collective collectively. that's so important. i know this fir hand. my father was a farmer from india when i was 8-year-old. he died a slow, painful vote because he worked in the auto plants before they were able to effectively negotiate safety standards. he died because of the soot in his lungs. they weren't able to save my dad's life but this country is strong because we had labor being an advocate for workers get paid a fair wage and benefits. that's so important. not only do we need to manufacture best products sold worldwide, which we are right now, our american people must have the money to buy them if we want to prosper and create more jobs. labor is essential to jobs and future. >> on jobs michigan's unemployment rate 9.3% ranks

11th worst among states including d.c. is president obama doing enough to bring jobs? >> yes. he is working to create jobs. what he's doing is what many don't. >> even though higher, 9.3%. >> we were the worst in the country for a long time. now people are going back to work. i know. my buddies are working in the auto plants. more importantly people are having hope. they feel good about themselves. going back to school, knowing that the president is helping making college more affordable, reducing student loan debt. the recent housing agreement he helped broker nationally is going to help many folks in michigan stay in their homs who otherwise would lose their homs and life savings in foreclosure. people understand this president is fighting for them directly for their economic interest. >> president obama has seen some uptick in his approval ratings, according to the latest "politico" battleground obama's

approval rating, 64%. on the issue of feeling optimistic, the president's numbers are not that great. if you look at president obama on jobs and the economy and budget issues, when people were asking this "politico" gw -- george washington university battleground poll, 59% disapprove of the president when it comes to federal budget and spending. 51 disapprove of his handling of the economy. 50% disapprove of what he's done on jobs. >> first of all, look at what the president -- we want through a horrific recession. in michigan, it was an outright depression. it was the worst i've ever seen and i grew up in the streets of detroit. people see the positive difference now. people are going back to work in michigan with good paying jobs will people are able to go back to school now and they are able to afford it.

the white house -- i'll share this with you. the president has been working behind the scenes helping people. right now the white house is working on an initiative to train metro detroiters for jobs already available in the michigan but go unfilled, information technology space, because we don't have the people trained for that. he's doing that now. that's going to train people for over 3,000 jobs. to be filled immediately. once they see what he's doing and know the president's the cause of the great things happening in the economy, no doubt they will vote for him. >> represents metro detroit area. >> yes. >> norman up first a democrat in albany, new york.

this investment would help bring it back. if you remember those three executives came in their own private flight. they were not concerned about the welfare of the automobile industry the president did the right thing, saved the industry and the money was invested properly. especially they were able to borrow at such a cheap rate. where would we be today without all these other supporting the automobile industry. >> congressman, the washington

times this morning echos what the callers says with numbers. three years after the u.s. auto industry nearly collapsed sales of cars and trucks are surging and could exceed 14 million vehicles this year compared with 12.8 last year. the result carmakers adding shifts and hiring workers across the country. carmakers and parts companies added more than 38,000 jobs last year reaching a total of 717. but there's a downside the article says. newfound success straining detroit factory network as well as companies that make thousands of parts that go into the vehicle. this could lead to shortages that drive up prices. are you hearing about this in metro detroit? what are you hearing? >> this is a good problem to have. it means there's so much demand, we need more capacity. this is why the president's strong cities strong community initiative where he brings in all of his cabinet departments to help rebuild certain cities in the united states, six of them, and detroit has been one

of them will help redevelop a lot of the vacant land that we have. we can build new plants in detroit but we need to have the business climate. the president is working in detroit to help make our streets safer, improve our schools, stabilize our housing stock and then train people for jobs. so that's great. that means what the president has done has been a success. detroit has a well trained workforce, property and researc capacity and create more jobs. so he's working on rebuilding the city which will create jobs not only in michigan but throughout the country. >> we're taking phone calls, e-mails and tweets here for congressman from michigan. we have a line set michigan residents 202-628-0184. david in englewood, new jersey, you're up next for congressman clark. go ahead. >> caller: yes. i just wanted to make two points. i just think the congressman is

living in a dream world. my first point and please don't cut me off, i'll be quick. my first point is democrats have controlled the state of michigan and the city of detroit for how many decades? two democratic senators, a democratic governor, the congressional delegation is majority democrat. the mayor of detroit has been a democrat. so when you blame the economy, don't you have to look in the mirror? and my second point is because no one helped destroy michigan and detroit more so than the democratic party and unions that demanded too much. my second point is everybody keeps saying what obama inherited. people forget obama was in the u.s. senate for four years. he has supported policies like trying to -- now you're saying that the cars have to have 55

miles per gallon. what is that going to do to detroit? that's going to help destroy itr a profit. >> all right. let's get the congressman to respond. two issues there. he said democrats are responsible. >> over the last 10 years. that's the result of many factors. number one the housing crisis. because we didn't properly regulate the housing industry, we allowed homs to go under foreclosures. we allowed people to become victims of predatory loans. also, too, it was the state's misguided takeover of the detroit public school system that resulted in many good schools being closed in neighborhoods. as a result parents left the city of detroit and left with tax dollars. that's why the city right now is in the financial crisis in part.

so the president has effectively -- is effectively addressing the foreclosure problem with this landmark settlement which will help people stay in their homs. as a member of the science committee on science education i've been working with arne duncan secretary of education to help improve the schools. on top of that jobs act initiative understands the value of reducing classroom sizes so our young people can learn more by hiring more teachers. he has the plan to rebuild the city and he's already taken action. the caller doesn't understand why detroit has been in these problems of it's because of housing. it's because of education. we've had a poor trade policy. it wasn't because of the wages and benefits of workers, although many people wan to blame that on that. yes, detroit is in a financial crisis, but it also has extraordinary assets, well trained workforce, great

research universities, the capacity to build new plants and create more jobs not only for detroiters but for all of this country. the reason why i say this, detroit was the arsenal democracy in the past. we won the war. we saved this country from fascism and created millions of jobs. we also now have the capability of creating jobs throughout this country in manufacturing. that's why the president took leadership to save the auto industry he was doing more than that he was saving our country's economy and creating jobs, jobs now that people are being hired into and making our economy stronger every day. >> the united auto workers will be holding a two-day conference in washington today and tomorrow. president obama speaks before that union today. go to c-span.org for more details on our coverage. let's go to jeff next will he's a republican in michigan. jeff, how are you going to vote today? >> caller: i'm going to probably

vote republican for mitt romney. >> okay. why is that? >> caller: well, the obama administration is clearly not working. i was watching this program where they say the economy is strong. it's fa ar from strong. he seems to have pretty much the same ideas on bailouts as i do. that's where i'm going. >> congressman? >> the economy is improving. people are going back to work. most importantly people are seeing a way to manage their debt, be able to stay in their homs. the president has also taken on student loan debt, which i think is the worst type of debt because it robs people of the ability to get the education that we need in order to compete for these jobs globally. and finally, by taking the leadership to provide health insurance to over a million michigan residents that had no insurance could likely go

bankrupt because of high health care cost. that took leadership. that took political courage. that's going to help michigan residency. that's why michigan will support president obama in november. >> chandler is next. he's a republican in las vegas. an early morning to you. >> hey, how are you guys doing. good morning. >> morning. >> a quick call for mr. henson. first off i don't like the comment you made starting off about 15 minutes ago that quote, unquote, if you think the right person you want to be in office, go vote for him, who is the president. barak hussain obama is not the right person. i'm 20-year-old. i was just fascinated by it. my mother came from cuba when she was 11 years old. she came from communism, exactly what i see in president barak hussain obama. he hasn't changed anything in las vegas.

the economy hasn't improved at all. i don't know how it is in michigan, nobody is buying cars here. it's really not good out here in the country. i believe you know that, sir. i just think you're taking president barak hussain obama's side. >> let's take your point, hasn't changed anything. >> he talked about communism. my assumption is he's referring to the role of government in america's job recovery. let me say this. here is why i'm a democrat and why i believe government has a role to help stabilize our economy and help people. when i was in my early 20s, i had lost everything that was important to me in life. my parents were dead. i lost my college scholarship, my income. then i was on food stamps. i had my food stamps cut off. i knew i wasn't going to make it in life. the one thing that provided me hope was there was an initiative created by an act of congress

that provided me with not only a job but assigned me to help high school students skipping school. that gave me more than a paycheck. it gave me confidence in myself to see i could do something to help people. yes, that was a government program. it helped save my life. all the government is is us, us bringing together tax dollars to help each other at a time of great need. we were in severe economic crisis, if we would have lost auto industry we'd have lost our manufacturing base, our ability to create products worldwide. our pride in ourselves as americans. the president wouldn't allow that to happen. yes, government can be a partner in creating jobs because government is us. it's our money used together to help each other. so i completely disagree with you. >> go to the democratic line. terry joining us in asheville, north carolina. >> caller: yes, mr. clarke is

there? >> i am. i can hear you well. >> caller: three points on the auto industries. number one, we've been kind of misled, really. what gm was paid back they took back another taxpayer loan to pay back their loan. two, they haven't paid back their bond holders yet. and three, as in the auto industry failing. gm and chrysler were the only ones failing. volvo, a nonunion factory and bmw in itself, also a nonunion factory. they were doing just fine and are still doing fine. >> let's take your point. first taxpayer loans to pay off other loans. >> here is the point. gm and chrysler both paid off their loans. they need the the support to get

stabilized, to create jobs. it wasn't just bankruptcy. the president's leadership he negotiated tough concessions on both sides with management and labor. this is something that we needed to do at this time. so no, that kind of rescue was essential to keep industry stable. >> what about this issue of bond holders? they still haven't paid -- auto companies still haven't paid back bond holders. >> the auto companies are starting to make profits. they are making record profits but emerging out of bankruptcy. >> his final point, nonunion auto companies were not in trouble while union companies, gm, chrysler, were in trouble. >> well, there were changes that need to be made. there was restructuring that needed to happen in the auto industry. that is true. the president's leadership made those changes and improved those companies.

absolutely. >> we'll go to detroit -- >> it's not because of union wages. we have a strong middle class because of organized labor. i don't want people to forget that. right now we always want to pick a whipping boy. it's not that. labor prepared protect people. the only issue i have with labor is sometimes they did too good of a job. people forget how they got those great wages and benefits. it wasn't on their own. it's because together workers were organized and lobbied and negotiated for those benefits over time. that's how they are able to get those good wages and benefits. >> chris is next in queen creek, arizona an independent there. go ahead, chris. >> caller: congressman, real quick. i want to put the ideological book on the shelf for republican and democrat. i want you to address the reality of these numbers. a child that was born at the beginning of the obama administration owes $30,000 right now. after four yearsf

obama, that person will owe 50 to $60,000. if barack obama is re-elected at the end of his eight years, that eight-year-old will owe $80,000. we're $16.2 trillion in debt. we have not really cut anything except slowed the increase of the federal debt. and if mr. obama, president obama is re-elected, we will have 20 to $22 trillion in debt. look me straight in the eyes, okay, and basically come to the point. you have a checking account. you have a mortgage to pay. you know just as well as i do that's called bankruptcy. neither republican or democrat are willing to go ahead and step forward and really make the choices. and i'm talking about entitlement programs. we're going to go ahead and hear the spin on this. the reality is you have to cut those things. if you do not, well, guess what, we are bankrupt.

we will default. >> congressman. >> well, first of all, you're absolutely correct that we've got to manage our federal money properly. but the reason y or the last 10 years we got into two wars. we didn't pay for it. we provided a prescription drug benefit that wasn't paid for and cut taxes and reduced revenues. that put us in a bad situation. the president has taken decisive action to reduce we're out of iraq, now drawing down in afghanistan. but this is in this caller's question is the reason why many republicans aren't getting traction in michigan and why they are going to support the president. the real debt that michigan residents are concerned about isn't necessarily the federal debt we need to address in a long-term responsible way, it's the personal debt. the mortgage they are under water on, the student loans they had to carry for years an

decades burdening them and preventing their kids from enjoying a good life, that is the debt the president decided to take on by helping people st in their homes, avoid foreclosure, by providing some certainty on when certain student loans can be forgiven after 20 years, by allowing a student loan borrowers to pay student loans based on their income and demanding that congress keep a cap on student loan interest rates. the real debt that's crushing us is credit cards, mortgages, student loans, that's precisely the debt that the democrats are helping to reduce on american families. that debt burden and that's why the economy is coming back because not only do we need to create jobs, we also need to give americans more purchasing power. when you help reduce personal debt on americans, they have more money to invest, to buy a home, to start their own business. that creates more jobs and creates more prosperity. >> let's hear from kent next.

he's in michigan as well. an independent caller there. >> caller: hello. >> good morning. you're on the air. >> caller: thank you. i'm trying to figure out michigan used to have an open primary. it's been open for a long time. and now i hear on local news that they closed the primary. i don't understand that. i'm independent. >> we're seeing in the papers today that it is an open primary. do you have any update on that, congressman? today would be a closed primary? >> i wasn't focused on that. i want people to go out and vote for the candidate you think is the best person. there has been talk about crossovers, yes. >> kent, as far as we know, it's an open primary. so what do you plan to do? were you planning to vote today? >> caller: well, i was planning on voting but they want me to sign up for a party and being an independent i don't want to do that.

i was going to vote for rick santorum because i don't like hi do now. >> you were going to vote for rick santorum because you don't like him? >> caller: right. >> what's the strategy there? >> caller: well, i'm hoping that rick santorum will win and that way that will put more pressure on mitt romney. at least it will make the primaries last longer. >> okay. what do you think about that? is that appropriate for michigan voters to be doing? >> this is a free country. this is the beauty of it. you can choose to vote for who you want to for whatever person. i usually urge people to vote for the person you want to get elected. that's the most straightforward way. >> what about the robo calls encouraging democrats to vote in this primary? >> i think we would be better off politically if we didn't deal with those kind of tactics

which discourage people from voting and just focus on serving the public, talking about your record and your plan to actually help the american people. that's the simple way to do it. that's how you get rehired. i've had to run against incumbents. i defeated incumbents in democratic primaries and did that by listening to people and working for them. it's that simple. >> ben is next on the democratic line. ben, are you with us? ben in north carolina? grays rock, north carolina? >> caller: no. >> go ahead. >> caller: i just don't understand. we have had -- we have lost jobs. i don't think these people understand that this man has went and did everything he can for us. these people that are trying to

get elected, look at the anger in their face. if they had a policy, they would most definitely say what their policy is going to be. all they want to do is say obama what he did and didn't do. we have congress that put those laws together for us to vote on. >> got your point. is racism at play here in >> i think negativism is unfortunately, which actually voting. many people could say that the president is being held to a higher standard than other presidents in the past. the president has a record to run on that he's actually accomplished. he has a great plan to help create more jobs. he helped american families.n m. he understands the importance of investing in detroit and urban areas and is doing that.

not everything is fair in politics. we all get a chance to vote and to participate and is the best person. the president is a big guy. he's a tough guy. i met him when we were in the state senate. he's not concerned about personal tax. all hes see this country provide opportunities that it stands for for everybody. he's committed to that. he's not concerned about the personal tax at all. >> have you had a personal conversation with him at all since being elected to congress? >> i did speak with him a few weeks ago on air force one and i expressed to him i was concerned about the city of detroit's finances and he's working directly with the trt to help p technical assistance and know how to help that city. detroit is so key. not only to southeastern michigan but it is still the brand of u.s. manufacturing.

also, detroit is symbol of the economic comeback of america. when people see detroit coming back, they know that a is strong again. >> how did you get a ride on air force one? >> the president came and to d.c. with him. i flew on the plane for one purpose to mention to the president and urge the president to support investing in detroit. i said the best way to renew america's economy is to rebuild metro detroit. >> his response? >> he understood that. this is a man that saved the auto industry. he knows. >> troy, michigan. ken, you're next. independent caller. >> caller: i was just calling about this unemployment benefits that congress just passed. supposedly michigan does not qualify for the extended benefits that is called e.b. so i don't understand what the unemployment rate is at a

certain level in order to qualify for this rate. people in michigan have dropped off the unemployment roll, so would these guys vote for this unemployment and then we don't get anything. none of the rest of the unemployment benefits. >> congressman? >> the reason why michigan won't get the full benefits is not because of what congress has done. it's because of what the michigan legislature has done by reducing the amount of unemployment that unemployed workers -- thestthe amount of wt a person who is unemployed could receive benefits. that's what reduced the federal benefits. e problem is with the republican -- i'm not trying to be partisan. i'm just describing it. the republican controlled state legislature reduced unemployment

benefits and that now in turn has reduced the federal benefits that those who are can receive. that's important. we want people to be able to make it. i was almost on the street. i understand the anxiety of not knowing how you're going to be able to provide for your family. what the president iso is the b unemployment policy creating jobs, helping to train people for jobs that a available and that's how we're going to get people on our feet. in the meantime, we have to be compassionate. ike this. we have so many veterans who are homeless right now. we cannot put people on the street. we need to extend our unemployment benefits. the unemployment benefits in michigan again are not as long as they could be because of the state legislature's action in reducing unemployment benefit eligibility. >> congressman clarke, a tweet for you.

obama bailed out failed car companies with bad management. the same bad management is still running those car companies. what changed? >> it's a different management. the president demanded reforms, labor and management made major concessions. the president's leadership and the tough decisive decisions he made helped restructure the auto industry into now a real profitable -- look at what gm is doing. they earned record profits this past year and i only see more jobs being created through the auto industry by our booming manufacturing sector over time. >> all right. a couple stories here for you this morning confirming that today's primary in michigan is an open primary. reid, a republican in washington, good morning. >> caller: good morning. thank you for taking the call. you know, i just got a couple quick comments and then i'll get off the air.