On Tuesday's Hardball Chris Matthews exuberantly touted the need for Democrats to push a minimum wage hike to $10.10 an hour and strongly suggested "progressives" seek the aid of unions such as the AFL-CIO. After Sen. Amy Klobuchar told him Richard Trumpka, AFL-CIO president, had been en route to lobby on behalf of the minimum wage increase but was stopped by a snowstorm, Matthews' second guest, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, said unions had indeed been helpful in her home city.

But Matthews lamented that he had heard "nothin'" in D.C.,

Okay, I'm in Washington and I don't see nothin'. I don't see anything! Nothin'. Nothin'! I'm pushing you ladies because I saw the civil rights movement. I saw the hundreds of thousands... Progressives are sittin' on their butts! I'm sorry! I hear it Ed Schultz "ya ya ya" but where are the numbers?

After Mayor Rawlings-Blake tried to place the blame on Republicans Matthews responded that the GOP certainly wouldn't vote for it and exclaimed:

But you guys are for it! I'm asking where are the "fors" out there! Why aren't you out there making a case with the public? Look at these numbers!

Matthews was referring to recent polling data showing the majority of Americans are for an increase in the minimum wage and urged his guests to use that polling to their advantage. Matthews then wondered which unions were making the "biggest noise."