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lly direct means no b.s. just telling you what's going on in politics today. >>at the only on-line forum with a direct line to bill press. >>it's something i've been waiting for a long time. >>join the debate now.

♪ >> heard around the country and seen on current tv. this is the bill press show. >> the moral of the story at 24 minutes after the hour, if you are patient and you can wait long enough, change in the right direction will happen. it certainly happened in connecticut yesterday with no big deal no big fanfare, governor daniel mal loy saying the death penalty, kaput, no longer replaced by life in prison without parole and does this mean we have turned the corner or are turning the corner in this country? here is larry from new britain connecticut. >> good morning, guys. >> what's up?

>> in connecticut, there is a lot of squawking going on. the problem is we are coming off of an emotional case that happened within the last three years where a doctor's wife and daughters were raped and killed and the house was burned down. so there is a lot of emotion due to that. >> around that one case, yeah. but the people who are already on death row are not covered by the new law. >> that's probably why. isn't it? larry? >> yes. yes. i absolutely agree and actually i am against the death penalty, myself. but again, i know right now that, again, because of that case -- and maybe some people around are not familiar with that law. >> i am glad you pointed that out. i probably should have the first time.

look, as i mentioned the latest quinnipiac poll showed 62% of people in connecticut who were against it. but still, there was a time when politicians wouldn't touch this issue. but still, despite that poll the connecticut legislature and the governor said, no. it's wrong. we are going to get rid of it t and again, you know, sure there is some back and forth and some controversy in connecticut but nationally, didn't even make the news last night. joe is calling from -- larry, thanks for the call. joe in fort belvoir, virginia. >> listen, i am against the death penalty in the majority, 99% of the cases. but the one i would carve out is child molestation for the simple reason that 85% of all child been people that have been molested do molest. if you murder something that's not going to flow on down the road. i think child molesters should

be executed based upon the fact gary gilmore out in i think oregon killed by the firing squad . >> you at that i think it was with that one exception of child molestation. he even said and the most liberal psychiatrist that treat these people will tell you, they can never be fixed. >> well, joe, i appreciate the call. but i think with the death penalty, you are either for it or against. i don't think you can make exceptions like for this crime or that crime or whatever. and there is one thing, and again, my interest in raising this issue this morning is not to go back into a debate over the death penalty, which all of us have had 99,000 times, but one thing for sure if it's child molestation or whatever the crime, you put that guy away in prison for the rest of his life, throw the key away he is not going to molest any kids any more.

dorman is down in north carolina. hey, dorman. >> good morning. >> yes, sir. when is north carolina going to join the crowd here snfrn. >> well, like you i think we have begun to look at this in a different light and turn the corner perhaps. i know i have on this. i think the greater punishment oftentimes is for people to -- and i think everybody does pretty much have a conscience, is for people to come to grips with this and the death penalty is the finality of life as we know it on this earth and if you believe in redemption as a lot of evangelcals do, then it may take some time. i think the greater punishment is for people to have to deal with the fact that they have committed some hanous atrocious crime. >> and to lose their freedom forever and ever and know there ain't no way they are going to walk out of that prison cell. >> that's a crime worth than

death. >> this is the bill press show. message created by a current tv viewer for hershey's air delight. >>mommy, you're so smart, i feel like you know everything. >>you can ask me anything, anytime honey. >>mom, how do you say "hello" in spanish? >>hola. >>hey mommy, how many miles are there to the moon? >>238,854. >>hey mom, are ninjas still a big problem? >>no, honey. >>ha! >>hey mom, how do they get the bubbles into the hershey's air delight? >>i don't know, but it's delicious.

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♪ >> listen and watch the bill press show on your favorite radio station and now on current tv. this is the bill press show. >> welcome to the spinroom. >> it is thursday, april 26, '33 minutes after the hour. we are coming to you live coast to coast on sirius xm radio on your local progressive talk show and of course on current tv. good to have you with us. paul ryan headed to georgetown university to defend his budget in that great catholic institution. he may get a frosty reception.

we will talk about that in just a second. first, we always jump into the spin room at this time of day and pick up a little political spin from the day before and expose it for what it is. president obama on the road talking about student loans and the importance of congress acting so that the interest rate on student loans doesn't double just 1 from 3.4 up to back to 8%. he wants congress to act. democrats are for it. republicans are against it. but john boehner's spin yesterday said: what's he talking about? >> the president is traveling the country on the taxpayers' dime campaigning and trying to event a fight where there isn't one and never has been one. >> well, there is a fight, john boehner, because the fact is that the republicans have said the chair of the republican committee in the house virginia foxx, on this issue says she has

zero sympathy with students who have any loans. she doesn't think they need to take out loans. she has said she is opposing this measure and the republican position in the house and the senate is opposed to continueing the 3.4% interest rate on student loans, john boehner. nice spin but no cigar. today, the spin room brought to you by wrigley orbit gum. eat, drink and chew orbit gum. yes, indeed, paul ryan headed to georgetown today. he was met a couple of days ago with a letter circulated by father thomas reese at georgetown university. former editor-in-chief of america mag green and a good friend, father reese, good morning. >> good morning, bill. nice to be on your show. >> it's good to have you here, father.

paul roon has been saying -- paul ryan has been saying here is my budget and my line is budget is in line with the catholic teachings of the catholic church. right or wrong? >> if he submitted that budget nat class on catholic teaching at georgetown university and claimed that it was backed up by catholic social teaching, he would get an? no class. this is nonsense. it guts programs for the court. one of the thing that cathy lick social teaching is extremely concerned about is how we treat the poor the vul non-responsive neverable, the disadvantaged in society. what we do for them. mr. ryan's budget gets an f on that. >> your letter was signed by some 90 faculty members and some

pretty big names on that letter father. but, also, he got a challenge from the catholic bishops? correct. >> absolutely. this is clearly a place where academics and bishops are on the same page. the bishops had pointed out that his budget just doesn't pass the moral criteria that they think are necessary for a budget. you know, they say that a just framework for future budgets cannot rely on dispropportionat cuts and essential services to the poor person. >> that's their word. >> that's what they say. i mean they sent up four letters to capitol hill since february telling the congress they do not want to see the budget balanced on the backs of the poor. this is just contrary to the gospel. you know, this is not the kind

of saying that jesus, you know, said when he said be concerned about the poor. >> what i find curious, and it may be i should expect is that when a catholic bishop said the president, pompom was wrong to require that access to contraception be part of every basic health policy and then women could decide whether or not they are going to use it or not. right? when the catholic byrnes raised-- bishops, they all rallied behind the bishops saying this is religious freedom. now when the bishops speak out against the budget, they ignore the bishops? right? >> you are absolutely right. liberal catholics have often been accused of being cafeteria catholics. >> right. >> they have taken cues, you know, what position of the bishops they will follow.

well, welcome to the cafeteria, to these conservatives. they have been doing this just as much as the liberals picking and choosing which issues they want to follow. >> as you say, if you read the great encyclicals and follow the teachings of the church, not to mention the gospel. right? >> yeah. >> pretty clear clothe the naked. that's what matthew 25 is all about. >> what is paul ryan basing his catholic doctorine on? do we know? >> i mean what's very strange is that paul ryan in a number -- and had a number of the republicans have embraced ayn ayn rand, a philosopher who was an atheist, who was very antagonistic towards religion and built her whole philosophy on selfishness. i mean she was a radical

individualist, a radical libertarian who basically said you are all on your own and we should just go out and seek our own self interest. >> that's the way american society should be organized and run. >> that's simply antithetica willl to the gospel. she was anti-religion. if there is something who waged a war on religion it was ayn ayn rand. >> we are talking with father thomas reese at georgetown university. so you will be there to hear paul ryan today? >> absolutely. you know, we are trying to, you know, educate students on his budget. for example, you just mentioned, you know, low-interest loans for students. paul ryan also wants to cut pel grants, you know, which help low-income students go to

schools like georgetown. i mean this is -- this budget is going to have a devastating impact on unemployed people on poor people on people who, you know, are trying to get a leg up so that they can get a good job. >> father in the nicest way -- we are all counting on you to give paul ryan hell today. >> we are delighted he is coming. it gives us a chance to talk about these issues. >> absolutely. loved the letter. and father, thanks so much for getting up early for us this morning. we look forward to hearing all about the big confrontation today. well, there won't be a big confrontation but a big meeting of minds at georgetown. >> what academia is about t debate, conversation, dialogue, and that's what we hope will happen. >> i would count on you to challenge him with the facts. thanks so much, father. always good to talk to you, father thom reese former editor-in-chief on the american magazine. on a related issue, i have to is ask you about this one. >> that's this comes out of

indianapolis, a teacher -- get this. a teacher in catholic school she and her husband were trying to get pregnant and were not able to get pregnant and so they went to a clinic and they used i invitro fertilization. she got pregnant. she was fired by the catholic school which says she was not following catholic doctorine, that the church has a -- a policy? a teaching, as we know against any form of artificial birth control and that she now sets a bad example to the students because she didn't get pregnant the old-fashion way, she couldn't get pregnant the old-fashion way. she has been fired. she has hired a lawyer and she is challenging the catholic

school and the arch diocese out there in indianapolis for being improperly fired. today, again, this is a case of the church just going totally overboard. she was not a religion teacher. and if a couple cannot get pregnant, what's wrong with having a baby with the help of, you know, eg and spermg and sperm being mixed in a lab? you could adopt a baby. >> that's great. >> that's to be applauded but for someone to get fired bass they used in vitro fert lizilization fertilization, i don't see how you can defend that, 866-55-press. i have got to say >> sometimes the catholic church doesn't look like a very

compassionate institution. does it? ♪ >> this is the bill press show. current tv. a former two-term governor. >>make your voice heard. >>detremined to find solutions. >>that partnership in order to invest in our country is critical. >>driven to find the truth. >>how did romney get his groove back? >>fearless, independent and above all, politically direct.

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we're keeping it real. ♪ >> the latest from the world of politics, this is the bill press show. >> politics and more i should say on the full-court press. here we are politically direct all of us this morning. good to see you. we are taking your calls on this case. and by the way, a little correction. the story is -- by line,

indianapolis the school was in fort wayne, indiana, the saint vin vincent de paul school where this teacher who is not a catholic was fired because she and her husband got pregnant using in vitro fertilization and the church says, that's nots our way. so you are out of here because even non-catholic teachers have to set a moral example for their kids. i think she was setting a pretty good example for her kids. yeah. it's a lot better than some of the other kind of behavior we have seen. back to your calls on that 866-55-press. first, al quick little word -- a quick little word of advice, if you are worried about being able to make ends meet at the end of the month -- and a lot of americans are, something you ought to check out is incomeathome.com, america's leading work from home business bog doing business in over 80 countries. they are legitimate. you can trust them.

you can do this no matter your age or own experience. you can literally earn money from your kitchen table using your laptop 24/7. just need a little extra time, your laptop and some coaching that incomeathome will provide. if you are sick of living paycheck to paycheck and ready to make some extra money for home, part-time or full-time, check them out, incomeathome.com. they are giving away, even giving away a thousand bucks to somebody just for checking them out, and that could be you today. this website again, incomeathome.com. john is calling from ferndale washington. >> bill press, my man. >> here you go. >> honestly i love your latest book, "the obama hate machine." it's a master work. i am telling you. >> good now, john. thank you so much. >> i am serious. i wouldn't say if it wasn't

true. i consider you to be a sklar on the catholic faith. you went to seminary? right. >> i spent a good number of years studying for the priesthood, right. >> okay. i know the church and i know the theology and i know the history. go ahead. yeah. >> okay. so as far as i understand it the catholic church doesn't have a problem with the big bang theory or with the theory of evolution. right? >> well, yeah. you know, general paul ii said evolution is totally consistent with catholic teaching. >> did the church come out with an encyclical or hand out a law that said thou shall not have any in vitro fertilization? did i miss that? >> i don't think there was an encyclical paul, xi that laid this down. but this is nowhere in the bible.

right? this is not -- this has never been declared that like the virgin birth, if you don't believe it you can't be a catholic. in other words, it's a man-made theory by pope after point of impact pope after objection form pope that's put out there that people are expected to follow. >> in 1968, that was decades before invitaro fertilization. is the catholic church trying to drive people away that they would den the opportunity to deny a child by birth. they are saying no, you can't have a child of your own? >> just -- it doesn't make any sense. >> to me neither, john. look they are infertile. it's a disability and you would -- you know, i would i applaud the people who work through that and try everything and are able to get a family together. good for them, and then the

church punishes them for it. thanks, john. good to hear from you. kathy, in chicago. >> just awe couple of quick comments. first of all, the catholic church does not object to in in vitro fertilization. it's the fertilizing of multiple egg. and them being implanted and being selectively reduced. >> kathy, i hate to correct you but you are wrong. their pol is against -- pope benedict, xvi -- wait as recently as february, a couple of months ago told infertile couples not to use in vitro fertilization or any other form of artificial pro-creation. the church doesn't say you can do it as long as they only, you know, fertilize one egg and one sperm. >> let me finish. they don't object to the science of it.

throw the whole thing out because people implant more than one and selectively reduced or might fertilize 15 eggs and implant 4. they throw the whole science out with that. >> they do. we do for the wrong reasons as far as i am concerned. >> well, and the last i heard, the catholic church -- and i don't agree with what they are doing. don't get me wrong on what they are doing. >> yeah. >> the last i heard, the catholic church was still a private employer. i live in an at-will state. they can pretty much fire you for the way you part your hair. >> thing. they are a private employer. i am not saying they are doing anything illegally. i think they are doing something i would say morally wrong and reprehensible and i think it makes the whole catholic church look back. you know, they ought to applaud this couple. good for you. you are going out, raising a family, bringing a great new life into the world, taking care of it and loving it. instead, the catholic church says: your're fired. yeah, way to go. >> on your radio, on t.v. the

bill press show. now, on current tv. ♪

we have a big, big hour and the i.q. will go way up. >>tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block.

♪ >> taking your e-mails on any topic at any time. this is the bill press show live on your radio and current tv. >> talking about paul ryan going to georgetown university today, robert woody says i could wonder what mr. ryan's budget proposal would look like were he obliged to live within the parameters of his budget same as an unemployed person. if the common man acted as ayn ayn rand advocated, he would

wind up in prison. good morning. on the post office, beverly mason says, i've got a -- i've come up with a possible way to help the post office. have them offer western union or money-graham electronic paymentsm electronic payments. i guess so. i see a lot of people at the post office sending money orders by the way. and right down the street here when i go to the post office. and this love letter from joe colman says: i love your show. i have the greatest respect for you and your crew. i think you and stephanie miller are such a perfect tandem i dvr both shows so i can watch them after work. i love your show because you gets so many of your guests inhouse. a real plus especially for current viewers and stiff instead of knee is great for finding the human in politics. there it is, bill press and stephanie miller. what a great team. >> this is the bill press show.

♪ >> here we go. it is thursday april 26th. good morning everybody. welcome to the full-court press, your new morning show here on current tv. i am bill press, liberal and proud of it and so proud of you and so happy that you have all joined us this morning as we tackle the big issues of the day, whether they are happening in our nation's capitol, around the country or around the globe. how about this? yesterday, with no fanfare, with no great big protest, connecticut ended the death

penalty, abolished the death penalty becoming the 17th state plus the district of columbia to do so and the 5th state to do so in just the last couple of years. good for connecticut. how long now before all 50 states do the right thing and abolish the death penalty? >> just one of the issues we will be talking about this morning. but first, we get all of the latest, today's current tv news update here in los angeles jacki schechner. >> good morning, bill. good morning, everybody. the white house is holding a conference call at 10:00 a.m. eastern today to talk about the reauthorization of the violence against women act. it is currently under consideration in the senate and democrats support extending the law's protection to native americans, gay women and immigrants, republicans shockingly do not. they are introducing their own version in the house of the 1994 law, which essentially re-ups it as it stands now but does not afford those protection against sexual assault and domestic

violence to new groups of women. if you want to research more about how this piece of policy became political and why, talking points memo has a good write-up today. it is looking likely that the supreme court will rule in favor of the sb 1070 upholding the controversial arizona immigration law that governor jan brewer signed two years ago and the obama administration has been fighting ever since. protesters in phoenix and dc showed their opposition to the law by marching through the streets? arizona and rallying outside of the supreme court on wednesday. police arrested nine people in phoenix for obstruction and disorderly conduct but say demonstrators were mostly well behooved behaved. justice i see have problems with specifically one that would make it illegal for immigrants to look for work and do not have documentation on them at all times, it looks like they will uphold the law when they rule in late june. we are olbermann

current.com/bill press. we will be right back. so, you guys grew up together. yes, since third grade... what are you lookin' at? not looking at i anything... we're not good enough for you. must be supermodels? what do you model gloves? brad, eat a snickers. why? 'cause you get a little angry when you're hungry. better? [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry™. better. [ male announcer ] snickers satisfies. attack on women that perhaps the majority of the population woke up? >> idaho is not known as approaching act i.v. you had hundreds of women show up, thousands signed petitions. they made their voices heard. what happens is that now, the legislators are running scared. very similar laws have passed quietly in other states for the past 10 years, really in the past two years have intensified. pennsylvania a similar law was shelved, idaho this proved to be

political poison. women are paying attention and having their voices heard. >> thanks for coming in. >> the aclu considers a demand that to get a job you have to let an employer open your private mail, the senate wants to make it illegal to hand over a password to your facebook account.

we will not settle for easy answers. (vo) the former governor of ny eliot spitzer, joins the new news network. >>every night we will drill down on the days top stories in search of facts that inform. >> we don't stop until we get answers that are truthful, serious, and not based on

simplistic answers. >>we're here because we're independent. ' ♪ >> broadcasting across the nation, on your radio and on current tv, this is the bill press show. >> well, newt gingrich says, hey, i guess maybe i should finally, throw it in. don't you think? but i am not going to do so until next tuesday because calissa and i have some shopping and we need the secret service to take us out to tiffany's. good morning, everybody. it is thursday thursday april 26th. and this is the full court

press, u new morning show on current tv and your continuing more than show, the big day events your talk radio station. if you are listening or watching or both, we welcome you to the program. we have a lot to talk to you about today. give us a call at 866-55-press. you could also, by the way join the conversation by joining our chat room and many many many of you do every day going to current.com or bill press show.com and weighing in on the chat room so you can talk to your fellow listeners and viewers around the country. it's almost as much fun as being in studio with our team peter okay burn and dan henning and cyprian boulding gets his big wave in. good morning, cyprian. lots going on today. none of us made the list of the

most beautiful person on the planet yesterday, but we know who did. >> that's terrible. >> isn't that terrible? yeah. but if i had, you know i would feel pretty crunchy. ? >> tony totally. >> who came up with that? >> people magazine. >> is beyonce. >> being named the world's most beautiful woman is really hard to say. it's over bhemwhelmingoverwhelming. it makes me feel very crunchy, and that means embarrassed. >> did she make that word up? crunchy? >> nothing wrong with crunchy? >> most beautiful woman, not most beautiful person. >> you are not eligible. >> interesting to note. >> we will come back to this crunchy. what do you mean? it's not a word? is it? >> crunchy is a word but it's not a word that is used to

describe embarrassed. >> that's like saying, you know. >> see this power bar here this morning? >> crunchy. >> right. >> biting into that is crunch. >> it's like someone says how are you doing and you say i am drinkly crinkly. >> he is crunchy. >> that's how beon say beyonc yes. tom harkin from iowa one of the biggest liberals and proud of it in the united states senate will be joining us here at the top of the hour today. eric alterman from the national magazine got a new book, "the history of liberalism" in this current tree and brad woodhouse, communications director for the democratic national committee. what a line-up. whoa. but first. >> this is the full court press.

>> two days out from the white house correspondent's dinner. >> more guests? >> yes. kim car dashian will be back at the dinner saturday night. she is coming as a guest of fox news corning to the washington examiner. she will be there with her mom, chris generaler. they are attending with glee morrison true blood star and omarepps and tony romo. >> i want to say this as a member of the white house correspondent's association. somebody goes to the briefing every day as a working reporter this dinner is a colossal embarrassment. colossal embarrassment. the senior reporter at the whitehouse, those who cover the white house will have a dinner to celebrate and have a good time and celebrate our work and we have to have all of these half-assed movie stars there. >> that's being kind to kim kardashian and lindsay lohan.

>> good lord. >> if you can prove -- >> they have the ausc-arizona. why do they have to ruin our party. sorry. >> if you can prove that you got between the sheets with tim tebow, you could be a million dollars richer. the dating affairs website, madison.com is challenging one of the new york jets' believes of practicing abstinence. the website says anyone who can prove that they got in bed and had relations with the high-profile athlete, they'll give him a million dollars. >> a million dollars to prove that you had section. do you have to have a video of it, too? >> proof enough, for a million dollars. sex tape there could be a tim tebow sex tape. >> larry flint. this is a larry flint deal. is that his website? >> no. it's a different orbitae one. in and burger king is looming to become more humane in its food

purchasing. all of the eggs in the world's second largest chain will come from cage-free chickens. >> mcdonald's and windows say they would like to move toward cage-free products but did not set a timetable like bugger king did. >> i find this interesting. first, i think it's a good move. do you think it will help their business? >> that's what i want to know. i would think so. >> i think so. >> i think people are upset about these factory farms and the videos and fichldz that i have seenlms that i have seen of chickens and pigs, you know, in these cages. their feet never touch the ground. right? they never know and they are not the healthiest of conditions. so i would think if you knew that it was -- it's like the localvores free-range. >> cage-free.

>> i will ask you this. >> and all of the pillscts? >> yes. >> what about the cows? >> they did not talk about the cows. >> are you going to go to burger king now? >> no. >> i didn't think so. >> but i wonder how long before like mcdonald's and the rest of them follow that will? >> it will happen. people care about eating healthier food. this is healthier, a healthier life for the animals, healthier food. >> hold on, dan. so i guess father tom reese, last hour senator harkin? >> haven't found him yet. we are working on getting him. >> by the way, i think this burger king is good. i think peter will give them a little applause. >> yeah. wayne patelli said it was a great move. >> 866-55-press. it might cost a little more. right? >> absolutely. yeah. i buy cage-free eggs.

they cost more. >> you have to round up the chickens to get the eggs? right. >> a tiny little lasso. >> but on a related food item, we talked about this place before out in vegas, the heart attack grill. >> yeah. >> it wasn't so long ago they hauled a guy who was eating a triple by pass burger. he had a heart attack and they had to come in. i raise the issue at a time whether or not we ought to be para medics should be sent out to a place called -- you walk into the heart attack grill, it seems to me you waive your rights to emt treatment. so here, yesterday another heart attack grill customer. i just saw the story right during the break at the top of the hour. a heart attack grill customer collapses, the headline, while eating a double bypass burger and smoking. yeah. and smoking. a las vegas woman -- wait.

it gets worse -- in her 40s collapsed at the heart attack grill while dining on a double by pass burger smoking cigarettes, and drinking a margarita. we have a winner. >> yeah. two months ago, it was a customer at the same restaurant suffered a heart attack while eating a triple by pass burger. one year ago, the attack grill's 575-pound, 29-year-old spokesman died. the quad ruppel bypass burger is around 10,000 calories. they have a sign in the restaurant that says, this establishment is bad for your health. >> good for them. >> but seriously, why would you go in that place? secondly if you are in that place, it seems to me we taxpayers or the -- i don't pay

nevada taxes but the taxpayers of nevada should not be paying to haul people out of there. i mean it's sort of like you go in there, you are saying all right. i know the risk. >> yeah. >> and i am taking the risks and i am wavingive waving my right. >> >> >> emt heave free. >> some people are too stupid to eat. seriously, if you go in i mean this is like you order a double bypass burger, that's like putting ice cream on top of your steak. i know i sound like virginia foxx here but virginia foxx says she has no sympathy for students who need a student loan. i have sympathy for those students. i have no sympathy with people who walk into the heart attack grill, order a double bypass burger, smoking a cigarette and drinking a margarita.

you get what you deserve. is that too hard-hearted? 866-5--press. let's take a break and it may be we can hunt down senator tom harkin. and if you want to talk about the heart attack grill or the cage-fribourger king, coming up 866-557-377. >> radio meets television. the bill press show. now, on current tv. building up to this. >>bill shares his views, now it's your turn. >>i know you're going to want to weigh in on these issues. >>connect with "full court press with bill press" at facebook.com/billpressshow and on twitter at bpshow. >>i believe people are hungry for it.

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tv. >> yes, calling tom harkin calling tom harkin. oh, man, nothing like live radio and live television with a guest who doesn't show up. we heard from senator harkin's aidee during the break and he should be calling us shortly. if we catch him we will go to him right away. mean while we were talking about the heart attack grill out in vegas, another customer collapsing while eating a double by pass burger and smoking a cigarette and drinking a margarita. taxpayers calledpaid for it. >> the heart attack grill, normally, i am all for your opinions. but i've heard you say before that we shouldn't blame the victims even though it's bad judgment. i think we should still take care of them. >>a i am a bleeding-heart liberal and you are, too,

obviously. but there are some limits. these people are just plain stupid, mike. >> oh, yeah, i believe so too. but let me tell you something. i had a heart attack right after eating luncheon and it had nothing to do with it. it turns out i had a vir russus and it had nothing to do with the hamburger i had just eaten. >> i do think that the -- i am sure you weren't having a double by bypass burger. >> i wasn't. >> reporter: nor a triple bypass burger. don't feel so guilty and on top of it, she is smoking and drinking a margarita all at the same time. i just think look. there is some limit even to our taxpayer dollars, mike. i appreciate the call. but i am just going to be a hard-ass on this one. so president obama, on the road again yesterday, he was at the university of iowa on top of being at the university of north carolina and, of course, the university of colorado, talking about this important issue of

student loans. he said yesterday, in iowa are we debating this? this should not be a republican or a democratic issue. >> helping more young people afford college should be at the forefront of america's gentry agenda. this should be an american issue. >> he has the students behind him on this. we have seen the numbers. you know i saw some stud stents, the average is around $12,500. there is there are some students i saw interviewed on the news who had debts rolling up to like 200 -- one guy said $250,000. imagine how long it's going to take to pay off even at 3.4% if that interest rate jumps up to 6.8%, july 1st, which it will unless congress acts, that's anywhere from a thousand to $1,500 extra a year on the average loan, of course, a hell of a lot more on those great big

giant loans students have. the fact of the it is tuition is so high today and economy is so rough and families are so struggling, getting these loans is the only way millions and millions of students 7 million students today, with these student loans depending upon the student loans, the president is right, you would think, knowing that our future really depends on having an educated work force, you think this is one issue like by the way, the highway transportation bill where republicans and democrats would come together as they always have and just say, well of course, of course we are going to pass this. i mean there is no debate. it should be in the senate 100 to nothing. but instead, it's not. the president also told the students, repeating something he had said down in north carolina that for him and michelle the first lady, this is not just an academic issue. >> this is personal for me. i know something being this because michelle and i we went

through it. and it wasn't that long ago. we have been in your shoes. we didn't come from wealthy families. we needed loans, and we needed -- we needed grants to get our way through. [applause.] >> the president said in north carolina, i am not sure he repeated it yesterday, that actually, he and the first lady paid off their student loans just eight years ago. right? so he might not yet have been the united states senator. i have to do a little math here but he was a senator in illinois getting ready to run for the united states senate and he was -- he barack obama and michelle obama, were still paying off their student loans. unbelievable and the president yesterday said, look. here is what you have got to do and students know how to do this is get busy and start tweeting members of congress which the students in north carolina and

colorado had already done very successfully the day before. >> we have students at north carolina then at the university of colorado, they got it trending worldwide. see if you guys can do better. >> peter i am not sure. what does it mind, "trending worldwide"? >> if a lot of people are talking about it on twitter the more people talking about it, the more it trends. if you get a lot of people talking, it trends all around the world. >> which means more and more people pick it up? >> exactly. >> that's what it needs. >> that's what it needs because you have got this massive denial on the part of republicans in congress, the heads of the committees in the house and in the senate, republicans have said that they are not for extending the break on student loans, keeping it at the lower rate of 3.4%. they want it to jump up. they are more than willing to have it jump up.

the -- at the -- on the first of july. and, in fact here is todd aiken, a republican from missouri yesterday. here is what he said about student loans: america has got the equivalent of stage 3 cancer of socialism because the federal government is tampering in all kinds of stuff it has no business tampering in. todd aiken, a missouri republican, not the only one who thinks this way, the government should quit the student loan market entirely. >> that's the republican position. president obama has a great issue here. it's an important issue. it's an irby think that probably has the % of 90% of the american people and the republicans are just, i think, committing political suicide by standing against 7 million american students. >> this is the bill press show.

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the political season just about were wrapping up stage 1 and ready to move into stage 2 this week and following it all, on the road through most of the spring winter and spring awana summers, political reporter for politico, politico.com. wana, welcome back home. >> nice to be back. >> nice to see you. mitt romney wrapped it up. >> it looks like we have made it and his opponents are concede that point now with newt gingrich deciding you know what? it's time to call it quits. that's a good sign as any that we are switching to the general election right now. >> romney spent -- what was it $18.60 or something like that per vote. right? yeah. 18.60 per vote. more than anybody else. right? >> you know, i haven't seen that

figure but it doesn't surprise me. we knew 2012 was going to be an incredibly high-spending election. we can only expect to see the figure go go up. as romney is challenging a setting secretary. it. >> so now that he is the nominee for all trackpractical purposes are republicans going toral rally behind him. >> you saw texas governor rick perry come out. he was previously supporting newt gingrich seemed to be the most serious challenge romney had has endorsed him. >> that's about as clear of a signal as you can get, we will have folks kind of coalesce around mitt romney. republicans want barack obama out of. there is no alternative out there. there is not going to be a chariot in a white horse coming. >> not now. >> certainly not. >> people were hoping for within one. if rick perry has endorsed why

hasn't rick santorum? >> i spent a lot of time on the road with rick santorum that they want a meaningful conversation before that happens. as his chief strategist put it, this isn't a 5-minute meeting, pick up the endorsement and walk out. they want a real discussion. they want to talk about the values, the social conservative platform rick santorum had and how that can be incorporated in a meaningful way. so they want more than just to pick up an endorsement. they are supposed to be meeting may. we will see how far that goes. >> they want romney to lose? >> i wouldn't go that far. they feel there needs to be a place for social conservatives and obviously, rick santorum didn't always have the kindest things to say about mitt romney out oat road. he is uniquely unqualified to be the nominee. that will be an interesting conversation. i would love to be a fly on the wall. >> wouldn't we all?

right. das true if mitt romney were to campaign line rick santorum did on birth control and same-sectionsame-sex marriage, that's a losing campaign. >> two men who appeal to different factors of the republican electorate. folks more economic minded are going to trend toward mitt romney but the grassroots conservatives seem to get behind the values and the off-the-cuff unfetterred nature that rick santorum had. if rick santorum endorses him, he could bring those folks into the fold. it might not necessarily be a natural fit for mitt romney. >> talk talking with juana summers for politico probably the best political site around. we use it every day and voir dire a lot of politico people here on the show if you want to join conversation, as we say we

save a seat for you at the table. it is right there. you can take it by giving us a call at 866-55-press. do you think just a tangent for a side, when you look at the fact that mitt romney is the nominee, when you look at the fact that the tea party did not want o. rin hatch, no way, no how out in utah and he only lost by -- he only failed to get the nomination by 37 votes, has the tea party kind of lost its clout clout. >> i wouldn't go that far. i think if you are looking at from 2010 until now, there has certainly been a lot less. as a tea party standard bearer isn't out there like in 2010. i don't think there is one person if you are looking in the context of the presidential race. >> it doesn't look like they'll have the inflewuence as they did in 2010. >> i think that's probably

something you will see them try to retool to come balk and gain the influence in the mid terms or in 2016. >> so we have talked about santorum. let's go back to looking at this 2012. here is a clip of newt gingrich yesterday. he now finally, seems to be seeing the writing on the wall. here is gingrich. >> i do think it's pretty clear that governor romney is ultimately going to be the nominee and we will do everything we can to make sure that he is, in fact effective. >> but he is not going to do anything until next tuesday. >> it's crazy. the guy is in north carolina going to the zoo in north carolina carolina. i think he has a flower festival or something. he is out there campaigning despite the fact every source in his campaign says, we are getting out of this thing and will most likely endorse mitt romney. he will continue to go on. newt gingrich makes sure he can balance his political brand. he stayed in this far longer than most people think he

should. i think he wants to make sure when he comes out of it, he can capitalize on it, whether it's selling more books, becoming a mitt romney surrogate, a conservative figurehead. i think he is probably very concerned about how he comes across. >> there is a time. you get out. there is a time where if you get out gracefully, you have got sort of a political after life. there is also a time where if you stay in too long you are just a joke. right? has he gotten to that point? pretty close to it, i think. >> you know, i think most folks that we have spoken to a couple of my colleagues wrote a story about this on our site today is that it may have been a bit too long. newt gingrich probably would have been smarter to get out earlier. a leader who endorsed him made an argument that maybe he could have seen a reason to stay in with race in flux but when you had rick santorum get out, there was no way he could have amassed

to get the delegates. why do you do it? >> correct me if i am wrong. doesn't newt gingrich still have secret service protection? >> he does. i believe i believe it's going to be costing the american p.m., $280,000 for secret service. >> for this weekend? right. >> for this weekend until he gets out of the race. he does still have protection. >> he and calissa going shopping at tiffanies? >> they want to make sure he didn't get picked ups he was at the st. louis and he got bit by a penguin. >> that's the most attention other than the decision he is going to drop out of the race that newt gingrich has had in a couple of months. >> how did secret service let that happen? how did they let that penguin get through. starts waddling over and the secret service. >> you would think that that penguin would be a dead penguin. right. >> did i hear he got bit in the face by a baby lion once too? i heard him that, too.

>> bad luck. >> maybe he ought to start staying away from zoos. santorum is out, hasn't endorsed. newt is still in, getting out, maybe has endorsed. nobody is talking about ron paul any more. >> ron paul is missing. >> yeah. what's he doing? not that it matters. >> ron paul has been in his home state of texas this week hitting up a number of colleges. i know he went to the university of texas, was in el paso i believe, yesterday continuing his trend and hoping to galvan eyes the youth vote but if you listen to what he has said, i don't think that he believes that the nomination is realistically going to become his. it's about coalition building and movement building and perhaps some political folks might say setting his son, senator paul up for a ron. >> ron paul obviously wants to do something, have some kind of an impact like last year in st. paul, he had this one big rally and that was sort of his

movementmoment. on the other side, yesterday, didn't get that much play jim messina, campaign manager for president obama and david axelrod, his chief political advisor met with reporters and said, okay. now, the general election is under. we havep -- is underway. >> romney has to put his record and his agenda up against the president. and we look forward to that debate. >> look forward to that debate. the next part where he said they have set their first campaign rallies for may 5, one in richmond, virginia, and the other -- >> in ohio. >> is it? yeah. let's listen to messina again. >> the president and first lady will hold their first two campaign rallies on saturday may 5th, one in columbus, ohio. >> columbus, ohio. >> and one in richmond, virginia. >> ohio. ohio. what a surprise. going to ohio. right? that seems to be his favorite

stop outside of washington, d.c. so we are off and running. right? >> we are off to the matches but what i think is interesting about messinat quote, it's not like mitt romney hasn't taken aim at the president. it's been about president obama. it's never really been about his rivals when he is on the stump but now we are in prime time now. we have kind of pushed aside the idea someone other than mitt romney will be the nominee. it will be a bitter race on both sides. >> give us a call at 866-55-press. it's the full court press here on thursday april 26th. we are off to the races. simplistic answers. >>we're here because we're independent. we will not settle for easy answers. (vo) the former governor of ny eliot spitzer, joins the new news network. >>every night we will drill

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>> this is the full court press, the bill press show live on your radio and on current tv. >> juana summers is national political reporter for politico. she is in the studio with us here on the full-court press this thursday, april 26th. your calls welcome at 866-55-press. juana, before we get to our calls here, so vice president joe biden yesterday giving a speech up at new york university says osama bin laden

is dead and general motors is alive. >> the pzinger, not surprising from the vice president but that's a line people will remember and i expect campaign operatives to certainly pick up and twist to their advantage. >> but it's true. right. >> it is. >> it speaks to the president's accomplishments at home and abroad. >> gillespie, senior advisor says he will not run on his record, but we will. sounds to me from listening to the vice president they are going to run on their record. >> absolutely. it's a matter of how each side views that record. the romney campaign has consistently said that -- repeats obama's failed policies, obama's failure to lead. whereas what the vice president is saying is he has led

general motors is alive. osama bin laden has been killed. that is a back and forth of whether or not obama should take full responsibility for osama bin laden. i am not going to get into that. >> there are both cases it seems to me where they can say, this is where leadership was needed. obama stepped up to the plate, provided the leadership and bingo, these things were done. >> absolutely. i think that duality between accomplishments at home and abroad is important. americans are looking for someone who can show success in both fields where the president could say, mitt romney does not have the foreign policy experience that i have. >> wait a minute. you said he had -- he said he had wonderful vacations in paris. traci from baltimore. >> good morning, mr. press. >> bill, please. thank you the. >> good morning, bill. i am so glad to be talking to you on this morning. >> good to have you here?

>> i believe i believe what's going on with politics today is ridiculous. you have congress, you know not interested in helping, you know, the fellow people that's totally wrong. congress is supposed to help us not hurt us. i found out yesterday or on another show, actually that someone wrote a book pertaining to the day of the inauguration where they went into a meeting to hold how they are going to stop obama from, you know doing any economics for this country. >> i have to tell you tracy, i wrote about that. i don't know if they were talking about my book but that's my first chapter in the book "the obama hate machine" at the very time the inauguration was going on the republican strategists were lining up saying, how are we going to take this guy on? it has gotten pretty ugly but

tracy, appreciate hearing from you it you. it seems to be a theme of the campaign mitt romney represents the 1%, people like him. >> i think that's something you can expect tracy is exactly right. >> that's something you can expect the obama campaign where as mit romny is looking for folks who bank role him. you will hear that from the democrats this time. >> by the way, brad woodhouse, communications director of the dnc will be in the studio at the top of the next hour and we will ask him more about the obama campaign. there has been a lot of speculation, i have to end with this about marco rubio. he gives a big speech at the brookings institute. everybody says this is his

debut, audition as vice president, going to give a major speech on foreign policy. and he does until he gets toward the end of it. here is marco rubio. >> above all else the 21st sent tree provides us the opportunity for more freedom, a world where more people are free to grow their economies, free to pursue their dreams free to become prosperous. >> uh-oh. >> i left my last page of the speech. does anybody have my last page? did i leave it with