Sen. John Kerry: 'This is an Iranian movement'

Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2009 6:07 PM by Hardball Highlights

Following is a rush transcript of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) on tonight's "Hardball with Chris Matthews." Sen. Kerry discusses the protests in Iran and President Obama's stance on them, saying "this is an Iranian moment, not an American moment, and we need to have the discipline, the restraint, the maturity to stand back from this as the Iranians proceed."

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST:  Senator Kerry, John McCain, your colleague, has been critical of the president for not speaking out and joining the protests in the streets of Tehran.  What's your view?

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS:  My view is that the president has clearly spoken out.  He spoke in Cairo as clearly as any president ever has about the prospects for democracy, for the possibilities of a different future.  And I think he's been very, very clear.  But for the president to step into the middle of what the Iranians appear to be handling for themselves would be a mistake, because it would give to the hardliners the ability to be able to use the president and the West as an excuse.

We've seen what hard-line rhetoric has gotten us over the last eight years, Chris.  It's created an Iran that's more powerful in the region, an Iran that's been more reluctant to engage with the rest of the world. The president has opened up new possibilities.  I think even the elections in Lebanon a week ago showed the results that come from a different kind of diplomacy.  And we need to let the president pursue that.

MATTHEWS:  Do you think we're kidding anyone, though -- don't they know, on the Ahmadinejad side over there, the government side and the ayatollahs' side -- that we're rooting for the opposition? Don't they...

KERRY:  They don't have any...

MATTHEWS:  Don't they...

KERRY:  They don't have any illusions about it, but that's very different from overt activities that they can then turn around. CONTINUED >>

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'The Decider:' A Hardball documentary

Posted: Monday, December 29, 2008 8:22 PM by Hardball Highlights

Below is part of the transcript of the Hardball documentary 'The Decider' which aired on Monday, December 29.

 As George W. Bush prepares to leave the White House, Hardball takes a hard look at his legacy.

Obama's election and the Democratic sweep of Congress represent the American people's opinion of the Bush presidency. But what will be history's verdict?  I put that question to presidential historian Sean Wilentz of Princeton University and Mark Halperin, Editor at Large, Time magazine. 

MATTHEWS: Have we ever had a president who relied so much on his gut as George W. Bush?

SEAN WILENTZ, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: I don't think so.  I can't think of one right away.  One who took decisions and stuck by them, that's the key I think.  It's not so much the instantaneousness of making decisions, I don't even think that Bush worked that way.  But  I don't think we've had as stubborn a president, certainly not in recent times, one who was unwilling to change his mind to change course.

MATTHEWS: Can you find this, Mark, where the Bush decisions come from?  He's the Great Decider. 

MARK HALPERIN, TIME MAGAZINE: So resolute and stubborn, you know, he said in his acceptance speech after he was re-nominated he said,  "In Texas, you know, people look at that as just walking, not strutting.”  I think the two things that we can't know—as much as he's been written about, as much as we've all talked about him, is his relationship to giving up drinking and his relationship to his Lord. I think both of those things contributed to his discipline and his stubbornness. He did not want this job as much as most people who seek it.  And then he got it, and I think he just decided he was gonna do it his way, and he never deviated from that.

MATTHEWS: I always like to ask politicians or about them, who's in the room when they make their big decisions.  It's a great way of cutting to the quick. 

WILENTZ: The number of voices that were in that room were pretty small, the ones that really counted.  You hear accounts—you read accounts, even, about cabinet meetings and there were two or three people in the room who really counted... and that was the end of it.

MATTHEWS: Rate him as commander in chief.

HALPERIN: I do think he deserves high marks for his public presentations after a rocky start in the first few hours, the joint session speech, at Ground Zero, a number of other times when you can't be sure of it, but II'm confident that he performed there very well and other presidents may not have performed as well.

I also think he gets high marks for what we didn't see as commander-in-chief.  Not just the fact that there has not been another attack, but we know that he has spent an extraordinary amount of time and psychic energy in organizing homeland security, in dealing with threats around the world, again sometimes overstepping and hurting America's image in the world.

MATTHEWS: Is George Bush a tough act to follow? 

WILENTZ: There are a lot of big problems out there.  And some of which were George Bush's creation, some of which were not.  And I don't envy President Obama one bit having, in effect, the Great Depression and World War II placed on his plate at the same time.  So, a tough act to follow in some ways—yes, he is a tough act to follow because the mess we've gotten into requires leadership to get us out of.  And unless you can do that, you may not be able to become the kind of President you could have been.

HALPERIN: Can I say one thing positive... I think he has an achievement that is more from the bully pulpit than it is programmatic.  But if you look at No Child Left Behind, and if you look at AIDS in Africa and some of the other initiatives, I think one thing he really believes in, which is he elevated the public imagination, the public sensibility, the notion of every life being precious, every spirit being important.

George W. Bush has taken solace in comparing his dismal popularity ratings to Harry Truman's. That's understandable since, history now regards Truman as one of our better presidents.  But in a recent informal survey of some 100 American historians, 98 percent agree with Sean Wilentz and rate the Bush presidency a failure.   And more than 60 percent said he was the worst president ever.  Will the passage of time soften that harsh opinion? Mr. Bush can only hope.  But as Bush once said,  "History, we don't know. We'll all be dead.” 

To read the transcript and watch the videos of the entire documentary, click here.

Below is a video from the documentary chronicling Bush's role as a wartime president.

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'Liberal' is anti-American?

Posted: Friday, October 17, 2008 7:56 PM by Hardball Highlights

On tonight's show, Rep. Michele Bachmann got in a heated exchange with Chris Matthews after she associated being liberal with being anti-American. She suggests that some Congress members are anti-American. Watch the clip below, and click here for reaction from Katrina vanden Heuvel and Pat Buchanan.

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Hardball College Tour: Sen. John McCain

Posted: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:58 PM by 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
Chris Matthews: 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
McCain: 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
yourself, as Barack Obama would phrase, as a typical white person?

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.

CONTINUED >>

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Media coverage of '08 race isn't 'too early' after all

Posted: Thursday, August 09, 2007 5:12 PM by Chris Matthews, Hardball Highlights

In a new segment, "Hardball" host Chris Matthews gives his take on the day's top headlines. 

A Christmas primary?
The South Carolina Republican Party wants to move its primary to January 19th.  In Iowa,  the state law requires its Caucuses be held at least eight days before any other voting.  And New Hampshire is compelled to set the date of its primary at least a week before any other primary. 

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
Tonight, most Democratic presidential candidates will talk about gay rights at a forum sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign and Logo, a gay and lesbian cable channel.   Republican contenders were invited but declined to attend.   This, the first televised appeal to gay voters in a presidential race, is the third time in six days the Democrats have appeared in a forum or debate.  The gay community has a lot of clout, it's a politically active community with big bucks and polls show that up to 9 percent of the voters in our big cities are gay.

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.    

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Politics of tragedy

Posted: Thursday, August 02, 2007 8:06 PM by Hardball Highlights

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. 

“The 21st century holds great promise for our nation.  But you can’t journey to a brighter tomorrow by relying on yesterday’s infrastructure,” said Dodd when he announced the bill.

Both senators were on Hardball Thursday in light of the recent tragedy.

“Look, this administration has convinced us to spend 500 billion dollars in Iraq,” said  Sen. Dodd, who is running for president. “We should have been doing this [focusing on infrastructure] for a long time.  We have been told year in and year out about this problems growing every single year.”

Some key components of the bill include: $21 billion required to be spent annually for the next 20 years to address problems with our transit systems; and $131 billion to be spent annually for things like bridge and road repair.

“We have the capacity to do it,” said Sen. Hagel. “We have the greatest economy, system, nation, people in the world.  There is no challenge this country has ever failed at meeting.” (Rumors continue that Hagel may run for president as well).

The effort would be good for the economy as well: “For every one billion dollars we spend on infrastructure repair or maintenance, 40,000 to 50,000 jobs are created by that effort,” says Sen. Dodd.

Watch video here.

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Viral video girls face off...

Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:18 AM by Hardball Highlights, vide08

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.

 

CONTINUED >>

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Highlights of Michael Moore on Hardball Plaza

Posted: Monday, July 23, 2007 11:23 PM by Hardball Highlights

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.

On Feingold wanting to censure the president
CHRIS MATTHEWS:  (U.S. Senator) Russ Feingold wants to censure the president, the vice president and other administration officials for the way in which they talked us into war in Iraq.  What do you make of it?  Where do you stand on that kind of thing?

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.

CONTINUED >>

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Hott 4 Hill

Posted: Monday, July 16, 2007 5:31 PM by Hardball Highlights, vide08

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.

 

 

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What happened in the McCain campaign?

Posted: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 4:57 PM by Hardball Highlights

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)

TUCKER CARLSON:  Following today’s upheaval in that campaign, former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating is now the only person that campaign has out speaking on its behalf. He is here with us now. Governor, thanks a lot for joining us.

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.

CONTINUED >>

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