Skip to main content

tv   MSNBC Live  MSNBC  September 12, 2011 8:00am-9:00am PDT

8:00 am
being laid off in droves, which sun fa is unfair to kids, it undermines our future, and it is exactly what we shouldn't be doing if we want our kids to be college ready and then prepared for the jobs of the 21st century. we've got to get our teachers back to work. let's pass this bill and put them back to work in the classroom where they belong. [ applause ] >> i'm standing here with veterans. we've got hundreds of thousands of brave, skilled americans who fought for this country. the last thing they should have to do is to fight for a job when they come home. so let's pass this bill and put the men and women who served this nation back to work. [ applause ] >> we're standing here with cops and firefighters whose jobs are threatened by states and communities are cutting back. this bill will keep cops on the beat and firefighters on call.
8:01 am
so let's pass this bill so that these men and women can continue protecting our neighborhoods like they do every single day. [ applause ] >> i'm standing with construction workers. we've got roads that need work all over the country. our highways are backed up with traffic. our airports are clogged, and there are millions of unemployed construction workers who can rebuild them. so let's pass this bill so road crews and diggers and pavers and workers can all head back to the job site. there is plenty of work to do. this jobs bill will help them do. it let's put them back to work and pass this bill rebuilding america. [ applause ] >> and there are schools throughout the country that desperately need renovating. [ applause ] >> we cannot -- got an "amen" over there. we can't expect our kids to do their best in places that are
8:02 am
literally falling apart. this is america. every kid deserves a great school, and we can give it to them. pass this bill, and we put construction crews back to work across the country repairing and modernizing at least 35,000 schools. i'm standing here with small business owners. they know that while corporate profits have come roaring back, a lot of small businesses are struggling, getting the capital and support they need to grow. this cuts taxes for small business that hire new employees and for small businesses that raise salaries for current employees. it cuts your payroll tax in half and all businesses can write off investments they make this year and next year. instead of just talking about america's job creators, let's actually do something for america's job creators. we can do that by passing this bill. there are a lot of other ways
8:03 am
that this jobs bill, the american jobs act, will help this economy. it's got a $4,000 tax credit for companies that hire anybody who spent more than six months looking for a job. we've got to do more for folks who have been hitting the pavement every single day looking for work but haven't found employment yet. it's why we need to extend unemployment insurance and connect people to temporary work to help upgrade their skills. this bill will help hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged young people find summer jobs next year. jobs that will help celt tset t direction for their lives. and the american jobs act would prevent taxes from going up for middle-class families. if congress does not act, just about every family in america will pay more taxes next year, and that would be a self-inflicted wound that our economy just can't afford right now. let's pass this bill and give the typical working family a $1,500 tax cut instead.
8:04 am
[ applause ] >> and the american jobs act is not going to add to the debt. it's fully paid for. i want to repeat that. it is fully paid for it's not going to add a dime to the deficit. next week i'm laying out my plan not only to pay for this jobs bill but to bring down the deficit further. it's a plan that lives by the same rules that families do. we've got to cut out things that we can't afford to do in order to afford the things that we really need. it's a plan that says everybody, including the wealthiest americans and biggest corporations, have to pay their fair share. [ applause ] >> so the bottom line is when it comes to strengthening the economy and balancing our books, we've got to decide our priority. do we keep tax loopholes for
8:05 am
companies or put teachers back to work. should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires or invest in education and technology and infrastructure? all the things that are going to help us outinnovate and out educate and outbuild other countries in the future. we know what's right. we know what will help businesses start right here and stay here and hire here. we know that if we take the steps outlined in this jobs plan, that there's no reason why we can't be selling more goods all around the world that are stamped with those three words, "made in america." that's what we need to do to create jobs right now. [ applause ] >> i have to repeat something i said in my speech on thursday. there are some in washington who'd rather settle our differences through politics and the elections than try to resolve them now. in fact, joe and i as we were walking out here were looking at one of the washington
8:06 am
newspapers. it was quoting a republican aide saying, "i don't know why we'd want to cooperate with obama right now. it's not good for our politics." that's very explicit. that's the attitude in this town. yeah, we've been for these things before, but i don't know why we'd be for them right now. the fact of the matter is the next election is 14 month away. the american don't have the luxury of -- american people don't have the luxury of waiting 14 months for congress to take action. [ applause ] >> folks are living week to week, paycheck to paycheck, they need action. and the notion that there are folks who would say we're not going to try to do what's righ s for the american people because we don't think it's convenient for milk, we've been seeing that too much around here. that's exactly what folks are
8:07 am
tired of. and that's okay when thing ares are going well -- things are going well, you play politics. it's not okay at a time of great urgency and need all across the country. these aren't games we're playing out here. folks are out of work. businesses are having trouble staying open. you've got a world economy that is full of uncertainty right now. in europe, in the middle east, some events may be beyond our control. but this is something we can control. whether or not we pass this bill, whether or not we get this done, that's something that we can control. that's in our hands. you hear a lot of folks talking about uncertainty in the economy. this is a bit of uncertainty
8:08 am
that we could avoid by going ahead and taking action to make sure that we're helping the american people. so if you agree, if you want congress to take action, then i'm going to need everybody here and everybody watching, you've got to make sure that your voices are heard. help make the case. there's no reason not to pass this bill. its ideas are bipartisan, its ideas are common sense. it will make a difference. that's not just my opinion, independent economists and validava validators said this could add a significant amount to our gross domestic product and could put people back to work all across the country. [ applause ] >> so the only thing that's stopping it is politics. we can't afford these political games, not now. i want you to pick up the phone,
8:09 am
send an e-mail, use one of these airplane sky writers, dust off the fax machine, or just write a lett letter. so long as you get the message to congress. sign the american jobs act so i can sign it into law. let's get something done. let's put this country back to work. thank you very much, everybody. god bless. [ applause ] >> thank you, guys. good morning, everyone, i'm thomas roberts in new york. there we have it, president obama meeting everyone there in the white house rose garden to talk about what's taking place in his american jobs act, raising the stakes on republicans in congress once again with this jobs plan. as you see, he was flanked by teachers, police officers, firefighters, construction workers, as well as president, announcing he is urging
8:10 am
lawmakers to pass the jobs bill to get american back to work and help the economy. urging americans to reach out to representatives on the hill. that bill set to arrive on capitol hill this afternoon. and the president stressed it has both republican and democratic ideas. he outlined the many ways he says the bill can help the economy. toward the president heads to john boehner's back yard to sell him this plan in ohio. we want to bring in experts to talk about this. say good morning to "politico" executive editor and analyst richard wolfe, author of "renegade: the making of a president." gentlemen, this is probably the president that many of his supporters have wanted to see. forceful on his ideas and saying over and over let's pass this bill. you heard him rattling off the ways it will help the economy. it's fully paid for. republicans have taken a measured approach, jim. how likely are they to respond once they see the fine print of
8:11 am
what's in the american jobs act? >> right, thoma, in his speech he mentioned a washington newspaper writing about resistance to any deal. it was "politico," a story we had today where a lot of republicans are frustrated with their leadership for even suggesting there could be a compromise on this jobs bill because for a lot of rank and file republicans, especially in the house, they don't want a deal. they might take a deal on some of the tax cut provisions, but they don't want a broader deal. they think they're winning this argument politically. even if it affects jobs in the short term, they have no interested sb in working with president obama -- no interest in working with president obama to dig out this hole. they would rather focus on reducing deficits andic that to voters in 2012 because they feel president obama is on the ropes. when you look at the polling data, particularly the data up from the special election in new york that's taking place tomorrow in a very strongly democratic district, 16% approval for president obama among independents.
8:12 am
those numbers are devastating for the president. republicans like where they are politically, and unfortunately politics always gets pushed into the policy process here. >> we're watching this, it's the american economy, the american worker, the american family that's suffering. richard, the president defended his plan, though, in an interview with "nbc nightly news" anchor brian williams. take a listen to this. >> whether you look at what independent economists are saying it the american jobs act, my jobs plan, uniformly what they are saying is this buys us insurance against a double-dip recessi recession, and it almost certainly helps the economy grow and will put more people back to work. >> that phrase "insurance against a double-dip recession." how much pressure is he trying to put on congressional republicans to pass this plan? as jim points out, they feel they have him on the ropes, opposition in d.c. why do they need to play ball? >> well, because they are thinking about the next election themselves. maybe individual house
8:13 am
republicans in safe districts are not concerned. the pressure is on their leadership in the house. he is trying as president to say either the house republican leadership is going to follow these i do diehards and play politics and not look for extra jobs growth and economic growth that the private forecasters are saying, or they're going to actually stands with the people looking for work. they were elected on a platform of jobs. so the difficult pressure that he's trying to apply here is on those national leaders. if they want to stay in that national position as majority leader in the house, as house speaker or even take back the majority in the senate, they have to give him some of this because's not about him, of course. it is as the white house would like to portray it, about the real people. this is not about the debate inside washington. it's about peep people stand -- about peoplestanding beside the
8:14 am
president. >> the -- 82% disapprove. many americans pointed out to wait to vote in a new congress. when we talk about the democrats pushing the panic button for 2012, richard, do you think they need to do that now with the president's approval rating dipping? >> lots of reasons to be concerned. this is a very familiar panel with this president. it was through the campaign. it has been through his presidency. remember when sarah palin was nominated and every democrat thought the election was over? a few months later, it was very different. and they thought the same six months ago. six months ago when the president was riding high and bin laden was assassinated, you saw democrats saying this president was a shoe-in. now they're worrying it's endemocratic to democrats, a repeated pattern with the president. i'm sure we'll see the pendulum swing back and forth before the election next year. >> gentlemen, thank you very much. coming up later in this hour, our series "hiring now," eight high-paying jobs that you can get with a two-year college
8:15 am
diabetes. stick around for that. let's look at the markets. the dow is down over 100 points. still above the psychological mark of t10,000. in early market trading, investors are concerned that europe's debt crisis will have worldwide repercussions. in greece there's worry about defaulting on debts. officials are divided over how to handle it.
8:16 am
8:17 am
don't our dogs deserve to eat fresher less processed foods just like we do introducing freshpet healthy recipes of fresh meat and fresh veggies so fresh the only preservative we use is the fridge freshpet fresh food for fido
8:18 am
welcome back. a federal courthouse in florida was evacuated after a truck was parked for several days by the west palm beach courthouse. the threat followed terror
8:19 am
scares across the country over the weekend. authorities scrambled fighter jets to escort an american airlines flight from l.a. to jfk. a passenger told a flight attendant three men were taking frequent trips to the bathroom and making hand signals to each other. all three were questioned by the fbi and released after that plane landed. fighter jets aunt intercepted -- also intercepted a detroit-bound airplane after people took "an extraordinarily long time in the bathroom." those two and one other passenger were taken off the plane in handcuffs. police determined there had been no real threat. security is still ramped up in new york city and washington, d.c., today in response to a terror threat described as credible but unconfirmed. suggested a car or truck bomb sometime from september 10 until september 12. joining me is nbc justice correspondent pete williams. where adoes the investigation
8:20 am
stand? >> reporter: i think it's run its course. this was a great deal of concern because the original source of the information is someone who had provided dependable evidence in the past. the scenario that the source laid out was official detailed. that's why initially officials were saying it was specific and credible. they also said it was uncorroborated. meaning they had no way to confirm it. everything that happened has failed to confirm it. what they've done is looked at travel records for anybody who come have come to the united states during the time the source was talked about, identified hundreds of people who might have fit a pattern, and they went and interviewed those. so far they haven't turned up anybody that they thought could have been part of a plot. there's no reason to think the plot was for real sore that they really came here. nonetheless, the decision was to keep security stepped up through today. we're still seeing it ramped up in new york and washington,
8:21 am
thomas. >> pete, thank you. a day after honoring the victims of 9/11, the world trade center memorial was opened for the first time. during the ceremony, friend and family of 9/11 victims were able to tour the memorial which features two large reflect the pools in the footprint of the towers. president obama who visited all three sites yesterday spoke about america's resilience at a concert for hope at the kennedy center. >> these past ten years have shown that america does not give in to fear. the rescue workers who rushed to the scene, the firefighter who charge -- firefighters who charged up the stairs, the passagers who stormed the cockpit, these patriot define the very nature of courage. >> reporter: he is no longer running for president, but that doesn't many tim pawlenty doesn't have an opinion on the race. find out who he endorsed for the gop nomination. that gives you a hint there. and highlighting how bad
8:22 am
things might be now for democrats. they're having a hard time defending a special election house seat in new york. a race that should have been a slam-dunk. it's a district that's been democratic for almost 90 years. you name it. i've tried it. but nothing's helped me beat my back pain. then i tried this. it's salonpas. this is the relief i've been looking for. salonpas has 2 powerful pain fighting ingredients that work for up to 12 hours. and my pharmacist told me it's the only otc pain patch approved for sale using the same rigorous clinical testing that's required for prescription pain medications. proven. powerful. safe. salonpas. or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business -- it's good for the entire community.
8:23 am
at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities, so we're helping them with advice from local business experts and extending $18 billion in credit last year. that's how we're helping set opportunity in motion. okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? they're making him triple double. why? this! new triple double oreo. ♪ yo stufy, come here! [ shoes squeaking ] looked better on paper.
8:24 am
[ strike! ] looked better on paper. wso to save money, i trained my dog and this cockatoo to play all the hits of the '80's woman: hit it, mr. butters. ♪ ♪ take on me... ♪ ....take on me ♪ take me on... anncr: there's an easier way to save. get online. go to geico.com get a quote. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.
8:25 am
new natureluxe mousse mascara! we took out a heavy synthetic and put in a light touch of beeswax. up with the volume, down with the weight. new natureluxe mousse mascara. easy breezy beautiful covergirl. the race to fill anthony weiner's empty seat wasn't supposed to be close. but there may be a surprise winner. republican robert turner is ahead of state assemblyman david wepdin. a last-minute surge in donations may not be enough to send him to washington. we have the editor of the new york -- "the new york post" is with us. is this a case of david weprin running a weak campaign? >> it's all of the above. i think there's no question there's a referendum on the president. the poll you mentioned and a new
8:26 am
poll that came out yesterday both show president obama under water with a net negative in this heavily democratic district. it's turned into a referendum on the president in a place where the president should be the strongest. >> fred, democrats have linked pop turner to the tea party -- bob turner to the tea party. explain the type of politician he is. is he far right conservative? where does he fall? >> he's conservative but not a politician. he's pro-life, again same-sex marriage, but these social issues don't seem to matter in this election. this election is not about bob turner or weprin, it's about barack obama. because of that he's poised for a victory, but it could be a smashing victory. >> again, when you talk about this, this is a district that has been democratic for 90 years. >> this is chuck schumer's district. if democrats are going to win the presidency, if they're going to hold the congress, this is a district they must win. right now they're not going to do that. >> quickly before you go,
8:27 am
anthony weiner, what's the latest? is he staying under the headlines for now? >> he is. he's preparing to be a now father. living in the shadow of his wife. i think his wife is happy to have it that way. >> excellent. nice to see you this morning, sir. appreciate. >> thank you. so real jobs with real leads. hiring now. today has fresh, new opportunities for you. high-paying jobs and only they require a two-year degree. we'll break those down for you. the openings in this country. plus, serena williams lets the chair umpire have it yesterday. my doctor told me calcium is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d
8:28 am
for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. for the efficient absorption my body needs. like, keep one of these over your head. well, i wasn't "supposed" to need flood insurance, but i have it. fred over here chose not to have it. ♪ me, i've got a plan. fred he uh... fred what is your plan? do i look like i have a plan? not really. [ female announcer ] only flood insurance covers floods. for a free brochure, call the number on your screen.
8:29 am
8:30 am
ugh, great. you may be going up, but those roots are bringing you down! try root touch-up by nice 'n easy. to extend the life of your color. nice 'n easy has 50% more shades, so you can find your seamless match. with root touch-up by nice 'n easy. ♪ i've been waiting ♪ for a snack like you ♪ to come into my life [ female announcer ] try our delicious spinach artichoke dip with warm pita. new from lean cuisine®. welcome back. a breaking news story in france. one person has been killed following an explosion at a nuclear waste treatment site. authorities confirm that no radioactive material leaked outside of this plant. the u.n. atomic agency is investigating that blast. we'll bring you more details once we get it. want to shift focus now to
8:31 am
the stock market. stocks in the u.s. are again in turmoil as fears increase over the global debt crisis. there are fears europe's eroding finances and credit rating could spill over to u.s. bank. this comes as president obama pressures congress to pass his $447 billion jobs bill which he's sending to congress tonight. >> the american people don't have the luxury of waiting 14 months for congress to take action. folks are living week to week, paycheck to paycheck, they need action. >> we just got a response from house speaker john boehner who says once the house receives the bill they will immediately submit it to the congressional budget office to be scored. he says that it is his hope that both parties will work together. joining me now is cnbc contributor ron insana with perspective on the plan itself and what we're seeing behind the dive that we're witnessing coming off of friday's brutal day. for one, the president is
8:32 am
calling this, ron, an insurance plan for a double-dip recession. do you see it that way? >> yeah, i think that's a great way to describe it. in a more vernacular sense, it's chicken soup. it couldn't hurt. you know, this economy is close to catching cold. we've -- we're in the process of sneezing. it's kind of a reverse situation, than we normally see. they say when the u.s. catches cold, the rest of the world gets pneumonia. right now it's europe that we're worry good that has a serious virus that is contagious. the banking and debt crisis that they have does have some threat of spreading beyond its borders. i think that's what wall street's been worry good for the last several days. >> and fears about germany and the euro zone industry and that the fact that they're running out of steam. >> they're running on the steam. germany is, it seems according to published reports, that germany's effectively accepting the notion that greece will ultimately default on its debt. and it's going to inoculate its banking system by providing capital to its hobbled banks. today three large french banks
8:33 am
were downgraded by rating agencies worried about their exposure to greek debt. if greece goes, there's the wary that portugal, ireland, italy, swain would -- we don't know what the consequences would be. >> let's take it to what the president is doing in term of the american crisis on the jobs front. he plans to take the message on the road. we'll show everybody where he's going. on tuesday, columbus, ohio. wednesday, raleigh-durham, north carolina. what can he really say to sell this more than he had from the rose garden, flanked by uniformed men and women, flanked by out-of-work teachers, flanked by construction workers talking about the crumbling infrastructure of america? what more does he need to say get this snoeold? >> look, we have a jobs crisis, we have a growth crisis. the u.s. is growing far below its potential. i expect at the end of the day whether the bill portions or -- boehner and kantor have shown signs of willing to compromise.
8:34 am
i think the federal reserve will do more come september 21 when it makes its decision on interest rates. i think the european central bank will cut interest rates. we're hearing china might back-stop european debt to shore up the situation. everyone has a lot to lose if we go into a global recession. so in addition to what may or may not happen in congress, i think now policymakers around the world even though they haven't shown much action thus far, when it comes to the central bankers, they're going to be our backstop again, bernanke, jean claude trichet and someone from china trying to make it right. we hope congress gets it right, as well. >> from what you know about the american jobs plan and listening to the president, tax credits, unemployment insurance, summer jobs, that it's fully paid for, are there roadblocks the republicans can throw up? >> i think they're opposed to extending jobless benefits. they view it as some sort of disincentive for long-term employed individuals to find
8:35 am
job. i think that's a point that could be argued quite well that isn't economically accurate. the package is $450 billion. if it's not scored in the manner, in the congressional budget office in the manner that the white house has scored it, there could be an argument over increasing the size of the deficit. i hope that's not where we go. the economy needs help. >> rob insana, great to see you as always. in today's "hiring now" segment, getting the long-term unemployed back to work. president obama has said that new job training could help match those without jobs to the positions that are available. for many, a four-year degree is out of reach due to time and budgetary constraints. but, there are many high-paying jobs that only require two-year degrees. john challenger is the founder and ceo of challenger, gray, and christmas, his firm helps displaced workers transition back to work. he joins us now live from chicago. john, it's great to have you on once again. i want to get to this first batch of job positions and suggestions. they are registered nurses,
8:36 am
engineering technicians, dentsal hygienists, computer-support specialists. so explain to everybody where do you see people getting hired right now in portions of the country? what territories should people be looking in? >> well, so, take these first -- this first batch of jobs. two of them come out of health care. health care can't all be done, provided by expensive doctors and physicians. many of the tasks that go with this that as we bring costs done are going to be by people who get skilled training in specific areas of the field. here are two of them. we've got the dental hygenists, you don't need someone to clean your teeth, the dentist to do that, but there's great demand for people who get the skilled training. you also have then technology, there's a lot of technology that
8:37 am
is kind of the base work when you build software systems, a lot of programmers that are needed who don't need to get a four-year college degree. they need specific know-how that you can get in the technical schools today. going back to get the degrees is just so crucial -- not the full, four-year degrees, but specific licenses that help you get -- demonstrate that you have the skills. >> the second batch of recommendations of high-paying jobs, we'll put it up -- paralegal, diagnostic medical imaging, and x-ray tech, web designer, physical therapy assistant. these jobs and other ones where you need to find educational skills, what do you think would be the idea of re-educating the work force for people considering this career change and they find it daunting? what would be advice that you would give them? >> well, certainly today if you've been out for more than six months and we're near record numbers of people who is been in
8:38 am
the long term unemployed, at some point you have to make the decision, can i come -- can i go out and develop new skills that the market needs right now. in the second patch of jobs, we have more health care, technology, we have a legal function here. again, think about it almost like those medical technicians. you don't want to have expensive lawyers doing all the legwork, so you need paralegals who can come in, who understand under the law they haven't been through three years of school, but they can get a lot of the work done for much lower cost. so there's great demand for people with these skills. and it continue to go on in the trades, as well. pipe fitters, welders, mechanics, there's a dirth upof people, companies cannot find people with enough skills. let's hope the administration creates some program that
8:39 am
supports companies to bring people on and train people on the job. that's up there as a possibility. >> we like this, all the recommendations for high-paying jobs. again, making sure everybody realizes these aren't four-year-degree jobs. they're two-year degree jobs. thank you. for more, tweet me, and we could use your suggestion on an upcoming "hiring now" segment. big news ahead over a republican debate in a state that could make the difference in the race to face president obama. in a case of in you can't beat 'em, join 'em, 2012 drop outtim pawlenty endorsed mitt romney. interesting since he coined the phrase obama-care on romney. tonight the tea party debate gives perry another chance to tout his conservative credentials and win the support of we sunshine state voters. we want to bring in deputy
8:40 am
political director mark murray. mark, let's talk about this endorsement. would you have expected t. paul to endorse mitt romney? >> when pawlenty had the opportunity to attack mitt mt. on health care, he didn't do it -- attack mitt romney on health care, he didn't do it aggressively. certainly you'll see more debates, more back and forth, and pawlenty could have probably been able to elk tract more of -- extract more of this down the line if he waited for the endorsement. this is good news for mitt romney. almost every national poll over the last two or three weeks has shown rick perry with the lead, sometimes in the double digits. this is good news for romney to be able to tout, particularly as he is trying to make the case that the establishment republican party is with him and not with rick perry. >> tonight's debate in florida, how important is florida for the battle ultimately in the nomination? is florida everything?
8:41 am
>> it almost is, thomas. if you really think that in iowa rick perry can end up winning that state, mitt romney can end up winning new hampshire, romney win nevada, perry winning south carolina, that it would be even-stephen after the first four contests and then comes florida, and that would be very key, particularly for mitt romney. one thing to keep in mind and we don't know the entire calendar order yet, but as of now after florida you would end up -- super tuesday would be a lot of southern states. then the week after that would be a lot more southern states. so you can make the argument that after florida could become rick perry territory. so that shows why florida is so important to mitt romney. a win there can give him a lot of momentum. if he doesn't win in florida, if it maintains a two-person race, things could be pretty difficult for him as we get into march. >> mark, let's talk quickly about rick perry talking about social security because he wrote in an op-ed, "we must have the guts to talk it its financial condition if we are at the fix social security and make it
8:42 am
financially viable for generations to come." so he didn't use the phrase ponzi scheme in that op-ed as we've heard in the past. what is the political calculus here especially for florida which is a snowbird state where a lot of people ultimately retire? >> so, rick perry isn't backing away from his criticism of social security, but he is dialing down the rhetoric just a little bit. although in our nbc politico debate on wednesday, he by himself brought up ponzi scheme and monstrous lie. what he's trying to talk about in that "usa today"ond yed is that politicians need to be honest with voters on an entitle entitlement program such as this one. >> good to see you. turning to tennis. after the women's u.s. open match, serena williams may find herself banned next year. drama during the sect said. er is -- second set. serena williams follows up but
8:43 am
lets out a scream before the ball gets to stosur. take a listen. [ scream ] >> the chair umpire awards the point to stokur for serena's unsportsmanlike scream. williams can't believe it and lets the ump know she isn't happy. >> samantha stokur won the tournament in two sets. all right. our next guest doesn't want to get married as long as the
8:44 am
defensive marriage act exists but he doesn't want his partner to be deported either. does this connecticut congressal candidate have a fair argument? we're going to ask mike williams. [ grandma ] relationships are life... if you don't have that thing that fills your heart and your soul, you're missing that part of your life that just fulfills you. ♪ [ male announcer ] for us at humana, relationships matter too. the better we know you, the better we can help you choose the right medicare plan. that's why humana agents sit down with you to figure out your medicare options. and we have nurses you can call anytime, even at 3 a.m. because when you're on the right humana medicare plan and taking good care of yourself, then you can be there for the people who matter most. [ grandma ] my family is my joy, my hope... they are my heart. it's the reason we get out of bed in the morning... [ grandpa ] the reason we fall into bed at night sometimes.
8:45 am
[ grandma ] yes. that's right. [ male announcer ] humana. whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪ ben and his family live on this block. ben's a re/max agent, and he's a big part of this community. re/max agents know their markets, and they care enough to get to know you, too. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today. ♪ on a beach? on a mountain? or wherever you happen to be... the first step on that road may well be... a bowl of soup. delicious campbell's soups fill you with vegetable nutrition, farm-grown ingredients, energy, and can help you keep a healthy weight. putting you on the road to happiness.
8:46 am
bon voyage. campbell's -- it's amazing what soup can do. over time, my lashes thinned. after 40, i didn't have enough lashes. i'd heard of latisse® but had questions. my doctor said... latisse® is the only fda approved prescription treatment for inadequate or not enough lashes. now with latisse® my lashes are longer, darker, with more than double the fullness in 16 weeks. if you are using or have used, prescription products for eye pressure problems, use latisse® under close doctor care. latisse® use may cause increased brown pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely permanent. eyelid skin darkening may occur which may be reversible. if you experience eye problems or have eye surgery, consult your doctor. common side effects include itchy eyes and eye redness. i trust latisse® and i use it too. my lashes changed as i got older. now i use latisse®. more than double the fullness in 16 weeks. are your lashes thinning as you get older? why wait?
8:47 am
ask your doctor about latisse® from allergan, a company with 60 years of eye care expertise. a tralz truck bomb injure -- taliban truck bomb injured several soldiers in afghanistan following the september 11 nuffer. the attack sfwoer a military base, it also killed four afghan civilians including a 3-year-old girl. in north carolina the state's republican legislature is making a ban on same-sex marriage one of its top priorities. later today lawmakers will debate whether a state law defining marriage as between one man and one woman should be imprinted into the state's constitution. north carolina is the only southeastern state that has a same-sex marriage ban. the obama administration decision not to defend the
8:48 am
defensive marriage act has not changed the way many same-sex couples feel about the law. one couple in connecticut is taking a stand that may put an entire ocean between them. mike williams is a congressional candidate in the state of connecticut. his partner bart is facing deportation. mike joins us to talk about this. it's nice to meet you. i think what we need to explain to everybody, though, is that you and bart are not legally married within the state of connecticut. so why do you feel that bart should not be legally deported if it comes to that? >> thanks for having me. the issue is, first of all, that being married in connecticut actually doesn't do anything for you federally. so if we were married, the federal government would not recognize that because of the defensive marriage act which would mean that bart would still be scheduled to leave the country. actually, our lawyers have advised us and immigration equality, an organization that advocates on behalf of immigration equality, has told us ton get married specifically because depending on the visa that bart applies for, if it indicates he has a permanent link to this country, i.e., married to an american national,
8:49 am
and the visa doesn't have immigrant intent meaning it's a visa he can eventually apply to stay for good, he can -- they would den i'm him the visa -- deny him the visa theoretically and say you're not going to leave when the visa's up. if doma didn't exist, he'd be married and he could stay. >> is the intent for you to be married? would you consider yourself to be engaged to bart? >> i think we're close to that. we hit it off great. and you can be with people for a certain amount of time and realize that's the one. we're talking about it all the time. suddenly you have this shadow over your head whereby even if we wanted to now, we've been told don't do it because it could prejudice your visa application. marriage far from helping us could hurts us. it's a shame that the government can interfere in a personal issue when there are problems like the jobs, the economy, our place in the world, and they're worried about what's happening in private lives between consenting legal adults. it's a shame, and it's wrong. >> you're running in connecticut in the fifth congressional district. i noticed on your web site,
8:50 am
equality and siecivil rights is fourth, you have energy education, independence, and then equality, how do you feel this characterizes the type of candidate, politician you would like to be whether you're going through something that is so weighty personally? >> first of all, i don't think, you know, my candidacy is not described pie w ed by who i am. i'm representing all people in my district, a guy with global perspective who's worked abroad, worked in economics and internal affairs and wants to bring global knowledge to my community to help us move forward. people in connecticut are really beyond that issue. we have marriage in connecticutd this issue. we have marriage equality in connecticut, employment, nondiscrimination laws. they're worried about getting kids into good schools, paying their mortgage, getting a job and keeping that job. this is one example of how government is not empowering people. government shouldn't push you down, shouldn't hurt you and push you down.
8:51 am
i'm all for government playing a positive role in society. when it comes to this thing it doesn't play a place. >> you want to be a role model to the underprivileged. do you think this issue categorizes this you to be underprivilege when it comes to marry? >> on the surface i look like a normal guy and at the top of the food chain. when you tell someone you're gay and this is my partner they treat you differently. i was fed up with status quo candidates. personally last year all of the kids being bullied and a large segment lgbf kids supposedly being kids lesbian or gay, hanging themselves in the garage, 14 or 15 years old kids. i get the same discrimination
8:52 am
they do and that's why i'm running. >> mike williams we'll follow the rest of your campaign and follow the situation with you and bart. we know his visa is up at the end of the month, gives him ten days and then he has to leave. congressional candidate mike williams, nice to meet you. we'll be right back after this. there's a nurse who can access in an instant every patient's past. and because the whole hospital's working together, there's a family who can breathe easy, right now. somewhere in america, we've already answered some of the nation's toughest healthcare questions. and the over 60,000 people of siemens are ready to do it again. siemens. answers.
8:53 am
is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. hey, jessica, jerry neumann with a policy question. jerry, how are you doing? fine, i just got a little fender bender. oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month. yeah, you know it's funny. it only took 15 minutes to sign up for that new auto insurance company but it's taken a lot longer to hear back. is your car up a pole again? [ crying ] i miss you, jessica! jerry, are you crying? no, i just, i bit my tongue. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. state farm.
8:54 am
8:55 am
time for "flipside" cindy lauper's latest celeb flubbing the national anthem. ♪ o'er the ram parts we watched as our flag was still streaming ♪ >> we all make mistakes. cyndi we still love you. that was the same for christina aguilera. ♪ what so proudly we watched as
8:56 am
the twilight's last realing ♪ >> unfortunately for christina the matchup 111 million people turned up to watch that. roseann barr capped off the worst rendition grabbing her crotch and spitting. michael bolton forgot the lyrics, turning to a cheat sheet, maybe that's where sarah palin got the idea. darren ravelle sang during august, gave chris jennings an example in wisconsin. ♪ o, say can you see >> with the cheese head and all. that's going to do it for me today. i appreciate your time. i'll see you back here 11:00
8:57 am
a.m. eastern time. craig melvin will pick things up next. i'm not going to say a word. >> probably best for all involved. coming up here top of the hour, jackie o.'s opinion on lyndon b. johnson and m. drling jr. in her own words like you've never heard before. casey anthony's parents are talking for the first time since their daughter was acquitted in caylee anthony's death. top of the hour right here on msnbc. [ male announcer ] this is the network.
8:58 am
a network of possibilities... ♪ in here, pets never get lost. ♪ in here, every continent fits in one room. it was fun, we played football outside. why are you sitting in the dark? ♪ [ male announcer ] in here, you're never away from home. it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. i'm not looking forward to my flight. try this. bayer aspirin? i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. no, this is new bayer advanced aspirin... clinically proven to relieve tough pain twice as fast as before. what, did you invent this or something? well, my team did. i'm dr. eric first, from bayer. wow. look. it has microparticles. it enters the bloodstream faster and rushes relief right to the site of pain. better? great! thanks. [ male announcer ] new bayer advanced aspirin. extra strength pain relief. twice as fast. test our fast relief. love it, or get your money back.
8:59 am