>>> WELCOME BACK TO "HARDBALL." REPUBLICANS FACE DAUNTING
CHALLENGES THIS NOVEMBER, OF
COURSE, MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL IS WARNING OF BIG
ELECTORAL LOSSES EVEN TEXAS
SEEMS TO BE IN TROUBLE THANKS TO
THE DEMOCRAT WHO HAS TAKEN ON
CRUZ.
CRUZ. THE PRESIDENT’S REPUTATION UNDER
ASSAULT THANKS TO BOB WOODWARD’S
SCATHING ASSAULT ON THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. HOWEVER THE COMMANDER AND CHIEF
STILL GIVES HIMSELF HIGH MARKS,
IN FACT, A PLUSES ON TWITTER HE
WROTE HIS ADMINISTRATION’S PAST
PERFORMANCES TO RESPONDING TO
HURRICANES ARE, IN FACT, A
PLUSES.
PLUSES. JOINING ME IS REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR JOHN KASICH.
>> I THINK OF YOU AS THE
ALTERNATIVE TO DONALD TRUMP.
SORT OF THE CLASSIC REPUBLICAN
EXECUTIVE.
EXECUTIVE. WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU HEAR
ABOUT TRUMP DESCRIBED AS SOMEONE
UNATTACHED TO REALITY, INCAPABLE
OF EXPRESSING THE TRUTH?
>> IT’S SAD, CHRIS.
I SOMETIMES FEEL AS THOUGH I
LIVE IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSITY,
OR THIS IS SOME KIND OF A WOODY
ALLEN MOVIE.
ALLEN MOVIE. IT’S TRULY VERY DIFFERENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK THE
REPUBLICANS ARE HAVING TROUBLE
BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T WANT CHAOS,
THEY DON’T WANT ALL THIS
FIGHTING, ALL THIS NAME CALLING.
THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT’S
BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY DON’T WANT FAMILY
SEPARATION AT THE BORDER.
LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER ONE.
THE THING THAT REALLY TROUBLES
ME IS I CANNOT BEAM THERE ARE A
GROUP OF PEOPLE IN MY PARTY WHO
ARE SAYING PEOPLE WITH
PREEXISTING CONDITIONS CAN BE
DENIED HEALTH CARE.
I TALK TO REPUBLICAN FRIENDS OF
MINE AND SAY YOUR KID HAS
PROBLEMS, RIGHT?
PROBLEMS, RIGHT? YEAH.
YEAH. IF THEY HAVE A PREEXISTING
CONDITION THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE
TO GET HEALTH INSURANCE.
THIS IS ODD.
I THINK THERE ARE PARTS OF OUR
PARTY REALLY SAYING ENOUGH OF
THIS.
THIS. I’M STARTING TO SENSE IT, I’M
STARTING TO FEEL IT.
YOU REMEMBER THAT LESSON CHRIS
YOU AND I BOTH LEARNED ON
CAPITOL HILL, AND THAT IS YOU
DON’T WORK FOR A PRESIDENT, YOU
DON’T WORK FOR A PARTY.
WHEN YOU’RE ON THE STREETS WITH
THE FOLKS, THEY’RE JUDGING YOU
FOR WHO YOU ARE.
SO MY ADVICE TO REPUBLICANS IS
BE YOUR OWN PERSON.
BE YOUR OWN MAN OR WOMAN.
TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT HEALTH
CARE, ABOUT BRINGING THE COUNTRY
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. >> THE CAST FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
RIGHT NOW ADDS ANOTHER PROBLEM
FOR REPUBLICANS THIS MIDTERM
ELECTION YEAR.
ELECTION YEAR. HERE’S HOW MITCH McCONNELL
DESCRIBED THE SITUATION.
>> WE KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE A
VERY CHALLENGING ELECTION ON THE
SENATE SIDE.
SENATE SIDE. I’LL JUST LIST YOU A BUNCH OF
RACES THAT ARE DEAD EVEN,
ARIZONA, NEVADA, TENNESSEE,
MONTANA, NORTH DAKOTA, MISSOURI,
INDIANA, WEST VIRGINIA AND
FLORIDA.
FLORIDA. ALL OF THEM TOO CLOSE TO CALL.
AND EVERY ONE OF THEM LIKE A
KNIFE FIGHT IN AN ALLEY.
JUST A BRAWL IN EVERY ONE OF
THOSE PLACES.
THOSE PLACES. >> A NEW POLL OUT TODAY
EXPLAINED WHY THE REPUBLICANS
ARE WORRIED AND HAVE REASON TO
BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT’S COMING
UP.
UP. THIS LIKE LOSING THE HOUSE
ALMOST FOR SURE NOW.
ON THE GENERIC CONGRESSIONAL
BALLOT ABOUT HOUSE VOTES WHEN
VOTERS WERE ASKED WHICH PARTY
THEY PREFERTO CONTROL THE HOUSE
THIS NOVEMBER, IT GIVES
DEMOCRATS A 12 POINT LEAD.
QUINNIPIAC GIVES THEM A 14 POINT
LEAD.
LEAD. WHAT’S WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP WHO
INHERITED MAJORITY CONTROL OF
THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, LOSES AT LEAST
ONE OF THOSE CONTROLS, IS HE
FACED WITH REALITY IN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY OR IS HE GOING
TO BS HIS WAY THROUGH IT AGAIN?
>> IT’S GOING TO BE INTERESTING
TO SEE HOW THE PARTY REACTS.
TO SOME DEGREE THERE ARE PEOPLE
WHO SAY THINGS ARE GOING GREAT.
THAT’S NOT THE CASE, WE KNEW
ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL RACE
HERE IN OHIO WHERE THE
REPUBLICAN SHOULD HAVE WON
OVERWHELMING AND BARELY SQUEAKED
IT OUT.
IT OUT. THERE’S A COUPLE THINGS WE HAVE
TO THINK ABOUT.
WHEN YOU’RE THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, PEOPLE LOOK TO
YOU AS A FATHER, THEY LOOK AT
YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO’S THE CON
SOLAR, SOMEBODY WHO CAN BRING
HARMONY, SOMEBODY THAT CAN BRING
PEACE.
PEACE. AND WHEN A LEADER, WE ALL HAVE
THESE IMAGES OF A PRESIDENT IN
OUR MIND, WE LEARNED ABOUT
GEORGE WASHINGTON OR LINCOLN OR
REAGAN OR WE LEARN ABOUT
ROOSEVELT.
ROOSEVELT. AND THE SENSE IS THAT OUR
PRESIDENT IS A SPECIAL PERSON
WHO’S NOT SUPPOSED TO ENGAGE IN
NAME CALLING OR FIGHTING OR
CHAOS ALL THE TIME.
THAT PRESIDENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE
SOMEBODY THAT IS A HEALER AND
BRINGS THE COUNTRY TOGETHER.
THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS I
NEVER SUPPORTED THE GUY.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FEW IN MY
PARTY THAT DIDN’T SUPPORT HIM
BECAUSE I BELIEVE PEOPLE NEED TO
BE LIFTED.
BE LIFTED. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE NEED
TO BE DIVIDED AND ALL THE NAME
CALLING IS JUST WRONG AND IT
CONTINUES.
CONTINUES. REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO PAY A
PRICE FOR IT, IF THEY WANT TO DO
BETTER, THEN THESE INDIVIDUAL
REPUBLICANS NEED TO START BEING
THEIR OWN MAN OR WOMAN, PERSON,
TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THEY
BELIEVE IN AND KNOCK IT OFF --
>> HERE’S YOUR CHANCE WHAT DO
YOU MAKE OF THE GUY SITTING NEXT
TO ME, THE DEMOCRATIC SENATOR
FROM OHIO?
FROM OHIO? WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HIM?
>> I’VE KNOWN HIM A LONG TIME.
I’M NOT HERE TO ENDORSE BROWN,
CHRIS.
CHRIS. THAT’S NOT WHAT MY JOB IS.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN’T --
>> I’M SAYING ANY REPUBLICAN --
>> THE FACT YOU HAVEN’T KNOCKED
HIM TELLS ME SOMETHING.
>> I DON’T LIKE TO KNOCK A LOT
OF PEOPLE.
OF PEOPLE. I DISAGREE WITH HIM ON A LOT OF
ISSUES BUT IT’S NOT MY JOB TO GO
AROUND KNOCKING PEOPLE.
I’M NOT RUNNING AGAINST HIM.
I’D HAVE A LOT OF THINGS I’D SAY
IF I WAS RUNNING BUT THAT’S NOT
MY JOB.
MY JOB. >> I’D SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT
YOU, BUT THAT MIGHT HURT YOU,
GOVERNOR.
GOVERNOR. >> HE WAS PRETTY GOOD ON THE
CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL TEAM I’LL
SAY THAT ABOUT HIM.
>> IT COUNTS FOR SOMETHING.
>> IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, WE HAVE A
LOT OF DIFFERENCES BUT WE NEVER
NAME CALL, WE HAVE NEVER DONE