Its really about seeing some light, even amidst darkness. That will keep us all inspired to keep striving for the light, smiles on kids faces like that. Thanks for watching. Im al sharpton. Hardball starts right now. Our worst enemy. Lets play hardball. Good evening. Im Chris Matthews in new york. Let me start tonight with the United States going after isis in syria. Can the president sell this war . Can we . If we get in this fight the obvious fact that we would help destroy the greatest danger facing the Syrian Government. Would a bold stroke against isis put us in bed with Bashir Al Assad the person barack obama swore he would get rid of . Tonight we look at the revolt
and development facing the american president. How to choose the greater evil . A terror group or a dictator who has shown hell do anything to save himself. Howard fineman is the editorial director of the Huffington Post and bobby gaush is from the digital publication kwarz. The u. S. Is sending missions over syria authorized by president obama this weekend to assess targets for potential air strikes against isis. They are using both manned and unmanned aircrafts for the purpose. U. S. Officials wont seek approval from the assad government. Meanwhile the pentagon is drafting plans for potential strikes against the terror group. The president hasnt okd strikes yet. Nbc news reports the decision could come as early as this week. The strikes would target isis forces, weapons and supply lines between syria and iraq. Today president obama, once again, talked about the need for rooting out the cancer that is isis. They juwarned it wont be easy quick. Speaking in charlotte, north carolina, he said this about the killers of american journalist james foley. Watch. Our message to anyone who harms our people is simple. America doesnt forget. Our reach is long. We are patient. Justice will be done. We have proved time and time again we will do whats necessary to capture those who harm americans. To go after those who harm americans. [ applause ] well continue to take direct action where needed to protect our people and to defend our homeland. There we go. Howard, i never liked that word, homeland. To me its civil defense. Its american. Thats neocon talk. But hes talking about us defending ourselves against isis in america. How drastic is that . Do you believe that threat . Is that something to justify National Action against some
soft country because he doesnt have Statutory Authority to go into syria. Is that why hes saying toward off a possible threat to us at home here . I thought it was significant that he mentioned the homeland, that distasteful word thats part of the modern language. I think the president is trying to contain his public commitment because if he really starts talking about isiss threat to the homeland, if he starts talking about 9 11 and post 9 11 terms then it amps up his responsibility and the urgency to take isis not only as a threat in the region, as a group against whom we have to secretory bugs for the killing of an american journalist and others. He has to explain to the American People why this group over there is a global threat to us here. That automatically takes him
further down the road to military commitment than he wants to go. Eventually the homeland he said there, i dont think is as important as what hes trying to limit. The question is whether he can do it once he steps down that road. The question is this. How can we attack isis, the number one threat now, i believe. You check me on this. To the Syrian Government of assad who he said a year ago he wanted to get rid of. At the same time destroy isis. That makes assad look like a stable government. Well, it is a hard choice to make between the two evils. There might be a third way. You dont simply go against isis. You simultaneously and there are indications from the administration that they are thinking of this. You arm the Free Syrian Army and improve the support to them. This is thethon religious, more secular, antiassad group that began their uprising against saddam three years ago. They were overtaken by isis because they were ignored. They didnt get the support they asked for early on. Its time to increase support to them. At the same time going after isis. Going after isis, if it is successful will create an opening. Assad will gain temporarily. Not for long, i think. If the Free Syrian Army, the other nonreligious groups that are fighting against assad are empowered they have shown that when they have the chance they can take the fight to assad. Maybe you disagree. When the American People watched the beheading of an american last week they watched that man with tremendous guts and fortitude to stand there knowing he was on camera. Knowing his family would see it, knowing he was going to die in minutes, knowing he would be done by a knife in his neck. He stood there and took it. The American People will either react positively or not. They will either get even or not. Or they will cook up another excuse to go to war with isis
like they are a threat to the homeland. Why dont we behave like a gut country behayes and say, no, you dont do this to our people. We are going to make you pay. The American People would understand that language. This has nothing to do with the sunni and shia and whats in iraq, mesopotamia or whatever they are calling it. They dont care about iraq and the kurds and sunni and shia. I dont understand why hes now talking about the homeland, changing the subject. He was off playing golf when he had the American Peoples attention. That execution had our attention. Then he flips off, comes back a week later all dressed up. Hes taken a shower. Back in a business suit talking about threat to the homeland. It doesnt sound right. It doesnt sound real. Right. It sounds like a legal excuse to go after someone he should say, damn it, you republicans, i dare you to stop me from going after the guy who killed our guy. Go ahead. Call for a vote. Well kill you on the vote. I dont understand why he doesnt fight when it comes to americans. I believed him last week when he said it hurt him personally. I have been mystified as have others. It wasnt that long ago when the president described isis as the j. V. Team. Within a few months they are the greatest threat to the United States. There is a threat in framing this narrowly as a threat to the American Homeland. We have talked about it before. You dont have to come to the American Homeland to hurt hearn americans. Jim foley wasnt in the American Homeland. There are thousands of americans closer to where isis operates in jordan, egypt, turkey. There are American Allies in europe and turkey is a nato partner. There are ways to hurt america. Isis said over and over again it wants to hurt america without coming to the homeland. If you frame it as, well, we are going to take action because we think they are coming to the homeland, that gives you wiggle
room. We have seen general dempsey they we dont have evidence that they are threatening the homeland. They are threatening america. Its not just the homeland. Sounds like the talk pushing us into the iraq war in the first place. Nbc news reported douglas mccar thur mccain was killed in syria fighting for isis. Hes from minnesota. In twitter posts he said he reverted to islam back in 2004. This spring he traveled to turkey and made it to syriament hes one of a small number or a handful of americans who have gone to fight for the terror group there. Howard, there are three reasons for us to fight isis. One is they are a blood thirsty mob of colors and bobby explained it better than i could. They are mad dogs, if you will, going after people to kill them, the joy of doing it. Or to rebuild iraq which is an illusion, delusion perhaps. Or protect him from the homeland. Why not pick the blood target, the one americans would react
to. As opposed to the other ones that im not sure are our goals anymore. Your thoughts. Why doesnt who im sorry. The president. Well, i think the president is stuck on his previous promises in the shape of his career of the presidency to try to avoid the whole troops on the ground notion. Yet at the same time as bobby was pointing out, he has to quickly shift from describing isis as the j. V. Team to a huge threat that requires american planes in the sky, drones, cooperation with unsavory people in the region to achieve where are you on that . To limited objectives. Where am i . Yeah. I agree with you, chris. If the president ever had a chance to strike back firmly and quickly and decisively without necessarily requiring him to engage in a long war in that
region, to make a point to the world. To make a point to the people we have been fighting, last week would have been it. Its not in president obamas nature. Hes proud of the fact that hes mr. Cool. That he supposedly takes a long time to measure and decide. That wasnt the situation. I think politically he may have missed the moment in terms of his ability to do that now. I dont think it adds up now uh. You know what . Im sorry to say that wasnt the last act of oh cruelty well see in the weeks ahead. Let me go to bobby on the eastern view from over there. Looking at us. They used to say the west. We fire back and get out. They can tell we are getting out of there. Airstrikes, do they send a
message on the attack or suggest we are in a retreat . In other words if we are up there shooting from are the air but not getting on the ground are we suggesting to isis, dont worry, air power cant do much. You will outlive this. By the way p its cowardly to do it this way. Until we catch one of your pilots of course. Airstrikes cant be the final solution. Right now the big problem in the area is everybody looks at iraq i didnt say and syrians. In mosul we pushed isil back. That sends the message that these guys cant be beaten when they come up against syrias force. Now the next part of the challenge in addition air strikes is going to have are to
be to get Ground Forces in operation. No american troops. They are the Free Syrian Army in syria. There are different elements that can be strengthened, should be strengthened. There are signs that the administration is beginning to strengthen them. Its not something that will happen quick. I want to say this guy douglas mccain, do you think hes in the company of the 72 virgins now . Is this what he was looking for . Theres nothing we have learned so far that suggests thats what he was looking for. He seemed to have a fairly ordinary life in the United States. There was clearly something missing. I thought its possible that when he fist went there, he went there thinking he would participate in something noble and got sucked into something worse. Thats often the case with people like him. They are drawn into conflict thinking they will do something meaningful with their life, help the helpless. Once they get there, they are brainwashed. Its a slide down a slippery slope. Howard, thank you for joining us. Before he was taken hostage and murdered by isis james foley was kidnapped in lib yachlt one of the people who helped him secure release back then and what might be done to win the release of other american hostages. Not long ago democrats talked about one of their own winning president obamas third term, if you will, in 2016. Now that third term strategy may be a precarious path indeed. Frank bruni of the New York Times wrote today on the deepseated pessimism americans feel about the direction of the country and leadership. Is there a leadership in or out of office that can restore americas celebrated confidence . Finally the perils of twitter. One thing a british diplomat shouldnt do is joke about
burning our white house back in 1814. Dont joke about that. We still remember it. This is hardball, the place for politics. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality for over 19 million people. [ susan ] my promotion allowed me to start investing for my retirement. Transamerica made it easy. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. Transamerica. Transform tomorrow. Transamerica. Why let erectile dysfunction get in your way . This is the age of knowing what youre made of. Talk to your doctor about viagra. Ask 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. This is the age. Of taking action. Viagra. Talk to your doctor. Crest 3d White Whitestrips vs. Whitening trays. These trays feel a little loose. Its kind of hard to talk. The whitestrips really grip. Look at that. Crest supreme Flexfit Whitestrips grip to your teeth, and whiten as well as a 500 professional treatment. Crest whitestrips. The way to whiten. A new poll. Lets go to the scoreboard. The democrats have a fivepoint edge now. 4742 over the republicans in the generic ballot. Keep in mind the Huffington Post pollster trend has the race at nearly a dead heat. And democrats had a healthy lead in polling registered voters to over come heavy yefr republican turnout. Its expected in midterm elections. Also the edge the gop enjoys. Democratic votes tend to be heavily concentrated in a few congressional districts. Well be right back. Inus our e. 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. Could help your business didavoid hours of delaynd test caused by slow internet from the phone company . Thats enough time to record a memo. Idea for sales giveaway. Return a call. Sign a contract. Pick a tie. Take a break with mr. Duck. Practice up for the business trip. Fly to florida. Win an award. Close a deal. Hire an intern. And still have time to spare. Go to comcastbusiness. Com checkyourspeed if we cant offer faster speeds or save you money well give you 150. Comcast business. Built for business. He needs to decompress. I dont know what kind of emotional state hes in. So whatever, wherever he is hes going to be in some kind of seclusion so he can be with the family and enjoy some quiet. Welcome back. That was nancy curtis, mother of released hostage peter theo curtis. We got a behindthescenes look at how her sons release came about and players involved. Qatar played a pivotal role in winning his freedom. An effort that was given additional impetus by the appeal of american executive David Bradley. It was this trio that drove the release of curtis. As recounted, David Bradley got the news he was released in a text message from the chief of the qatari intelligence at 9 04 a. M. On saturday this weekend. It said, done. Steve clemons works for bradley
and Atlantic Media was involved in early stages of negotiations. It wasnt the first time he was involved in hostage negotiations. He was involved in the effort to secure james foleys release from libya are before he was captured again and executed by eyes i is. Isis. Also joining me david rhode from reuters who was kidnapped in 2008 and held in captivity for seven months. We learned today isis has another american hostage sources tell nbc news they were taken hostage on a humanitarian mission for her own safety family members dont want her name released by us or anyone. Let me visit Steve Clemons. I have known you a long time. You work in the dark along with your boss. Tell us about getting release if you want to start with mr. Curtis. That would be good. What was your success in getting mr. Foley out the first time he was captured by the enemy . First, you know David Bradley well. Hes uncomfortable with this attention. He would say if he were on air hundreds of people were involved with the release of both men. I never negotiated with hostages. My role, as i think you know the effort to get james foley who we were involved with twice but james foley out of syria and away from his kidnappers, the issue was to David Bradley who has a huge heart and a huge machine and a way to organize things knew he had to bring qatar into this. I helped open up some of the relationships. We read in the Washington Post which is very important the pathway to the intelligence chief who played a key role. Broadly. What was interesting is this was a second play. The first play had been in libya when the Libyan Government took three journalists, there were other journal arists detained but one was a freelancer for Claire Gillis. James poly was one of the three people released. At that point i had helped david meet a number of people. Contacts with turki isish intelligence who were partly helpful and Michael Holtzman who was a p. R. Agent for gadhafi. He had good relations and we needed to talk to the gadhafi clan and penetrate them even though the United States was essentially at war with libya. Those relationships helped ease the way for foley at that time in libya are to be released as well as Claire Gillis and another journalist. It was unfortunate james was kidnapped again. David bradley sprung to action again to try to get him released. Through that it was the family of peter curtis who made an appeal to david, would he look at this. As