To see the house engage in a profile in courage. That was a remarkable victory. House republicans got nothing in the deal. What they did end up getting were lower poll numbers. Putting it mildly. Republican Favorability Ratings went to an all time low. Some senator from arizona, he was saying today. There is a fools errand. The shut down has been a fools errand. It was a fools errand. This is really a fight for the soul of the Republican Party. That doesnt mean we cant make progress. The president outlined three areas of focus. Passing a budget, immigration reform, farm bill. There as it lot of noise out there. The government is back open after a 16day shut down. At least for 90 days. What was the big takeaway. How business is done in this town has to change republicans picked an unnecessary legislative fight with president obama and they lost. Completely. Today president obama explained that the economy suffered a big loss too. There are no winners here. These last few weeks have inflicted completely unnecessary damage on our economy. We dont know yet the full scope of the damage, but every analyst out there believes its slowed our growth. And for what . There was no economic rationale for all of this. Over the past four years our economy has been growing. Our businesses have been creating jockbs and our deficit have been cut in half. We hear some members pushed for the shut down say they were doing it to save the american economy. But nothing has done more to undermine our economy these past three years than the kind of tactics that create these manufactured crises. Some of the same folks who pushed for the shut down and threatened default claim their actions were needed to get america back on the right track. To make sure were strong. But probably nothing has done more damage to americas credibility in the world, our standing with other countries, than the spectacle that we have seen these past several weeks. Its encouraged our enemies. Its emboldened our competitors. And its depressed our friend who look to us for steady leadership. The president also spoke of Lessons Learned from the Government Shutdown. One of the things that i hope all of us have learned these past few weeks is that it turns out smart, effective government is important. It matters. I think the am scan people during the shut down had a chance to get it get some idea of all of the things, large and small, that government does that make a difference in peoples lives. And we hear all the time about how government is the problem. Well it turns out we rely on in a whole lot of ways. Lets Work Together to make government work better. Instead of treating it like an an enemy. Were purposely making it work worse. Thats not what the founders of this nation envisioned when they gave us the gift of self government. You dont like a particular policy or a particular president then argue for your position. Go out there and win an election. Push to change it. But dont break it. Dont break what our predecessors spent two centuries building. To learn from their hopeless battle with president obama and the democrats that ended in the republicans total surrender. Today, Mitch Mcconnell said that the next time around a government shut down is off the table. Were not going to do it. Senator mcconnell said that in a frank interview with robert costa for the National Review online. Senator mcconnell said, one of my favorite sayings, an old kentucky saying, theres no education in the second kick of a mule. When robert costa asked mcconnell, when did you know this standoff was finally ending . Mcconnell replied i can tell you when i knew that wed end up here. July. Joining me now, robert costa, washington editor for National Review and a host of msnbcs up. The republican leader in the senate saying it was quite obvious to him three months ago there was only one way this thing was going to end. Thats exactly right, lawrence. Senator mcconnell told me today he knew in the summer the strategy would never work. It took a long time for many conservative republicans to come around to that idea. To accept that divided government would not yield major concessions from the administration. Lets listen to one of the people that Mitch Mcconnell could not convince that this battle was a bad idea. Ted cruz, mark levines radio show. You know it should have been the Senate Republicans that rhode like the calvary to support the courageous stand House Republicans were taking. Instead they became the air force bombing our own troops, bombing House Republicans, bombing conservatives. And you cant win when one half of Congress Turns its cannons on the other half. Steve, he loves military imagery being one of the many members of Congress Never would dream of being in the military himself. He is saying the Senate Republicans were bombing our own troops. His language is getting more inflammatory. The game that ted cruz plays. This is why, for everything you heard from Mitch Mcconnell, you heard from republicans, like Mitch Mcconnell, in the last 24 to 48 hours. We are not going to go down the road. I am skeptical. I have my doubts. The game ted cruz plays. Takes obama care and takes the shut down. We have to force the shutdown. Over obama care. Whats coming from the other side. What plays into cruzs hand. From the rest of the republicans who dont want to do that. Theyre not disputing the policy. Theyre not saying, well, no. We should try to acknowledge, obama care, should be working with obama care. Theyre arguing on tactics. Thats what ted cruz wants. He wants an argument within the Republican Party, tactics where he is able to set himself up, test of purity, voice of purity. If you are a real conservative, like me, who really wants to take it to the administration, and fight obama care, this is the way to do it. Hey, look the other guys who wont go with me. Not because im selling out the ideology of conservatism. I still see that dynamic prevailing right now. But, a Mitch Mcconnell in roberts interview sound as adamant about this as president obama did. He he started saying he will not compromise on the debt ceiling. Repeatedly, robert. He says, says it again for. One, you asked him, how does the party get beyond the mess. The first thing he says, well, for one we are not going to do this again in connection with the debt ceiling and with the Government Shutdown. One of my favorite moments. Many favorite moments, robert, your question to him, about senator cruz. You said what is your take on senator ted cruz who led what, what, mcconnell had already called in the article a quixotic venture. The shortest answer in the interview. Mcconnell says, i didnt have any observations to make on that. Classic mcconnell. Yeah. We really see from that, lawrence, how even Mitch Mcconnell who has been a conservative leader in congress who cant question that he is a conservative record, he recognizes the reality moving forward, is that to have any kind of legislative maneuvering ability. To be able to cut any kind of deal on entitlements, taxes, reform. He need to have it. He is exhausted by the process. He called it a quixotic effort. That catches where mcconnell stands on issues on the right. He called it he said they squandered time over what he said to you was this quixotic venture that had no chance of success. He kept drilling that in. Very Interesting Exchange in here, robert. You have with him about what everybody in washington and observing the situation has been thinking which is he is in a reelection campaign, tough situation. I will read the whole exchange. You asked him, you said a lot of reporters think your decisions are driven by Political Considerations in your home state, especially your primary versus matt bevin and potential general election versus democrat allison lundergrangrimes. Great question. Fascinated the way he began his answer. Oh, thats the mother jones thesis. And i love that it is National Review reporter asking him, the mother jones thesis. He then says, i have nothing to say about my primary opponent. His first and only thing he says about the primary opponent. I will go back to what he said about, Allison Grimes. But, robert, what about that is . He not worried about prit marth primary. Senator mcconnell is con ty dety confident. Sees bevin as a Tea Party Challenger and has support. Not becoming a National Tea Party figure. Not gaining momentum. Donations from small dollar donors outside of kentucky. Mcconnell is really focusing now from based on our interview and conversations on the, the general election on Allison Grimes. She is running against him as someone an obstructionist in washington. So his point was quite cutting and frank in the interview. He said i skut thcut this deal. I may it happen in terms of governing. You cant make the argument. He thinks Allison Grimes need a new quote rationale for her candidacy. Its been a bad 24 hours for her. She is accusing hem im of being part of the problem. Last 24 hours he was part of the solution. Interesting. Mcconnell has the dual challenge. Not a lot of republicans have. Republicans have to worry about tea party or primary. Thats one of the issues that Mitch Mcconnell is facing. In a red state. Never been a real safe bet for reelection. 30 years in the u. S. Senate. I think within, republicans, more republicans in washington, a consensus coming out of this. And lets not go down the road of government shut down of the default. I dont know if that trickled down to the Republican Base. What i am asking going forward. Does the Republican Base beli i would fight harder and get rid of obama care tomorrow. If that prevails among the Republican Base, interesting to see what a guy like mcconnell is saying, two, three months from now. Robert, in the latest poll, senator mcconnell is a couple of points behind Allison Grimes. I think he realizes steve is right. He has a tough general election ahead ahead. As much as he has been talking about the primary. Grimes the chief competitor this year. Next year. I think mcconnell. He looks at the house as a dysfunctional body. A lot of support. Friendship for speaker boehner. When it comes to making things happen politically, he is the person who has it. He talks about how the minority in the senate is really driving the conversation forward for republican leadership. That is an important point. As the house falls away and fade in terms of crafting legislation. It is mcconnell again and again, stepping into the center being the guy who cuts the deal. Great questions in there about his relationship with harry reid. Everyone should read the full interview. I have tweeted it out to my universe. We appreciate that. Did all i could. Robert, steve, thank you both for joining me tonight. Sure. Thank you. Coming up joy reid joins me with analysis about what the president says are the lessons of the Government Shutdown. And the Government Shutdown cost the United States 24 billion. And thats just the beginning, ezra klein and Mark Patterson join us with the details. End of an era, a schashchara who has been on more Television Series than any other character, left the air last night. The actor who has the record for the longest time playing a character. Richard bowser will join me. Detective munch gets tonights last word. The rewrite tonight, what ted cruz has in common with a father who has ten children on medicaid. They both hate government. Republican senator brook of massachusetts. First elected to the senate in 1966. Carol mosleybraun first africanamerican woman in 1988, followed by barack obama in 2004. Three other africanamericans were appointed to the senate by state governors, burress, scott, and cowen. First africanamericans who serve in the u. S. Senate was rhoads in 1870 followed by bruce in 1875. Both elected by the Mississippi State legislature during reconstruction before the 17th amendment. Of course was ratified in 1913. Senators were chosen by state legislatures, not by direct popular vote. Up next the lessons of the shut down. According to president obama. [ banker ] sydney needed some Financial Guidance so she could take her dream to the next level. So we talked about her options. Her valuable assets were staying. And selling her car wouldnt fly. We helped sydney manage her debt and prioritize her goals, so she could really turn up the volume on her dreams today. And tomorrow. So lets see what we can do about that. Remodel. Motorcycle. [ female announcer ] some questions take more than a bank. They take a banker. Make a my financial priorities appointment today. Because when people talk, great things happen. Understand how business is done in this town has to change. Now that the government is reopened and the threat to the economy is removed. All of us need to stop focusing on the lobbyists, bloggers and talking heads on radio and the professional activists who profit from conflict and focus on what the majority of americans sent us here to do. Im glad he didnt say the talking heads on tv. Joining me, Washington Bureau chief for mother jones and analyst, and msnbcs joy reid. Joy you, have done enough hosting here at msnbc to know what it is like when the teleprompter is rolling by quickly. I dont know if this happened to you. Little mistakes are in the prompter, you go, wait, thats not i just said in a previous segment, Carol Mosley Braun was elected in 1988, as the word 8, wait a minute. I was there. The prompter keeps going. You have to keep reading. Of course elected in 1992. The first africanamerican woman senator. But to get back on track here, thats so much for the corrections. Joy, the president was really forceful today and what struck me about his tone in the speech is it was identical to the way he was speaking right after his reelection when he first started to say i will not bargain in any way on the debt ceiling. Yeah, absolutely. I think that the big narrative on the right was that they just didnt believe that barack obama. When he said that after the election. Yeah, whatever. They were still thinking about the narrative of 2011 when he actually in the end did cut a deal to avoid going over the debt limit. This was a president who was really saying, straight forwardly, no, no, seriously. I am not going to do it. Never believed him. He never blinked. We had total surrender. Lets listen to what nancy pelosi had to say, and her analysis. Cynicism was about the fact the government was closed for 16 days, the full credit and faith of america was in doubt, why, the antigovernment idea logs in the republican congress, the tail wagging the dog, just a few, 30some, it was 62 of their caucus voted to keep government shut down. Full 62 of their caucus voted to to to default on the full faith and credit of the United States of america. But, david, across the way in the senate, a majority of republican senators voted to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling . I think the president gave a good speech today. Let me quibble with something. He went back to one of his preferred positions which is the above washington dysfunction position. You know, he stepped back, you know from the negotiations when he couldnt do anything with john boehner. He didnt have good negotiating partner. He let Mitch Mcconnell and reid do a deal. And which he was unhappy to endorse. When he came out today and described what was wrong, what was broken in washington, it wasnt what he had said a week earlier when he were heading towards default. Which was it was the close to what nancy pelosi said, a small band of ideological extremists in the Republican Party in the house. He went back to the system is broken, there are extremes on both sides. Used extreme with a plural, on both sides that have gotten in the way of compromise here in washington. And we have to break through all of the noise from the lobbyists and the talking heads, apparently on both sides. And so this is, the comfortable position for him. He ran this way in 2008. Tried to do it again, in 2012. He doesnt want to point fingers the way nancy pelosi did. And i can understand he wants to be president of everybody. But we have to keep reminding people, people have short attention spans, what brought us to this point. It is not equal on each side. The extremes are not equal here. Joy, that that element struck me as the president in complete triumph, just complete wipeout of the republicans on this, just not wanting to just, spike the, the football on them. I agree with you, lawrence. Look, everybody understands. John boehner said total surrender. Thats what they did. They got nothing. They literally held up the government for 17 days, they got absolutely nothing. And the president knows that he completely vanquished them. However, theyre now about to go into a, a negotiation over the budget. And i mean, maybe it is because, i just got finished the book last week. Looking at it in the sense. Thats tipping the gipper by chris matthews. Do not cite the book without the word chris matthews. All right. Just for a minute. Listen he has got to go negotiate with the people shortly. Sort of spiking the football, would feel great to his base. But we already know he beat the republicans. Everybody knows that. He has now g