's just been humpbering down and preparing for his big debate moment. b

after the first democratic presidential debate also sparked controversy, after congresswoman tulsi gabbard of hawaii said she was disinvited one day after calling for more democratic debates than the six currently scheduled. meanwhile, a close friend of vice president joe biden has released a letter to biden's former staffers saying that he will be making a decision soon on whether to join the 2016 presidential election. the letter also asks the staffers for their support and involvement should joe biden declare his candidacy. cnn reports a senior democratic official has said the vice president will likely decide within the next three days. a frequent fox news commentator and chargedested for falsely claiming to have worked for the cia for decades. wayne simmons said he worked as a "outside paramilitary special operations officer" for the cia from 1973 to 2000. a claim u.s. prosecutors say is false. simmons allegedly tried to use his phony record to get government security clearances and to secure work as a military contractor. he was identified as a cia operative in appearances on fox new

just say that the candidates need us to have our undivided attention on -- and what congresswoman gabbard big ten party. everyone is entitled to their opinion. we embrace a lot of wide variety of opinion. but she was asked to keep the focus on our candidates. i saw her interview with wolf blitzer earlier today. she decided she would be a distraction and chose not to come. >> she said her chief of staff was told by your chief of staff that she shouldn't go to the debate, that she was no longer welcome. did that happen at all? >> what congresswoman gabard's staff was told was that the focus needed to be on our candidates. >> through that, did you tell her not to come to the debate? >> her staff was told that we needed to make sure that our focus was on our candidates tomorrow night and as she said on your network, she decided that she would be a distraction and chose not to come because we have to make sure that that contrast is clear. >> okay. sglts a clear contrast and we need to make sure we're getting people focused on those candidates. >> i understand what you're saying. we need you to

the showdown between dnc head debbie wasserman schultz and vice chairwoman, tulsy gabbard.egations flying back and forth between them. also, betting on biden.

. >> we should have more debates, chelsea gabbard was right.ebates. >> you can join ler in hawaii on that position. >> it's not a bass place to be. >> i would watch one. going forward. martin o'malley had the opportunity to join the sanders movement about the e-mail problem. he didn't take it. he said ethics is important. it will be interesting to watch. if he's going to try to take a bite out of that lead, he's got to be more aggressive. if he doesn't do it, i think she sames into an easy victory, if so, there will be a rough sailing ahead. >> dan, your final thoughts, what do you think of the longevity of the e-mail controversy issue, do you think that with congressman kevin mccarthy comments as well as bernie sanders assist with hillary clinton, do you think this is going away? >> i think it was never going to be a problem with hillary clinton in the democratic party. it would be a mistake for a democrat to raise it. with sanders, the gentleman you interviewed this past weekend. >> a former staffer. >> saying there was a partisan investigati

that would be democratic congresswoman tulsy gabbard who was disinvited by the chair. her defense she says breaking from the party line and calling for more debates among the democrats. >> i've been calling for more debates to give the american people the opportunity to hear from these presidential candidates. because that differentiated from the opinion of the chairwoman i was told i was no longer welcome to come to the debate. >> so let's bring in cnn political reporter mmaive westi. >> that's actually been a troubling storyline this weekend for the dnc. they are still insisting that she was welcome here but there were some discussions they wanted before that point. so it's really been a fascinating way of sort of bringing attention away from the candidates. >> so let's talk strategy. angela ry, and maria cardona, welcome both of you. >> thank you. >> thanks for being here. so i'm going to run through four challenges for the contenders. first up, can hillary clinton flip-flop gracefully. same-sex marriage, trade and immigration. maria? >> i think the opportunity for