We must never be a place that we can have fear be the reasons we make moves. Roosevelt said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Thank you for watching. Im al sharpton. Hardball starts right now. Afraid to vote . Lets play hardball. Good evening. In washington tonight 13 years after 9 11, the president declares war on a new terrorist enemy. But wheres the congress . He says well have allies in the fight against isis, but where are the allies here at home . Also tonight, will the nfl really deal with a player knocking out his knife . And with an executive office that seemed to allow it . Finally, a look at the last days of the vietnam war through pictures that highlight the fear of those left behind. We start with the trumpet from washington, the failure of both parties in congress to step up and says, yes, wooy support the president s call to drop bombs on the islamic state. Do the democrats and republicans believe in this war or not . If it does, why wont it put its word to it. Or are there members waiting to see how it turns out. And if so, why do they have to serve in congress to do that . Any one of us can sit on the sidelines, watching to see who wins, cheering and booing. Victory as a hundred fathers. Defeat is an orphan. Are members of Congress Afraid to say what they believe . If they dont want to influence the big matters of our time, they are running away from this one. Isnt going to war important enough to vote on . The former democratic governor of pennsylvania. Gentlemen, starting with you, governor, im amazed that members of both parties, democrats and republicans, especially their leaders are having a hard time bellying up to this very important vote. Should we begin an air campaign into syria against isis or not . The answer is absolutely yes, chris. And first of all, its embarrassing that the Republican Leaders are silent. This is what theyve asked president obama to do for the last eight or nine days and hes done it. And hes done it in a direct and forceful way. They should get behind it. As far as our guys are concerned, if our guys are worried about boots on the ground, they can make the funding for this expanded war contingent upon boots on the ground not coming to pass. They could make the funding. They could sunset the funding. If there are boots on the ground, they could remove the funding. So much they could do. But they have to act swiftly. The president believes he has the authority to do this on his own, so do i. Our local congressman here said the president should go ahead and not wait for a congressional vote. But the president said a congressional vote is important because it sends a message to the world, particularly if republicans and democrats are united. And the president is right, it does send a message to the world, and this is a time for everyone to not be timid, everybody to act together as one congress, representing one country in a war that is justified and can be limited the way the president says it will be limited. The day that president roosevelt addressed the congress after pearl harbor, december 8, they voted that day. This doesnt seem to be something that should go to committee. Theyve been watching this president engage with isis for weeks now. They know this question is coming before the American People. If the question is before the American People, whether we go to war, and there will be casualties, why cant Congress Step up and vote . I think they are going to vote. Theyll put their money where
their mouth is [ all speak at once ] were already fighting isis. The issue of war, why dont they want to address the issue of war . I think theyll do like we did with the korean war no, theyre not. John, lets get the facts straight. The only thing they want to vote on is whether we train Free Syrian Army in saudi arabia or not. Thats hardly controversial. Theyre not wanting to vote on whether theres an air campaign attacking the people in syria . We already have an air Campaign Going on in syria. Not yet. Were beginning one. We havent started it yet. The president hasnt asked for a war resolution why not . I dont think he wants one. I think he wants the ability to do this. He thinks he has the Legal Authority, and i think he does. [ all speak at once ] its the same Legal Authority you have in yemen. These are the same types of groups that have america did you read the resolution for 2001 . It deals with the people who attacked us on 9 11. This crowd did not attack us then because they didnt exist in 2001. I think the president there the be plenty of authority within the resolution your crowd is so busy suing the president. Let me go back to the governor. Theyll sue the president , threaten him with impeachment if he sbrings in the employer mandate off schedule on the Affordable Care act. On a matter of war, they say go ahead, we dont want anything to do with it. This is totally contradictory in terms of their notion of the constitution. Why did democrats let the republicans get away with saying you can threaten us with lawsuits over whether we initiate a particular provision of a particular law, yet they think the president should stick his neck out alone on going to war. Good question, i think, governor. Its a great question. And harry reid should list this for a vote as quickly as possible. And look, its more than just politics as usual. Its more than just, theyve
criticized the president and now hes doing what they want. Come o dont be hypocrites, guys. This is about a group that decapitated americans who had done nothing wrong. Its a group thats trying to kill people because of their religion. I thought the president was very effective last night when he said these people arent muslims. I thought he was very effective in that. And hes right. These people are killers and they want to terrorize the entire world. Its time for republicans and democrats to step up and act as one. Do you remember, chris, after 9 11, what happened later that day . The congress came out and they sang God Bless America on the step of the capitol, to show they were united. This is a continuation of everything thats happened since 9 11 and i believe the congress should get that message across, not only to the world, but to the American People. Lets, for once, bury the
partisanship. Why wouldnt a member of congress not want to vote on this . I think theyre taking this very seriously and there might be a vote. There wont be, theyre afraid to vote. Neither side is pushing it through. Last night, john mccain told Andrea Mitchell that congress should vote on this. Lets watch this. I think that the congress should vote on it, and i do believe that just as president clinton before bosnia came to the congress, George Herbert walker bush before desert storm, its better to have the support of the congress, therefore, getting the support of the American People. Well said in this case. And today Speaker Boehner was asked about a vote to go to war in the house. Heres what the speaker said. Why not be much more active and have a vote to give the President Authority to have a congressional marker on this, if
this is such an incredible threat . I do believe it would be in the nations interest. I believe its in the institution of the congresss interest to speak on this question. Now, normally in such a case, ive been through this a few times over the 24 years that ive been here, the president of the United States would request that support and would supply the wording of a resolution to authorize this force. At this point in time, weve not gotten that request and weve not seen that language. That bucks been passed. Florida Democrat Bill nelson introduced legislation saying theres no question the president has the Legal Authority he needs to use air strikes in syria. Virginia democrat tim cain said i disagree with the president s assertion that he has Legal Authority to wage an offensive war against isil without congressional approval. John, i guess the problem is, as
the governor said, theres a lot of wuses in this world. I will defendant the congress. I know thats not popular. I think the congress is taking this seriously. How so . Theyre going to the briefings, trying to figure out where this training money will go to. I think they will have an appropriate vote, vote on the money to pay for this to pay for what . The training. What about an air war against isis . Are they going to vote for an air war against isis, which the president is committing himself to . If the president wants a vote, theyll vote. But you dont think the congress should vote . I think if the president wants a vote, hell get a vote. And it will pass. You dont think theres a matter of principle its usually at the request of the president. Let me go to a law professor here, governor, the congress of the United States has the power to declare war. Iraq, the first gulf car, the
second war, yes, you have to approve this or im not going further, where are we on this one, because we are getting into a war with isis thats going to last three years or 20 years, we dont know. But nobody thinks its going to be a short war, nobody. Right. If Congress Needs to debate this, first of all, they should, in my judgment, go on a 24houraday schedule to thoroughly debate this and get this done. If they feel they need to debate it, the suggestion i referenced earlier, that the president go ahead and authorize the bombing in syria pending the congressional vote, and then they can debate it for all the time they want. But i dont think we can wait. Weve probably waited a little bit too long. I think with the second decapitation, for sure, i think we should have taken retaliatory action, and i think the president can go ahead on a limited basis and then let Congress Debate if they want to
debate it for a week, they can debate it. But frankly, there shouldnt be much debate on this. If you structure the resolution correctly and structure the funding to sunset after a period of time, where if there are boots on the ground, you can remove the funding. You have everything we need to have to make a vote. Whats the big deal . Its not so hard [ all speak at once ] and john mccain had it right on. Thank you so much. Theres a rare unimt there. Maybe youll come along, john, when you come to your senses. You know the congress will want to vote on this if it works. Dont you think . I think what will happen, if the president asks for a vote, theyll get a vote. He hasnt asked for one yet. He hasnt, and i think he should. Coming up, more on the president s plan to go to war with isis. Some say they Wont Take Part in the air strikes. How do i win a war in the islamic World Without any help from them in the fighting . Not only does he has few allies at home, hes got few allies abroad to do the fighting. Plus the president campaigned on a promise to end war, and now will start another one in the middle east. Not the legacy we had hoped for. Coming up, two big stories shed light on the dark side of sports culture. The verdict in the Oscar Pistorius case and the indefinite suspension of ray rice. Is there a culture of protecting violent athletes . Finally, if you want to see what the final days of vietnam looked like, watch tonight, the final hours leading to the fall of saigon. He swam away. The helicopter was only about 20 feet from him. It was amazing. What a scene youre about to see tonight. Thats coming up. This is hardball, a place for politics. Its called fedex one rate. And its affordable. Sounds great. [ cell phone typing ] [ typing continues ] [ whoosh ] [ cell phones buzz, chirp ] and we have to work the weekend. Great. More good news its friday woo [ male announcer ] ship a pak via Fedex Express saver® for as low as 7. 50. New numbers out of pennsylvania in the race for governor up there. Check the hardball scoreboard. The latest has wolf with a massive lead over corbett. Among likely voters, wolf has a 24point lead, with just eight weeks to go until election. 5935, wolf over corbett. What an outsider run that is, well be right back. 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. If you dont think feed the then you dont know aarp. Our drive to end hunger has donated 29 million meals, and counting. Find more real possibilities at aarp. Org possibilities. Welcome back to hardball. An initial verdict is out in the biggest worldwide criminal trial in south africa, perhaps the biggest trial in history in terms of attention. Today a south african judge handed down an initial verdict. She found pistorius negligent in killing his girlfriend, but acquitted him of murder charges. The court has adjourned with a
final verdict tomorrow. Could be a ruling on culpable homicide. But tomorrow is the day to watch. Pistorius trial itself has become a worldwide news sensation, much like the o. J. Simpson trial, called the trial of the century, that i covered 20 years ago every night. Both cases, regardless of the verdict, we had allegations, were certainly Domestic Violence. In the simpson case, gruesome reports of gruesome beatings. And the tapes. Lets listen. Could you get someone over here now. Hes back. Okay, what does he look like . Hes o. J. Simpson. I think you know his record. Could you just send somebody over here. What is he doing there . He just drove up. What car . Hes in a white bronco. He broke the back door down to get in. Is he threatening you . [ bleep ]. Hes going nuts. Has he threatened you in any way, or is he just harassing you . Youre going to hear him in a minute, hes about to come in again. Just stay on the line. I dont want to stay on the line, hes going to beat the [ bleep ] out of me. Just stay on the line so we can know whats going on until the police get there. In the pistorius case, the prosecutors say she locked herself in the bathroom because she was so afraid of him. She also sent him a text message last year, saying, im scared of you sometimes, how you snap at me and how you will react to me. Goldie taylor, an msnbc contributor and former marine. I want to talk with you. These stories, you could argue its more than peripheral to the cases themselves in the way that they ended, the death of a person. But in this case, the jocks, you hear about it in the special way theyre treated in college, the
training tables, the way they get breaks certainly, some of them dont even have to take the easy courses. Walk in, walk out, write a tenpage paper. This coddling of jocks extends now into the area of violent perhaps criminality, without me judging the cases here. Whats the story generally that were getting to here . Youre right about that, chris. If you think of professional athletes as assets, then you understand that they come through a supply chain, from the time theyre in grade school and they first learn how to scoop a basketball or run track or play football. You know, academics, how they are responded to by society, free meals, the girls, you name it. Theyre coddled by society in general. And then when you look at a Coaching Staff and you look at academic instructors and others and some of the breaks athletes are given just to push them
through the supply chain, that by the time they become men, by the time they take the field in a professional way, they dont have these cod lers around anymore. And theyre also less mature and less able to deal with themselves in a broader society. So we literally cripple these young men as were bringing them up to be professional athletes. But it goes further than that. We put them into a situation where their body is traumatized, physically and psychologically, with every hit that they take. That has real outcomes, and it unfortunately plays itself out more often than wed like to think, at home. Kevin, in the old studio system in hollywood, they protected all the actors this way. Messing around, drinking, drug problems, never heard a word about them they had pr people and deals with the cops. Now its worse because the violence level is higher than it was. In the old days of the drunks and otherwise bums. I would argue or add to that, that athletes are also the most
scrutinized employment class in america as well. You just laid out all the cases of millions of Domestic Violence cases every year, how many do we hear about . How often have people been exercised its on tape. Its on tape, but earlier this year, we had the raidium 1 ceo who hit his girlfriend 117 times. It was captured on tape as well. He was ousted from his position and it never became a national lets look at this. If it werent for the bombshell tape with ray rice, it would have been a twoday suspension. Christine brennan points out there are numerous players that have gotten off scottfree so far. She wrote, what of ray mcdonald, the San Francisco player who facing a felony domestic charge, yet still playing . Or greg hardy, who was found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend and threatening to
killer who also is still playing. Or what about rices teammate, terrell suggs, his longtime girlfriend claim in a protective order filed in 2012, obtained by the baltimore sun, that suggs punched her in the neck and drove a car containing their two children at a high rate of speed, while she was being dragged alongside the car. Do you think thats typical of American Life . I dont think thats typical of American Life, but i will say this about what christine wrote and weve talked about it before. The fact that of the matter is that many of us