we're joined again by phone by steve clemons. the reaction in jordan to the execution of the two prisoners that jordan was ready to hand over in exchange for the jordanian pilot who had been captured by the islamic state, we are seeing some of that, some video of that reaction in the street. it seems supportive both of the pilot and king abdullah. what is your read of the complexities of the reaction to this situation in jordan? >> well, as i think laith said earlier, the situation inside jordan, as you've described it, was complex and tense for the government because there was a lot of criticism that the government was not doing enough to move forward with the exchange of rishawi for this pilot and there grew a lot of antipathy within jordan about the cost of allies with the united states and others were. that jordan has absorbed into it is country many of the refugees from syria and iraq over the years and received very little, on a relative basis, aid from the rest of the world. at least not on par with the burden that jordan

steve clemons, u.s.esswoman, donna edwards, also my friend. >>> up next, what got david axelrod worried? you'll be astounded by the news. axelrod is coming here in a minute. this is "hardball," the place for politics. doug, we have the results, but first, we have a very special guest. come on out, flo! [house band playing] you have anything to say to flo? nah, i'll just let the results do the talking. [crowd booing] well, he can do that. we show our progressive direct rate and the rates of our competitors even if progressive isn't the lowest. it looks like progressive is not the lowest! ohhhh! when we return we'll find out whether doug is the father. wait, what? >>> well, this is going to be candy. welcome back to "hardball." david axelrod has served as a senior adviser to the president in the white house and remain as close friend as a chicago-base political consultant he's led candidates to victory out there and also around the country. he's director of the university of chicago's institute of politics

steve clemons joins us tonight on this subject. jordan says they will avenge the death of this pilot. similar reaction came from the japanese leadership as well. what does this mean? it is a horrific way to gather a coalition, but in some strange way this is possibly going to strengthen the coalition as i see it and it is going to get people more serious about what we're dealing with globally right now. >> i hope that you are correct. jordan has been tied in an emotional knot as they videos came out of the japanese hostages that were beheaded demanding the release of sajida al rishawi, a would-be suicide bomber from 2005. there were efforts to push the kingdom to make a deal to offer this trade for this imprisoned heroin heroine to isis terrorists. jordan asked for proof of life which of course they never received, but jordan has been deeply tied in knots. there's been debate inside the country about how much burden they should be carrying fighting isis, and perhaps what isis just did tragically and horrifyingly to this brave pilot

we want to bring in steve clemons. the editor at large for the atlantic. steve, as you have been listening to this and the time line as we have been discussing and i asked earlier of one of our analysts, why wouldn't isis try to keep the pilot alive? it seems like he would be more valuable to them alive. >> i think they didn't know the foresight of what was coming ahead. i think that the -- i mean ayman covers this. we all watched. it's hard to know what's in the minds of these people when they elect to kill folks. it seems to me that they had decided that there was no price that they would take for this pilot, that he represented, in their theology and what they believe a collaborator with the united states, a collaborator with everything they are opposed to. when you look at the propaganda video and see so much focused on jordanian collaboration and cooperation with the united states, it seems that isis lost any off ramp for getting rid of him. i sthi that is why of the reasons. but i am speculating in this case. i don't think they would have ever traded

going to have a standoff and we have to maintain the course i think for a long long time. >> steve clemonesic editor at large and mike mcfaul thanks both of you. this comes at a very important moment. we'll see how today's conversations push forward this conversation about sending arms into the fray there on the ground. a lot at stake. another international story to update you on. nigeria pushing the presidential elections back six weeks because of boko haram but depending on who you ask, possibly because of politics. the government saying it needs to deploy troops to protect polling stations in territories threatened by the terror group. some are accusing the government of delaying this election to help the incumbent goodluck jonathan facing a former military leader in what's a very very tight race. a very security threatened country. president jonathan has been relatively popular but many in nigeria believe the military experience could help stop the boek co-har ram threat. it has stepped up attacks this year and in recent weeks it's spreading the conflict over the borders into nigeria's

it's the beginning of what needs to happen. >> steve clemons, love getting your take.. >> thank you, ronan. >> up next pay. >> it's our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the united states of america. meryl streep and jennifer lopez standing up there for equal pay. why does hollywood still seem to pay women less? mika mika bra zen xi on the moment that has everyone talking. are you crazy? let's hide behind the chainsaws. smart. yeah. ok. if you're in a horror movie, you make poor decisions. it's what you do. this was a good idea. shhhh. be quiet. i'm being quiet. you're breathing on me! if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance you switch to geico. it's what you do. head for the cemetery! in just this one moment, your baby is getting even more than clean. the scent, the lather, even the tiny bubbles of a johnson's® bath are helping to enhance the experience. the touch of your hands is stimulating her senses. nurturing her mind. and helping her development. so why just clean your baby when you can give her... so

it's why i invite steve clemons on to talk about this.on he wants without argument from me. i do not know what to do. i wish at this point in the 21st century we could run columns in newspapers that say, i have thought about these things all my life. i don't know what to do here. >> you know that would be so different maybe you should write it and see what happens. okay. the man with the answers. >> i will take notes now when steves gives the answer. >> let me put it this way. the argument that he makes is he talks about oil prices. about declining oil prices and how oil prices have been linked so much to the nuclear talks in the united states. he's saying because oil prices are falling so dramatically vladimir putin is in a weak place. hard liners in iran are in a weak place. it gives the united states a position of strength in dealing with them. what do you make of the specific argument? >> he's a great thinker but wrong on this. one of the things i give the administration credit for in the national security strategy that it released is

joining me tonight is steve clemons. steve, it's not very often -- in fact, it has been decades since we have come close to any kind of a deal with the iranians on anything. what's your reaction to two people close to the negotiation would tell "the associated press" you know what there's a compromise in sight here and the details of it as i just reported, your thoughts on it. >> as you and i have discussed in the past i felt there was a deal that we were getting close to. they made the assessment they thought the iranians were creditably trying to get that too. forget the republicans in congress. the french have been the most resistant in agreeing to any sort of centrefuge agreement of any part of what was leaked. we came back with a minimum threshold. the idea they would be able to keep 10,000 with these other add jurgegt operations with the uranium gas and shipping out the processed fuel is very surprising to me. i think it is going to be harder for the president to convince the world this was a good deal. >> the convi

joining me tonight steve clemons and also colonel jack jacobs medal of honor recipient and our militaryntlemen, great to have you with us to want. i almost feel like we are watching a real life "blacklist" unfold here. >> everything we hear and see is directed that way. we have british pilots out there intervening. russian bombers over eastern europe. we see a russia that economy is imploding. we have seen increasing escalation in the eastern ukraine of russian troops and russian armaments. i am very concerned about it because right now the tilt is to action. merkel is trying to say, hey, wait. >> is vladimir putin going to annex the ukraine? >> he wants to. >> putin is not going to back down, is he? >> we have squeezed him economically. he's not backing down. oil is at 40 bucks or less. likely to go lower a barrel. he has just heard merkel say to the president of the united states you guys are on your own. >> what kind of assistance would we give them? >> it is not going to be machine guns and small weapons. it is going to be relatively serious stuff, but none of it can be of american

. >> msnbc contributor and editor at large for atlantic steve clemons and jj goldberg here in new york judge in texas issues that stay on the president's executive action order. we'll take a look at the very people most affected by the ongoing fight. that's on the other side of this break. these new nature valley nut crisp bars are packed with nuts, seeds and sweetness. stick to simple, like nature valley nut crisp bars. nuts. seeds. sweetness. boom. delicious. introducing the citi ® double cash card. it earns you cash back now and cash back later. with 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay with two ways to earn on puchases, it makes a lot of other cards seem one-sided. you owned your car for four years. you named it brad. you loved brad. and then you totaled him. you two had been through everything together. two boyfriends. three jobs. you're like "nothing can replace brad!" then liberty mutual calls. and you break into your happy dance. if you sign up for better car replacement, we'll pay for a car that's a model year newer with 15,000 fewer miles than your old one. see car insurance in

joining me now is steve clemons, you know a lot more than you were able to report about the whole process because you were involved in the very early efforts on behalf of kayla mueller's family to try to find her. >> i think that in throughout these episodes with a number of hostages, that it is a horrible thing to see such bright lights. kayla's letter will be historic. it is such a flash of brilliant humanity amidst some of the most horrible scenes that we've seen. and i think it is excruciating talking with any of those that have been involved with this effort to get these various hostages away. peter theo curtis was involved with qatari captors, these isis group has yet to -- at least with any americans has not released a single american hostage. they have ransomed out other hostages but no americans. this is just a terrible terrible situation. >> we should remember james foley, steven sutloff and they were with kayla mueller and they were beheaded horrifically. what do we know about the special forces last july 4th that tried to find them and apparently a couple of days too late. the

. >> steve clemons, thanks very much. we'll be right back. have a cold with terrible chest congestion. better take something. theraflu severe cold doesn't treat chest congestion. really? new alka-seltzer plus day powder rushes relief to your worst cold symptoms plus chest congestion. oh, what a relief it is. here we go! ever since darryl's wife started using gain flings, their laundry smells more amazing than ever. (sniff) uh honey isn't that the dog's towel? (dog noise) hey, mi towel, su towel. more gain scent, plus oxi boost and febreze for 3 big things in one gain fling. it's our best gain ever! the world is filled with air. but for people with copd sometimes breathing air can be difficult. if you have copd, ask your doctor about once-daily anoro ellipta. it helps people with copd breathe better for a full 24hours. anoro ellipta is the first fda-approved product containing two long-acting bronchodilators in one inhaler. anoro is not for asthma. anoro contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. it is not

. >> joining me now is steve clemons and editor at large for "the atlantic." there's a lot of ifs on the table. a lot of things have to come together if we're going to stop isis at this point. that's a lot of game plans. >> it is a lot of game plans. the first order issue is what is our strategy. to be honest with you, i'm pretty sure we do not have a strategy. we have not started at the end and worked backwards. you're not going to be able to put a coalition together unless you know what it is you're trying to accomplish. until the american government decides what we're going to have a strategy and what is it is going to be. to get back to your discussion -- we need to have a discussion at the highest levels about what it is we need to accomplish. >> is this all about strategy? we're not sure about ground troops and how effective they would be, or is it about political will? i believe -- and i'm not advocating this -- we can't sit back and let isis continue to grow and commit these atrocities. there's not a whole lot of difference between putting people in ov

steve clemons, thank you. we're following the breaking news story.s the latest on the plane crash in taiwan. (announcer) don't settle for 4g lte coverage that's smaller or less reliable when only one network is america's largest and most reliable 4g lte network: verizon. with xlte, our 4g lte bandwidth has doubled in over 400 cities. and now, save without settling. get 2 lines with 10gb of data for just $110... ...or four lines for just $140. and get a $150 bill credit for each smartphone you switch. hurry! offers end february 4th. only on verizon. ♪ music ♪ ...the getaway vehicle! for all the confidence you need. td ameritrade. you got this. >>> welcome back everybody. we are following a number of breaking news stories, including this one. a deadly plane crash in taipei. a transasia airways plane took off around 10:45 local time. 9:45 p.m. eastern and crashed ten minutes later with 58 people on board. at least 12 people were killed. the plane went down in a river after clipping a bridge. 16 people taken to hospitals. the latest crash comes months af

steve clemons, u.s.ongresswoman, donna edwards, also my friend. >>> up next what got david axelrod worried? you'll be astounded by the news. axelrod is coming here in a minute. this is "hardball," the place for politics. ations does your mouth often feel dry? a dry mouth can be a side effect of many medications. but it can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath. that's why there's biotene available as an oral rinse toothpaste, spray or gel. biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy too. remember, while your medication is doing you good, a dry mouth isn't. biotene, for people who suffer from a dry mouth. kid: hey dad, who was that man? dad: he's our broker. he helps looks after all our money. kid: do you pay him? dad: of course. kid: how much? dad: i don't know exactly. kid: what if you're not happy? does he have to pay you back? dad: nope. kid: why not? dad: it doesn't work that way. kid: why not? vo: are you asking enough questions about the way your wealth is managed? we

. >> steve clemons, thank you so much. >> thank you. >>> now to the siberia express. the coldest morning of the season for the entire eastern half of the country. the record-shatters cold continues to dominate the weather pattern keeping temperatures 15 to 40 degrees below average. the recent winter weather linked to at least 15 deaths due to hypothermia and road accidents. look at this. dashcam video caught an out of control car in michigan tip -- oh, man! just went right into that police officer assisting a stranded driver on the icy highway. incredibly, the officer, not seriously hurt. and how's this for an ice sculpture. warming up his jeep in north carolina purled away to receive this icy imprint. another ice sculpture. dylan dreyer joins us. what exactly are you in front of? >> well we are -- searching america for the iciest spots and i think we certainly found one. we are in the state park here in castille new york near genesee falls, new york and this is actually a man-made fountain that shoots about five stories up into the air. if we zoom in to the very very

. >>> and steve clemons, washington editor at large forary the atlantic" and an msnbc contributor. good morning. >> good morning, jose. >> what is your sense of how president obama's going to navigate the international pressure from people like merkel to keep the conflict contained and the domestic pressure to get tougher on russia? >> well i think he's going to listen carefully to angela merkel. if he breaks away from her he jumps in and arms the ukrainians and john mccain and others would like him to do that could well drive a wedge deep inside nato and for the president to really begin thinking about arming the ukrainians with lethal weapons requires him also to think about what happens if russia escalates not only there but elsewhere? what else is the united states prepared and willing to do? he has to have those questions answered before he would think about it. i think the president wants to buy time to think about it and not rush into action because he's got enough conflict in enough parts of his plate that it is overwhelming at the moment. this is another case where senator

. >> steve clemons, always appreciate the insight. >> thanks. >>> a winter weather alert gripping the eastern half of this country. snow, sleet, freezing rain targeting the plain states and the south this morning. oh. someone is cleaning often the cram there. brutal temperatures gripping the northeast, though with parts of new england digging out from another foot or more of snow. the winter weather responsible for several multicar pileups this morning. more than 20 vehicles tangled up on i-95 just west of boston. another 35 cars were involved in a chain-reaction crash on the kennedy expressway in chicago and just to the north a 40-car pileup on u.s.-31 in muskegon. man. msnbc meteorologist, continuing to track the storms. feels like she's been tracking the storms now for the better part of a month. >> yes. since january. >> adam reese in boston where once again it is wicked cold. we'll talk about why you're not wearing a hat in just a moment but let's start with dominica with what's happening down south. >> well yeah. down south, that cold air has made its way through the ohio valley