Issue here is we cannot marginalize anyones life without marginalizing all of our lives. I said at the eulogy monday, we must be here for the long haul, in what makes america, america. Thanks for watching. Im al sharpton. Hardball starts right now. Turn coats, lets play hardball. Good evening, im Chris Matthews in washington. Let me start tonight with those dozens of americans turn thing coat and joining islamic murderers in syria and iraq. Next we get to the republican strategy for taking up the u. S. Senate. Turn every democratic opponent into barack obama. Then we get to the stinking hamburger plan to skip u. S. Tax plaus by heading off it canada. Finally the death that comes of
handing a loaded automatic weepon it a 9yearold and deafening silence from the National Rifle association. You know, the ones who say guns dont kill people, people do. In this case, those of you hiding in the corner, it was a gun, an oosy that killed. As i said, we start with the murky change of heart and change of allegiance that drives a small but ruthless bunch of haters to join the murderous ranks of isis and other antiamerican islamist terror groups based in syria. Lets get a fix as best we can on who they are and what they are doing screaming for blood in far away land, Richard Engel is chief important to correspondent for nbc news. Evan kohlmann is an nbc analyst. Richard, they arent kbing away a different way of life, they are going away to kill americans. Yesterday nbc news learned Douglas Mcarthur mccain was killed fighting for isis. Now a second american turn coat killed in the same incident with mccain. Today pentagon spokesman kirby
told Andrea Mitchel that the threat from ice nis the worm of the western recruits is sirius. Lets listen. We know dozens and dozens of americans are potentially becoming radicalized and fighting with groups like isil. Thats woresome enough. When we talk about the potential immediate sift threat of isil, thats one of the factors we are talking about. This idea that foreign fighters could go over there, get radicalized, get trained, then come back it their homeland. Whether it is United States or any other western nation. We cant even decide what to call this thing, isil or ice pips these young men from america of different backgrounds have gone over to join it. How do we explain the turning of coat, turning of allegiance, not just to leave our culture but to become american killers p. Because this group which doesnt call itself isis or
isil, calls itself the Islamic State or califate, doesnt see the world in terms of american versus britain versus syria or iraqi. It sees it as muslims, particularly their brand of islam, which is really a death cult. It is rejected by the vast majority of muslims around the world and everybody else. So they are calling on supporters to come and join this little state that they have carved out in collapsed parts of syria and iraq. And to join this Uber NationalUltra National califate of theirs. Rejected their nationality, burn their american passports and fight against anyone who is determined to be their enemy. And this is appealing for people. Appealing for a certain fwrup of people. Maybe 10 or 20 years ago they would have joined a religious cult. Gone off and joined the foreign legion. People have trouble with the law. They cant find themselves. They are searching for something
greater. And in this case, they are joining a death cult that is advertising itself on the internet. And its little safe zone within iraq and syria. Dozens of people are real people, watching the beheading on television, basically, about american webs someone like they were, whats the reaction it being part after cult that does that . They have their hands in this now. Look to 20yearold adam dandage last month, arrested trying to go to isis. He told the fbi he was attempting to join isis. But when asked if he was willing to kill americans, he said openly no the fbi, yes, i would kill americans. Yes, that is part after religious duty. Yes, it is valid. And it is not just isis. You have this young guy from florida who went over and joined al qaedas official branch in syria, and before he left, he recorded a message in which he
was shown tearing apart his u. S. Passport, bite awning the bass port, and then issuing a message to barack obama in which he threatened to come back and destroy the United States with bombs and other weapons and said his kpa tree ots would be behind him. That the organization that just released an american hostage. You can imagine what the isis guys are saying p. Lets good back to the ma crow questions. United states becoming syria, becoming isis . I think pretty soon, frankly. United states becoming syria, becoming isis . I think pretty soon, frankly. United states authorized surveillance flights over syria. Looking for targets. They will find targets. If you ask them to start looking for things, theyll find them. I think of it like if you invite a carpenter or a contractor to your house and you say, i have problems in the basement, you know full well the base smt full of water and you tell them, go down and look in there, he is going to tell you it needs work. Now were doing surveillance flights over there. We are asking them to look for targets. They will find them. So what do we do next sni think they will start bombing them. The irony on all of this, and i know you will love this, since you followed washington in foreign policy, almost exactly one year ago to the day we were talking about bombing sir why. But we were going to be bombing syria in order to become Bashar Alassad and help rebels push him out of power. Now we will bomb isis extremists in order to help Bashar Alassad. In one year, the situation changed 180 degrees. When we were right . Are we right now . Right then . Is this like they used to say about the pope. Hes right, then he changes his mind, hes right. Just religious about my religion, but thats an old joke. If we were right to spend all of our effort getting rid of alassad, which i never understand, i think they were a pain in the butt but a predictable pain in the butt and
they were local. Now the isis, danger on the street for years now, that the government is always better than the street. Now we have the street coming at us. So here is the situation. Was it right then or is it right now . Lets take the first example. Thats the most pressing one. We could be doing this in a few days. In the situation is untenable. You have militant, as evan was saying, not just from isis but thousands of incredibly dangerous people who are very well armed. They are collect taxes, imposing their own kind of sharia law. They are seizing weapons from the iraqi army. They are taking over the air base. They are a danger to anyone, including the United States, right now. Can i understand why the United States would want to attack right now. Richard, we have to be somewhat consistnt. Assad was never a threat to the United States. Then i go back to the other example. A year ago when we were talking
about bombing the syrians, it was in order to back a moderate opposition and in order to overthrow assad. We never did that. So we didnt do one, which i understand. Assad was never a clear and present danger like these militant groups are, certainly. But once again we are talking about bombing and what im pointing out is we are talking about bombing first time against ba shar and now with bashar. And it shows how inconsistent our look at syria has been. As the situation changes. One consistency is the national interest. We call it the Defense Department to defend our country. Here an interesting column written today. In syria it might be necessary to choose the lesser equal and work with Bashar Alassad to detaet isis. This may mean for the foreseeable future a regime that committed war crimes, supported by iran and russia. Which the west has considerable strategic differences. Change would be costly but not as costly as scenario in which isis could use syrian territory from which to mount attacks from the region and beyond. Eye sad fwost may be able but is lesser reefl than isis and a local one. Ive been reading a lot about world war ii again, ef yn and richard, we all think about woorld war 2 all the time. We join sides with stalin. Stalin, because we thought hitler was a more immediately and frightening threat to the world at that point. I understand that look, im not exactly a friend of the assad regime. Athink what theyve done to the Syrian People is horrific. Awful. But i think at a certain point u. S. Foreign policy has to focus on certain priorities. One of those priorities is u. S. National security. Who is clear and present danger. Hezbollah is not a clear and
present danger to the politics of the United States or homeland to the United States. It is not an active terrorist threat us to. Alassad is not. His Defense Network is done. He is not a let it to anyone in the region right now. Im not suggesting we should back the regime of Bashar Alassad, but i think we have to understand that in terms of the actors in this air yst world that are actually a threat us to, the one that is a threat to us is isis. No doubt about that. No doubt. Can i tell you, chris, how i think this sort of plays out . Sure, richard. If the u. S. Starts bombing isis in northern in syria, mostly northern syria, and and eastern syria. But across a broad part of sir why out of governments control, we start bombing them, what does that mean . It means alassad gets a pass. We are effectively helping him because we are neutralizing an enemy force. By the way, alassad was happy to have isis flourish in his country for the last several
months. He never attacked them because isis was busy fighting other rebels and new that they have become such a ferocious threat to him and to us, he is quite happy it seems to have the United States come in and clean up a mess that he was very happy to see ferment in his country. Aside from that, if we start doing this, start bombingitesis, we give assad a pass. He goats stay, but probably control a smaller state. There will be a Bombing Campaign in this area of nomans land. In that band outside of damascus. That is isis stand, if you will. And this continues for a long time. This become a nomans land, dangerous place. Controlled by air strikes while ba shar alray sad stays, rehabilitated and gets to keep a somewhat reduced country. Thats not an outlook, an sustained longterm plan. Thats geo politics. I think a lot of americans are bleeding emotionally at the sight of what happened to james poly. We worry about our hostages. Our focus is on us. Thank you Richard Engel. Thank you evan for your expertise. Coming up. Wanting to put a boeing shirt on the back of everyone running in 2014. Can Mitch Mcconnell and scott brown convince their opponent, male or female, are really the president in some costume. Pluz plus, calling for a boycott of burger king after the fastfood giant announced it was buying a Canadian Company and relocating headquarters up north. Critics say it is a gimmick to avoid paying american taxes, and it sure looks like it. Horror at the gun range. 9yearold girl firing a oozy, thats an automatic rifle, accidentally killed her instructor after losing control
of the rifle. Wait until you see the pictures. Why was this little girl allowed to use such a weapon . Where is the nra right now . I wonder why. They must be embarrass in their awful silence. The stinky hamburger deal, skipping out on money and the hamburger deal, while think avoid paying taxes. This is hardball, a place for politics. List of toprated providers. Visit angieslist. Com today. 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 president obamas lawyers just got a little busier now that another republican is filing a lawsuit against the president. Governor bobby jind el of louisiana is suing the Obama Administration over implementation of the common Core Education program. In a Statement Governor jindal says common core is the latest by Big Government disciples to strip away states rights and put washington, d. C. In control of everything. Jindal also has his own score board which i wants backed enthuse atticly. Could be politics at work here. Well be right back. 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 . 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 to hardball. Gop strategy to take back the senate in 2014 is clear now. Turn your democratic opponent, whoever he or she is, into president obama. Republican senate chalers and incumbent alike are running to be be the unobama this year. Will it work in Mitch Mcconnell said in moort martins upcoming piece, quote, my favorite year is 1994. Took a cardboard cutout of bill clinton on to the stage and defied the democrat to have their make tour take went with it. Mcconnell saw his tv ad with an opponent and he lost that fall. Secretary of state grimes is turned into a caricature of the current democratic president , barack obama. By my standard barack obama has been a disaster for our country. Thats what you get for electing someone with no experience. He was only two years into his first job when he started campaigning for the next one. Sound familiar . Pretty sarcastic. Republicans win in november by putting an obama boeing shirt, if you will, on the back of every democrat . Author of this great piece this weekend, jonathan wab i was going to call you when i read it on line. Fabulous, fabulous report ppg really. It is the kind of things that makes politics enjoyable it read. Host of the joy reid report. Lets talk about what we just showed a tape of. He is the old crusty guy who has been there. All of the assets of office but no one really likes him. Will he run almost like isis and
syria . He thinks voters will choose him as the less of two evils, jonathan . His strategy has been, basically, get the other person o to dislike sorry, have voters dislike the other candidate more than they do me. But thats not just this year. Thats been mcconnells m. O. For 0 years, thats how he wins. If you talk to folks that know him well, they will stay candidly, thats part of the reason hes that popular at home and why he is facing a tough race at this point in his career. He never established a positive image. Now mcconnell would say, yes, but i won. He told me over and over again. Im 80, 80. Never lost a race. But the way he wins isnt pretty and thats why he is in the predicament he is in today. His campaign is a onenote campaign. Trying to equate his popant with
president obama which who is deeply unfop lar figure in carol costello. And her campaign is to make the race about one thing too, Mitch Mcconnell. So you have two candidates making the race about Something Else and about somebody else. Can you argue, the only thing worse than doing anything Mitch Mcconnell is to be, i just lost Mitch Mcconnell. I watched Strom Thurmond become an acceptable figure because he changed over the race of bid. But he survived. People like survivors. At the end of november, Election Night when were all covering it, if Mitch Mcconnell wins, he will find himself slapping on the back and saying good work there wsh mitch. You did it again. If he loses, he is a loser. I think thats what drives that guy. And a lot of these people in politics, you win, you win. You lose, you lose. The thing with Mitch Mcconnell, which struck me about the clip you played, he said his favorite year is 94. But the more appropriate analogy is 1998. Unfortunately for the Republican Party what happened in that election is that their unpopularity measured against bill clinton and at that time they were trying to impeach clinton which is highly unpopular and right now, yes, president obama is enincredly unpopular in kentucky. He is trying to use it to his best advantage but partly because of the mcconnell strategy. He has made it really difficult for Republican Senate candidates to run saying their opponent would rubber stamp the obama agenda. The obama agenda is dead in the water for two years. He hasnt been able to pass anything major. The last huge piece of legislation that they nationalize the election on is health care. They backed off because in part in lost its sail yens and in particular in kentucky, the kentucky version is popular. The third part is if he is running against a brand, and alice grimes has a family brand which in a sense trumps any attempt to paste obama on to her
an she resisted doing it as have most southern democrats that are in good shape. I tried to get