L. A. Today, taking his midterm message on the economy to millennials. Hell also make remarks and answer questions at a dnc event coming up this evening. And the illinois man accused of trying to travel travel over join isis has a detention hearing in federal court today. Police say he wrote a letter to his parents about going to the, quote, blessed land of syria but they say he didnt make it past chicago. All right. Thats going to do it for way too early. Morning joe starts right now. This is the First Military intervention in that years without a code name. Now, might be because our chin stroker in chief wants to avoid an embarrassing acronym here like past rejected code names operation afghan free dam which spelled oaf by accident or Operation Iraqi liberation which spelled o. I. L. , but so far the
only actual name military planners have suggested to the pentagon was Operation Inherent resolve, which was rejected because as one Military Officer put it, it was just kind of blah. I agree. I agree. Although given the mood of the country right now, i might go with operation kind of blah. Good morning, its thursday, october 9th. Welcome to morning joe. With us on set we have the managing editor of Bloomberg PoliticsMark Halperin. Hi, mika. In washington former White House Press secretary for president obama, robert gibbss and Mike Barnicle is with me. How are you doing. Very well. Thats good. We have a vast array of news to cover. Well start with isis where there is new evidence that isis may be making gains despite american air strikes and resistant by kurdish forces. Isis now reportedly controls much of the northern town of kobani. Gunfire could be heard by observers just across the border in turkey but turkey remains on the surveillance sidelines for. Their inaction prompted protest from kurds that turned violent leaving at least 20 dead and now the New York Times reports that with the americans renewed focus on isis syrian president Bashar Al Assad has been freed to resume hisBombing Campaign dropping bombs on rebel towns and villages. Coffeemate dense is flagging in president obamas ability to manage the conflict. A poll shows 51 of americans disapprove with 40 supporting. And the mother of an american hostage held by isis posted a message on twitter to the leader of the terror group. Her son who converted to islam was kidnapped while delivering aid to syrians and her message reads in part this i am trying to get in touch with the Islamic State about my sons fate. I am an old woman and abd
abdulrahman is my only child. My husband and i are on our own, with no help from the government. We would like to talk to you. How can we reach you . Its not just the American People who have lost confidence, in an interview with the ft. Worth star telegraph the 39th president of the United States is critical of president obamas middle east strategy saying, it changes from time to time and that president obama draws lines in the sand and never follows through. We waited too long, we let the Islamic State build up its money, capability and strength and weapons while it was still in syria and then when isis moved into iraq, the sunni muslims didnt object and about a third of the territory in iraq was abandoned. He added, if we keep working on in iraq and have Ground Troops to follow up when we do our bombing, there is a possibility of success. President obama recently blamed the media for his negative press saying all it does is feed cynicism and cook up phony scandals. Robert gibbs, and then Mark Halperin, is that a Fair Assessment of the press can well start there and also, your reaction to jimmy carters statements. Well, look, i think what former president carter has said is what others have said, so my hunch is that the white house is somewhat used to the criticism. Again, i think theyve heard whether it was the line in syria or waiting too long thats criticism theyve heard. You know, look, i think this is going to be a time period in which there is certainly going to be, you know, secondguessing and i think its going to take some time to move and make gains with isis using air strikes. Which he did say. But its not just jimmy carter, Mark Halperin, critics close to
the administration i think you have a former president and you have two former secretaries of defense have a little bit of a problem, leon panetta says the president lost his way and that pulling out of iraq created a vacuum in terms of the act of that country to better protect itself and its out of that vacuum that isis began to breed. Bob gates splits with the president over the issue of boots on the ground saying troops are necessary if theres any hope of success and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton was at odds with president obama over arming the Syrian Rebels after leaving her post she told the atlantic that president obamas failure to do so led to the rise of isis. She also took a swipe at his Foreign Policy doctrine saying great nations need organizing principles and dont do stupid stuff is not an organizing principle. Mark halperin, some of this i think is easy to say when youre not the president. Right. Its always easy to say boots on the ground would be better. Its always easy to say that. We all want the president to
succeed and no doubt the fact on the grounds are bad. Roberts former colleagues can easily dismiss this stuff and say its just chatter, just insiders, the reality is when leon panetta joined this and jimmy carter, the president does have a Public Relations problem and image problem and hurting him not just with elites in the United States but oversea, as well. And last thing ill say is that, you know, leon panettas criticism is shared by a lot of senior people still in the government. But hes getting criticism for doing it now. I would like to see a poll on how many would feel comfortable with jimmy carter leading the United States rather than barack obama. Down, boy. I would assume barack obama would have resounding success on that. We are surrounded with no allies. Joe biden came pretty close to the truth last week he always does, by the way. Yes, he does. He was pretty close. Were surrounded by allies that are not allies. President erdogan said, for us, pkk, the kurdish Political Party within turkey, for us pkk is the same as isis the. Thats what were dealing with. A member of nato. Letting a slaughterhouse miles from their boarder. We have an air base 100 miles from the Syrian Border and turkey, erdogan refused to allow that air base to be used for offensive operations against isis. Thats what were dealing with here. Then we look at the midterms and whats coming ahead because were counting down to that. Senate democrats are eyeing a new battleground where republicans thought they had things locked up. National democrats are pumping a Million Dollars into south dakota on negative ads against republican candidate mike rounds reporting this is a lastminute attempt to hold on to a seat they view as winnable. Democrats are really crafty and never take anything for granted. The senate operation is smart. What they looked at is a fourway race where mike refuses to run negative ads frustrating republicans, a million bucks is not a lot in the context. They have two candidates that could win and keep Senate Control. Look at kansas which is, of course, very much in play for the democrats to take a seat but they hold south dakota and win either kansas or georgia and if they win both of them they keep Senate Control. So most polls show rick weiland and Larry Pressler down by double digits. A candidate who refuses to run negative ads. Tell me about him. Mike rounds is a nice guy and succeeded in politics there twotime governor not going negative. He doesnt believe in it and helped him. All right. Somebody is going to win this maybe with 35 of the vote and it could be pressler and weiland or probably most likely be rounds but if they can take it, big. Kansas, independent greg orman is giving republican senator pat roberts a run for
his money. A new fox news poll shows him up by five points slightly better than recent polls, just 1 separating them in another. A new usa today poll shows kay hagan clinging to the slightest of leads and Jeanne Shaheen seems to be holding on. Robert gibbs, what do you think . Well, look, i think this will be an important month to determine Senate Control this. Is when campaigns really matter. A lot of these candidates are going to go into debates, a lot of campaigns are going to get a chance to show what their message is standing next to their opponent and i think its a huge month. I think we have a lot of races still up in the air and, you know, many of the races that mark mentions whether its a place like georgia or louisiana, these are places that could see
runoffs and extend the debate as to who will control the senate into december and maybe even early january. I would also point out, you know, a poll just a couple of days ago that showed kentucky, the democrat, Alison Grimes up on Mitch Mcconnell by two points so i do think theres a lot still left in play. I want to turn now to the ebola crisis, a look at the front page of todays Dallas Morning News tells you everything you need to know about the fear gripping the city and its in dallas where we have the first death from the virus in the United States. Thomas eric duncan has passed away eight days after testing positive for ebola. As nbcs ron mott explains there are now questions if hospital errors cost duncan his life. Reporter he complained of symptoms on the 24th, went to the hospital on the 26th but was sent home with antibiotics. Two days later he returned by ambulance. He was given fluids, put on a ventilator and treated with an experimental drug. Now comes the delicate and
critical process of handling duncans body which is dangerously contagious. Wearing protective gear workers must wrap the body in three layers of plastic for immediate cre cre cremation. Direct contact, his fiancee and her family. Their pastor broke the news to them at a home where they are being quarantined keeping a safe distance. Their thoughts not only going to the shock and sadness of losing mr. Duncan but also whether this will be the course that their life will take next. Adding to the anxiety in dallas, a sheriffs deputy who was inside duncans apartment has been hospitalized after feeling ill. At this hour Officials Say he is not showing symptoms of ebola and there is very little risk that he has the virus but it is the latest example of a city that will remain on edge for the near future. Im on pins and needles every day in dallas. This week and, yes, throughout the whole 21 days. The science tells you this week is critical and as we move forward we want to get through the whole 21 days. The u. S. Is now screening travelers from west africa at five major u. S. Airport, Kennedy Airport in new york, dulles in virginia taking temperatures and asking health questions. And president obama urged 1500 state Health Officials to act with urgency with possible cases of ebola. He says duncans death in dallas shows we, quote, we dont have a lot of margin of error. All right, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson made his first appearance in court yesterday entering no plea to his felony child abuse charge with a tentative trial date for december 1st. Defense attorney rusty hardin is pushing for an expedited trial
date. I would ask all of you to please be tolerant of the fact that adrian is champing at the bit to publicly talk and publicly defend himself and the only reason he hasnt is us insisting and jumping up and down saying the solution is to get a speedy trial and resolve it in a courtroom. Im going to try to be like the coach of the new England Patriots for a time. Instead of going to cincinnati were on to trial. If you ask me another question im going to say were on to trial. If you ask me the third question im going to say were on to trial. Meanwhile n commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media after a meeting with team owners that focused on the personal conduct policy. Was there a consensus among the owners that now it might be better for the league and for you to not be completely overseeing discipline . Weve been debating internally for some time well over a year about whether
theres a better process, a process more effective, thats more efficient, its fair. I wouldnt say there was a consensus other than when things affect the integrity of the game, i believe the ownership feels that is something that is very important for the commissioner to retain that authority. All right. So when asked whether he should testify during an appeal of ray rices indefinite suspension goodell said its up to a neutral arbiter to decide. But, joe, you know, between these cases now where theres quick action and some of them are going straight to court and Roger Goodell making changes within the nfl organization, bringing women in, having what we just saw happen, but also what we are seeing on the local level. The new jersey story of the football season that was canceled. You see a change in culture thats been needed. Yeah, this really, this fall has really been a defining moment for football, not just in the nfl, but also fsu having to
back down and actually suspend their Heisman Trophy winner for an entire game instead of a slap on the wrist for poor behavior and High School Level too. You know, mika, right now Roger Goodell has the confidence of the owners, you look at a poll that a recent poll Roger Goodell has the confidence of the fans, and Roger Goodell by default has the confidence of the advertisers that make the nfl a multibillion dollar business, so, you know, hes won the battle so far unless anything else comes out rths the bigger question whether the nfl and organized football as a whole wins the longterm war. You know and i know living in suburbia, talking to fellow parents that right now football, something that was literally the center outside the baptist church, football was the center of my familys life growing up. You had the bible and you had
football. And those were the two things. Its not that way anymore. And so the question is, will the nfl be around 20 years from now, 30 years from now . Most likely, but theyve got to change and hopefully this was a learning molt for everybody. The culture and also the health issues. Which well talk about more because theres a lot of news on this issue coming up. Still ahead on morning joe well be speaking to senator rob portman and the new hud secretary, Julian Castro in our 7 00 hour then at 8 00 actress and activist eva longoria joins us. Coming up jay leno is poised for another comeback. Does jimmy fallon need to worry. Where in the world is kim jongun . The mysterious disappearance. Youre watching morning joe. Well be right back. When folks think about what they get from alaska,
they 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. Time to take a look at the morning papers. We start with the Christian Science monitor. Edward snowden is topping as a likely pick for the nobel peace prize. The nomination of the former nsa contractor is supported by members of the committee as well as the editorial boards of leading norwegian papers. Now, even if snowden wins, my guess, he will skip it as norway would be obligated to arrest him at the border. The nobel announcement is out this front. The knowledge star ledger. New information point hazing scandal in sayreville, new jersey. A parent of a player says freshmen players would be pinned down and subjected to acts that were sexually explicit in nature. The parents claims these hazing
rituals were performed on almost a daily basis. The disclosure of the details follow the School Boards decision to approve the cancellation of the remainder of the football season, still, in a heated meeting of the School Board Last night parents and students expressed outrage over the entire team being punished for acts they claim were only carried out by a small number of players. No one was hurt, no one died. I dont understand why theyre being punished. Forfeit a game was punishment enough. I just dont believe that the punishment fits the crime. I just have one question. When is the next Board Election