early -- first of all, happy mother's day, everybody, every mom out there. thank you so much for all you do. >> and "time" magazine says that, too, you're not a good mom if you don't breast feed for a year and sleep with your baby, too. >> willy, it's way too early. what time is it? >> it's "morning joe." by the way, the kid on that cover is like 11 years old. >> whatever. >> we'll see you back on monday. >> mama. >> i promise an entire hour without showing that cover. the best laid plans, president obama raises money at a george clooney bash. after embracing the cause of same-sex marriage. while mitt romney apologizes for pranks he may have done almost 50 years ago.

did either campaign think the week was going to play out this way when it started? we'll talk about that. plus, running with romney. the campaign says they are looking at a, quote, pretty significant group for vice president. but this morning we're joined by the last person who made the cut, the former lieutenant governor, what is it like to be vetted and sharing the ticket with mitt romney? and jpmorgan reports a $2 billion loss over the last two weeks. jamie dimon says errors and bad judgment were to blame. is this the end of griping against the dodd frank financial reform law? good morning from washington. it's a busy friday. na 11th, 2012. my name is chuck todd and this is "the daily rundown." knit romney has learned that every section of your life is open to inspection, especially high school. a washington post story on his high school years at the prestigious cranbrook school in

detroit, classmates describing his pranks. when he was a senior, he acosted a boy with bleached blond hair and tackled him and pinned him to the ground as the boy, john lauber, his eyes filling with tears, screamed for help. romney repeatedly, the allegation said, clipped his hair with a pair of scissors. when reporters called one of his former classmate, phillip maxwell, confirming the story to nbc news, saying the boys grew into a distinguished group of men and now we look back at it and it's a black mark on our own character. "the post" reports that lauber died in 2004. his family is disputing "the post's" story. the portrayal of john is fact actually incorrect and we disagree that john would be used

to further a political agenda. yesterday on this show, romney's senior adviser, he had gillespie, had this to say about the story. >> is the incident troubling to you? >> well, mitt romney doesn't understand that incident at all. it's easy to understand, it was high school. >> but mitt romney deciding to inflate the news bubble, hoping that it would pop. first they did it on fox news radio. >> i had no idea that this person might have been gay and, as the recall points out, i participated in a lot of hijinks and pranks during high school and some may have gone too far and for that i apologize. >> and then he stuck with the fox network, this time going on television to do it. >> i don't recall the incident myself but i've seen the reports and i'm not going to argue with

that. there's no question that i did some stupid things when i was in high school. >> editor of the political report reminds us that it's nothing new for candidates to be reminded of youthful indiscretions. >> most politicians have done something in the past that they now regret. that said, i think mitt romney didn't handle it particularly well. he needed to treat it more seriously. >> and that's sort of what was missing there, the empathy in the apology. but we'll get to that a little bit more in a minute. now, during the 2008 campaign, obama faced criticism for his admission of drug use but, of course, it was he who admitted it first. >> i kept playing basketball, attended classes sparingly, drank beer heavily and tried drugs enthus yas clee. >> here's how obama answered questions about his past. >> the american people are pretty clear about who i am.

i wrote a book about it. that's the only reason that these issues are coming up. it has to do with when i was a teenager and i think they recognize that 30 years later as a father of two and a husband and a united states senator that i'm prepared to lead the country. >> you know, it's interesting, you talk to strategists on both sides and they say that high school is off limits. of course, the stories seem to be creeping up more and more with candidates all the time. i have noticed that in a lot of secondary statewide campaigns. now, there's more to this story. the cranbrook story happened almost 50 years ago. the details are in dispute. romney, who has been running for five years, is still a two-dimensional figure. between now and the election in november, it's the fill in the blanks and people are filling in blanks a lot faster than romney is.

romney puts his wife out there to talk about him, which she will do again on fox. >> for mitt, he -- that's where he gave me the greatest strength, because he was the one reminding me that it wasn't what i did that -- why he loved me, it was who i was. >> look, everybody knows romney's name. the question is, do people know him? and presidential politics and elections, the vote is personal and when it comes to romney, it's been because there are three basic narratives and in two of them he won't talk about them. he rarely talks about his time as massachusetts governor. that was clearly done for political reasons. and while it may be the most important thing in his life, he appears to not talk about it publicly for fear of issue of mormonism. it appears to have made romney

overcautious about. he only feels comfortable talking about his business record and he has difficulty connecting and can be more easily characterized as a two-dimensional son of privilege. he doesn't help himself out in awkward moments when he's asked how he can match president obama's cool factor. >> i don't think i'll play the president a round of golf but i'd be happy to take him through a water ski course. we have different skills and different interests and hobbies. people are going to get to know me better and ann says there's a wild and crazy guy locked up inside of me. >> by the way, a reminder of where this alleged bullying happened. an elite prep school. and if that's the only image that sticks off of this story, that's not good for the portrait that's being painted right now of mitt romney. they still have work to do when it comes to that.

>> no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, no matter what your last name, no matter who you love -- [ applause ] >> and 2,000 supporters in seattle erupted in cheers. the white house is doing their best to make sure when history books are written on the gay issue and debate, they don't begin with, because of joe biden. biden apologized for jumping the gun. the white house leaked that the president had planned to potentially make his support for same-sex marriage clear. next week on "the view," he's still going to tape the show on monday. the president will try to return his focus to the economy with an event on mortgage refinancing in a state that's been hard hit on

reno, nevada, and one of six battle ground states where they are trying to change the subject on the auto bailout. in the next 48 hours we're going to learn something more about how romney will handle the gay issue. he will be in north carolina and delivers the commencement at the socially conservative university tomorrow. this might come as a surprise, things romney might not have said during the primary. >> individuals of the same-sex were able to adopt children. in my view, that's something that people have the right to do. >> interesting to see how that gay adoption will play with some social conservatives. now to the hottest ticket in hollywood. the president joined forces with george clooney and a host of other celebrities to raise what was a record $15 million. last night the price to join the party, a cool $40,000 a plate

nbc's kristen welker is joining me. tell me what you learned about last night's dinner. >> reporter: didn't get to go in but we learned a little bit, chuck. first, i want to point out that this fund-raiser was planned before the same-sex marriage endorsement was let out. we have a graphic of the big, big names that turned out and barbara streisand and jack black, salma hayek , and robert downey jr to start off. he thanked them to allow him to use the basketball court which is where the party was held and then he talked about and of

course we heard him make similar comments. he made a subtle reference to the same-sex marriage issue by saying we did make some news this week but essentially his decision was the extension and logical extension of his vision of the country and where he sees the country going. there wasn't a whole lot made of sex-sex marriage. there were people who line the streets as the president drove through the studio sitting area here in the los angeles area. some of them holding up signs saying thank you for supporting our family. there has been an uptick in fundraising and mitt romney had a very big day yesterday in omaha and kansas and, chuck, looking a little bit into the future in june, president obama comes back here to the l.a. area for some more fund-raisers, including one just announced

this week by the co-create for of glee and he is openly gay as well. chuck? >> kristen welcker, thank you so much. we are learning about the broadway new york version that they did in northern virginia. all right. mitt romney and his prank almost half a century ago. plus, vice president biden apologizing for jumping the gay marriage gun on "meet the press". and, later, a week that wasn't in presidential politics. it was something else. first, look ahead at the president's schedule, it's reno, nevada, for an official event and foreclosures and back to washington. you're watching "the daily rundown" only on msnbc. we're a little early for this thing... want to hop in the back and get weird? no.

no. ♪ ugh, no! [ sighs ] we can have hotdogs for dinner?! yes. [ male announcer ] it's nice to finally say "yes." new oscar mayer selects. it's yes food.

that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8.

i am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women are entitled to the same exact rights, all of the civil rights and civil liberties. >> that, of course, was vice president biden on "meet the press" pushing the president to come out in favor of gay marriage apparently a little earlier than he had planned. joining me is david gregory. first of all, the week that was planned for both candidates, want to start with gay marriage and biden. how about this back-channel leakinging, apologizing, he was

going to do it on "the view." it seems that there's a nervousness that the white house doesn't want the president to look week here. >> well, the reality is what it is. the vice president came out for gay marriage and changed his view before the president did and they were not prepared for that because it caused them a cascading effect where the president does it a couple days later. if the president wants all of those leadership points for standing up and evolving and making the change -- >> right. it was not the case. as you know, white house advisers insist the president was going to change, announce this in the course of the campaign and biden forces him a little bit. fine. the reality is that the president had signaled and telegraphed that he was going to change it and that's what created the firestorm? >> yes. and the reason that people say, did you think this was the opportune time to ask. based on my own reporting and

news was about to happen at some point you have to keep asking the question and i was not prepared, like a lawyer, for that particular answer. >> sometimes you're like, oh, wow. >> yeah. >> perry mason was not available for -- >> once vice president talked about will and grace, i knew that we moved into -- this was news now. >> this was new territory. let's go to mitt romney. he tried to debut a new stump speech, if you will, this whole barack obama is no bill clinton. i know all that's been forgotten because what is now a front page washington post story today, what was an online front page washington post story at 8:01 in the morning. >> i think a part of it is, stuff happens when you're a kid and in high school and all of

that he offered a blanket apology. while not particularly remembering the event people may say, how do you not remember something like this, what does this reveal about his character? are people really going to care? and i don't know the answer to that but there's still a part of his biography that is unknown. people ask if he identifies with the problems that i have. it goes through a larger issue of how people perceive him. i was talking to a prominent republican who said, you know, president obama has weakness among the working class voters but is mitt romney really the answer to that? and the republicans concern that i talk to, to a lot of working class voters, mitt romney reminds them of the boss. and that can be difficult. >> if the only thing that comes out of the post story is that people know that he went to prep school, when you're trying to

appeal to the working class folk, the obama campaign is saying, by the way, he may not have been one of you even as far back as high school. >> i think that does assume that president obama has cornered the market as being one of you and i don't know that that is still the case. this is not bill clinton in that way. people feel an emotional distance from president obama i think they are likely to feel that with president obama as well. >> what struck a lot of people about the story itself and why it created anger with some folks on the left, had to do with any kind of action like that now by high school kids, that would be a big story. kids would be thrown out of school. society's morality has changed on this. what was boys being boys, it's not acceptable behavior. there is this line that we've shifted. for romney to acknowledge that sort of change in society there? >> i don't know.

i don't know. that's a good point, whether he could have said, you know, things like this looked at much more seriously and with good reason now and i specifically regret being a bad influence in that regard. this is one of those things that i can't say what he remembers about it or doesn't and how that evolves. >> what have you got? >> jamie dimon is in the news today. and we have martin owe mally as well and we talked to reince priebus and what that all means on sunday. >> good stuff. david gregory, we'll see if you get as much fire out of that. you never know. running with romney, the for the one and only time that he number tw. former massachusetts lieutenant governor carrie heally on what

it is like being on the ticket with romney and what she thinks he's thinking about for his important national pick. today's prif yeah question, what current senator once had a bomb placed under the hood of his car? the correct answer gets a call from us. the answer and more coming up on "the daily rundown." ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ all at 150 calories or less, there's definitely a temptations for you. unless you're one of those people who doesn't like delicious stuff. temptations. it's the first jell-o that's just for adults. like a ramen noodle- every-night budget. she thought allstate car insurance was out of her reach. until she heard about the value plan. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate.

i've been fortunate to win on golf's biggest stages. but when joint pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. . elan . in, . and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever,

bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biolog medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. ♪ power surge, let it blow your mind. [ male announcer ] for fruits, veggies and natural green tea energy... new v8 v-fusion plus energy. could've had a v8. republicans and their plan to cut billions of automatic cuts to the can defense department by cutting social programs and rolling back financial reforms. the automatic cuts were triggered when a congressional panel failed to come up with plan to reduce the deficit last year. the republican plan would shrink deficits by $243 over two years. it's setting up a new budget

battle with democrats. harry reid is going to honor the sequester in the original form. and mitt romney isn't the only one hitting the commencement circuit. this afternoon, first lady michelle obama will speak in front of virginia tech and friends and family. she will follow that up with a commencement speech at north carolina a and t this weekend. well, as you heard from david gregory, the largest bank in the united states has lost $2 billion in the last two weeks after the company made bad hedges, if you will, with its own money. and since we're minutes away from the opening bell, let's go to becky quick for more. jam knee jamie dimon called it himself, an egg on the face. >> yes. it's a big blunder and wall street has seen him as a great guy with a great risk manager. it goes to prove, ok.

$2 billion is a huge blunder. he took this and said, we metsed up. he said just because they were stupid doesn't mean all of the others were stupid. he doesn't think it's widespread in the financial industry. this is absolutely something that the are regulators will jump all over in washington already. we've been hearing from mary shapiro that we're watching all of this but we should put it in context. some people are saying it's too big to fail all over again. look, $2 billion is a big trading loss but if you look at jpmorgan with the $2 billion trading loss, they are still expected to earn $4 billion just in this quarter alone. it's not a situation where taxpayer money is going to be at risk. this is happening exactly the way it should. trading is a risky business and these businesses have to be prepared to take those hits themselves. that's what happened here and they put everything on notice. so, you know, that's one bit of

caution. this is not too big to fail again where you have banks that need taxpayer money at all in any stretch of the imagination. and i hope that something that is kept in context in washington. this is a huge concern, though, and you are probably very likely going to see a tougher volcker law because they are talking about that on the hill today. it's putting pressure on stocks and when we open up we'll probably see the dow open up down by 75 points. this will be seven out of eight trading sessions that the dow is down and that's a big deal, too. we've seen quite a bit of pressure on stocks over the last week or so. >> after that amazing first 3, 1/2 months. becky, have a happy mother's day. former governor of massachusetts, kerry healey, we're going to have her talking about big stakes. she's a former number two for mitt romney and she's going to talk about a search for a running mate this time around. and what new book claims former president clinton said about president obama. you're watching "the daily rundown," only on msnbc.

have a good day, honey. i love you, ok. bye, mom. [ female announcer ] sam's mom is muddling through her allergies. what can she do? she can get answers at walgreens. with guidance and information to help her make informed choices for her allergy needs. like zyrtec -- with the strength of 24-hour rtec, you get relief from your worst allergy symptoms, indoors and out. right now, buy one and get one 50% off. ♪ find answers at walgreens. he doesn't look like a heart attack patient. i was teaching a martial arts class and it hit me. we get to the emergency room... and then...and then they just wheeled him away. i had to come to that realization that "wow, i am having a heart attack." i can't punch this away. i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone. so be sure to talk to you doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i'm a fighter and nowadays i don't have that fear. [ male announcer ] learn how to protect your heart at i am proheart on facebook.

born to leap, born to stalk, and born to pounce. to understand why, we journeyed to africa, where their wild ancestor was born. there we discovered that cats, no matter where they are... are born to be cats. and shouldn't your cat be who he was born to be? discover your cat's true nature. purina one.

well, mitt romney's team is keeping the election process pretty close to the vest but this is not the first time he has picking a running mate and that may suggest some clues. today we're digging into the 2002 run for governor, the one and only time he chose a 2, march 19th of that year. acting governor jane smith and then hours later he announced his candidacy. things moved quickly after that. romney had to find a running mate. there were three candidates, mull pie millionaire james rap pa pore, patrick and kerry healey, the former head of the massachusetts gop who had flown to utah to encourage romney to run for governor in the first place. romney initially said he would let the convention nominate his running mate but three days before it was held he nominated

healey. romney said she's tough an and says romney wanted a partner who was integrated completely and equally intent on not picking jim rappapore who was white and a millionaire. he has a rolls royce ticket and with the convention leaning in that direction, romney's team stepped in to make rappaport and he got the nomination but the romney campaign stuck to its guns. you don't have to be a rocket science to see that kerry murphy healey is a better running mate than two prosperous business

men. massachusetts voters picked the governor and lieutenant governor. while she trailed rappaport for a while, her connection with romney put her over the top. insisting healey was critical, healey mentioned romney as much as possible. in may 2002, healey invoked his name when she said, we are the ticket mitt thinks can win in november and which he thinks can govern most effectively. healey won the primary by nearly 30 points. the start of the relationship that lasts to this day, romney campaigned for healey when she ran and lost in 2006 and she's worked with the romney campaign during his current run in the foreign policy arena. kerry healey joins me now. she's also co-chair of the group political parity and the

process, what are you asking about questions wanting to know when he was making this decision about to endorse you, to really work and drew obviously a lot of effort because you were running against somebody with a lot more money at the time? what were the kinds of questions that he asked? >> i think you need to back up a little bit. mitt and i first met, as you mentioned, out in utah when i was party chairman and many, many people from my state have been e-mailing me, calling me, saying mitt romney is the person who can hold this state for the republican ticket. we need to reach out to him and convince him to come back to massachusetts. so when i flew out to meet him -- >> did you know him then? >> i did not know him then. it was a complete cold call. we met and had a great conversation about politics, about massachusetts for more than an hour and that was really

my first time and right in the olympics and right before the closing ceremony and so he decided to come out. you mentioned how quick it was. >> right. and i was offering many suggests to him and me deciding at some point, you know what, actually i would be the more appropriate running mate and jumping into the race and and a and it's not going to be that self-selecting. >> he was okay with getting behind somebody that he had known for three months? >> not three months, probably a couple hours. >> a couple hours? >> absolutely. >> because there are a lot of people that he doesn't know very well. >> and there are only three

weeks in between the time that these first discussions occurred and when he had to go to the convention and ask for that -- >> when you hear this conventional wisdom, he's going to go with somebody that he's comfortable with, do you sit there and say, actually, no? >> i think he's going to go with somebody he is comfortable with, with whom he has -- yes, i think he will be able to assess that quickly and there are lots of people to help him and i think that he's meeting and has met a lot of people during the course of this campaign and the previous campaign. so he's not a stranger to many of the individuals who might be under consideration. and i think that having a balance in the ticket, you spoke earlier about the question of balance i wasn't speaking about balance in terms of gender. i was speaking about balance of interest and talents. i expect that he's going to want a full working partner. >> not only somebody fully integrated into the campaign but someone as a partner and when

you look at a fair way to see what that balance is, you brought a difference -- you weren't the business background. you came from a criminal justice -- you have a back ground in that respect and state governing issues that matter. >> that's right. i had a political background and it's an extensive background and it's not something he focused on during the course of his career. he felt that those would be a good balance. i also hadn't focused a lot on good governance, how do you make it smaller, more effective and i suspect looking for someone who brings things that he thinks are going to be extremely important to governing well. >> mitt romney likes team

player. mitt romney and work cooperatively. it's a very congenial group and share his vision for the future of america. >> you said a phrase, team player. is that code for don't be a show horse? >> people in the romney campaign really keep their focus on romney and keep their focus on the future of the country and that's really the guiding principle. >> do you think sarah palin -- you're in this whole focus of trying to get more women involved in politics. do you think sarah palin has fairly or unfairly caused a woman to get not picked? >> i don't think a person can have that degree of impact but i think there are any number of factors in society as a whole that still hold women back from participating in government. part of it is just this. part of it is that media.

media is tough. media is tough and a lot of women sitting at home look at women in politics and say, maybe i don't want to go through that. so we need to convince women that they are going to get a fair shake, that they are going to be treated fairly and if they make that choice and decide to serve their country, that's why i'm looking for political parity. >> i think there are people who do not necessarily associate their political governor palin and so they are going to make their own choices. as i said, media being one of the most influential that often deter women from taking that first step. >> kerry healey, i'm glad you weren't deterred from coming on here today. former governor of massachusetts and romney campaign. thank you very much. >> thank you. what a long strange trip it's been this week in the campaign. how it has become a week that wasn't. first, a bill clinton bombshell

in a new book. we'll check the source on this one, trust us. but, first, the white house soup of the day. garnacho. we're a month early. you're watching "the daily rundown" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] the inspiring story of how a shipping giant can befriend a forest may seem like the stuff of fairy tales. but if you take away the faces on the trees... take away the pixie dust. take away the singing animals, and the storybook narrator... [ man ] you're left with more electric trucks. more recycled shipping materials... and a growing number of lower emissions planes... which still makes for a pretty enchanted tale. ♪ la la la [ man ] whoops, forgot one... [ male announcer ] sustainable solutions. fedex. solutions that matter. that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm.

for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. [ dog barking ] ♪ [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests, but your basic paper towel can handle them. especially if that towel is bounty basic. the towel that's durable and scrubbable. in this lab demo, bounty basic is stronger than the leading bargain brand. everyday life. bring it with bounty basic. affordably priced. tested by everyday life. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job. so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn

is actually something more serious... like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. let your doctor do his job, and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

whoa. daily flashback in 1997 when the ibm supercomputer deep blue beat a world championship chess player and the first time that gary had ever lost a multigame match. of course, he went on to distinctive victories, such as jeopardy. president obama and mitt

romney may have wanted it a certain way but a week in politics rarely goes by the book and i would say this is one of those weeks. president thought this week would be focused on a campaign kickoff during the general election. putting out new ads and said it was about a slightly rushed statement about same-sex marriage. mitt romney said it was about going to swing states, ohio, nebraska, omaha. promote the economic message. the story about his high school years is taking center stage and taking the presumptive nominee off topic. please welcome chris, fresh off of just leaving the u.s. senate, former chief of staff, joe mansion, and jackie kucinich. wow. so i would say this week got derailed, if you will, on various fronts. let me start with your assessment of how team romney is

handling the prep school story. >> well, i think they were a little bit slow. which is kind of -- >> you say they are slow but -- >> he did respond in the same news cycle. >> right. but it took a while for him to get to, look, things may have happened when i was in high school, i'm sorry. let's move on. whereas the rest of the conservative media is pushing back and watching "the washington post" story sort of fall apart. >> i guess, jackie and chris, to me the story only reinforces this idea that we still -- mitt romney's got this sort of -- and i keep doing it, the difference tweens being two dimensional and three-dimensional. he's not fully formed yet even though he's well known. >> initially they knew the story was coming. it wasn't a surprise or anything. >> the post seems to have been working on the story before the gay marriage stuff. >> exactly. >> now, the decision of when to

publish and all of that, that's a different topic. >> the fear is defining him before he can define himself. everyone knows the bully and the popular kid. they don't want romney to end up that guy. >> what did you think of his response? >> i was -- you know, it was okay. the big problem for the romney campaign is, campaigns are more than just about policy speeches. it's about emotion. it's about bringing a narrative that basically says, you know, here's who i am. you know, you're never going to meet me but here's who i am. the problem with the romney campaign, the way they present him, the events they do, he comes across like a robot and clearly he's not. clearly he's got a loving family and you can tell. they are just not doing a good job or he's not doing a good job communicating that. >> my theory has been all along, it's this. the most important thing in his life is his faith and he won't

talk about it. that ultimately is why there is this -- >> right. >> you think i'm being unfair here? >> i think that there's a real element of truth here. i think at the end of the day, this is such an important thing that there are serious issues at play and it's not going to turn on whether the president -- it's not going to turn on things that may or may not have happened when romney was in high school. >> but it is a gut check for the working class voters, it is a gut check. there are those that argue -- yes, it's the gut check moment. who am i going to trust to handle this? >> and likability matters. the candidate more likeable won. so likability does matter. they need to feel him out a little bit. >> he's talked about his faith. he has talked about his faith in the past. he has given a speech. >> five years ago. >> right.

that's my point. >> they think this election is going to be all about the economy and to a large extent it will be but it also needs to be about who he is. >> right. it's one more -- it's the difference between 49% and 50%. >> that's right. >> all right. when we come back, we're going to talk about the best laid plans of the obama campaign. what current senator once had a bomb placed under the hood of his car? believe it or not, it was nevada senator harry reid. sort of a weird story. you're watching "the daily rundown" only on msnbc. [ female announcer ] research suggests

the health of our cells plays a key role throughout our entire lives. ♪ one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin, designed for many of women's health concerns as we age. ♪ it has more of seven antioxidants to support cell health. that's one a day women's 50+ healthy advantage.

♪ [ lauer ] this is our team. and unlike other countries, it's built by your donations, not government funding. and now, to support our athletes, you can donate a stitch in america's flag for the 2012 olympic games in london. help raise our flag, add your stitch at teamusa.org. and we are back. by the way, the harry reid bomb, 1981. i wonder who might have put a bomb on someone who worked frd the nevada gaming commission. couldn't have been mob related at all, could it? i want to go to the best laid

plans of the obama white house. they have a bunch of new ads. they have one, their version of morning in america. they have one on don't change midstream. doing a whole thing on the chart of job losses versus job gains. this is the time to change things. yet it became gay marriage week. >> they do? >> exactly. >> it became gay marriage week. it started on sunday. and then, you know, you had the secretary of education come out. to say he supported gay marriage. and the president had to say something. wednesday afternoon was that something. and it dominated the week. >> and he's going to go on "the view" which might have been the place that they were intentionally going to do this the first time. what do you make of this decision to make sure it's clear joe biden falls on the sword once, twice, maybe three times

about -- this is a fear of making obama not look like an audacious leader? >> when these things happen the immediate reaction of the staff -- i can imagine if i was there pulling my hair out -- to explain the process. let it go. it's not helpful. i think what the president did was incredibly brave. whether it's costly or not is debatable, but it is a brave thing for him to do politically. when you go through this process and hearing here's how it happened and he apologizes. i think it's bigger if they leave what the president said alone. >> you know, look, the conservative blog o sphere is already popping up about this. ed kline book who loves to write salacious clinton books. this has to do with bill clinton somehow.

trying to recruit hillary clinton. ed kline's relationship with the truth has been a struggle over the years? >> yes. i think that's right. and i would say that this story is just unbelievable. one thing we know about bill clinton is he generally has good political instincts. he was thinking dr. >> he's not a dumb man. >> of course. >> he understands the politics of this quite a bit. two ads have jumped out at me this week. one campaign they were hoping to have was about the auto bailout. they're doing two ads about that right now about saving the auto industry. does romney have to evolve on the auto issue? i feel he's trying. >> every time he goes one way or the other then we have stories like we do. >> and it never seems to look good for romney on that front.

>> shakeless plugs? >> i'm going to plug my wife being a great wife and person. >> you set the bar. >> i can't do it now. my wife's a great mother too, by the way. a new book "the road to freedom" i'm looking forward to reading it. >> my mom. sandy horn. happy mother's day. when b can i do it? >> all right. mother's day. and of course to my wife as well, happy mother's day. that's it for this edition of "the daily rundown." coming up next chris jansing. bye-bye.

i'm meteorologist bill cairns with your forecast. ann arbor, saturday chance of thunderstorms. sunday looks to be a great day especially for mom. not just up in michigan. we're looking at a great mother's day forecast along the east coast. the travel spot is going to be tennessee, mississippi, and alabama. an accident doesn't have to slow you down. with better car replacement, if your car is totaled, we give you the money for a car one model year newer. liberty mutual auto insurance.

that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away

if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. my inspiration for quitting were my sons. they were my little cheering squad. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. a very good morning to you. i'm richard