>> there are some similarities to the lindsay lohan -- >> yeah, well, a fine rant as always. thank you so much. keli goff. that does it for us. "hardball's" up right now. all hail the coalition. let's play "hardball." obama-clich obama-clichbt. the best move he made was to forge a coalition with the other force in the democratic party, the clintons, naming hillary clinton was just the beginning. last week, she took the front line job. peace in the middle east. this week, bill clinton joined hands with obama touting him in advance of the midterm

elections. could there be a stronger role for the clintons after the election? we've got arianna huffington to help with the alliance. is the quote still taboo? we're talking christine o'donnell. our friend bill mahr rebroadcast a clip of o'donnell from the show in which she said she once dabbled in witchcraft. what will the voters of delaware make of that? that said, extremist rhetoric was the official language this weekend. dale peterson said things like, president obama hates america. you know, the usual stuff. this hatred has gotten far out. so far, how the democrats going to fight with it. how about newt gingrich? he's out with the kool-aid and sounding like a paranoid, or is

he, or just pretending to fire up his brand name. let me finish with what i saw in the town hall. we begin with the obama clinton coalition. arianna huffington, her new book, and howard fineman. let's go to arianna. it's enormous. everybody goes there. >> i thought you were going to congratulate me on bringing howard on board. >> well, i was going to start with you in your greatness. let's talk about the news. you cover progressive news better than anybody. let's call it the progressive centrist coalition and some moderate high thinking -- who voted for obama. how do you hold that thing

together? how do you blild the way blair built in britain. nobody does this better than mr. bill. >> i told the president last time i talked to him, i said, i don't think they're saying very many things they didn't say about me in '94. people just don't feel better and the democrats need to say, this is what we did, this is what happened and this is what we're going to do. their only chans is to shake their voters and respond to voter anger by saying, what's going to happen in the next two years, what do we need to do and who's more likely to do it. if that is the question, they can win that fight an be fine. if the election's about vote your mad, they won't do well. i just try to talk about what are we going to do. i think the president is beginning to do that.

>> arianna, if somebody wants the democrats to win the nomination, to hold the presidency next time, to do as good as you can, what's the smart move? >> what president clinton said, the anger is everywhere. not just in the tea party. i was at the convention in minnesota. they're angry. the problem is that the president and his administration have for so long said how much they've done right that they are not really addressing where people find themselves. 26 million with no jobs. they need to address that reality in which people are living. it's not just a matter of communication. and i love what clinton said about telling them about what you are going to do next to fix that. they haven't done that either. they talk about jobs being a priority, but they haven't

really produced a long list of suggestions, solutions that include republican ones. like a tax holiday. like a big infrastructure project with a chance to get through the congress. >> big question, not enough oomph. i can hear in her words, the criticism. they haven't done enough to get jobs back. >> well, it's not just the oomph. the thing about bill clinton was he always spoke in specifics that average people could understand. in every quick stop, gas station and cross roads in arkansas and he knew how to forget philosophy and bring it down to real things. he never underestimated the patience of the voters. he spoke in detail. he said, we have done this, we have done this. for this group, for that group. this is what's coming next. >> i think he also understood

the importance of cultural cues. i spent the weekend with my wife listening to tony blair's book. i think -- here it is, bill clinton boiling it down for the democrats. let's listen. >> i think the democrats ought to talk about the republican agenda. they want to repeal to national reform. the best student loan in history. they want to repeal not fixed health care. the democrats could focus on that and shake the voters out of their apathy, then we'll do fine. >> you know, i worry about tthe cause of this guy -- are saying terrible things.

people on radio are awful all the time now and now, the progressive left is yojoining i that with a ridicule of the president, failing to recognize he won with a coalition. not just with progressives. you've got all the numbers i've got and we know he didn't just win with the left. with the center. my question to you, how do you hold the left and center going into this election, both? >> you know what, chris, i don't think this is about left and right. this is about millions of people in this country really hurting and he needs to address that. the last poll that shows that now, while there are 72% of people who believe he understood the problems of people like us, now, this number is is down to 50%. now, that is really a huge, huge decline and he needs to make the american people believe that he really connects with where they're at right now. >> you think he's starting

today? i watched the whole thing. howard first. i think it's great to listen to people that are skeptical. a lot of the business type guys, pretty smart. they were grilling him today and he was taking it. >> he can handle it and that's good. the more he's out there talking to people who understand the economic situation -- >> and don't like him. i love it. >> he's perfectly capable of handling all that stuff. he's good at it. he's a lawyer. he is an emp thetic guy, but not always in situations where he can show it. >> why do they keep setting up up with those goof ball ringers? do you ever get tired of people not understanding your motives? arianna, i hate to be skeptical. the best thing you can do in baseball is throw a nice, hard pitch down the middle and the guy hit it as hard as you can. the worst thing, these puff ball

change-ups. it looks like an infomercial and i think the tell prompter ought to be sent so -- get rid of all the teleprompters and make him talk. >> this town hall meeting was extraordinary for me because of the questions from people like this woman who said, i'm a mother, i'm a wife. i'm an american and i'm one of your middle class americans and quite frankly, i'm exhausted. your heart went out because you could feel what you were going through. questions like the one who said, mr. president, i need you to answer this honestly. is this my new reality. she was talking about what her life was like. he didn't have compelling answers. >> we're on the same page. i thought, because i grew up

like this. my father began to make more money and we stopped having dried beef and hot dogs. she said, are we going back to hot dogs and beans they worked their way up and are afraid to go back to hot dogs. which is the equivalent of less expensive eating. she was better than he was. she was talking american life. >> he's a -- i hate to say it, he's still a professor some of the time. he's trying. you see him trying. you want him to get over the hump with these people and really say, as bill clinton would tell them to do. okay, here are the three things we've done for you now. your kids are going to get health care through the age of 26. you're going to get that student loan. you're going to get the help with unemployment benefits. >> i don't know. listen to what he says and critique it. that woman should be his

campaign manager because she's talking from us and regular people. this thing about fearing, you talk about it. i want you because you're rare to get on this show. this reset button, my wife talks about it. people are afraid of the reset meaning this. you work your way up to middle or to slightly above and we go, wait a minute, our kids i thought would start from there and go further. now, i'm afraid my kid wills get there and fall down from it cht that's the fear. >> they're not just afraid of the reset. they're living the reset. 100 million people in this country are now living at a standard of living that is not as good as their parents at the same age. we are number ten in upward mobility, in france and germany. >> we're below france? >> they're doing the american dream better than we are. >> i thought in france, you got

used to the fact that if your father was a baker, you're a baker. you tell me they've broken out of that? >> these numbers have changed and now, the middle class life has become a game of chance. if you're lucky, you'll have a middle class life, you're able to hold on to it. that's what the people who talk to him, who asked the question today, were expressing. >> can i give you a lecture? mario cuomo, one of my heroes, he said no matter how bad the news, always leave your people with some sort of hope at the end. i hear in your voice, i hear depression in your voice. >> my sense of hope is my entire section is all about hope. but my hope is about what the people are doing themselves to get their families out of financial trouble they're in. to bigger financial literacy.

go online, amazing site. >> the scary thing is that people are saving money now like they've never saved. and paying debt like they've never paid before. arianna, congratulations on your latest acquisition. howard fineman. thank you. what you have done, you've created -- you built something grand. the "huffington post." coming up, bill mahr found a video clip of christine o'donnell admitting she dabbled in witchcraft. can you undabble? that's the question. by the way, is it still strictly taboo? when we come back, o'donnell and witchcraft. what kind of a brew is she? plus, new poll numbers in our

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mike pence finished first with 24% of the vote. huckabee, 22%. romney, gingrich and palin rounded out the five. interestingly, the summit liked palin as number two after pence cht she took second place. i guess they're saying she's not presidential material, but vice presidential material. check your constitution. that means that you're capable of replacing the president. be careful. twice a year, every year you don't have an accident. the safe driving bonus® check. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water.

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the latest on the delaware senate race in a moment. first, let's look at something we're starting tonight. the "hardball" scoreboard. it's new tonight and we'll check

it through the election season into november 2nd. here's where some of the races stand now. the hot race in pennsylvania, the new poll shows pat toomey with a nine-point lead over sestak. that's a poll which some say may not be as accurate. in california, the newest public policy poll has senator boxer leading fiorina 50-42. that's a strong lead, but automated poll. and which party voters want control of congress is now 45-42, favoring the republicans although modestly. now, to delaware, where a political earthquake resulted in the country's introduction to the newly republican candidate. christine o'donnell. here's bill maher on his hbo show. >> christine, if you're watching, i created you. you need to come on this show.

if you don't, i'm going to show a clip every week. i'm the only one who has them. let me show this clip. this is from 1997 or something. >> you were a witch. >> i dabbled into witchcraft. i never joined a coven. >> you were a witch? >> i didn't join a coven. >> wait a minute. you're a witch -- >> i was a witch. that's exactly right. >> how could you be a witch? >> because i dabbled into witchcraft. i hung around people who were doing these things. i'm not making this stuff up. one of my dates, first date -- one of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar and i didn't know it. >> your first date was on a satanic altar? >> went on a date, then a little picnic. >> videotape it. it's dangerous stuff.

christine o'donnell came back with an answer to that question. >> bill wanted ratings. i gave him ratings. i was in high school. who didn't have interesting friends in high school? >> michelle bernard is an msnbc analyst. david corn, the washington bureau chief. strictly taboo. is it? >> i would say that as a candidate, she's probably not by cup of tea, no pun intended, but given what's happen wg the electorate all over the county tru, i don't think this is going to make a bit of difference. the people who intend to vote for her will vote for her no matter what. >> broom stick or not. >> this is rosemary's boo boo. >> i have to -- >> go ahead.

>> thank you for that. i have to believe that there are a few independent voters in delaware who still may not have their mind made up who are going to hear this and say, what. more importantly, bill maher may be the king maker here because he has also said that he has 22 clips of other shows she did when he hosted "politically incorrect" and if she doesn't appear on his show, he'll release them one at a time. so who knows what else might come up. people are going to vote for her no matter what, but that's a pretty tight base. how wide does that go? i don't know. >> the evangelicals don't like the mormons. there's anti-rc attitude out there. you see it every once in a while. is this a denominational thing

that might be a problem? christianity and witchcraft? i'm dead serious because a person who's taken a very strong, she said nothing so far about our shared religion which surprises me. it's our religion. a more conservative take, but certainly familiar where i was brought up. witchcraft seems to be a real departure. when i was a young person, going to an altar, it was just high jinx. >> i don't know what to make of it. you look at what independent voters are thinking. independent women's voice conducted a poll, doug sloan did it for us. >> your idea, but -- >> a democratic pollster, spoke with 1,000 likely voters.

self-identified independents and what they're saying is that this is abu beauty contest where all contestants are ugly. >> what was your theory about as long as that person is angry, we'll vote for him. >> i would hope there would be something that restricts it in a sense of not that far. independents are saying many of the republican party have gone too far right. if she stick ws the message of letting -- >> let's be fair. >> this is good witchcraft i'm sure. >> by the way, i have to ask you about something. we have to say thanks to brian williams tonight. he did an interview with former president jimmy carter and his sense of honesty and strict

attitude about saying what he thinks. here he is in an interview about why he did what he did recently. >> in the last photo of you with your fellow former president, you were well off to the side on the right. i thought to myself, there's a possible metaphor. what is it about you, you think, the way you've decided to conduct your life in post presidency, do you feel listened to, that you receive your due or do you feel in fact a part from the crowd? >> no, i feel that my role as a former president is superior to that of other presidents. primarily because of the activism and ejection of working of the center to international affairs and to some degree, domestic affairs.

>> president carter released this statement after the clip air ed -- i don't think that's what he meant. i think he was being very tough on the former presidents. he had a superior mission in life. admittedly, people like jerry ford, he's a good guy, he decided to go play golf and enjoy life. bill clinton's doing the global initiative, which is admirable. >> i think he was, to a degree, correct. not polite, but correct. compared to george herbert walker bush -- he became more of a public servant after being president. compared to the presidents before him and near him, he's done a lot more. now, whether you say that to brian williams or not is a whole different matter.

>> the truth, raw truth, as he sees it. >> i think he meant what he said. thank you. polite, no. correct, but not polite. tomorrow night, we'll have more on christine o'donnell as bill maher himself will be our guest. up next, sarah palin goes to iowa and talks about running, but that's not what you think. check out the side show. she's doing a little tease out there. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc. [ male announcer ] if you've had a heart attack caused by a completely blocked artery, another heart attack could be lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack that's caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. but plavix helps save lives. plavix, taken with other heart medicines, goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone, to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots.

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first up, a defensive marriage. president obama's town hall this afternoon got amazingly real. talk about reality tv. >> there aren't jobs out there.

i took advantage of the loans you were just speaking about, but i can't make the interest payments on those loans today, let alone think about getting a mortgage, having a family, having even a marriage. awfully expensive, and -- >> i'm not going to comment on that. >> let me just say that whatever the expense, it's worth it. >> as american as apple pie. meanwhile, sarah palin did what every reporter thought she would do. the corny political tease. >> i want to get outside and see iowa and todd says, i don't know. i think you should go downsta s downstairs, run on that treadmill. i say, why would i want to stay

in doors. todd says, if anybody spots you in tennis shoes, it's going to be palin, in iowa, decided to run. >> i think we're talking sometime early next year. while joe miller owes his very senate candidacy to palin, he has an odd way of showing it. here he is on fox news sunday. >> do you think that sarah palin is qualified to be president and would you like to see her run? >> you know, i'm running a u.s. senate race right now. that's what i'm focused on. i've been asked about various candidates through the country during this race. that's not my role to comment on those candidacies. >> did you love that three-second pause? how's that for a warm alaskan embarrass? palin just made this guy.

now for the big numbers. georgia's big republican candidate for governor is having a hard time. why? he made some risky business decisions over the years, drawing on big bank loans and investing in his daughter's now bankrupt sporting goods store. he's over $5 million in debt and running for governor. he may have to sell his house to avoid foreclosure. whatever happened to good old republican cash and carry. up next, how should democrats take on the energy, the enthusiasm and let's face it, the electricity of the tea party. th insurance, but i just can't afford it. i have diabetes. i didn't miss a premium payment for 10 years. and i'm worried if i lose my job, i won't be able to afford insurance. when i graduated from college, i lost my health insurance. the minute i got sick, i lost my insurance. not anymore. not anymore. not anymore.

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it could be a september to remember. stocks are on track for the best september in 71 years. the s&p 500 climbing 17 to break out of that tight trading range it's been in. and the nasdaq is surging 40 points. the national bureau of economic research says the longest recession since world war ii is over, but the pace of recovery is slow, especially in the jobs and housing sectors. investors are hoping the federal reserve will throw out a hint about feature stimulus moves and it discusses rates on tuesday and gold prices have been bouncing off new highs the last four days. in fact, investors went bargain hunting today leading to big gains spurred by better than expected earnings from leonard.

these folks aren't serious about the deficit. not if they want to spend another $100 billion without paying for it. to give tax breaks to people who don't need it and weren't asking for it. that's their agenda. that's what they're offering the american people. a future that looks like a recent past that did not work for you. one where special interest got reign to play their rules and middle class families left to fend for themselves. philadelphia, that's not a future i expect for america. if you don't accept that future for this nation, then we've got to have your help in this election. >> that's president obama in pennsylvania late this afternoon campaigning for joe sestak, the

long time admiral. how can democrats compete with the energy of the tea party that's brought the voters on the right to their feet? kendrick meeks, thanks so much for joining us. here's the guy named dale peterson. he's running an ad, let's talk about some of the tough ads running. here he is on saturday's values voters summit. >> until we get rid of berry or barack or i haven't seen the birth certificate, i don't know what he is. i may get arrows or bullets shot at me, but we got a guy that hates america. i'm just going to go ahead and say it. >> what do you make of that? your fellow american destroying the reputation of the president.

calling him barry, suggesting he's not born in america. you get the works. you know what they're up to. >> well, i think the best thing we can do, chris, is not pay attention to that kind of language. folks are losing their jobs. we have the threat of folks running for office that are willing to give tax breaks to the super wealthy that will send us into a $700 billion deficit spending over the next several years. it's important we focus on getting people back to work. it's very unfortunate that kind of discourse is taking place and in florida, we feel standing up for the middle class as i've done is going to help us win this race and i think in the final analysis, americans are going to frown on that kind of activity and those that rally around it. >> let's take a look at the man everybody respects. colin powell. let's listen. >> one, the president was born in the united states of america.

let's get rid of that one. let's attack him on policy, not nonsense. next, he is a christian. he is not a muslim. 20% of the people say he is a muslim. 80% apparently do not believe he's a muslim. >> 31% of republicans say he's a muslim. well, surprise, surprise. if the unemployment rate was down to 4%, then you would find only 5% thinking he's muslim. >> well, there's a moderate american political figure. how do you hold the center in this election? >> hold it through a plan that will get america back to work. the president came in, a number of other folks in congress, to lay down the floor as it relates to stopping us from going into a depression. we were already heading into a recession. it has lasted longer than expegted, but right now, we know in 2011, that there will be a rebound. there will be a rebound this year as it relates to private

sector jobs. private sector jobs have been added, but it's very, very important we fight hard and talk about tax cuts for the middle class, how we're going to get high speed flail this country. some of the same music that the right was playing two years ago got us into this mess that we're in right now. $700 billion in unpaid for tax cuts is not the way to go. what's important is giving tax cuts to small businesses and the mid ld class and we're going to fight for them. >> thank you very much. up next, what's newt gingrich up to? we are going to talk about it. he says president obama's leading a secular socialist machine. it's the latest outrageous statement from newt. is he okay? just trying to act a little

weird like juaquin phoenix putting on an act. what is is story of this guy? [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. lord of the carry-on. sovereign of the security line. you never take an upgrade for granted. and you rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle. and go. you can even take a full-size or above. and still pay the mid-size price. i deserve this. [ male announcer ] you do, business pro. you do.

go national. go like a pro. if you bought into the idea there was a rift between president obama and jerry brown? forget about it. the president has not only endorsed brown, but he's coming to california to campaign for the guy. brown recently apologized to obama for the joke. former president clinton's visit is good news for brown who trails meg whitman. "hardball" will be right back. ready to try something new? campbell's has made changes.

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one front, we have a secular, socialist machine led by obama, pelosi and reid and on the other front, we have radical islamists who would fundamentally change this country into a system none of us would recognize. >> we're back now as former house speaker newt gingrich on saturday, newt spewing out the molten lava. here's more of him on saturday. >> i have no problem with the mosque that exist in new york city that are peaceful and obey american law, but am opposed to any effort to impose shariaen o the united states and we should have a -- federal law that says

under no circumstances in any jurisdiction in the will sharia used by any court. and we should make clear to justice briar and kagan, who both seem confused on this topic, that no judge will remain in office who tries to use sharia law. >> what do we make of this? this is like that professor henry hill from hell. joe writes for salon.com. eric from media matters. eric, how do you decide with what to do with stuff so awful, there's nobody imposing sharia law, cutting off hands in the united states and yet, he's

worse than a yahoo, he's playing them. this is an absurd statement aimed at rousing up the crazy people to be even crazier. >> it's just pure. it's just, it's beyond offensive and idiotic. hopefully the days of newt gingrich being taken seriously are over. earlier in the debate about the mosque, he equated supporters with nazis. last year, he called judge sotomayor a racist. >> why do you think this goes on? because the previous office, he was given the status of a regular political figure than the crazy person? >> absolutely. he's a failed speaker of the house from a decade ago. right after obama was inaugurated, gingrich was

everywhere. he has no base. no real responsibility. >> joe, is this in a -- you don't call mister. is there something where he's given the status of a regular political figure even though he says these horrible things because of an office he once held? >> on some level, he's regarded as a possible presidential candidate. he's getting ready for 2012. he's positioning himself on the right. but, you know, look, he's raising money all the time. you get e-mails from events and other places featuring newt gingrich and he knows this stuff sells. there's a minority of people who buy into this outlandish rhetoric and hate speech he indulges in and it's always worked for him, chris. go back to go pack where he had

a list of names. this is the essential newt gingrich. >> here's gingrich talking to the national view -- national review," quote it's. and only if you understand kenyan anticolonial behavior can you begin to piece together his actions. that is the most accurate, predictive model for his behavior. a person who is fundamentally out of touch with how the world works. here's a person arguing, eric. >> yeah. >> that the president was united states, who gave us his entire autobiography wrote it for himself which separates most politician, written it by land, told us everything about his life and now they're trying to take him back, almost taking him back to ellis island and pushing him backwards where his parents came from and sending him off to africa again, saying, that's who are. it's an incredibly un-american thing to do, i think. >> it is disgusting and this

idea that they're going to smear obama because he was born to his father. i mean, this is just off the charts, but again the conservative movement and particularly on the media side there's no adult supervision, so this is what happens when you hand things off to sort of these media carnival barkers like limbaugh, like glenn beck and newt gingrich, clearly is a media figure. you know they have tacked so far to the right nobody wants to be left to the crazy train. >> no supervision. mitch mcconnell and john boehner made their listen in the center who draw federal paychecks from a majority of people in their district who vote for them who do not include a major istnuts obviously. i don't know what they make. isn't there a whistle in this playground to make your point, no adult supervision, a great line. here he is, former secretary, colin powell, the very opposite of being newt gingrich on "meet the press" yesterday. let's lift seen in mr. gingrich does this from time to time with a big bold statement and he does it occasionally to make news and

also stir up dust. it may appeal to the fringe elements of the party, but i don't think it appeals to all republicans. and i don't think it appeals to the whole country. this kind of chatter he's a kenyon channeler and all of this sort of stuff makes a lot of news. and you will find that governor palin and people on the right side of the political spectrum and along with the tea party move the really are getting a lot of attention, a lot of news and a lot -- they're making a lot of noise and they're making a lot of -- a lot of chatter throughout our political system. and that's fine. that's good. but i don't think anybody should grab that and think that's the entire country. >> you know, when i hear him speak, guys, it reminds me of the old days growingun. comes back from the crusades and saves the day from robinhood. the good anyways come home and there is colin powell, as good as ever, getting better all of the time. i'm stunned by him, joe. i mean the guy is the only adult in the playground, my -- your thoughts. >> well, certainly in the

republican side insofar as general powell still identifies as a republican, he sounds reasonable compared to everything else that's coming from that side of the aisle these days. i think he could had been a little tough or newt gingrich. i mean, look, newt gingrich lived a lie. he imposed a lie on this country when he poses the moral scourge of the congress when he was speaking going after clinton and now we know this guy, you know, was not an avatar of morality. he'd treated 2 out of 3 wives incredibly badly. he was carrying on an affair with a staff member while he was going after clinton. i mean, why would anybody listen to him criticize the background of barack obama? it shows how gullible a lot of people in the right would thab they'd stand there and applaud this character. >> well, i guess christine o'donnell's not the only republican messing around with witchcraft these days. when you look at this guy i think that you are looking at metastofolese. do you agree? is this the mate stofly figure

of our time. >> and as colin powell said he makes these statements from time to time. it's not every week. again he equated mosque supporters as nazis and now he's talking about obama's kenyon world ru and things like that. it is consistent. >> thank you, we have to go. eric, keep posting the information we rely on media matters. thank you, joe conasson, as ever. i love why the the new york observer." what we saw from president obama today, it was good stuff that the cnbc town meeting. a great format for the president. hey, did you ever finish last month's invoices? sadly, no. oh. but i did pick up your dry cleaning and had your shoes shined.

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let me finish tonight with president obama's live interview today on cnbc. this is barack obama at his best answering questions before a live audience. it's a fabulous way to catch him thinking outloud. also listening in realtime to people's questions. we need to get a lot of votes because what a leader is thinking, how he or she is getting to his or her policies can be as important as the policies themselves. economics can be obscure. a leader's motives and reasoning are far imaginable. is to punish them because they make more than the national average or is it because the country needs that money going to pay for valuable, often necessary purposes? today i got the clear impression that the president supports increasing tax rates for the very wealthy, back to 1990's level for the basic reason that the country needs that money for good reasons. and it's not sound finance to further run up the national debt. i think it's vital too that the

president of the united states be out there taking good questions and not just from ringers. what's good about today is that many the questions from people who may very well not have voted for him and even more likely walked into that room today not intend fog vote democratic this time. it's good to hear skepticism from people right there in the president's face. facing him down with it. not simply from people ourselves come across. the great thing about today's give and take is it placeses president in the same world of people who are not of his cheering section much less of his entourage. i have one small tweak to make to what the president said today. he should stop saying that giving people tax cuts is giving people money. it's their money. a tax cut is when the government doesn't take our money. it's an important distinction. he talked today, for example, about people getting a check from the government in the form of a tax cut. that's not the way it works. if tax rates are kept lower it's a matter of the check going to the government