tuning in regularly. the channel is stuck here. we are glad to have you no matter what. >> next we have mike who writes up way too early to wish thomas and his partner all the best in married life. it gets better. >> a wedding coming up. i promise all of you it does get better. right now with "morning joe." >> i know it's august, and you all are as bored with this as the rest of us. the election is in two and a half time. pun time is over. raise your game. >> when mitt romney and bain closed the plant i lost my health care. my wife became ill. there was nothing they could do for her. she passed away in 22 days. i do not think mitt romney realizes what he's done to anyone. >> that's what i'm talking about. don't dance around romneyhood, obamaloney, mitt romney killed that guy's wife!

who's full of obamaloney now, wife killer romney! take a bow super pac guy who created the homicidal romney ad. >> how can you imply mitt romney and bain are somehow to blame for that poor woman dying of cancer? >> my goodness, we don't and we would not. >> i mean, my goodness how could you think so little of me? to say such a thing anderson cooper i do declare you are a cad and a bouncer of the had highest order and i think you ought to fetch my petticoat and coachman. good day, sir. >> good morning. it is friday, it is friday, august 10th. welcome to "morning joe." with us on set, we have the former governor of pennsylvania, and nbc news political analyst ed rendell, ed, good to see you. the chairman of deutsch incorporated, donny deutsch is here. hello, donny. >> hello. >> i'm surprised he's not vacationing somewhere. >> he is. >> yeah. >> every day is a vacation. >> every day is a vacation for

donny. >> msnbc political analyst and visiting professor at nyu and former democratic congressman harold ford jr. >> they're going to the same place this weekend. >> good morning. >> you both -- >> such gumption saying where we go -- >> going to the hamptons. >> you're in the most expensive enclave. >> that's not true. >> richest zip code. >> and makes up where i go. >> listen, you know what i do there. >> help kids in nantucket and garden. >> seriously, this is the story of my life. on romney's ledger a couple's happy ending he helps working-class people and that's what i do. >> front page of the "new york times" mind you. >> i don't know if that hurts you, but there are a lot of kids wearing vineyard vines khakis about five or six years old and frayed, you see the caps going around, okay, and i go -- >> it's hard. >> i had to start early -- >> and willie geist, thank god -- >> willie understands. >> at the london olympics.

>> willie, you understand, man. >> yeah. joe, i'm doing the same thing in east london, something out of a dickens novel kids in their tattered clothing. that's why i'm over here. >> there's a little going on over there. you stop it you two. >> what a great -- what a big, big day yesterday, willie geist. this thing, it just keeps getting bigger. more -- >> it's huge. i was lucky enough to be in the stadium last night when usain bolt ran the 200 meters and it wasn't close. it's amazing to think one man can be that much better than the seven other best in the world at what he does. this is the 200 meter race. just dusts everybody and watch the end, he kind of pulls up, which was strange, he could have broken his own world record 19:19, he slows down at the end, blows a kiss as he crosses the finish line. it's not close. now watch how he pulls up a little bit. it's interesting because he can see the clock in front of him. i guess he didn't want to break his own record. silencing his critics there.

he did 19.32 the second fastest time ever tying michael johnson but didn't break his own world record. remarkable thing to watch someone in person who does it that well but also that effortlessly. it was incredible. >> unbelievable. now any -- any time anybody's this much better than everybody else, you're going to have people whining about doping or something. does that follow him around at all or not? >> yeah. it's interesting you ask that, he went out of his way last night to talk about carl lewis. carl lewis has talked in general terms about the jamaican dope testing program how it's a little lax and they go months on end without having to be tested. >> it's jamaica. >> implying that perhaps -- exactly. >> it's jamaica. >> they can't afford to because everyone is doing their thing. he went out of his way and usain bolt said last night, this is a quote, i have no respect for carl lewis, he said this after the biggest night of his life, to take a shot at carl lewis who questioned the dope program

there. there is a cloud hanging over. big news for the american team, women's soccer. >> yes. >> 80,000 people showed up at wembley stadium, more than 80,000 people, in the eighth minute, a header right here by carli lloyd puts it in the back of the it in, 1-0. this is the rematch from the world cup final that the united states lost to japan last summer. they've had this circled on their calendar since that day and hope solo a huge game, knocking one away there. japan had its chances. the second goal, a beautiful shot by carli lloyd. and solo going to make another big save. the united states wins 2-1. snapping up that gold medal. here's carli lloyd after the game. >> when someone tells me i can't do something, i'm going to always prove them wrong and that's what a champion is all about. and that's what i am, a champion. i fought harder, dug deeper, and i wanted to make all those doubters out there wrong. and that's what i did.

everybody fought hard. i was happy enough to get two goals and everything came together. it fell into place. no one can stop this team. >> joe, you'll appreciate it as a soccer fan how great the vibe was in there. more than 80,000 people loving the game. the two best teams in the world. fortunately the united states came out on top. >> donny, how about her endorsements? thank god soccer is not a team sport. >> you don't say "i" -- >> "i," "i," "i." >> never heard anyone say "i am a champion" and "i got two goals." no "i" in team. >> i proved everybody wrong. "i" "i" "i." >> how much is that -- just to be a total mood kill. >> yeah. >> talking about bolt and his jamaican drug ring, let's talk now about -- this soccer win, usa, usa. >> yes. >> when is -- what's sort of the hangover from the canadian semi win where -- i mean two horrible

calls at the end. did that go away or is that something that's still kind of hanging around? >> well, they came back, canada came back yesterday and won the bronze medal, so they beat france. they won in extra time. so they feel good about leaving here with something. so that kind of blew away -- there was so much excitement around the game yesterday between united states and japan. canada hasn't forgotten about it. they leave with a medal. >> my son is coming in tonight from jamaica, coincidentally. >> huh-uh. >> and we're going to sit around and do stuff. what can we watch tonight on tv? >> a lot of -- >> as -- >> a lot of good stuff. like the dream team, maybe you do, they play tonight in the semifinal. they play argentina which, of course, has manu ginobili and other players. they'll play on sunday presumably for the gold medal maybe against russia who's played well there. and there's good track and field over here as well. >> okay. have we gotten ahead of those pesky chinese or are they still

paying off the judges? >> yes. no, we fault vaultsed over china. the lead in gold in total 90 to 80. >> usa. >> we won the triple jump, be decathlon. >> you take that, china. >> women's boxing. there we are. >> you take that, china. >> joe, you know we're not number one. if you do it -- >> you are such a -- >> ed, are you serious? >> population -- >> what are you talking about? >> best country in the world in terms of olympic achievement is grenada. >> what's wrong with you? >> thank you for that fact. >> usa! >> willie -- >> usa, willie. we're sorry you even had to hear that. >> it's terrible. >> i hope i'm getting one of those jackets. one of those fleeces. >> i haven't gotten mine yet. >> you just might be. >> i think he's leading us on. >> large, willie. >> be there on monday, you'll see. >> double xl for joe? >> just stop that. look at me. >> wow.

>> wow. >> willie -- it's donny, i need mine form fitting, a little tight. >> i couldn't find the child 3t you usually wear. >> likes to wear a onesy stretched out. >> stretch out whatever you'll get him he'll stretch it. thank you so much. we'll talk to you soon. >> can we go to politics? >> see you monday. >> yeah. >> we have to? >> yes. >> we kind of -- this is -- >> yeah. >> kind of fascinating now. >> it is. >> i really do think that mitt romney people have been holding their fire on their ads about long enough. the polls are starting to really solidify a bit and not mitt romney's favor. >> i've been watching the coverage of this ad controversy as well. >> yeah. >> it's extremely polarizing. >> yeah. >> start with the polls. two new polls on the general election show president obama with a seven-point lead and a nine-point lead respectively. a cnn/opinion research poll shows obama leading 52-45%. fox news poll finds the president leading 49-40.

the opinion research poll also finds that 64% of americans think romney favors the rich over the middle class and in the same poll, romney's unfavorables are up six points from last month to 48%. >> okay. so -- mika, what do you think? his unfavorables are up and looks like they're really able -- i mean they are really defining him as the rich guy. >> yeah. >> who only cares about rich people. >> do you think it's working? >> it looks like it is, doesn't it? >> i mean look -- i -- you don't -- you know exactly how i feel about this in terms of perception. >> you are a very rich person. >> no. that's not -- >> like fdr goes against her own type and i understand that. >> uh-huh. >> it's working. >> it's working tremendously. it's interesting. two-thirds of the country think we're going in the wrong direction. >> right. >> yet obama has a 10% above water favoribility and romney's 10% below water. >> yeah. >> the scary thing for the

romney only according to the polls 3% or 4% undecided at this point and even the controversy yesterday, and i think the ad was off mark but yet we're talking about bain capital. >> right. >> and he continues to define not him -- i've said this before, not just a rich guy, wall street rich guy. mike bloomberg is one kind of rich guy who built something. this is a guy who plays around the edges and i -- once again, to -- two-thirds of the country say we're going in the wrong direction but yep, let's stay with that guy, that's how unpopular and how mitt romney has not connected with the american people. >> just has a 9% lead in the fox poll, barack obama has a 9% lead, we're into august and at some point we stop saying it's early. at some point the numbers start solidifying and every half point you pick up is hard. >> the scary thing about those numbers for the romney people, is they've got all the money now to trash the president, but the president's a known quantity. >> yeah. >> what the president's people

were able to do to romney is take an unknown quantity and define him. >> defined him. >> but i don't think it's over, joe and i don't accept there's so few undecides because a lot of people who say they're for a candidate can switch their mind. i think romney has to give a terrific convention speech. >> yeah. >> that's his big change to move the momentum and then follow that up with three solid debate performances. bad economic news, this is still an election. >> yeah. >> it's -- i couldn't know one speech is going to do it he has to have a lead up to the convention that has a couple news items which leads us to everybody hammering him, "wall street journal" writing a very tough editorial saying select paul ryan as your vice president, ryan's younger, it would probably be the first time that i've been excited about a national republican ticket in about 20 years, because ryan's a true believer on small government part.

i just wonder whether romney's now forcing himself in the corner to shake up the campaign to take a chance on a chris christie or paul ryan? >> it's certainly heading in that direction. donny and the governor are about right. i don't think it's over yet. i don't think donny was saying that. i think it's surprising where things stand. >> 9 points in august is pretty tough. >> well, i question -- if you look through some of these polls a number of people are responding and i agree with the governor people can change their minds and likely will, go more for obama or romney. i think the vp choice is big. some people are dismissing it. palin makes it big. this race has been on a lot of levels disappointing. we've talked about on this show, you've talked about it, neither side getting into the meat of the issue and substance of where they want to take the country the next four years. if he picks a paul ryan, someone who is controversial, someone who's very smart, very capable, you and i know him, served with him -- >> a guy --

>> might be able to lay out -- >> who wins in the swing district of all swing districts. >> blue district. >> i think paul ryan gets elected in a district if i'm not mistake than dukakis won, that gore won, that clinton won -- >> the scrutiny -- >> that obama won. >> analysis around him would be positive. i don't know if they choose him or not. they're not calling me. but we could easily find ourselves next week or ten days from now looking at another poll. i think the most important poll that will come out now between now and mid-october is the one after the first debate. a lot of independents and others what will break and stay there after that first debate. >> dukakis left atlanta how many points ahead. >> 18 points ahead. >> mika -- >> we'll talk more about the ad and romney's response to all the controversy yesterday, but first on the vp choice, nbc news political director chuck todd asked romney yesterday about where he stood on choosing a running mate. his answer left some speculating if the candidate may have

dropped a subtle hint. >> what do you want your running mate to say about you? what do you want your selection to say about what kind of president you're going to be? >> i don't think i have anything for you on the vp running mate other than i certainly expect to have a person that has strength of character, vision for the country, that adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country. i mean i happen to believe this is a defining election for america, that we're going to be voting for what kind of america we're going to have. >> it defines his own brand. it makes a statement. we are fiscally conservative, this is who we are, there's a clear choice, and i think it also gives him some kahunas he hasn't had so far. to me i'm advising it's a clear choice -- >> which is probably why he won't do it. >> one of your premise sis is president obama was not ready to be president four years ago, the

question is whether americans look at paul and say, he's ready to be president of the united states. if part of your hypothesis -- i don't disagree with your analysis. i believe you have to defend ryan's budget, brand, why not put him on. if they're able to get beyond that, i think he's an exciting choice -- >> i said it yesterday when we walked in and early 1995, and we were talking about this four cabinet agencies and talking about a seven-year plan to balance the budget and talking about entitlement reform a 23-year-old kid around, all members and then a 23-year-old kid and i asked who is this guy. he's paul ryan. you got to have him in the meeting. he knows all of this stuff. and sure enough, he did. he said you can't do that because that's going to -- you can do it this way. i mean, paul ryan, that goes back to 1995, early 1995, the guy is imminently qualified. >> not a knock on him. >> no, i'm just saying, you can't even compare barack

obama's lack of experience with paul ryan's experience. >> i disagree. >> you can't disagree. come on. >> no, no. >> come on. don't even -- you can't say that on this air. the guy was a state senator. >> this is not an attack on -- >> voted president 1,000 times and then he becomes senator and within six months everybody says he's bored. >> i do agree he has more legislative experience because he's been in congress longer -- >> he's been in washington and understands how washington works. >> but joe -- >> barack obama -- >> clinton had not been in washington. >> barack obama still doesn't know how washington works. >> the only point, the hypothesis he was not ready and look at paul now. i'm not saying paul can't overcome this. >> there's nothing to overcome. the fact that you would compare barack obama's lack of experience in washington and the fact that he still doesn't know how washington works with a guy who has been here since he was 22 in the middle of the action? i mean being a big part of balancing the bucket for the first time in a -- the budget

for first time in a generation, big time for balancing the budget four years in row. >> joe, that's the answer they will have to give -- >> that's not the answer, that's the reality. >> don't get angry with me -- >> why don't we talk about how the philadelphia phillies will win the world series because that conversation is about as -- i don't mean to jump on you. >> joe -- >> you're making this up out of whole cloth. >> i'm not making this up. >> you are making it up. >> you have said before questions about whether paul is ready for this. i think he is. the only point i make they have to give a compelling and convincing response like you've given just now why if he's chosen he's ready to be president. >> by the way, is anybody ever ready to be president? i agree with your high poth cease, of your readiness of barack versus ryan. is anybody ready to be president before they get in august? >> hopefully we don't need another world war -- >> i think harold, your analysis more true about marco rubio. >> that would fit, marco rubio

not ready to be president. >> i could give the same argument about chris christie. >> he's been a hell of a governor. >> i think you're right. marco rubio not ready to be vice president. >> he would have opened up the same questions. ryan -- >> biggest problem -- >> looks like he's 25. >> he has a cute face. >> i worked on the clinton/gore campaign and what was great about visually, you saw those two faces and there was a statement there. >> i actually think -- >> the thing about ryan and romney, there is a kind of mount rushmore look. they look like they come from the same school, and it is versus put portman next to him, daniels next to him. >> and ryan's a middle -- very, very middle-class guy. >> you have a picture, literally a figuratively. >> the thing about paul ryan being in there, we could get progressives around this table and -- >> yeah. >> we could debate -- because i've heard a lot of progressives who would be excited about paul ryan being vice president.

al sharpton said it a couple days ago here. i would be so excited about what it says said about the republican party. >> right. >> if paul ryan was vice president. so we would have a real debate between progressives -- >> says to romney wow he can make a bold decision. it really inflects back beyond he's a smart choice for the overall, wow, this guy is going to put a stake in the ground. a lot of pluses for him. >> we had newt gingrich on yesterday. he also spoke yesterday about -- wait, that didn't go well for me at home. >> too nice to newt. >> i -- yeah. >> al sharpton said he got killed for being nice to me. >> that did not go -- >> i like paul, i served with him. i know him. you have answered the question that if romney's able to do that, he achieves what donny just said, and it makes paul look like the leader in a dynamic -- >> look, i -- >> chooses paul --

>> you sir are no jack kennedy. >> what about newt? >> we'll show newt gingrich later. >> you get in trouble next to newt? >> it's fine. >> did your dad yell at you? >> it wasn't my dad. >> okay. we'll just leave it there. >> didn't go well for me at home. we'll talk to tom brokaw. >> she's surrounded by liberals. >> i am. i really am. >> "financial times" gillian tett. >> and the washington post's eugene robinson. first here's bill karins. here's the problem with newt gingrich. >> what? >> says one really smart thing and you can agree with that smart thing but it's surrounded by falsehoods. >> it's too late, mika. >> surrounded by falsehoods. >> playing to your home audience. you had a chance yesterday. >> it's true. >> you let it pass. we may replay the -- and by the way, you're going to newt u. that's exciting to do. >> i'm going to get a sweatshirt. >> didn't see it. was it kissy-kissy. >> i disagreed with one thing. >> asked him out on a date. here's bill karins, a check on the forecast.

>> i did not. >> mika, mika, mika. >> good morning, everyone. we are watching a chance of heavy rain in the east coast. grab your umbrellas all the big cities of the east, it's already raining and pouring in areas near washington, d.c. thunderstorms just north of washington, d.c. on the northern portion of the beltway towards damascus and going to move to the west side of baltimore it looks like. i-95 early today, we'll have some problems in between baltimore and d.c. but there's a lot more rain to come. see it's all the way back into the ohio valley today. numerous thunderstorms popping up now in areas of even eastern virginia. this will be a difficult travel day out there. we're going to see a chance of severe thunderstorms too late this afternoon. we could see hail and gusty winds with those storms anywhere from new england right down through the carolinas. the forecast today, as advertised, the airports will be a mess, especially late this afternoon into this evening. probably lots of cancellations out there too. this will be a ripple effect across the country. much of the middle of the country enjoy your little break from the heat wave, oklahoma. you get one day in the 90s and then back in the hundreds this

weekend. west coast will be very warm this weekend too. and for the eastern seaboard, looks like saturday morning the rain will lingering and then it should exit. everyone should have a decent saturday night and i think everyone on the east coast will see a pretty nice sunday. overall, today's the worst day of the next three for travel anywhere in the eastern half of the country. new york city, rain should be moving in about noon today. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. [ thunk ] sweet! [ male announcer ] the solid thunk of the door on the volkswagen jetta. thanks, mister! [ meow ] it's quality you can hear and feel. that's the power of german engineering. right now during

the autobahn for all event get great deals on a 2012 jetta.

if mitt romney called you up tonight and said, keith ellison, i want you to be my vice president, would you take it? no, sir. >> you say that now, but when the phone call comes you don't though what's going to happen? >> yes, i do. >> no, you don't. let's role play right now. >> okay. >> ready? ring ring, ring ring. >> hello? >> please hold for governor

romney. ba da da bup da da bup da da bup da da bup da da bup. keith? >> how are you doing, sir? >> keith. ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. now then, keith, you know i'm running for president of the united states. >> yes, sir. >> well, it has been made clear to me that i need a vice presidential candidate. and i was hoping that you would be mine. >> no, sir, i'm sorry, can't do it. >> keith, i'm very excited. thank you. we're going to be a great team. >> no, sir. >> ha, ha, ha, ha. that's great. thanks, keith. i'll see you tomorrow. click. >> 27 past the hour. live look at capitol hill in washington, d.c., on this early friday morning. joining us now, politico's

patrick gavin with this morning's playbook. did you see emma's picture as we came in. >> great picture. >> she's a beautiful catch. she's grown up very nicely. >> gorgeous, yeah. >> politico reporting democrats aren't getting much financial help from big unions. >> why not. >> before the convention. what's going on? >> if you look at it's still preliminary but a list of 120 events that will take place in charlotte not a single one is union sponsored. a lot for one big reason, charlotte is not really a very pro uniontown. a lot of these hotels don't have big union presences and when the city was announced a lot of labor groups made it clear they weren't happy of that selection. now you see the result of it, they're not contributing as much in the fast, aren't being featured as prominently in the prime time slots and in the side event tas take place not going to be at those as well. they're making it clear they don't like the fact that the democrats picked charlotte. >> ed, unions are in retreat in at love areas. you look at what happened in

wisconsin. it seems to me, if you're running a union, you need to be in the middle of it. >> sure. >> you can't sit out just because they picked charlotte, right? >> bad mistake by the unions. unions have to continue to press their case. >> get involved. >> union leaders like leo girard of the steeleworkers, who's visionary, joins with his employer base and goes out and lobbies for things together, union and employer together that's the wave of the future for unions. they've got to realize that. >> the whareal question whether unions will be here in the last 45 days. make not only the contributions but the foot soldiers on the ground. >> not because of love, but because of hate. >> friend of mine -- >> they hate romney. they love obama. >> sure. which is the same reason the republican base is going to vote not because of love of romney, but because -- >> friend of mine all he does is every day raise pension money for the funds. never seen the unions. so basically disenfranchised

with obama. he sees it every meeting every day. >> really? that's amazing. >> add one thing to one thing ed said, this again, it could still change but the reality is that the money that you typically see from labor groups to the democratic party or get out the vote efforts is not there. that could change, obviously, until november. >> where are the unions going to go? >> yeah. >> what they're doing -- >> might not do anything. >> running against willard mitt romney. >> say the same thing about evangelicals. either side of the base is -- >> what they're doing in pennsylvania and across the country giving money to organizations like america votes that do turn out and do registration, rather than traditional democratic forces. it has the same effect. >> okay. >> patrick you're reporting that president obama is planning to use some republicans during the

convention. explain, please. >> yeah. mike allen has a look at some sort of internal documents looking at some of the plans for the convention and some of the big highlights number one, what they would like to have are some republicans on two -- at least two of the three nights thinking chuck hagel or john warner and want to have a republican woman sounds like they know who they have in mind for that one, calling that woman sort of a big name and a big get. what we might see, sash va sha and malia for a few minutes. one thing that's interesting when you look at the documents about the things they'll highlight from the president's first term the one thing that comes up more than anything else is the auto bailout so i think you can expect that theme to be hit on a lot, perhaps more than anything else in his first time in charlotte. >> that would make a lot of sense. patrick evan, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> have a good weekend. >> you too. up next, a look at the morning papers including a story out of chicago suggesting that rob blagojevich considered naming a certain hollywood star to president obama's senate seat in hopes of sleeping with her.

>> in hopes of sleeping with her. you got to enunciate better. finish strongly. >> stupid. >> to sleep with her, okay. >> we're going to find out. >> emma, oh, my goodness. >> we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] how do you define your moment? the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery,

the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. ari'm fine.y, babe? ♪

♪ ♪ with a subaru you can always find a way. announcer: love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. this is new york state. we built the first railway, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com.

he would ask the middle class to pay more in taxes to gain another 250,000 tax cut to people making more than $3 million a year. it's like robinhood in reverse. it's romneyhood. >> should be pretty easy for romney to top romneyhood. >> we've been watching the president say a lot of things about me and my policies. they're just not right. if i were to coin a term it would be obamaloney. >> how can a guy who looks so much like don draper be so bad at writing ad copy? i mean if you -- everybody loves bologna. at least try for a meat no one likes, oballoaf. that's an insult maybe they hit

you back with pastromny and you counter punch with barkwurst. >> it's just -- it's time now to take a look at morning papers. we'll start with "usa today." google has agreed to pay a record $22.5 million fine over claims that it tracked people's activity on the web. the federal trade commission says google bipassed apple's privacy settings on computers, ipads and iphones. >> wow. >> in paying the fine, google has not admitted guilt. >> how is your facebook stock? >> that is frightening. >> facebook just keeps collapsing. >> as we called it on the show. >> we called it. >> just didn't see it. >> why don't people listen to us? >> you're just -- >> the "dallas morning news," airlines are more punctual and less likely to lose your bags than any time in two decades. 84% of scheduled flights arrived within their time, the best report since the government

started keeping track in 1988. fewer than three suit cases per thousand passengers were reported lost, a record low. >> just carry on now. >> do you think it has anything to do with the fact that they charge you to check your bag. >> i'll speak for travelers. those on time statistics, pittsburgh to philadelphia a 44-minute flight booked at 1:20. of course they make it on time. that's how they do it. >> oh. ed, look at that. >> "the chicago tribune" a new book says undercover recordings of then rod blagojevich reveal he thought tony rezko had secretly funneled $25,000 to barack obama. federal authorities don't believe the claims are cred ble and a spokesman for the obama campaign called the suggestion, quote, preposterous and false. according to the book blagojevich also mentioned naming halle berry to obama's former senate seat so he could have a chance at being romantic with her. >> donny deutsch?

>> that wasn't even a beat between that going to me. >> thinking about halle berry to have sex with her. do you judge him? >> you know what -- >> is this against the law? >> unfortunately -- >> is this against the klaw? >> yes. >> i'm not a lawyer but is this against the law? >> i believe that's against the law, poor judgment. but we've seen men -- >> you think that's poor judgment? >> i think the call on halle berry is a great call -- >> alex gorgson said that could be grounds for parole. >> it's a great call, probably not a great -- >> a great call? >> if you're going to choose a woman, halle berry. personally i would not be using the office for romantic -- just me personally. >> you just don't have to even lie at this point. we know you. >> you know what -- >> halle berry. >> halle berry. you get all giggly with halle berry. >> respect the guy. >> you are what's wrong with this world. >> if you were going to sell your congressional seat to a hollywood star who would it be? >> i'm a married man. i don't think that way.

>> "the los angeles times" new study suggests men who are more stressed tend to find larger women more attractive. the study from the university of florida -- >> what the hell is this news cast? >> men under stress, attractiveness of heavier women higher. found women appealing across a broader sized spectrum than men not stressed. >> what are you talking about? >> men under less stress. >> i could explain that. >> no. >> no slender women. donny deutsch. >> grossed out at 6:40 in the morning. >> can i stop you, please? this is science! >> am i the only guy around here that is intellectually curious -- >> who is stimulated by science? >> oh, god! oh, god! >> donny deutsch, so a man who's under a lot of stress -- >> i'm sorry. >> why does he seek a larger woman for comfort? >> even i can't go there. i -- i -- you know what, i just

don't know. sometimes i just don't know. >> you it know. >> i do know. >> i want you to answer the question. >> i have a very -- >> you said it a while ago you did know. >> you know the answer. >> i do not know the answer. >> you don't want to answer, do you? >> i do not know the answer. >> the government pay for this study? >> like i think it was british. >> british study, good. >> the unions are considering not giving as much money to the democratic election. >> this weekend's "parade" talking about rebuilding -- >> so when they're not stressed, are you -- >> they want them skinny. men like them skinny when not stressed but when they're stressed they like heavier women. the average school in america is more than 40 years old and some 40,000 public schools in the country believe to be in poor or bad condition. mika, i don't know if the education of our youth does not interest you, but if i can finish this read, we're going to be talking about this -- >> i wouldn't want to interrupt you. >> more on monday with "parade"

editor in chief -- >> i like maggie. >> you hate science, hate politics. >> maggie is smart. >> you hate halle berry but like maggie. >> very good. >> that actually is a very good issue, the school stuff. because kids do respond to their environment. >> yep. >> it's absolutely provable. when schools look good the kids treat them with more respect. one good thing about the president's job plan, is that $25 billion to fix up our schools. >> i think that's -- >> good idea. >> yep. absolutely. s there -- there should be no debate on that. not one bit. >> i agree. >> you've been the champion of this. >> up next, the must-read opinion pages. very conflicted whether to hit someone or -- >> you're watching "morning joe," we're brewed by starbucks. ♪ [ acoustic guitar: upbeat ]

[ dog ] we found it together. on a walk, walk, walk. love to walk. yeah, we found that wonderful thing. and you smiled. and threw it. and i decided i would never, ever leave it anywhere. because that wonderful, bouncy, roll-around thing... had made you play. and that... had made you smile. [ announcer ] beneful. play. it's good for you.

and this is what inspires us to create new technology. ♪ technology that connects us to everything the world has to offer and vice versa. ♪ technology that makes lightweight stronger, safer, and faster than ever before. ♪ technology that makes electric electrifying and efficiency exhilarating. ♪ technology that doesn't just drive us, but drives progress. ♪ and driving progress is what we do every day. ♪ ♪

♪ it's something you're born with. and inspires the things you choose to do. you do what you do... because it matters. at hp we don't just believe in the power of technology. we believe in the power of people when technology works for you. to dream. to create. to work. if you're going to do something. make it matter.

♪ 45 past the hour. a live look at washington. oh, lord. did you just say that? okay. >> no that was a couple years ago. >> oh, stop. >> so -- >> time for mika's must-read opinion pages. >> "washington post" the best vp for romney by michael gershon. the trend of the last few weeks favors chris christie, the 2012 election has proved to be a vicious, negative slugfest in the last few weeks, romney has been accused of committing a felony, avoiding taxes for a decade and contributing to death of a woman with cancer. romney his family and staff are likely to feel offended. the question they are probably asking is not who is the best vice presidential pick, rather it is, who is the best war time vice presidential pick. christie would clearly play it best. he is the only one who seems to reallyish this sort of political

conflict. he has good reason to relish it. he is a natural, a prodigy at the art of confrontation. it is one thing to pit ohio or minnesota or wisconsin against the chicago way, i predict that romney will want and republicans will welcome jersey versus chicago. >> oh, my lord. i love that. so mika, let's -- >> seriously -- >> we're not making. let's do something we do here. >> yeah. >> a lot of people don't do. we have people tell us an awful lot of stuff. and then we just -- >> interrupt them. >> blurt it out. blurt it out on tv. >> right. >> do you want to do that about -- >> we have about five, six different source os thins. >> no. >> come on. >> no, no, no. >> you can't set it up and tease them and not give it -- >> a little bit. >> you talk first because you think i interrupted you which, of course, is a prepost truss falsehood and i will say what i was going to say. >> can you imagine if the past

48 hours unfolded and christie had been the vice presidential pick, how this ad controversy would have been slapped down. >> oh! >> and completely ripped to shreds and made better for romney? >> he would have chewed dan burton's head and spit it out. >> i -- come on. >> feel a little frightened. >> why can't the proposed president do that. he needs a vice president? >> you know what -- >> joe biden does barack obama. >> you were going to give a big piece of news. >> put your arms around him, bring him -- >> you are so emotionally connected to the audience when you say to them, we've got something to say -- six sources. >> i am not going to give you all the information. >> you're not. >> but i've heard this from five or six sources very close to the romneys. the romneys are looking at these vice presidential candidates when they meet them, it's like bridge partners. do they like them? they speak in terms of well, you know, i'm really comfortable with the pawlentys.

i like the pawlentys a lot. you know what, i really like the portmans. they are -- what about chris christie? i'm not so sure. he's kind of loud. doesn't always show up on time. i mean -- they -- they are -- they seriously have been acting as if they're interviewing -- talking about the couple as if they're interviewing a vice presidential pick as somebody that they like. somebody -- >> wow. >> they're comfortable with. >> is that someone who's entitled? >> it's a manager who knows how to -- wants to be at the top and then has -- >> a manager -- >> manager is the opposite. >> no. but it is a manager who is used to having people work for him. whereas, the opposite of that is a ronald reagan who runs a tough campaign in 1980 against a guy who accuses him of voodo economics, slashes and burns him, gets nasty and picks george h.w. bush as his vice president

and picks james baker who ran bush's tough nasty campaign to run his own. >> yeah. >> chris christie, though, guess what? chris christie doesn't sit in the back. he doesn't keep quiet. and the romneys may not be comfortable with that. they need a street fighter right now because chris christie -- >> they really do. >> would pummel and eviscerate anybody -- >> shows he's a bad manager. let me finish. a bad manager highers weaker versions of himself. >> a lot of people do that. >> a great manager hires something that fills their weaknesses and stronger than them. >> political sense, that all may be true, but for political sense and i'm a chris christie admirer, but from a political sense he doesn't elevate the debate. and right now, what romney needs is to elevate it. paul ryan -- >> who does elevate the debate? >> chris christie. >> i totally disagree. >> couldn't disagree more. >> he continues -- >> he continues to trash and burn. trash and burn. elects barack obama.

>> ed, what are you talking about? >> trash and burn elects barack obama. >> you need someone to focus on real issues to -- >> paul ryan's budget? >> paul ryan at least focuses the debate -- >> ed, you got to help me here. chris christie goes into a state that is in economic chaos, he goes after budgets that nobody has had the guts to go after for years, he makes all of these extraordinarily difficult cuts and people say he's going to get killed, the papers kill him, he's minus 20 in approval ratings and then he ends up winning. he's got democrats working with him and he's plus 20 in new jersey. >> ed, paul ryan's presented a budget for discussion. chris christie has executed. >> i understand all that. i'm talking about as a campaigner. you don't want to -- if i'm romney i slash and burn the other side will slash and burn back. you need to inspire. >> accusing the governor -- >> i think ed's talking ability tone of campaign, not concept. >> you've been in tough races.

you would want -- i hear you, if you look at the way the campaign has started it's a slug fest. >> stays in the cutter, obama wins. >> christie is a fighter. i do give him that. >> the people closest to barack obama over the past 48 hours have accused mitt romney of being a murderer, it's already in the gutter. >> yeah. >> you need somebody like chris christie to say, oh, really? is that how chicago plays it? is that how chicago plays it? we'll get down there with you and tell you what sleaze bags you are for accusing -- >> in a second. i love paul ryan, ideologically he's been there, but chris christie since 2009 has gone in and i remember you telling me chris christie couldn't win that state. chris christie won that state. not only did he win that state, he took on all these special interests. >> we have to go. >> everybody said he couldn't do it. he's up 20 in the polls. >> let you respond later. >> the thing is -- the romneys

may not think he's the type of person they would invite to their country club, but they need him now if they want to win. >> coming up, tom brokaw. down here, folks measure commitment by what's getting done. the twenty billion dollars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar commitment to support scientists studying the environment. and the gulf is open for business - the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still committed to seeing this through. introducing share everything, only from verizon. a shareable pool of data to power up to 10 different devices. add multiple smartphones to your plan, so everyone in your fami can enjoy unlimited talk and text.

the first plan of its kind. share everything. get your student a samsung galaxy nexus for $99.99.

up next the moderator of "meet the press" david gregory joins the conversation. "the washington post's" eugene robinson. more "morning joe" in just a moment. [ donovan ] i hit a wall.

and i thought "i can't do this, it's just too hard." then there was a moment. when i decided to find a way to keep going. go for olympic gold and go to college too. [ male announcer ] every day we help students earn their bachelor's or master's degree for tomorrow's careers. this is your moment. let nothing stand in your way. devry university, proud to support the education of our u.s. olympic team.

"meet the press" david gregory [ male announcer ] it started long ago. the joy of giving something everything you've got. it takes passion. and it's not letting up anytime soon. at unitedhealthcare insurance company, we understand that commitment. and always have. so does aarp, an organization serving the needs of americans 50 and over for generations. so it's no surprise millions have chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they help cover some of the expenses medicare doesn't pay. and save you up to thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to find out more, request your free decision guide. call or go online today. after all, when you're going the distance, it's nice to have the experience and commitment to go along with you. keep dreaming. keep doing. go long.

[ male announcer ] 6 years old. then 7. going on 11. in the blink of an eye, they're all grown up. marie callender's homemade tastes are another great reason to sit down and savor every last moment. ♪ because time flies... right before your eyes. marie callender's. it's time to savor. olaf's pizza palace gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! pizza!!!!! [ garth ] olaf's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! put it on my spark card! [ high-pitched ] nice doin' business with you! [ garth ] why settle for less? great businesses deserve the most rewards! awesome!!! [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? t there. or double miles on every purchase, every day!

- one serving of cheese is the size of four dice. one serving of cereal, a baseball. and one serving of fruit, a tennis ball. - you know, both parties agree. our kids can be healthier... the more you know. if he had to pick somebody that had nothing to do with electability, somebody to be smart in the back room with him sitting there when the tough decisions are made and what do you think and that means something to him, which of these guys should he pick for sheer smarts? >> the smartest strategic thinker in the republican house today is paul ryan. you look at what he has mastered in the budget, whether you like or dislike the details this is a guy who has thought deeply about the reshaping of the american

government to make it affordable at a level that's really pretty courageous. >> welcome back to "morning joe." okay. it's a deflector. >> do you think so? >> yeah. >> so what, to get people to think -- yeah whatever. whole game. >> what do you think -- >> it will be boring. >> interesting? >> it won't be that, no. >> won't be paul ryan? who do you think it will be? >> the portman -- >> harold and i have a suggestion. >> portman or one of the bridge partners. >> yeah. >> harold and i have a suggestion, tell them harold. >> secretary condi rice would be the game-changing choice. she brings foreign policy experience, affects the women vote, democrats have a big lock on african-american voters, yet her presence on the ticket would elevate him. >> that would be -- >> isedy agree. i think it just takes you backwards from the bush years. >> yeah. >> no matter how you slice it he still gets the african-american vote and as far as -- >> how about women? >> foreign policy he killed us

on bin laden and that's what the average american knows and understands about foreign policy. >> he adds to the weight of the romney team. i think if i'm a citizen looking at this, i'm saying do these guys no anything about foreign policy? having condi rice changes that. >> you have to look forward. christie or ryan would be an inspired choice. condoleezza rice sends them back. >> downside for christy and -- >> great respect for condoleezza rice bougut she takes us back t 2003, painted as george w. bush's enabler to get into the iraq war and i think while she's very good in the white house, she's one of these public figures who would make a terrible politician. >> yeah. >> i think she would be stiff and awkward on the campaign trail. >> which is what we already have. >> i think she would be a lot like wes clark was when he tried to put -- >> saying portman would have the same problem linked back to the bush years. >> not as much as condi rice who again condi rice was seen as

bush's enabler. >> and she was one of the faces of the administration. portman wasn't. >> differentiated herself, in fairness she was not perceived as rumsfeld or cheney, seen as being on the other side of the conversation. i'm not here to defend her. >> she won in 2006, 2007 bush started going her way which was a good thing, but i just don't think she would be good on the campaign trail. do you? >> i think she would actually be pretty effective on the campaign trail. her presence -- >> she's stiff and doesn't connect with an audience. >> i don't see it. >> two more voices on this. >> joining us now from washington, pulitzer-prize winning columnist and msnbc political analyst eugene robinson. with us the moderator of "meet the press" david gregory. gentlemen, welcome to the table this morning. >> good morning. >> david, over the past 24 hours, we've had this paul ryan swell, everybody's talking about paul ryan and he's pushed the two as i call them bridge partners. >> and he's going camping.

>> he's going camping. >> it's not him. >> we're basically being told by everybody look at paul ryan. >> it's not him. >> look at paul ryan. >> look at paul ryan. obviously this means it's not paul ryan. what do you think? >> i think there's so much we don't know about this process that is striking, but i do think that what you're talking about which is ultimately what is governor romney want to say with this pick. >> right. >> first presidential level decision what does he want to communicate to voters, try to re-energize the campaign which any vp pick does, i think for all of the calculations that you could have, i've been looking at the past couple cycles and thinking about this, it's really about dealing with some perceived weakness you have as a candidate. i don't think it goes back to, you know, 1960 and putting lbj on the ticket in terms of can i get ohio? i think it's more about where do i have a weak side and what can i do to reinforce that?

president obama, he needed that gravitas on the world stage he was inexperienced, joe biden helped shore that up. the same is true with cheney for president bush. i think that ultimately whats gives ryan some real value, whether he's in or out now, nobody knows, is can he do something? can governor romney do something to shore up the suspicion that still exists about him among conservatives who, you know, whose enthusiasm will be so important. >> ed? >> i disagree, david. i think those folks are coming out anyway not because of anything romney can do, but because of the hatred of the president. they're coming out anyway. >> gene robinson, we're sort of on -- i love paul ryan, i would be excited by the pick. i also like the two people that i'm calling the bridge partners, the romneys think would be splendid bridge partners, pawlentys as well as the portmans. that said, right now, i'm kind

of -- kind of feeling chris christie. i doubt he has the guts to pick christie, but if he did, he would have a street fighter. >> it would be -- >> that would stand toe to toe with chicago and who could probably more effectively obliterate the obama narrative than any other republican on the stage today. >> potential big game, potential big risk. >> what's the big risk? >> what's the risk? >> the risk is at some point in the campaign he goes off. he absolutely goes off, he berates some poor questioner in a town hall meeting or he -- >> explain to me -- >> is that bad? he's done that in jersey and plus 20. >> it has played well for him in new jersey. >> right. >> i think it is risky, you know, nationwide, someone who's going to be the proverbial heartbeat away from the presidency, i don't know how it plays.

potential big gain because if they want somebody who's going to fight back and who's going to fight, you know, bring a bite knife to a knife fight that's christie. >> explain to me one scenario in which chris christie has gone off as you would put it where it hasn't worked for him? >> well no. it works fine in new jersey. it's worked fine in new jersey. >> what is wrong -- what is so different about new jersey? >> him tourng a woman when a woman says where does your child go to school and he goes don't ask me where my child it's none of your business that doesn't go well. >> when they rudely asks where does your child go to school and how dare you and that has played nationally across -- we have played that sound bite not just in new jersey, and people love it. >> poor gal. >> just fine, thank you. >> we live, david gregory, in -- and we complain about it every day, the most poll tested, stripped down, focused grouped, cold -- >> people are scared of their own shadow.

>> unfeeling, timid, political world ever. a guy like chris christie would put a jolt in there, i think, and people would be absolutely blown away by the fact that yeah, he's overweight, yeah, when he gets upset he actually tells you, i'm upset. >> and when something is stupid he tells you -- >> calls you stupid. >> what you said is incredibly stupid. >> right. >> i don't know. that may be a good anecdote to the garbage we have to deal with right now. >> i don't think there's any question. he also achieves that game-changing, little bit of that surprise. we've been talking about him for months but if he actually were to choose governor christie, that would -- people would say whoa, that's interesting. there is still the question of whether he would be ershadowed by christie. no pun intended, obviously. nobody is a -- he is a big figure and tough talker and his campaign style so notably different than governor romney. i come back to the same point we

can look at positives and negatives on both sides here. to gene's point does governor christie on a national scale, offend women. such a key voting group for mitt romney. what is the message romney wants to send to voters about this choice, about his decision making? that's what i think ultimately it comes down to. >> he's confident and wants to be challenged. >> yeah. no and i agree with that and also, mika, to your point, you know, he needs to have somebody out there who can go out and fight and do it -- look, romney's big challenges right now, how does he expand the playing field? where does he put president obama on defense where he's now not on defense. he needs a really powerful surrogate out there and there's no question that governor christie could fit that bill. >> david, good morning. harold ford. you have governor pawlenty on the show this sunday. what are his strengths and weaknesses and your analysis what void would he fill for a romney campaign or for a romney ticket? >> i think the perceived strength is, could help him

among working-class voters where he would like to build up a bigger lead, as a former governor it presents those outside credentials, two governors campaigning together, a long time since that's happened, and i think, you know -- he's a safer pick. in other words, he's going to, you know, reinforce well some of the messages that governor romney is putting forward in the campaign. i think it boils down to that. but i don't think there's a lot of excitement there. i don't think there's the kind of excitement you would have with a paul ryan for conservatives or with governor christie just kind of across the party more general. >> donny and then eugene. >> one time in the last 40 years where a vice presidential candidate was a more compelling figure than the presidential candidate and of course that's sarah palin we know how that played out. >> he's no sarah palin. >> i'm talking about he will take -- to david's point he will take the attention, it will be about him and that has only happened once. >> thank god. >> okay. >> if you're a president -- >> a different kind of attention. >> eugene, challenge you more on

this and donny as well, because it wouldn't just add excitement, they're aligned on some fundamental levels, both have great families, they both have a ton of kids, great marriages, great wives and then they're so different on a personality level. this is beyond exciting. this would be mitt romney saying i'm comfortable with myself and you know what, we need to raise the game and let me challenge you, eugene, on raising the game instead making it look like new jersey is some dirty word in the way you speak and you have to be careful, you sound a little high and mighty, quite frankly. >> new jersey -- >> let me finish, please. >> if the controversy about the ad we talked about yesterday -- >> are you from jersey? >> i did live in new jersey for ten years. it's a beautiful state. >> now, if the controversy about the ad came up and chris christie was taking that issue on or something else, he would raise the level of the conversation. you know why? because he would throw that garbage away in one sound bite and then take it to another

conversation. he would know how to handle it. none of these guys, all of these people, and their surrogates are so bad that we're gnawing away at stupidity. he would know how to flush all this stuff down the toilet and -- >> mika -- >> eugene? >> mika, look, first of all, i love new jersey. i think new jersey is a great state. >> all right. >> doesn't sound like it. >> doesn't sound like it. >> so if i have offended the people of new jersey i am sorry. but, you know, there are -- as governor romney would say, cultural differences between the states. never mind that. look, i'm a journalist, please name governor christie. pick governor christie, please. i'm a columnist. this would be wonderful journalism. certainly the most colorful and interesting of the potential picks and he would be great to write about. but i continue to wonder how he would play over the long term of a campaign in the entire country and i think it's -- i think

there's a risk there. >> can i ask joe a quick question and then you mika, the demographics where romney is hurting, women, hispanic voters, pluck one of the big midwest states your analysis of chris christie where does he shore up romney? >> have you met chris christie's wife? she's fantastic. >> pawlenty has a great wife. >> first of all, chris christie -- >> i'm not saying he can't do these things. >> she's the perfect counter to ann romney. >> this is a pick that would be more like bill clinton's pick in 1992. >> i would agree. >> where he picked somebody like al gore that doesn't seem to line up naturally, not going to bring in votes that clinton didn't already have, but it sends a bigger message about the ticket overall. what i like about it as a republican that has seen my party isolated more and more into the deep south, and parts of the plains states and the west, you would have a massachusetts guy at the top of the ticket and a jersey guy number two, a jersey guy who, again, let me say this again, he

is plus 20. >> can he deliver new jersey? because gore delivered tennessee when there had not been victories -- >> he can deliver new jersey. but more importantly he can make mitt romney look real. >> yeah. >> he could rub off mitt romney. >> the opposite, does it have the opposite -- >> let me follow up on something you said and let you talk, because this is important, you make a great point. weak managers hire weak people. >> i agree. >> smaller versions of themselves. >> nebulous mushy people. >> strong managers get people who chelg them. not that i'm a strong manager but when i get elected to congress i was 30, i called in my chief of staff and said i'm going to pay you a lot of money you have one task make me the dumbest guy in the room at all times i want people in here that constantly teach me. that's all i told him. he brought a staff together. >> that's the way i ran my company. everybody that worked for me was smarter than me. >> does romney have that? >> no, i don't think he does.

>> he won't do it. >> every reason, you feel in your weaknesses and bring people that elevate you. >> the guy started a good franchise bain. >> does romney have that to hire somebody bigger than him on the stage. >> if he wants to win and i think he does want to win. >> somebody needs to tell him i'm worried about his staff. >> gene, does romney have it in him to have somebody as a vp that may cast a larger shadow on the national stage? >> well, you know, i think he might, actually. i mean, he -- you're using the ceo model and he was pretty good at that. so, i assume when he was at bain he got really, really smart people to -- >> were they stylistically different? i bet they weren't. >> that's the question. that's the big question. >> this is -- >> i think if you look at bain, bain has smart people and harold's right, bain has a lot of democrats, interestingly. >> stylistic -- >> that's the issue. >> culturally --

>> if we put them all in a room probably felt like the bridge partners. >> bain is a successful company and franchise so they did something right. i'm not voting for romney but let's be clear he had to select and pick some pretty smart partners and people to work for him. >> the romneys are extraordinarily comfortable with a guy that you're going to be interviewing this weekend, and for mitt romney, and ann romney, that seems at this point to be the most important thing. >> comfort. >> comfort. >> he's got to want to win, joe. he's got to want to win. >> it seems really important unless it's not the most important. and we just -- >> well said. >> we don't know. i think that romney's perfectly capable of choosing christie depending upon what message he wants to send and what weakness he wants to shore up. >> i agree. >> i would also caution against the super natural power of your running mate to infuse the qualities into the top of the ticket. you know, they're not going to

transform what kind of campaigner mitt romney is. people are ultimately not going to vote for romney because at least he has chris christie there. it's a different calculation. i think president bush then governor bush made the selection of cheney to send a more subtle message to people who had questions about his credentials and experience, to say okay, there's going to be a guy there that's really experienced who you can trust. perceptions of cheney were different back in 2000 than they are now. i think the same was true of the biden pick. so, you know, whether it's a hard core political calculation, also we haven't mentioned this, how does president romney govern and what does a vice president do to help? and washington, people know this, is such a mess, and so difficult to govern, i think there's going to be some thought given to how you break through that and president romney -- >> you're making a case for

chris christie. >> you could make the case for portman based on that as well. >> why? >> knowledge of washington. >> he's been there? >> working with colleagues. i don't know that breaks a partisan impasse but people who have seemed to be capable of doing that. >> romney is now dominating this conversation about who his vp pick will be and we're analyzing folks off the chart and back on the chart. this is why this choice is going to be so important. not because of palin but because of all that's happening right now. >> if i were governor romney i would have made this pick a couple weeks ago. >> yeah. >> he would have had a different couple of weeks leading up to this. it would have been about paul ryan, chris christie, instead of the things it's been about. i think they squandered an opportunity. >> and recaptured -- >> can they recapture it? >> sure. >> there's time. we all think that -- we focused on this but the average american hasn't really been focused. >> so gene, one thing we do though about this pick it's

going to say an awful lot about mitt romney. if he goes with pawlenty or portman, then he is that manager who wants to have the stage to himself. and have a subordinate basically, not that both of these gentlemen aren't hugely successful in their own rights. if he does go with a chris christie, it's somebody willing to take the chance to do what it takes to win. >> yeah. we'll learn what kind of a risk taker he is and how comfortable he is. he would be with somebody who's not like him. who's different from him. and that will tell us i think a lot about mitt romney. what's the record of presidential candidates who pick a -- who make it that sort of dissident or really distinct pick for vice president. you know, mccain and palin? there was certainly a difference there. that didn't work out well. go back to kennedy and johnson.

that was for a specific reason but they were certainly different personalities and that worked out fine. so, you know, there's -- it's very important to the outcome of the election as david said unless it isn't. but it certainly would tell us a lot about how mitt romney thinks. >> yes, it will. >> that settles that or it doesn't. >> i accept your apology to the state of new jersey, eugene. >> thank you very much. >> david gregory, thank you. >> i love new jersey. i mean -- i didn't put it on the defensive either. >> jersey -- >> i love jersey. >> i got to love jersey. >> yeah. >> no question. >> we're going to be watching your interview with tim pawlenty over the weekend on "meet the press." should be very exciting. >> thank you. >> thank you so much for being here, david. gene, thank you as well. we're going to be reading your column in today's "washington post" as we always do and mika, who do we have coming up? >> still ahead we'll talk to tom brokaw about his new documentary

"their finest hour historical tribute to great britain during world war ii" and next the high-profile trial in china over the murder of a businessman. the details of a reported confession and surrounding political scandal and the united nations says no one will win in the conflict in syria, so what happens next? we'll bring in the president of the council on foreign relations richard haass for inside on both stories. "morning joe," brewed by starbucks. >> send your children to public schools you send them to private schools, so i was wondering why you think it's fair to be cutting school funding to public schools? >> what's her name? >> what's her name, guys? the governor is talking? what is it? >> gale. talk to gale. >> gale, first off it's none of your business. i don't ask you where you send your kids to school. don't bother me about where i send mine. i as governor am responsible for every child in this state not just my own and the decisions are try to improve the educational opportunities of every child in this state.

with all due respect gale, it's none of your business. [ female announcer ] how do you define your moment? the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours. olaf's pizza palace gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! pizza!!!!! [ garth ] olaf's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! put it on my spark card! [ high-pitched ] nice doin' business with you! [ garth ] why settle for less? great businesses deserve the most rewards! awesome!!! [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one.

choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? or double miles on every purchase, every day! well hello, welcome to hotels.com. summer road trip, huh? uhuh yep uch let's find you a room. at hotels.com, you'll always find the perfect hotel. because we only do hotels. wow. i like that. nice no. laugh... awe uch ooh, yeah hmm nice huh book it! oh boy call me... this summer, we're finding you the perfect place - plus giving you up to $100 at hotels.com

24 past the hour. joinings now the president of the council on foreign relations richard haass. >> this is exciting. usually only show up at 6:00 a.m. >> what happened? >> i slept in today. >> did you sleep in? >> he was supposed to be here at 6:00 a.m. >> what's happening with syria. >> the lawlessness in iraq, sectarian society splitting along any number of seams and it's a message if and when we succeed in getting rid of bashar al assad, hopefully sooner rather than later, the problem isn't over and you move to the next phase. >> another problem. >> and more people could die after he goes than up to now. it's a message that we better think this through. >> how close is assad to being pushed out? >> look, the bottom line is

nobody knows. he could be out tomorrow, he could be there for six months. so much depends not simply about the strength of the opposition but how much his own people continue to coalesce around him. i think the answer is you keep putting pressure on him, arm the opposition in ways to help defend themselves and keep pushing to get him out. you have to prepare for the day he is out. >> boy -- >> and put into place some of the preparations. >> and mika, the president's hearing it from all sides now. >> yeah. >> on needing to do more in syria. >> read from "the new york times." this is nic chrisstof. obama awol in syria. his lapses come when he's passive or awol as in syria. i'm generally a fan of obama's foreign policy but on syria there's a growing puzzlement around the world he seems stuck behind the curve. the united states shouldn't invade syria, but we should work with allies to supply weapons, training and intelligence to rebels who pass our vetting. syria, like libya, is a rare case where we can take modest steps that stand a good chance of accelerating the fall of a

dix cater and after 17 months, there is growing agreement that obama should no longer remain a bystander. >> we can stand by for so long, but "the washington post" had a headline this past week, richard, about a growing anger in syria against the united states. the syrians believing that we're just standing by letting them get slaughtered. >> i'm not surprised that you had -- we don't have easy options here. i think there's an argument for arming the syrians more than we are. the more arms you pour in to get rid of assad the more arms running around the country after assad that exacerbate the aftermath problem. >> how strong is al qaeda's presence right now? >> it's not strong yet but these situations are a magnet and what's happening is these guys are beginning to come in, i wouldn't say at the moment it's in any way dominant or anything. >> war game this, to push assad out? >> enormous sectarian problems, reprisals, revenge killings in the country and whether the

world, not the united states, but the world is willing to put in any troops. you know, iraq, if you remember after saddam, terrible. we had to put in over 100,000 american troops. will the arabs, turks, u.n. step up to this challenge? if not, the syrians are going to fight it out among themselves, settle scores, people will go into their enclaves it's going to be brutal. is the world prepared to ante up 50,000, 100,000 well armed troops? i don't think so. why all the people talking about humanitarian intervention they have it half right. we have to get rid of assad but what about the day after, that's at least as important. >> how long do we stand by, 20,000 deaths already, will the world stand by for 40,000? 50,000? 100,000 deaths? >> that's why i think your gaining to see gradually pressure to do more and see us selectively put in more arms. certain types of arms against tanks, against aircraft, against helicopters. i think we're going to up it. i think that's likely to happen. >> mika, we had in afghanistan, more tragic news out of

afghanistan, that show what an absolutely horrible position we have put our young men and women in. >> horrible. >> a decade after 9/11. >> at some point this has to -- enjoin the political debate. >> talk about the president being awol. >> here's the news. officials say three u.s. soldiers were gunned down last night in another example of afghan troops or police turning their weapons on their american counterparts. the american special forces were invited by a local police commander to dinner to discuss security in the helmand province. while they were eating the afghan official and several of his men opened fire on the americans. 28 nato personnel have been killed by afghan forces this year in what are called green on blue shootings. >> ed rendell, explain, why are we there? we've been asking three years why do we continue to be there when we are not going to make any further gains and the politicians in washington know

it and we've been saying this for three years, they know, they are allowing young americans to die for political reasons and for political reasons only? >> it's absolutely true. it's all cya. the afghanistans are killing us. we're supposed to be there supporting them. building a better nation. they're killing us. it's clear that the only reason we're there is because no one has the guts to do something which would be looked at as precipitous. precipitous if it meechans savi american lives i'm for precipitous. >> it's unbelievable. you were along with us when we told the president, don't triple the number of troops in afghanistan. >> joe biden. >> don't listen to the generals. joe biden was with us, people that knew afghanistan was with us. were with us. don't triple the number of troops. the president did it for political reasons. the president continues to keep the troops there for political reasons. only the president can be the person to end this and he hasn't

yet why? >> it's vulgar. my question is, why is it politically wrong to end it? wouldn't -- to your point, the overresearched populace, where politically would it be bad if he took us -- >> john mccain would say, you're endangering troops by this precipitous withdraw you're dangering americans. >> the answer is not. here's why -- morally the right thing to do. politically you can turn it around. >> the president won't make that argument. >> any time you make a massive investment like we've made in afghanistan in a funny sort of way the investment becomes the polesy. hard to simply walk away from it. >> it takes guts to do that. >> you're raising questions about american staying power. everyone in public office is worried that if you walk away from it, god forbid the morning after there was a terrorist attack out of afghanistan, they would be held accountable. what we're trying to do again is continue to stay the course in afghanistan, the problem is as

you see, we don't have much of a parter. a bigger problem, pakistan is still a sanctuary for most of the terrorists. no matter how long we stay -- >> no matter how long we stay. >> much of a parter? our partner is killing us. our partner is killing our boys. >> sending our boys in to dinner to talk about security and then while they eat -- >> set them up. >> gunning them down. we would not be this worked up right now, first of all we would be because it's american lives but we have been talking about this nonstop for three years. we all saw this coming. this is washington, d.c., like you said, in a cya operation nobody wants to be responsible for, quote, losing afghanistan. >> and what i want to know is who's going to explain to the families of those three troops why they died? they died to make afghanistan a better nation? >> no. >> they died because of our afghanistan allies. >> no. >> they died for security? >> no. >> no explanation. >> we both know they died

because politicians in washington, d.c., are covering themselves. >> i don't know if you can answer this question. if we were sitting -- and there is no one answer -- with troops from afghanistan, do any of them share our belief? these are the heros and fighting and trained not to question. but i wonder what the men and women over there -- >> whenever you spend time with troops it's inspiring, they don't sit around for the most part arguing this question. they are there to help not only protect themselves but protect the person next to them. the whole thing with troops is solgly darety, it's the responsibility they have to one anotherp they've got a job to do, a mission, and this question of, you know, the policy, quite honestly that's not something they can control. what they can control is the odds they survive and their buddies survive and that's what you would expect. >> donny they do their jobs. they do their jobs. >> that's the tragic part. >> not their job to guess -- second guess civilian commanders and they don't because they're professionals. this goes back to world war ii. even world war ii you had people

grousing about ike quietly as they were on long marches but they -- >> they knew why they were there. >> you always have the grousing and these guys in afghanistan and women in afghanistan know what they're there as well. they're doing their jobs. >> of course they are. >> and they are extraordinary professionals and as we've said around this set for three years they deserve a hell of a lot more from people from washington, d.c., from politicians letting them continue to die for political reasons. that sounds harsh, we've been saying it three years. it is the reality. >> this is the last of these. we're not going to have something on the scale of iraq or afghanistan. these large manpower nation building exercises, it's over. it's going to be much lighter footprints. don't kid yourself we are not getting out of the middle east. may not be any more iraq or afghanistans. still a debate over syria. even more a debate over iran. i bet the day will come around the table we'll have a debate about saudi arabia. there is nothing that is sure in the middle east. >> wow.

okay. richard haass, stay with us. we're going to actually -- can i take 30, alex right now? there is this chinese official's wife on trial for murder. >> this is so interesting. her husband, her husband was the head of one of the major chinese provinces in southwest china, people thought when the new che nice government was announced he could be a member of the standing committee. one of the eight people. >> sort of a real charismatic guy. >> some ways too carry massic. he was beginning to represent a little of a cult of personality and a little bit of a challenge to the fairly stayed politicians of china and the fact that his -- he got vulnerable his wife got involved with the western businessman clearly murdered him. his career is over. this has shocked the chinese political system. the most public political trial in decades. it's disrupted the smooth transition. it's another reminder that as china's economy begins to slow, even more rickety and

uncertain -- >> why did she murder him? >> they had a business deal gone bad. it's a reminder that the -- >> wow. >> politics of china -- >> rough. >> are lagging behind the economics. this communist party in china which has depended on economic performance for its legitimacy has big questions facing it. if you can't deliver double digit growth which you can't anymore how do you justify yourselves. can't take any of this for granted. >> in "the new york times" a story about how china's economy is slowing down, their exports slowing down, they're trying to now force the banks to loosen up on prime interest rates and provide more loans. this bubble that we've been talking about that i've been talking about, a lot of -- there are a couple professors that believe it's the next big bubble pumping more air into that bubble and that bubble is getting bigger and bigger and bigger. >> they're scared. the chinese leadership is scared if the economy slows what are

the lubricates they have, the justify case for the role of the communist party. want to keep the thing humming along but at some point you can't. that's the part of the fear the chinese leadership particularly now, they can't run their economy on exporting to europe, exporting to the united states, we're going too slow. the future of the chinese economy is going to be on stimulating chinese demand at home. that transition, is going to be difficult and is going to take years. we all sit around here talking about the threat from china. if you're a chinese leader you think about the threat in china and to china. >> exactly. >> we asked jon huntsman, during the campaign, just having a conversation with him, what are the chinese trying to do? are they trying -- they want to take over europe, do they want to take over -- what do they want to do? he said, the communist party in china is focused on only one thing. >> survival. >> 9% growth. if they grow at 9, 10%, they survive. the second it lags to 4%, 5%,

the chinese government may not survive. >> or they crack down or they come up with foreign adventure to distract attention. >> stay with us. still ahead, nbc's chuck todd joins us on the heels of his exclusive interview with mitt romney. we'll talk veep stakes and what the candidate's bus tour tells us about the battleground states in play. "morning joe" is back in a moment. max.

this is the plan that revolves around you. introducing share everything. unlimited talk. unlimited text. and a single pool of sharable data that powers up to 10 devices. the first plan of it's kind. share everything. only from verizon. add a smartphone for just $40 monthly access. trick question. i love everything about this country! including prilosec otc. you know one pill each morning treats your frequent heartburn so you can enjoy all this great land of ours has to offer like demolition derbies. and drive thru weddings. so if you're one of those people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day, block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn.

humans -- even when we cross our t's and dot our i's, we still run into problems. namely, other humans. which is why, at liberty mutual insurance, auto policies come with new car replacement and accident forgiveness if you qualify. see what else comes standard at libertymutual.com. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? [ thunk ] sweet! [ male announcer ] the solid thunk of the door on the volkswagen jetta. thanks, mister! [ meow ] it's quality you can hear and feel. that's the power of german engineering. right now during the autobahn for all event get great deals

on a 2012 jetta.

coming up next on "morning joe," we're very excited to have tom brokaw and the financial times' gillian tett. "morning joe" shall return.

♪ hello...rings ♪ what the... what the... what the... ♪ are you seein' this? ♪ ♪ uh-huh... uh-huh... uh-huh... ♪ ♪ it kinda makes me miss the days when we ♪ ♪ used to rock the microphone ♪ back when our credit score couldn't get us a micro-loan ♪ ♪ so light it up! ♪ even better than we did before ♪ ♪ yeah prep yourself america we're back for more ♪ ♪ our look is slacker chic and our sound is hardcore ♪ ♪ and we're here to drop a rhyme about free-credit-score ♪ ♪ i'm singing free-credit-score-dot-com ♪ ♪ dot-com narrator: offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com.

♪ [ male announcer ] its lightweight construction makes it nimble... ♪ its road gripping performance makes it a cadillac. introducing the all-new cadillac xts. available with advanced haldex all-wheel drive. [ engine revving ] it's bringing the future forward. don't call me stupid. >> [ inaudible ]. >> oh you english are so superior, aren't you? well, would you like to know where you would be without us, the old us of a to protect you? i'll tell you the smallest [ bleep ] province in the russian empire, that's what. don't call mestupid, lady. just thank me. >> well, thank you for popping

in and protecting us. >> if it wasn't for us you'd all be speaking german. [ speaking foreign language ] >> that was kevin klein as the british-hating american auto west in the 1988 comedy "a fish called wanda" with some choice words for the english. >> but i'm curious about the segway is to tom brokaw -- >> there is one? >> in london. >> many historians say it's the americans who owe the brits a debt of gratitude for holding firm against the nazis before the u.s. entered world war ii. tom brokaw explores the special relationship between the u.s. and great britain in a special documentary "their finest hour" airing tomorrow during the olympics and tom joins us from london with a look at a specific event that helped forge this friendship. tom? >> let me just try to set the stage for you, this country was under siege all during 1940 and

1941. churchhill, of course, was giving voice to great courage and moral leadership here. london, not too far from where we were, was attacked every night in 1941 for an extended period of time by the german air force. they came in here and they, as we know, they called it the london blitz, they killed more than 40,000 people. 100,000 were wounded during those attacks. it was very bleak. churchhill desperately needed the united states to get involved in the war. then on december 7th, 1941, the japanese attacked pearl harbor. we did get involved in the war. and churchhill relieved at the prospect of having america at its side, then got on a ship, sailed across the atlantic and in effect became a border at the fdr white house. >> two days after hitler declared war on the united states, saturday, december 13, 1941, less than a week after the

japanese attack, winston churchill boarded a new battle ship the "hms duke" headed for christmas at the white house. this is the london neighborhood known as mayfair and during the war, it was known as little america. a lot of the preparations for d-day were carried on here. and the relationship between the two countries was best personified by the great friendship of these two men, historic figures, president franklin roosevelt and british prime minister winston churchill. rick atkinson is a pulitzer-prize winning military historian. >> can you imagine ever again a foreign leader like winston churchill moving into the white house during a critical time, being a border in effect? >> a border and not an easy guest either. among other things he was a night owl. he was a heavy drinker. it was said that he was not an alcoholic because no alcoholic could drink that much.

>> he certainly wasn't close to mrs. roosevelt. i think she didn't like him being there at all. she thought he was a bad influence on her husband because they would stay up drinking and smoking and she didn't think that was a good idea. >> wandering around the had halls of the white house. >> apparently yes, when he was having a bath and then my grandpa and they put a towel around himnd a a knock on doors his towel fell to the the floor the president in his wheelchair. my grandfather said, as you can see, mr. president, i have nothing to hide from you. >> this was sunday, june 21, 1942. churchill in the midst of his third stay at the white house received devastating news from north africa. 33,000 troops at britain's stronghold in libya had surrendered to field marshall's

african corps. >> churchill was in the oval office when handed the telegraph and his face fell and roosevelt in a moment of absolute personal connection, famously cold, famously elusive says, what can we do to help? and churchill, always thinking, said i need 300 sherman tanksma. fdr called george marshall, said get him the tanks. churchill credited the victory at el alamain with that moment. >> that was a classic example of two great men coming along at the right time in their respective countries. tomorrow night at 8:00 eastern time at the opening of nbc's coverage of the olympics, for 40 minutes we're going to take you back to what we call their finest hour. i have spent more than a year and a half working on what it was like in this country in 1940 and '41. we'll take you into the war

rooms, hear his speeches. we'll talk to a 93-year-old man who was a pilot in the battle of britain. another man who was in his mother's arms at coventry when she was hit by shrapnel and died. this is a remarkable testament to the courage of a country and its leadership. we are very proud to be able to do it in the manner in which we worked so hard on. we'll see it tomorrow night. >> tom, that's going to be amazing. here with us for this conversation u.s. managing editor for the financial times julieanne tett. that's must see tv. >> it really is. tom, churchill -- we, of course, look at him and revere him. and he is as cold status, absolute hero status for many americans. it is hard to believe that before 1940, many saw him as a failure in great britain. saw him as a joke, as a gadfly.

and yet what he did in 1940 when he was given the opportunity certainly elevated him to a position -- for what he did for a year, year and a half that you're talking about had many say he was the man of the century. he saved western civilization along with the british people, the r.a.f. in those 18 months. >> you know, what we all will hear tomorrow night in the documentary are ordinary britons. one is a nurse. another escaped dunkirk and another who landed on d-day. they said they were long days and at night on the bbc they would hear the voice of the prime minister and they knew they could go on. also, the germans would unleash devastating bombing on london and the next day the newspapers would have headlines like, "is that the best you can do,

adolph"? you can do better than that. great british humor. so it's been a rewarding experience. it all happened in my lifetime, after all. the british people, still so many of them remember it. >> i'm thrilled this has been made. not because i'm here to champion the brits or anything. i'm sitting here in new york. but in a twitter-obsessed age it's good to look back at history and see how much the uk and the u.s. have been entwined. you have this really intense love-hate relationship, jealousy, resentment, adoration sometimes. but you have to look back. something else to remember with churchill. it indicates the degree to which one man can change the course of history -- or one woman.

>> absolutely. >> when a country like america is now crying out for leadership and people are washing their hands of the political process it's worth remembering, sometimes leadership can have a big impact. >> "time" magazine had a theory, the great man theory of history. winston churchill personified that better than anybody else. the british were lost and churchill, as tom said, churchill bent history. >> two things matter in history -- people and ideas. churchill was both. >> where are the ideas and the people in america today? >> there we go. we'll take it to the next segment. tom's documentary "their finest hour" airs on nbc tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. eastern and pacific times. we'll be right back. with the fidelity stock screener, you can try strategies from independent experts

and see what criteria they use. such as a 5% yield on dividend-paying stocks. then you can customize the strategies and narrow down to exactly those stocks you want to follow. i'm mark allen of fidelity investments. the expert strategies feature is one more innovative reason serious investors are choosing fidelity. now get 200 free trades when you open an account. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air. [ sneezes ]

♪ [music plays] ♪ [music plays] it's something you're born with. and inspires the things you choose to do.

you do what you do... because it matters. at hp we don't just believe in the power of technology. we believe in the power of people when technology works for you. to dream. to create. to work. if you're going to do something. make it matter.

still ahead, does the answer to the housing crisis involve government seize distressed properties? the new york times joe nocera joins us to explain. more "morning joe" when we come back. ♪ ♪ i want to go ♪ i want to win [ breathes deeply ] ♪ this is where the dream begins ♪ ♪ i want to grow ♪ i want to try ♪ i can almost touch the sky [ male announcer ] even the planet has an olympic dream.

dow is proud to support that dream by helping provide greener, more sustainable solutions from the olympic village to the stadium. solutionism. the new optimism.™ ♪ this dream ooo no. the hotel lost our reservation. nonsense! you book at travelocity, your reservation's guaranteed. well, i did not book with travelocity, okay?!? [ female announcer ] get the travelocity guarantee any way you book, including our new app. you'll never roam alone. it once stomped a stain with such force, the results could be felt around the world. [ explosion ] [ alarm buzzing ] [ rumbling ] [ people screaming ] it was such epic stain fighting, even chuck norris could respect it. twice the stain fighting power as the next leading liquid value brand. era, the only detergent that's chuck norris approved.

[ male announcer ] 6 years old. then 7. going on 11. in the blink of an eye, they're all grown up. marie callender's homemade tastes are another great reason to sit down and savor every last moment. ♪ because time flies... right before your eyes. marie callender's. it's time to savor.

good morning. it's 8:00 on the east coast, 5:00 a.m. on the west coast. time to wake up, everybody, as you take a live look at new york city. back with us on set we have former governor ed randell, donny deutsch, harold ford, jr., and willie geist from the london olympics. >> what a big, big day yesterday. this thing keeps getting bigger. >> more exciting. >> it was huge. i was lucky enough to be in the stadium when usain bolt ran the 200 meters. >> no way. >> it wasn't close. amazing one man can be that much better than the seven best in the world. just dusts everybody. pulls up which was strange. he could have broken his own orlando record.

he slowed down at the end. it's just not close. interesting because he can see the clock. i guess he didn't want to break the record. he's silencing the critics there. he did 19.32, the second fastest time ever tying michael johnson but didn't make his record. remarkable to see somebody who does it that well and effortlessly. it was incredible. >> unbelievable. any time anybody's this much better than everybody else you're going to have people whining about doping. does that follow him around at all or not? >> yeah, it's interesting you ask that. he went out of his way last night to talk about carl lewis who talked in general terms about the jamaican dope testing program how they go months on end without being tested. >> well, it's jamaica! >> exactly. they can't afford to. everybody's doing their thing. so he went out of his way and

said i have no respect for carl lewis. bolt took a shot at lewis who questioned the dope program there. there is a cloud hanging over. big news for the american team. women's soccer, 80,000 people at wembley stadium. more than 80,000. this is the rematch from the world cup final the united states lost to japan last summer. so they have had this circled on their calendar ever since that day. hope solo had a huge game. japan certainly had its chances. the united states wins 2-1 snapping up the gold medal. joe, you will appreciate as a soccer fan how great the vibe was in there. more than 80,000 people loving the game. the two best teams in the world. fortunately the united states came out on top. >> usa, usa. >> yes. >> what's the hangover from the canadian semi win? two horrible calls at the end. did that go away or is it uh

something hanging around? >> well, canada came back and won the bronze medal. they beat france, won in extra time. they feel good about leaving here with something. there was so much excitement around the game yesterday between the united states and japan. canada hasn't forgotten it. they leave with a medal though. >> my son is coming in tonight from jamaica. >> uh-oh. >> we are all going to sit around and do stuff. what can we watch tonight on tv while we go through his bags? >> there's a lot of good stuff. if uh yyou like the dream team,y play argentina which has ginobli and a host of other players. that's the semifinal. they will play on sunday presumably for the gold, maybe against russia who's played well there. there's good track and field as well. >> okay. have we gotten ahead of the pesky chinese or are they still paying off the charges?

>> yes. no. we have vaulted over china. we have the lead in both golds and total now. >> usa! >> it was a triple jump. we won the decathlon, women's boxing. there we are. we're ahead now. >> you take that, china. >> oh, joe. >> however we're not number one if you -- >> you are such -- >> are you serious? >> according to population, the best country in the world in terms of olympic achievement is grenada. >> what's wrong with you? >> by population -- >> usa! we're sorry you had to hear that willie. >> terrible. >> i hope i get one of those fleeces. >> you might be. >> you keep saying that. i think he's leading us on. >> uhi wear a large. >> they'll be there monday. >> did you get the xxl for joe? >> stop it. look at me. >> wow. >> i need mine tight.

this is donnie. >> i couldn't find the child 3-t you wear. i'll keep looking. >> that's hot. >> whatever you get him, he'll stretch it. we'll talk to you soon. >> can we go to politics? >> do we have to? >> yes. >> it's fascinating. >> it is. >> i really do think the mitt romney people have been holding their fire on the ads long enough. the polls are really starting to solidify a bit. not mitt romney's favor. >> i have been watching the coverage of the ad continrovers as well. it's extremely polarizing. two new polls on the general election show president obama with a seven-point lead and a nine-point lead respectively. a cnn opinion poll shows obama leading 52 to 45%. a fox news poll finds the president leading 49-40. the opinion research poll finds

64% of americans think romney favors the rich over the middle class. in the same poll romney's unfavorables are up six points from last month to 48%. >> okay. so what are you thinking? his unfavorables are up and they are really defining him as the rich guy. >> yeah. >> who only cares about rich people. >> do you think it's working? >> it looks like it is. >> i mean, look, you know exactly how i feel about this in terms of perception. >> you are a very rich person -- >> no. >> like fdr, goes against her own type. i understand that. >> it's working tremendously. >> it's working. >> two-thirds of the country think we are going in the wrong direction yet obama has a 10% above water favorability. romney's 10% below water. >> yeah. >> the scary thing for the romney people is only 3 or 4% are undecided at this point.

even the controversy yesterday and obviously the ad was off mark. but we are talking about bain capital. he continues to define -- not just a rich guy, a wall street rich guy. mike blumberg is one kind of rich guy who built something. this is a guy who plays around the edges. you know, once again, two e-thirds of the country say we are going in the wrong direction but let's stay with that guy. that's how unpopular and how mitt romney has not connected with the american people. >> just has a 9% lead in the fox poll. barack obama has 9% lead. we are into august. at some point we stop saying, "it's early." at some point the numbers are solidifying. every half point you pick up is hard. >> the scary thing about the numbers for the romney people is they've got all the money now to trash the president. but the president is a known quantity. what the president's people were able to do, romney is take an

unknown quantity and defined him. i don't think it is over, joe. i don't accept that there are so few undecided. a lot of people who say they are for a candidate can switch their mind. romney has to give a terrific convention speech. that's his big chance to move the momentum. then follow it up with three solid debate performances, bad economic news. this is still an election. >> yeah. >> i don't know that just one speech is going to do it. he's going to have to have a lead-up to the convention that has a couple of news items which leads us to everybody hammering him. wall street journal writing a tough editorial saying select paul ryan as your vice president. ryan's younger. it would be probably the first time i have been excited about a national republican ticket in 20 years because ryan is a true believer on the small government part. i just wonder whether romney is now forcing himself into a

corner to shake up the campaign to take a chance on a chris christie, on a paul ryan. what do you think? >> certainly heading in that direction. i think donnie and the governor are right. i don't think out's over yet. i think it's surprising where things stand. >> nine points in august is tough. >> i question -- if you look through the polls a number of people are actually responding. i agree with the governor. people change their minds. they could go more for obama, go more for romney. i think the vp choice is big. some people are dismissing it. palin makes it big. this has beendisappointing. neither side getting into the meat of the issue and the substance of where to take the country in the next four years. if he picks a paul ryan, someone controversial, someone smart, capable. we know him. we served with him. >> i've got no wins in the swing

district -- >> in a blue district. >> i think paul ryan is elected in a district, if i'm not mistaken that dukakis won, gore won, that clinton won. >> the scrutiny and analysis around him would be positive. i don't know if they would choose him. they're not calling me. but we could find ourselves in the next week or ten days looking at another poll. the most important poll between now and mid october will be the first one. >> after the first debate. >> because a lot of them will break and stay there. >> dukakis left atlanta -- >> 18 points ahead. >> we'll talk about the ad and the romney response to the controversy yesterday. first, nbc news political director chuck todd asked romney yesterday where he stood on choosing a running mate. his answer left some speculating if the candidate may have dropped a subtle hint.

>> what do you want your running mate to say about you? what do you want your selection to say about what kind of president you're going to be? >> i don't think i have anything for you on the vp running mate other than i expect to have a person who has strength of character, vision for the country, that adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country. i mean, i happen to believe this is a defining election for america. that we are going to be voting for what kind of america we're going to have. >> choosing paul ryan makes a statement. we are fiscally conservative. this is who we are. it's a clear choice and it gives him cajones he hasn't shown so far. >> which is why he probably won't do it. >> if one of the premises is that president obama wasn't ready to be president -- i like paul a lot. the question is if people look at paul and say, he's ready to

be president of the united states. if part of the hypothesis -- and i don't disagree with the analysis. you have to defend ryan's budget, his brand. why not put him on? if they are able to get beyond that, he's an exciting choice for the republicans. >> when we walked in in early 1995 and we were talking about dismantling four cabinet agencies and a seven-year plan to balance the budget, we were talking about entitlement reform, there was a 23-year-old kid around -- all members and a 23-year-old kid. i asked, who is that guy? they said, it's paul ryan. you have to have him in the meeting. he knows all of this stuff. he did. he said, you can't do that. you can do it that way. that goes back to 1995. the guy is eminently qualified. >> when you begin to talk -- >> i'm saying you can't compare barack obama's lack of experience with paul ryan's

experience. >> okay. >> i disagree. >> you can't disagree. come on! don't even -- you can't even say that on this air. the guy was a state senator voted president a thousand times. then he becomes senator. within six months everybody says he's bored. >> i agree he has more legislative experience. >> he's been in washington. he understands how washington works. barack obama still doesn't -- >> bill clinton -- >> barack obama still doesn't know how washington works. >> my only point is the hypothesis he was not ready -- i'm not saying paul can't overcome it. >> there is nothing to overcome. the fact that you would compare barack obama's lack of experience in washington and the fact that he still doesn't know how washington works with a guy who's been here since he was # 22 in the middle of the action, being a big part of balancing the budget for the first time in a generation, being a big part of balancing the budget --

>> that's the answer they have to give. >> no. that's the reality. >> don't get angry with me. >> i don't understand. why don't we talk about the philadelphia phillies winning the world series. that conversation -- i don't mean to jump on you. you're making this up. >> i'm not making it up. >> you are. >> you said on the show before questions about whether paul is ready for this. i think he is. the only point i make is they have to give a compelling and convincing response like you have given just now about why if he's chosen he's ready to be president. >> by the way, is anybody ready to be president? i agree as far as the readiness of barack obama versus paul ryan. is anybody ready? >> ike was. >> hopefully we don't need another world war. >> your analysis is more true about marco rubio. >> that's right. he's not ready. >> or chris christie. same argument.

he's been a governor for a year and a half. >> he's been a hell of a governor. >> that's your take. >> marco rubio -- >> he would have opened up the same questions. the big problem is he looks 25. >> oh, he has a cute face. >> i worked on the clinton dp/g campaign. you saw the faces and there was a statement there. >> i actually think -- >> the thing about ryan and romney, there is a mt. rushmore look. they look like they come from the same school. put portman, daniels next to him. >> and ryan is very, very middle class. >> you have a picture -- >> do you know what i love about paul ryan there? we could get progresses around this table. >> yeah. >> we could debate -- uh i have heard a lot of progresses would be excited about paul ryan being president. al sharpton said it here.

i would be so excited about what it said about the republican party. >> right. >> if paul ryan was vice president. >> we would have a real debate. >> brings progresses in the room. >> and it says about romney, wow, he can make a bold decision. >> i agree with that. >> he's a smart choice with the overall. wow, this guy will put a stake in the ground. there are a lot of pluses for him. >> up next, we'll talk to the new york times' joe nocera about whether the government should seize property to fix the mortgage problem. that would be radical. >> controversial. >> and chuck todd with a look at romney's upcoming bus tour and the veepstakes. first, bill? >> a rough start to the beginning of weekend travels. people getting away on this summer friday. washington, d.c. has seen rain. it's pouring now. if you look closely, that's the capit capitol. there's the white house, too. just a soupy air mass.

very humid air up the eastern seaboard. with the cold front coming in the next two days there is a lot of rain out there. the heaviest now from washington, d.c. just outside of baltimore and a strong line of thunderstorms now headed into areas just outside of philadelphia. we'll watch that in the big cities. there is a risk of severe storms. if you get sunshine we'll heat it up with hail and the possibility of damaging winds. major airport delays, especially as we go throughout the afternoon hours through the northeast. middle of the country, you're enjoying beautiful cool weather as we go through the weekend you will warm it back up. we're not going to watch the heavy rain for long in the northeast. it should be exiting throughout the tail end of the weekend. looks like a dry sunday for just about everyone across the country. we'll continue with our coverage of the olympics on msnbc during the day today. this is two beautiful days in a row in london. have a great weekend. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks.

[ thunk ] sweet! [ male announcer ] the solid thunk of the door on the volkswagen jetta. thanks, mister! [ meow ] it's quality you can hear and feel. that's the power of german engineering. right now during the autobahn for all event get great deals on a 2012 jetta.

as part of a heart healthy diet.

that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

if he had to pick somebody just to be smart in a back room with him sitting there where the tough decisions are made and he says, what do you think and that means something to him, which of the guys should he pick for sheer smarts? >> the smartest strategic thinker in the republican elected office today is paul ryan. you look at what he's mastered in the budget, whether you like

or dislike the details this is a guy who's thought deeply about the reshaping of the american government to make it affordable at a level that's courageous. >> i guess he's not on the list then. a rainy shot of the white house in washington. joining us now, nbc news white house chief correspondent and host of the daily rundown chuck todd. gillian tett back at the table with us. we played a portion of your interview with mitt romney where he talked about his choice needing to potentially change the discourse in this country. it's not paul ryan, is it? >> by the way, newt gingrich has evolved on paul ryan. >> he's come around. >> went from right wing social engineer to one of the leading thinkers of the party. wow. i guess newt gingrich learned a lesson or two. >> i guess we shouldn't be played. >> i was struck by the fact that

romney didn't give the generic stock answer that all these guys usually give and that he had an giving. get somebody who's qualified to be president and all of this. he went to the vision thing. in a lot of the reporting i have done on this running mate stuff, a lot of the conversation i have had is that romney is thinking about what kind of message he's going to send versus a governing pick. that's a shift. six weeks ago, the thinking and the assumption was and people hadn't been talking about it inside the campaign that he had the luxury, if you will, of just choosing a partner he was comfortable with. i think you look now and we have -- he didn't have the luxury. there is a feeling of the narrative page. the ryan stuff is real. >> do you think we are moving beyond who i called the bridge partners? the romneys are personally comfortable with. they love the pawlentys, they

are comfortable with the portmans. mitt romney liked them and we are moving that way. now do you think we are moving into the ryan, chris christie category with people they may not be comfortable with? >> i'll tell you this. just to erase one notion about the rom uh ani anies and the ry they have gotten close. there is a bonding between paul ryan and mitt romney in a way that frankly hasn't taken place, from what i understand, between portman and romney. in fact, i think that's one of the things that on paper, portman fits the bill as well as anybody. is there a connection? i think that's a question. i haven't been able to find it in the reporting i have done that there is a bond. there is clearly a bond between the romneys and pawlentys. they enjoy each other's company.

anne romney, mary pawlenty. all of that's real. the staff loves pawlenty. there is affection there. >> i wouldn't trust the staff at this point. >> do you get the sense that chris christie is seen as too rough for the romneys' delicate tastes? >> i think you under estimate what the social conservative part of this -- you know, there would be some folks that would be happy about chris christie and the conservative movement. i think you would see a lot of social conservatives upset. look, about two months ago when chris christie got floated i was on the receiving end of a massive sort of -- are you aware of all the judges he's appointed. pro choice this, pro gay this. not in this party. i just don't -- forget -- we can describe all of the personal reasons. i i actually think there is an ideological reason and this is a

social conservative pushl parre party. you can't cross the barrier. >> i think he can. >> chuck, does paul ryan on the ticket give republicans wisconsin? >> i don't think it gives them wisconsin. it makes it more competitive. i think a running mate is worth a couple of points in a home state. the question is does that put you from 49 to 51? that could be the case in portman in ohio. or does it put you from five points down to one or two points down? in the case of ryan, i think that's the case. one thing we haven't talked about that i think is staring us in the face, look at the short list. i'm confident it's ryan, paw lent and portman. all three are from the industrial midwest. why? romney doesn't win the white house without winning multiple states somewhere between ohio and wisconsin. you know, it's not just ohio, not just iowa.

he needs a couple of those states. pawlenty helps in iowa. ryan helps more in iowa, frankly, or as much as he would in wisconsin. iowa has always been sensitive on the tax and deficit issues. >> gillian? >> what the people around romney have to being looking at now is a question of who can link up. we have a great picture today of romney pushing a supermarket trolley around trying to look like a man of the people. it doesn't work. you turn to chris christie and he has the ability to connect with people. infuse people and actually make voters feel he's one of them. >> richard? >> do you know what works? when you call it a trolley. i like that. >> we call it grocery carts. >> okay. >> i'm never calling it a grocery cart ever again. >> it also seems to me it's a signal that the campaign is

saying it's not enough just to frame it as obama's record on the economy. romney represents more of an alternative, more offense than -- >> has he ever been to a grocery store? did you see the video? >> tell us, what. >> he's never been to a grocery store. he's got his corn. he's going to walk in. wait, wait, i need a cart. wait, do i do this? i see. you get one of these and you put the corn in it. guys, just telling you. it doesn't work. >> the trolley thing? >> it doesn't -- >> even the grocery cart thing. you look at that -- >> look how much stuff he has. he's a quick learner. he is putting it in the boot. >> that moment, to me, captures the challenge above all else. >> it makes you wonder about the romney campaign. who thought that was a good idea? who in the romney campaign -- >> let's have him do something he's never done before in front of cameras. >> that's a question you have to

ask of the veeps. which of the three can counteract the trolley problem or the grocery cart problem? how does he look like he's ordinary, someone voters can connect with? >> pawlenty is a well grounded guy. same thing with portman and ryan. chris christie, all of them. >> pawlenty would put his groceries in the cart. >> they have a lot of talent. portman, pawlenty, ryan, chris christie. you can't lose. >> are you sure of his record in terms of pro life and gay marriage? >> he's pro life. it's his record of appointing judges. rhetorically he's been on the side. when you talk to social conservatives they will argue that, you know, a lot of his appointments haven't been. he governs in new jersey. the fact of the matter is new jersey is home to a lot of moderate republicans. that would be the rational explanation of that. that's what makes it harder to transfer nationally. particularly in this republican

party. >> chuck, also pretty sensible on guns -- chris is. >> he's said things on guns -- it's funny you say that. that's another issue that could pop up. again, it introduces things with the base that romney just doesn't want to deal with. you don't have time to deal with. >> you think that chris christie is too liberal for this republican party. >> um -- >> as a running mate right now, yes. >> okay. >> yeah. talking about the one judge he -- that was a brilliant political move. but anyhow -- >> chuck brings up a good point. everything is exaggerated at conventions, blown out of proportions. if you're romney, you have to have the guts to make the call. >> joe, it's easier to overcome things like this when you are running for president yourself as a nominee. it's harder when you are thrown into into the national spotlight

very quickly. that's where it gets exaggerated quicker. that's a reminder. >> i think mitt has to have confidence that no matter what, the base will come out to vote against the president. take a chris christie for the very reasons he's a little bit toward it is center. for that very reason. you know, i think this base is coming out regardless. >> chuck, quickly, how do you think chris christie would have handled the ad controversy yesterday if it came across his desk or a reporter put a mike in his face? >> uhit would have been a livelr exchange. >> he would have killed him uh. >> that's not the issue. i hear you. is that good for mitt romney, by the way? >> i think it is. >> do you want that always overshadowing? i don't know. he doesn't need to make it about personality. >> so get somebody boring and -- >> this is about election and personality. he has to double down on issues and try to say, no, this is a

philosophical, ideological election. double down on that. it might be a better way to go. >> all right, chuck. thank you so much. >> bye-bye, guys. >> see you at 9:00 a.m. on "the daily rundown". >> we are preempting the olympics. >> not that we didn't like dressage. >> i love it. it's very hard. you could never do it. >> i did it growing up. >> i don't like the visual image. an out of the box solution -- >> what do you think i was doing in palm beach every winter? oh, wait. i was in meridian, mississippi. never mind. >> the government seizing properties? joe nocera joins us next to explain. but that doesn't mean we should be penalized for it. that's why liberty mutual insurance policies come standard

with accident forgiveness, if you qualify. learn more at libertymutual.com. well hello, welcome to hotels.com. summer road trip, huh? uhuh yep uch let's find you a room. at hotels.com, you'll always find the perfect hotel. because we only do hotels. wow. i like that. nice no. laugh... awe uch ooh, yeah hmm nice huh book it! oh boy call me... this summer, we're finding you the perfect place - plus giving you up to $100 at hotels.com ♪ don't our dogs deserve to eat fresher less processed foods introducing freshpet recipes so fresh the only preservative we use is the fridge freshpet fresh food for fido

the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours.

38 past the hour. joe nocera, good to have you on board again. >> thank you. >> we have talked eminent domain forever but a couple weeks ago you wrote talking about penn state since we got the former governor of pennsylvania. you took the position that i took which is they should have had the death penalty. they should have been shut down for a couple of years.

my first point was they should have done out themselves. >> that's right. it would have been better for everybody, at least for college sports, for penn state to say, you know, we have to reflect. we need time to think about what happened and how football came to subsume the university. that's what happened here. it is sad, i think that the ncaa had to take the sanctions they did and one gets the sense now that there were behind the scenes negotiations with penn state saying, anything but the death penalty. >> can you believe how sanctimonious the ncaa was in the press conference? >> you're preaching to the converted. >> it sickened me. >> they were saying we'll never allow college football to become bigger than the academics in the university. >> it happens every day. happens all thele time. out's the way the world works.

one of the potential problems with what's happening now is the ncaa now feels even more empowered than it already did to take action. >> it's unbelievable. >> so we read a couple indication days ago in the times about interest rates are low, but the big banks are playing middleman and squeezing extra profits out of that. >> are you shocked? >> i'm not shocked. >> appalled. >> they seem so low. what should they be sitting at? i mean, do you agree the banks ? >> interest rates are at historic lows for the banks and for borrowers. there is no question banks are widening the spread and taking more. you know, banks have a lot of

problems. ethical problems, financial problems and so on and so forth. you know, here we go. >> all right. let me read housing's last chance. your column from the new york times. you write, today san bernardino county has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation -- 11.9%. home prices collapsed. astonishingly every second home is under water meaning the homeowner owes more on the mornl th mortgage than the house is worth. the i way to keep them in homes is lowering the debt burden and oh closely aligning their mortgage with the actual value of the home which is why greg devereaux, the county chief executive officer found himself listening when folks from mortgage solution partners came knocking on the door. they spent a year kicking around an intriguing idea. have localities buy under water mortgages using the power of

eminent domain and then write the homeowner a new reduced mortga mortgage. principal reduction u a stick instead of a carrot. >> there will be hearings next week on eminent domain. there are five or six localities looking into it. >> it's justification for the taking though. you have to have a constitutional reason for the federal government to seize the property. what is it here? >> well, here the constitutional reason or the -- the reason -- look. they often take property because they want to build development. this is a taking to help people stay in their homes which in a country that has 20% of homes that are under water and underwater homes are going into default at a rate of 1% to 3% a month. the country has a giant debt overhang. that's the ultimate issue here.

we created so much debt and so much of it came from housing. now the asset has collapsed. >> wow. >> it's a very interesting idea. >> really intriguing. >> the choice is are you going to wait until the free market falls clears us out. are the american people ready to wait a generation before the housing crisis is solved or are you going to hurry up the process? >> ed? >> uh i think gillian's point is a good one. but the legal definition of eminent domain is broad enough and ambiguous enough to sustain that as a legitimate governmental interest. the question is where does the government, san bernardino county, get the up-front cash? >> so there is private capital pourininto this.

>> ironically -- >> so the county obviously can't afford it. but you can raise private capital. that's happening. >> i was on the west coast recently. you've got wall street bankers, goldman sachs and others, essentially teaming up with local hispanic hannahan dimen, decorators trying to get them back in the market. there is interest in wall street in trying to get involved in the attempts to flush through the problems. >> the reason it's good is because we have to do something. right now nobody is doing anything. >> that's why san bernardino and other places are interested in this. their basic view is, you know, the federal government has tried a bunch of stuff, but it really hasn't worked. the attorney general had a settlement that includes principal reduction. but it's like a little experiment. it's not going anywhere. the county executives are desperate. they are losing the tax base.

neighborhoods are being destroyed. people are being kicked out of their homes. what else are we going to do? >> i was looking at educational boards across california. property prices have been collapsing. the revenues for schools have been collapsing as well. the fact that the housing market is frozen and stuck is having an impact on so many parts of life now. >> it seems we have been having a conversation about the overall economy for five years since this all, but we haven't talked about housing which is a pivotal -- >> the missing piece. >> housing needs a recovery. >> right. >> oh, yeah. >> the white house obviously passed certain, you know, measures that would help some of the homeowners who have been -- but it's so small in comparison to the problem. >> housing does lead to recovery so many times. i remember and i'm sure you remember back in the 1980s, '82,

'83 the recession. >> it's everything. >> i had friends in pittsburgh in construction. i asked how things were going. everybody said, terrible, terrible. they said, well, actually the company is starting to build housing now. it touches so many parts of the economy. we've got to hit the bottom. >> do you do that by pure waiting out out which takes a long time or do you try to find a way to accelerate the process and keep people in their homes? >> there is the moral question about whether people are willing to forgive debts or would that seem unfair to the other people who have paid off the money? >> there is that. of the new york times, joe nocera, thank you. we'll be right back with much more on "morning joe." brave kn!

as you can clearly see from this attractive graph that our sales have increased by... sorry, my liege. honestly. our sales have increased by 20%. what is this mystical device i see before me? it's an ultrabook. he signed the purchase order. with an ultrabook, everything else seems old fashioned. introducing the ultra sleek, ultra responsive ultrabook. a whole new class of computers powered by intel.

i know it's august and you all are as bored as the rest of us. but the election is in two and a half times. raise your game! >> when mitt romney and bain closed the plant my wife became ill. there was nothing they could do for her, she passed away in 22 days. i do not think mitt romney realizes what he's done to anyone. >> that's what i'm talking about. don't dance around, romneyhood, mitt romney killed that guy's wife! who's full of obamaloney now, wife killer romney. take a bow, guy who created the homicidal romney ad. >> how can you say bain and romney are to blame for that woman dying of cancer. >> my goodness, we don't.

>> my goodness, how could you say such a thing? anderson cooper, i do declare a, you are a cad of the highest order. i'll thank you to fetch my petticoat and my coachman. good day, sur.

this is new york state. we built the first railway, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com.

[ male announcer ] 6 years old. then 7. going on 11. in the blink of an eye, they're all grown up. marie callender's homemade tastes are another great reason to sit down and savor every last moment. ♪

because time flies... right before your eyes. marie callender's. it's time to savor.

♪ as you said yesterday, this newest ad is so personal and so human that it's truly tragic to have that kind of dishonesty thrust into a presidential campaign. >> so, joe, i just -- i agree with the speaker. >> wow. >> well, good. >> this should be an ap news alert. >> she paid for that from her entire family. >> i went home and got in trouble. >> get back here now. we'll work through it. you're going to have a great time. >> i'll get a tank top. >> yes. >> i learned from the picture in the financial times that no politician should ever do something during a campaign he

doesn't do in his real life. >> yeah. what did you call it? a trolly? >> with the supermarket. i learned to call it a grocery cart. i learned when he was governor he was actually asked to milk a cow and he refused. that's so wise. >> e i've got corn but i don't know. do i get a cart? i'll take a cart. okay. >> what did you learn today, mika? >> i learned that and i'll learn more at newt u. >> uh i learned if it's too early it's "morning joe." chuck will pick it up after a short break with more of his exclusive interview with mitt romney. >> have a great weekend. >> see you monday.

[ thunk ] sweet! [ male announcer ] the solid thunk of the door on the volkswagen jetta. thanks, mister! [ meow ] it's quality you can hear and feel. that's the power of german engineering. right now during the autobahn for all event get great deals on a 2012 jetta.

[ female announcer ] weak, damaged hair needs new aveeno nourish+ strengthen. active naturals wheat formulas restore strength for up to 90% less breakage in three washes.