pothole:h no...your tire's all flat and junk. oh, did i do that? here, let me get my cellular out - call ya a wrecker. ...oh shoot...i got no phone ...cuz i'm a pothole...so....k, bye! anncr: accidents are bad. anncr: but geico's good. with emergency road service. ding!

this is msnbc. i'm chris jansing along with

melissa francis. let's listen to the white house press briefing on health care. >> to live up to their responsibleties. without having seen the letter or talked to the comment on what exactly they wrote, but sufficient to say, safe to say, that the president in talking with leaders throughout the region have asked for different, for them to live up to -- >> and then they stop talking about health care. we'll monitor that. >> it is almost decision day for a handful of companies on government life support. >> tomorrow, seven companies that received two or more federal bailouts must submit compensation plans to the obama administration's pay czar. he has the sole authority to single out those paydays and cut

them. taxpayers will not necessarily get to see the details. >> feinberg has secret meetings with the companies, but in the meantime, several of the banks on wall street are guaranteeing multi-million dollar bonuses for their top executives, no matter how they perform. "the new york times" reports that an energy trader due to receive compensation of $100 million this year should be exempt from the review. citigroup has received $45 billion in taxpayer assistance. and aig set to pay out $281 million to several members of its sales staff. aig received more than $180 million in bailouts. joining us live is eric dash, business reporter for the "new york times." what exactly is the process going to look like? >> over the past few weeks,

kenneth feinberg has been meeting with these banks and automakers and saying look, here's what you need to provide. tomorrow, they're going to be handing in those materials. he's going to be looking at the top 25 earners from last year at the companies and then he's going to be able to look at the next 75 top earners and how compensation is set for those. it's about 100 people at the companies. >> so how much money did you bring in, your compensation and how much fairness is there. >> and is it guaranteed. did you have a contract in advance that said we're going to pay you this amount no matter how you perform. >> but the issue is about this guy at citigroup who ran an energy fund who made a lot of money. he made a lot of money for the firm and he had a contract that said, you get a cut of what you make and i mean, that's -- a

deal's a deal. right? that's part of the problem. it sounds outrageous. at the same time, this guy made a lot of money for the company. >> you're seeing what i call the politics of zeros. when people are losing their jobs, the economy is sinking, people are upset at these eye-popping amounts. in fairness to mr. hull, his considerate was paid for performance. it was stellar pay, stratospheric pay for stellar results and he performed. >> but the people guaranteed big bonuses and their performance was not nearly as impressive. >> it's just is the number of zeros when you start talking. tens of tens of millions of dolla dollars. >> it's sort of a global question. is anybody worth that much money? >> other places going to pay them this much money doesn't pay them, a guy like this could dpo

off and still make the same kind of money. citigroup, the government has a large stake in it. we want our taxpayer dollars back, could be left without the talent. isn't that the argument for paying the guy? >> he has generated a lot of profits for the firm, but at the same time, maybe there's someone else who could do it a little cheaper. >> thank you. let's turn to the economic numbers out today. first time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly picked up by 4,000 last week. many economists were looking for that number to fall. >> the numbers for retail sales were also down. except for cars. >> and we were expecting a gain and one tenth of a percent decline. >> matt nesto is following the

ups and downs. >> it's amazing. these con sense sus estimates are median numbers. they're averages. if you look at the range, the fact that it missed by 4,000 or moved, you want to look at that moving average as still around 600,000 and change. there's still a lot of people, hundreds of thousands of people filing for initial claims and also the bigger number, the 6 million figure still continues to be steady. >> those retail numbers, they were not good either. walmart came out this morning with better than expected numbers, then we got the rest of the retail numbers which are not great. >> walmart had good earnings. they're one of the few retailers that don't give us their same store numbers anymore. now, you have to guess. but that stock is one of the few strong retailers rising here

today. home depoet is doing pretty well today. and car max. they didn't get any bang if you will, from the cash for clunkers program. >> thanks so much for joining us. a memo contains a secret deal by the white house and pharmaceutical industry. >> it details an agreement from the white house to pose any congressional efforts to bargain for lower drug costs and also not to pursue medicare rebates. in return, the white house got the industry to agree to $80 billion, but not more than that, in savings. >> savannah guthrie is at the white house for us today. any reaction to this story yet? >> the briefing is going on right now with robert gibbs and he was asked about this deal. the bottom line is the white house did make a deal with the pharmaceutical industry to get this $80 billion in savings. gibbs also says he expected the

senate finance committee to reflect that deal, that 80 billion savings, part of which will go to relieve the donut hole, the space where recipients are getting prescription drugs. gibbs defended the notion of dealing with these industries. >> you're not going to get health care legislation without involving the hospitals, those that provide medications, without talking to groups that represent doctors or patients or -- seniors, nurses, what have you. >> meanwhile, the public relations offensive continues something a little different. david axelrod sending out on e-mail today asking people to forword it on. the e-mail he sent has a bunch of information about health care

reform and reports to correct what they consider misinformation. he asked those who received it to spread it around. >> the president, i know, is also heading out on the road. tell us about those plans. >> he's got a couple of town halls. one in colorado, one in montana. this is a three or four-day swing out west. montana, colorado and arizona and do some sightseeing with the fo whole family. >> thanks so much. coming up, he was convicted in connection with the 1988 lockerbie bombing and now, he might be set free because he's sick. but how sick is he and does it matter? plus, it was only a few months that anything obama sold like hot cakes. now, there's an up tick in antiobama gear. and you've seen the ads.

sell your gold for cash now. but should you? you're watching "it's the economy" on msnbc. i was in the grocery store when i had a heart attack. my daughter was with me. i took a bayer aspirin out of my purse and chewed it. my doctor said the bayer aspirin saved my life. please talk to your doctor about aspirin and your heart. i'm going to be grandma for a long time. have discovered how easy it is to use legalzoom for important legal documents. at legalzoom, we'll help you incorporate your busines file a patent, make a will and more. you can complete our online questions in minutes. then we'll prepare your legal documents and deliver them directly to you. so start your business, protect your family, launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side.

protect your family, launch your dreams. on the inside. my inner-workings a work of art. a digestive tract that should be bronzed. and an immune system so stunning... [ low growl ] my vet thinks i'm the eighth wonder of the world. [ female announcer ] introducing iams with prebiotics. prebiotics work inside, clinically proven to promote strong defenses. healthy inside... healthy outside. [ dog ] oh hi girls, nice day, huh? i am an iams dog. [ female announcer ] learn more about prebiotics at iams.com.

or the worry my pipes might leak... compromise what i like to do... like hunting for bargains, not always bathrooms. i take care with vesicare. (announcer) once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to reduce frequent, sudden urges and leaks... day and night... if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare. tell your doctor right away if you have a serious allergic reaction, severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision, so take care while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. you deserve better than to always be compromised by urges and leaks. ask your doctor today about taking care with vesicare.

officials ordering hundreds of residents to evacuate a fast-moving wildfire in california. the flames have consumed nearly 2,000 acres. evacuation woorders are in plac for 200 homes. the fire started yesterday and officials are looking for a chevy van which might provide clues as to what touched it off. and there's major controversy over whether to release the only man convicted of the lockerbie plane crash. >> he is serving a life

sentence, but now, his lawyers say he is dying from prostate cancer and are pushing to set him free. the attack killed 270 people. most of them americans. stephanie gosk is live in london. on what ground are the lawyers pushing for this release? >> reporter: the defense team is asking that scottish officials release al mhim on compassionat grounds. he'd been transferred from the scottish prison to a prison in libya. they made a similar request back in october of last year that was denied, but now, they are saying that his health condition has worsened. his cancer has spread to other organs in his body. lawyers and family members

are still at war over who will control michael jackson's growing estate. >> so far, it's taken in $100 million thanks to films and merchandising deals, including releasing this jackson reherral footage. >> he's not spending, so obviously it continues to accumulate. a woman who blames bernie madoff for selling her family's savings says they had a big secret. they had an affair. the details will be in a book titled madoff's other secret. >> the book is due august 25th. it includes picturesof. there was no comment from madoff's attorneys. the divide between supporters of the president's policies is getting wider. you thought i was going to say

health care, didn't you? >> people are finding outlets for their anger and new obama merchandise as well as those town hall meetings we've been seeing. >> this is not health reform. this is control. control over our lives. >> it's never -- into what it has turned into. i'm scared. >> the marketing for cafepress.com has seen an up tick in antiobama merchandise. what's being purchased these days? >> we've definitely seen a shift. obama merchandise has been big for the last year, but in the past month, we've seen a little

more sarcasim. things like these on t-shirts, bumper stickers using the symbols of change from the campaign. >> are you able to see where the purchases are coming from? >> we do track. we tend of think of our site as a cultural barometer. we've got 40,000 designs uploaded daily and we look at it by state, but even more so, anti versus pro. last year exactly this time, obama merchandise was dominated by pro designs. now it's looking more like the opinion polls. 40% more these types of kind of fun, satirical designs.

>> is it health care related? people getting ready for the rallies or town halls? >> yeah, we see some with the health care debate. there seems to be a trend, tit seems to be socialism. we tend to see more kind of conversation starters of folks talking about the policies with designs like those. >> just so we can really be fair here, can you tell me which on the other side are selling? and over all, are we talking about big numbers? is it still popular to buy obama? >> yeah, he really has been the t-shirt president and his pro sales are really strong. the hope t-shirts are still selling for us. we had a huge amount of the

"yes, we can" that was happening during the campaign. in terms of relevancy if you think about properties for us, "twilight," obama is still selling on par with that series. >> wow. that's amazing. >> it is impressive. but it is interesting to see the shift and to see that discussion happening through t-shirts. >> amy, thanks so much for joining us. >> taking a bite out of vampire sales. go ahead. >> with edward cullen. >> thanks so much. >> interesting because the consumer is supposed to be dead, but they're up there uploading these images. coming up, new comments by the corporate vice president, questions about his relationship with his former boss.

plus, we've all got complaints about where we work, but coming up, we've got a great list of some of the best ever from hr managers around the country. stay tuned. this is "it's the economy" on msnbc. introducing the all new chevy equinox. with an epa estimated 32 miles per gallon. and up to 600 miles between fill ups.

it's the most fuel efficient crossover on the highway. better than honda cr-v, toyota rav4 and even the ford escape hybrid. the all new chevy equinox. ♪ is to get as far away from it all as possible. don't let erectile dysfunction get in the way. ♪ viva viagra! viagra, america's most prescribed ed treatment, can help you enjoy... a more satisfying sexual experience. ready to talk to your doctor? find out how at viagra.com ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. don't take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain... as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects may include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting... more than four hours.

stop taking viagrand call your doctor right away... if you experience a sudden decrease in vision or hearing. 20 million men have had the "viagra conversation." ask your doctor if viagra is right for you. ♪ viagra!

dick cheney is ready to talk about the relationship with president bush. "the washington post" reports about a book meeting where cheney said he stopped taking his advice his sect term in office. >> and that he was upset he did not pardon scooter libby. he was convicted of purgery and the leak of a cia officer's identity. secretary of state hillary clinton comparing the 2000

recount. she's currently in nigeria as part of a seven-nation tour. she was answering a question and drew parallels to the election in the united states. >> our democracy is still evolving. we had all kinds of problems in some of our past lelections as you might remember. in 2000, it came down to one state where the brother of the man running for president was the governor of the state. >> she also urged nigeria to embrace broad political reform and ease tensions. this next story is getting a lot of the reaction. president obama making a gaffe at the medal of freedom ceremony. >> one of the recipients was

billie jean king. here's how the president described her career. >> after purchasing an $8 racket with money earned from chores, 11-year-old billie jean declared a goal to be the number one tennis player in the world, yet what we honor are not her 12 grand slam titles, 101 doubles titles and 67 singles titles, pretty good, billie jean. >> apparently, the president didn't have all his facts straight. here's what she told reporters about the president's description of her after the ceremony. our producer was talking to us, so we have no idea what she said, but in any case. we want to turn to breaking news out of l.a. i think we have those pictures

right now. a person suspected making threats against the white house led police on a chase in the westchester area in l.a. and is hold up inside a car near the west wood federal building. >> there's a stand-off and they've evacuated a nearby apartment building. you can see a very small part of the scene, but there are at least four police cruisers blocking the volkswagen in place. >> l.a. times reported the person was under investigation for making unspecified threats against the white house. we'll take a quick break and be right back. just a good paying job. that's why i like this clean energy idea. now that works for our whole family. for the kids, a better environment. for my wife, who commutes, no more gettin' jerked around on gas prices... and for me, well, it wouldn't be so bad if this breadwinner brought home a little more bread. repower america.

i hope our senators are listening.

you could buy 300 bottles of water. or just one brita filter. ( drop plinks ) brita-- better for the environment and your wallet. okay, you're looking live at photos coming out of l.a. right now. a person is suspected of making threats against the white house. led police on a chase and ended up in front of this federal building in l.a. when the chase began, the suspect, another suspect jumped

out of the car and was arrested. there's one remaining there and you can see a robot next to the car now. >> the "l.a. times" reporting the person was under investigation. new economic data just out today shows the recession isn't quite over. the number of workers filing for unemployment rose unexpectedly last week. initial claims jumpbed nearly 565,000. sworn to secrecy. some americans who have been laid off are pretending to have jobs. >> "the washington post" followed some workers who were too afraid of what people would think, so their carried on as if they were still working. leaving the house every day, wearing a suit and tie, making sure not to return until after

5:00. joining us now is dave, who kept his unemployment status under wraps. thanks for joining us today. we understand that it was actually your wife who wanted you to keep it quiet. how come? >> well, just simply a sense of privacy and wanting to not concern family members about our situation. i've been through this before and so we were not fearful, but just wanted to maintain our privacy. by the way, i do want to specify. i was not the individual who dressed up in a suit and left the house not to return until 5:00 every day. that was someone else. so let me clarify that. >> okay, so what made you decide to talk more publicly? when did you decide to tell people? >> well, i was having a conversation with my neighbor and she said very innocently and

kindly, how's work. when she said that, i simply realized that i couldn't say no, i was working and everything was fine, so i acknowledged to her that i was unemployed and that sort of led to a realizization by my wife and myself that the more people that we would make aware of our situation, the greater the likelihood is we could be helped to network and lead to a job. >> has that turned out to be true now that people now and you talk to your friends and neighbors, have they been able to give you some leads? >> absolutely. in fact, i sent an e-mail to my entire fraternity of men who i've known for the last 40 years and that resulted in a job interview that i have scheduled for about a week and a half from now. i'm very excited about it. >> what would you say to others

who are in the same position? is it better to keep it to yourself or was that a mistake? >> in retro spect, it was a mistake and i urge people to be very open about it. especially in this economy, under these circumstances, i hear it said very often, there are a lot of really good people looking for work right now. the stigma attached to unemployment is long over with. >> that's true. we really appreciate you coming on and sharing your story. >> my pleasure. >> one of the amazing things, we were reading about this story, there were people laid off with 1,000 other people, yet, they still felt that. >> at this point, it's almost 10% of the population. let's take a look at how the numbers are doing on wall

street. trading has turned negative. the s&p right now is traded downside as well as is the nasdaq. shop till you drop still not ringing true among americans. >> the commerce department announcing retail sales fell .1% in july. among the retail companies getting hard hit, fast food chains. a special promotion that burger king will help out. you have a t-shirt or something to go along with this? isn't it fruity girl? >> i think it's very flattering on me. here's the deal. it is hard on fast food changes because people are not going out as much. a lot of these companies are looking for global growth and burger king figures out the best way through the european's heart is through his soccer team.

they're sponsoring a spanish soccer team -- not sure if i'm pronouncing that right. on the outside, it makes it look like they work there. and when they score a goal, they'll lift the shirt up and underneath, it's a picture of the king's head, so that when they score, they lift it up over their head. the interesting thing is, it actually comes with instructions. i guess they figured maybe these guys have been hit in the head too times. the video of the instructions shows you how to take the shirt out, how to put it on, even how to kick a goal and put it over your head. you would think this is a joke, except they've had a really bad year and needs to know how to score a goal. now, why am i wear this? we could not get one of the

jerseys, so jeff went out and bought a shirt. we made our own. so if i score a goal, don't worry, i have clothes on underneath. we can go, goal. so it would be like that. >> right before our very eyes. >> you took the cheeseburger right out of my mouth. it's very entertaining. is it all going to result in cheeseburger sales? >> if the soccer team doesn't do better, maybe the fans can get their own shirts. if you don't score, you will upset us. >> and people like me who never read directions. >> and never know that it had anything on there. jane wells, always entertaining. thank you. and some of you saw never before seen prices for a 52-inch flat screen tv on best buy's

website. they posted a price of $9.99 for a samsung tv which they immediately took down once they realized their mistake. they say they will not honor that price. surprise, surprise. it's now listed almost $1800, which is still about half the original $3400 price, but not yet as good a deal as under ten bucks. >> some people say it was a scam to get people to get people on the website and register. >> i did not buy anything afterwards. >> and you did not register, so you can get yet more e-mails that you need to delete every day. these days, most americans are happy to be employed, there are still a lot of people complaining about what's happening in the world. >> career builder is out with a survey with the tom complaints

managers receive from their employees. here are a few. employees have big hair. employees eat all the good cookies. employee breathes too loudly. >> yeah. >> if you're an anchor, you have a microphone on. especially irritating. employees only wear slippers or socks to work. >> can you do that? >> i guess so. employee has bells on her shoes and it's not the holidays. employee work pajamas to work. employee is trying to poison me. >> that is a real problem. i think if somebody's trying to poison you, that's a legitimate problem. >> have you gone to hr to complain about it? >> you haven't heard? >> you have 37 minutes. >> i know. i have not, but i'm sure there have been plenty of complaints about me.

the heated rhetoric around the health care debate is continuing. sarah palin is weighing in. and later, is it the right time for you to sell your old gold jewelry? "it's the economy" on msnbc. into an incredibly strong, healthy cat. his coat is incredibly shiny and soft and very thick. everybody thinks he's the most handsome cat they've ever seen. [ woman announcing ] purina one for indoor cats... unlocks the brilliance of nature... with a natural fiber blend that helps minimize hairballs... and maintain a healthy weight. [ laurie ] he's a character. he brings so much laughter into this household. and he's the best-lookin' cat there is. [ announcer ] it's amazing what one can do. try clearblue easy digital: no pregnancy test is more accurate, with totally clear results in words. results 5 days sooner.

no test is more accurate. what do you say to a spin around the color wheel? - to paint with primer already mixed in? - ♪ yeah yeah yeah... - test samples instead of can commitments? - ♪ whoo! - what do you say we dip into our wallets less... - ♪ are you feeling it? - ...and grab ahold of the latest tools out there... - ♪ oh! ...so we can quit all that messing around with extra steps - and get busy turning our doing dials up a notch? - ♪ whoo! ♪ oh! more saving. more doing. - that's the power of the home depot. - ♪ yeah yeah yeah. but i've still got room for the internet. with my new netbook from at&t. with its built-in 3g network, it's fast and small, so it goes places other laptops can't.

i'm bill kurtis, a wherever i go, i've got plenty of room for the internet. and the nation's fastest 3g network. gun it, mick. (announcer) sign up today and get a netbook for $199.99 after mail-in rebate. with built-in access to the nation's fastest 3g network. only from at&t.

we are still watching this standoff in l.a. outside the federal building. this is at wilshire and the 405 freeway. they've evacuated the building behind him, in downtown l.a., west l.a. >> the suspects were wanted on a bunch of various federal warrants and wanted for questioning as part of a federal inquiry. according to "l.a. times," law enforcement sources say they made threats against the white

house. >> they've got a robot next to the car. >> we'll watch that situation. welcome back. the white house working hard to separate fact from fiction. >> starting today, the obama administration is asking supporters to send around a chain e-mail that contains a list of reasons to support the president's plan and some of the myths about health care reform, like what's being called death panels. >> charles grassley, even he is talking to his constituents about it. he says government should not decide if grandma lives or dies. >> there's counseling for end of life and from that standpoint, you have every right to see her. we should not have a government program that determines you're going to pull the plug on grandma. >> jonathan allen is a reporter for cq.com. as we debate these statements,

are we take k attention away from what people consider to be the really important details of this plan? >> yes, there's a will the of important stuff in the bill and the desire to kill granny is really ridiculous. it's ignorant and dishonest. there are serious issues to debate within the parties among idealogical factions and it's a side show on an issue that really doesn't exist. >> what does it tell you about where this stands at this point, that it has gotten so bogged down? there's a lot of outrage on both sides. does it tell you that less is going to get done? >> i think something will end up getting done. i think the president and democratic leadership and congress have staked so much on getting something done that they'll have to do something. the question, how big is that

going to be. a retooling of a entire health care system or coming back to the position where they're making it that insurers can't deny based on pre-existing conditions. >> the white house is hoping they'd have these town halls, the details could be explained and they could get more people on board. then "usa today" did this poll and it showed independent voters are feeling more sympathetic to these protesters. obviously, a problem if that's is reality for the white house. >> i think that there's an effort on the part of some in that protest community. not everybody. it's impossible to treat it as a monolith, but there's an effort by some organizers to bait into an argument the democrats on some of these side issues and to that extent, they've won. so if it's a question of whether or not people have the right to

show up and shout people down or ask a lot of questions about the bill itself, i think people would say that's okay. i think there's an argument to be made that the democratic leadership and president have engaged in this a little bit too much and might be better severed by letting these flames die out on their own. >> thanks for joining us. a new report out says cancer deaths declined in the last three decades. it is significant in younger age groups. prevention efforts, early detection and better treatment are the reasons. right now, at a small church in massachusetts, thousands are paying their respects to a true american hero. a wake for eunice kennedy shriver began earlier this afternoon. the 88-year-old died tuesday. >> she was the sister of a president and two senators, but she changed the lives of 3.1

million people in the world by founding the special olympics. ann is outside the church. i understand this church is part of the kennedy family history? >> reporter: it is, melissa. this is where caroline kennedy was married. it is where members of the family have come to those weekend and daily mass, and today, it is where there is a public wake for eunice kennedy shriver. her extended family is here. her husband is sitting in the front pew of the church. her body is laying in state, or laying here at the church surrounded by flowers and family pictures, and the family has been greeting a steady stream of mourners, many, some people involved in the special olympics. some just people who live here at the cape and want to pay their respects. boston's cardinal o mally was

here today. the governor of massachusetts is expected to come today as well. as i said, many of her, many members of her extended family are here as well including her god child, robert kennedy jr., who spoke with andrea mitchell earlier. >> she inspired me when i was 14 to spend 100 hours working in the column for the retard ed, this was upstate new york. how people treated these people at that time, she believed that you know, every human being has a soul and every soul is beloved by god. >> reporter: this is a woman who truly changed the world. who changed the way not only we here in america treat and appreciate those who suffer from intellectual challenges, but also the world.

she leaves a family of five children, 19 grandchildren, and a legacy that stretches all around the world. >> thanks so much for that report. laura ling and euna lee spoke out for the first time since returning from north korea. the women thanked their supporters. >> we are so, so very grateful for all of your love and support. >> we're so happy to be back with our families. it was hard time in our life. >> ling and lee returned last week after 140 days held captive. they were sentenced to 12 years hard labor, but then were freed after bill clinton met with kim jong-il. special interest groups are trying to blk progress on health care reform, derailing the debate with myths and scare tactics.

desperately trying to stop you from discovering that reform won't force you to give up your current coverage. you'll still be able to choose your doctor and insurance plan. tell congress not to let myths get in the way of fixing what's broken with health care. learn the facts at healthactionnow.org. ♪ take me home ♪ take me home ♪ to my family ♪ ♪ i need to be surrounded by ♪ the ones who care for me [ female announcer ] clean you can see. softness you can feel. tide with a touch of downy. ♪ take me home

we've all seen those ads, there are others like them. not exactly like them, but similar. basically, they say give us your gold gold and we'll give you cold, hard cash. >> they've inspired a whole slew of spoofs. this is my favorite. >> treasury spoke man outlined what he called a fast solution to the nation's money woes. >> as you know, we have these very large debts and the fact is, the gold reserves are just sitting there. why not turn them into cash. this woman turned in her wedding ring for cash and got money the next day. >> joining us from miami is jeff, the ceo of cashforgold.com. you have become very popular these days in terms of spoofs. is it helping business?

>> i for one think the spoofs are great. if you can't realize how big your company is become, imlation is the greatest form of flattery. >> has it helped your business? because it's all free pr. >> yeah, how good is business? >> business has been great. we're actually on a worldwide expansion right now. we opened in london two weeks ago. we opened canada last week. the united states has been absolutely incredible for us. you know, our business is there for every consumer in america. from the lowest demographic to the highest and we get in 15 to 20,000 packages a week of gold. and silver, platinum and diamonds. pay it out to our consumers. they have an opportunity. they have 12 days if they're not

happy with an offer for any reason, to get their terribmate back to them. so it's a great service business for anybody. >> jeff -- yeah, and that's a fantastic commercial there. you have great insight into the consumer right now and how desperate they are. have you seen more people mailing in more stuff lately? does it seem like people are pretty desperate for cash? >> i don't look at us as desperation. we have two core consumers. one is a consumer that would never go to a pawnshop. would never go to the local jeweler. they're not going to do that type of transaction. they don't even realize what they have has value. so they see the commercial, are sparked by it and are interested. >> and it's easy. >> it's easy, safe, secure. they get their check within the

couple of days or their directly in their account. then our other core customer is somebody that has rolexes, diamonds, and they go to our fine estate collection. which has become very popular because as the economy has come down, the upper end of the demographic has hurt, too. so a guy that used to wear a rolex a week ago is now sending it in and maybe making a mortgage payment with it or using it towards his savings. >> hey, jeff, real quick. you think the price of gold is going higher? $952 is pretty expensive. price of gold going higher? >> i think that we'll see gold prices going up. inflation, everyone keeps saying

inflation is going to start kicking in, but we never built or business around that. >> jeff, we got to go. thank you so much for joining us. that's it for this edition of it's the economy. >> that's right. i'm melissa francis. david schuster and tamron hall pick things up next. after nearly two decades, a hero comes home. this is msnbc. (announcer) if you think all batteries are the same, consider this:

when a tornado tore through holly, colorado, air life denver took to the air... their night-vision goggles keeping them safe on a perilous flight... and powering those precision goggles--- is the only battery air life trusts: duracell. trusted everywhere. look for new duracell ultra advanced now with even more power to protect. i just want fewer pills and relief that lasts all day. take 2 extra strength tylenol every 4 to 6 hours?!? taking 8 pills a day... and if i take it for 10 days -- that's 80 pills. just 2 aleve can last all day. perfect. choose aleve and you can be taking four times... fewer pills than extra strength tylenol. just 2 aleve have the strength to relieve arthritis pain all day.