less than 50 days from today. >> that is an incredible feat he is trying to make it on all of those sunday programs. >> it is unprecedented. what people refer to as the full ginsberg. referring to monica lewinsky's attorney who was on all the sunday shows this is the first time a president is going to do all the sunday shows on one sunday and be on "david letterman" on monday. there is talk whether president obama is overexposing -- overexposure here. i attended a focus group with independent voters in towson, maryland, they liked the press conversations, the town halls, president obama on tv. we will see if the beltway conventional wisdom matches up from what we see in the polls in the next couple of weeks if

people think he is too exposed. >> mark murray, thanks as always. check firstread.msnbc.com. tamyrn. great job and have a great birthday. >> thank you very much. up next "hardball." listen to jimmy. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. it strikes me race is the san andreas fault of politics, a huge divide that threatens to shake and split this country in the worst way. the fault line began to show

itself in the claim richly enjoyed in the american south that president obama wasn't born here, isn't one of us. the wide open arena of health care town meetings. that opened up the divide. now last night came this from a southerner who was once president. >> i think an overwhelming portion of the intentionally demonstrated animosity toward president barack obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's african-american. >> that statement by president carter has taken the issue out in the open. republican don't like what carter said. some don't like the signs that are being waved at the town meetings. they are not saying much about the signs for fear of offending their supporters. republicans are saying they don't like what is being said about those pointing to the signs and the sentiments, people like former president carter. tonight we force the question upfront.

plus, guess what happened when democratic senator max baucus unveiled his long awaited health care bill. all three republican senators from the so-called gang of six decided not to show the gang. they didn't show. a lot of democrats don't like the bill. can president obama get a bill? i'm beginning to wonder. and a rat talks. a former speechwriter has written a white house tell all book including sarah palin, hill held and joe biden. just as president obama faces mounting pressure from generals to send more troops in afghanistan, congress wants him to cut more troops, in fact, bring them home. now what? we break it down with david gregory in "the politics fix." true or false, the house ethics committee has concluded it is okay to say on the house floor that people in the state department are half baked it in

witts. we will give you never before published things you can say on the house floor. that is "the sideshow." is race a factor. cynthia tucker is a columnist and kathleen parker from the "washington post." heavily syndicated around the country. both of you ladies, thank you. is it a factor in the face we are seeing at people in the rallies. >> of course race is a factor, chris. you and i have talked about this before. it can't be measured in polls so it is hard to determine how much of a factor it is. that doesn't mean everybody who rejects to president obama's health care reform or policies is racist. >> these clowns that bring the

sin signs out. the zoo has a lion, and the white house has a lying african. people say he should be deported. we've been hijacked. that could mean anything. the zoo stuff, the undocumented worker stuff. in the american south most southerners polled admittedly it was a daily kos poll. a majority of them aren't sure or are sure he is not from here. in other words a minority of white southerners think he is from america. is that race, that point of view? >> i think that is. that is another way of saying he is not one of us. that concerned me during the campaign. i agree with what cynthia said. you can't measure racism.

>> do you think if you gave them sodium pent thol test they would answer? >> they? >> anybody carrying a sign like that. they could pass the test under medical supervision? >> you would have to word it differently. do you believe that african-americans are qualified to lead this country. that would be a question -- that would be an interesting question. >> you are getting to the heart of something. northern and southern white prejudice. i thought the northern white prejudice was we don't want the guy living next door. a man working for barack obama said his biggest fear not obama would be elected president but in looking for a house. down south it is status. it is about the black guy running the country. >> i don't know. >> i'm asking. you said something like that.

>> i'm going to be very cautious. it is too easy to smear the south. there are certainly racist still in the south. there are racists ever where. >> is there a particular animosity in the south toward the idea of a black guy being president? >> i don't know. >> hire is what president carter said about that. >> i think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward president barack obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's african-american. i live in the south. i have seen the south come a long way. and i have seen the rest of the country that shared the south's attitude toward minority groups particularly african-americans, that racism intonation still exists. i think it has bubbled up to the surface.

because of a belief among many white people, not just in the south but around the country that african-americans are not qualified to lead this great country. it is an abominable circumstance and grieves me and concerns me very deeply. >> cynthia, what do you think of that? you are from georgia. >> i'm from georgia. i grew up in alabama. like kathleen, a southerner. i want to be clear i certainly don't think that represents all southerners. it is certainly not true that all racism is in the south. i think jimmy carter knows the south very well. he is 85 years old and he remembers the south at a time when race relations were much worse, more poisonous than now. i think he has lived in the south long enough to know, and lived in a very small town for much of that time, to know how much racism there has been and how much racism still exists. he was careful to say not just

in the south but around the country. i wrote my column today about some of the hate mail that a black congressman david scott from atlanta has gotten around health care reform. one of the nastiest most vile notes he got came from a gentleman in michigan who used the "n" word in addressing david scott and proceeded to be explicitly racist in his e-mail. >> justice clarence thomas told me once, we were having this conversation about race in the south he said the first time anybody ever called him the "n" word is in the north. that is an anecdote. >> the exit polls from last november. this isn't 100 years ago. 10% of white voters in alabama said they voted for barack obama. 11% of white voters in mississippi. louisiana up to 14%. now the national percentage is about 43% of whites voted for

barack obama. there is a geographic differential. in all fairness to fairness to the south, i went to chapel hill which is not exactly conservative, north carolina, university of north carolina. it is a conservative part of the country. it became a conservative part of the country, a republican part of the country after civil rights legislation. johnson picked that. >> the democrats, actually. >> the idea that barack obama gets 10% of the white vote, 11% in mississippi and 14% in louisiana and the rest of the country 43%. doesn't that tell you. the birther nonsense is a southern thing. in the north 93% of the people say he was born here. >> i'm not going to defend ignorance. >> why are they saying it . >> that concerns me more than the low percentages of votes he got. how can you believe barack obama was not born in the united states? >> what are they really saying?

translate. >> that he is not an american. he is not qualified to be president. he doesn't look like us. >> that is absurd. black people were in america before white people were, almost every case. >> and doing some hard work might i add. >> that is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. >> there is a sense he is an illegitimate president. race has a lot to do with that. >> i think that is a cofer for race. >> we all remember the whackiness with clinton. >> we are going to talk about this with david gregory and others later, roger simon. in "the fix." with you two, politically this president who i voted for and was thrilled with his campaign. he seems to decide he doesn't like this topic. he doesn't like that we are talking about this.

he doesn't like this conversation. >> it is the third wheel for him. he absolutely cannot talk about race. >> does he want us talking about it? >> i don't think it matters. he can't stop us. >> does it bug him we are talking about it? >> i think he would rather we just talk about health care. he would rather not see the racial track. >> it makes everyone tribalistic. you are demuring here. >> i don't know what barack obama wants us to talk about but it is -- >> does this hurt the chance of getting beyond race. >> i don't think there is anything wrong with talking about race. that is part of the growth process. we can overemphasize the anecdotal and make it more than it is. let's go back to january when barack obama's approval rating was 70%. somehow all those people didn't become racist.

>> what ripped the scab off? >> some of the objections to the president's policies are policy. >> what is this term battle? i heard people at the lee mansion who were concerned guys and they said they were tough. when i asked if we should investigate the democrats. that was her call. the idea it is a battle. one of the guy said to the other, let's keep the battle going. what is this battle? it is like the cause. the southern white thing. >> you mean southern white guys? >> people who rallied against obama. >> they wrn southern white people. the complexion was pale. >> what is the battle about? >> it is a culture war, chris. it is a culture war all over again and this time with a racial element. >> i don't agree with that. >> some of these same folks --

>> you don't have to say with all due respect. we don't do that here. >> okay. i don't agree with you. >> do you want to finish your thought. >> some of these same people were after the clintons in the '90s. >> he was the first black president, remember that? >> race may have been an element then but not as much as now. >> he is pro black. that is one reason they don't like him. the civil rights legislation in the '60s killed the democratic party in the south. >> you can't ignore the fact that republicans and c conservatives are concerned about the growth of government. >> we should all be concerned. libertarians don't like the growth of big government, don't like taxes, don't like the government telling them what to do. sometimes i'm one of those guys. >> there you go. you racist. >> no comment.

coming up, democratic senator max baucus says the time has come for action on the health care bill. but will any republicans sign on? will the democrats get together with this guy with the bill? you are watching "hardball" only on msnbc. announcer: trying to be good to your heart? so is campbell's healthy request soup. low in fat and cholesterol, heart healthy levels of sodium, and taste you'll love. chef: we're all kind of excited about it. guy: mmm! i can see why. announcer: campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good! for your heart. getting an early flu shot is the best thing you can do... to protect you and your loved ones from the flu. it's also one of the easiest things you can do... because walgreens is now offering seasonal flu shots... every day of the week with convenient hours guaranteed.

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>>. >> this is a good bill. this is a balanced bill. it can pass the senate. welcome back to "hardball." that was senator max baucus the chairman of the senate finance committee unveiling his $856 billion health care plan today. the white house said it would

require nearly all americans to carry health insurance barring health insurance companies denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions the plan does not call for a government-run insurance option but set up a nonprofit consumer owned co-operativcooperatives. >> senator wi widen of oregon. you know what we don't know. where is this stand in your position on the bill from baucus? >> chris, i have a rule i will talk about what i said to a president but i won't get into private comments. i and senator bennett made the case for bipartisanship. we think there is a natural opportunity. at this point democrats are right, you cannot fix this unless you cover everybody. good quality affordable coverage

for everybody or the uninsured shift their bills to the insured. there ought to be markets. stay away from price controls. we talked about bipartisanship, bringing democrats and republicans together and we did discussion about the senate finance committee next week. >> let's talk about this in a way we haven't. suppose someone is making $30,000 a year gross income. they are not rich and providing for a family but don't have insurance where they work. how will this help them? how are we going to deal with that challenge? the uninsured family making $30,000 to $50,000, the reality of american life? >> remember, the bill just came out this morning. i have this quaint outdated theory i'm going to read the bill before it get into

specifics. people who are making $30,000, if they are a family, they will get a solid subsidy under most of the ideas democrats and republicans are talking about. the group i'm worried about is a family of four who might be making say $66,000. in the earlier draft we were told those folks could be spending up to 13% of their income on health care. then they would have an $8,500 premium, co-payments, deductibles, these kinds of things. they would find a hefty increase and given these tough economic times they would have trouble. the earlier draft talked about an exemption. they want insurance to protect their family. i think the folks you are talking at will get a generous subsidy. i'm very concerned we are going to see sticker shock among middle class folks who are

hurting right now. they are going to need more relief. >> who would pay the subsidies for people who make more? 13% of that is $10,000, they would have to pay it. if they can't pay it, who will pay it? you say someone else should pay it. >> at this point, of course, the administration is talking about supporting a bill that would give those people a big penalty or exemption of some sort. i don't think middle class folks are going to consider that financial security. i'd rather have more cost containment. the way you get real cost containment is holding insurance companies accountable. the way you do that is giving people real choice. you say if you don't like the policy you like today you can go get something else. like members of congress have. the problem with the bills thus

far including what the finance committee put out today is under that legislation more than 200 million people wouldn't be given a choice, wouldn't be given the opportunity to hold the insurance companies accountable. i want them to have that choice. i think it will hold down premiums and exposure. that is what i'm going to focus on. >> do you and senator bennett want to tax the cadillac insurance plans? >> i certainly think if you are talking about folks at goldman sachs making $40,000 a year in health benefits tax free that is not right. i want them and everybody else to get a generous break on their health care, but not $40,000 tax free, a portion of that ought to be used to try to give a bit of extra relief to the hard-working middle class folks we are talking about. >> you have been in the house, in the senate, i have known you a long time.

you know the hill. after the arguing back and forth and twisting back and forth, will we get 60 votes in the u.s. senate for a health care bill? >> i feel the president's timetable staying at this until it is done right is the right way to go. i think it is important for the country to make this a bipartisan effort. if this is essentially all democrats and one republican i don't think you have the national consensus when you are dealing with 1/7 of the american economy. one of the points i made to the president is i think he ought to be building from the center out. that is what senator bennett and i did, saying the democrats were right on coverage expansion. once you build from the center out i believe you are on your way to perhaps 68 votes in the united states senate. >> do you believe there is a good chance that the president will take your approach?

>> my hope at this point is that it will be possible to export some of the key market-oriented principles from our effort into the finance committee legislation. i'd like to see us take some of our principles like making sure everybody has choices like members of congress and include that in the finance bill. one of the points i mentioned to the president today is he always gets tremendous applause at a rally like in minneapolis on saturday when he says all americans should get the same deal that members of congress get. unfortunately, in the text of this legislation 200 million americans are barred from getting the very pledge the president made to them. >> thank you. u.s. senator ron wyden of oregon. >> thank you, chris. up next, the elephant in the room. the story the white house would prefer we would ignore, about race. that kept coming up in the meeting with robert gibbs. so many questions.

we'll get to how many on the question of race being thrown at the white house. they don't like these questions. there's not really any answers. we'll have that story when we come back "the sideshow" only on msnbc. you cannot be serious! okay. seriously, you choose. go national. go like a pro. discover a light yogurt like no other. activia light! delicious, fat free, and above all... the only one that has bifidus regularis and is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system. activia light. ♪ activiaaa! if you're using other moisturizing body washes, you might as well be. you see, their moisturizer sits on top of skin, almost as if you're wearing it. only new dove deep moisture has nutriummoisture, a breakthrough formula with natural moisturizers...

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back to "hardball." now time for "the sideshow." first up, watch your tongue. for obvious reasons the rules committee of the house of representatives handed out a can do and can't do for rules on the house floor. here is a guide for the past. you can call a presidential meblg a disgrace to the country. you can say the government is something hated, oppressive. you can call the state department folks half baked it in witts.

here is what has been forbidden so far. you can't call the president a liar or a hypocrite. you can't call the president's veto of a bill cowardly. you can't refer to the, i love this one, the sexual misconduct on the president's part. i guess we know where that came from. up next, bill clinton has just endorsed gavin newsom over attorney general jerry brown in the california governor's race. jerry brown ran against bill clinton for the democratic presidential nomination in 1992. brown did the unpardonable. he brought up allegations of conflict of interest with bill clinton as governor of arkansas and his wife's law firm. here is a piece of that debate. >> he is putting money to his wife's law firm for state business that is number one. number two, his wife's law firm

is representing clients to the state of arkansas agencies. his appointees. >> i feel sorry for jerry brown. i served with him as governor in the late '70s. he asked me to support him for president once. >> did you? >> of course not. he reinvents himself every year or two. >> is it true or isn't it true governor clinton. >> mr. brown. mr. brown. >> let me tell you something, jerry, i don't care what you say about me but you should be ashamed jumping on my wife. >> don't to escape it. >> he comes with his $1,500 suit and makes an accusation about my wife. i never funnel any money to my wife's law firm. what is with the gruj? that is 17 freaking years ago. are these guys irish? the elephant in the room, how

many questions on race did press secretary gibbs field today? 18 times he had to respond to questions. president carter has thrown open the flood gates. 18 race-related questions at today's white house briefing. that is tonight's "big number." a former speechwriter for george w. bush reveals what bush said about palin and what a disaster she would be for the republican party. more revelations when we come back. you are watching "hardball" only on msnbc. ding-ding-ding! ding! ding! fun fact -- progressive is the number-one truck insurer. yeah, great service at the right price. and nowadays, my business depends on it. do you have anything like that for my car? yes! our car insurance comes with 24/7 claim service, and you can save hundreds. so, what you haulin'? oh, eight-year-olds to soccer practice. nine! oh, precious cargo. protecting what matters most to you. now, that's progressive.

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up 16, the nasdaq added more than 30 points. the fed said industrial production rose more than expected in august. the second straight months of gains. it shows there is some solid growth in the industrial sector. the consumer price index climbed .4%, gas prices climbed sharply. the overall threat of inflation remains low. google shares are dropping. that's it from cnbc first in business worldwide. now back to "hardball." welcome back to "hardball." another former bush staffer, white house staffer for president george w. bush has a book coming out next week. we have excerpts from "g.q."

magazine. joining me is pat buchanan and mike feldman. you are going to enjoy this. both guys have been on the inside, pat forever. this is an excerpt from president george w. bush's reaction about the idea of sarah palin tapped as john mccain's vice presidential running mate "i'm trying to remember if i ever met her. his eyes twinkled. what is she the governor of guam? this person is being put in a position she is not remotely prepared for. she hasn't spent one day on the national level. neither has her family. let's wait and see how he slooks five days out. >> it is insightful. politically astute. >> he remembered her being an

attractive lady. >> where is she from, guam? he knew exactly where she was from. >> i think this is helping bush's image. >> he had the same reaction. >> good looking. >> i didn't know what she looked like. >> this is rougher. this is an excerpt from former president bush about hillary clinton. he believed hillary clinton would be the democratic nominee. this is the writer talking about the president. president bush thought his successor would be senator clinton. "wail till her fat, well, rear end, i guess, is sitting at this desk. he once said. he didn't say that word. >> that is locker room at the country club. it is disparaging of her. i don't take it that badly. that is boy talk, i think.

>> bill clinton and hillary clinton wouldn't mind hearing this. >> well -- >> what dooug of this, mike feldman? >> i fail to find the historical relevance of that comment. >> this is definitely aimed at the democrats. this is very funny. the author writes, here is how he describes the president. he paused for a minute. i could see him thinking maybe he shouldn't say it but he couldn't resist it. if bs was said straight faced joe biden would be a billionaire. we all laughed and laughed or burst out laughing. it is very, very funny. it has a touch of truth to it. >> it is so fupy. >> you'd see a lot of wealthy people in washington. let's just say that. >> you won't give him anything. >> this is the one about a

mccain event where mccain is having a hard time scratching up enough people. here is bush when mccain can't get people. he can't get 500 people to show up for an event in his hometown. no one said anything. and we went to another topic. the president couldn't let it drop. he couldn't get 500 people? i could get that many people to turn up in crawford. he shook his head. this is a five spiritual. >> the plane is going around. >> that is where the campaign is going to be because this guy can't get squat to show up. i thought it was a terrific line. >> an astute political observation. >> who brought this guy, chris. >> let's go to the next one. here is an excerpt about president bush on president obama. this is a dangerous world, he said, for no apparent reason.

and this cat isn't remotely qualified to handle it. this guy has no clue. i promise you. this is the promise winding himself up more. you think i wasn't qualified. i was qualified. >> the guy stone who made the movie "w." that is the george bush. >> you think i wasn't qualified? i was qualified. >> i find bush a fairly attractive character, candid, honest. >> this is the bush i liked before the presidency. >> he is a likable guy. >> this is the trouble. we picked a guy we thought we might like to hang out with. that is the expression. you wouldn't mind being the next locker over. but we picked the guy as president of the united states and he let cheney call the shots. >> the huge economic disaster, why didn't you let me come out for the proposal. >> this is why women don't look

up to male political figures. you are saying forget the guy, he is a regular guy therefore anything goes. he takes shots at hillary clinton's physique, biden's brains. you are chuckling. you are going to buy this book, aren't you? >> i'm not telling anybody. >> it is a good read. is it not a good read? >> it is entertaining. i think it is destructive. this guy wouldn't have a career, he wouldn't have a job if he wasn't -- >> let's get sober here. >> the guy is a snake. >> here is the great conundrum. we like these stories but don't like people telling him. explain it. he rats out his boss. >> you and i know the lbj story. we know them all and they are funny. i would think terribly if

somebody had done that stuff. >> how do we get these stories without getting them from rats. >> the problem is -- these stories don't have much historical redeeming historical value. >> i have to disagree with you. here is a guy who owes his job to george w. bush. all of us have had the pleasure of serving. if presidents get to the point where they can't speak candidly in front of their staff -- >> this is a bipartisan group, the white house speech writers. it was fun in the old days when everybody drank. there was a big fight. arthur sleszinger says you should always tell stories about the boss because that is how you get history. ted sorensen says you never rat out the boss. >> you do have to get, quite

frankly, you have to write history. a memoir. tell stories about nixon. but these personal, all of us know personal things and family things that you know that you just don't tell. >> i'm with you. >> what would you do? >> i wouldn't. i worked in a white house. >> any stories -- >> during the next commercial break. i happen to think the stories i would share about the former vice president reflects well on him. >> al gore is so boerg his secret service code name was al gore. up next "the politics fix." the public wants the united states to get out of afghanistan. the military wants to increase the military. he is being told by the public to get out. david gregory of "meet the press" joining us in just a minute. to get energy.

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coming up, questions about the president's citizenship, nazi and communist signs at town halls. is racism playing a role in opposition of president obama announcer: trying to be good to your heart? so is campbell's healthy request soup. low in fat and cholesterol, heart healthy levels of sodium, and taste you'll love. chef: we're all kind of excited about it.

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yesterday. those comments are the big headline on today's "washington post." will president obama send more u.s. troops to afghanistan? time for "the politics fix" dead serious. with david gregory and bob simon. we are at war still, longest war in history probably now. is this a call for an escalation by the admiral? >> i don't think there is any question that it is. the admiral has been clear. military leaders have been clear. there's got to be parody between the mission and the resources. if they are going to do a count insurgency, nation building in afghanistan, the u.s. needs more troops and they are going to be there for a while. the president has an important choice to make. >> roger, it is real. not about campaigning or getting votes, it is about whether this country stays at war full

strength or pull out of that war. >> it is real. we have gone from a mission creep to a mission gallop. one of the goals is to improve life in afghanistan. we could be there 100 years. the mission used to be is what we are doing in afghanistan making america safer? are we destroying the people who attacked us on 911? have we pushed them into the mountains in pakistan? have we destroyed their ability to launch an attack. now the goal is create a democracy, prop it up, build better roads, change the agriculture policy, equal rights for women. all good stuff but that was no longer the mission. >> why don't we do that in youngstown, ohio. we have places in this country that needs money and economic development. the "washington post" poll says 51% narrowly thinks the war is

not worth fighting. talk about creeping here. what has crept up is people who don't like the water. a quarter of the country thinks we should send more troops. if the president goes against the base and the left that don't like this war he is challenging the people who voted for him. h. don't forget his opposition to the iraq war was his main point against his chief rival hillary clinton. he was in that sense a peace candidate. >> he covered himself by supporting the afghanistan war. was that a ploy or true belief? >> i'm sure it was true belief. i think the left in general had a position which was iraq was the wrong war, afghanistan was the right war. because they're the ones who hit us. al qaeda hit us. sheltered by the taliban. we ought to resource properly what we do in afghanistan. here he is as president biting off a huge task of counterinsurgency and nation building. we don't have a strong central government that isn't kruchlt. we have a corrupt government in

afghanistan. >> this is the part of politics i don't like in war. the presidents like nixon, i hold this against nixon, not all the other stuffs, maybe it was the worst, but keeping us in a war that was pretty clear we were going to lose by after '68, we were in a holding action. 30,000-some guys killed because we were in a holding action without a victory of any kind. roger, is there a mission realize bl here in a reasonable amount of time? if there isn't, why are we there? is there a reasonable mission the there? >> i don't know what a reasonable loss of life is. the cruelest irony or dilemma, if you will, is having destroyed apparently al qaeda's ability to attack us in the united states. we are sending them targets to kill. we have lost more people in afghanistan and iraq, more americans than we lost in 9/11. >> what to you make of the fact it's a standup war now, like

vietnam, the organized army began to face us. we're having fire fights that are real wars that in are in the movies. >> these are insurgents. this "the politics fix." this goes beyond the actual politics. certain tactics used, associated with the surge in iraq can be applied to afghanistan. we have to be -- >> the mission was to allow the people in iraq to get their political act together. does anyone believe afghanistan will get its political act together so we can leave like we're leaving iraq? >> president bush expressed to people he thought afghanistan would be tougher to get its act together than iraq. >> will they become the kind of country we're satisfied we can leave as stable? we'll be back to talk about the later topic of race and why it's raised its ugly head with david gregory and roger simon. s shoppr a new car, ♪

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we're back with david gregory and roger simon 37 david, i know where you stand. i heard in your column today. you think the white house, inside, you're talking to the big guys in there, are they saying they want this subject over with? >> absolutely. absolutely. the president does not want to take on congressman wilson and his attitude about government, about him, about race. we doesn't want to have that conversation. the president has been clear

publicly he thinks these kinds of matters become a circus. he watched the circus this summer. it didn't go well for him. it was also a lot of what played out in the town halls president thought was a circus. he's got a limited time to focus on people's minds on what he wants them to talk about. >> the racial piece, you think, what, what's that do to him? he's always been able to avoid it. >> it's terrible. jimmy carter is describing a world for 2 1/2 years barack obama and his staff said does not exist in america. we exist in a country where race doesn't divide us, where it's not that important, where we can overlook it. >> where that world? where is that country. >> we thought it was america. we elected the first african-american president. >> how early was it in the campaign when we were having a conversation about than an african-american really be elected president? can he get the nomination? can he really win in the general? now he's president. he got elected, crossed that barrier. now it's, can he really be

accepted? these are not questions the white house wants to be focused on right now. >> we have about 43% of the country, white people voted for him. >> he lost the white vote by 12 percentage points, a landslide. it's not like everyone in america voted for this guy. that doesn't mean if you voted for him you weren't against him because of race. you have jimmy carter making the over the top statements and saying they're an overwhelming portion of those intensely demonstrated against barack obama are racist, an overwhelming portion. i don't think it's an overwhelming portion. i think it's some of them. i don't see how he quantifies them. >> let me put to you, well daily kos polled people about this birther thing, is he one of us, an american? the regional breakdown was dramatic. most southerners thought he was from some other country or planet but didn't think he was from he.