talking about the federal government stopping the deportations of u.s. citizens that they feel have been brought to this country and deserve to be here since they've been here as children. this is certainly a large story seen as a power play by some who have been watching this. these are children who came to the u.s. before the age of 16 and are currently under age 30. they'll also be eligible for work permits. the new policy effective immediately. a lot to talk about today with our political power panel. it's great to have all of you with me today. victoria, i want to start with you. latino voters have criticized president obama implementing comprehensive immigration reform during his first term. so is this a sharp and fast step toward the right direction, something that they can feel

they're seeing happening? >> absolutely. this is the bold move the latino community has been wanting. he'll secure this vote. i also think this bold move shows the general public not just latinos that the president is not going to stand up to a do nothing congress to a congress that has said we don't want to do anything until january so he is mobilizing the greater electorate saying i am the president. i'll make bold moves. you want to give me another four years. >> bold moves and political overtones out of this. let's talk about it. there are tight races in states critical to the president like colorado and nevada. how do you think this is going to go over in states like that where the president would like to carry them? >> well, i think you're looking at it two ways. morally this is the right thing to do. right? politically it's also incredibly a smart thing to do. if you're talking about key battlegrounds, florida, colorado, nevada, states that the president has to win, states that romney in order to win has to be competitive, if not win, i

think it helps the president. it shows the president's decisive in dealing with an issue that is incredibly complex and let's be frank. congress has been completely incapable of dealing with it. it was going to be completely incapable of dealing with it in the future. so smart political and otherwise. >> and certainly an outreach, david, to the latino community and mitt romney and his campaign, they've been criticized for the fact that they are not able to reach that critical voting block. certainly the fact that he would veto the dream act has also been criticized heavily for his self-deportation remark. how do you think mitt romney who is going to be embarking on that bus tour starting today is going to take this news and the campaign try to pivot on it? >> i think what this represents, unfortunately for the president, is his inability to create any con sense us in terms of getting both sides to work together. this has been a divisive issue for quite a while here. but the president has been unable to really create that consensus. what governor romney is trying to do and what you'll see him try to do is how do i get a

majority of people behind a particular policy direction? that has been the issue with people dealing with this immigration issue. nobody has been able to put a majority behind whatever direction the people come up with. >> does this shift the conversation from the economic message now to the social immigration issue? >> i think it absolutely does. we're in an issue where romney is going to figure out where do i stand here? big republican base which is not, does not like illegal immigration, moderate voters who really care about this issue. latino voters as well he has to win. a big challenge for where he places himself. not sure for romney, not sure where things stand. he hasn't really said what he is for yet. >> victoria, does this come too late? >> first i wanted to take issue with the matter of immigration not being a consensus issue. in theory the republicans should support this. here in texas the republicans just passed a party platform calling on the federal government to pass a guest worker program and many republicans, the sticking point with republicans is the path to

legalization. the issue of having permits has really not been problematic. so in practice the republicans were probably not going to like the bold move. but in theory they should be right onboard. >> but it goes back to, look. you need congressional action here. what the president is doing, the reason he is doing this on his own is he is with unable to create a consensus within the congress. so he is going out and trying to implement a policy just because he wants to do it. that's not the way it works. >> does this implement the -- the do nothing congress, just reinforce that message? >> where has been his initiative up to this point in terms of pushing an immigration bill? it has not been there right? >> that's actually not true. when it comes to immigration, that's not true. when it comes to immigration congress has completely dropped the ball. the president on this issue i would say, having worked shall, i think the president has been really aggressive on immigration. >> except he didn't deliver a bill.

>> victoria, go ahead. >> this is very much the type of legislation that say marco rubio wanted. he has noichd away from a path to legalization but said we need to do something about immigration. so can you get any more republican than marco rubio? and if this is the type of policy that he supports in the congress you can't say that this is something that the congress is not supporting. >> so then the president should endorse rubio's plan and try to move forward with it. the fact is you need a piece of legislation to be able to change the policy. >> all right. we'll get to more of this in just a second. we have to thank victoria for joining us. i'll ask the gentlemen to stick around when we get to the report on mitt romney. developing as we speak mitt romney is hitting the road. the presumptive republican nominee about to embark on his first big campaign swing of the general election. he comes full circle. romney will kick off a five-day bus tour this hour at his family farm in new hampshire. for mitt romney, it's a return to where it all began. he launched his presidential campaign from that very same

farm just over a year ago. romney's every town counts bus tour will take him through six states, a total of 14 different towns over the next five days. nbc news correspondent peter alexander is on the farm in stratham, new hampshire for this kickoff. so, peter, explain how this is a change up for romney's stumping strategy and also how do you think that the campaign will need to pivot about the president's big announcement this afternoon? >> it's almost to give you a sense of where we are right now about an hour north of boston in new hampshire, a state that the campaign views as a real battleground this fall. behind me right now ann romney, mitt romney's wife is speaking as they launch this as you noted five-day, six-state tour. they'll hit 14 different towns. they said they're heading to the back roads of america, what they referred to as the back bone of america. it's very clear that this is governor romney's effort to shoot a campaign ad as much as anything else. they have the big cameras out here as well as the crowd, about a thousand, the same farm where governor romney launched his campaign in june one year ago.

his wife right now speaking about americans' fears that the american dream is sifting through their hands. right now governor romney is taking the mike. we're getting a better sense that their hope toss get out and meet americans in these places that are too often overlooked by the president, and president obama will -- will accuse president obama of ignoring americans and not listening to what they have to say. in his words, quote, too often the president has not listened to the american people. >> this is so exciting. >> peter alexander for us in new hampshire. let's listen to mitt romney for a minute and then talk to our power panel here. >> it is such an honor to be here. as you know, ann and i visited this farm a year ago when we launched the campaign and it was a day not unlike this one. it was a gorgeous day. beautiful. and it was kind of windy as you recall. straw was going through the air. hay was getting in your eyes.

it was the best. >> all right. mitt romney just beginning his remarks talking about where they've come in a year and as we said off the top really full circle now that they're going back on this every town counts type of tour i want to talk to you. what is the difference it means to take his message, this bus campaign, to these small, you know, small towns, battleground states, though, still in play for him? what does it mean, this campaign strategy? >> i think it means they're trying to hit places that most candidates always have it in big cities. the fact it is going somewhere different means they can catch up to different voters, perhaps people who don't feel touched by the president as much. that is a very smart approach. also back to the previous story as well, some of the challenges going into new hampshire, michigan, these mighty places that are not that excited about a deportation plan. one thing you see in the polls is obama has a big advantage. he might win voters in colorado, nevada, etcetera, but voters in michigan, wisconsin, new hampshire, places where romney will be where the vote is more

white to be candid that might help him to be more antiimmigration in some of those places where there is a more working class vote concern about immigration. >> as you were bringing up marco rubio as the conversation is turning to the president coming out to talk about the immigration policy they want to push the stump for romney is going to include three people who are highly considered to be top vp picks, one being marco rubio the other paul ryan of wisconsin and kelly ayotte of new hampshire. ayotte has not been shy about the fact that she would be happy to get this nod. do you think this conversation the president wants to have this afternoon with america and talk about the policy that he wants his administration to pursue and to put into effect immediately pushes the hand of mitt romney and his team to pick marco rubio and to show that they are concerned with immigration and the thoughts of his own dream act, marco rubio's that is? >> selecting a vice presidential candidate is a very complex thing and, no, it's not necessarily going to push a hand -- is immigration

potentially an element of consideration in terms of as an issue in terms of who to select? probably. but overwhelmingly this goes back to the economy and jobs. whoever is perceived as the strongest person to help reinforce romney's message in terms of economy and jobs is likely the person he is going to lean to and my guess is that as the campaign is working through, who that person might be. >> chris, you don't think this is going to push the hand, the chess match of the political campaigns at all? a little bit. i think they'll have to step back and think about what the consequences are that come from the president's decision on immigration. it's going to clearly i think impact some of the key battlegrounds. if i'm the romney campaign you have to take that into consideration. because this election is obviously going to be about the economy. that's what the romney campaign is going to make it about. we all know that. there are other back stories to this election. there are other demographics key to this election. hispanics being one of them. that have you to take into consideration if you want to win. the romney campaign is clearly playing for keeps. so they're going to take that, at the end of the day, i don't

think they choose rubio. they probably play it a little safer. but i wouldn't be stunned if they -- if they start talking about rubio a little bit more now. >> one thing i want to talk to you about is the fact that the dnc is launching its own tour with the same path as mitt romney's bus tour and calling it the romney economics tour, featuring massachusetts lawmakers that highlight what they call the failures of mitt romney's tenure there as governor. the group movon.org is also going to be chasing romney's bus. hopefully to provide a political circus on the scene. >> an interesting way to put it. >> and romney, you know, their team had people chanting outside of the president a's yesterday ohio and they're trying to get attention to distract everybody from the message. it is interesting they're sending these people out to create this circus-like atmosphere. do you think that is going to help? i mean, these distractions that get thrown out there? >> i'll tell you what it does. when local media covers these

stories, they're always looking for another angle. so if you're the dnc or the state party and you go there and provide that other voice you'll get in that nightly clip. you'll have the 10, 15, 20 seconds. and that is invaluable. so yeah. it is incredibly smart to do this by the dnc. and to be honest if you're the campaign, the romney campaign and you're focused on this great tour you think you're putting together and being driven crazy by the opponent that is just a bonus. >> ultimately this is about the substance. >> sure. >> it is really interesting you put together this sort of bizarre circus-like nature to it. but ultimately it's about the substance. one of the problems this president has got, one of the challenges to mitt romney is, so where do we go from here? the problem the president has is he's got 40 months of 8.1% unemployment and he doesn't have a clear change in direction. now having said that, the challenge to mitt romney is that's not necessarily enough to win. he's going to have to lay out as a challenger. >> the only thing he is running

on right now is that he is not obama. >> well, is that enough? >> you begin to see yesterday where he was trying to take his 59-point plan and begin to sort of create a simple economic message out of it. >> 59 points? >> well, no. exactly. and going back that is the challenge he is facing in terms of how -- you begin to see him take steps yesterday and we see how long that takes. >> the challenge the romney campaign faces is they do not have a single original idea that is not the same idea as we've seen the last decade play out fully. what do they say to the american voter come crunch time that says this is what we're going to do different? >> i think both people, are all voters, independents alike are looking for original ideas from both campaigns. >> we saw two speeches yesterday. originally, in either speech, obama said a lot of things, romney -- >> i have to go back to, look, the bush tax cuts. people forget when he passed those in 2003, by 2007 revenues to this country because of increased economic activities, revenues went up $800 billion.

i'm sure the president would like to have that resolved now. >> we'll leave it right there. gentlemen, i got to run. thanks so much for your time and sticking around through the first block with me. i appreciate it. coming up later this hour i'll talk with my colleague melissa harris perry about the economic battle between president obama and mitt romney. we'll look at there opposing plangs. melissa joins us at 11:30. the prosecution has called its final witness in the jerry sandusky trial. victim number nine an 18-year-old who describes being abused in sandusky's basement and screaming for help knowing his wife dottie was home. next up i'll speak with the attorney who represents victim number six. one step forward, two steps back. firefighters making some progress with the raging wildfire in colorado. but now word of new evacuations. we'll break it down for you. # back from the worst economic depression. almost 4.3 million new jobs we're still not creating them president's jobs plan firefighters, police officers, work. right now. wealthiest americans congress refuses to act. tell congress we can't wait.

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the prosecution has presented four days of graphic and very emotional testimony from eight young men who claim they were sexually abused by jerry sandusky. the prosecution has not officially rested its case but the defense could begin as early as monday. sandusky faces 52 counts of abuse spanning a 15-year period. joining me now is the attorney for alleged sandusky victim number six. howard, it is good to have you with us. your client is now 25 years old. he says he was assaulted by jerry sandusky beginning when he was 11 years old after meeting the coach through the charity that the coach founded, second mile. he also testified that jerry sandusky used a nickname for himself. what is it that that nickname is or what is the nickname your client says jerry referred to himself as? what does your client say

happened in their experiences? >> well, sandusky was referred to at least on this instance as the tickle monster. i think it's half right. there is no question that he was a monster. what this young man testified to yesterday at trial was the same thing he testified to before the grand jury and the same thing that he told the police back in 1998 when he was 11 years old. when he arrived back from this incident with jerry sandusky, he hinted to his mother that something was unexpected, something unexpected happened, namely that he showered with sandusky. and that raised great concerns on the part of his mother. and that's what led to her contacting the police and him telling his story at that time. now, what transpired and what he said at that time, what he said at the grand jury, what he said yesterday, is that sandusky picked him up at his house, taking him to penn state facilities, the locker room, to work out, to use their

facilities, but what he didn't disclose to his mother or to him, that it was his plan all along to take this young man into the showers and shower with him and who knows what would go on beyond there? now, if there was any kind of innocent intention on his part in my view about that, then he would have gotten his mother's permission and disclosed that fact. he would have asked, how about bringing the change of clothes, making that available so he could change into it after we showered? but frankly, that permission never would have been granted to begin with. >> a lot of people have speculated about how many -- about the young boys -- how they were able to keep quiet or why they kept quiet. some people pointing fingers at their story. the integrity of their story. how is your client doing in holding up under that type of scrutiny? >> well, i think he's holding up as well as can be expected. and for those that really have an understanding about what happens in -- involving children who have been abused sexually and otherwise, is that they try to wall off what happened to them. they plant it deep in the

recesses of their mind and try and move on with respect to that, to the best of their ability. and those kids that were assaulted over and over again, they do that each time. they create this chinese wall. you have to realize that folks who are serial molesters of children are successful because they're successful at manipulating them. they manipulate them through the carrot and through the stick. and the carrot is, access to sandusky. access to penn state players. >> right. >> access to penn state facilities. giving these children an opportunity who were children that needed help. to have an opportunity to do things they never otherwise would have had a chance to do. and those things overwhelm the bad things that happen. they try and put them out of their mind and just deal with the good. >> again, everyone has the day off in court today and the prosecution gets back to work on monday. howard janet the attorney for alleged sandusky victim number six, thanks for your time. the man hunt is under way for a trauma surgeon from

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let's raise the bar and elevate our academic standards. let's do what's best for our students-by investing in our teachers. let's solve this. a strange new twist today in the nationwide manhunt for a surgeon who disappeared after the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend in buffalo, new york. a buffalo police officer was seen leaving the home of dr. timothy jordan who is a person of interest in that shooting. now the officer attended high school with jordan, who is still on the loose. he was reportedly carrying a gun, $5,000 in cash, and a rolex. meanwhile, a friend of the victim, jacqueline wisniewski, says she is not surprised her former co-worker met this tragic end. >> she kept saying he is going to kill me. it's like she predicted her own

death by his hands. she had choke marks and bruises on her neck. i can't tell you how many times i told her to get an order of protection. >> i'm joined in the studio now by investigative crime reporter and producer with "america's most wanted" michelle segagonis. let's talk about the man hunt in trying to find dr. timothy jordan. >> there is a nationwide man hunt under way not just in buffalo but every state. the fbi has joined forces. they're following up with leads. there was a reported shot that was fired that was heard from his neighborhood. investigators went out to go investigate that. unfortunately, nothing came of that as of yet but we are getting in some new information that may turn over within the next hour or two, thomas. so it's something you want to continue to watch msnbc for. >> geographically people know buffalo is very close to canada. some people may speculate he could have crossed the border already. let's talk about what you were able to learn from neighbors who have been watching maybe some odd behavior on the part of dr. jordan over the last, you know,

several months. >> very odd behavior. absolutely. over the last few months some of the neighbors that i spoke with this morning said drastic weight loss, personality change, someone who is normally kind and outgoing sort of, you know, more closed in. and what one of the neighbors said was we thought he was dying. he had lost that much weight. >> 75 pounds? >> 75 pounds. we honestly thought he was dying. he was someone who always came home, always wore his scrubs day or night. his girlfriend came over very frequently. she had a child. they were often seen walking through the neighborhood. >> all right. we'll continue to watch this story and see you for any updates. michelle sigona, thanks so much. >> you got it. republicans gathering in washington, d.c. a live look at the faith and freedom conference happening right now. rnc chairman priebus expected at the podium shortly. we'll take you there live after this quick break. >> when the stimulus bill was passed --. ♪ ♪

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coming from the obama administration a significant policy change giving illegal immigrants who entered this country before the age of 16 and are currently under 30 years of age work permits. nbc's mike viqueira joins me now live and joins us from the white house. mike, this is certainly a big shift in the administration going into the summer of an election year. a major political power play. >> right. we've already heard it called a political master stroke because of the shifting demographics in this country, the burgeoning hispanic latino population especially in swing states like colorado, nevada, and florida. important to note, thomas, the president had said all along he wanted to enact the dream act in any way that he possibly could. the dream act of course is stalled in congress. but there are some very important distinctions here and a limited number of things the president could do without the act of congress. this would not bestow a path to citizenship on people who are here illegally. it would essentially allow them to stay here or defer action against them to deport them for two years at a time at a

two-year chunk. here are the details. if you came to this country when you were under 16 years old you are now, and you are still under 30 years old, you've lived here at least five years, you're in school, have a high school degree or have been in the military and you have no criminal record then you are eligible to apply under the auspices of what the administration, the president is going to announce in the rose garden in just under two hours from now. the administration officials saying this morning this is not a permanent solution for anyone but they say it is a waste of resources to go after people who came here at a very young age who are aculturalated into american society trying to deport them. one important thing to say, 800,000 people in this country are eligible for this but the question as a practical matter how many are going to apply? to register with the government if you're here illegally and have to go back every two years in order to get that work permit. that is where we stand right now. the president expected in the rose garden at 1:15 here at the white house. >> just to clarify as you're talking about the fact this is

stalled through congress this will go through based on executive order? >> right. and the distinction is the act in congress would have allowed the dream act would have allowed a path to citizenship for many people we're talking about here brought here as children through no willful act of their own. this would simply allow them to stay for two years. that is what the president is doing through this action today. >> mike viqueira at the white house, thank you. you can catch the president's announcement live at 1:15 eastern time right here on msnbc. developing now from washington, d.c. as well live pictures now to show you from the faith and freedom coalition's annual conference, the rnc chairman priebus, grover norquist, herman cain just a few speakers we'll see there today. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell made the case against the obama administration and denounced democratic attempts for more donor transparency followed the huge citizens united decision. >> my own view is if you can't convince people of the wisdom of your policies you better come up with a better argument.

a growing number of people on the political left and within the government itself appear to have concluded they can't win on the merits so they resorted to bullying and intimidation instead and the potential consequences my friends are grave. >> nbc's senior political edi or mark murray is live at the conference. set the tone for us. there are other big issues on the table they're discussing besides beating up on barack obama and trying to get him out of office come november? >> well, there is a lot of antiobama rhetoric but a lot of it is actually targeted to the social conservatives here in the audience. some 1500 social conservatives have gathered here in washington, d.c. hearing from a lot of republican elected leaders as well as people who might be mitt romney possible vice presidential running mates. yesterday marco rubio the senator from florida as well as ohio senator rob portman addressed the group. tonight virginia governor bob mcdonald addresses the group. a loft the rhetoric has been talking on social issues, abortion, and also talking about

how morality mixes with fiscal conservativism. take a listen to some of the things kentucky senator rand paul said earlier this morning. >> i think it's immore to pass on debt to another generation. i think our problems, though, are worse and deeper and more profound than just political leaders can correct. i think we really are in a spiritual crisis as a country and we need a reawakening. we need a revival. >> thomas, mitt romney will be addressing the group via video tomorrow. as you know he is already in his bus tour in new hampshire today. he'll be speaking to these people tomorrow in a video. >> mark murray, coming to us from the faith and freedom conference. thank you so much. you can get the very latest from our political unit by downloading the nbc politics act. it is free. so the front page of "the wall street journal" is looking at some big global economic issues. europe on edge, vote cliff hanger. the greek elections this weekend

could send some major ripple effects through economies across the world. so what is the future of the eurozone? and how will it affect the trajectory of our economy here at home? jared bernstein is an msnbc and cnbc contributor and the senior fellow for the center on budget and policy priorities. great to see you. as we talk about president obama wants us to certainly be aware of the situation taking place in europe. but sect tri geithner has said he is confident that they're going to solve the problems. a lot of people not really probably paying too much attention to the elections that take place in greece on sunday but they might be come monday because of what is going to happen. explain to everybody what that is potentially. >> sure. the greek government has not been able to form a cohesive unit to deal with the debt crisis in europe, which is particularly pronounced in greece, because really of all the countries their fiscal conditions are by far the worst. the way this thing works is there have been all these austerity conditions imposed on

the greek people -- job cuts, wage declines, tax increases. and the greeks have -- many greeks including some of the political parties running for election on sunday, have really revolted against that sort of thing. if the antiausterity group wins the election, that could have profound effects for the eurozone. the greeks could actually leave the eurozone and there is a great deal of concern about ripple effects from there. >> when we talk about that, a lot of people know the game jianga. >> right. >> if greece leaves does that mean that it is logical that spain, portugal, other countries could leave and fail that are supposed to be succeeding within the eurozone? >> thomas, that of course is the worry. you're pulling out a janga stick there and the whole thing collapses. but i don't think it's necessarily the case by any stretch of the imagination. by the way, of all the parties who are running for election, in greece and the election is sunday, virtually all of them want to stay in the eurozone. so they actually -- you could

actually have a party that wins that's antiausterity and it is up to the rest of the members of the zone particularly the european central bank, the germans decide if they're going to stay. if they were to leave, the other nations are much more kind of secure even though they have high borrowing rates. they're not as crazily high as greece is. so it's not a fait accompli that the thing would unravel. >> when we talk about greece being front and center with a lot of people, spain and a lot of people there, their borrowing rates just went up. it is not illogical to think there would be that major ripple effect. with europe being our major trading partner then the u.s. economy being impacted. >> okay. the u.s. economy is already impacted. i would argue the european headwinds have shaved 25 to maybe a quarter to half percent off our gdp growth so far. europe is about 20% of our export. so not a minor trading partner. an important one. so you're right. i'm not saying that there is any

cause for, you know, a calm here. there's lots to be worried about. but if greece does decide to leave the eurozone, that doesn't necessarily imply that the whole thing unravels. there's a lot of steps between here and there. >> real quickly i know we were talking in the break about the president's immigration announcement coming up, a clang in policy. you see this economically as a win-win? >> i do. i think it's one of these intersections of good policy and good politics. many of these folks -- they're all here already. many are working already. integrating them into the system in a way that is legal and documented. that strikes me as a win-win. >> great to see you in person. >> thank you. bieber fever rocking 30 rock this morning. rocked it so hard i had to come to seek medical treatment here at nbc. i couldn't be there. nearly 8,000 tweens packed the plaza. the biebs serenaded fans with "baby" and "boyfriend." take a look.

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the president gave a speech, a very long speech. you might have thought that it would be a moment when he would acknowledge his policy mistakes and suggest a new course. but, no. he promised four more years, four more years of the same. four more very long years. >> all right. that was mitt romney speaking just minutes ago in new hampshire as he launched his six-state, five-day bus tour. romney and president obama delivering dueling addresses on the economy in ohio yesterday. now the president framed his re-election campaign as a stark contrast for american voters. >> at stake is not simply a

choice between two candidates or two political parties but between two paths for our country. >> joining me now for this week's sound off is melissa harris perry host of the melissa harris perry show here on msnbc. melissa, let's talk about this. we have yesterday these dueling speeches, basically the two giving speeches 250 miles apart in the all important state of ohio but did either one truly present a clear vision of where they would take this economy, an understanding of a message for people to get behind for the next four years? >> you know, actually i think the president has finally done here what folks have really been calling on him to do relative to the economy, which is to distinguish what his path is, what his position is compared to that of mr. romney. we know that romney is sort of a classic, economic conservative, right, lowest possible regulations, lowest possible taxes on corporations,

unleashing the power of the american private sector. even president obama said that in his speech. that's how he characterized mr. romney. then the president gave us what his vision was. and it's a vision he reached back in a much sort of longer tradition within american politics that says, yes. individual entrepreneurs, yes the corporate sector. yes to private business. but also the role of government in both stimulating the economy and providing a safety net for american citizens. >> so, melissa, the gop super pac american crossroads is out and i want to show the new ad it has targeting the president's speech yesterday. take a look. >> the bush tax cuts -- the wealthiest americans contribute their fair share -- big financial institutions, corporations. >> all right. all i think of is charlie brown and the teacher or the parent. you know, kind of funny. it makes you laugh. but is the president truly

backed into an economic corner? and basically off the fact that if we continue to see the national unemployment rate go upward is that the biggest problem over the summer? right now they went to ohio at 7.4 there so below the national average. things are going well in ohio. a lot of people blame that, you know, the resurgence that they've seen on the fact that the president was able to save the auto industry. but the national unemployment rate, is that really where it all lies? >> well, the unemployment rate will be part of it but i think part of what president obama is doing here is again making the very clear empirical argument and the argument is private businesses have been adding jobs. people have been shedding jobs are governments particularly states and localities playing off teachers, police officers, firefighters. the beautiful thing about that is it means it is within government's purview to do better. right? it can actually hire people to work in ways that can impact our unemployment rate.

look, that speech was in part about his own re-election but it was also about making sure he got his democratic congress. >> melissa harris perry, great to see you. i'm excited i get to join you tomorrow for your sure. >> absolutely. very exciting to have you. >> catch melissa's show every weekend saturday and sundays 10:00 a.m. eastern right here on msnbc. melissa, thanks again. >> thanks. developing right now vice president joe biden in orlando, florida right now speaking to the nation's mayors at their annual con frengs. the mayors have been discussing urban economics, immigration, as well as the election. the vice president will also attend a fundraiser while in orlando. speaking of which that mad dash for campaign cash, it is time for the polyside bar. first it was dueling speeches on the economy in ohio and then president obama and mitt romney both turned to the economic health of their campaigns. big money fundraisers. the president took in about $4.5 million in new york city. one fundraiser at the home of sarah jessica parker and another featuring performances by alicia

keyes and mariah carey. meanwhile, in the president's hometown of chicago, mitt romney raised more than $3 million at a hotel event for his campaign and the rnc. senator marco rubio almost gave up on his senate career before it even started. have you heard about this? because according to his new and soon to be released autobiography, rubio did not think he would be able to beat then governor charlie crist's popularity, power and considered dropping oust the race. and now he is a potential vp contender. secretary bon jovi? the rocker says he wants a cabinet position if president obama wins a second term, secretary of entertainment. bon jovi headlined a fundraiser for the president earlier this month and even got a lift on airforce one. ♪ it's my life it's now or never ♪ i ain't gonna live forever ♪ [ male announcer ] this is rudy.

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pursuit of equality is fundamental to the american story. the successful repeal of don't ask, don't tell proved to the nation that just like the country we defend, we share different backgrounds, different values, different beliefs, but together, we are the greatest military force in the world. >> defense secretary leon panetta out with a new video this morning honoring gay and lesbian service members during lgbt pride month. this afternoon, president obama will host a reception in the white house for lgbt americans and straight allies to recognize june pride month. this is another significant step for an administration that's made equality for the lgbt community a stronger part of its platform throughout the past year. jennifer christler is executive director of the family equality council and joins me in washington, d.c. as we look back on the comments made by the obama administration, in support of marriage equality and not just

from the president himself but from the vice president all the way to secretary duncan, why does today's reception take on that much more meaning? >> look, i think we are at an unprecedented moment in the history of this country when you have the president, the vice president, secretaries all coming out in favor and support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. so to have a moment to bring folks together to celebrate that moment is really significant. i think so important for this president's continued leadership. >> one thing the administration, not just for being about a marriage equality announcement, they have also been against doma. the president has repeal don't ask, don't tell. obviously there have been major changes for the lgbt community under this president's leadership but a lot of people question where the president stands on doing something policy-wise for marriage equality. should states have the right to allow their voters to vote on people's rights?

the fundamental question of letting majorities vote on minority rights. >> look, nobody in our community thinks that states should put to vote the freedoms of our people, and i think that the president has quite clearly articulated that he thinks these ballot amendments are wrong. he thinks that the so-called federal defense of marriage act is wrong. he has articulated over and over again his view about the worth of our families and our children and the people in our communities, so i think he's said quite clearly that his administration is about supporting equality and i think today is just another symbolic moment to reaffirm that commitment and to tell us and our children that, you know what, you are a valued part of this community. >> when you talk about that, and i know you speak from experience heading up the family equality council, having a beautiful family yourself, you're pregnant right now, due in six weeks, but do you think this administration needs to do something policy-wise to make a bigger statement?

>> i think that they have made the big statements and i think it's important that they back it up with policy initiatives. so he's done a tremendous amount of work on his side of the equation through regulation changes. he is met at every turn with a congress that has been intransigent about moving issues forward. just this week, we saw senate hearings on the employment nondiscrimination act. we would like to see movement on a host of other issues that would make life better for the lgbt people in this country, and i think he needs to continue to use that bully pulpit to move that legislation forward. >> great to see you. congratulations on the baby. six weeks to go. not much time. that will wrap things up for me today. thanks for your time. i appreciate it. "now" is coming up next in new york. what you got coming up, alex? happy friday to you. the first showdown in the corral is over but the back and forth is far from done. the president unveiling new immigration policy while governor romney is driving his own message, literally, on a

five-day bus tour. plus, meghan mccain and michael ian black have written a love letter to america. and joel stein has written a book about being a man. they will be here to discuss when we start in 180 seconds. [ male announcer ] at scottrade, you won't just find us online, you'll also find us in person, with dedicated support teams at over 500 branches nationwide. so when you call or visit, you can ask for a name you know. because personal service starts with a real person. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. our support teams are nearby, ready to help. it's no wonder so many investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade. it's no wonder so many investors are saying... it's time to live wider awake. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the

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the day after the president delivered 6,607 words on his plan for the country and was criticized for not being specific enough, he is following through with some specifics, specifically regarding immigration. it's friday, june 15th. and this is "now." joining me today, the sage of capitol hill, luke russert is here. nbc news political analyst, former pennsylvania