pafd. in honorable cause. at least now i have a metric for the rest of my life. for economic justice, it was. >> go for it, man. >> if i don't do that, i can lose my degree. see you next week. "hardball" is up right now. bushed. let's play "hardball." good evening. let me start tonight with this assault on the republican party. this time, it's coming from within. very within. jeb bush, the guy touted most as the number one future prospect said it's gone so far right that neither he, his father nor reagan would fit anymore. he places some blame on the democrats. he said this refusal to

compromise, this insistence creates a problem for governing this country. with me now, both are msnbc analysts. thank you so much. michael, i don't know how you think on this exactly, but i am impressed. jeb bush's sort of heir to the throne if you will. he sits out there as a guy talked up so highly for all these recent months and years as future prospect and here he is saying basically, you have to compromise, accept things like ten for one deals or you're not getting anywhere. >> i have to tell you, it was music to my ears and i was so grateful to hear the governor put in very raw terms the reality that we have as a party to face. not just now, but into the future. as you look at the the demographic shifts in this country, you and i have talked about this before. the republican party, which i headed for two years, is moving itself out of you know, line with the american people.

it's not the position to be in. i thought jeb put it very well and is absolutely right. i've said for a number of years, we had michael reagan speak in which he reiterated as well. the reagan we knew of the last eight years in office. >> i think that was ron reagan. >> but he made that exact same point that ronald reagan would not pass the litmus tests being created within the party today. >> that was michael who said that. i thought he was further right than his father. >> what a surprise, too. >> jeb bush is a regular republican, a mainstream conservative on issues like affirmative action and vouchers. for him to say the party has moved so far from the conservative center is pretty amazing stuff. >> yeah, it is.

i imagine, when i hear jeb speaking, i'm listening to a guy who think i saw his moment kind of pass and it wasn't able to take advantage of it. >> well, it's a moving target, isn't it? >> that's true. >> that's true enough. it isn't so much policies that separate let's say reagan from today's republican party. it's a willingness to deal with your opponents. so reach across the aisle. you were in a privileged position, chris, with tip o'neill, r working for tip o'neill during my father's presidency and you know they would ultimately always find a way to work together on things. this, today's republican party doesn't seem capable of doing that anymore. and it means that nothing gets done in the country. >> i'm working on a project, this is a fact that i lived through. as you know. i lived through it. reagan was a congress. tip was a liberal, but they could agree on tax reform, on fixing social security.

anything that -- every moment of the day there. i think it's very interesting if you can find common ground. any way, here's jeb bush drawing the line between his father and reagan as well in the republican party and that party of today. he made it as a breakfast today. here he is, read this to you. reagan would have based on his record of finding oi come documentation, finding some degree of common ground as would my dad. they would have a hard time if you define the republican party as having an orthodoxy. and you know, i see that. it's very strange, michael, because you had to contend with those new forces, but you have to wonder about what do the people come to washington elected as members of the house, i'm not knocking everybody. they get elected as much anything else. their attitude seems to be, i'm

going to wait out the liberals. they're not going anywhere. going to be a lot of liberals. >> and we don't want them to go away because we don't want everybody to have group think, we don't want everybody to be of the same mind. there is value in the synergy and tension that comes from debating these idea, which is what i'm hoping that presidential campaign, turns into ultimately instead of just picking fights over the crumbs that fall off the media table. but the substance of the arguments around the policy, you're right. both of you are right here. there is not that, in terms of the policy discussions, there are big, big decisions and differenc differences, but that's not what this should be about. what jeb bush is talking about is making this party relevant again in the context, policies and debates that matter to the american people and not putting ourselves outside of those

conversations. >> here's a case where romney, who's not a right winger. i think he goes along with some of this stuff. uses terms like self-deportation. by the way, jeb called the climate hostile. criticized this party, hard line on immigration. here is what he said, quote. this -- don't just talk about hispanics and say immediately we must have controlled boarders. you've got to change the tone. and that would be the first thing. second on immigration, i think we need to have a wroder approach. well, you know, his family is part hispanic. he's married to a mexican american woman. he's very much involved in that community. in fact, he's engaged in that community, ron, and i think he understands that you can't just say everyone who came here without documentation, who didn't come here legally, you're going to throw them across the border some night. that's not realistic or very nice. to talk about people that way. >> no, it's not humane or

realistic. my father when he was president gave amnesty to 3 million undocumented workers this this country. beyond that, in 1979, when he was getting ready to run for president, he proposed a north mern accord, which would open the borders between the united states and canada and mexico so people could move freely between these three countries. that would not hold him in good stead with the tea party right now. >> that's one of those crazy ideas like getting rid of nuclear weapons. lame brain ideas. michael, immigration. you pointed to the demographic changes. i mean, we had mark penn on here a couple of weeks ago who said that 10% of the electorate this time is going to be hispanic background people and that's a lot of voters. >> it's a lot of voters and you multiply that by factor of five or six going down the road and quickly see where the party's

positioning itself outside of that growth. and i think, i think jeb and many others have spoken on this issue and can make the argument cogently that we are the party of assimilation and immigration and supporting those. that's been a part of our history and the more we talk about that history and put it in the right context, chris, the stronger we'll become with those growing populations of people who don't like look a typical or sound like a typical republican. >> we can't just be welcome wagon. >> you're right. cannot be spin. i'm not talking spin. i'm talking about a serious approach to not just the immigration issue, but the broader conversation we should have about economic and poverty. those things that draw people to america. >> that show down, texas seemed to be right on this. at least he was. very smart about it. trying to get a combination of enforcement and a progress

policy to go with it. put both teeth in it and then you have to have something that's humane. let's ask you about what kind of reaction jeb bush is getting. are you hearing any sort of mumbling out there? are they just interpreting this to be he's retired, he's not going to ever run? >> some are grumbling. you've heard people refer to him as a rhino, which is an obnoxiously stupid comment to make about jeb bush. you do are have this reaction because he's talking about changing. talking about the party, not abandoning its conservative principles, but embracing those very principles that reagan and bush embraced and made them successful presidents and i think that is something going forward and i'm hoping mitt romney will also embrace in this election campaign and i think if he does, the stronger he'll become as a candidate. and the party will be. >> the republican party needs to

be saved, it's going to have to be saved by people like jeb bush. >> what about this grover n norquist character. there he is jumping on jeb bush, r who has been governor for a kouchl terms. i don't know where grover could get elected. first, ron and then michael. is this grover stronger than jeb bush? can he be the enforcer and say no movement, negotiations, no deals ever? >> i believe he will be strong enough. look, he got every republican candidate now to pledge no new taxes whatsoever. my father would have violated his pledge i think 11 times when he was president. grover would deem my father reag reaganesque at this point. >> grover going to win this

thing or guys like jeb bush? >> i think i put my money on jeb bush because i think you hit the right word there. he's going to speak to the heart of the party and i think he reflects in a lot of ways what typical republicans out there feel. i understand where he's coming from and his pledges, but unless you govern and have had to make those tough choice, a pledge is just a piece of paper, my friend. you deal with people's lives, their wall lets and businesses, executive leadership which jeb has a lot of, i think trumps any con v conversation point in that regard. >> i happen to know something important hee, which is the president of the united states ploo believes and hopes, maybe it's hopefulness. that he can get re-elected this time against the forces of the far right who are aligned against him right now, that he can find people like jeb bush and others in the party that they will be ready to negotiate and have a real governing coalition. not official, but both parties

actually negotiating with each other on an honest basis. he's hoping he can win, find a new opportunity. last word. >> just real quickly. i think mitt romney would want the same thing should he win from democrats and like mined republicans. >> i got to tell you. i'm with that if it would ever happen. >> we'll see. we will see. i think it takes him to buck those guys first. at some point. he has to show some independence of the wild men. thank you very much, ron reagan. michael steele. an unusual agreement. coming up, emotional testimony from one of the victims in the penn state jerry sandusky trial, which is getting quite graphic. this is the real story coming up in court. plus, build, baby build. get the people working. if republicans are so hungry r for jobs, why are are they blocking the one big plan being pushed by inhoff of oklahoma and barbara boxer to put millions of people to work in the next year

building bridges, working on the roads? we've got an exclusive coming up on that one and the mitt romney act. an expert exposes the man behind the curtain. the great james lipton, host of inside the actor's studio is coming here. finally, jeb bush's call to arms across the far right leaning republican party. this is "hardball." the place for politics. you to. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com, we put the law on your side. it was in my sister's neighborhood. i told you it was perfect for you guys. literally across the street from her sister. [ banker ] but someone else bought it before they could get their offer together. we really missed a great opportunity -- dodged a bullet there. [ banker ] so we talked to them about the wells fargo priority buyer preapproval. it lets people know that you are a serious buyer because you've been credit-approved. we got everything in order so that we can move on the next place we found. which was clear on the other side of town.

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incredible testimony in pennsylvania as the now 18-year-old boy known as victim one broke down in the trial of jerry sandusky. much of this story is graphic in nature. victim one cried openly in court as he detailed the alleged abuse, which began with fondling and led to oral sex. later in the day, the jury heard from mike mcqueary who said he saw sandusky in the shower with a boy around the age of 10 or 12 and heard quote skin on skin or smacking sounds. diane diamond with news week and "the daily beast" is covering this trial in belmont, pennsylvania and michael smerconish is an attorney and msnbc political analyst.

tell us today about the testimony of victim one. >> well, this was the second accuser slash victim we've heard from and i'll tell you, you've known me for a long time, chris. i'm pretty hardened when it comes to covering trial stuff, but i have never seen testimony like this. i'm a mother. i know you're a father. this kid was, is 18 years old. he was 11 when he first met san k dusky and a abuse began when he was about 12. i got teary hearing this boy. he's so small. he's so frail. he walked in with stooped shoulders and his chin down and you just wanted to hug the kid. he broke down completely close. at one point, the jail matron had to come over and give him a

kleenex and frankly, the whole courtroom just sat there waiting for him to collect himself. jerry sandusky in his words, began to fondle him, then perform oral sex on him and then expected him to do the same to jerry sandusky. it was very powerful stuff. >> sounds like that kid was surrounded by the situation and couldn't get out of it at all. let me go to michael smerconish. this is a political show. this story has tremendous advocations i would bet down the road. megan's law. the kid went to the parent and said what's that law about kids and people that do thing to them and finally got the mother alerted because he was so scared of his situation. but he was there relying on something he'd heard about a law that alerts people to a sex offenders. i thought it was interesting that that law is there and at this point, or at least to get

to first base with his parents in warning them what was going on with him. >> chris, diane is obviously right that victim one and the testimony of michael mcquery are the big headlines coming out of this today. but i would submit to you that potentially the big political headline came from a caseworker, a caseworker who testified today that the state trooper who initially investigated the complaints of victim number one believed victim number one and thought there was enough to arrest jerry sandusky. instead, there was a three-year investigation that ensued a at a time when tom corbett, the governor of pennsylvania, was the attorney general and only as he was running for governor did that not campaign but investigation seem to gain speed. and there are a lot of people in pennsylvania and i'm one of them. who are asking questions as to whether the investigation dragged for far too long. >> okay, back to diane because

that whole thing by the way, the almost religious nature in pennsylvania, the sacredness of penn state football, the way in which the church, the catholic church, my church protects its own, got that huge case going on now and reassigning pastor, reassigning guys involved in this stuff allegedly. let me ask you about this mcquery guy. he was a guy that allegedly saw that raining scene in the shower and then what's going on with that testimony? >> mcquery was a surprise. there was one witness who was late because his daughter was having surgery, so it surprised everybody that there was mcquery all of a sudden. he was very strong and forceful. i got the impression that jerry mcquecquery, mike, has been wai for a long time to get into the courtroom and have his say about what he saw.

he never waivered a bit. i don't want to get too graphic here, but he said in effect, i saw jerry sandusky and a little boit about 10 or 11 naked in a shower. sandusky had him wrap ped aroun the waist. there was smacking, rhythmic movements on skin on skin. i couldn't believe what i saw. i walked over to the shower. i was five feet away. they saw me. i saw them. i was so disgusted, i just left the locker room. i went and called my father. it was very riveting testimony to finally hear him say it. >> the horror of this. i never knew the details of these cases. we grew up hearing words like molest or touch. the problem with the media has been so squeamish in describing these cases, but we would have known how horrible these were. write it down. we're grown ups. >> and you know what, chris? >> go ahead.

>> i was going to say and as we heard in court here today, jerry sandusky was an idol here as was paterno and the wrestling coach said i saw something, they were laying on a mat together, but i said to myself, it's jerry sandusky. he's a saint. he would never do anything like that. well, that was many years ago and i hate to think what would happen between then and now. >> it's so much resonant of what's going on in the catholic church where people were so respected, so protected, they just all -- didn't care about these kid. i'm going through these ages. i think people have to know this. these aren't teenagers. these are 10-year-olds, 11-year-olds. -year-olds. this isn't some late teen, young adult. these are kids that are being -- well, we know what they're doing or alleged to have been doing. >> to the issue of not

protecting kids, the worst might still be to come because former fbi director louis free is conducting an investigation and michael isakoff is reporting that they have e-mails that go into the hierchy of penn state perhaps to the then president of penn state saying that in the aftermath of the mcquery incident, they didn't report it because they wanted to treat sandusky humanely. look out if those e-mails are correct and they surface. >> the only thing i want to know as we study this evidence is was there so much going on here, so many words taken from one person to another person to another person, each one softening the blow so when it finally got to someone at the top, did they say this stuff here? that would have been good for the country. we will find out as the court proceedings. this has got to go on. i'm glad they're looking at it. thank you.

up next, times sure are tough for newt gingrich. according to this report, isn't making the money he was making on the speaking tour. still making a bundle. but wait until you hear the drop in his value. ttd#: 1-800-345-2550

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back to "hardball" and side show. conan o'brien took his show to chicago last night and that got him a visit from rahm emanuel. conan asked the mayor to give him a mob name for each of chicago's top sports stars. >> item going to name a famous chicago athlete. you have to tell me what their nickname would be if they were a m mobster. >> okay. >> michael jordan. >> mikey six rings. >> showless joe jackson.

>> joey no shoes. >> dick butkis. >> richard heiny smoocher. >> william the refrigerator perry. >> william the refrigerator perry. >> yes, he did it! nice job. >> rahm's one of the smart ones and romney's been hitting president obama pretty hard for saying last week that the private sector is doing fine. here's the late report from david letterman. >> mitt romney wasted no time issues this response to president obama say thag the private sector is fine. watch that mitt had to say. >> after president obama made this statement -- >> the private sector is doing fine. >> mitt romney quickly responded. >> he said the private sector is doing fine. is he really that out of touch? >> while speaking from the hot tub of his luxury yacht next to a private island that's part of a chain of islands on his own planet. mitt romney in touch with the common man.

>> i was going to say he could have explained what the president said last week. remember when newt gingrich was leading the pack during the gop pry marek letting us all know how much money he used to rake in in the speaking circuit. >> realdirect, okay? i was charging $60,000 a speech and the number of speeches was going up, not down. we were selling more. >> he's calli ining himself a celebrity. sadly for newt, that 60 grand price tag is available at a hefty discount these days. that's if you believe buzz feed. worldwide speakers group is offering gingrich for speaking events in washington, d.c. starting at just $25,000 per speech according to a source familiar. more than half off the cost he

commission commissioned before. the item points out if that your event is in europe or asia and you want newt gingrich on the bill, it will cost you four times his domestic price. up next, build, baby, build. why are republicans blocking a plan that would create a million jobs rebuilding america? instead, they're pushing a plan that would actually kill the number of jobs. why? we've got the results of an exclusive report. it's very important to understand how math and science kind of makes the world work. in high school, i had a physics teacher by the name of mr. davies. he made physics more than theoretical, he made it real for me. we built a guitar, we did things with electronics and mother boards. that's where the interest in engineering came from. so now, as an engineer, i have a career that speaks to that passion. thank you, mr. davies.

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i'm sue herrera with your market wrap. a rebound for stocks with the dow gaining 162 points. the s&p up 15 and the nasdaq up 33. jpmorgan shares gained nearly 3% ahead of jamie dimon's appearance before lawmakers on capitol hill tomorrow. some of his testimony has been

released. michael koors posted better than expected and texas instruments. that's it from cnbc. we are first in business worldwide and now back to chris at "hardball." the most important number in this election season i think is the unemployment rate and right now, it's 8.2 and right now, there's a highway build. it's stalled because house republicans won't pass it. it would create one million new jobs. by our math -- then this bill could easily get the unemployment rate below 8%, so why isn't it happening? is this about election year politics on or getting america back to work? barbara boxer, trying to figure this thing out and that's trying get this bill passed. senator boxer, i know you're a

great progressive liberal and proud of it. this bill seems to be of importance to everybody. what's goin on here? why don't we have that million new jobs your bill would create? >> let me give you the good news first. the good news is we passed a bill out of the senate. 74 votes. it's the boxer inhoff bill. if people don't know who jim inhoff is, he is my republican ranking member on the committee and he and i don't agree on anything but this. we believe that it is critical for a great nation to be able to move our people and our products. it's great for commerce. it's critical for safety. with 70,000 bridges in our nation being deficient. so the good news is we teamed up, we pass ed the bill, excite to send it over to the house. we thought they would pass it. we know there are the votes to pass it and instead, they refused. sent us a very bare bones bill and now we're in conference and chris, you remember those days

where the conference committees try to iron out the differences. i am hopeful, i am prayerful, that we are going to reach conclusion. but it is an open question. why this resistance? since the '50s when eisenhower came up with the idea of a national highway system, republicans and democrats have set aside mpolitics and passed this bill. this is a first. >> we've got an exclusive report here, the non-profit organization transportation for america has a new study showing, we got it uniquely here. that the bill would create and save a total of 3 million jobs. republican house didn't pass the bill yet. but using the allotment in the budget bill they did pass as a guide the republican approach, but unfortunately, the republican approach in the house would actually kill a half a million jobs and that is a problem. >> yes. it's a problem, however, you know, that bill that you talk about that they wrote never got the votes to pass the house, so

i think we have a chance. now, i want to tell you about what's happening tomorrow because i'm very excited about it. you know how the republicans are always talking about the job creators, well, the job creators are having a demonstration right here in the capitol at the reflecting pool. you remember where that is. they're going to have four huge cement trucks, a big flat bed truck and a sign that says pass a highway bill by june 30th. i'm excited that the job creators are getting involved in such a big way. they have been terrific. and they're going to come out again and this is, this is my ace in the hole. this is where we think we can get the pressure on the republicans to do this right thing. >> maybe a good photo op will do it. thank you so much. i'm a believer in that stuff. i call that clean tricks. thank you for joining us. joining us now is the the secretary of transportation.

you're a congressman of great note. worked with the leadership while at stanford. you've got a long history of knowing how bills become laws. where does this stand right now? are we going to get a transportation bill or not? >> if it's up to senator box eer and inhoff, yes, i have my fingers crossed. jim inhoff, one of the most conservative, really, really a conservative fella, he's on the, in the house trying to persuade these conferees to offer up an opportunity to pass the bill. >> right now, boehner is pushing for a simple six-month extension. why? >> i'm -- >> just kick the can out of the road. >> i'm pulling for boxer and inhoff. if they pass the senate bill, there's thousands of people. we still have an opportunity here in the construction season to get people to work. we know what we do at d.o.t.

with our partners, put people to work. they need to pass the boxer inhoff bill. >> let's talk about the need. not just the need for jobs. barbara boxer just said 70,000 bridges. they fall down while you're on them. >> there's 300 bridges on the list now, chris, that are unsafe. we've got the list. they can start to fix those up immediately as soon as congress, the president signed the vote. >> go in the house floor and list those bridges and what district it's represented and who the congressperson is and make them defend a bridge that's dangerous! if i'm still a member -- >> just have the chief engineer call it and put -- >> everybody has it, a bridge in their district that's not safe. and people need to know where these are so their member of congress can vote for r a transportation bill.

we need a bill. >> watch the show and call their congressperson, whatever party they're in and tell them to do this thing. >> there's a pent up demand in this country for infrastructure. america is one big pothole right now. we need a transportation bill. we need to boxer inhoff bill. >> you're a republican. lincoln was a republican when he built the trans continental railroad. the reason we can ride on 90 and 80 and 75, all those interstate highways is because of republican. >> the 16th president. >> eisenhower republican right here. thank you very much, mr. secretary. up next, what did mitt romney do to appear more human? and by the way, what kind of an act has he been putting on? we've got james lipton. he's got some ideas about what romney's been doing, this

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the federal government and specifically, the department of homeland security, accusing the agency of denying the state access to the database about immigran immigrants. this could have a big impact on the election down there. [ banker ] mike and brenda found a house that they really wanted. it was in my sister's neighborhood. i told you it was perfect for you guys. literally across the street from her sister. [ banker ] but someone else bought it before they could get their offer together. we really missed a great opportunity -- dodged a bullet there. [ banker ] so we talked to them about the wells fargo priority buyer preapproval. it lets people know that you are a serious buyer because you've been credit-approved. we got everything in order so that we can move on the next place we found. which was clear on the other side of town. [ male announcer ] wells fargo. with you when you're ready to move.

little history. i was born and raised here. i love this state. it seems right here. trees are the right height. i love the lakes. just something very special here. the great lakes, but also the little inland lake that is dot the parts of michigan. i love cars. i don't know, i mean, i grew up totally in love with cars.

>> what's the guy on frisky juice? sometimes, mitt romney attempts to relate to an audience and they can be quite painful, those kinds of performances, like when he talks about the trees being the right height in michigan. last month, new york magazine asked james lipton, the host of "inside the actor's studio," to assess his problem. >> been criticized by some for not coming across as authentic to your public. maybe you can sort of work on that today. let's start with your laugh. >> you know, i live for laughter. >> it isn't working. it just doesn't come across as gener genuine. >> well, there's a lot about mitt romney that doesn't come across as genuine, but here's james lipton, joining us in this

interleague play here from bravo as they're doing in baseball this week. let me ask you about the smile. you have some interesting sort of dissection you share us with. share with us. >> the point is, if you watch him on television and you freeze the frame, and then you put your hand over the lower part of his face and just look at his eyes, you will discover something amazing, which is that while he expects us to be amused, he is not amused himself. there is no pleasure that. no amusement. he's too busy working to be amused and the result is that the laughter comes across as what you heard. ha, ha, ha. it isn't, he's not really laughing. people think that crying is the hardest thing an actor can do. that's not true. the most difficult thing for an actor is to laugh and he has not mastered it and if you have not,

stay away from it. >> what's he trying to do? is he trying to play the old nelson rockefeller, even though he was loaded with tons of money, he seemed to have a way to connect with people and he connected naturally with people like jack kennedy could. this guy seems to be pretending to be some well meant time who really likes hanging out with regular people and he clearly would prefer not to be there. >> he's very self-conscious and uncomfortable. he won't eat their poor little cupcak cupcakes. well, it's true. remember what he said when he was in the debates and he said i can't have these immigrants on my lawn. i'm running for office for pete's sake. what is he saying? that there are two mitt romney's. one that wouldn't mind and the other who's very troubled by it because he's presenting himself as a persona. and he's acting. he's performing.

showing us somebody whom he is not. i'm not talking about his politics, but he doesn't play that part very well. >> sthe struggle joked about be unemployed with a group of people who actually were out of work. let's watch. >> well, i should also tell my story. i'm also unemployed. >> are you on linkei didn't? >> yes, actually, and i'm networking. >> back in 2008, he ride to relate to a group of teenagers. how did he do it? by singing to the lyrics to what he thought was a minute song "who let the dogs out" which is apparently quite a build old by then, that song. let's watch. >> who let the dogs out?

who? who? >> you know, i'm struck by the times he seems like one of those guys in a war movie from the second world war who is a spy and occasionally whether the americans and germans and germans playing americans they let something slip. you know, they let their real way of talking. he will say things like i read that in "the new york times" piece on the aircraft. >> that's right. >> or, you know, i don't know anybody that talks like that, conehead talking. not earthly. >> i'm a pilot. i'm up there in front usually flying -- i fly as an airplane. get people who -- who own their planes, it is an aircraft. i don't know. he said over and over again, there's nothing wrong with being rich. let's give him that. let's stipulate as the lawyers like to say that there is nothing wrong with being rich. but there is something wrong with pretending that somehow you are not or you are a man of the people when manifestly you are not. i worked with reagan for a while. and -- he was -- was than any more a common man than romney

is. but he never pretended to be anything other than what he was. what you saw is what you got. what you got is what you saw. as a result, there was mice word name for him, reaganesque. >> i think reagan knew he was lucky. >> sure. >> a regular guy that made it. he knew the difference. >> exactly. fdr was called what, a traitor to his class. he was very rich. did he relate? he certainly did. reverberates to this day. and some of what he left his legacy still being attacked and rolled back. >> let's talk about the president. the president, you know, i have, him and you have been with him. i'm impressed with his absolute cool, i mean, his -- somewhat detached. i wouldn't say the warmest person. but very detached. very cool and confident that he's who he is. that's what i think. >> yes. look, let's go back a year to the white heat of the white house press conference.

the -- the press -- what's it called? the big gala evening. >> correspondents dinner correspondents dinner. that's it. now -- that's a tough -- that's a tough audience, tough venue. a we are ago he killed, as we say in show business, killed literally. he killed that audience. he did a great job with them. at the same time, he was the only person in that room that he was killing osama bin laden. now that is cool. that is really, really cool. >> yeah. cinematic way, like robert de niro in -- in that chicago movie. i'm not going to go into the details. it is the same kind of thing. "untouchab "untouchables." somebody getting killed. at the same time he's watching an opera and crying about the clown. >> precisely. the -- the thing is that he -- what he has to learn to do somehow is to stop trying to pretend what -- he is and is

not. he can't do it. he doesn't have those skills. that's okay. he's not required to have them. i think he should go with what he's got and hope for the best. >> you might be telling him to walk the plank by telling him to be himself. thank you for the good effort. we always like to say let romney be rom my. you just said it. maybe he will. but i don't think go for better or worse, let romney be romney. it isn't that it is his best option. as i say in my article, it is his only option. he can't -- he's not a good actor. reagan was a very good actor. >> james lipton, thank you so much. host of "inside the actor's studio." when we return let me finish with jeb bush's call to arms against a republican party that's lurched far to the right. too far for him. you are watching "hardball." [ creaking ] [ male announcer ] trophies and awards lift you up. but they can also hold you back. unless you ask, what's next? [ zapping ]

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let me finish tonight with a powerful indictment of today's republican party by jeb bush. the former practice governor is a conviction politician, true conservative. i followed him over the years and saw his opposition to affirmative action. his support for school vouchers. he takes education seriously. doesn't pretend to have views on every subject under the sun. the republican party has gotten so rigid it lost its bearings. the people come to washington to say no. that and only that. withdrew want to negative official wrat. you don't want to find common ground. all they want do is spend their

time looking around making sure their own troops stay in line. no deals, no breaking from the pack. just stlit and wait out the democrats, hoping they will win election over election until the tea party types can take over and rule the country. well, good example -- the former florida governor says he would take that ten important one deal all the republican presidential candidates turn down. he could get the democrats to cut the programs ten times the level of tax increase and agree to the tax increase. why would he? because he has a brain. he knows the only way democrats will go along with historic spending cut is if they get a raise in receive flies, especially from the upper income people. he noesz that without a deal there is no way there will be a cutting government spending. long-term debt will keep growing and country will continue to wore write about it as it should. it is not just the moderates coming to the belief the republican party is going too far right. it is the mainstream conservatives. mitt romney would be saying the same thing as jeb about the far right. especially the