Transcripts For MSNBCW Up WSteve Kornacki 20140831

People grappling for the aid packages. Members of the group be headed a lebanese soldier. A video of the video beheading was posted on the internet yesterday. President obama took to the White House Briefing room ahead of the Holiday Weekend for an impromptu press conference about the situation in syria and iraq. He didnt just want to talk to the press. He wanted to slow them down. I dont want to put the cart before the horse. We dont have a strategy yet. I think what ive seen in some of the news reports suggests that folks are getting a little further ahead of where were at than we currently are. I think thats not just my assessment, but the assessment of our military as well. We need to make sure we have clear plans, that were developing them. At that point i will consult with congress and make sure that their voices are heard. We dont have a strategy yet is a phrase that caught many by surprise. While the president confirmed he asked secretary of defense chuck hagel to prepare a range of options to strike the terror group isis within syria, he said he has not seen those plans yet. At the same time he said he was sending secretary of state john kerry to the middle east to build an international coalition. The same day senator rand paul took to the opinion ed pages of the wall street journal to remind those banging the drums forward that the last time entering guns in syria it was to take out Bashar Al Assads regime, a move he said would have aided a group of syrian rebel groups that include isis. He writes, quote, some said it would be catastrophic if we fail to strike syria. What they were advocating for them, striking down assads regime, would have made our Current Situation even worse as it would have eliminated the only regional counter weight to the isis threat. Paul concludes the Islamic State represents a threat that should be taken seriously, that we should also recall how recent Foreign Policy decisions have helped these extremists so we dont make the same mistake of potentially aiding our enemies again. Everyone agrees that we must do something to stop isiss terrifying advance. But there are more than just two possibilities, to launch air strikes or do nothing. There are other choices other than military options. But what are the other policy options on the table . If this is a political problem, as president obama has said, whats the political solution . Joining me is ed hussein, senior fellow at the council on Foreign Relations, former u. S. Ambassador to iraq, mark ginsburg, also a white house middle east policy adviser, former congressman Patrick Murphy, the first iraq war veteran to serve in congress. And military analyst colonel jack jacobs. Thank you all for being here. Ed, as weve learned from past involvement in the middle east, there can be unintended consequences of helping one group over another amid regional conflict, consequences which can then come back to work against our interests. What are possible unintended consequences of striking isis . Thank you for your question, jonathan. I think the most important unintended consequence for striking isis would be the narrative of isis we would end up strengthening. Isis and al qaeda and a whole other of ideologically similar groups this is about ideology more than operations want nothing more than to draw in the United States and its allies, by allies i mean the europeans in particular to this context and to this conflict, allowing them to then say the Islamic State was destroyed again by the west because they hark back to 1924, they hark back to previous Islamic States, 24 being the destruction of the caliphate in turkey. Allegedly that was destroyed by the west. Whether thats true or not, it doesnt matter. We dont want to add to the narrative allowing them to recruit more extremists into the cause because the thing we forget often i think that killing or destroying isis is not the way forward. We killed Osama Bin Laden hoping that would eliminate terrorism. We have a worse problem now. With hamas we killed the later in 2005, we have a stronger hamas now. The evidence doesnt go in our favor of destruction leading the the limb naegs of this threat. This is an ideological threat. These people are edge couraged by a mindset and narrative. Unless in the medium to long term we puncture the brand, that interpretation of history and theology and politics which incidentally can be done because the vast majority of muslims who stand against them are in line with universal values and want the goodness and prosperity and the wellness that europe and america has offered in the past. Unless we get to that issue, i fear that just trying to attack through air strikes, isis will end up strengthening them and we will see a monster that will be worse than what weve seen in the last several months. Colonel jack, let me turn you to an op ed in yesterdays New York Times by secretary of state john kerry. He writes in a polarized region and complicated world, the Islamic State in iraq and syria presents a unifying threat to a broad array of countries including the United States. Whats needed to confront its nihilistic vision and genocidal agenda is Law Enforcement and intelligence tools to support military force. Is that going to work . It would work, and id like to say we can accomplish that. But it doesnt look like we can. Thinking about what ed just said, ed folds into exactly what that op ed says. Weve heard absolutely nothing from those who are even at greater risk than we are, notably the arab states. Weve heard nothing from them about all this, and theyre really at risk, and its interesting to note that in the end we would wind up, whatever we would do, we would wind up being allies on the ground or in the air of Bashar Al Assad which is exactly the opposite of what we were thinking before. Its also interesting to remember that air strikes alone, tactically are not going to do anything. At the end of the day, you really do have to have a strategy. The military instrument of power is only one of those things that can achieve it. Just bombing people alone is not good enough. Even from a military standpoint on the ground, just exploding projectiles doesnt seize and hold terrain, and its all about seizing and holding terrain for that. You need people on the ground, not ours necessarily, but you need people on the ground. Ambassador ginsburg, let me get your view on this. As i listen to colonel jack who i totally agree with, the fact of the matter is i ran an arab Language Television Production Company after 9 11 to try to get to the root cause of this theological jihadi support generated after 9 11 in the arab world. The fact of the matter is, here we are at jihadi ideology 2. 0 which is more virulent. There is at least by estimates over 1,000 jihadis who made their way from Great Britain as well as the United States, 100 or so, which our own government claims to be in a search to be a direct threat to the Homeland Security of the United States, and the fact of the matter is that the major problem here is that there has been no ideological reformation between sunni, she at and islam. I spent hours watching isis web silths as part of a field guide to isis that i wrote in the Huffington Post. Its quite clear that what drives these people to support them and what is giving them money is this hatred that exists between sunni and shy quite that most americans will never understand and comprehend with good reason. Lets also understand that while ed may be right about isis and not attacking isis because it may inflame the situation further, lets also understand that these s. O. B. S are engaged in genocide against christians and others right now. We shouldnt be sitting back and looking at this as some theological challenge. Its not up to us to put boots on the ground but maybe socks on the ground. Are you able to get a sense of how iraq feels about taking on isis, a possibility of maybe an uncertain and unlimited engagement . Theres a lot of concern on mix creep. I will tell you im more hopeful than the other panelists here. What you saw within the last few hours in amirli is the fact that it was iraqi troops on the ground retaking the city that isis captured in mid june. When you get rid of the Prime Minister in iraq, and you have sunnis within iraq saying that theyre a part of the government there, thats why theyre now picking up rifles that they put down just months ago. I will tell you this is a jump ball. As the ambassador just said, as a jump ball, were talking about 20 million sunnis from damascus to bagdad that we want to make sure not to go into the exstream isis organization. We want them to remain moderate sunnis that are going to work with the shia and the kurds in iraq and hopefully eventually in syria although thats a whole other can of worms. Ed and then mark. Colonel jack said something that i think we should talk more about. That is, where are the arab states in all of this . Everyone is looking to the United States for leadership. This is happening in right in their back yard. Where are they . Great question. Firstly, yesterday the gcc countries, the Gulf Corporation countries met and issued a strong condemnation and urged unity among themselves because theres been disunity between qatar and saudi arabia. Weve seen that. Weve seen a statement against isis. Weve seen moroccans do similar, the turks another powerful broker in the region make similar noises. Theres a big but. Theres a culture of reliance on american across the middle east. The west has helped foster that culture by a whole host of measures over the last six decades where its been expected that every time theres a problem in the region, america would come and bail out, in the language of the president in his interview with tom friedman in the New York Times three weeks ago, that culture of expecting america to come and do the heavy lifting continues to reside in the region. Therefore, theres a laziness in trigs to take action themselves. That said, ambassador ginsburg makes an important issue about the sunnishia conflict within islam and in particular the middle east. Again, we must be candid in our analysis and admit to the fact that before the push by saudi arabia on the one hand and iran on the other hand of different brands of islam, for the last thousand years within the middle east there was relevant peace. Therein lies the answer that a greater Regional Union is needed to order to respond to these regional challenges. We are not going to beat al qaeda or isis by approaching this on a statebystate basis. Almost every problem in the middle east is aa regional problem. Unless we push for a european style model across the middle east, whether a Common Security policy, we will continue to behind the headlines and responding rather than setting the agenda and trying to eliminate the threats, but also raise people up economically across the region. Mark, i want to get your remarks in. Colonel jack has a question for ed. We have to take a break. Well continue the conversation on the other side. Theres a reason its called an all you can eat buffet. And not a have just a little buffet. Because what we all really want is more. Thats why verizon is giving you even more. Now, for a limited time, get more data 1 gb of bonus data every month with every new smartphone or upgrade. Our best ever pricing with the more everything plan and 50 off all new smartphones. Like the htc one m8 for windows or android. Built to inspire envy. Come get your more with verizon. Theyre about 10 times softer and may have surface pores where bacteria can multiply. Polident kills 99. 99 of odor causing bacteria and helps dissolve stains. Thats why i recommend polident. [ male announcer ] cleaner, fresher, brighter every day. [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. She can print amazing things, right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. My mom works at ge. This is charlie. My mom works at ge. His long day of doing it himself starts with back pain. And a choice. Take 4 advil in a day or just 2 aleve for all day relief. Honey, you did it baby laughs welcome back to up with Steve Kornacki. Weve been talking about iraq and isis. Before we went to break, ed husain was talking about answering my question about where are the arab states. Ambassador ginsburg, i also asked you the same question. I wanted you to give your response. Colonel jackson has a question for ed husain. Let me put facts out there. The crude oil isis captured and is tankering into turkey. Turkey has more influence than any middle east state, not an arab state, to help suffocate some of the oxygen isis has. First of all, its stopping many of these jihadis flying in to inkir afrnlths. They need to stop the tanker traffic giving them more revenue. Number three, qatar and saudi clerics have been funding and supporting isis. Lets also understand isis was a create, in part, of the assad regime as a way of defeating the more secular syrians. Ultimately its going to take a reconstituted iraq army, jonathan, as well as turkey to be able to challenge isis more effectively. It shouldnt be the United States putting boots on the ground. In the end, as ed and others have suggested, in many respects its going to take American Leadership to try to galvanize these countries. Theyve been playing footsie with isis too long, particularly the saudis and qataris and kuwaitis. These countries have been playing, in effect, funding isis. Colonel jack, i think your question leave it to the ambassador to steal my question. It revolves around the turks. This was going to be for ed who knows the region better than most folks. Isnt it true that we need to get the turks, the 800pound gorilla in the region to start doing something, to be the center of the coalition . Is that a fact . Are they the guys to lead a Regional Coalition to get this done and can we encourage how can we encourage them to get it done . Thats an excellent question. Excellent question, colonel. Theres difficulty in the middle east at the moment and thats a lack of leadership. The turks played that role for the last 700 years. For the eightyeight years theyve been marginalized as a result of history, war and whatnot. Now the difficulty is that saudi arabia and turkey are at loggerheads because theyre both contesting for regional influence over what kind of religion prevails in the middle east. What we can see with turkey, a nato ally that i think we should continue to support more, it has a form of religion thats secular and pious, both modern and traditional at the same time. Thats the form of islam that the saudis seem to be a threat. We should be supporting the turks to try the export that form of islam that isnt terror. We see an attempt to block that by whats going on inside egypt and the overthrow of the muslim brother hoods. The difficulty in egypt has made this paralysis throughout the region where two of our closest allies, ie, turkey and saudi arabia cannot cooperate to over throw our common enemy, al qaeda and ice sis. Unless the u. S. Gets involved in terms of leadership, soft power, strategic and providing diplomatic face time, im afraid we cannot rely on turkey and saudi arabia to break the deadlock on their own. Thats why the u. S. Role for leadership more than anything else is absolutely vital. That leadership requires regional influence and not just country by country, but thinking in terms of what we can do in terms of bringing the arabs and turks across the region rather than trying to fight one battle at a time one day at a time. Patrick, what about that, this appetite here in the United States for america getting involved in yet another conflict in the middle east . Is there any appetite at all, do you think, among your former colleagues on capitol hill . Theres not an appetite, jonathan. Thats why youll see a lot of the debate shift in washington on the aumf, authorization of use of military force. That needs to be looked at. Senator tim kaine and my former colleague adam schiff out of california are leading the charge. Congress cant have it both ways. They cant say defend us, dont let ice sis hurt us in the homeland but we dont want to do anything. Come october 7th, thats the date the war powers resolution will expire and Congress Needs to step up and give the president the authority to act. I will say in the earlier conversations, i think its an important conversation, the middle east countries, its a moment of truth to step up, get rid of terrorist organization like weve seen no other in isis. Its also important that this week nato is meeting, they have a summit in wales where we need those European Countries that are also at threat. When you look at Great Britain right now, they are under high security because they think theres a terrorist attack in their country thats going to be eminent. Most americans dont feel that isis is a throat here in the homeland of the United States. Yes, they were a threat to our assets in northern iraq, in irbil. We need to make sure they dont grow where they become a threat here to hurt our families. Thats why i would agree with the ambassador, we need American Leadership in the full spectrum of american power. That doesnt just mean military power. That means economic and diplomatic power and leadership to make sure this moment of truth goes our way and how it should be against isis in the world community. This has been a great conversation. My thanks to colonel jack jacobs, ed hussein of the council on Foreign Relations and former ambassador mark ginsburg, thank you for joining me this morning. Coming up, michael sam makes history whether or not he makes the team. Thats next. [ male announcer ] when you see everyone in america almost every day, you notice a few things. Like the fact that youre pretty attached to these. Ok, really attached. And thats alright. Because well text you when your package is on the way. Were even expanding sunday package delivery. Yes, sunday. At the u. S. Postal service, our priority is. Was. And always will be. You. Our priority is. Was. When folks think about wthey think salmon and energy. But the energy bp produces up here creates Something Else as well jobs all over america. Engineering and innovation jobs. Advanced Safety Systems technology. Shipping and manufacturing. Across the United States, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. When we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. Thats not a coincidence. Its one more part of our commitment to america. Doctors have been prescribingdecade, nexium to patients just like you. For many, prescription nexium helps heal acidrelated erosions in the lining of the esophagus. There is risk of bone fracture and low magnesium levels. Side effects may include headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. If you have persistent diarrhea, contact your doctor right away. Other serious stomach conditions may exist. Avoid if you take clopidogrel. Nexium 40 mg is only available by prescription. Talk to your doctor. For free Home Delivery, enroll in nexium direct today. With a new00 volkswagen turbo. Reward card why are we so obsessed with turbo . Because we like giving you power, but we also like giving you fuel efficiency. Like the sporty jetta. And the turbocharged passat tdi® clean diesel. Okay. And the iconic beetle. And the powerful tiguan. Okay you cant forget the cc. Guys, this is going to take a while. Get a 1,000 reward card on new 2014 turbo models or lease a 2014 jetta se for 159 a month after a 1,000 bonus. Ends soon michael sam has already made the history books. That much is guaranteed. In may he became the first openly gay player to be drafted by the nfl. And yesterday he became the first openly gay player to be cut by a team. Sam was a late round draft pick and at 4 00 yesterday afternoon, he was released by the st. Louis rams. The teams head coach said the decision had nothing to do with sexuality, that it was entirely about football. Its been all about football. I will tell you this, i was pulling for mike, i really was. I dont say that very often. Cute us what mikes reaction was . He said yes, sir, he said i understand. Thanks for the opportunity. I said im looking forward to visiting with you tomorrow. I said i am, too. Some have questioned whether an openly gay player would be welcome in the locker rooms of the nfl. And whether the media and hype surrounding such a player would prove to be an unwelcome distraction. There was no distraction. If someone perceived or thought there may be a distraction, they werent in the building. Ive been saying that all along. This was a football decision. Mike fit in very, very well. He was fun to be around. He was a good teammate. There was no issue there. In a series of tweets michael sam thanked the entire Rams Organization and the city of st. Louis forgiving him this tremendous opportunity and for allowing him to show he could play at the professional level. He plans to build on the progress he made in Training Camp towards a long and successful career. Quoting him further, the most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy. This is a lesson ive always known. The journey continues. 24yearold michael sam now has until this afternoon to sign with another team. If that doesnt happen, theres a chance he could be on the rams practice squad. The coach of the rams says he believes zach sam will be successful no matter his next step. There will be no challenges, no challenges whatsoever. Hes not about drawing attention to himself, he kept his head down and he worked. You cant ask anything more out of any player. Theres no challenges with respect to mike sam and the Second Opportunity that lies ahead. Wade davis spent four years in the nfl, never advancing past the practice squad and maybe, writes the Washington Post, that was because rather than focusing on improving, he saw only the things that might out him. When his pro career ended due to an jirks wade davis came out to his friends. He is now the executive director of the you can play, a group that works to remove homo phobia from sports. Hes been working with the nfl and michael sam himself to prepare for the leagues first openly gay player. He joins us live by phone this morning. Wade davis, thank you very much for taking the time to join us this morning. I want to begin by asking you youve had a chance to speak with michael sam since yesterdays announcement that he had been cut. What counsel did you give him and what will you tell him when you do get a chance to speak with him . Well, jonathan, how are you doing this morning . Good, thanks. As someone who has been cut, also, it would be completely inappropriate for me to reach out to mike right now. When i was cut by coach fisher and a couple other teams, i didnt want anyone to call me and ask me any questions. Im going to leave michael alone for a while and keep my fingers crossed that hes either going to be picked up by another team or the rams will put him on their practice squad. How much of this, the decision to cut him, had to do with his performance . I remember doing the scouting combine he didnt do very well. From what i read in terms of the pre see sorngs 11 tackles and two sacks. In the last game of the preseason, a team high of six tackles in that last performance. I think we saw something in our first clib from the coach that this was about football. Do you agree with that . Was it about football, about his performance . Yes. Actually on monday i spent the entire day with the ramgs and their coaching staff, and i wrote an op ed i really wanted to kind of educate people on the process, you know, that when the rams start Training Camp, they have 90 guys. Out of those 90 only 53 can make the active roflter. Most teams like the rams who are building, who have a pretty set squad, they already know the 45 players who are going to actually probably make that actual roster. That leaves eight spots for 45 guys. The percentages, they arent great. Michael sam has played great. There are good players who dont make active rofters because its a numbers game. I know coach fisher well, im one of their other coaches, was a College Teammate of mine. It was really a wonderful opportunity to watch michael work in practice, watch the comradery with the guys that he had. I truly believe it was a football decision. So you believe coach fisher when me says none of this had to do with nfl culture or the locker room . It was really great just to be i spent two separate times with the rams. The first time i visited there was really to talk to the players about whats it like to be a gay man. The first questions that they asked me after i got done speaking the the team is how do we make sure michael sam fits in on this team as comfortably as possible. The guys were really wanting to know, hey, how can i show up as a brother, as a Family Member for michael sam. I found that really refreshing. A couple months later when i visited the second time, you could really see they were a team, a k a a family. Michael sam engineer sees have been the second bestselling among rookies this season. Will that influence teams in deciding whether to pick him up and should it . I dont think it should. Any athlete doesnt want to be a team just because they are for a sideshow, quote, unquote. Michael sam has proven he can play in this league and i believe some team will give him a chance to prove that. So if another offer doesnt come his way today, do you think michael sam will sign with the rams practice squad . And do you believe thats the right move for him . I dont believe its the right move for him to not go on an active roster. But i do believe as coach fisher said, that mike needs some more snaps. Having a chance to watch him through the preseason games, theres still a lot that he and many other players have to learn. Im just really excited for the next i would say three to four years of mikes career, as he goes from a guy who was probably a practice squad guy to a guy at the bottom of the roster, to a guy playing every day on sundays. In all the hype of him being drafted and the oprah show for a whishlgs diz did everyone lose sight of the fact that he had a difficult road ahead just making the team . I really think so. I would hope this process has really educated everyone on how hard it truly is to make an nfl team. Michael sam is the one percent of the one percent. I think the beauty of what michael sam has done, hes kind of disturbed our tightly held myths around what it means to be an nfl player, what it means to be a man. I would hope that people start to reimagine who what the Lgbt Community brings and that athletes are actually uniquely positioned to be able to accept someone who is, quote, unquote, different. What you find with michael sam and missouri and the rams is he handled this flawlessly but his teammates handled it flawlessly as well. Wade davis, head of you can play, thank you so much for joining us this morning. Thank you for having me, jonathan. Still ahead, the shined reserved side of Vice President joe biden. Well explain next. Bacteria found in two parts of your digestive tract. Im doubly impressed phillips digestive health. A daily probiotic. vo ours is a world of the redeyes. daughter im really tired. vo the transfers. Well, thats kid number three. vo the copilots. All sitting. Trusting. Waiting. For a safe arrival. Introducing the allnew subaru legacy. Designed to help the driver in you. Care for the passenger in them. The subaru legacy. Its not just a sedan. Its a subaru. So what were looking for is a way to plus our Accounting Firms mobile plan. And minus our expenses. Perfect timing. Were offering our bestever pricing on mobile plans for business. Run the numbers on that. Well, unlimited talk and text, and ten gigs of data for the five of you would be. Oneseventyfive a month. Good calculating kyle. Good job kyle. You just made partner. Our bestever pricing on mobile share value plans for business. Now with a 100 bill credit for every business line you add. My pick for the most underestimated 2016 president ial candidate is the one you see and hear about the least. We learned this week through some secretive fundraisers its likely thats intentional. A report in politico pulls back the biden has done two dozen events for democrats through the country. Biden doesnt even send out invitations to photo lines which he usually does at appearancetion about only makes brief remarks. These build good will with the Democratic Party faithful, the kind of good will that can come in handy if youre running for office. Here is Something Else that might come in handy, joe bidens ability to negotiate with his former leagues on capitol hill. Lets remember the president has gotten a lot of significant and controversial pieces of legislation through with a big assist from the number two whose cited Lyndon Johnson as his model. He really knew how the system worked. He was able to be a significant facilitator of the new frontier, new policy. People in the congress knew him, knew he knew a lot. So i hope one of my roles as Vice President will be as the person actually implementing Barack Obamas policy. Youve got to get the congress to go along with it. Presumptuous of me to say, but i know it pretty well. Now six years later our attention is turning to the next president ial election. Does the Vice President want that attention . Joining us is msnbc contributor and former Pennsylvania Democratic congressman Patrick Murphy as well as salon politics editor and former aide to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama Blake Zef and gabby doeb ben zain formerly with obama for america. This is a serious question for all of you. Do you think joe biden is running . Gabby . Hes always expressed interest. We were talking backstage and somebody was saying how hes the guy on the wath list for college and waiting to get in. He has incredible, as you said, congressional relationships, incredible Foreign Policy experience. Its more about is Hillary Clinton running than it is about is joe biden running. If you were a senator from the time you were 29 years old and had the credential you need to run for president and you clearly want to be the president and ran in the 80s and clearly he wants to be the president. Hes Vice President , a step away from it. Its clear he wants to run. The question is what will the other field look like . Theres no doubt that joe biden is trying to carry the chits that you need to curry favor with the party. Patrick, what do you think . Hell, yes, jonathan. Let me tell you something, jonathan, joe biden understands that were 65 days today from the midterm elections which controls congress which is a critical branch of our government. Let me tell you Something Else, if you want to change washington, you have to change who you send to washington. Thats why joe biden is in michigan helping people like Bobby Mckenzie and in new jersey helping amy baumgartner. Where are the other president ial candidates in 2016 . These political junkies that we talk to need to get their heads out of the fourth point of contact and understand were 65 days away, we should be asking why arent more folks helping out these senators and congressional candidates because these elections are just as important as 2016. Wow, patrick. I believe joe biden is probably running. Why is the Vice President being so secretive about these fundraisers hes holding, especially when others like Martin Omalley are making noise about their efforts to help Democratic Candidates . There are a couple of theories. One theory is in certain districts and certain states, the Obama Administration is not at its most popular. For some candidates its great to have the money you get from a fundraiser, a big ticket person like joe biden, without having to have the association. For example, if you have a picture of the candidate with biden, that can be used against them in a swing district. For example, Joe Lieberman had a picture hugging and kissing george bush. People try to avoid these types of associations while getting the benefit of it. The other thing, there are a couple of theories here. Another theory is that perhaps joe biden wants to stay low profile about it because he gets tons of requests and cant do it for every candidate. If he keeps quiet, its not hurting the feelings of others. I think you want to be the story. When in candidates are in need, you come in. The political story talked about him doing stuff in airports and these clandestined locations for what blake was doing. Hes an incredible foot soldier for the president. If i were joe biden, i would be hoping the president s numbers go up. Ill have to distance myself from the man i was very, very loyal to for eight years much later than everybody else. Thats what the media is looking at right now. Is hillary distancing herself from the president on all these issues, et cetera, et cetera. I think thats the case right now. Patrick, a lot has been made about the president s rocky relationship with congress, and we all know, as i said in the indroe, Vice President biden has been instrumental in helping the president get things passed. Is joe biden the invisible hand of slapping back folks in congress . Listen, hes loved in the senate, obviously, where he sent decades serving and also in the house where he served as well. People love him. I will tell you more importantly, people want them in their districts, people want them to go to rallies. They dont want them just in the airports. They hope the Vice President can come to places like bucks county, pennsylvania, michigan and new jersey because most folks see him for who he is. Hes a team player. He believes in a cause, in Democratic Values and is willing to fight for them. Thats the authenticity that people like. Does he have gaffs every once in a while . Yes. People say that happens, that happens. They know where his heart is. Thats what people are dieing to see. Thats why most importantly these candidates want him now with 65 days to go until the midterm election. Everybody loves uncle joe. Still ahead, the end of summer can mean only one thing, the start of attack ad season. Well tell you how to prepare for the incoming assault next. Buffet. And not a have just a little buffet. Because what we all really want is more. Thats why verizon is giving you even more. Now, for a limited time, get more data 1 gb of bonus data every month with every new smartphone or upgrade. Our best ever pricing with the more everything plan and 50 off all new smartphones. Like the htc one m8 for windows or android. Built to inspire envy. Come get your more with verizon. [meow mix jingle slowly anright on cue. Cks] [cat meows] meow, meow, meow, meow. Its more than just a meal, its meow mix mealtime. With great taste and 100 complete nutrition, its the only one cats ask for by name. [ male announcer ]gs the Little Things we do. Can make a big difference. Every time you use dawn, youre using a brand that supports Wildlife Rescue efforts. Experts trust dawn. Because its tough on grease yet gentle. You by my side makes the Little Things so good be a part of the bigger picture. And your kindness makes the Little Things that you do for me go to facebook. Com dawnsaveswildlife. Thank ythank you for defendiyour sacrifice. And thank you for your bravery. Thank you colonel. Thank you daddy. Military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa Auto Insurance can be one of them. If youre a current or former military member or their family, get an Auto Insurance quote and see why 92 of our members plan to stay for life. Its time to bring it out in the open. Its time to drop your pants for underwareness, a cause to support the over 65 Million People who may need depend underwear. Show them theyre not alone and show off a pair of depend. Because wearing a different kind of underwear, is no big deal. Join us. Support the cause and get a free sample of depend at underwareness. Com its almost labor day, what was once the traditional day of Campaign Season in american politics, except things have changed. Campaigns start earlier and earlier. Theres one thing labor day still brings, the beginning of attack ad season. As voters start paying attention and campaigns get truly desperate, the airwaves after labor day go right down the tubes. This is a longstanding tradition. If you tuned in to nbc 50 years ago this thursday, chances are you were shocked, maybe even frightened by what you saw. It was a oneminute ad from president johnsons reelection campaign. It aired once and never again and has lived in infamy ever since. Eight, nine eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. These are the stakes, to make a world in which all of gods children can live. Vote for president johnson on november 3rd. The stakes are too high for you to stay home. The 60 seconds of the daisy ad was the first modern attack ad. Ever since ad haves been crossing the line. This week democratic senator mark pryor accused of his opponent of leaving the United States vulnerable to ebola. The republican u. S. Senate in mexico is using the james foley video to attack his opponent. It begins with tom udall praising the administrations Foreign Policy. As his voice echoes, the screen shows the isis militant. Attack ads are serious business. We know a lot is at stake, but does making ones case always have to be so icky. Here to discuss we have alone politics editor blake zef. Joins us dave heller, a democratic consultant and ad maker and gabby domenzain is still with us. In creating an attack ad, what do you tell your clients about how they should go about them . The most important thing is that it be believable. The second thing most important thing is it will factually based, and the third most important thing is that it resonate with the vetters youre trying to persuade. You want to focus not so much on who your supporters are and who your opponent supporters are, who are those in the middle, the undecided that you can firm up and solidify and pull over to your side. How do you prepare them for their risks . There shouldnt be very many risks if theyre done right. If you have something thats totally factual, thats grounded in the record, thats not personal, but its professional and its true, theres not very much risk. Have you ever had an attack ad where the reaction to it was not what you were expecting, but youve got the facts on your side and you prepare for whatever, but the reaction goes completely counter to what you thought it would be negatively . No, fortunately, no. Ive seen that, but, no, ive never seen that. Attack ads are about making contrasts. I often think about the 1980 jesse helms ad in the North Carolina race against harvey gant. I think we have that. John yar meth, he plays golf with Saddam Hussein and snatches toys away from little children. Ridiculous . No more so than ann northrop obviously that is not the harvey gant crumpled paper ad. That is the one where jesse helms character said you needed that job. That was an ad i made, the one we just saw. Ann thorth rupp came up with a 60second hodgepodge of all these negative attacks, many completely untrue, attacking john yarmuth. Theres the ad we wanted to show before. That ad was one we used to utterly disgrace all of her negative attacks and help john win a district that had been republican for the past ten years. Did you want to jump in gabby . I was thinking about the backlash part. When i think of that, i think sharon engel against harry reid in 2010 when she runs what was called the most racist ad in history, where she has scary looking mexicans cutting a fence and creeping at night into our country and what this forced reid to do, he would have donny way, is double down on the dream act, on comprehensive Immigration Reform and mobilized all the dreamers that even though they couldnt vote, they could get people to vote and latinos kept the Senate Majority for the democrats. It can definitely backlash on you. There was another ad i know you wanted to talk about in alaska. The alaska one. Again, the republican candidate has these faces of ms 13 gang members saying the democrats want these people to vote. Alaska is a tricky situation. Even though its really ripe for people understanding comprehensive reform and seasonal workiers in alaska are mostly mexican. That isnt a community that has been developed and why they dont want the president visiting because hes about to maybe announce something on executive action. Thats more i think where youre going, is finding your audience, targeting them, pulling them, testing them. Clearly something aaron engel never bothered to do. Exactly. The other time you see negative ads and real attack ads is when a candidate is desperate. What youll remember, 2001 mark green green against bloomberg. I was a junior aide on the campaign. You could see the polling numbers toward the end starting to get worse and worse for green. It was becoming clear it was about to squander a 20 or 30point lead. At the end he ran an ad saying bloomberg had forced a woman to have an abortion like that. They used language from a deposition, kill it, kill it was the language. And that reminds me, also, of this ad against udall where you see a candidate down by 16 points in a blue state, is not in real trouble here, a candidate doing a hail mary which we showed with the james foley killer shot. When you do things like that, its a hail mary attempt to try to get and not recognizing your audience either. Im sorry, dave, gabby, blake, weve got to go. Thanks for joining me this morning. Still ahead, speculation for 2016 is centering on a brand new name, an intriguing and impressive possibility for president. Who will join us to talk about it straight ahead. Wondering what that is . That, my friends, is everything. And with the quicksilver card from capital one, you earn unlimited 1. 5 cash back on everything you purchase. Not just everything at the hardware store. Not everything, until you hit your cash back limit. Quicksilver can earn you unlimited 1. 5 cash back on everything you could possibly imagine. Say it with me everything. One more time, everything and with that in mind. Whats in your wallet . Senator Bernie Sanders went to South Carolina this week, and why he was there may take many by surprise. He said it was part of trying to ascertain the kind of support that exists for a president ial run. Wow. So with all the names being bandied about for 2016, hillary and joe and rand and rick, now its time to discuss the distinct possibility of adding Bernie Sanders to that list. In fact, were going to talk about it with senator sanders himself right on the other side of this break. Stay with us. Protection . [ male voice ] im sorry, did you say identity distribution . No. Protection. Identity theft protection. You have selected identity distribution. Your identity will now be shared with everyone. Thank you. No, no, no [ click, dial tone ] [ female announcer ] not all Credit Report sites are equal. [ male voice ] were good in here, howie. Yeah, have a good night, brother. Experian. Com members get personalized help plus Identity Theft protection. Join now at experian. Com. With enrollment in experian credit tracker. Say hi rudy. [ barks ] [ chuckles ] id do anything to keep this guy happy and healthy. Thats why im so excited about these new milkbone brushing chews. Whoa, im not the only one. Its a brilliant new way to take care of his teeth. Clinically proven as effective as brushing. Ok, here you go. Have you ever seen a dog brush his own teeth . The twist and nub design cleans all the way down to the gum line, even reaching the back teeth. They taste like a treat, but they clean like a toothbrush. Nothing says you care like a milkbone brushing chew. [ barks ] nothing says you care like a milkbone brushing chew. To fill your Viagra Prescription online . Go to viagra. Com to find out about viagra Home Delivery. Millions of men have some degree of erectile dysfunction. Talk to your doctor, if viagra is right for you, you can fill your prescription at your pharmacy, or check out viagra Home Delivery and get started at viagra. Com ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain, it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. Stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. Viagra Home Delivery. A convenient way to have prescription viagra shipped straight to you. Go to viagra. Com to get started. Will you be a sound sleeper, or a mouth breather . A mouth breather [ whimpers ] how do you sleep like that . Well, put on a breathe right strip and shut your mouth. Allergy medicines open your nose over time, but add a breathe right strip and pow it instantly opens your nose up to 38 more. So you can breathe and do the one thing you want to do sleep. Add breathe right to your allergy medicine. Shut your mouth and sleep right. Breathe right. Taking on Hillary Clinton. Good morning again. Thanks for staying with us. Sometimes it bears reminding that the race for president is actually empty right now, that no one has declared his or her candidacy, at least not officially, at least not yet, the merchandise, the swag is already available for a low, low price. Perhaps youve seen the tshirts with rick perrys mugshot on them. Rick perrys pac is selling those. Theres an entire cottage industry, 2016 water bottle. This hillary shirt tries to sell bill clinton has first lady. There are iphone cases for Chris Christie and rand paul. And mugs, not mug shots for senators like marco rubio and ted cruz. Also this mug of Bernie Sanders and barney frank that says, we can dream, cant we . If Bernie Sanders has his way, it may come true. The vermont independent is weighing a challenge possibly as a democrat to keep Hillary Clinton from drifting too far from the center. He wants to stop her from cozies up to wall street. That same sentiment is behind the movement to draft Elizabeth Warren to run. The massachusetts senator has made it clear she will not seek the presidency in 2016. In fact, last week she even took the drastic step of having her lawyer send the lawyer to the federal election session disavowing. Shes not running. Her lawyer has a document to prove it. Senator sanders is heading to iowa in two weeks. Yesterday i had a chance to speak to senator sanders who might launch a challenge to Hillary Clinton from the left in 2016. Senator, pulling clinton away from the center is a Herculean Task to undertake alone. Other than senator warren of massachusetts who has said repeatedly shes not going to run, is there anyone rumored to be seriously contemplating a run who could join you in that task, governor Martin Omalley of maryland, senator klobuchar of minnesota . Im not into names. What i am into is talking about the issues the American People feel most strongly about. What the American People throughout the south and throughout the country are telling me is that they are very angry that the middle class of this country is disappearing, we have more People Living in poverty than any time in American History and the wealthiest people are doing phenomenally well. The American People want bold changes in economic policies so that the american middle class can thrive rather than just the people on top. Those are the issues that the American People are concerned about, jobs, raising the minimum wage, changing out trade policy, dealing with Citizens United, those are the issues that have to be sused. On that, what concerns you the most about Hillary Clintons policy positions . If you could move her to the left on only one issue, what would it be . Look, im not here to discuss Hillary Clinton. Im here to discuss the fact that, for example, right now as a result of Citizens United, billionaires like the Koch Brothers are buying american democracy. They are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to elect candidates who will make the wealthiest people in this country even richer. Those are the issues that we have to focus on, real unemployment 12 . We need a massive jobs program. I hope very much Hillary Clinton and every candidate thinking about running for president will focus on the collapsing middle class and how we rebuild the lives of millions of people hurting the day. John edwards was able to influence a populist narrative in 2008 because there was a possibility he could win. Absent that threat, how will you have any influence . Whats Hillary Clintons or anyone elses motivation for taking you seriously . Well, i think when you get outside of the beltway and outside of political gossip and speculation, what you find is there is massive frustration and anger at both the political and economic establishment. Right now you have the top one percent owning 38 of the wealth in america, the bottom 60 own 2. 3 . You have billionaires controlling the political process as a result of Citizens United. You have kids who cant afford to go to college. You a starvation minimum wage of 7. 25 an hour. These are the issues that the American People want government to begin to deal with. Those are the issues i will fight for. So then, senator sanders, whats your threepoint plan to solve any one of those issues you just laid out . Okay. In terms of income and wealth inequality, when you have a situation where one out of four major corporations in this country play zero in federal income taxes, we need real tax reform which asks the wealthy and large corporations to start paying their fair share. Second of all, when real unemployment not 6. 1 , it is 12 , you need a massive federal jobs program, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, transforming our Energy System away from fossil fuel, putting millions and millions of people to work. Thirdly, you need to change our trade poll seend raise the minimum wage. In the last 15 or so years, we have lost tens of thousands of factories, millions of good paying jobs because countries are investing in china and not in United States of america. Trade policy has got to change. Senator, these are all interesting ideas that you put forth. What about putting the same energy and resources into drafting a progressive candidate with a desire to win and a real possibility of winning who could push forward that agenda you just laid out . In all due respect, i am a United States senator, i got 71 of the vote when i ran for election in vermont. We have a national constituency. I am giving thought to running for president of the United States. I dont know that i will. If there are other people out there better than i that can take that message, thats fine, too. I am right now in mississippi. I was in North Carolina and South Carolina the other day. Were getting a pretty good response. I feel that eight years ago at this time few people thought barack obama had any shot at winning the nomination. Could you be the next barack obama . Look, all i know is the American People are hurting. All i know is that the middle class and working class need people to defend their interests against the billionaire class which has so much economic and political power today. Thats what ive been talking about for the last many years. Thats what i will continue to talk about. Senator, i want to turn to Foreign Policy for a moment. When you hear someone like senator rand paul characterize secretary clinton as a war hog, how do you think they respond to that criticism and what kind of dilemma for democrats who remember her position on the iraq war . I have no idea how people respond to what rand paul says. All i know is i not only voted against the war in iraq and did everything i could to keep us out of that war. If i look back on my congressional career, i would say thats probably the best vote i ever cast. Everyone knows Saddam Hussein was a horrendous guy. By getting into iraq we just opened up a can of worms and were seeing the results of that today. Can i get your reaction to the president s acknowledgment that, quote, we dont have a strategy yet for dealing with isis . I think what he meant by that is youve got a very complicated issue out there, enormously complicated. Youve got assad in syria. Isis in syria. Youve got isis in iraq. How do you effectively deal with that issue without bringing and i certainly do not support Ground Troops there. How do you work with the International Community to stop isis without putting Ground Troops on the ground . I think thats what the president was talking about. This is a very, very complicated issue. Way back when president bush and dick cheney, they had a program. They knew what to do. Unfortunately, they were dead wrong. I would like to see some thoughtful analysis of whats going on, what is the best we can do working with the International Community to deal with this horrendous situation in iraq and syria. You just said you dont support Ground Troops at all. How involved do you believe the United States should get in the fight against isis . If the europeans and the arab states refuse to take action, should the United States take unilateral action . Im not a great fan of United States taking unilateral action. The u. K. Right now is putting up very concerned about terrorism within their own country. Isis is a threat to the International Community. The International Community, countries in that region have got to come together to figure out the best way to address isis and that very complicated and difficult issues. Senator Bernie Sanders, thank you very much for your time this morning. We really appreciate it. Thank you very much. There is still so much that still needs talking about. Our Bernie Sanders for president conversation kicks off right on the other side of this break. On new 2014 turbo models or lease a 2014 passat s for 179 a month after a 1,000 bonus. Ends soon yoplait. It is so good for everyones midnight cravings. knochello . Hey, i notice your car is not in the driveway. Yeah. Its in the shop. Its going to cost me an arm and a leg. Thats hilarious. Sorry. You shoulda taken it to midas. Get some of that midas touch. They tell you what stuff needs fixing, and what stuff can wait. Next time im going to midas. Highfive arg i did not see that coming. Trust the midas touch. For brakes, tires, oil, everything. whistling this is bill. His doubleheader day at the park starts with back pain. And a choice. Take 4 advil in a day or just 2 aleve for all day relief. Peanuts peanuts crowd cheers nobody ever stomped their foot and asked for less. Theres a reason its called an all you can eat buffet. And not a have just a little buffet. Because what we all really want is more. Thats why verizon is giving you even more. Now, for a limited time, get more data 1 gb of bonus data every month with every new smartphone or upgrade. Our best ever pricing with the more everything plan and 50 off all new smartphones. Like the htc one m8 for windows or android. Built to inspire envy. Come get your more with verizon. Thats why i always choose the fastest intern. R slow. The fastest printer. The fastest lunch. Turkey club. The fastest pencil sharpener. The fastest elevator. The fastest speed dial. The Fastest Office plant. So why wouldnt i choose the fastest wifi . I would. Switch to comcast Business Internet and get the fastest wifi included. Comcast business. Built for business. Welcome back. We just heard Bernie Sanders say hes thinking of running for president. Here to discuss everything about the senator, former congressman Patrick Murphy. Salon politics editor and former aide to Hillary Clinton and barack obama, blake zef. Democratic strategist gabby domenzain, formerly with obama for america. Ill start with you, blake. You think Bernie Sanders is running for president . Sounds like hes looking seriously at it. What i would say is if youre Hillary Clinton and you know theres going to be a threat to your left in the democratic primary, Bernie Sanders is a pretty good option for you, if you think about it. He is someone we just saw in that interview you just did, he would not attack Hillary Clinton. When you talked about the criticism of barack obama, he defended barack obama. Bernie sanders is a very po light guy. He might articulate principles about the economy, but i dont think hell be attacking her much. On Foreign Policy, yes, he voted against the war in iraq which is to his great credit. If you look at other issues, hes not way out out of the mainstream on the democratic policy. You wont see a huge push on Foreign Policy to the left. Patrick . I agree with blake. Bernie sanders is very well respected. His work on Global Warming with senator boxer, Veterans Affairs committee in the senate. He got done doing the mccainanswers bill which helps our veterans on the wait list, et cetera. If he runs, frankly, jonathan, he runs as independent. Hes only one of two independent centers. He caucuses with the democrats. Hes the longest serving independent in congressional history. If he runs, its probably as an independent. Gabby . I think its interesting. Its music to my ears that want anyone to move the field to the rest. Im way over there. I agree, it could be kind of complementary for those of us who want to hear these issues being spoken of. What i thought was interesting that he said was these Economic Issues that are the reason why we vote. I was telling blake, i was reading a gallup poll where the morale compass of the nags and social issues are starting to become much more important for voters and for the first time in a long time were the most important. Its almost ooh kind of like a ripe election for somebody like him from the left to come in so that these candidates start addressing these issues were not talking about. Talking about Bernie Sanders running for president and he wants to keep Hillary Clinton from moving too far from the center. Is he a formidable candidate . Is he the person to do that . Could he actually win . If he ran as an independent instead of a dem crass, that could be more meaningful. Im not saying he should or shouldnt run. If he ran in the democratic primary hes probably not going to run. If he runs in a general election where its Hillary Clinton versus Bernie Sanders and somebody on the right, he could be splitting votes and become a very important player in that. Patrick . I think if he runs as independent, jonathan, although i think his heart is in the right place, he hurts the democratic nominee for president. Because he will get the votes from the left that we need to win in 2016. Gabby . Im sorry again, to be honest, i dont know how feasible a candidate he really, really is, but it serves a larger debate im not supposed to talk with my mouthful. You took me right at the moment. Have you finished that thought. Go ahead, blake and well take a break. I encourage, the more people that want to run, they should. I think its quite clear what patrick just said is correct, if he ran in a general election, he could potentially split votes with the Democratic Party representative which, you know, im not saying he shouldnt do. That is what the practical effect. The lengths we go to turn people into pastry. My thanks to blake zef and Patrick Murphy forgetting up early this morning. Still ahead, where did you go on your summer vacation, who did you go with . Those are questions a handful of Republican Senate candidates dont want to answer for an important reason. Well tell you why next. Thank you daddy. Military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa Auto Insurance can be one of them. If youre a current or former military member or their family, get an Auto Insurance quote and see why 92 of our members plan to stay for life. When your favorite food starts a fight fight back fast with tums. Relief that neutralizes acid on contact. And goes to work in seconds. Tum, tum tum tum tums try great tasting tums chewy delights. Yummy. When folks think about wthey think salmon and energy. But the energy bp produces up here creates Something Else as well jobs all over america. Engineering and innovation jobs. Advanced Safety Systems technology. Shipping and manufacturing. Across the United States, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. When we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. Thats not a coincidence. Its one more part of our commitment to america. [ male announcer ] when you see everyone in america almost every day, you notice a few things. Like the fact that youre pretty attached to these. Ok, really attached. And thats alright. Because well text you when your package is on the way. Were even expanding sunday package delivery. Yes, sunday. At the u. S. Postal service, our priority is. Was. And always will be. You. Dont wait for awesome. Our priority is. Was. Totinos pizza rolls. Gets you there in just 60 seconds. So what were looking for is a way to plus our Accounting Firms mobile plan. And minus our expenses. Perfect timing. Were offering our bestever pricing on mobile plans for business. Run the numbers on that. Well, unlimited talk and text, and ten gigs of data for the five of you would be. Oneseventyfive a month. Good calculating kyle. Good job kyle. You just made partner. Our bestever pricing on mobile share value plans for business. Now with a 100 bill credit for every business line you add. Its the first rule of Third Party Groups in politics, no coordination with candidates. When Citizens United opened the flood gates of outside spending on politics with no restrictions, the only restriction was these groups have to act on their own, they cannot coordinate or strategize with the campaigns they give money to. Thats the law, or the spirit of the law anyway. As the nation first reported when it happened back in june, freedom partners, the kochs finance arm bought out the entire st. Regis resort in dana point, california, for three Straight Days for a private enclosed conference. Tom cotton now running against democratic senator mark pryor and cory gardner trying to unseat mark udall woth attended. Sam stein of the Huffington Post reported this week that iowa Republican Senate candidate joni ernst was also there. The event didnt get much press conference because there werent reporters on site. Sam stein obtained recordings that showed the power and financial reach of the koch political network. As tom mentioned earlier, the first time i was introduced to this group a year ago, august, in new mexico and i was not [ inaudible ]. Cotton went further at describing the influence of the koch political arm. Sam stein points out that, quote, cory gardner told attendees his race would likely be described by the presence of third party money, an obvious pitch for generosity from the wellheeled crowd. Coordination between donors of the money and the campaigns who benefit from that money simply does not exist, that its a nonissue. Do we believe thats really the case . Here to discuss the influence of the Koch Brothers heading into critically important midterm elections we have bill scher and andy crowell Senior Reporter from mother jones. We did reach out to the koch representative. We were unable to reach them for comment. Bill, ill start with you. According to the Huffington Post, cory gardner said third party money would probably support his candidate. Is this is a violation of Citizens United . Its probably vague enough, what amounts to coordination. Youre not going to go to jail over Something Like that. Its not a literal passing of money. Its getting close to the line. Whats interesting to me is the fact that the korhs achieved this level of stra tour in the party that the candidates would kiss their ring now. It speaks to another front. Karl rove is not happy that the kochs have this level of influence, the rnc is not necessarily happy that they have this level of influence. They have an Ideological Mission thats not always about winning the election right in front of you and the karl rove types have a different view. Is there a process for filing a complaint by an opponent saying, hey, look, they are coordinating. This is violating the spirit of the law here . I would imagine that there is, but there might very well be things on the democratic side that come close to the line, too. You have to be careful youre not throwing heavy stones at a glass house. Why does freedom Partners Fund events like this . Whats their motivation . Their goal is to bring together some of the biggest donors are that conservative and libertarian leaning and martial their money and pour it into select elections, different causes, think tanks, a whole constellation of organizations pushing an j en da that comes from a conservative and libertarian world view. Less environmental regulations, lower minimum wage, just general economic laws and rules of the road out there. Bringing all these people together, not only do you get everyone on the same page, but you can pitch them on your causes and your beliefs and try to get more bang for qulour hundreds of millions of dollars. Social issues dont play a role in any of this. Everything you just mentioned is economic. It is. David koch says he supports samesex marriage. Hes about the environment and funding organizations that cast doubt on climate science. Social issues are not their thing. Secrecy is a big part of these organizations. But i have to wonder, if theres nothing to hide, why hide . Why would the kochs hide the fact that they bought out the entire st. Regis to have this threeday conference . This is a fair question to ask the candidates there. Theres money in politics. No a whole lot of money in politics. Thats right. With mark cannon, 1896, Campaign Manager for William Mckinley said theres two things important in politics, one is money and i cant think of what the other thing is. Its not that this is all new. But if youre going to play, if youre going to be a figure trying to influence public elections and youre not going to be public what your agenda is, its a fair question for me to ask you, mr. And ms. Candidate, why are you there . What is he or she asking of you. Youre not telling me whats going on behind those closed doors. Thats a relevant question. Is there a Progressive Left Democratic Party leaning version of the Koch Brothers . Theres an Organization Called the democracy alliance. Its similar in that it brings together a lot of wealthy, progressive folks, democratic folks. It brings in candidates, Party Bigwigs like David Axelrod or jim messina, obamas Campaign Manager in 2012. The difference as far as i can tell in my reporting, the koch network is driven by this family, particularly these brothers, charles and david koch, billionaire industrialists. There is no fing lar fig quur on the left that has been pushing the agenda. Frankly, the folks on the left have been trying to play catchup to what the folks have done for the last 30 years. Is it going to take another court case i would say a law, but there are no laws being passed, but is it going to take another court case to undo the damage caused by the Citizens United . Its going to take another Supreme Court nomination, replacing a current member of the 54 Citizens United majority. You cant da much on this so long as Citizens United is the law of the land. Going back to the fact that money in politics is not new, theres been organized money for a long time in politics. People should think about what is the best way to combat that . Is it trying to litigate it through the courts, or is it organized better, build up your small donor network, build up your getoutthevote operations. There are ways with Better Organization than done in the past. I was going to ask, how do you do that . Remember, we won in 2012. Democrats won in 2012, despite all the karl rove money and koch money out there. Obamacare passed, doddfrank passed. People got their act together and figured out where the needle was to thread. One of the concerns is folks 2012 was the president election year. 2014 is not. Are they going to get there after they got together this goround to push back against the influence of koch money. Right now the odds are in favor of republicans just by a little bit taking back the senate and getting the influence of the koch network. Joni ernst running for senate, she said you helped put me on this trajectory. Look how influenced that koch network has been. Im sorry. Weve got to go. Still ahead, trying to get things done when congress doesnt. How is the president prepared to act. There are answers to that question depending on the issue. Well break it all down next. Latte or au lait . Cozy or cool . Exactly the way you want it. Until boom, its bedtime your mattress is a battleground of thwarted desire. Enter the sleep number bed. Right now, all beds are on sale. Hes the softy. His sleep number setting is 35. Youre the rock, at 60. And snoring . Sleep numbers even got an adjustment for that. You can only find sleep number at a sleep number store. Right now save 50 on the labor Day Limited Edition bed, plus 24month special financing. Hurry ends monday know better sleep with sleep number. There are two issues right now where it appears the Obama Administration will take markedly different approaches on when, where and how to act unilaterally to effect change. Well start with president obama seeming i going it alone, Climate Change. When a draft of an upcoming report from the United Nations was leaked to the press earlier this week, tfls still alarming to see that if reforms arent made and soon, severe and ap bankrupt changes to our environment will result. The world also used was irreversible. Quoting from the report, continued emissions of Greenhouse Gases will cause further warming and long lasting changes in all components of the climate system, increasing the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and eco systems. It may even be too late. The report says even if Greenhouse Gas emissions were slashed to nothing tomorrow, we may still feel the effect of Climate Change for years and years to come. Where is that change on our side going to come from . We cant expect it from a Gridlocked Congress where many people dont even believe Climate Change is an actual problem. Thats where obama taking unilateral action comes in. A report in the New York Times on tuesday revealed that the Obama Administration is planning to sidestep congress in drafting a treaty for countries to sign at the Climate Change conference in paris next year. Instead of a new treaty which would require congressional approval, negotiators are working on a, quote, hybrid agreement. They basically work a 1992 treaty avoiding Consulting Congress at all. This isnt the first time president obama attempted to act unilaterally on climate issues, but the first time with such global ramifications. Were joined by my colleague from the Washington Post, yulia and Bradley Orton from the Columbia University earth institute. This report that was leaked will be culminating one in a seer race that the u. N. Has put out over the past year. Is there anything out of what youve seen that struck you the most . I think as we look at the developments since obama became president , you see Sea Level Rise projections being revised upwards as we learn more about this ice melt that you alluded to earlier. Were learning, also, that small amounts of increase in temperature, one or two degrees that weve observed so far, already leading to twice as many extreme events as extreme cold events over the u. S. Small changes are already leading to big Climate Changes. We also learned were more vulnerable, learning our crops are vulnerable to small increases in temperatures. Were learning our cities as we see coastal flooding are going to see large increases in flooding. Coral reefs, arctic regions, highly sensitive to even small changes in temperature. Julia, the obvious thing president obama is trying to do here is avoid another kyoto treaty where a deal falls dead at the u. S. Senate. Doesnt the president s plan here open him up to claims of an imperial presidency . Well, certainly, youve seen Senate Minority leader Mitch Mcconnell has said this. Even democrats, Mary Landrieu from louisiana, joined with her republican colleague david vitter to question the strategy. Although its worth noting that the Obama Administration has been pursuing the strategy since 2009, since they realized there are no way they were going to pass a treaty. So youve seen in a series of international u. N. Meetings, whether it started in copenhagen in 2009 and codified in cancun in 2010, theyve said all along, this is what were going to do, were going to try to get different countries, some of the big emerging countries like china and india as well as the traditional industrialized countries to pledge what theyre going to do and hold them accountable just kind of publicly and they realize thats the way theyll have to go. Its absolutely launched a whole new set of attacks on the administration. No international agreement, whether its hybrid or full on formal is going to work unless it involves china and india. Can you explain why china and india are so important to a climate agreement . Absolutely. The bottom line is that Greenhouse Gas emissions are not only going up, theyre accelerating. These Greenhouse Gases last in the atmosphere in many cases for over 100 years. As we see the new coal plants, for example, coming online around the world, these have a lifetime of perhaps four decades. The decisions were making right now are locking us into more emissions. The longer we wait in terms of reducing emissions globally, the longer we wait, it becomes that much more challenging to keep emissions concentrations of Greenhouse Gases from reaching levels that could lead to extreme Climate Change and large vulnerability. Julia, in 2008 there was barely any daylight between barack obama and john mccain when it came to Climate Change and cap and trade. The Republican Party today wouldnt even come close to that. Can the Republican Party go back to where john mccain was in 2008 . Its an interesting question. I think over time you certainly could see that, although its unclear whether that would happen in, say, the 2016 election. Its interesting that, for example, Hillary Clinton has already indicated that one of the reasons she would consider a president ial run is because she sees Climate Change as such a pivotal issue and it matters to young voters. Part of the we is, is a republican president ial candidate going to see this as something they need to win over and erode the democratic advantage within voters, or really would it take a few more years which as every year counts in this debate, its unclear how quickly they would move on it. July al print and Bradley Orton, thanks very much for joining us. Still ahead, whats happening to the 60,000 undocumented children being held here in the u. S. . Well an ter that and look at what the president is planning to do about it next. With a newed volkswagen turbo. Reward card why are we so obsessed with turbo . Because we like giving you power, but we also like giving you fuel efficiency. Like the sporty jetta. And the turbocharged passat tdi® clean diesel. Okay. And the iconic beetle. And the powerful tiguan. Okay you cant forget the cc. Guys, this is going to take a while. Get a 1,000 reward card on new 2014 turbo models or lease a 2014 jetta se for 159 a month after a 1,000 bonus. Ends soon been all fun and games, here at the harrison household. But one dark, stormy evening. She needed a good meal and a good family. So we gave her purina cat chow complete. Its great because it has the four cornerstones of nutrition. Everything a cat needs for the first step to a healthy, happy life. Purina cat chow complete. Share your rescue story and join us in building better lives. One rescue at a time. Whos more excited about back to school savthe ladies . Ples . These guys . Or these guys . When you get guaranteed low prices on everything you buy the most, everybody gets excited staples. Make more happen for less. [ male announcer ] it takes two hands to eat a manwich. Leaving zero hands to save the universe. Hold on. Its manwich. Here we are at the end of august, dog days of summer. With tin creasing heat the crisis in the southwest border appears to be subsiding, at least for now. The number of unaccompanied minors at the border dramatically dropped last month. Just over 5,000 children, down from more than 10,000 in june. The number of adult ts crossing illegally with their children also fell by more than half. Its not clear what will happen to them or the 60,000 more who have made their way to the u. S. Since october. It was during the peak of the border crisis that president obama promised to act on Immigration Reform on his own by the end of summer if congress didnt. Now with Labor Day Weekend upon us, it seems the president should be taking action any day now. At his press conference on thursday, he reaffirm his commitment to act on his own. My preference continues to be that congress act. I dont think anybody thinks that congress is going to act in the short term, but hope springs eternal that after the midterm elections they may act. Have no doubt in the absence of congressional action, im going to do what i can to make sure the system works better. By the next day there were reports that president obama is thinking about delaying taking action, perhaps until after the november election to protect democrats in tight senate races. President obama is not only considering expanding the Deferred Action Program that currently delays deportations for those brought to the u. S. As children. He may also dramatically increase illegal immigration for hightech workers and relatives of those living in the u. S. A complete end run around congress. The Washington Post reports, quote, what was conceived as a targeted executive action has morphed into a fullscale deliberation of one of the most sprawling and intractable Public Policy issues facing the nation. Immigration reform advocates have stepped up their efforts over summer recess encouraging the president to go big on his promise for executive action. 145 protesters calling for a halt to deportations were arrested outside the white house on thursday. Earlier in the week a group of dreamers confronted senator marco rubio, an architect of the senates bipartisan Immigration Reform bill, who was recently changed his tune. My name is jose. We are dreamers from the state of florida. Our senator wants to deport us. Senator rubio, you dont stand with latinos. Senator rubio stop flipflopping with our community. We are hear senator rubio, came all the way from florida because you want to deport us and our families. Sir, you dont have a right to illegally immigrate to the United States. A day after dressing down the dreamers, senator rubio sent a letter to president obama warning him if he moves forward with a sweeping executive action, it will close the door to Immigration Reform for the foreseeable future. Later in the day senator rubio said republicans can vote against immigration funding in a bill that may be passed next month. This raises the question of another government shutdown. Republican congressman steve king joined in saying if the president wheels his pen and commits the unconstitutional act to legalize millions, i think that becomes something that is nearly Political Nuclear that changes the dynamic of any continuing res lux and how we might deal with that. So here we are. The president expected to take action any day now in the wake of congresss impasse on Immigration Reform and republicans are raising the specter of yet anotherism pass on funding the government for another year to stop him from acting. Joining me now is grace martinez who confronted congressman paul ryan at a book tour event. Andrea amendola and gabriella domenzain. When i was talking in the intro i could feel the anger about this possibility that president obama could delay action until after the november elections. Why did i feel that . Why are you angry . Ill start with you, gabby. I hate to say it. But as i was watching the press conference, i felt like there was a tone deafness to it. Hope springs eternal . Youre speaking to 12 Million People who have no rights. Saying that im going to postpone this until after the elections, thats over 60,000 more people that are going to be deported, not lucky ones, in quotes like erica who has daca. Im confused as to why were working under the same paradigm. The republicans blocked Immigration Reform. Its not passing in a legislative way. Now the only thing you have is this promise from the president to act before the end of the summer. Like its known in spanish [ speaking Foreign Language ] might evaporate. Its very disen heartening. To me, where is his courage. President obama has been telling us hes going to do something. He has deported more than 2 Million People. I live in arizona. We have tons of people that are waiting for that to happen. People in detention centers, we have folks we have one man thats going to go into a church right now to seek sanctuary because his immigration case hasnt been resolved. To us its not a matter of politics anymore. Its a matter of urgency. We hope the president takes courage. After the november elections well have tons of deportations that have happened already. Dreamers have been able to have the encourage to do that, like what you just saw, to rubio, with steve king, with everything weve done, i dont understand why the president doesnt have a courage to face republicans and what theyre saying. Carissa, i want to ask you about your runin with congressman ryan. What was your reaction to president obamas the rumor, the idea that the president will delay action until after the november elections . I think it was disappointing. I had a conversation with my mother who is still undocumented that same day. I had to tell her that the president needs to find some courage wherever he can find it. He said he probably should talk to his mom. Unfortunately she doesnt have one like i do. Its time for him to act. Its 2 Million People deported. 69,000 people can be deported from now until after november and that is unacceptable to us. We just showed you some of the video of your encounter with congressman ryan. I wanted to show that, again, so we can hear the sound. I am undocumented, but i a dreamer and i wonder why you want to deport me and my mother . Its in the books. Are you pushing me . Yeah, im not doing questions but you can read the book and you can find out. Why do you want to deport me and my mother greisa, tell us what happened there. We were going to meet representative ryan. He is promoting his book the way forward. He and the Republican Party have done nothing but take steps backwards when it comes to Immigration Reform. They decided to stall it in congress and now theyve gone a step forward and decided to put people like myself and people like my mother. We went to ask him a clear question. Why do you want to do that and why do you and steve king this is the solution to a moral crisis in our community . Unfortunately, he didnt have an answer just like he didnt have an answer in florida when dreamers asked him. You said dress down dreamers in those places. Its really disappointing that representative ryan has followed steve king into the abyss of Immigration Reform that says nothing but go back and get out to people like myself and my mother. But steve king is even taking credit for stuff that republicans are doing right now. Writing their immigration policy. Are you as stunned as i am that this is happening . To me, ive seen republicans do this over and over again. Im not as surprised to see republicans do this. I mean, i worked in congress for a year and not only just working there for a year i realized how this party just keeps going right and right and right and following steve king and those steps but to me, again, when we see we have allies like president obama saying he is our ally. I dont understand, where is he at in all of this . As you said in your response to the first question, where is his courage . I want to thank Immigration Reform activist, thank you for coming on. So, what should we know for the week ahead . Our answers after this. Our name your price tool helps oh, jamie, you got a Little Something on the back of your shoe there. A price tag danger price tag alert oh. Hey, guys. Price tag alert is this normal . Well, progressive is a price tag free zone. We let you tell us what you want to pay, and we help you find options to fit your budget. Where are they taking him . I dont know. This seems excessive decontamination in progress. I dont want to tell you guys your job, but. Policies without the price tags. Now, thats progressive. Wherever morning takes you, take along Nature Valley softbaked oatmeal squares. Oatmeal. Cinnamon. Softlybaked. Nature valley softbaked oatmeal squares. [music] defiance is in our bones. Defiance never grows old. Citracal maximum. Easily absorbed calcium plus d. Beauty is bone deep. Want to find out what my guests think we should know. Lets start with bill. Wednesday, Senate Debate in North Carolina. Democrat kay hagan versus tom tillis. The entire Senate Control is on. Thats no pressure. Gabby . I want people to know putting a lutina woman on stage at a National Event and twirling her around is offensive and objectifies latino women. Following up on our corruptive conversation from earlier. Jury begins deliberations and will be the decision of the year. I think you should know im freezing. My fingernails are purple. I want to thank andy and gabby and bill from campaign for americas future. Thanks for getting up. And thank you for joining us. Well be back next weekend, saturday and sunday. Actually, Steve Kornacki will be back at 8 00 p. M. Eastern time. Melissa harrisperry is up next and well see you here next week on up. Its time to bring it out in the open. Its time to drop your pants for underwareness, a cause to support the over 65 Million People who may need depend underwear. Show them theyre not alone and show off a pair of depend. Because wearing a different kind of underwear, is no big deal. Join us. Support the cause and get a free sample of depend at underwareness. Com great. This is the last thing i need. seriously . The last thing you need is some guy giving you a new catalytic converter when all you got is a loose gas cap. What . It is that simple sometimes. Thanks. Now lets take this puppy over to midas and get you some of the good ol midas touch. Hey you know what . Ill drive and i have no feet. I really didnt think this through. Trust the midas touch. For brakes, tires, oil, everything. whistling when your favorite food starts a fight fight back fast with tums. Relief that neutralizes acid on contact. And goes to work in seconds. Tum, tum tum tum tums try great tasting tums chewy delights. Yummy. Thank ythank you for defendiyour sacrifice. And thank you for your bravery. Thank you colonel. Thank you daddy. Military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa Auto Insurance can be one of them. If youre a current or former military member or their family, get an Auto Insurance quote and see why 92 of our members plan to stay for life. So what were looking for is a way to plus our Accounting Firms mobile plan. And minus our expenses. Perfect timing. Were offering our bestever pricing on mobile plans for business. Run the numbers on that. Well, unlimited talk and text, and ten gigs of data for the five of you would be. Oneseventyfive a month. Good calculating kyle. Good job kyle. You just made partner. Our bestever pricing on mobile share value plans for business. Now with a 100 bill credit for every business line you add. Thlook what i got. P. Oh my froot loops [sniffs] lets do this . Get up get up get up get up loop me bring back the awesome. Yeah yeah yeah with the great taste of Kelloggs Froot loops. Follow your nose this morning, my question. Will the nfls rule change change anything . Plus, a big assist for college athletes. And atlantic citys big gamble. But, first, coming to america to work. Good morning, im melissa harrisperry. We begin today with the issue of immigration. The topic has gotten a lot of renewed attention as they speculate about whether president obama will take executive action to address the nations broken immigration policies. Remember back in june he appeared in the rose garden and said this. Today, im beginning a new effort to fix as much of our immigration system as i can on my own. Without congress