politicians. what do they want for this money? access? support for their causes? they're paying to get someone elected. why are they paying to get them elected? it's a question we have to ask again and again. we could get the money. it's not something we like the sound of. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "politicsnation" with al sharpton starts right now. welcome to "politicsnation." i'm al sharpton. tonight's lead, a defining moment. today president obama went to ohio and delivered a major speech laying out his vision for the country, his argument for fairness, his critique of mitt romney and the gop, his case for re-election. he made the case for the next five months until the election before a ruckus crowd in cleveland. he president presented the choice facing the country. >> governor romney and his

allies in congress believe deeply in the theory that we tried during the last decade. the theory that the best way to grow the economy is from the top down. so they maintain that if we eliminate most regulations, if we cut taxes by trillions of dollars, if we strip down government to national security and a few other basic functions, then the power of business is to create jobs and prosperity will be unleashed and that will automatically benefit us all. that's what they believe. if you agree with the approach i just described, if you want to give the policies of the last decade another try, then you should vote for mr. romney. i've got a different vision for america. >> the president's vision is about fairness. it's about inclusion. it's about reaching out to the

people suffering in this country. and pulling them up. >> this has to be our north star. an economy that's built not from the top down but from a growing middle class. i see a future where we pay down our deficit in a way that is balanced. not by placing the entire burden on the middle class and the poor but by cutting out programs we can't afford and asking the wealthiest of americans to contribute their fair share. through government we should do together what we cannot do as well for ourselves. that's how we built this country. together it's this vision that democrats and republicans used to share that mr. romney and the current republican congress have rejected. in favor of a no holds barred were government is the enemy, market is everything approach. and it is this shared vision i

intend to carry forward as president. because it is a vision that has worked for the american middle class and everybody striving to get into the middle class. >> it's about working together. it doesn't matter if you're democrat or republican. the message is that we have to work as one. and the president says it's a message that will resonate around the world. >> this november you can remind the world how a strong economy is built. not from the top down, but from a growing, thriving middle class. this november you can remind the world how it is that we've traveled this far as a country. not by telling everybody to fend for themselves. but by coming together as one american family all of us pitching in, all of us pulling our own weight. this november you can provide a mandate for the change we need right now. you can move this nation forward and you can remind the world once again why the united states of america is still the greatest nation on earth. thank you.

god bless you. >> joining me now is jared bernstein and melissa harris-perry. thank you both for being here tonight. melissa, what did this speech mean for the president's campaign moving forward? >> well, he went to the number one issue that is going to define the campaign. he defined his position there. it was really what i think the president needed to do more than any other thing. not to play defense on this issue of the economy and sort of where our economic indicators are right now. he's been in a bit of a defensive position since the so-called gaffe about the private business. but we came out and in a clear way said there are two visions. here's mine. if you like that road, travel down it. we know where that road ends. it happened in 2008 with the crash of the economy. or we can move down this road which is a vision of collective

efforts working together through government. but government isn't some other thing. government is all of us. we are the government. we are the people. >> and jared, he also kind of hit on the fact that, you know, they keep saying well, has he done this has he done that. and not deal with the fact they have tried to block him from the very night he was inaugurated. and he eluded to that kind of obstructionism talking about the stalemate. watch this. >> what's holding us back is a stalemate in washington between two fundamentally different views of which direction america should took. and this election is your chance to break that stalemate. it's the reason the jobs bill that would put 1 million people back to work has been voted down time and time again. it's the biggest source of

gridlock in washington today. and the only thing that can break the stalemate is you. >> now, jared, he also talked about his jobs act. he said they will not -- they refused to accept the jobs act. and the former mccain economist said it would boost the economic growth by 2% and 2 million jobs. and reduce unemployment by a whole percentage point. they will not move on this. we're caught in the stalemate. president challenged the crowd and voters today. break the stalemate. >> right. exactly. and i heard some republican operative complain about the speech. the president didn't offer anything new. that's nuts. that's like lucy saying come on charlie brown, come kick the football.

what he offered was something much more fundamental. you just played the clip. he said if you want to get from here to there -- if you want to get an economy where the middle class has a fair shot where we achieve fiscal stability through fairness, not where billionaires pay a tax rate that's half that of the middle class, you have to fundamentally change the political system that's blocking you. and the only way we're going to get there is to have precisely the debate we're having. i thought the president laid out clearly a vision in which he said government is a thing we get together to do things we didn't do for ourselves. we're in this together versus a you're on your own. here's a fat tax cut. go out, good luck, middle class fend for yourself. opposed to we're in this together. i think the contract is quite

valiant. >> melissa, with the whole idea now of the moneys and the super pac. and because of the supreme court decision opening up unlimited money almost in terms of the process, i was struck when the president warned that they're going to come after him with adads that are going to be negative. let me show that. >> the other side will spend over a billion dollars on ads to tell you the economy is bad, that it's all my fault, that i can't fix it because i think government is always the answer or because i didn't make a lot of money in the private sector and don't understand it, or because i'm in over my head or because i think everything and everybody is doing just fine. that's what the scary voice in the ads will say. that's what mr. romney will say.

that's what the republicans in congress will say. well, you know, that may be their plan to win the election, but it's not a plan to create jobs. >> the scary voice in the ads. i mean, warning people what's coming after citizens united, they're going to buy a lot of ads for them to campaign. and he said but at the end, might win an election, won't win jobs. is that the right tone and the right warning to be giving? >> what's more beautiful as a strategy than that is when the president says you have to break the gridlock in washington. that's not putting president obama back in the white house, but he's also making a claim on the democratic majority in the house and senate. a similar thing happens when he makes the claim about the super pacs. the fact is at the presidential level, we get so much information, so much ads.

it'll make a marginal difference, but that's not the key. in congressional races, senate races, gubernatorial races, these type of money could make an enormous difference. especially the scary voices. part of what he's doing here is laying out his decision. the other is serving as party leader and yes me back in the white house. but also you've got to give me people i could work with in your state houses and in the congress. >> and i think, jared, that that's going to be the question of can he win and also otherwise might face the same gridlock. who knows. but is it enough time to show some promise, show some progress in the economy between now and november? >> there's definitely enough time. i mean, there are lots of economic -- we call them head winds, issues out there that could make it tougher for us to get momentum.

but here i think it's important for the president to remind people as he did today where things were and where they are now. it is absolutely the case we're not growing fast enough, but we're growing. and people say the american electorate have amnesia. no. people remember the bush era. when i was working for the administration back in january of 2009, we lost over 2 million jobs in the first three months of the year. now we've added back over 4 million over the past 27 months. that's not fast enough, but it is growth. and the president's policy, the federal reserve their fingerprints are on that growth. >> thank you both for your time tonight. and don't forget. you can catch melissa harris-perry weekends from 10:00 a.m. to noon right here on msnbc. coming up, more on president

obama's speech in ohio today. he went right after romney's policies and where we've seen this before. >> this is their vision. there is nothing new. just what bill clinton has called the same ideas they've tried before except on steroids. the right wing machine is attacking attorney general eric holder with a vision smear campaign designed to destroy him and undermine justice in this country. it's time for this to stop. and he's been beaten, bloodied and jailed, but he's still here. and guess what? he's optimistic. he's congressman john lewis, an american hero. and he's here to tell us why. you're watching "politicsnation" only on msnbc. last time i was at a sleepover my parents

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president obama laid out a clear choice for america. his vision or a vision we've seen before? why romney is bush on steroids. next. ♪ [ male announcer ] ok, so you're no marathon man. but thanks to the htc one x from at&t, with its built in beats audio, every note sounds amazingly clear. ...making it easy to get lost in the music... and, well... rio vista?!! [ male announcer ] ...lost. introducing the musically enhanced htc one x from at&t.

rethink possible.

if you want to close the deficit left by the bush tax cuts, we'd have to make deeper cuts. or raise middle class taxes even more. this is not spin. this is not my opinion. these are facts. this is what they're presenting as their plan. this is their vision. there is nothing new. just what bill clinton has called the same ideas they've tried before except on steroids. >> president obama today hitting a familiar theme that the romney agenda is simply bush on steroids. the president says romney's agenda would recycle the same policies that led to the bush recession. and the american people do not want that. 68% of all americans still blame

president obama for the economy. that includes 49% of republicans. half of all republicans think the last republican president is the blame for the economy. despite all this, romney has stacked his economic team with leftovers from the bush era. including the key architect of the bush tax cuts for the rich. it all fits with romney's vision for the economy. he wants to give massive breaks to corporations and the rich. but he opposes president obama's support for more working class jobs like teachers and firefighters. >> he wants another stimulus. he wants to hire more government workers. he says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. it's time for us to cut back on government and help the american people. >> in fact, the ryan budget that romney and virtually all other republicans endorse would give

$265,000 in tax cuts to millionaires like willard himself. but middle class americans like teachers and firefighters would get just $750 tax cuts. today the president said this is not the right path forward for our economy. he said we need to give teachers more help, not less. >> if we want our country to be a magnet for middle class jobs in the 21st century. we also have to invest more in education and training. i want to recruit an army of new teachers. and pay teachers better. and train more of them in areas like math and science. i have a plan to give 2 million more americans the chance to go to community colleges just like this one and learn the skills that businesses are looking for right now.

>> joining me now is david corn, washington bureau chief and msnbc political analyst. and author of "showdown." and ryan graham from "the "huffington post." let me start with you. did he hit it with the romney economics? >> i think so. and talking about the book i wrote, for the last year and a half, the president has wanted to create this stark contrast from his government, governmental policy, and of the future basically in terms of investments and tax cuts with -- he bet correctly that public economy would embrace and be able to be defined by the ryan budget. which he has been blasting now for over a year. so i think he again and again

has made the case that it's not just a matter of policy, but it really reflects a difference -- a profound difference in how people thbt the country and its government when you look at the ryan budget and in terms of what he proposed as not giving big tax breaks to the rich and using money to invest research, all the things we'll be talking about for over a year. he made that case again today. i think he was effected in a prof fororial way. he has to engage at a guttural level with are m romney when it comes to the vision war. >> now, ryan, if you hear them talking about bush with steroids, let's look at the bush legacy. national debt up $4.9 trillion. median income down 4.2%.

people in poverty up 8.2 million. i mean, when you look at that legacy and talk about we'll get that on steroids, that's kind of frightening to a lot of people, don't you think? >> it is. and to me the most offensive element of the extension of the bush policies came when he started talking about energy policy. you know, we're now 12 years removed from when bush first took office. and the science is just that more complete. that we're headed on a course that could be cataclysmic for the earth. and he's saying today i love natural gas. i love oil. he said he would drill the keystone pipeline himself. you don't drill a pipeline, but whatever. i'd love to see him do that. but he doubles down. he himself in the past has recognized the dangers of climate change. he has five sons. he has grandchildren. and just to have so little regard for the future

generations to not be even interested it seems like in leaving a planet that is going to be as good as the one he inherited, doesn't strike me as the kind of family values he's espou espousing. and the idea that's going to grow -- that that's the problem, that we don't drill enough here? i don't think that connects either. >> now, david, in hearing ryan say that, i was very struck by the fact the president in this long, as you say, professorial type speech today sought to define the race. what he stood for, what his opponent stood for. what you get with his philosophy of what it is to govern as opposed to his opponent. in fact, he talked about the romney gop agenda. watch this. >> so if they win the election,

their agenda will be simple and straightforwa straightforward. they promised to roll back regulations on polluters and banks and insurance companies and oil companies. he'll rollback regulations to protect consumers and workers. they promise to not only keep all of the bush tax cuts in place, but add another $5 trillion in tax cuts on top of that. now, your next question may be how do you spend $5 trillion on a tax cut and still bring down the deficit? well, they tell us they'll start by cutting nearly a trillion dollars from the part of our budget that includes everything from education and job training to medical research and clean energy. >> now, as he defines that, david, i think that clearly it becomes a whole different kind of race that just sound bites back and forth.

>> well, this is what the president's trying to do. he wants to define the race as a choice between two sets of policies that have tremendously different implications for our nation. different set of priorities and assumptions. he wants voters to say hey, we have a choice here. we're going to sit down and make a rational decision between this path and that path. that's what he'd like to see voters do in november. romney wants voters to go to the polls mad and venting at the president. the economy isn't as good as it should be. and i'm going to vote the bum out. and romney's there to take over. so they're each asking for a very different process to be completed by voters by november. that's going to be the big part of the debate in the campaign. who can define what election day is really going to be about. >> ryan, and as he attempts to define this, how important is that and does it complicate the

republican side because you have some governors and others in the republican party that don't want to go for this doom and gloom romney strategy. >> sure. it's the most important thing. david's right. if people go into the voting booth and it's a straight referendum on how they're feeling about the direction of the economy and the direction of the country, then it's not going to turn out well for the president. not with unemployment at the rate it is. if they go in and say okay, i'm not happy with the way the country's going. i'm angry about where we are, but i don't think this guy's going to make it better. and they stick with obama, that's really his only path to victory in an economy like this. >> david corn and ryan graham. thanks for your time tonight. >> sure thing. ahead, republicans love to talk about their faith. but then wage war on the poor. you can't do both.

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we're back on "politicsnation" with new developments in the gop's crusade against attorney general eric holder. in the so-called fast and furious gunwalking program. a letter to the politician who's done most to stir up this story.

darryl issa. asking for a meeting by monday to talk about it saying he's prepared to turn over more documents about the case. this is in addition to the thousands of pages holder has turned over. if republicans were really interested in investigations, they would be more concerned with how the so-called gunwalking program actually began. under president bush and his attorney general. the bush administration agents let low level crooks buy guns, smother them into mexico. in 2006, 450 guns were bought and smuggled into mexico. in 2011 there were more than 200 guns. and in 2008 more than 100 guns. the program continued under the obama administration. under the name fast and furious. but it was the tragic death of

border patrol agent brian terry in december of 2010 that paspard an investigation. it began as a capitol hill inquiry. but the right wing machine quickly poured gas on the flames. rush limbaugh said the whole thing was an attack on gun rights. >> the real reason for operation gun runner or fast and furious, whatever they want to call it now, the purpose of this was so that obama and the rest of the democrats can scream bloody murder about the lack of gun control in the u.s. which is causing all the murders in mexico. this was a setup from the get go. >> pundits at fox news went even further. >> is this treason? what's the definition? >> i think we're trying to get all the facts on this, bill, to make sure we have all the details to go forward. but i think it's obvious that the attorney general needs to

resign. >> is it incompetence or is there something sinister going on? >> there's something sinister going on. >> the political agenda behind this entire thing was to blame american gun shops for cartel violence in america to push more regulations. >> this was purely a political operation. you send the guns down to mexico. therefore you support the narrative that the obama administration wanted supported. that all these are flooding mexico, they're the cause of violence in mexico. and there we need draconian gun control laws in america. >> it's gotten so low that republican senators now make personal insults about the attorney general. >> do you think he's smart? holder? >> i have not been impressed with his intelligence, no. >> questioning the intelligence of the attorney general. that's absurd and is over the line. last year attorney general

holder talked to "the new york times" about what he thought was really behind the attacks. he said quote, this is a way to get at the president. because of the way i can be identified with him, both due to the nature of our relationship and the fact that we're both african-american. the right wing is determined to bring down this nation's top law enforcement official. but we're not going to let it happen. [ heart beating, monitor beeping ] woman: what do you mean, homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods?

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i'm keith baraka and i'm a fire fighter. it's an honor to be a fire fighter. my job involves life or death situations and it's very physically demanding. if i'm sore, i have a headache, i'm not at my best. i've tried store brands. advil just works for me. advil is my go to. it's my number one pain reliever. [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil. treating others as you want to be treated, requiring much from those who've been given so much, living by the principle that we are our brother's keeper caring for the poor and those in need. >> that was president obama back in february talking about what faith means to him. caring for the poor. being your brother's keeper. makes sense, right? well apparently not to the right. look at this website. it's promoting a petition to

stop obama's war on religion. here's what's interesting. it's being run by the christian conservative faith & freedom coalition. president obama, apparently he hates religion. but republicans, they love it. just listen to the speakers at today's faith & freedom conference. >> there are a lot of people of faith that pray every day. >> we've relied on something else as a country. and that's prayer and faith. >> as americans, our freedoms are deeply engrained in your faith. >> the gop loves to flaunt religion, but their actions don't match their words. paul ryan says catholicism guided his budget. a budget that takes trillions from low income programs. and yesterday during a debate on the farm bill, jeff sessions argued against food stamps. why? because of morality.

>> it's a moral issue. is it our natural goal to place as many people on welfare and food stamp support as we can possibly put on that program? is that a goal? is that a moral vision for the united states of america? just to see how many people we can place in a situation where they're dependent on the federal government for their food? >> religion is important. religion is powerful. but how do you wrap yourself in it and then attack the poorest among us? joining me now is senator kirsten gillibrand democrat from new york. she's been leading the fight in the senate against food stamp cuts. she's looking to offer an amendment to the farm bill that would restore $4.5 billion in aid for the hungry. senator, thank you very much for joining us this evening. >> thank you, reverend. thank you for shining an important light on this issue. i find this debate to be

fascinating. just as you led in with this focus on religion, there's no one who knows the bible better than you. but we know matthew 25, the first question christ asks is did you feed the poor? it's the first question. >> that's right. >> i think you're quite right that this -- it's unacceptable that we have republican advocates who say it's immoral to support food stamps. and to be clear, we're not adding to food stamps. we're just trying to restore the $4.5 billion of cuts that have been made. it's $90 a month less food going into the mouths of our children, seniors, veterans. it's the last week of the month that a family is not getting money to feed their kids. and we have to do better. >> let me say this, senator. i do not believe in theocracy. i believe in my faith. i don't think we should use it to govern. but if you're going to quote and use faith, you ought to reflect what you're quoting.

let me ask you. you talked about what the impact of these cuts mean. why do you think you're getting so much pushback against your amendment to restore this money? >> well, as you know, reverend, washington's broken. anything worth fighting for is not easy. we do have some support. we've got 14 bipartisan co-sponsors. and we're beginning to get momentum around this amendment. i think unfortunately for the most poor and needy and at historrisk among us, they don't have the groups that give sway often in debates here. we want to make sure our kids are not going hungry at night. i'm worried about our seniors. 17% of our seniors are on food stamps. these are food stamps they're receiving now that they're trying to take away in a tough economy when it's difficult for families to make ends meet. and i'm particularly worried about our vets. veterans are now using food stamps on a greater level than

before. it's not time to take food away from hungry families. >> you know, the average assistance that a person receives from food stamps is incredibly small. i mean, people act like people are getting rich off it. you're talking about $130 monthly benefit. $1.50 a meal. if you cut that little amount, you're talking about crippling people. and senator jeff sessions actually mocked your effort to save cuts from food stamps. listen. >> senator opposes to increase food stamp spending even more than the current growth that we've seen explaining quote, food stamps are an extraordinary investment because every dollar that you put into the food stamp program, you get out $1.71. under this reasoning we ought to increase the food stamp program ten times. why not? why don't we just pay for your

clothes. pay for your shoes. pay for your housing. >> we're talking about $1.50 a meal. i mean, this is outrageous. >> well, the senator's wrong on a couple of measures. first, we're not adding to the program. we're just keeping it where it is. we're trying to restore cuts that have already been made. and second, if he doesn't understand what a return on investment means, maybe we can spend time explaining it to him. when you put a dollar into food stamps, it has the economic impact of $1.71. it's less than 1% of fraud in food stamps. that's a penny on every dollar. this is money that's going to literally feed children. i don't know if he's heard a child say i'm still hungry. any mother who hears those words and can't give their child food is unacceptable. unacceptable in a country as rich as ours to not provide the food they need.

>> thanks as always for your time. thank you for the fight you're waging. >> thank you. ahead, he's been beaten near to death for fighting for civil rights. and today he's hopeful for a brighter future. it's an honor to be joined by congressman john lewis. next. ok! who gets occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating? get ahead of it! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'.

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welcome back to "politicsnation." out of our darkest days in our great country came inspiring leaders. like georgia congressman john lewis. a man in the forefront for the struggle for civil rights. he was attacked and almost beaten to death marching for voting rights in 1965. it was a turning point for civil rights in america. he was trying to close the pettis bridge in alabama and stayed true to the movement. after more than 50 years on the front lines, this courageous foot soldier for fairness is still fighting for justice. his new book is called "across that bridge: life lessons and a vision for change." in it he lays out for a new generation the lessons of an incredible journey. joining me now, civil rights icon, founding member of the nonviolent coordinating committee, georgia congressman

john lewis. it's an honor to have you here tonight. >> thank you very much. i'm delighted and very happy and very pleased to be with you tonight. >> one of the things that you want to cross that bridge in 1965 for was voting rights. now we see with the voter i.d. laws and other methods and florida purging voters that they're trying to chip away and you've instructed us to fight on this. i saw where cornyn attacked the attorney general and said he should resign not only for the fast and furious investigation, but he stated he wanted his resignation in part of because of what he was doing with the voter i.d. laws. let me show you what senator cornyn said. >> you won't cooperate with legitimate investigation and won't hold anyone including

yourself accountable. your department blocks states from implementing attempts to combat voter fraud. you leave me no alternative but to join those who call upon you to resign your office. >> the senator said blocking fraud, but we can't even find fraud. you from the floor of the house all the way around this country have raised questions about this claim of voter fraud. how do you react to senator cornyn? >> i'm surprised and real dismayed that a senator, any member of congress, but a senator from texas of all places. texas was one of the southern states from virginia to texas that tries to prevent and keep people from participating in the democratic process. the voting rights of 1965 wanted to make it simple and convenient for all of our citizens to

become participants. i'm sick. i tell you, al. 50i78 sick and tired of people lecturing to us, those that were never denied the right to register to vote. those who never, ever had to pass a so-called literacy test or the number of jelly beans in a jar. to tell us we don't know what we're talking about. if the state government around our country fails to do what is right and just, it is the responsibility of the federal government, for the attorney general to enforce. there's no such thing as wholesale fraud taking place. voter fraud. >> congressman, your book is very, very inspiring. i want to read you a quote from the final chapter that really kind of summed up your vision

for future activists. you said we can be way showers, light bearers and mentors of the light who encourage others to flourish, create, manifest and glow. as each person turns on the illumination of the spirit revealing gifts talents and visions for the future we can blend our majesty in a glorious concert of communion. those are beautiful words. what is it you hope people walk away from this book with? >> it is my hope and my prayer when people read this book they will be inspired. they will come together and move together the same way we did during the '60s. with faith, with hope, with love, pas, and non-violence. to create a non-violent revolution.

a revolution of ideas, a revolution of values. where people will be able to say this is what we need, this is what we want, and this is what we're going to get in a democratic society. >> well, i have always admired and respected you. i hope those of us from behind you can somehow internalize the optimism and discipline and strength you have shown. and maybe if we all read this book, we could get a little closer to being the example you've set. congressman lewis, the book is across that bridge. it's an inspiration. we always appreciate having you here. thank you for your time tonight. >> well, thank you very much, al. we're celebrating two big birthdays today. or are we? i'll explain this one next. [ male announcer ] what's in your energy drink?

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today may be a very important day in this nation's history. or maybe not. it was on this date in 1900 that hawaii was organized into a u.s. territory. making all residents u.s. citizens. and who is one of hawaii's most famous sons? president obama, of course. he hails from the aloha state. so it's pretty incredible that on the same day as this anniversary, arizona sheriff joe arpaio still claims the president wasn't born here. he's sending his cold case posse to hawaii to investigate the president's birth certificate. but how's this for a twist? it's the sheriff's birthday. yes, that's right. sheriff arpaio is 80 today. the same day hawaii was organized into u.s. territory. happy birthday, joe.

but there's also the other birther king. don't forget donald trump. i'm not making this up. it is also donald trump's birthday today. the same day hawaii was organized into a u.s. territory. more confetti. happy birthday, donald. how ironic is this? two birthday kings born on the same day. and all the time they're still saying stuff like this. >> my investigators believe that the long form birth certificate was manufactured electronically. >> perhaps it's going to say hawaii. perhaps it's going to say kenya. >> so i guess you could call it birther day today. or can you? we've n