Hardball Highlights
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., appeared on Tuesday's Hardball College Tour from Villanova University.
Below are highlights from the broadcast:
On the difference between him and Pres. Bush How will you be different than President Bush?Sen. John McCain: Well, I think that there's many philosophies and views and vision that we share for America. There are other areas, specific areas, in which we are in disagreement. Chris, I think the American people will make their choice for the presidency on who they believe, not only their record, but how they articulate a vision for the future. That‘s why forums like these, very honestly, are things that are important to me to be on so I can communicate directly not only with the people of this country but with the young people of this nation. So what‘s an area of disagreement? Climate change. Climate change. I believe that climate change is real. I think we have to act... And I've said that for many, many years. I would just like to put the question this way to my fellow Americans. Suppose that we are wrong and there's no such thing as climate change but we go ahead and adopt green technologies and we reduce greenhouse gas emissions? All we've done is give our kids a cleaner planet...
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
On torture My point is that for the future of this country, we have to make sure that we remain a nation that does not do things that our enemies do. And I promise you, my friends, I`ll close Guantanamo Bay and we will never torture another person in our custody again.
On whether or not he's a "typical white person" Student: Senator McCain, the day following Barack Obama's speech on racism at the National Constitution Center, he remarked on comments he made during his speech about his racist grandmother, referring to her as a "typical white person." Would you characterize
McCain: May I say first that I thought that Senator Obama's speech was an excellent speech and I think it was well presented. I think it was an important statement that he had to make at the time, and I think it was good for all of America to have heard it. I can`t comment directly as to how I portray myself, except to say that I hope that all of us learn over the years the need and the importance of treating everyone in this nation only and solely on the attributes they have and their ability to follow their ambitions and their hopes and dreams as far as they`ll take them.
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In a new segment, "Hardball" host Chris Matthews gives his take on the day's top headlines.
So do the math. If South Carolina gets what they want and forces the other states to follow, you could see the first votes cast in December, making this campaign the earliest in history. So for all the folks complaining about the early coverage of the 2008 race, the coverage is following the facts: The states are moving on up. Going for the gay vote
Marion Barry is back! And Washington's Mayor-for-Life Marion Barry, once busted for smoking crack cocaine, says he will be "among the greats of the world" when he stands with former Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abe Lincoln. He's being immortalized in Madame Tussaud's new Wax Museum. The museum picked Barry after he came out on top in a poll of 600 people.
Earlier on Wednesday – a few hours before the 35W bridge in Minnesota collapsed -- Senators Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Chuck Hagel R-Neb.) introduced legislation to fix America’s road, bridges, water, and transit systems. According to the senators, the National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2007 would help revitalize America’s infrastructure. Watch video here.
well, not really.
‘Obama girl,’ Amber Lee Ettinger; ‘Hot4Hill girl’ Taryn Southern; and ‘Rudy girl,’ Adelina Kristina explain their provocative YouTube campaign videos and why their favorite presidential candidates should win the election in 2008. Click here if you missed it on Hardball.
And for you Hardballers, a special Web-extra: The viral video girls extra share a Beach Boys song with MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Click here for the video .
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On Monday, we played Hardball with the toughest kid on the block, Michael Moore. The Oscar-winning filmmaker Mabout the '08 presidential field and his documentary "Sicko," which highlighted criticism of American health care.
MICHAEL MOORE: Good idea. I think it‘s something, though, that actually, they should be lucky just to get censured. Personally, I‘d like to see a perp walk coming out of the West Wing of the White House.
MATTHEWS: Do you think they‘re guilty of war crimes?
MOORE: Absolutely.
MATTHEWS: Name them.
MOORE: Lying to go to war. Start with that one. Making up something, tricking up the evidence for war in order to take us into a war that‘s cost us over 3,600 soldiers‘ lives and countless Iraqi lives. History will not be kind to Mr. Bush for what he's done.
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Inspired by the success of Obama Girl and Giuliani Girl, actress Taryn Southern has created her own viral political video, Hott 4 Hill:
She explained her reasons for making the video on Monday's Hardball (video) and also on her blog .
If you think you've got what it takes to make a better political video than Hott 4 Hill, sign up for Hardball's Campaign Ad Challenge .
It's been an exciting Super Tuesday on MSNBC.
According to YOU, via an MSNBC.com unofficial unscientific online poll, Iraq is the issue of the day. Your votes tell us Iraq will weigh most heavily in deciding your vote in the 2008 presidential election.
Could John McCain, its most ardent advocate, become the war's first political casualty?
Today, the former 2008 frontrunner announced the resignations of both his campaign manager and longtime chief strategist. As Senator McCain stood on the Senate floor defending the surge in Iraq, the announcement caught the political world off-guard.
One big problem is McCain's "burn rate." His campaign war chest reportedly has less money in the bank than back-of-the-pack candidate Ron Paul. And his poll ratings have sunk to single digits in Iowa. Can a staff shake-up save his campaign?
McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement that he had accepted campaign manager Terry Nelson’s and strategist John Weaver’s resignations with regret, and he told reporters later that they had not been fired.
But former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, a longtime friend and trusted adviser to the campaign, told MSNBC that was exactly what happened. Below is the transcript of the interview with former Gov. Frank Keating, conducted by MSNBC's Tucker Carlson. (WATCH VIDEO here )
So what do you make of this? I mean, is this the low point, preparatory to a resurgence? Or is this a sign of real trouble?
FRANK KEATING: No. I mean, I really think that in a two-year campaign—and this is unprecedented in the history of the United States—in a two-year campaign, you’re going to have fits and starts and stalls and stops.
In John’s case, he’s had a very good fundraising quarter for the first quarter, a good fundraising quarter for the second quarter. But he’s spent a lot of money. He needed to consolidate, he needed to have one person placed in charge, instead of a committee of people. And I think it’s going to make him a much stronger candidate, a much better candidate.
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On "Hardball" Monday, Republican presidential candidate Duncan Hunter defended conservative pundit Ann Coulter’s incendiary commentary.
“Especially since Ann Coulter said nice things about me, I think she’s closely approaching that level of being a great American,” he said.
Coulter has called Hunter her first choice for president, and Hunter returned the praise Monday, calling the conservative radio talk show host “a particularly articulate spokeswoman for the conservative view.”
Too often, he complained, “when conservatives talk, they are considered to talk in a mean way, and yet when Democrats talk, they’re exercising their right to free speech and they’re simply conveying a philosophy.”
“You know, I’m reminded of the [vice presidential] debates between John Edwards and Dick Cheney [in 2004] in which John Edwards said some pretty personal things about Dick Cheney’s family,” Hunter added. “And Vice President Cheney just kept on talking about the issues.
“So you know, I’m running a campaign on a basis of a strong national defense and enforceable borders,” he said. “... But Ann Coulter — I think Ann Coulter is good.” Click here to watch the interview or read more .
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro, as posted on First Read
A day after his wife Elizabeth called in to MSNBC’s “Hardball” to confront conservative commentator Ann Coulter , Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards made his own appearance on the show.
“I don’t think [Coulter] has any shame; there’s no doubt about that,” Edwards said. “I think that's just the way she behaves. That's who she is. And I think that's a lot of what we see from these people who are just -- that are crazy.”
Read the transcript from today’s Hardball . Click here for video.
By Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro
Coulter, the controversial conservative commentator, appeared on an outdoor set with host Chris Matthews -- and also with dozens of supporters and detractors waiting to ask questions. But there was another person waiting to pose a question to Coulter: Elizabeth Edwards.
According to an Edwards campaign aide, Elizabeth Edwards wanted to call into the show when she heard that Coulter would be taking questions, and she called a Hardball producer to get the phone number needed to dial into the show. The result is the exchange below (click here to watch the video) :
Chris Matthews: You know who's on the line? Somebody to respond to what you said Edwards yesterday morning -- Elizabeth Edwards. She wanted to call in today we said she could. Elizabeth Edwards go on the line you're on the line with Ann Coulter
Elizabeth Edwards: Hello, Chris.
Matthews: You wanna say something directly to the person who's with me?
Edwards: I'm calling you … in the South when someone does something that displeases us, we wanna ask them politely to stop doing it. Uh - I'd like to ask Ann Coulter -- if she wants to debate on issues, on positions -- we certainly disagree with nearly everything she said on your show today -- but uh it's quite another matter for these personal attacks that the things she has said over the years not just about John but about other candidates. It lowers our political dialogue precisely at the time that we need to raise it. So I want to use the opportunity … to ask her politely stop the personal attacks.
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