prosecutor announced the charges in a case that sparked outrage and protests on two continents. >> let me emphasize that we do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition. we prosecute based on the facts of any given case as well as the laws of the state of florida. let's start by going to sanford, florida and msnbc contributor and managing editor of thegrio.com, joanne reid, who's been covering this case throughout. it's always good to see you. tell us first what's going to happen in court 1:30 this afternoon. >> right. so chris, this is the first time we're actually going to see george zimmerman in cord. he'll have a bond hearing in the courthouse behind me. and that's really the first step in the legal process for him, determining whether or not he can receive bond. now, normally in cases that can involve a life sentence there's a question of whether -- you wouldn't get automatic bond. but his lawyer can try to request it. and then after that there would be an arraignment in which his attorney would then enter the

plea of guilty or not guilty. >> and our friend al sharpton, who is of course the president of the national action network, was with trayvon's parents last night as all this was unfolding. here's what he had to say. >> we do not want anybody high-fiving tonight. there's no victory here. there's no winners here. they've lost their son. this is not about gloating. this is about pursuing justice. >> this town has really been under the spotlight. i know there's a lot of emotions running high. what's the reaction there this morning? >> well, absolutely. and chris, you know, last night it's remarkable how similar what reverend sharpton said was to what the people i was speaking with last evening were saying. i went to a church service that had been planned for about an hour after the announcement was made. it had been actually preplanned earlier in the day. and the people that i spoke to there in the african-american community were all saying consistently this is not about gloating, we do not consider this a celebration, but they were thankful to three entities.

they were thankful to god, who they said had a big hand in making this happen. to angela corey, who everyone that i spoke to was praising for her work in this case. and they were also thankful to the activism, to the people who went out into the streets and who supported that family. and they were all very much saying that they had really warm feelings toward the martin family. but no gloating. >> i don't know how anyone who watched that press conference could be impressed with angela corey. we will continue to talk to you as this -- we move into this trial. thank you so much. good to see you, joy-ann. i want to get some answers to the legal questions now. joining me, former new jersey attorney general and former federal prosecutor peter harvey. and former prosecutor and civil attorney who represented nicole brown simpson's family, john q. kelly. it's good to see both of you. >> sure. hey, chris. >> peter, there was some surprise, actually, that it wasn't manslaughter because that was originally what people were talking about. what do you think about this second-degree murder charge? how hard will it be to prove? >> well, it's very typical for prosecutors to charge the

highest offense they can because manslaughter, voluntary and involuntary including aggravated assault, are lesser included offenses. so they'll be included in the jury instructions ultimately. but this is the beginning of a very long legal process. >> let me play for you what zimmerman's attorney said after these charges were announced. >> nobody after all wanted trayvon martin to be prejudged as he was walking down that street. i ask not to prejudge george zimmerman and please do not prejudge the criminal justice system. it's going to work. we just need to let it work. >> there are very few trials, john, as you well know, that rise to this level, that get this amount of attention, and that are so widely known. how tough is this for the defense? >> it's going to be tough. you're going to see shifting burdens here. it's going to be very tough for the defendant at the preliminary hearing to invoke the stand your ground rule. he's going to have to demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence it was self-defense.

assume he can prove that, which i don't think he'll be able to do, then the prosecution's going to have a very difficult time showing beyond a reasonable doubt that it was not an intentional murder but a depraved indifference in the death. >> and trayvon's mother was on the "today" show this morning, and this is sort of her version of what she thinks happened. she was asked what she would want to say to zimmerman, and here's what she said. >> i believe it was an accident. i believe that it just got out of control. and he couldn't turn the clock back. i would ask him, did he know that that was a minor, that that was a teenager, and that he did not have a weapon? i would ask him that i understand that his family is hurting but think about our family that lost our teenage son. >> and you and i were talking, john, that we both had this reaction when we saw this interview live this morning about her saying it was an accident. >> well, you know, this is where the media part of it goes too far. you had the special prosecutor, miss corey, saying that we've reviewed all the evidence, we've

shared all this with the family, we've kept them abreast of it. then the mother goes on national television and says i believe it was an accident. and i would just like an apology. the whole case, poof, up in smoke. she can't testify. she reviewed the evidence and she thinks it was an accident. >> although i thought that she was just remarkable on the show today and showed, you know, just extraordinary generosity and poise under -- not incendiary in any way, shape, or form. >> i mean, the evidence here is, as you know, is going to be revealed over time. the fbi has been involved. they have a very good forensics team involved. we're going to have to see what the scenario is. >> do you both have a sense of what you think the key piece of evidence you're looking for is? because as angela corey said very clearly yesterday, i'm not giving away my case yet. so we don't know -- >> the point of contact. see, what we do know from the 911 tapes is that zimmerman asked whether or not he should follow and engage, and he was told that the law enforcement

authorities really didn't need him to do so. so that was problem number one. what happens at the point of contact is critical. because what zimmerman -- he's the only real witness to this. what he's going to say is that he was engaged, he was beaten, he was thrown to the ground. and the question is what the forensic evidence is going to show with respect to -- >> and the stand your ground law then plays in here, right? >> we also have the videotape that shows no broken nose, no blood on the shirt that would have resulted from a broken nose. no gash on the back of the head. it's going to be zimmerman versus zimmerman. it's going to be his version of the story versus the evidence, physical and -- >> but doesn't the stand your ground law become critical here -- >> it may not come into play. >> no? >> no. because -- >> there will be a preliminary hearing on that likely. >> but most of that law, although it immunizes you from prosecution criminally and civilly, most of that law relates to entering a dwelling or being in a dwelling or entering a car. there's one paragraph that deals with engaging someone in an open environment. and he's going to have a tough time explaining that he was engaged and that his life was

put in imminent danger. certainly not the life of a third party. so he's only talking about himself. and john is right. his prior statements are going to hurt him. >> let me ask you both to stay with us. but i want to bring in ben jealous, who is president and ceo of the naacp. it's good to see you again, ben. good morning. >> good morning. >> of course, this has developed into a national conversation about race, about racial profiling, and about guns, in part because of the stand your ground law. let me play for you -- i don't know if you've heard this yet, ben. but bill cosby just gave an interview to david gregory. here's what he had to say about this. >> a woman from the "washington times" interviewed me, and then later we were talking about the howard theater issue. oh, i just want to know, is this, she said over the phone, she asked, is this about race? is it? and i said, it's about the gun.

it's about this gun. guns in our country. >> there are so many people, and you and i have talked about this as well, ben-b what good can come of this, what conversations should come out of this. >> yes. >> what do you think the conversation should be? >> this should be a three-part conversation. we should get to the issue of guns in our society. but if we want to stop the next trayvon martin case from happening, we've got to talk about racial profiling. we've got to change the way that cops, community watch, private security, even teachers fixate on what people look like more than what they actually do. when we enforce the law, it should be about behavior. when we say it's somebody suspicious it should be because we see them doing something wrong, not that we see somebody of a different color. so about we've got to deal with racial profiling. we have not had an honest conversation in this country in a decade nationally about the issue. there haven't even been congressional hearings in the past ten years.

we've also got to talk about the systematic devaluation of black men's life in the eyes of cops, black boys' lives in the eyes of cops in this country. the reality is that when you sit there on the ground in sanford, you listen to people in the community, you hear a broad pain about the humiliation of racial profiling, hear a very sharp and deep pain about boy after boy, man after man being killed in that community be it by bad cop or by thug, and the cops just not responding in the same way. trayvon, three days in the morgue, shot 70 feet from his father's girlfriend's house. no one knocking on any doors to say who is this boy in this community. no one calling back on the cell phone number. just a real frankly neglect of official duty. and then finally, we've got to get to these stand your ground laws and the reality that they're really shoot first laws, laws that permit this wild west culture where you have two drug dealers who are packing and they both feel threatened and start shooting at each other and

they're both in the wrong -- >> i don't know if you had a chance to see michael bloomberg yesterday, the mayor of new york, but he's one of a whole lot of mayors who are really pushing to either eliminate stand your ground, stop them from getting passed in states where they don't yet exist, and here's what he said about what they're proposing. >> all americans already have a right to defend themselves with commensurate force. but these shoot first laws have nothing to do with that or with the exercise of second amendment rights. instead, they justify civilian gunplay and invite vigilante justice and retribution with disastrous results. >> he pointed to studies. he said the number of justifiable homicides have climbed in states that passed stand your ground laws, doubling in places like florida and georgia. do you think some of this can help change the conversation, change the laws? should it? >> certainly. but again, in this case that law was grossly misinterpreted.

the stand your ground is a real issue apart from this case. this case has shone a spotlight on it. we need to deal with it. but we've got to deal with racial profiling. the reality is that mayor bloomberg is as right on stand your ground as his commissioner kelly is wrong on stop and frisk and racial profiling. the "daily news" yesterday had a front-page story saying that between 2003 and 2011 we went from 170,000 stop and frisks in new york city to 685,000. searching for drugs, searching for guns. in 88% of cases in both years no one was found to have anything. in fact, in 2011 when they searched almost 2/3 of 1 million people they only got back 819 guns. and 90% of those people were black or brown. so we've got to stop the systematic targeting and humiliation of black and brown kids when the cops do it it gives permission to the

community watch to do it. and the reality here that that was at play as well. and frankly seems to have precipitated this horrible chain of events. >> and i want to bring joy-ann back in because you have spent so much time there in sanford. and i'm wondering about that idea. and i know you've talked to so many people. how do they feel about what happened here in the context of racial profiling, in the case of assumptions about people who are in neighborhoods? >> well, chris, that's a great question because the whole idea of assumptions about people i think is at the core of this case. and when i've talked to white sanford residents a lot of the reaction i've gotten is, you know, we didn't really know what our black neighbors were talking about or dealing with when it came to police and their attitudes and their relationship with police here. and when you talk to black sanford residents, what they're saying is finally someone's paying attention to reality, that they say they've been going through for decades.

this basic mistrust that exists between themselves and police here. and the idea that a young black victim of crime is basically just washed away, that no one really cares to investigate. no one bothers to look into it. and the assumption that the black kid on the ground was the bad guy. black sanford residents say that's par for the course here. i think there's a specific conversation here that has to be had around the policing in sanford. but of course george zimmerman was not a police officer. so that enters into a whole other realm when it comes to profiling and just people making assumptions about each other. and real quickly, yesterday during her press conference the mother of trayvon martin did say that one of the things she hopes comes out of this is that people will stop looking at each other with suspicion and prejudging people. and i think a lot of people here feel that way. >> she has said so many remarkable things in the course of this. let me wrap this up by asking both of you really quickly, any chance that george zimmerman gets out on bond today? >> none. >> you first. >> no, i think it's unlikely. particularly given some of the

statements his former lawyers made about him going into hiding and they were out of touch with him. they're going to set a very high bail for him. and that will be the question, whether he can meet it. i don't think he'll be able to. >> the other thing is his attorney has a week or two to make the bail application rather than do it today. so he wants to get familiar with the case and come back and make that application. >> i want to thank all my guests for a terrific conversation. joy-ann reid, peter q. kelly, john harvey, ben jealous. we appreciate it. in the meantime we're going to be talking about this new front in the political war. ann romney is the target and mitt romney's advisers aren't too happy about it. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air.

i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw! wawas meant to be perfect.fast. crisp, clear, untouched. that's why there's brita, to make the water we drink, taste a little more, perfect.

reduce lead and other impurities with the advanced filtration system of brita. guys. come here, come here. [ telephone ringing ] i'm calling my old dealership. [ man ] may ford. hi, yeah. do you guys have any crossovers that offer better highway fuel economy than the chevy equinox? no, sorry, sir. we don't. oh, well, that's too bad. [ man ] kyle, is that you? [ laughs ] [ man ] still here, kyle. [ male announcer ] visit your local chevy dealer today. right now, very well qualified lessees can get a 2012 equinox ls for around $229 a month.

the war on women right now might actually be the battle for their votes. mitt romney has been changing

strategy, trying to connect with women through the economy. >> i was disappointed in listening to the president as he's saying, oh, republicans are waging a war on women. the real war on women is being waged by the president's failed economic policies. 92.3% of all the jobs lost during the obama years have been lost by women. 92.3%. >> but that new campaign strategy didn't quite go as planned. things started to derail on a campaign conference call. listen. >> does governor romney support the lilly ledbetter act? >> we'll get back to you on that. >> well, the lilly ledbetter fair pay act makes it easier for women to challenge unequal pay in court. it was the first bill president obama signed into law. the romney campaign did come back and say mitt romney supports pay equity and does not want to change the current law. joining me now, evan thomas,

co-author of "inside the circus" and former editor at large of "newsweek." and jackie kucinich, who covers politics for "usa today." good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> so it took just a little bit of time before the obama campaign put out a web video featuring lilly ledbetter. so evan, you know how washington works. how do you decide that you're going to sort of shift your campaign into this war on women mode and not seem to know where your candidate stands on an issue like this? >> it's not great staff work. i mean, the romney campaign's actually got good staff work. they ran a good camp versus their opponents, pretty well run. but with a pace so quick now, you're going to make these mistakes. i think this one's going to pass. but it was an awkward moment. >> do you think that the conservatives that he needs are going to be unhappy with what he had to say, that he supports the law the way it is? >> temporarily. but it's going to go away. those conservatives are going to vote for him in november. so i think this is one of these temporary flaps. >> i want to go back also and talk about the statistic we just

heard from mitt romney, 92.3% of the job losses during the obama years have been women. bottom line, jackie, from an economist at the labor department, the math they use is correct. the terminology, though, is wrong. >> right. >> so contextually it really is not right. but is this a good strategy for mitt romney? >> you know, the thing about this is, yeah, the numbers, the math is right but the numbers aren't really because a lot of men lost their jobs before they started counting that number. yeah, the bottom line i think, the romney campaign knows it has a problem with women, and that just keeps on coming through. the speed at which these -- the lilly ledbetter and things like, that the speed at which they dealt with those just shows you just how sensitive a topic this is at this point. and i mean, there are all these polls recently that show that he is trailing with women. and they need to get these votes back. so that's why i think you're seeing so much running of a fire

drill on this issue. >> yeah. and on the other side of this thing, a big democratic strategist is getting absolutely crushed for this comment yesterday. here it is. >> what you have is mitt romney running around the country saying, well, you know, my wife tells me that what women really care about are economic issues. and when i listen to my wife, that's what i'm hearing. guess what? his wife has actually never worked a day in her life. she's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing in terms of how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school, and how do we worry -- and why we worry about their future. >> people on both sides went crazy over those comments by hilary rosen. for the first time ever ann romney tweeted. he should said, "i made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. believe me, it was hard work." evan, even the obama administration, top people there are saying she should apologize for it, which she absolutely is not going to do. what happened here?

>> she's a smart woman, and she's going to survive all this, too. but it's a mistake to attack ann romney. ann romney is a very admirable woman and has a lot of support. she's the best thing that romney has going for him on the whole women's issue. you're going to see a lot of her. they're going to put her out there all the time, or as much as her m.s. actually can handle. and it's just a mistake to go after her. you know, again, i think it's one of these flaps that's going to pass. >> but the women's issue isn't. >> no, no. that's for sure. >> because this gender gap is enormous. depending on which poll you look at, what is, it 16, 17, 18 points. >> for men it's roughly even. >> yes. >> for women it's 15, 20 points gap. and the swing voters they really care about in the midwestern states, middle-class, lower middle-class women by and large. the people who are going to decide this election are swing voters. some people think there are

about 50,000 of them in places like ohio, pennsylvania, who will decide this election. and you cannot lose those votes. you can't lose them by 20 points. >> if i you can just add, i don't think that those voters are really going to be voting based on who's winning the war on the war on women. i think it's going to come to the economy. it's going to come to the fact if they can get jobs, if they can feed their families. i think it's going to come down to that, not a twitter war, you know. >> but i think to the point, and i think this is part of the conversation because what hilary rosen, after we heard from ann romney, after we heard some members of the obama administration, she tweeted back, "i am raising children, too. but you do know that most young american women have to earn a living and raise their kids, don't you?" is this where the democrats want the conversation to go, jackie? >> you know, again, i don't think the -- i think both sides want to get past this, and i think they both will eventually.

but again, i think this is going to come down to the economy. i think it's going to come down to what they're both talking about. and i think evan's right. i don't think that attacking ann romney's a good idea because she is so popular. but at the end of the day i think this comes down to the economy. >> one thing in the statistics that romney can get himself in trouble on, if you believe in cutting government, and republicans do, government jobs are dominated by women. more women are going to lose jobs if where the cutting is going to come is in government. teachers, nurses. that's going to affect women more than men. so romney's playing a dangerous game here by talking about this because those recent job cuts have come, because they're government cuts, come after the private sector. the men lose jobs initially in a recession. then the government cuts cut. the government wants to cut jobs, that means cutting women's jobs. >> evan thomas, co-author of

"inside the circus." it's an e-book. and jackie kucinich, always great to have you on the program. what do progressives, conservatives, monkeys, and cocaine have in common? they're all "politics now." and that is next. that'll be $973.42. ya know, your rates and fees aren't exactly competitive. who do you think i am, quicken loans? [ spokesman ] when you refinance your mortgage with quicken loans, you'll find that our rates and fees are extremely competitive. because the last thing you want is to spend too much on your mortgage. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. ♪ one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. i have two products in front of you. we are going to start with product x. this is a very affordable product that will help save you a, lot of money. i like it.. i like it too. this is product y. this is a much more expensive product. you will not see a lot of savings with this one... harsh. you chose geico

and you did not choose their competitor. was this your first car insurance taste test? gives you a 50% annual bonus. and who doesn't want 50% more cash? ugh, the baby. huh! and then the baby bear said, "i want 50% more cash in my bed!" phhht! 50% more cash is good ri... what's that. ♪ you can spell. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? ha ha. ♪ ha ha. so i test... a lot. do you test with this? freestyle lite test strips? i don't see... beep! wow! that didn't take much blood. yeah, and the unique zipwik tab targets the blood and pulls it in. so easy. yep. freestyle lite needs just a third the blood of onetouch ultra. really? so testing is one less thing

i have to worry about today. great. call or click today and get strips and a meter free. test easy. the day starts with arthritis pain... a load of new listings... and two pills. after a morning of walk-ups, it's back to more pain, back to more pills. the evening showings bring more pain and more pills. sealing the deal... when, hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. it can relieve pain all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lois... who chose two aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels.

my must read today is all about ashley jud. her column in the daily beast is a must read. and a must watch, her interview from last night's "rock center" with brian williams. you can get them both on our facebook page. facebook/jansingco. we'll be right back. wake up!

that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. departure. hertz gold plus rewards also offers ereturn-- our fastest way to return your car. just note your mileage and zap ! you're outta there ! we'll e-mail your receipt in a flash, too. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz.

and then treats day after day... who gets heartburn well, shoot, that's like checking on your burgers after they're burnt! [ male announcer ] treat your frequent heartburn by blocking the acid with prilosec otc. and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. at e-trade, our free online tools and retirement specialists can help you build a personalized plan and execute it with a wide range of low cost investments. get a great plan and low cost investments at e-trade. to politics now, where congressman alan west made some controversial comments. >> what percentage of the american legislature do you think are card-carrying marxists or international socialists? >> i believe it's about 78 to 81

members of the democratic party that are members of the communist party. >> members of the congressional progressive caucus were offended. they called it reminiscent of the days of joe mccarthy. more heated rhetoric in political ads. congressman connie mack is hitting current florida senator bill nelson. >> he voted for millions in wasteful spending, including spending our tax dollars to see how monkeys react under the influence of cocaine. stop monkeying around with our tax dollars. and on a much lighter note, michelle obama getting a few laughs last night on "the colbert report." certainly doesn't hurt that the latest mayor marist poll out today shows 65% of people have a favorable view of her. >> as someone who has appeared on both my show and has also appeared on icarly.

>> yes. >> which of us do you think has more gravitas as a broadcaster? >> well, that's a tough one. >> yeah? >> you know, "icarly" is about 16, and she's real deep. other political news right now. in north carolina jury selection getting under way at the trial of former senator and presidential candidate john edwards. he's charged with receiving illegal campaign contributions to cover up an affair while running for president in 2008. nbc news senior investigative correspondent lisa myers just stepped out of the federal courtroom in greensboro. lisa, what's going on there? >> reporter: good morning, chris. well, mostly what we've had so far is housekeeping in the process of selecting a jury. a couple of things strike me so far. one is that john edwards looks more somber than i've ever seen him in all these many years. his elderly parents are here to support him, as is his eldest daughter, kate. second point is that judge

catherine eagles, who is a bit folksier than your typical federal judge, has emphasized to the jury that a federal trial is nothing like what they've seen on "csi" or "law & order" and they should put that out of their minds. the other thing she said is that they need to republicmember is this trial is not about whether john edwards was a good husband or a good politician but whether he broke campaign finance laws. >> to announce that i'm a candidate for the presidency of the united states. >> reporter: the former presidential candidate's defense basically is this. john edwards may have been a bad husband, but he did not break the law. >> i didn't violate campaign laws, and i never for a second believed i was violating campaign laws. >> reporter: today federal judge catherine eagles, prosecutors, and edwards' defense team will begin selecting jurors at this greensboro courthouse for a trial that could take six weeks. finding a fair, impartial jury won't be easy.

public opinion is brutal. >> i believe he conducted himself extremely dishonorably and he is a disgrace to north carolina. >> reporter: among the likely witnesses, rielle hunter, the campaign videographer with whom edwards conceived a now 4-year-old daughter, quinn. friends say edwards and hunter now spend considerable time together parenting quinn but are not living together. the criminal charges grew out of efforts to hide the affair. prosecutors say almost a million dollars provided by two wealthy donors to keep hunter out of sight amounted to illegal campaign contributions. ever present in this case, the memory of elizabeth edwards, who succumbed to breast cancer in december 2010. >> i know that the edwards trial team will be concerned about the fact that people really just can't get over the fact that he cheated on his wife while she had cancer and she was dying. >> reporter: still, edwards promises an aggressive fight against what his lawyers call an unprecedented interpretation of

campaign laws. >> what's important now is that i now get my day in court. you know, after all these years i finally get my day in court. >> reporter: right now, chris, the first group of potential jurors is filling out a lengthy questionnaire with a lot of personal questions as well as questions about attitudes. the overall process of selecting a jury will stretch out over about ten days. opening statements in this trial are a week from monday. at that point they expect the trial to take as long as six weeks. >> lisa myers, thank you so much. now, on the opposite end of the political spectrum, the blogosphere is aflitter over secretary of state hillary clinton. she's cool again. maureen dowd writes, "hillary clinton cemented her newly cool image and set off fresh chatter about her future when she met at the state department with two young men who created a popular internet meme." here's msnbc's richard lui. and i'm so not cool, richard -- >> oh, come on. >> -- that until this happened i

didn't know what a meme was. >> and now you do. for all other folks who don't have their dictionary sitting right by them, it means the buzz, basically. and an online homage called texts from hillary have boosted secretary hillary clinton's buzz. it starts with this very scene you see here. shades on, documents stacked in front of her, staff hovering in the back. but the question might be in this power sending wondering what she's doing here with her blackberry. well, the website offers some muses. mitt romney, he asks, "any advice?" she responds, "drink." facebook's mark zuckerberg. he wants to friend her. instead the secretary rejects him. now, our own rachel maddow. she asks, "who run the world?" clinton texts, "girls." and get this. secretary clinton even sent in her own spoof. now, headlines echo the hype. hillary clinton talks women, work life balance. bill clinton would be happy if hillary runs for president. hillary clinton, 2016. well, luke russert asks husband bill that very question.

>> i think it's up to her really. i don't think she plans to do it. and i think that you will understand this in 30 years or so, but hillary's worked really hard for 20 years. >> and one result of that work, respect. gallup ranks her the most admired woman, ahead of oprah winfrey, the first lady, and queen elizabeth. andrea mitchell talked to her about being a role model. >> i don't think of myself that way, but i know that i am considered that in the eyes of many people. and it's a great honor. it is a burden -- >> the most popular woman in the world for ten years in a row. >> well, it is a great honor. >> she knows cool can turn to icy. in 2008 she rode that wave. now, hoping to profit from this wave, a $22 t-shirt. it says, "i supported hillary clinton before it was cool to support hillary clinton." and chris, that is the meme.

>> richard, thank you so much. it is hilarious if you read it. let me bring in karen finney, msnbc political analyst and deputy press secretary for the former first lady. and kelly wallace, the chief correspondent for ivillage. hello to both of you. i've been clicking on it every morning and i laugh at the same jokes over and over again. and karen, i was devastated this morning. it shows you how small my life is. to hear that the creator of texts from hillary have actually decided to go out on top. they're going to stop it. not to post anything else. but what do you think of this whole mania that's developed over these last couple of days over this? >> you know, i've got to tell you, i love it. as somebody who has known hillary for i hate to admit it, about 20 years or so, because of course i was in kindergarten back then. >> that's right. >> she's always been a really cool, neat woman. i was telling one of your producers before the show started i can remember her getting out there, doing the electric slide during the south african state dinner with bobby brown and whitney houston. so this is -- >> do you have video of that?

that would go viral. that would go viral for sure. >> there are pictures somewhere. but she's been cool for a long time. so i'm really so happy to see people getting to see what a lot of us have always known about her, that she is a hard worker, she is a great leader, she is truly a brilliant woman. she has, you know, done so much i think to change the way people understand and think about women and how we balance work and family and, you know, you can be beautiful and smart -- >> but also she changed the way people think about her. richard alluded to this. in 2008 there were websites, kelly, devoted to hating hillary clinton. >> absolutely. she was one -- and karen will concede this, too. one of the most polarizing women in america. that has been an issue for her throughout her career. it was an issue in 2008. it seems gone, is that polarizing sense. you see she's the most admired women. we hear this a little bit at ivillage too. women who didn't like her before chris.

and they didn't vote for her in 2008. now they say i really admire her. she's the most traveled secretary of state we've ever had. she's worked so hard. and people are sort of saying that they really see her a lot differently now. >> and first, karen, as you know, they were talking about her swapping out for vp with joe biden, becoming secretary of state. now the 2016 buzz is building and building and building. >> yeah. >> what do you think? you think there's a chance she'll run? >> i don't think so. i actually think -- i think what president clinton said is right. i think she's worked very hard and now she's ready for a new chapter. >> but after six months of resting she's just going to start knitting? >> but you know what? this is a woman with very diverse interests and issues that she really cares about and would like to be able to dig down deeper into. and don't forget, this is a tough job, and this woman has worked very hard. one thing i want to say to what kelly said, though, is don't mistake the fact that the polarizing figure was a media-constructed and reinforced narrative about her and what was

polarizing about her, i can tell you, in 1992 was the fact that people could not believe that a woman could go to the hill and talk about health care reform and come back and plan a state dinner. they didn't think women did stuff like that. >> i should also say i was out there in the very beginnings of her senate campaign and you know, she took so much heat for being in new york and so on. and you saw that when people actually met her, when you meet her face to face and you see her working a crowd, she's got a lot of those same skills that her husband had. let me also show you something that we heard just yesterday, that she was talking about osama bin laden and that moment in the sit room. we have that fantastic picture. >> that infamous picture. >> where they were trying to figure out was the raid to get osama bin laden going to succeed. here's what she said. >> i'm not sure anybody breathed for, you know, 35 or 37 minutes. and for me the worst part was when one of the helicopters'

tail got stuck and it was not flyable. that had been planned for, but it was still somewhat, you know, worrisome. >> and if we can go back to the picture, can we show that picture? because there she is. you know, a room full of men. and there's hillary. hillary clinton. >> when you read maureen dowd's column, she talked to the photographer who took the picture with the sunglasses and the blackberry, and she said that the photographer got a letter from a woman saying, "i showed this to my daughter because i want her to see this." >> she said she had chills down her spine, i think what she said, when she saw that. that showed so much power. i mean, this woman, international figures behind her, a stateswoman, and also i think hillary clinton and karen knows this, too, got a lot of criticism after that photo, the night of the bin laden -- that people saying oh, she looks emotional, right? she's holding her -- and i think we cringe at that as women. she's real. she is powerful. do think that what we are seeing

now is that so many women really are so excited to see someone so powerful in this position. and although karen knows her so much better than i do, of course, i just had a chance to cover her a little bit, i can't believe she might not, karen, pursue the chance to become the first woman president of the united states. you know, after the six-month rest, right? eight-month or twelve months. it is out there for the taking. and i just think that so many women see her almost cracking that glass ceiling in 2008 and would love to see it happen. >> i just wish i had asked you all to bring your blackberries and sunglasses because we could have gone out on that. >> i know. we could have been so cool, right? >> i think she wants -- no pressure to chelsea as i say this. i think she really would like to be a grandmother. i've got to tell you. >> no pressure. >> o'no pressure, chelsea. >> karen finney, kelly wallace, thank you so much. great conversation. today is also national grilled cheese sandwich day. some fun facts about the favorite comfort food. the sandwich first gained popularity in the u.s. in the '20s. americans consume more than 2

billion grilled cheeses a year. the classic version has about 450 calories and 30 grams of fat. and get this. in 2004 a grilled cheese wan image of the virgin mary on it sold for $28,000 on ebay. whoa. right? get. out. exactly! really?! [ mom ] what? shut the front door. right? woop-woop! franklin delano! [ male announcer ] hey! there's oreo creme under that fudge! oreo fudge cremes. indescribably good.

[ male announcer ] hey! there's oreo creme under that fudge! durn'it, this thing's runnin' slow. bet you think you're pretty quick? yeah, i guess it is pretty quick. jesse?!? jesse? jesse?! much obliged. suddenly, everything else seems old-fashioned. ultrabook. inspired by intel. you know, those farmers, those foragers, those fishermen.... for me, it's really about building this extraordinary community. american express is passionate about the same thing. they're one of those partners that i would really rely on

whether it's finding new customers, or, a new location for my next restaurant. when we all come together, my restaurants, my partners, and the community amazing things happen. to me, that's the membership effect. you could spend as much as $200. olay says challenge that with an instrument that cleanses as effectively as what's sold by skin professionals for a whole lot less. olay pro x advanced cleansing system.

for those of you who diet and exercise coffee beans may actually hold the key to weight loss. a new study shows that people who take a daily supplement of unroasted or green coffee bean extract lose more weight and fat than those who don't. scientists believe the effects are due to chrlorogenic acid found in green coffee beans but lost during roasting.

676 people were killed in crashes involving drivers who ran red lights in 2009. another 130,000 were injured according to the insurance institute for highway safety. and that's why we've seen an explosion in the number of cities and states that are giving the green light to red light cameras. more than 550 communities across the country have one. a study finds they can reduce red light running fatalities by 24%. but drivers have their suspicions. a lot of folks think this is not so much about safety but about plugging budget holes for cash-strapped cities and towns. and you probably feel that way if you ever got caught by one. i'm joined now by iowa state representative cindy winkler, a proponent of red light cameras, and jay bieber is executive director of safer streets l.a. who successfully fought to get rid of red light cameras in los angeles. good morning to both of you. and jay, let me start with you. because given the statistics, a reduction in fatalities, what's the argument against these red light cameras?

>> well, first of all, the study that you quote has been debunked by a number of scientists. actually, three ph.d.s did a study that showed that the study was completely flawed and that study is by the insurance institute of highway safety which is a lobbying group for the insurance industry that makes millions of dollars on higher rates for drivers that get these tickets. so it's sort of like asking the cigarette industry whether smoking is addicting. so -- >> and representative winkler, i think if you talk to anybody who's gotten a ticket from these red light cameras, their perception is it's just a gotcha, it's a way for towns and cities to make money. >> well, in iowa the cities that are making the decision to utilize red light cameras do it as a result of safety. they want to make sure that their streets are safe. and so we have noticed that the cameras are there. individuals cannot go through those red light intersections without knowing that the camera

is right there. we've seen locally a reduction in red light camera accidents in those intersections where the red light cameras are used. it truly has reduced accidents. in davenport, where i'm from, 42% of the accidents have diminished as a result of that. another community, 72% of accidents in intersections where red light cameras are used. there's that reduction there. >> and jay, another argument i've heard is that by having these cameras it frees up law enforcement to do other important jobs. what would you say about that? >> well, unfortunately, what they're doing is they're overticketing. they're targeting something that is actually not -- is not what they want to target. what they really want to target is the late into red drivers. the ones that you are seeing in those videos we're showing at the top of the segment. by the way, which are -- the red light cameras are capturing on film but not actually stopping. those are people that are drunk or they are impaired in some way or they're distracted.

red light cameras can't actually stop those kinds of accidents. so basically, what red light cameras target is they target these very early into red, the fraction of a second lates. that's where all of these violations are occurring. if you have a sufficient yellow phase and you have a sufficient all red phase where the cross-traffic is protected for a fraction of a second, you don't need red light cameras. and -- >> jay beeber, representative winckler, i wish we had more time. thanks to both of you. you skip the counters, the lines, and the paperwork. zap. it's our fastest and easiest way to get you into your car. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw!

ttd# 1-800-345-2550 let's talk about the typical financial consultation ttd# 1-800-345-2550 when companies try to sell you something off their menu ttd# 1-800-345-2550 instead of trying to understand what you really need. ttd# 1-800-345-2550 ttd# 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, we provide ttd# 1-800-345-2550 a full range of financial products, ttd# 1-800-345-2550 even if they're not ours. ttd# 1-800-345-2550 and we listen before making our recommendations, ttd# 1-800-345-2550 so we can offer practical ideas that make sense for you. ttd# 1-800-345-2550 ttd# 1-800-345-2550 so talk to chuck, and see how we can help you, not sell you. ttd# 1-800-345-2550 departure. hertz gold plus rewards also offers ereturn-- our fastest way to return your car. just note your mileage and zap ! you're outta there ! we'll e-mail your receipt in a flash, too. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz.

good morning, everybody. i'm thomas robertson. the agenda next hour, mitt romney takes the so-called war on women straight to the white house and blames president obama for keeping women out of a job. but does the math add up? and ann romney's reaction to having to defend being a stay-at-home mom. and the new attorney representing george zimmerman will ask a judge to set bail for his client today. his attorney, mark omara, will join me. meanwhile, in north carolina jury selection is beginning, or starting in the federal case against former senator john edwards. we'll have a live update from court.

chris? >> thanks so much, thomas. and today's tweet of the day comes from stephen colbert. still gushing after his segment with michelle obama last night. "what a rush. having the first lady here. in that when i tried to shake her hand the secret service rushed me." oh, stephen. that wraps up this hour of "jansing & co." i'm chris jansing. tonight on "the ed show," vice president joe biden will be ed schultz's special guest. that's at 8:00 p.m. eastern, only on msnbc. thomas roberts is up next. i'll see you back here tomorrow. . security. that's what matters to me... me? i've been paying in all these years... years washington's been talking at us, but they never really listen... listen...it's not just some line item on a budget; it's what i'll have to live on... i live on branson street, and i have something to say... [ male announcer ] aarp is bringing the conversation on medicare and social security out from behind closed doors in washington. because you've earned a say.

from behind closed doors in washington.

or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business, it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities. that's why we extended $6.4 billion in new credit to small businesses across the country last year. because the more we help them, the more we help make opportunity possible. george zimmerman will make his first court appearance in just a couple of hours. we're going to talk to his new lawyer about whether he thinks zimmerman will get a fair trial and what's next in this case. in the latest round in the political war of women, the target, ann romney. she's been criticized for being out of touch with working women. ann romney fired back just moments ago. we'll have it for you. and with osama bin laden now dead, the fbi on the hunt for a new world's most