helm of the private equity firm capital. it pits romney's job against form he workers of a kansas steel plant who accuse the plan of running their company into the ground. >> to get up on national tv and brag about making jobs when he has destroyed thousands of people's careers, just destroying people. >> he is running for president and if he's going to run the country the way he ran our business, i wouldn't want him there. he would be so out of touch with the nch after person in this country. >> the romney campaign a short time ago dismissed the ad as an attempt to distract voters from what it calls the president's failed policies. the ad will run in five battleground states. there's your map. is it fair? listen to what the president's former car czar said about the ad this morning on morning joe. >> i think the ad is unfair. this is part of capitalism. this is part of life and i don't

think there is anything bain capital did that they need. >> they chose to do it this way. that is business they were in. if you're going to say you were a job creator, you have to take the totality of the record. >> joining me now, nationally syndicated radio talk show host michael smerconish. we have us ann kornbluth, and with us again, zachary karabel. is this a fair ad? what's your take? >> i think it is a fair ad. it is in the high of the beholder. while wondering is how will it play with independents? and i don't think we look at commercials in a vacuum. the big story today, not only this ad but the $2 billion loss by jpmorgan. i wonder if you put the two together, might people come away and say there's too much volatility. because we have so much power concentrated in the hands of a very few number who control the markets and perhaps we need more

regulations of this sort of thing. >> an interesting point that michael is regarding independents. i want to read what our first read team put out. it says it was four months ago when the pro gingrich super pac began airing its tv ads. the ads worked. romney found himself on the defensive and ended up losing in south carolina. in fact, the ads worked so well that the gop back lash was, don't run them. they're hurting romney. these are the ads, or this type of ad scared republicans when the primary was hot and they didn't know quite honestly if romney would survive. what do you think with inns here? >> well, i think it also scared republicans because it was something of an anti-typical republican argument. i think it was harder for republicans to sustain over the long term an argument that they could then decry as anti-capitalism. it will be interesting to see whether the democrats face some of that same difficulty. michael is right. this is about independents.

it is no accident you see the maps. this is not going to be a very long ad but it a big one and it is significant that it is in these new swing states. >> how significant is it that the former car zar is on "morning joe" saying he doesn't believe the ad is fair. this is capitalism. this is how the game is played. >> is that for me? steve ratner is obviously a very well known capitalist himself. at the end of the day, it is probably interesting and interesting for a lot of political insiders. i suspect most people who are deciding whether romney is fit to be president are basing on their own pocket books and be what any one person's endorsement would be. the "wall street journal" finds that romney's bain capital record, 8% loss. all the company they went in to say. 22% filed for bankruptcy rerk organize or closed their doofrls 70% produced gains. you juxtapose that against these steel work here's say they came

in and raided our company. what do you make of the ad and its fairness? >> first the "wall street journal" is 70% gains in the value of the company. >> what does that mean? >> not 70% gains in employment and work worse. secondly, it doesn't really matter whether these ads are fair. it matters whether they're effective and whether they're true. in my view, both those criteria are met by this. there were people laid off and this is not the nature of turning around a company is not done for the benefit of the employees. it's done for the benefit of the shareholders and private equity. the shareholders have largely become the private equity firm that invests in it. i think this is remarkably effective. when you put your entire campaign on one hinge. i will do better in the economy than obama the incumbent. it is like john kerry having run on his war record. it made him vulnerable to the swift campaign in 2004 which i don't think is fair or accurate

but you're very vulnerable when that's your only hook. >> 70% produced gains. explain that and why that is not a point. >> if you fire two-thirds of your work force and increase your output, you will be a much more profitable enterprise. that's largely how gm turned around by slashing benefits, reducing wages and then boosting outfit. that can often be the only way you will make an enterprise viable as opposed to shutdown and bankrupt but it doesn't mean you created problems. >> romney's team. they have a response and it says the obama campaign is going to do everything they can to distract voters from the fact their policies are not working. president obama can't come close to matching the many years of experience that mitt romney has as a private businessman. so he's chosen to attack it. is that a sufficient response to this? when you hear for example, zachary saying this is an effective ad.

you see the faces of america. you're from pennsylvania. we talked so much about middle america and the face of the people who are struggling. there you have it on this ad, smack in your face. a guy saying this man took my job and raided it. raided the company. >> i think it is the obama campaign saying that despite all of the attention on the race thus far, mitt romney in many respects is a blank canvas. and we want to get out in front on this issue and define him as gordon gecko before he can define himself as a job creator. that's why it is this negative spot. a full two minutes worth that we're talking about today. they were positive last week but they want to define him before he can define himself. >> that is part of the problem. we've discussed romney's campaigns, response to different crises. romney's response on his own to certain, if you will, pit falls that have come naturally to his campaign that would come to any campaign, quite honestly. with that that, if he has not define who he is other than saying i'm a business man, what

do they need to do next? >> well, you're exactly right. that's a question of competence. that's what he's been running on all along. in some ways he has defined himself. he has defined himself along these lines and as a turn-around artist. i think that's why as we said earlier that he could be vulnerable to this charge. in some ways, you get the sense that they could be happy to at least be back talking about the economy in some respects and business. they're also talking about social issues, all the talk last week. that was not a comfortable terrain. at least they're back in the general wheel house of about business and i think their hope now is to rebut the ad and to talk about the economy, where it is today. the economy that president obama has oversean. >> obama campaign said mitt romney has repeatedly cited his business experience as his chief qualification to be president claiming he will use to it boost the xhirk create jobs and reduce the deficit in a career buying and selling company, his pat

wash to reap quick profit for himself at the speps expense of communities. >> talking about a $2 billion loss with jpmorgan and they're not sure how it happened and if there is a regulations issue here. >> clearly, that's what private equity companies do. they try to reap profits for the private equity company. you cannot stress the point enough that private equity and investment companies to turn them around is done for the benefits of the owners, not the workers. romney can argue to have a strong economy, we need strong company. that's going to be the only way long term employment is solidified. that's an argument that one has to engage because there's some substance there. but to just say you go in to an ailing company and that's saving job, you cannot make that argument quantitatively or

qualitatively. >> this two-minute ad will be airing in iowa, colorado and your home state of pennsylvania. what is your gut as we like to say, what does your gut tell you? when that ad is running in pennsylvania. you have steel workers and folks from all kinds of occupations still out of work. do they look at it and say things will get better under president obama the next time around or my life, or the government needs some improvement and maybe this guy who is behind this can do it. >> i think it energizes the base. if you showed me the map of pennsylvania i could shade for you where i say it plays particularly well. i'm not sure that it does what it needs to do in suburbia. >> thank you. i know you'll stick around more to talk with us about the jpmorgan mess. coming up, one of the women on wall street is out. jpmorgan has as he describe himself, been a loyal democrat. now he says he is, quote, barely

a democrat. >> i've gotten disturbed at some of the democrats' behavior, anti-business behavior. >> what does he mean by that? what the white house is saying about jpmorgan's huge loss and banks fighting regulations. but first -- pump, politic and a little laughter. president obama delivered the key note address at barnard college. the ceremony just wrapping up minutes ago. the executive editor of the new york time was booked to be the speaker until the president was booked. as expected, mr. obama tuxd on serious topics including finding a job in this difficult economy and we will's rights. he also had the graduates of the all women's college laughing a bit. >> the year i graduated was 1983. the first year women were admitted to columbia. sally ride was the first

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heads are now rolling at jpmorgan chase days after the largest bank announced a stunning $2 well loss on risky bets with its own money. ina drew is one of the most powerful women on wall street, is out. meantime, white house press secretary jay carney said today, jpmorgan's blunder shows the need for new financial regulations imposed after the financial crisis which he says

wall street lobbyists are now trying to gut. but on "meet the press," jpmorgan chase ceo jamie dimon said he is now barely a democrat himself. >> i've gotten disturbed at some of the democrats anti-business behavior, the sentiment, the attacks on work ethic and successful people. i think it is very downer productive. so it doesn't mean i don't have their values. i want jobs. i want a more equitable society. i don't mind paying higher taxes. i do think we're our brother's keeper. i think attacking that which creates all things is not the right way to go about it. >> joining me now, sue herrera. zachary, jamie dimon. he says he was a democrat but barely now because of the climate against big business. does that surprise you? that he believes this? >> there is an increasingly negative sent empty on wall street about obama that is largely based on not liking the

tone. i think dimon can point to a lot of regulatory framework although some of it is bipartisan. the whole too big to fail that these institutions have essentially become, ensured by or backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government. that's a multilateral bipartisan issue. but there is a degree to which this business communicate has been deeply alienated by the rhetoric coming out of obama white house. complaints come at a time where mr. dimon can't explain exactly what happened to $2 billion and losses of the company's own money. let me bring you in. how has wall street reacted to what is the back and forth here of the mystery of the $2 billion blunder? >> well, they know they were on the wrong side of specific trades. i would not say it is that they don't know where the money went but they were on the wrong side with some very large bets. they were trying to hedge some positions. and a lot, most banks hedge. almost every bank hedges. the question is whether it was too large. whether the risk management was

too lax and that was the case. wall street reacted by selling the stock off for the last couple days. off better than 13%. our mary thompson just breaking the news that there will be more changes in the cio department of jpmorgan chase. that's the department where those trades were put on and mismanaged. that has moved the stock off its worst levels of the day. >> well, to your point. you're right. they do know where the money went. i guess i should accurately and make sure i'm pointing out here, regarding possible laws being broken and regulation concerns. let me play what david gregory asked mr. dimon during his interview with them. >> we've had ordered legal risk compliance and the best people. we know we were sloppy. we know we were stupid. we know there was bad judgment. we don't know if any of that is true. they should look at something like this. we are totally open. they will come through. >> the regulators will come to

their own could be cloogss but listening to what jamie dimon had to say. when you compare it to his concerns, the climate that he believes some democrats are presenting for business, but also, not being able to forcefully say that this was a mistake that regulation could have prevented, if you will. >> indeed. i think that's the gray area. the bank is maybe teenage that those positions that were put on were hedges. regulators are probably continuing to look at i as they were last week. that j.p. morgan chase may have exploited a loophole. they were done overseas at the london office if dodd frank had been enacted, would that get them around that particular regulation? that's what everybody has to figure out. were these really hedges or were they outside the boundaries of what the bank was supposed to do. with that said you have massachusetts senate candidate, former adviser coming out against jamie dimon. let me play what she had to say. >> the problem is a combination

of size and attitude. they're too big. there is too much power concentrated in just a handful of institutions. but it is also that they have the attitude of leave us alone. we'll manage our risks internally. we'll take care of it all ourselves. we'll come back to you only if things go wrong and we need some help and a bailout. >> that's not what jamie dimon said. however, she refers to the tone here. to be fair, jamie dimon said, he believes democrats and republicans are coming out swinging far more than they are looking for a solution. but again, he is saying this at a time where his company, $2 billion in losses and i believe and you can give me the facts here. he doubted there was a problem before this announce many. >> this took him by surprise. the reality is he has been saying there is too much cross current of regulation. it is messy, day oikt. and he is absolutely right about

that. i don't agree with that characterization of attitude. i do agree with the characterization of structure. the only way these issues get resolved in the way the political class wants and the american public seem to desire would be to literally separate these functions into separate banks. they are going to have these issues as long as that structure is there. to expect any ceo to say we are too big. >> that would be crazy. >> it would be bold but certainly unprecedented. >> and it wouldn't an smart decision. but sue, you've got again, this is all playing into presidential politics. jay carney today saying regarding romney rornlg given the events we've seen in the last few days that there are still those who want, or who are out there arguing that we should repeal wall street reform. this comes at a time that team romney has a new ad out painting some of the people within the white house being too friendly with wall street. so on one hand, you've got

accusations of being too friendly with wall street and not tough enough which are typical arguments. what are people on the floor saying? >> people on the floor are not against the regulation. what they want, though, is to be able to still profit while they stay within the regulations. and i know that sounds probably pretty obvious. but because of the way that some of dodd frank, that regulation is written, there is a lot of gray area. that's what is bringing up this whole argument and that's why romney is saying, you know what? we don't need this kind of regulation. the white house is saying, are you kidding me? look what happened to jpmorgan chase. they're both right because there are some loopholes that might have allowed chase to stay within the law. well within the law if that regulation had been enacted. and still put on the type that they did. i think they're watching us. their tate to the bank, pun intended. no matter how stringent these

regulations are, nothing on the table will prevent banks from losing this kind of money given current practices. if we think that better regulations will prevent this, it is absolutely false. that won't happen. the only thing that will prevent this would be up the institutions. >> thank you both. greatly appreciate it. the defense calls its first witness in the john edwards trial. the big question right now, will the former presidential candidate take the stand? a lot of opinions out there. and guess what, it's our gut check. it is all fun and games until your joke isn't funny anymore. >> i was not sure that his views on marriage could get any gayer. >> the controversy over senator rand paul's quote/unquote joke is one of the things we thought you should know. [ male announcer ] we began with the rx. ♪ then we turned the page, creating the rx hybrid. ♪

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we're waiting to find out whether john edwards will take the stand in his trial. it was opened today by questioning his former campaign officer about cash donations, allegedly used to cover up his affair with his then mistress rielle hunter. jay gray has the latest on the proceedings. there is a lot going on but at the heart of what people want to know, if john edwards will get up there and explain his side of what went on here. >> you're absolutely right. we just don't know at this point whether john edwards will take the stand. it is possible and there is a lot of debate from analyst who's say yes, he should stab up and testify. look the jury in the eye and say i made some moral mistakes but i did not break any laws. it will be interesting to see how the defense feel like their case is playing out. if the first three week were a soap opera focused on the affair, the lies, the cover-up, today the defense beginning their portion of the trial,

really shifting the focus to campaign finance 101. you talked about the chief financial officer testifying today and saying point blank, i do not believe any of the money given to john edwards was campaign contributions. any of the money used to cover up his affair with rielle hunter. but there is just as much debate over a woman who has not appeared at this point. there is a lot of hope from the defense that the former chair will be allowed to testify in this case, scott thomas is that form he fec chair and he did show up to testify but was send home. they will argue after the proceedings today whether and what he'll be allowed to say. he could be key to the defense here. and of course with mr. edwards, he is a veteran trial lawyer. jay, thank you so much. greatly appreciate it. >> you bet. and john edwards' trial is the focus of the gut check. do you think edwards should take the stand?

what does your gut tell you? plus, president obama just wrapped up his commence many address at the all female barnard college. we'll look at his how speech contrasts with mitt romney's speech at liberty university. be sure to check out "news nation's" tumblr page. ♪ ♪ i can do anything ♪ i can do anything today ♪ i can go anywhere ♪ i can go anywhere today ♪ la la la la la la la [ male announcer ] dow solutions help millions of people by helping to make gluten free bread that doesn't taste gluten free. together, the elements of science and the human element can solve anything. solutionism. the new optimism. and the human element can solve anything. like, keep one of these over your head. well, i wasn't "supposed" to need flood insurance, but i have it. fred over here chose not to have it.

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that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm.

for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. >> i believe we have grown to marriage equal. >> that of course is south carolina congressman jim clyburn adding his support. he is the third ranging democrat in the house and one of the highest ranking african-american elected officials in this country. in a few hours, president obama will attend an lgbt fund-raiser hosted by openly gay entertainer ricky marine. it will be the first such event

since endorsing marriage equal last week. tickets run for between $5,000 and $35,000. joining me now, washington correspondent for the new york times. again, another big event in the timing. couldn't be better for the president. >> a very significant gay fundraising communicate. the president's advisers are hoping that his announcement last week will not only appeal broadly to young voters in particular who according to the polls can be very supportive of garr marriage but the gay activists and gay donors tonight will be the first test of that. >> usa today gallup poll on women. morally acceptable regarding same sex marriage. 57%. legalized marriage equality, 56%. when you look at democrats as well. morally acceptable. 58%. so big numbers with independents and women and we know those are key groups when we look at this

presidential election. >> that's true. although there's very polling evidence. there was a gallup survey out that broke it down by partisanship and showed that among those who said that their vote would be influenced by this decision, independents, 23% said it would make them less likely to vote for the president. 11% more likely. so i don't think we can discount that the president is taking some political risk on here. especially with swing voters, men, older rural white voters. >> let's talk about the story line. you have this "newsweek" coverage. it has the president, what is being referred to as a galo over his head. tina brown, the editor of "newsweek" said if clinton was the first black president, then obama earned every strike with last being's marriage proclamation. and they're paying tribute to where he stands now. this place in history. you have reince priebus. let me play his downer to this. >> on one hand, you have barack obama who is now going on

promote and perhaps crusade for this issue. and we have mitt romney who has been consistent and i think in line with most americans, which is that marriage ought to be defined between one man and one woman. so far those people that this is their issue, they have a clear choice. >> so with that said, john, last week with the president made the big announcement, first read andle others, they have really been silent in a response to the president's historic announcement. >> republicans want to try to make this issue about the economy. they know in the environment of 2012, social issues are often a wedge issue for democrats. that is to say democrats can use those issues to portray especially among some suburban women, independent voters, as intolerant, extreme. advocating same sex marriage is a little bit different because it puts the president out on the edge. republicans generally speaking do not want to look, if they're the crusading party on the issues, they want to get back to

the economy. >> john harwood, thank you very much. in addition to fundraising in new york, the president came to the city to deliver the commencement address. he in fact just wrapped up that speech at the top of hour at the all women's school within the last hour. >> indeed, we know we are better off when women are treated fairly and equally in every aspect of american life. whether it is the salary you earn or the health decisions you make. today women are not just half this country. you're half its work force. more and more women are outearning their husbands, you're more than half the college graduates and master's and phds. >> he replaced the jill abramson as the commencement speaker. the change in plangs ws was out looped in march. let me bring in nbc news editor mark muiry. we're talking about a compare

and contrast at the all women's university. and mitt romney's commencement address over the weekend at liberty college. first let's talk about the president. the timing of it and really the effectiveness of it. you heard the young women going out to face the world for the first time without their parents. at this university in the heart of new york city. >> this voting bloc of women will be key to president obama in 2012. exit polls in 2008 show he won by 7 percentage points over john mccain. in our most recent "wall street journal" poll, president obama was up 12 points against mitt romney. so come election day, if president obama is up seven points, ten points, over mitt romney, he will get reelected. if we're talking low single digits or maybe even even, that is danger zone for him. it is no surprise that he was talking at barnard college. he was taping the view. this is all about a play for the women's vote and they've really been doing this since march.

>> with that said, mitt romney's then play for conservatives who perhaps are still not ready to get behind him with their full enthusiasm. we have a full screen of the differences between barnard and liberty. obviously, barnard, 100% of women. nonreligious affiliation. liberty christian school, you have the major at barnard, the most popular being social sciences. at liberty, religion. i want to play a little of what mitt romney had to say on same sex marriage at the commencement over the week at liberty. >> culture. what you believe. what you value, how you live, matters. now, as fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democrat debate from time to time. so it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman. >> that was not a big surprise but mitt romney did talk about faith and he did not mention his

own which many people were waiting to hear how he would handle that. >> tamron, it really was a tale of two commencement speeches we've seen over the span of two or three days. mitt romney making a big play to evangelical voters. they're big in many of those key battleground states like virginia, like ohio, like pennsylvania. and he needs to be able to get those people out in margins. as an important female vote is to president obama, evangelical voters are very important to mitt romney. so it was really no surprise that we saw these two completely different commencement addresses in the last couple of days. >> back to the issue of romney and his faith and what people have noted, it seemed curious or maybe it should have been expected. you tell me. that he did not bring up this issue of his own faith while talking about faith in general. >> he has always been a little skittish about his own faith. i remember in 2007 when he was supposed to give this very big mormon speech.

he only mentioned the word mormon once. his speech on saturday he didn't mention the word mormon at all. he ill police italy said his faith might be a little different than of those in the audience. you are right. there was not a big type of here's what i believe that, what i believe is similar to what you believe. so it probably wasn't the bravest type of political speech he could give but one in which it was very important to basically tell this communicate, look, i believe in the same things you guys do. please vote for me in november. >> back to the strategy and the decisions here. we're just getting in the mix of things. things are just getting hot for lack of a better description. will we be talking about either of these commencement addresses 24 hours from now or a couple hours from now? >> probably not. there are going to be plenty of

split screens in the days ahead. the speexs will be the most important that we saw about a month ago when mitt romney and president obama and back to back days addressed the associated press where they gave their economic viewpoints. i think that's probably more important. i do think that these past commencement addresses actually do at least indicate where their bases are. the kind of votes that they want to be able to have in their pocket right now. >> i got a hot note in. it will be a disappointing thing to a lot of young people. ron paul announced he is ending his active campaign. no real surprise there. but we know even just from a recent event, mark, that the people who support him are very passionate even though he did not have a chance of pulling this one out. >> ron paul decided with the lack of campaign funds left and just a few number of primary states, that they're going to devote more attention to the convention part. you can make it clear that through all these state conventions, they want to have a voice that the republican convention in tampa and i think

that's where ron paul and his campaign go forward. they're not going to worry about kentucky or the remaining primaries. it is all about tampa. >> what about the negotiating here? there was a story line as far as delegates if he was jockeying for position for himself or even a better position for his son which of course is part of his legacy. >> we don't know yet what his end goal is. but it is clear that they want to have a voice at the convention. and it could make as things seem right now, a little uncomfortable for the romney campaign. if you have all of these vocal ron paul supporters in tampa as such in these convention states, we saw some of these supporters booed, one of romney's sons they bood. tim paw lenny, the former governor of minnesota. they could be an interesting sub plot to the tampa convention. >> all right. mark murray, a lot going on including a little news we were not expecting. thank you. is senate minority leader mitch mcconnell on the ropes?

we always hear the talk about house speaker john boehner not being able to handle the staunch conservatives in his party. family the tea party. they are now roing candidates in at least four states are running as tea party outside here's say there is no guarantee they'll back mcconnell in the next leadership election. kelly o'donnell joins me live from washington. we talk a lot about boehner sometimes being in trouble with his caucus and now mitch mcconnell. what's going on there? >> reporter: for those candidates who are in competitive primaries trying to get the republican nomination in some states where there has been an open seat due to a retirement or a really contested race like in missouri, there isn't much upside with siding with mitch mcconnell while you're in campaign mode. what we're hearing is that specially more conservative and tea party back voices are saying they wouldn't necessarily support him as the leader of republicans in the senate after the election. now that could be as the minority leader or if republicans were able to retake the senate, as the majority

leader with a lot more power. so they're holding back. that does put some pressure on mitch mcconnell. although his aides say he has more than enough votes long up to secure his leadership going forward. he has faced a conservative challenge with voices like senator jim demint who has been a big figure with tea party activists around the country and trying to push the republican leadership in the senate to do things that address some of their concerns. so we have seen some changes in how mitch mcconnell has done business at times. and some of the positions he's taken. namely on things like ear marks which he used to favor. now like many, is saying that there needs to be a break on those. so is it a real challenge to him? that will have to play out. politically, it is certainly something that some republicans find to their advantage to speak against an incumbent and against the current leadership out on the campaign trail. >> has he acknowledged those who have said they won't support him? >> he really doesn't get into

that. one of the things we learn in the day to day action, whether it is leader reid or leader mcconnell, a lot of their role is the back room game of understanding how legislation works and how to make deals. that kind of thing. they bray particular skill set. sometimes they let the politics play out. but they have through aides certainly reassured us that they believe that he is secure. but it does create pressure and the more it gets talked about, the greater that pressure can be. it takes a little of the shine off his stature when you talk about people saying maybe he shouldn't be the leader. so it is part of the season of campaigns. especially when there are several republicans competing for a primary to get them to run themselves. >> kelly o'donnell, thank you. florida's a & m marching 100 band will stay off the field for another year after the university cracks down on the alleged deadly hazing incident hovering over that school. that's in news around the

nation. first, there is a lot going on. the head of the house homeland committee says he is refusing to meet with the prostitute at the heart of the secret service scandal. peter king said it would just be a publicity stunt. meantime, senator joe lieberman announced yesterday the senate homeland security committee will hold a hearing may 23rd on the scandal. listen to this one, oklahoma congressman james lankford, a freshman, a republican, says employers should be able to fire people because of their sexual orientation. he said being gay is a chis and lgbt workers should not be protected from discrimination because it is something they can change. >> race and sexual preferences are two different things. one is a behavior, really. a preference, really, and one is something inherently, skin color, that kind of stuff. >> you don't think someone is born gay?

>> do i personally, no, i don't think. it is i think a choice issue. >> meantime, rand paul is being criticized for his choice of words, describing president obama's support of same sex marriage. paul made a joke friday in a meeting of the faith and freedom coalition in iowa. >> he said his views were evolving. call me cynical but i wasn't sure that his views on marriage could get any gayer. >> the crowd laughed but the party chair reince priebus have come out against the joke saying marriage is nothing to joke about. and soccer star david beckham will show off some of his fancy footwork tomorrow at the white house. he and his team the l.a. galaxy will be honored for their mls cut. will posh be there? the players will hold a soccer clinic for students.

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beneful. play. it's good for you. happening up the phone, mitt. they can hear you loud and clear. does romney actually practice what he preaches? plus, rand paul is actually a university senator and the president takes manhattan. stay with us. florida's 13 band members face charges in the hazing death of drum major robert death in november. the university said the band can't be reinstated until the school makes major policy

changes. three more arkansas razorbacks were arrested. they were charged with burglarizing dorm rooms. three other u.a. players have been arrested since march on a variety of charges. and eight protesters were arrested today for crowding into the buildings that house president obama's campaign headquarters. the group walked into the building and refused to leave. the headquarters is on the sixth floor but none of the protesters made it up that far. and massive wildfires in arizona are forcing people out of their home and businesses. right now, crews are battling a 3,000 acre fire near the historic mining communicate of crown king that is north of phoenix. high winds are fanning those flame. and next in today's "news nation" gut check. do you want to see john edwards take the stand? you can join the "news nation" on our facebook page. it is@facebook.com/newsnation.

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the defense is presenting its case in the john edwards trial. this hour, will edwards take the stand in his own defense? there is a huge debate. some legal experts say it's risky because the government will have a chance to cross examine him and bring up all of his inconsistencies or perhaps even lies. others say if he doesn't testify, it could be hard for the defense to show what edwards knew about the expenditures and why he doesn't believe that he violated the law. so what does your gut tell you? would you like to see john edwards take the stand? cast your vote on that one. and take a look at friday's gut check following the "washington post" report that mitt romney bullied a classmate nearly 50 years ago. we asked, does a candidate's actions in high school matter? 78% of you say yes, it does.

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where the cost to both repair your house and replace what's inside are covered. so your life can settle right back into place. to learn more, visit libertymutual.com today. good afternoon. it's monday, may the 14th, and here's what's happening. it's the bain of mitt's existence. >> mitt romney was involved and the influence he exercised over these companies. >> investments won, investments lost. elections won, elections lost. these things may take our attention but they do not define us. >> is romney's greatest strength really his greatest