romn romney with the gop faithful. but not likely to be forgotten by independents thiscian nation sharpton starts right now. welcome to "politics nation" i'm al sharpton. tonight's lead, the investigation into trayvon martin's death is gaining intensity. today, fbi is back at the scene of trayvon martin's death for a second straight day. fbi agents are at the scene of the crime, going door to door, questioning potential witnesses, and compiling information on zimmerman's background. one week from today, april 10th, a grand jury is set to begin hearing details about the case. so there is a rush, a major push for this investigation, to move forward, to see if there is another enough to make an arrest. state attorney angela corey has said there is no guarantee the case will go to that grand jury.

meanwhile zimmerman's lawyer says he's ready to turn himself in. as necessary. quote, he's not hiding from the authorities. if he's asked, he will turn himself in. there's not going to be a man hunt or anything like that. today could be a critical day in this investigation. joining me now is kathryn cryer, a lawyer, former district court judge and prosecutor in texas. she's also author of the new book, "patriot acts," the americans must do what americans must do to save the republic. and zachary carter, the former u.s. attorney for the eastern district of new york, the first african-american to serve as a u.s. attorney in new york. he's now a partner with the law firm of dorsey and whitney. thank you both for being here tonight. let me start with you, kathryn. what do you think of the handling of the case so far? >> well, i think it's very sad. because a case -- i don't care who the participants were. a case like this called for

appropriate investigation by police officials. you take the shooter's clothes, you, you know, rope off the area, you do what we're seeing the fbi doing now. you don't make that judgment before any investigation has occurred. and i'm sort of quite surprised, having, you know, started off as a prosecutor and then, of course, on the bench, you don't do it backwards. and you make an arrest, you take him down or at least you take zimmerman down and conduct the interrogation, take the clothes, do the forensics. the assumptions made in this case were actually a bit staggering. >> now, zack, is there any rational -- part of the justice department, a review of this, i understand, is not only for hate crimes, but also the handling of the case. is there any rational explanation you could think of that the police could give why they did do the things that

catherine says is so unusual? >> no, i don't think there is an explanation for why the investigation was incomplete or why they didn't view the representations of zimmerman more skeptically when compared with the statements of witnesses. and when compared with the -- analysis of the 911 tapes. and i'm sure that's something the federal authorities will be focused on. let me play -- you mentioned the 911 tapes. let me play for you, forensic sound expert tom owen, explain how he compared the tape of zimmerman's voice. he just reviewed this. >> i isolated zimmerman's voice, and i isolated the screaming voice and compared the two. these are wave forms of the actual calls. this is the zimmerman call, which has been condensed to include only his voice. this is the 911 call where the screams are, which has been

condensed to include only the screams. >> dark hoodie, like a gray hoodie and either jeans or sweat pants and white tennis shoes. >> that's the zimmerman file. and this will be the scream file. [ screaming ] >> this information, all right, basically tells me, it's not the same person. >> now, this is the screaming that night. owen talked to one of our producers today. so you have the actual tape of the screaming, which was the last tape. and you have the actual conversation of zimmerman calling the 911 call. he compared the voices, and his conclusion, and that of another expert, was that that was not zimmerman screaming for help. would that be critical to a self defense claim of zimmerman, since he has said he was screaming for help. now you have experts saying no,

that is not zimmerman's voice that's screaming for help. >> well, it doesn't -- it doesn't eliminate the possibility he was screaming, and it didn't get picked up at a given time. >> right. >> and obviously, the experts will have to undergo auto then at this occasion in a court of law if it were to get that far and the testing on this. but certainly it's relevant. because you do look to who might seemingly be the victim in the case by screams, calling for help, this sort of thing, in a very short period of time. something that bothers me tremendously is -- i was reading today that his 911 call was only -- what was it, six minutes before the police arrived and the shooting had taken place. and in that time, there is a lot of information that authorities are now getting their hands on, whether it's the call -- >> right. >> the alleged call with the girlfriend, 911 call, screaming call. there is a lot of information that's going to paint, i think, a pretty clear picture of the

events as this investigation unfolds appropriately. >> now, zack carter, take us in the courtroom. you were a prosecutor. how would you handle the tape and the experts in court, as -- as catherine cryer said, they would have to authenticate it. if you were prosecuting this case, how would you handle this information? >> well, the most important part of the tape, and i grant, that's a useful part of the tape in terms of who did the screaming for help. the most important part of the tape, i think the news media has been handicapped in presenting to viewers, because of fcc restrictions relating to profanity. and that is where he refers to fing coons. and what i would suggest, frankly, to your viewers, because they can't hear it here or any place else on broadcast or cable tv, they go to a website, plug in the search terms, trayvon martin, 911 call, and they will get a host of

sites, mostly on youtube, where they can hear the unedited tape. and i think that once people hear that tape, where he has a clear, under his breath aside, that's audible, particularly when you turn up the volume, it will remove all doubt he used a vial, racial, hostile epithet. >> how would you use that in a courtroom? why would that be so important? rnlts particularly, if there's going to be a federal prosecution, for an intentional deprivation of a civil right, based on race. race bias. the fact that during the course of his exchange with the 911 operator immediately after the 911 operator asked, well, where is he heading now, he's heading toward the back entrance. and then an aside, f'ing coons. that would be dramatic evidence of what his state of mind was and what his attitude was towards trayvon martin, not as a human being, but as a black, an

unnamed black. >> now when you look at the fact, catherine, that they have several calls. a history of calls. and the individuals, five individuals out of all the calls he made, every one of them black. if you have that, and if he did use that racial language, it starts to build a pattern. that could be very interesting if it was a federal trial. >> well, it's going to be -- this is a very touchy area, because sort of have it pattern -- you know, the fact that someone might use an epithet, the fact that someone converses like that, is very different than does he have a pattern of attacking or being aggressive with a particular race. has he done something physical? you know, the hate crimes are very difficult. we have to dance carefully when we're talking about dissecting someone's psyche. so you're looking for empeerelca evidence. but i don't know that a history of using terms, although we do

remember mark vermin in the oj case. >> well, if it stopped at using it and not shooting and killing somebody, it might be more difficult. if you got -- terms being used and then you shoot somebody. >> sufficient pattern within a close proximity, it may be admissible and become relevant at the time of trial. >> that's why the state -- using the state process is so important. because there's a far broader array of charges that can be brought by zimmerman, if they are supported by the evidence, all the way from criminally negligent homicide through intentional homicide. reckless, negligent homicide. >> where the bar is a lot lower. >> where the bar is lower. >> let's bring in walter zalisko, retired police chief and now president and ceo of global investigative group. walt, let me ask you. was this investigation done correctly from the beginning? >> well, from all indications, i don't think it was done

properly. there have been a number of missteps. just to cite a few, looking at the initial police report. and let's keep in mind, when an officer responds to the scene, he's got to complete that initial investigation report. it's got to have very important information on there. that's the road map for any investigator who is going to conduct these subsequent investigations. on that initial report, you have the who, you have the what, you have the how. but you don't have the why. what happened is, the officer, when he came upon mr. zimmerman, he asked him, did he see the subject. zimmerman says, "i shot him." well, any cop would say, "why did you shoot him?" nowhere is that indicated in the report. that's not to say that he didn't say it and somewhere down the line a police superior or someone else told that officer to leave it out of the report, so the public doesn't have that information right away. but that is -- that is a vital

piece of information. >> well, why would they tell him to leave it out? i mean, leave it out? why would you leave that out? >> well, that's the question. that's -- that's the big question everybody should be asking. i can't -- >> so you're saying that the why was not in the report, and either he didn't put it in or was told not to put it in. and that that's a question that everyone should be raising. >> oh, absolutely. you know, that's a very piece of important information. >> i'm also troubled -- >> isn't that a little strange? >> well, it is. because imagine the questioning. and, again, it doesn't matter who the parties are. you show up at a scene like, this someone has been shot. the cops have an obligation. and the report should reflect, you know, immediate outcry. statements in the heat of the moment. those become rerelevant at the time of trial. so you public putting those things down. whether they failed to ask, didn't put it down, were told not to put down, we don't know. but it's the same thing with the ambulance that apparently was called back. it's going to be relevant as to

the injuries experienced by zimmerman. today with civil liability the way it is, i can't imagine a police department, if someone says my head was bashed on the sidewalk -- again, i'm not making a judgment until -- >> i understand. >> -- i get the information. but i would want a trained medic, a paramedic out there going the city is not going to be liable, because, in fact, he doesn't have a concussion, he has been appropriately treated. and for us not to then have access to that kind of important investigative information. >> that's a very important -- >> it's critical. mps that's an important point, walt. because if the city septembnt b the ambulance, and the city had checked him on the back seat of the police car, has one report has said. >> he's got a broken nose? >> wouldn't the city have been liable if he has got a broken nose and all of these kind of harmful things was an inch from his life being ended, and they

sent an ambulance back? would they take that kind of risk? >> obviously, no, they wouldn't take that risk. and that brings us to the next point. we have the injuries that we have all seen of zimmerman, the scrape or the abrasion on the back of his head. you know, i've investigated over 1,000 crimes, homicides, to aggravated assaults. and never have i seen a case where somebody is treated by ems, and they're -- don't have a band-aid or some type of a bandage put on an open wound. and zimmerman walked away with that scratch on his head. >> and you do not see a band-aid. we're looking at the footage. >> or broken nose. >> or broken nose. and the city would have put themselves, mr. cater, in a situation of great liability if they did not feel he was not in need of at least hospital care. >> i think that more important than that, it's -- any time there are injuries, and you have someone who may have been in police custody, you want to

document how they got the injuries. you want to take pictures. you want to have reports of medical professionals that evaluated the injuries or the condition of the person who is in custody. that's where they may be potential liability. what's really more important as an evidentiary matter. >> we're going to have to leave it right there. catherine cryer, zachary carter and walter zilesco, it's been an interesting week. thanks to all of you for your time. ahead, inside the 911 tapes lead forensic audio expert shows us exclusively why he thinks george zimmerman was not the one yelling "help." plus, hypocrisy movement. bill o'reilly attacks me on rallying for justice. i'll show you why it's a huge double standard. and "mad men." why david axelrod says we're

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it's a critical question in the trayvon martin case. who was actually screaming on the 911 tapes? was this a case of self defense? we'll talk to two top forensic experts on who this was. they have been studying those tapes and have answers. that's next. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption.

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at the center of the federal and state investigation into trayvon martin's killing are the 911 tapes from that night. forensic experts say the sounds we hear on those tapes can provide crucial insight into what really happened. specifically on who was yelling for help. >> 911, do you need police, fire or medical? >> maybe both. i'm not sure. there is just someone screaming outside. >> and is it a male or female? >> it sounds like a male. >> and you don't know why? >> i don't know why. i think they're yelling help. but i don't know. just send someone quick. >> okay. does he look hurt to you? >> i can't see him. i don't want to go out there. i don't know what's going on. >> they're coming. [ screaming ] >> do you think he's yelling "help?" >> yes. all right. what is your phone number? >> there's gunshots.

>> in a moment, we'll talk to two experts who studied that phone call extensively. today we visited one of them, tom owen, at his office in new jersey, to see how he is able to analyze the tape, to find who is actually talking, and what they're saying. >> when i'm speaking to you, i'm speaking in so many words per second. i'm speaking in a certain manner. i'm speaking either fast or slow. than somebody else. so these are all individual traits that can be utilized to make a measurement. when i speak, i'm creating acoustically, i'm creating speck toe grahams, giving you the time, energy and frequency of my voice. that translates on paper to what we call a spectogram, okay? if you were to use a pitch transposer and go up a third or another third or another

third -- >> who has also studied the 911 tape. thank you to both of you for being here tonight. >> you're welcome, reverend. >> thank you. tom, tell us. the voice we hear yelling for help on that tape, who is yelling "help, help, help"? >> it's my opinion that it's not mr. zimmerman. >> now, its your opinion it is not mr. zimmerman. how did you come to that conclusion? >> i took the zimmerman alone by himself segment of his 911 call, as well as the screams that you hear on the other 911 call, isolated those screams, and then compared the two. so zimmerman is a known sample, because he identified himself on the tape. and the comparison to that

against the screams, whom we don't know scientifically who that actually is, because i have nothing to compare it to. >> so if you would know if it was the trayvon martin or not, because you don't have any samples of trayvon martin's voice. >> that's correct. >> all right. ed, you did an independent, separate, have no connection with tom, and you used a different method, is that correct? >> i used a more traditional approach to the examination, but like tom, i did edit the two samples back-to-back, and i've done a little more work on that today. and i used critical listening skills that i've developed over 28-plus years in the industry and listened to the voices critically, as well as other scientific evidence within these 911 recordings. >> and what was your conclusion on who was the one on the tape yelling help? >> here's my opinion, reverend. it's not george zimmerman, because the voice is completely

different. the human voice is like a symphony. like mr. owen just said, there's characteristics that every human being has that differentiates us, just like a fingerprint point. and in this case, there were two people at the scene. and forensic low speaking, unless there was somebody else there, i think we know who that voice is. >> now, let me ask both of you this. i just had catherine cryer and zack carter on. and they said this would have to be auto thhenticateauthenticate. you both have testified in court and have had to do these kind of testimonies at trials, is that correct? >> yes, sir. >> that's absolutely correct. >> how does it work? tell me how it works, tom. >> well, the authentication process is an examination process. in this instance, the tapes came from the 911 system, which is the law enforcement system. so -- and nobody said the tapes

were not authenticated. but we can conduct an examination on the original tapes, should they be provided to us from the 911 call center. >> ed, your experience in courts, and what kind of experiences have you had in terms of cross-examinations you feel you would be able, if you were to be called if there is a trial here to deal with why you have come to this conclusion. >> reverend, we're forensic experts that are on a legal team involved in a litigation. it's our job to bring out whatever clues that we can find from the recordings to the team captain. and then make a determination on how to use these. these recordings are authentic. they came from the 911 call from. i think authentication may not be the word we're looking for here, but we're trying to find answers and that's what tom and i have been involved in, in the last 48 hours. >> tom, let me ask you something -- let me say something. you -- i want to talk about

another piece of the tape. i know last night you said, ed, that on the "last word" with lawrence o'donnell that you do hear a racial slur. but tom, you're not so sure. am i right, tom? >> that's correct. >> and let me play to you exactly what was said. >> that's tom -- that's you trying to figure out what was said where this slur is supposed to be. is that correct? >> i believe so. >> and you can't come up, in your mind, or in your hearing, with the slur to take a position on this -- that you can affirm it or say that you hear the slur.

>> basically, rev, what i hear is -- what i heard is, i didn't hear -- the fact of the matter is, i did not hear the word that's in question here. and i don't know if i can say it on the air or not. but -- >> but you did hear a curse word. >> i'm not sure what i hear there. but i just -- i'm looking for an ooh sound, and i'm not getting linguistically an ooh sound. and that's fairly clear to me. and it's -- what you were playing before is just one word. if you play the whole three or four words, it's easier to tell exactly what we're listening to. >> all right. well, we will -- it will be determined. i know that what ed said last night, and i wanted to give you the opportunity for your opinion. tom owen and ed premiumo, thanks for your time tonight, to both of you. >> thank you very much. still ahead. i'll respond to critics on the right -- a tv host has no

business fighting for justice. and then president obama puts fairness at the center of the campaign and calls ought mitt romney by name. stay with us. top quality lobster is all we catch.

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for weeks now, i've opinion part of a movement to bring justice for trayvon martin, because that's what deserves. but some in the right wing media are on their own kind of movement. a hypocrisy movement. here's what bill o'reilly laid

and said about me last night on fox news. >> and then you have al sharpton, who is a show. an hour. it's fine. the guy is lively. if he can bring in a number, more power to him. but now, what, is al sharpton a show host, or is he the national activist? what is he? i don't know what he is. >> so o'reilly says i'm crossing the line. but just two years ago, o'reilly's fellow fox news host, glenn beck, held his own event, called the restoring honor rally. it was held on the national mall on the anniversary of dr. king's "i have a dream" speech that promoted it as he nonpolitical event and even brought up dr. king a few times as he talked about restoring american values. two days later, he went on o'reilly's show to talk about it. >> now, top story, there he is,

the beck-meister. congratulations to you. >> thank you. >> in hindsight, i want to know what you thought was the best moment in the ral re and the worst moment, not just in the rally, but the whole experience. let's start with the best. >> congratulations to you. that was from one host to another host about highlights of the rally. not about the ethics of organizing a rally. the two fox anchors then shifted to the backlash beck was getting about the timing of the event. >> there are going to be -- the attacks are going to go out. >> okay. but we'll defend you, beck. i have your back. and i'm not saying that facetiously. i'm basically -- you put yourself out there and i agree with some stuff you say, i disagree with others. but i'm going to defend you. >> i have your back. i'm going to defend you. bill o'reilly sticks up for a colleague who was getting criticized for hosting a rally he says was nonpolitical. listen how o'reilly wrapped up you the interview.

>> sharpton is going to reply to you, and that should be interesting. but once again, i want to congratulate you. >> thank you, sir. >> i don't think there's anybody in the country that could have mobilized that many people at this point in time. i don't think there is anybody else, besides pamela anderson. >> i don't -- >> you don't think so? >> no. >> okay. cross her off my list. glenn beck, everybody. check him out at 5:00. >> i want to congratulate you. interesting. that's not the only time glenn beck participated in a rally while working in the media. back in 2007, when he was a cnn host, he joined me as we marched on record companies to call for decency in hip-hop lyrics. we advertised it on his cnn show. in fact, cnn had had for years a civil rights leader at the time they had a talk show there. and beck worked at headline news. i raise all that to show, they're using different

standards. all of this is a distraction rather than to discuss whether there was probable cause for george zimmerman to be arrested. that's the issue. all these other issues are to take our minds off the point. nice try. but o'reilly, i got you. in here, the landscaping business grows with snow. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ free streaming quotes, all your investments, positions, and even your trade ticket are all on one customizable page. see the all-new 360 investing dashboard at e-trade.

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a simple way to make dinner fresh and new again. just stir it in. now it only takes a moment to make the moment. ♪ spread a little joy and see ♪ need a little happiness to be ♪ ♪ living the life welcome back to "politics nation." today president obama kicked off a new phase of his 2012 campaign, attacking mitt romney by name. and making it clear his re-election effort will be all about fairness. the president launched a full attack on the paul ryan budget, which romney has endorsed. which was passed last week by house republicans. and which has become the main gop blueprint for the economy. >> the republicans running congress right now have doubled down. and proposed a budget so far to

the right, it makes the contract with america look like the new deal. in fact, that renowned liberal, newt gingrich, first called the original version of the budget radical. and said it would contribute to right wing social engineering. it is a trojan horse. disguised as deficit reduction plans. it is really an attempt to impose a radical vision on our country. it is thinly veiled social darwinism. >> social darwinism. only the strong survive. that's what the ryan plan is all about. it literally takes from the poor and gives to the rich. 62% of his budget cuts targets programs for the poor. that's $3.3 trillion worth of cuts. on the flip side, ryan rewrites the tax code to benefit the rich. millionaires would get an average of $265,000 in tax cuts

from under the ryan plan. middle class americans would get just $751. this is the real redistribution of wealth. from the poor to the rich and today, the president ridiculed romney for supporting it. >> one of my potential opponents, governor romney, has said that he hoped a similar version of this plan from last year would be introduced as a bill on day one of his presidency. he said that he's very supportive of this new budget. and he even called it marvelous. which is a word you don't often hear when it comes to describing a budget. it's a word you don't often hear generally. >> joining me now is congressman jim moran, a member of the appropriations committee and the

progressive caucus. and david corn, washington bureau chief for mother jones and msnbc political analyst. his new book is "showdown," the inside story of how obama fought back against boehner, cantor and the tea party. let me start with you. do you agree with the president this ryan plan is a trojan horse to radically reshape our government? >> absolutely. this is a radical budget. you know, if you compare it to current law, people making more than $1 million a year on average, would actually save $394,000 a year in less taxes. because he doesn't let the bush tax cuts expire for the upper class as president obama wants to do. while at the same time, he's cutting billions, basically, 62%, as you said, in programs to benefit the middle class and the poor, like education and training, research and

development, student loans. and, of course, the biggest cuts come from medicare. so this is defining of the difference between mitt romney and barack obama. since mitt romney has embraced this budget, as the president said, calls it marvelous, then let's let him explain why he thinks that it's right to take away so many of the programs that have made america the real land of opportunity, and instead, it will be a land of greater inequality and disparity. so that's why president obama is right. to get aggressive on this. you know, if it paul ryan wants to make this a country of winner take all, survival of the fittest, i think most americans realize, this is not the country, the america i love and willing to send my children to war to defend. this is not the kind of country that has made america great and the rest of the world looks to

for leadership. that's not who we are. and this budget is not what we are about. >> david, in fact, romney has praised the ryan plan. let me show you this march 20th, what mitt romney said about the ryan plan. >> i'm very supportive of the ryan budget plan. i think it's a bold and peaceful and exciting effort on his part and the part of the republicans. and it's very much consistent with what i put out earlier. i applaud it, it's an excellent piece of work and very much needed. >> very much part of what i put out earlier, david. now, because of that kind of warm embrace and comparison to himself, isn't the ryan plan now also the romney plan, that he's going to have to really defend this throughout this race, if, in fact, he is the nominee? >> i think it is. i think ryan equals romney is a good campaign slogan for the obama campaign, and they're

using it. i'll tell you a story, reverend. when i was working on that book, which i was talking to i a lot of people inside the white house and i was talking to a senior white house official at the time, and the end of last year, when romney endorsed the first version of the ryan budget. he kind of doubled down and supported -- i think it was in november or december. and the white house people were just giddy, because they think this gives them the opportunity to draw the stark contrast in values and visions. a year ago -- it was almost a year ago to the date, the president gave a speech at george washington university in which he decried the first ryan plan, which is sort of more of less what we have today, as a darkly pessimistic vision for america. and a couple days before the speech, he was in the white house with his top aides and he said, listen, i just came back from a trip to latin america, i've been in chile in other countries where they're investing money in education, alternative energy,

infrastructure. so they have a positive vision of where they can go as a nation. we can't do any of that here. these people on the other side don't believe in the america that i believe in. >> well, i think that's the point of believing in the america we believe in. you mentioned that, congressman. isn't it so that the tea party and the far right has moved this party so far to the right that it is a place that romney has had to go, way away from where the american mainstream is. in fact, let me show you what president obama said about ronald reagan and his -- or this present republican party. this is the president on reagan today. >> ronald reagan, who as i recall, is not accused of being a tax and spend socialist, understood repeatedly that when the deficit started to get out of control, that for him to make a deal, he would have to propose

both spending cuts and tax increases. did it multiple times. he could not get through a republican primary today. >> congressman ronald reagan couldn't get through a republican primary today. they've gone that far to the right? >> i think that's true. you know, ronald reagan increased taxes 11 times and raised the debt ceiling 17 times, i believe. i mean, he -- basically was a pragmatist. he was certainly conservative, but he wanted to keep the government functioning. he knew that the government does have roles that are indispensable. this budget basically eliminates the government by 2050, when our children will be adults in charge of it all. social security, some defense spending, interest on the debt that they've inherited from us, and a very reduced medicare

plan. there won't be the money to put into education and transportation, infrastructure, even defense of our country, let alone, fbi, law enforcement and the research and development at the national institutes of health. all of those things that have made america great, they are reduced to less than 3% -- three quarters percent, actually, of gdp, if you include defense. so basically, this is kind of a sheriff nottingham budget, if you will. it takes from the poor, gives to the rich and that's not what america is about. i know it's not what the democratic party is about. and it certainly is not what president obama is about. i read david corn. i bought david corn's book. i'm reading it. it's worth reading, because it shows what happened in the back rooms how strongly -- >> before the congressman ends his plug for your book, let me ask you quickly. it's a good book, you gave me a copy, i'm reading it as well. but, david, is the tea party going to take romney down?

>> i don't think so. i mean, i think -- not purposefully. i do think that having to play to the tea party is leaving an indelible impression about romney with independent voters. it you look at the polling data from last fall to now, romney had a very good standing, initially, amongst independent voters and women in sweng states. but now we see in the last couple weeks, his ratings have plummeted with both categories. and the issue is once he sort of gets past rick santorum, whether he can sort of pivot again. but the problem romney is, he has been pivoting all his political life. so every time he turns around again, it supports the narrative that the guy has no political soul. >> got to go. thank you both congressman jim moran and david corn for your time tonight. both of you. and congressman, you're right about david's book. i'll join in the plug. >> thanks. all right. sarah palin hits morning tv with a co hosting gig on the "today"

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the "today" show. taking the opportunity to poke a little fun at herself. >> it's 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, april 3rd. that's my dressing room, apparently now her dressing room. and she's taking notes, getting ready for some upcoming segments here. >> of course, palin famously wrote crib notes on her palm for a big speech back in 2010. now she's trying to reboot. but offering all support for mitt romney. is he the most interesting republican out there? we'll talk about that, next. ♪ you do

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we're back to talk about the newest member of the lame stream media, sarah palin. this morning she co hosted the second hour of the "today" show. and before that, she weighed in on mitt romney in an interview with matt lauer. >> so if governor romney does well in wisconsin today and maryland and district of

columbia, it seems he is the nominee. are you happy with that? >> you know, anything is still possible. there can be a shake-up. but the numbers are what the numbers are. and, yeah, he does seem to be obviously the front runner. and i've been of the mind-set that anybody but obama. >> not exactly a ringing endorsement. but can you blame her? willie just can't connect with people. and whether you like her or not, sarah palin can connect. she did in this morning. and she did it by poking a little fun at herself. >> it is a pleasure to welcome the former alaska governor, sarah palin, to our program this morning. she is -- oh, man. she is doing her homework. governor, nice to have you here. by the way, she told me a funny story. tell everybody what happened when you were coming to 30 rock yesterday. >> oh, geez, matt. nicest lady in the world stopped me, asked where i was headed and

i said 30 rock. and she said, oh, honey, tina fey is here. >> that's my dressing room, apparently now her dressing room. and she's taking notes, getting ready for some upcoming segments here. >> imagine willard doing that. but this doesn't make palin an effective gop candidate by any means. but willard could learn a thing or two from sarah when it comes to connecting with people. joining me once again is catherine cryer, wearing a different hat now, this time as a winning journalist, also author of "patriot acts." thanks for staying with us. what can the gop learn from sarah palin? >> something she has been teaching since she was the vp designee with john mccain, and that is that charisma is very important. on the campaign trail. certainly as politics has become part of the media age for

decades now. we understand that personality and charisma is very, very important. and she's got it -- she's got it by the bucketful. >> on the political side, matt lauer said to her, should the party choose a more seasoned politician, and conservative. and she said no matter who they choose, they're going to get clobbered by the media. >> well, that's the standard. i mean, the media is always a target. you know, no one who was, you know, sitting behind the desk during the clinton years and the impeachment years or -- you go back in time. and the media goes after whoever the incouple bancy is, challenging the status quo. and we forget that sometimes. but the media is a very, very effective target to rally your constituents with. >> it seems that palin doesn't like bad press, but she does like to be the conversation. she does like to stay in it the

game, so to speak. >> she is so smart. because think about it. she has not demonstrated a bit of touchiness, but she'll get angry and all of a sudden it's like she backs off, regroups, goes, we need to take a different approach. and then we do the newspaper routine this morning. she is writing notes on her handled, making fun of herself. charming everyone. so she is -- remember, she started in the media. >> sports caster. >> she knows her stuff. >> she was doing cooking and arts and crafts. and let me show you this. interesting. the ppp poll had sarah palin favorable ratings at 68%. this is among republican primary voters. 68%. rick santorum, 46%. mitt romney only 32%. so catherine, charisma does matter. thanks for your time tonight. i've got t