know has to be done, continues to misty fi me. this is not rocket science. >> maybe not but the president says it won't happen without serious adjustments. >> for decades too many of our institutions from washington to wall street failed to adapt. >> while some label in fear mongering. >> the storyline is there must be a villain that is keeping the administration from succeeding. >> to attack the weather man rather than prepare for the weather would be irresponsible. joining us from d.c., luke russert and jonathan capehart. good morning -- it's afternoon, 30 seconds after. luke, i'll begin with you, what is the reaction to the president today. >> reporter: well, the reaction of the capitol hill, john boehner said he's trying to work

with the president to find common ground on solutions they can both support to help the economy. the house passed today that one part of the president's jobs bill, that repeal, 3% holding tax that aç lot of businesses were unhappy with. john boehner mentioned the free trade agreement. when it comes to what the president wants to do for the future of the country and what house republicans want to do, there is still a very deep divide. there's absolutely no appetite from house republicans for a big stimulus package. the president wants close to what the jobs bill was. even when broken in pieces it meets a brick wall. there's not a lot of appetite at the white house with the gop, talking about the forgotten 15 job creating measures. a lot of those have to do with deregulation, something the senate democrats and also the president do not want to touch. >> talk about a brick wall, you've got to have something strong to go up against it. jonathan, you wrote a quick note

about the dismal approval rating, 84%, ouch. you talked about joining forces with the republican senator on the bill to fix the process by shutting down the legislature. strong arm tactics. that the only way something is going to get done? >> clearly, when you read the story online yesterday and in the paper today about an effort to basically handcuff congress to the capital if they can't pass a budget on time in april. and with the american people are looking for is congress to do the job they sent them to washington to do. they see stories about congress going on recess, congress not being able to pass bills, not being able to pass budgets on time. and meanwhile, the country, the country is struggling and i think that's why when the president is doing so far is resonating. remember, he had a three-prong strategy.

first, pass my bill, then pass pieces of my bill. now it's look,ç i'm going to d what i can with the authority i have as president to get something done. and i think it will resonate resonate with his base particularly this is the kind of fight they were looking for from the president. i think the american people have been looking to find, see a glimmer of something from the president that he understands the urgency that millions of people face. >> luke, the gop response to all of this, the president's student debt program was a statement directing the president to work with congress to enact 15 jobs bills stalled in the senate an a link to the site that indicates these flashing red buttons. is this more of the same rhetoric? >> reporter: well, alex, what they have been saying on the republican side is look, the president now is putting policy -- politics before policy. look, let's not make any qualms about this. nothing significant is going to come out of this congress until

2013. why is that? it is all now being -- it's all positioning for 2012. there are very deep idealogical divides which both sides want to double down with their own constituencies and they believe they have a better shot of winning we election than to have to work together. it's easier to go back to your base and feed them the red meat then it is to have real consensus building. if congress and the president work together, who is that going to help? that's going to help the president very much so in his election against mitt romney, rick perry, whoever they nominate. that's what's in the minds of members of congress. that's why you're not seeing this idea of working together. they can't find common ground. common ground they mentioned is frankly both sides saying we can reach agreement, if you look at the politics of it,ç it's absu. >> common ground has been hard to find this entire year frankly. jonathan, these executive actions, they can all be revoked by courts and revoked by congress. the next president as well.

do you see the president's moves as some sort of shot at republicans that might not actually accomplish anything in the long run? >> well, in the long run, sure, if the next president is a republican, that's for sure. but the president as he said, i think just after his jobs speech, he said, there are people who are focused on an election that's in 14 months. i'm focused on the pain of the american people right now. they cannot wait 14 months for congress -- for washington to act. i think the president using the authority he has through executive orders and other things through the power of the executive, he's making it clear to congress that he's going to go around them or steam roll them and making it clear to the american people that he understands the urgency that's out there to get something done. because quite frankly, people can't wait until 13 months now for congress for washington to do something. >> okay. >> alex, let me jump in real quick.

the one hope for bipartisanship it's the super committee, there are reports today there's already a chasm between both of them. democratic and republican plans are very far apart. having that deadline tick tick tick, a long way to go. >> trillions of dollars apart there. >> luke russert, jonathan ca capehart, thanks so much. the student debt initiative is part in line to a response posted on the website. they launched we the people lasç month, the petition on forgiving student loans got 32,000 signatures and argued giving people extra money means they would spend it. this reads in part, relief them of this burden and the middle class will rebuild this economy from the bottom up. it is the brain child of phillips, thanks for joining us, do you think student debt was a good place to start? >> i think it was a terrific place to start.

we the people is only a month old. we have 800,000 people that have signed up. we were looking back at the numbers. that's nearly 15 people every minute. so since we launched it in late september, we've seen nearly 17,000 petitions, over a million signatures on a range of issues facing the country. the student loan reform being one of the most popular over 30,000 signatures was a great place to start. we also posted one this morning on the fair tax. and we're looking forward to getting more out the door and out to the people caring about these issues. >> how about those hot button issues, budget, unemployment, any petitions on the site about that? >> there's a whole range. anyone can go to white house.gov and check it out. if it gets 150 signatures it's published on the website. i would encourage the viewers to head to whitehouse.gov, you can scroll through and find issues

you care about and add your name. >> a lot of this has got to appeal to young voters, that's a pretty hefty side bar to all of this? >> it's to engage the american public generally. i think what you're seeing out there is a lot of praise, a lot of criticism. but overall a lot of passion online. what was impor(ant to us is that we were able to set a clear way for people to engage with us that had clear expectations of what would happen if they reached a certain threshold. i think being able to set that frame work forward has allowed people to organize around petitions and we're seeing terrific petition signature counts already. and it's growing. >> how much did lady gaga do with getting on toddler website. that's one she's known for. >> i should point out at the white house, we handle white house.gov, the twitter account and other properties, the tumbler page was done by the campaign, done by a separate team, not one i work on.

>> any kind of crazy ideas, i believe it was you or someone in your department, with all of the good ones and ones that are socially con shentous, you're going to get pretty whacko things on there too. >> we the people is set up if people can petition the white house on a range of issues. if we were to set forth a system where people could petition us on the things we want to talk about, nobody would find that interesting. what's really interesting to offer a platform for people to tell us what matters to them. we're looking forward to responding to them. but the crazy idea sometimes are the ones that help move us forward. david plouffe pointed out, the best ideas often come from outside washington. that's what we the people is another step for us to engage people around the country, make sure their voices are heard and our government. >> it's an exciting thing to be dob. macon phillips, thanks for

joining çus. the case against john edwards will go to trial. a federal judge denied a request by the formal candidate to have the criminal case against him thrown out. he was charged with using campaign funds to cover up an affair during his run for the white house. the former senator showed no visible reaction to the decision. the trial is scheduled to begin now in january. california is bearing the brunt of the occupy protest stage across this country. right now more than 1,000 protesters awaited police last night as well as this morning in san francisco. in oakland, pro testers are reeling after an iraq war vet was struck in the head during a confrontation with police and used tear gas to control the crowds. that veteran is in critical condition. they are treating the situation as if it were a fatal police shooting. stocks are in rally mode on the news that europe may finally be getting its act together.

melissa francis is joining me now. are we out of the woods when it comes to the huge woes of the money problems? >> if you look the dow is up 300 points. it's actually on track to have the best month from a point perspective ever in history. it's pretty amazing. let's look at the european deal, the devil is in the details as the market celebrate. we're looking at french indexes up 6%. in the details, 50% in greek debt. everybody who holds greek debt, they have agreed to only accept half of the debt. raise up to 150 billion in new capital and an expansion of the bailout fund. shoring up the areas that were of concern. the question now, theseç economies have to grow in order to make any payments and collect any tax revenue. some people are worried all of this time it would take to get to a deal has caused growth to stall a bit.

>> we know oil prices are up overall. it helped boost exxon-mobil's bottom line. >> they made $10 billion in the quarter. sales were up 32%. a lot of this has to do with how much crude oil cost in london. we awe a 46% jump in futures. one anl sift said they keep pushing out oil and selling it likes it's going out of style. that describes it best. a bombshell from the wife of one of the most vilified swindlers, bernie madoff. in a "60 minutes" interview, ruth madoff claims they tried to commit suicide after the house of cards came tumbling down. they both popped ambien and clon pin and this happened at bedtime and expected never to wake up.

she now says she's glad they did. on monday matt lauer will speak exclusively with ruth and their on son and his fee on say. >> don't get equal benefits, what they are doing about that now. [ male announcer ] tom's discovering that living healthy can be fun.

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it was september 2 2nd, two days earlier, don't ask, don't tell had been reappealed. one of the most infamous moments

of the debates occurred. >> this question stirred up a whole lot of controversy online and comes from steven hill, a soldierç serving in iraq. >> the 2010 when i was deployed to iraq and had to lie about who he was because i'm a gay soldier. didn't want to lose my job. my question is, under one of your presidencies, do you intend to circumvent the congress moving for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military? >> josh snyder, the husband of steven hill, the soldier booed during that debate. thanks for joining you, josh. >> i'm well. >> steven is one of eight plaintiffs if a federal suit being filed to overturn the defense of marriage act. i do want to talk about that, but first, that night, your husband is overseas and telling the entire nation he is gay. before that moment even happened, what were your thoughts leading up to it?

>> it was a little nerve-wracking, we weren't sure if it was going to be played. when they said they were going to social issues the reality hit when we saw him come on screen. >> what did you think? what did you feel during an after the booing and what did you see when you were talking with stephen? >> to be honest, it didn't really register. it was all a little overwhelming. we basically were kind of excited to see the question be asked to get the response. but it didn't really register until a little later. >> okay. let's get to the case you are a part of. it is the latest federal lawsuit against parts of the defensive marriage act but it's a little different because gay soldiers are involved. can you explain what's behind this specifically and what is it that these eight service members are suing for? >> basically we're looking for equal rights when it comes to being a spouse in the military. right nowç our straight counte diagno counterparts that serve in the military, whether active or

inactive are given spousal benefits. right now steven and i are not. >> that would include health care and housing, the two major things? >> health care and housing if anything were to happen to him, the benefits that would occur from that, yes. >> for gay service members who are married and may have children, how difficult can the defensive marriage act make your lives? >> well, if anything it supports spouses that have children are applied underneath of the spousal laws for the state community, it would deny those to us as well. >> you are working to change title 10 of the u.s. code governing the armed forces specifically and defining marriage as being between two individuals of the opposite sex. how tough an uphill road do you think you have? >> i personally don't really know. that's obviously more the attorney's answer. but i would say that from the response that steve and i have seen from the public and the

army itself, i feel confident. >> that you'll win, really from the army? tell me about that response. >> they were very supportive, these are individuals that have known steve as far back as 1988, this is family. and they don't see anything wrong with it. >> these lawsuits are being filed in multiple federal courts but win or lose, do you think the ultimate deciding factor will be in the supreme court? >> again, that's more of an attorney's answer, i don't want to act like i would understand that necessarily. >> how are you doing with all of the pressure in dealing with all of this? >> it's a lot. i'm not going to lie. it's definitely a lot but i guess i'll try to get used to it. >> you did well in the interview. >> thanks very much. >> josh, thanks for joining us. >> have a good çday. >> police interview missing baby lisa's 6 and 8-year-old brothers in the case. we'll talk about that next. what's better than gold ? free gold ! we call that hertz gold plus rewards.

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postponing a news conference scheduled for today because the family is quote exhausted. all of this is a day after kansas city police say they declined to be interviewed separately. a claim the attorney denied. lisa's two halfç brothers, 6 a 8 will be interviewed tomorrow. their dna will be tested to rule out dna found in the home. former illinois governor rod blagojevich is no longer allowed to practice law in the state. his license was suspended indefinitely. he has been a lawyer since 1984 but not practiced since joining congress in 1997. he's awaiting sentencing on federal corruption charges. a 5-year-old ohio girl who came home to a empty house decided to try to find her mom on her own. she climbed in behind the wheel of the family's suv and backed it down the driveway and into

the neighbor's front yard. that's when she called 911. >> 911, your emergency? >> my mom's car backed out on accident, and i need the police to pull my mom's car back in. she's gone and miss her so much. >> well it turns out her mom had been taken to the hospital for an unspecified illness and her dad was asked to pick her up and didn't get the message. we hope amelia is home safe and sound. mexican drug car sells are getting so desperate they are recruiting american children. plus, possibly feeling the heat, rick perry starts dialing back on his recent comments and there's word he may duck out of the next debate. tom's discovering that living healthy can be fun. see? he's taking his vitamins. new one a day vitacraves plus omega-3 dha is a complete multivitamin for adults. plus an excellent source of omega-3 dha

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welcome back.

i'm alex witt, officials say the death toll is 520. rescuers pulled a 19-year-old survivor from a collapsed building today but rain and snow are hampering efforts. thousands are fleeing parts of bangkok thailand as flooding threatens that city. officials say the entire city could be under water in the coming days. 47% of adults say they have a gun in their home or on their property. according to a new poll that is up from 41% a year ago and the highest recorded since 1993. new hope for the nba season, the league and its players will resume negotiations later it's after 15 hours of negotiations yesterday. rick perry would like you to talk about his tax plan or mitt romney's alleged flip flops but he keeps tricking over the ç message, first over the birther comments then the word he may duck out of national debates. robert, thanks for joining us. >> great to be here. >> i'm curious about this strategy.

it worked for perry in texas. he famously did not have debates in the last run up for the governor. why does the campaign think this will work nationally? >> would think it will work nationally. if you want to sit in the oval office you have to address tough political problems every day, you can't pick and choose what you address. rick perry is lagging in the national polls now suddenly saying he wants to jump out of the arena while others debate. it's a strange strategy. >> here's what the campaign is saying about this, too many of these debates out there and they don't have the time for more of them despite the fact that perry has only participated in five thus far. they are saying you have to wisely use your time. . how do you think that rates as an excuse? >> that's what the campaign is saying, it hints a desperation that perry is not succeeding in the debates. as much as you want to control the narrative, if you're someone who most of the country does not know and you have to define

yourself in the national stage, to suddenly say no thanks, i'm going to do it my own way is very risky. he's going to have a struggle to make sure people know who rick perry is. you can't do it in policy speeches or by shaking hands. presidential politics is more than that. it demands tough strong debate performances and rick perry could do that in the future but by ducking out he's raising eyebrows. >> if he had been doing really well thus far and making the points and winning in the breakdown of the debates afterwards, you think he would be doing them all? >> newt gingrich, who hates debates and how the media asks question, he's doing pretty well, same withç herman cain. mitt romney is the front-runner. you can't choose where you show up. you better show up. that's what woody allen says, showing up is 99% of the question. >> you have to take account of where the debates are happening.

let's say the last debate is the next one. that means he'll skip two sponsored by state gop organizations in iowa and south carolina, two states by the way where mitt romney is ahead according to the new numbers from cnn and time and skipping 'debate by two major conservative think tanks, american enterprise institute? >> you're hitting on something very important here. in politics, you have to make the play not only nationally, but you have to make it in the states. these state gop organizations are very sensitive to when candidates show up. in new hampshire, you better be on the ground. in iowa and south carolina, you have to be there to make the contacts and make an impression. if perry skips the debate, we may say, that's a great strategy. in states where people are still watching and don't know rick perry, you're watching to see if he comes. if he skips the debates, he won't raise questions about whether he's competent in the debates but whether he's

competing forcefully. >> you make the point all politics is local when it gets down to. >> what tip o neil said. thanks for that. the white house has vowed a new executive order every week for the rest of the year. the president says it's a way to get around the congressional gridlock and do something which is better than doing nothing. >> all of these steps aren't going to take the place of the needed action that congress has to get going on. they still have to pass the jobs bill and growç the economy. >> congressman republican from south carolina is joining us. welcome to you. what's your reaction to the president's tough talk? >> it's pretty much par for the course, snts it? the campaign started a couple of weeks ago when he gave his jobs bill to a joint session. he's finished legs lating and campaigning full-time. it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. >> let's look at the executive orders so far, lowering of

student loan payments, offering refinancing for underwater homeowners and boost hiring and training for veterans. if you disagree with how the president is handling these three items, how would you do it differently. >> this sounded familiar, don't they? how similar they were to what the president offered during the first version of the stimulus program when he said it would help between 7 and 9 million people and helped maybe a million folks. we're trying to focus on fixing the system. taking money from one group of people and giving it another group of people is not going to solve our problems as a nation. what we're trying to do is fix the tax system and fix the regulatory system and work from the ground up. >> okay. let's talk about governor rick perry having consulted with you on this flat tax 20% plan that he announced earlier this week. first of all, after making that

announcement on tuesday, what is your read on his interpretation? >> the reception here has been pretty good. in fact, it's the first time since the first california debate that i felt a lot of energy behind governor perry's campaign. he was very excited to see him go with the flat tax. e similar to what we've been talking about in terms of the republican study committee, conservative group within the house republicans, he went a little further than we're going to do, even. i was enthusiastic by somebody actually taking bold steps. >> where are you seeing that enthusiasm? within the tea party? because as you well know, his support there has been waining? >> i look back home, south carolina, early primary state and big names in south carolina politics from the tea party to the establishment are sort are rallying to mr. perry now that he offered real ideas. i think there's been a dirnlg of that, one of the reasons you've seen herman cain do so well,

he's been one of the few to offer specific ideas. now that he matched that, you'll see that campaign pick up energy as well. >> what do you think of the prospect of rick perry not participating in the debate set in south carolina? you heard my guest just prior to you talking about that. good idea or bad idea? >> i think it's a bad idea to skip debates unless you simply can't do it. having been through campaigns myself and i know the presidential candidates are doing this 100-fold. you simply can't do all of them. i think there was a discussion yesterday might be as many as 18 in the next couple of weeks. that's simply too many. i am hopeful he'll come to south carolina in a couple of weeks and participate in iowa and new hampshire. if the state or washington or california wants to have a debate, your previous guest was spot on, you need to be in the states where those early elections are and going to do a debate in a far away state that doesn't have a primary until the summertime is not the best use of time sometimes. >> okay, south carolina

republican representative rick mul veinny. thanks so much. ç mexico's bloody drug wars hitting frightening close to home. parents are being warned that the drug car sells are recruiting children as front-runners. joining us with an nbc exclusive, mark, good day to you. i saw part of this on nightly news and as a parent was horrified. >> it's a stunning revelation and very disturbing story. as the mexican cartels continue to run tons of illicit drugs into the united states every day, they have an increasing need for workers on the american side of the border. and for them kids are a very attractive target. they work cheap, poor kids lured with promises much riches. if they get arrested, the penalties are not severe because they are juveniles and they get younger and younger. after a high speed chase by police, a pickup truck trashes

spilling a half ton of mexican marijuana bales, this video obtained by telemundo, when they operated the lone driver, he was a mere 12-year-old boy. >> it's shocking because it's not what we expect a 12-year-old to be doing. >> reporter: for years drug traffickers lured thousands of kids in mexico to do their dirty work. body carrying drug loads and spying on police. this boy says he was kidnapped in mexico and forced to executive four people. when asked how he did it, he said -- i decapitated them. now police say with more drugs than ever coming into the u.s. from mexico, traffickers are recruiting kids on the american side of the border. >> just lured with the promise of drive this vehicle to point a to point b for a couple hundred dollars of cash which seems a lot for a young person. >> reporter: where 25 juveniles were recently arrested or

trafficking charges, thomas herrera says the problem is getting worse. >> now they are recruiting local kids from high school and even elementary. >> reporter: here along the rio grande, the numbers tell the scope of the problem. fewer than 10% of the population live along the border, yet 20% of the juvenile felony drug cases are filed here. the cartels consider kids expendable. >> the cartels don't care about our children. they'll use them until they can't use them anymore. >> they'll go after you and kidnap you. >> reporter: u.s. border patrol agents are going into classrooms warning students against joining cartels and showing graphic films about drug tad violence. >> it's an uphill battle against cartel recruiters who now set their sights on american kids. police and educators we talk to say while it's a good idea to

talk to kids in middle schools and high schools, they would like to see it done in the elementary schools because those very young kids are also being targeted. >> that's unbelievable. mark potter, what a story, thanks so much. conrad murray's defense team calls its final witnesses to the stand today and their testimony could decide if michael jackson's doctor is convicted or acquitted in his death. plus, new questions about marco rubio's family history and the difference between immigrant and exile. hey, everyone's eating tacos outside bill's office. [ chuckles ] you think that is some information i would have liked to know? i like tacos. you invited eric? i thought eric gave you the creeps. [ phone buzzes ] oh. [ chuckles ] yeah. hey. [ male announcer ] don't be left behind. get it faster with 4g. at&t. ♪ no, i wouldn't use that single miles credit card.

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patients who took two grams a day had significant reduction in inflamation compared to those who took a placebo. >> the defense has called the first of the final two witnesses in the trial of dr. conrad murray. on the stand righpç now, dr. robert aldman, an addiction expert and testifying about jackson's drug use. the defense also asked him about patients needing anesthesia to help them dedox. on wednesday dr. murray cried for the first time in five weeks, broke down as one of his former patients testified. >> he made a commitment to the community that he would open a clinic in honor of his dad. and continue to take care of the patients in that community where his dad had been a physician for a number of years. >> ricky is a former prosecutor. those tears combined with the

testimony of these five former patients. how do you think it will weigh on the jury? >> i think it was a great day for the defense, we got to see a human side of conrad murray, someone who did work for free. all the defense is looking for is one juror to get a hung jury. and if one juror says to himself or herself, you know, he really isn't such a bad person, he's not the person that the prosecution painted, maybe i don't want to convict him for this crime, that's what they want. >> it's what they want also as we await their defense's propofol expert to talk and try to combat the prosecution's expert. what do we expect? is there going to be a tremendous difference of scientific opinion? >> this has to be on the ultimate cause of death. no expert can contest the fact that dr. murray's gross deviations from the standard of care constituted a negligence or

recklessness which is a prerequisite for a conviction in this case. we have to know that dr. murray's actions cause the death. and whatç this expert, dr. whi, is supposed to talk about in scientific terms is that it is just as consistent that michael jackson caused his own death. >> and that is what the defense is still hanging on -- >> that's all they've got. >> don't you think the prosecution did a pretty strong job of trying to convince those jurors there that michael jackson was not capable of ingesting propofol and -- >> of course, the prosecution was really a very well thought case. the prosecution brought forth not one expert but a number of experts, all of whom seemed entirely credible about what they said about the cause of death. the real question is, can dr. white ultimately trump those experts. >> how about dr. murray? is there any chance he will or should take the stand? >> well, if i represented him,

he would never take the stand. i think it is highly unlikely that he will ever take the witness stand. it really would be a mistake. >> despite the tears and humanizing of him of late -- >> he is not a terrible person, we know that. and i think the jury has gotten to see that. even when you listen to his taped statement, we understand that this is not a bad man. this is a man who was a great cardiologist, perhaps not a good anesthesiologist. >> thanks. side bar now, john mccain may need to hire a new gag writer. approval was a low 9%. we're down to paid staffers and blood rel testifies, new york magazine it's one he has used in 26 different occasions. it found instances of him using that same stretch as farç backs

2006. ever wondered who first used the term obama care, the atlantic says the term was first used in a health care trade journal in 2007. the only point the author was trying to make, health care would be such a big issue in 2008 election, we will soon see a giuliani care and obama care to go along with mccain care and edwards care. jon stewart has his own position of the occupy wall street demonstrations. check it out. >> listen oakland, i know you want to keep the peace by respecting people's right to assemble. but it's hard to watch your reaction to this group of protesters with the tear gas when every sunday you host an occupation of those folks. the mad max reenactors club because believe me, they start peeing in public a lot sooner than the other protesters. >> or creates another laptop bag

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we like these numbers, they are up about 300 points. all 30 stocks in the dow are risen this morning. up almost 36 on the s&p 500 and up 75 1/2 on the nasdaq. more bad news for marco rubio, despite his claims as recently as last week that his parents plan to return to cuba, they applied for immigrant for permanent status. it contradicts one of rubio's debuttals. he has defended himself that his mother and siblings returned to cuba in 1961 with hopes of making a home there. he's his explanation for that run in 2009. >> my mom went back with my sister and brother to take care of her father in 1960 and dad stayed behind working. >> a political reporter for the miami herald. thanks for joining us.

>> thanks for having us. >> going back to cuba to make a new life and going back to treat an ailing family member as we've been told happened in 1961 are two different things, aren't they? >> yeah, they are different. rubio folksç argue that while they are different they are not in contrast. there's some nuans that they are playing with, the fact we're having this discussion is not the discussion he would prefer we have. >> is he responding at all to the new reports out right now or staying quiet about it all? >> well, i've spoken to his people about it and alex of the "st. peters burg times" he spoke to rubio about this and gauged his differences and tried to get his explanations. and the explanation he gave, well, there are a variety of reasons that leave to come to the united states for a better life. but in the back of their mind they always wanted to return to cuba.

when he went back to cuba, he saw that his parents saw that it wasn't the right fit for them because after castro took over in '59, the cuban government slowly evolved in a soviet toe tal tear yanism. there was discrepancies, the word we used and the more we talk about this, the less he would prefer it as i said before. noz the kind of thing, when you're explaining you're losing and doesn't want to explore it. >> he's talking about a difference of three years or so because the family put in the applications in may of '56. and castro took over in '59. rubio is something of a hero to the exile community. how is that community responding down there? >> well, they've closed ranks around him. he is a son of exiles.

while some would dispute that i think they are taking a strange reading of the world exile. he just is. >> do people down there make a big difference between exile and immigrant? >> well, if you are an exile for political reasons, you're probably considered more exile than immigrant. i think you're talking about the distinction that was drawn by him on the campaign trail a little while back. but the folks in miami's cuban community are -- it's an exile community. and he's one of their own. now people are kind of scratching their heads like, how did he not know the date that is before castro and after castro and his people respond like, he didn't really consider it, it wasn't that big -- wasn't that big a deal to him. but now it's a pretty big deal. >> attributing the fact it was family lor, 55 years old.

that was his comment. mark caputo. >> thanks for talking with us, we'll talk again. >> you can watch weekends with alex witt saturdays 9:00 a.m. and sundays 10:00 a.m. andrea, good day to you. >> good day. good afternoon in fact. coming up next, can mitt romney win without playing in iowa? why is rick perry talking about skipping future debates? plus, we'll break down the europe debt deal with the u.s. ambassador and eu ambassador to the united states and battle ground pennsylvania with ed rendell and allison schwartz. next on msnbc. o college for her sophomore year ♪ ♪ co-signed her credit card -- "buy books, not beer!" ♪ ♪ but the second that she shut the door ♪ ♪ girl started blowing up their credit score ♪ ♪ she bought a pizza party for her whole dorm floor ♪ ♪ hundred pounds of makeup at the makeup store ♪ ♪ and a ticket down to spring break in mexico ♪ ♪ but her folks didn't know 'cause her folks didn't go ♪

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right now stocks rally on a glimmer of hope, a deal in europe, will it hold up? plus, super committee democrats go big. will republicans buy a trillion dollars plus in new taxes? and what is the fao