like. and that's "hardball" for now. "politics nation" with al sharpton starts right now. welcome to "politics nation." i'm al sharpton. tonight's lead -- mitt romney's taxing situation. now even his go-to supporter chris christie is saying he should release his returns. >> what i would say to governor romney is if you have tax returns to put out, you know, you should put them out. put them out sooner rather than later because it's always better in my view, to have complete disclosure and especially when you are the front-runner. >> well, for once, governor christie has got it right. could willard be trying to hide something? >> what's the effective rate i've been playing? it's probably closer to the 15% rate than anything. >> ah, yes. maybe he's hiding 15 things. we do know that mitt romney's

net worth is as much as $250 million. but he only pays a 15% tax rate because his money comes from investments. you know who pays more, a lot more? warren buffett's secretary. and millions of middle class americans. she earns $60,000 a year and pays double romney's tax rate. almost 30%. that's right. a man making millions of dollars pays a lower tax rate than your average secretary. and what's worse, romney's looking to make his tax burden less, not more. he is promising to keep the bush tax cuts in place because if they expire, people at his income level will have to pay a lot more. in his case, as much as $4 million more. as we have reported here again and again on this show, the rich in this country have seen their

income skyrocket over the past 30 years. but the income for the poor has remained stagnant. should we really be looking to elect the poster child for unfairness? if you don't want to ask me, ask newt. >> i fully expect the romney campaign to be unendingly dirty and dishonest for the next four days because they are desperate. they thought they could buy this. they are discovering they can't buy this. i think they are now going to -- i think they have internal polls that show them losing, and i think they will do anything at any level. >> joining me now is jerod bernstein, an msnbc contributor and the former chief economist for vice president biden and steve karnecki, political columnist for salon.com. thank you both for coming on the show. >> thank you. >> sure. >> jerod, before we do anything, can you explain romney's 15% tax

problem? because when i say unfairness, i want people to understand the 15% and why many of us think that's unfair. >> sure. it has to do with the source of his income. now we don't know this, but presumably and i'm sure we're right based on his statements, the fact is that the vast majority of his income must come from what economists call assets or unearned income. not from the kind of wages, the paycheck, that warren buffett's secretary makes. and we have a tax system that is hugely tilted to the advantage of capital gains, dividends, pass-through income, debt financing, which was huge for bain capital. the kinds of incomes that a guy like mitt romney has face a tax rate of about 15%. so when he said i pay the 15% rate, really what he was saying was i take advantage of all these favors that the tax code does for the very rich. >> now so we are not talking

about him maybe trying to hide the fact he's very wealthy because that's already understood. >> right. >> the figures are not what a lot of people want to see. it's what percentage of his -- the rate, the tax rate, what percentage does he pay based on this unfair capital gain tax percentage and why -- and the bush tax cuts which he wants to maintain. >> the bush tax cuts made the tax code even more tilted to this asset-based income. it also, by the way, and this gets back to bain capital, to private equity, it also tilts the tax code in favor of debt finance. so one of the reasons we end up with so much leverage in our economy before we had the big debt bubble that ended up really generating the great recession was -- one reason is because the tax code favors this kind of speculation. meanwhile, folks who are drawing paychecks like the rest of us, are facing rates that are much

higher than that. >> now, steve, the politics of this. let me tell you what is also confusing to a lot of people. here we are where we clearly have dealt with the inequality in this country as the issue that we ended last year and going into this year on. why would willard mitt romney risk this, and how will this roll itself out? all of us have had to deal with when we ran for president, when i did you had to make disclosures. i've had a running battle to the irs we've just solved and i've had to disclose, do whatever. then he said something very interesting. let me show you what he said yesterday. >> i know that if i'm the nominee people will want to see the most recent year and see what happened in the most recent year and what things are up to date and so they'll want to see the tax returns that come out in april. >> now when i saw that clip, steve, what rung in my ear as

one thas rt ran for president a had to deal with it. the most recent year. so he was cutting off the ring before we start the fight. because when president obama ran, he released six years of taxes. when willard mitt romney's father ran, he released 12 years. so is mitt romney saying, by that clip, that he's only talking about possibly when he becomes the nominee releasing one year? which he hasn't even filed yet which would explain why he wants to do it in april because he can file this april, pay a higher tax rate or do something to clean up what he's been doing for years, release one year and we never really get an answer as to how he was doing business as a candidate that we should be able to look at what he was doing. >> i think there 24 things. there are two potential loopholes here he's looking at. one is the timing issue. he was asked point blank in a debate, will you release your tax returns. he had rick perry saying to him, we need to know now and not after you are the nominee what's in there.

he said, no, i'm going to wait until april and claimed there was some tradition of doing it around tax day. he wants the nomination sewn up before he does this. and then the issue in the clip with the one year thing. part of that may be the 15%. the thing i'm hearing, and i want to careful here because this story just broke tonight and i haven't had a chance to look tattoo closely. but a story talks about mitt romney being invested having offshore investments. and the idea being he can clean that up potentially on the 2011 return but not so much on the past returns. so if the story out there now that just broke an hour or two ago holds up, then the past years would offer a lot of clues, a lot of information about his offshore activity that maybe the 2011 return wouldn't. >> offshore. you are talking about this story that abc is reporting? let me show you this. i don't want to show off but we get things here by the minute. they are saying we understand that he has as much as maybe $8 million invested in at least 12

funds on a cayman islands registry. another investment between $5 million and $25 million also domiciled in the caymans. bain capital, get this, has set up some 138 secretive offshore funds in the caymans. now i'm sure all of this is legal, but the question becomes offshore. we're dealing with all kinds of questions here. shouldn't the american people have the right to know all of this? >> well, right. and that's why all of the events of the last few days are really, i think, ratcheting up the pressure on romney to do this sooner than later. you have chris christie going off message and reinforcing it. the story about his father. you got how uncomfortable he was in the debate. you got him saying i pay the 15% rate. now you have this story. we're in the middle of january. he's waiting three months until mid-april. i have a hard time not seeing how this is going to reach ch s

critical mass before then. >> we've not confirmed all of it, but it's clearly coming out. it may be legal, but is it fair? >> it probably is legal and it's certainly not fair. look. here's the thing. what mitt romney is doing is the same thing that most of the dennisons of the top 1 or top tenth of the 1% are doing which is to take advantage of a tax code that massively favors the kinds of income and the kinds of opportunities they have. whether it's debt financing, whether it's capital gains, whether it's offshore accounts. this stuff is legal. the problem that i see, the larger problem, much bigger than mitt romney the candidate is what does this is a about this moment in economic time? are we a nation that needs a dennison of that top 1% to govern things going forward. is this someone who can make the right calls on the tax system,

on revenue, on jobs, on investment? and if you look at the record of the economy when you pursue all of those kinds of rules, all those dynamics that favor the very tippy top, you've seen it's been terrible for the middle class and the poor. i think the larger lesson here is that the economics of a guy like mitt romney putting him aside but someone who has that kind of economic profile has been a terrible economics for the middle class. that's the most important message in my view for the electorate to take from this. >> well, let me say. i think i wanted to be very clear to our listeners that we are not talking about his wealth. we're not envious or jealous of your lifestyle and your success, willard. we're talking about fairness. that's why we're saying that even chris christie is right. let us know the rate you are paying. let us know the offshore stuff you are doing. let us know the bases in your

life that you make these economic policy position decisions. i think the american people need to know the numbers are not as important as what you believe and what you do shows us what you believe. jerod bernstein and karnacki, thank you. president obama delivers a big and surprising win to the progressive community. we'll have the story. plus -- newt gingrich racially charged campaign. it's not what he was saying a few years ago. and wisconsin governor scott walker, a media blitz to save his job. will it work? you're watching "politics nation" on msnbc. are you crazy? i would never go out without my covergirl. i want to look natural, not naked!

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newt gingrich was cheered today for racial politics. but just three years ago, he spoke at one of my events. and it was a different story then. what's with you? trouble with a car insurance claim. [ dennis ] switch to allstate. their claim service is so good, now it's guaranteed. [ foreman ] so i can trust 'em. unlike randy. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. mid grade dollar for dollar, nobody dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze

wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback right now, get 5% cashback at gas stations. it pays to discover. welcome back to "politics nation." the house of representatives is back in session, and they are picking up right where they left off. earlier, house republicans blocked president obama's request to raise the nation's debt limit. that's right. they are going right back to that low point. it will have no impact whatsoever. it was simply a symbolic move.

new session, same old games. but, remember, this is who they are. >> your idol, as i've read, anyway, was ronald reagan. and he compromised. >> he never compromised his principles. >> so you did compromise? >> we found common ground. >> why won't you say -- you are afraid of the word. >> i reject the word. >> boehner and cantor won't compromise, but a new poll shows 85% of americans want republicans to compromise with democrats. but this my way or the highway attitude has now taken over the republican race for president. we are also seeing them take a hard right run to the extreme. we see it on the issue of abortion and a personhood pledge that says abortion is no longer okay in cases of rape and incest. we see it on the issue of immigration where the dream act is treated as an insult, and we

see it on entitlements where they want to obliterate reform and change them totally. but on the other side of the fence is the president of the united states, barack obama, fighting to get something done while republicans stay further and further away from the mainstream. joining me now, joe madison, host of "mornings with madison" on sirius xm radio and msnbc analyst richard wolffe, author of "revival, the struggle for survival inside the obama white house." thank you both for being here tonight. >> thanks, reverend. >> richard, how out of step are these republicans with what americans want? >> well, out of step that they've helped a president who is still struggling with high unemployment improve his approval ratings. he's gone from the low 40s to the high 40s. it's better. it's not great. he's stronger because he's taken on republicans. he said he can't wait. he's shown more activity since that debt ceiling crisis and

spectacular showdown. he has really improved his performance in the polls and, you know, republicans thought this election year would be easy because of the state of the economy. they overreached. they've stumbled. they've set this president up for much better position in election year. >> joe, when you look at, as i said, abortion, immigration, entitlements, let me show you what their stand is on entitlements so you can respond. all of the candidates -- republican candidates say that they are -- that our federal government's investment in medicare should be slashed and value supported the privatization of social security. we are looking at people that are far, far away even from the compassionate conservatism of george bush. >> and we're looking at people who are also, i think, very duplicitous. i think they are dishonest and quite honestly, i think they

have demonized the poor to the point that they have even demonized those in their own party. let us be honest about it. you mention newt gingrich and how he demonized the poor and his attitude, how he said there was no role models. there was no culture. i think santorum said a culture of marriage. but yet when he was with you, there were role models in those audiences all the time. has he forgotten the teachers? has he forgotten the leaders that he sat on the -- >> the parents. >> the parents that met with you folks. >> i'm going to show a little of that in a few minutes. but go ahead. >> the sad thing is people in their own party depend on these programs. and that's why you are getting the reaction that you are getting. the percentages that you are getting in these polls.

they are kicking their own grandmothers under the bus with medicare. that's what's really happening. >> richard, when you look at these polls, the american people, just on entitlements, 66% when they were asked whether social security benefits should be reduced in the future, 66% say no. it is not only politically unwise. the reason that these programs are being polled so high is because people need them. they work. >> and that's the problem for republicans right now. as they look to emphasize deficits. the question is, are they in touch with what people are going through right now? and are you dealing with a short-term crisis that older people, poorer people have right now, or are you just focusing on the longer term fop come back to president bush who was just cited a moment ago. he'd struggle to get his own party's nomination right now. he was for immigration reform. he increased the entitles with medicare prescription drug

benefit and he put a mandate on the state through no child left behind. it would not fit with the republican party today. >> now, joe, if romney were to be the nominee and go on and win, even saying romney's economic agenda is anything but moderate. now it's interesting. he then says, quote, this isn't a bush-like agenda. it's much more right wing. if romney wins, he'll think he has a mandate to push these crushing cuts to public investments and the safety net. this is frightening to a lot of people that need that safety net. people that in many cases work but don't make enough money. people that are seniors. i mean what does this really say to those people, mr. madison? >> well, what it says, reverend sharpton, is that people who --

and you've left a large segment of people out. people who are laid off their jobs for no reason that they caused. because we had, as you pointed out in the last segment, this speculating type of economy where the gamblers in our economic system were given unfair tax benefits while working poor people found themselves losing their jobs. what you have for example in south carolina are people who worked in the textile industry, reverend sharpton. these were people who went to work every day, worked hard. sometimes they got sick from inhaling lint. all they wanted was good health care. all they wanted was an opportunity to improve their lives and their children's lives. that's what the automotive industry was about in detroit. it improved the lives of future generations. so what you've left out and what it means to these people is that

you have a man who will sit there and give tax benefits to people who actually put americans out of work, stopped manufacturing in this country and go around the world looking for the cheapest labor that they can -- their bottom feeders when it comes to labor. and american people -- and especially working people, should never be bottom feeders. never. >> richard, let me get also to a little politics of this. sarah palin has emerged again. and she kind of gave a tepid kind of endorsement to mr. gingrich. let me show it to you. >> if i had to vote in south carolina, in order to keep this thing going, i'd vote for newt and i would want this to continue. >> so you have sarah palin saying she would vote for newt just to keep it going. but if romney is able to survive

and do well in south carolina, pretty much locks up the nomination. if he's facing barack obama, has he put himself in a tight squeeze that he's gone so far right he can't get back main stream for the general election? >> i think he'll try and say those comments he made maybe didn't really represent what he felt and that romney version one, rather than romney version two or three was what he really represented. but the tape is out there. and this contest that's been going on for a long time may be ending prematurely for someone like sere palin. if it ends in south carolina or florida. but he's got a year's worth of material where he has gone further and further to the right on things like abortion rights, on taxes and now he's got his own pickle on his own tax situation. i think he's got so many problems that, honestly, it makes john kerry's track record in 2004 look clean. ahead, more on president obama, his approval ratings are

up. but there are some storm clouds. how does he prevail? the head of the democratic party is here live to explain the strategy with us. thank you, richard. thank you, joe. [ 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.

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right wing golden boy scott walker's political career is in grave trouble. more than 1 million people want him out. so he's on a massive pr blitz.

in the last few days he's been everywhere. i mean this guy is all over the air waves. he's playing the victim. he says unions are out to get him and he says the people of wisconsin really like him. >> the big government union bosses that's drove this election and the opportunities in the state of wisconsin in the democratic party ultimately want us to fail. >> we chose to think about our kids and grandkids. >> the real opponent will be this money coming in from out of state from the government unions. >> i think we'll earn the trust from the people aghan ain in 20. >> you didn't run on union busting. governor, the people of wisconsin won't stop fighting to finish what they started and neither will we. and i took nyquil but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] sorry, buddy. truth is, nyquil doesn't un-stuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] it doesn't have a decongestant. really?

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re-election strategy, new polling shows the national barometer is moving slowly but steadily in his direction. overall, he has seen a bump in approval in the last two months and a brand new pew poll puts him five points ahead of likely opponent mitt romney. but that's not all. these same polls also show more americans see a brighter future. we've seen an eight-point jump in the percentage of people who think the country is on the right track. and a nine-point jump in the percentage of americans who feel the economy is improving. 55% of americans believe that unfairness in the economic system is the biggest problem in america. with unemployment still at 8% and gop obstructionists blocking most solutions, it won't be an easy road back to the white house. but as we all know, slow and steady can definitely win the

race. joining me now is florida congresswoman debbie wasserman schultz, chairwoman of the democratic national committee. thanks for joining me tonight. >> thank you reverend al. great to be with you. >> let me ask you this. is the president on the right track to win in november in your judgment? >> well, i think that there is going to be a really dramatic contrast between the -- anyone in the republican field and president obama because for his entire term, president obama has been fighting for the middle class, fighting for working families, pushing hard to get this economy turned around and to create jobs. he's taken us from a point where we were bleeding 750,000 jobs a month when he first took office, thanks to the failed republican policies of the past, and now three years later we've had 22 straight months of job growth in the private sector. we've created about 3 million jobs for those last 22 months, and we're moving, as you just said, slowly but steadily in the right direction. and we need to pick up that pace

of change and improvement. but the republicans believe that we should return to the failed policies of the past. do things like end medicare as we know it. allow people to invest their social security in the stock market. how would that have worked out in the last few years? and basically structure our tax policy in america so we can help people who are already doing very well do even better. that's the dramatic contrast. and i think president obama ultimately on november 6th, will go back to the white house because i think most folks want the president fighting for them and not for the wealthiest 1%. >> now congresswoman, you and i know that a nice civil discussion on facts is not how these guys are planning to run this election. >> yeah, that's -- >> let me give you an example. i'm going to show you sound. president obama said at a campaign stop in canton, ohio, back in october 2008 that has already been distorted by the romney camp taking it out of context. listen to this. >> sure. >> because that's how you play

the game in washington. if you can't beat your opponents' ideas you distort those ideas and maybe make some up. if you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run away from. >> now that's the way they are rolling. let me show you what he actually said. >> which is why his campaign said that if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose. that's why he's spending these last weeks calling me every name in the book. because that's how you play the game in washington. if you can't beat your opponent's ideas, you distort those ideas and maybe make some up. if you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run away from. >> so here they have an ad taking the last part of what the president said referring to what his opponent does and what they are doing in washington. they are not going to play fair, congresswoman. >> no, they are not.

that's right. and that's why we need to make sure that we continue our effort to stand up the most robust grassroots presidential campaign in american history. and we have been doing that. we've logged hundreds and hundreds of thousands of calls, had tens of thousands of one on one meetings in battleground states and states across the country, really connecting with real people who are engaging in our campaign, getting out and doing the door knocks and the phone calls for president obama while the republicans are focused on courting and raising money from special interests and the wealthiest americans. and that's again another dramatic contrast. >> now the grassroots campaign on the ground certainly it was something unparalleled in political history in '08 and you are saying you're going to duplicate it in 2012. but you are also doing something else. "the new york times" says that you already have the re-election campaign has already bought time for ads in key swing states.

already they've bought it. michigan, ohio, virginia, north carolina. ads that hit the air as early as tomorrow maybe. >> now, al, you know i'm not going to start sharing information about ad buys and things like that. >> i have to try. >> as much as i would love to break that news on your show, that is not something i think i'm going to be able to do right now. good try, though. >> well, i have to try. let me try another one. any comment on these reports that mr. romney, who may be your opponent, has money on -- in offshore accounts in the caymans? >> you know, i think there are countless examples of mitt romney being dramatically out of touch with the average middle class working family. and not the least of which was the revelation he made the other day that his tax rate that he pays approaches 15%. he still refuses to release his

tax returns, even chris christie, the governor of new jersey, one of his biggest backers said the governor needs to release those tax returns sooner rather than later. we have already gotten a glimpse of what mitt romney is trying to hide. that he is completely out of touch and really -- and doesn't pay nearly the tax rate that most middle class americans pay. we need to make sure that mitt romney comes clean on all kinds of things. >> congresswoman debbie wasserman schultz, chairperson of the dnc, thanks for your time tonight. >> thanks, as always, al. coming up, newt gingrich's latest campaign strategy is to play an ugly stereotype. it's offensive. but it's not what he was saying when he and i worked together. why the change, newt? my response ahead. and the president says no to a risky pet project for big oil. you know the gop won't like this one. stay with us. irl? two covergirls.

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refineries in texas. it would cross the largest source of freshwater in the united states. a spill of this toxic sludge would be an environmental and economic disaster. and, of course, the gop wasted no time weighing in on his decision. >> and by deciding to block the development of the keystone pipeline, he has essentially decided to block the creation of 20,000 new jobs. >> this is not the end of the fight. republicans in congress will continue to push this because it's good for our country and it's good for our economy and it's good for the american people, especially those looking for work. >> but they are lying about job creation. it's just bogus. check out this cornell university study that shows the true number of jobs the keystone would create. isn't even close to 20,000. it's 6,500. at "politics nation" we know the real story. we talked exclusively to a

whistleblower. here's what he told me. >> this pipeline is nothing more than a toxic man-made river being built across our country. i don't understand why they would be willing to risk human lives for big oil. there's no reason to hurry the project like this. it should be studied. it should be looked at. >> the president is standing up against big oil. he knows the danger of the pipeli pipeline. crossover? if there were buttons for this? wouldn't it be cool if your car could handle the kids... ♪ ...and the nurburgring? or what if you built a car in tennessee that could change the world? yeah, that would be cool. nissan. innovation for today. innovation for tomorrow. innovation for all. ♪

the best approach to foodn for all. is to keep it whole for better nutrition. that's what they do with great grains cereal. they steam and bake the actual whole grain while the other guy's flake is more processed. mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal. we're back with the ugly racial politics playing in the republican race. newt gingrich has been at the center of it. ripping the president as the food stamp president and calling for poor kids to go to work as janitors. his heated exchange with juan williams is still drawing outrage. >> and we think unconditional efforts by the best food stamp

president in american history to maximize dependency is terrible for the future of this country. i'm going to continue to find ways to help poor people learn how to get a job, learn to get a better job and one day own the job. >> the crowd loved it. on martin luther king day, the crowd went wild with a standing ovation for newt. but just three years ago on the same day, martin luther king jr. day, newt got another ovation. only this time it was at my national action network's martin luther king jr. education rally. we came together for the good cause of education. the event also happened to be a day before president obama was inaugurated. here's newt talking about the food stamp president that day.

>> i am thrilled to be here, and i am thrilled that on this historic week that each of you is here. tomorrow we will inaugurate a historic first african-american president of the united states. it is -- it will be great for america. >> here's what newt said about education. >> now i am attracted to and supportive of what the reverend al sharpton is doing because he correctly understands that education is the key civil rights issue of the 21st century. we should have a simple yard stick. is every child in america

getting what they need so they can lead a full life and what do we have to do not to change it in 20 years but to change it fast enough to save the future of every child in america. thank you. good luck. >> interesting. newt forgot to tell us that there were no role models because there was a thousand parents sitting out in the audience. he forgot to tell us that really what we needed to do was demand jobs, not food stamps. he forgot to tell us to make those young people in those schools that he said he commended and supported me, he forgot to tell me to tell them that they ought to be janitors working and forgetting everything else. he forgot the demagoguery of today. i'll tell you why. because he's planning to get voters to do things like this lady that stopped him today in

south carolina. >> i would like to thank you, mr. speaker, for putting mr. juan williams in his place the other night. his supposed question was totally ludicrous, and we support you. >> thank you very much. >> putting juan williams in his place. well, what place might that be? and ludicrous to say it's offensive to stereotype people in a wrong way acting as if blacks were the ones getting food stamps? and you forgot, by the way, mr. gingrich, even after the president was inaugurated and after he was well into his term, you and i met with the president around education. he sent us on tour together. let me show you if you forgot, a picture of the meeting. you forgot to tell him he was a food stamp president then. we're sitting there in the oval office talking to him with

valerie jarrett sitting there. oh, he's in his place. he's in the oval office. i want to keep him in his place, mr. gingrich. and we're not going to demagogue to do that. [ sponge ] the prognosis is bleak. you may need to soak overnight. nurse...! [ female announcer ] dawn power clean can give you the power of an overnight soak in just 5 minutes. [ sponge ] it's a scientific miracle! [ female announcer ] dawn does more. [ sponge ] so it's not a chore. ♪

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back now with our ongoing series "here are the jobs." getting americans back to work. big cities still have a long way to go to regain the jobs they lost during the recession. a report today from the nation's mayors showed that by the end of last year, only 26 out of 363 metropolitan areas were back to prerecession employment levels. but the mayors predict that almost all of those areas will see job growth this year. and by the end of 2012, 48% of jobs lost during the downturn will be back. we saw some of those gains last month when the labor department

said employers added 200,000 jobs. this month, as part of our here are the jobs series, we told you about 500 new jobs at agero. they've been flooded with applica applicants. we also reported the news that there were 700 job openings at servicemaster. since our report, servicemaster tells us they've been flooded also with applicants. that's great to hear. tonight, we feature another company that's hiring hundreds of new employees right now. massachusetts-based philips has 980 job openings in seven states. philips makes everything from electric toothbrushes to coffeemakers and other home health products. they also light our way into the new year putting the light bulbs in the ball in new york's times square. joining me now from boston,

cynthia burkehart, philips' chief talent recruiter. thanks for your time tonight. >> thank you al. i really appreciate you having me on your show. i respect what you are doing. >> let's get try to it. you've got 980 job openings. what are the jobs? >> well, our biggest needs are in sales, engineering, field service engineers, marketing, quality and regulatory and supply chain. so it varies. >> tell me the seven states that they are available in. >> well, actually, depends on the position. so our sales positions are open anywhere we have -- in the field anywhere we have a territory open. field service, the same situation, wherever we have a customer need. the rest of the positions fall within one of our philips locations in north america and most of them at one of our seven locations which -- seven major locations which are in massachusetts, connecticut, pennsylvania, new jersey, ohio and washington state.

so pretty broad scope. >> so that's great. they're all over the place. >> they are all over the place. >> let me ask you this. health care and technology are areas where a lot of jobs are being added right now. do you see a big comeback for jobs at philips in this area? >> yeah, we're definitely doing more hiring than a couple of years ago. now i'll say that a company our size, we're always going to hire because we're always going to have critical positions, customer facing positions. but we're definitely seeing some through 2011 and ongoing. an up tick in jobs. >> one thing that caught my eye is that philips has a unique benefits package including paid time off for employees who do volunteer work. >> yeah. i'll tell you, one of the reasons i'm proud to work for philips is we really are a company with heart. and we show that through a lot of ways. one of them is our philips cares program that you are referring

to. employees get paid time off to go do volunteer work. and it's just our way of giving back to the community. i think it just makes your employees feel better about your company and proud to be a part of it. >> now people that are watching around the country, how do they contact you and see about these jobs? how do they reach philips for one of these jobs and make an application to fill one? >> absolutely. so if they could go to www.philips.com/here are the jobs. again, that's www.philips.com/here are the jobs. when they -- >> go ahead. i'm sorry. i want to make sure people hear what you have to say. you have the jobs. go ahead. >> i just want toed to let you know, we made a vanity url just for you, al. >> thank you. now let me ask you, the jobs in seven states are -- you've

explained to us, and you have told us that these openings vary. in andover, mass, you have 26,000 employees. locations in 60 countries. the company is all over the place. and you have some right now immediate jobs. and prominent jobs. and they are available if they go right to that website. >> absolutely. our career website will let them search by function, by geography, whatever way they want to approach it. >> now where are we in terms of the economy as you see it? do you see our returning to better days? >> i think we are. i think, you know, i am cautiously optimistic. i have to tell you, you know, as far as philips goes, a large one -- a large part of our business is health care, and that's a little bit economy proof because, let's face it, america is aging.

i read a statistic recently that somebody turns 65 in america every eight seconds. >> wow. >> yeah, so -- >> well, i hope people go to the website. thank you cynthia burkehart. keep us posted. and for all the information about our series "here are the jobs," go to politicsnation.msnbc.com and click on "here are the jobs." you can read all about all the companies we're featuring and get updates about their hiring plans and if you are hiring, you can let us know about it. we look forward to hearing from you. and this is important to me and all of us here at "politics nation." people want to work. people are not lazy. people are not just laying around looking for handouts. people really want jobs. if you have jobs, please get in touch with us. and if you want to work go to