is thoughtful. he's a serious person. he cares passionately about this country and wants to do the right thing. >> we have plenty of time for that between now and november. patrick, gaspard, please come back. ron reagan. that's "hardball." a good week for the president. maybe one of his best. "politics nation" with al sharpton starts right now. >> welcome to "politics nation." i'm al sharpton. tonight's lead -- the gop race is turning into a demolition derby. and while the candidates on the right run each other over, president obama is able to focus on his message -- fairness. >> we're going to push hard for the buffett rule. we're going to push hard to make sure millionaires -- somebody making over a million dollars a year isn't getting tax breaks and subsidies that they don't need. not out of envy but out of a sense of fairness and a sense of mutual responsibility and a sense of commitment to this country's future. that's what we're fighting for.

and the american people understand that. >> that's one vision. and last night, we saw the other side's vision. during the debate in florida. if you trust the headlines, willard mitt romney won that latest battle. but i'll tell you what. he could be setting himself up to lose the war. the general election. he's gone to the far right on immigration and he's being forced to defend it. >> is he still the most anti-immigrant candidate? >> i think of the four of us, yes. >> mr. speaker, i'm not anti-immigrant. my father was born in mexico. my wife's father was born in wales. they came to this country. the idea that i'm anti--immigrant is repulsive. don't use a term like that. >> the man who brought us self-deportation doesn't want to be called anti-immigrant? good luck on that one. and he's been exposed as the last guy who can criticize the president on health care.

>> what governor romney just said is the government-run top-down medicine is working pretty well in massachusetts and he supports it. now think about -- >> that's not what i said. >> think about what that means going up against barack obama who we're going to claim that top-down medical doesn't work n he's going to say, you just said top-down government run medical in massachusetts works well. >> it's not worth getting angry about. >> i'm not angry, willard, but the country will be angry when they learn you're against a health care law that's already helping so many people and that's not all you have to squirm about. >> i don't know any of american president who has had a swiss bank account. i'd be glad for you to explain that sort of thing. >> i have a trustee that manages my investments in a blind trust. let's put behind this idea of attacking me because of my investments or my money and let's get republicans to say what you've accomplished in your life shouldn't be seen as a

detriment but as an aset to help america. >> mitt romney may thank his swiss account doesn't matter and that it's an asset that americans will like that kind of experience. but it's like that on that issue alone that we raise the question of, is he out of touch? the gop primary has pushed the republicans way over to the right. joining me now is ed rendell, nbc news political analyst and former dnc chairman and michael steele, msnbc analyst and former rnc chairman. thanks to the both of you for coming on tonight. is nominating -- is the nominating process helping or hurting republicans' chances in november? >> no question it's hurting. they brutalized each other. whoever emerges out of this process is going to be damaged goods. and there's no question that's a

big hurdle for them to get over. but understand, after the conventions, in some ways, it's a brand new ball game. so we can't be too cocky and too confident. the president has found his voice. he's been doing great. that's true. romney and gingrich have been battered. but it all starts again in late august, early september. we're in great position, better than i ever thought we'd be. but it's not a slam dunk. >> michael, last night it seems by all accounts that willard did very well. but in doing well, we still find him stumbling on some things that don't appear to be pretty accurate. like he said about his swiss account. was in a secret trust. ends up not being the case. i mean, the stumbles still make him vulnerable even ife pulls out of florida and makes him vulnerable in a general election. won't you admit that? >> i would. and i think that's a very fair point and one that should be

taken to heart by the romney campaign is that, yeah, while it's great to go mano-e-mano with newt and score and do well, you still are exposing your own vulnerabilities in how you answer questions. the degree to which you are moving yourself out of position to go as governor rendell mentioned into the new ball game which is the general election. so i think that they need to be careful about that because you don't want to overexpose any flank you left or your right flank in these. and you want to try to hit as many balls out of the park as you can but also reserve a few that you may need a little later on. and newt seems to be not reserving so much as exposing those balls to be caken by the obama teams and others to use against him later on. >> i think also this whole question of when people raise the question, governor, of

fairness and he always seems to interpret the question of fairness to that you are envious or you are jealous or i'm successful. i think it offends people because it's almost like don't question my wealth. no one is questioning your wealth. they are questioning whether we have a fair tax code that is in some ways leaning toward the rich and whether you revealed everything. i mean, for people to say how come you didn't put out that you had these swiss accounts, which are required is not based on envy. that's based on you are supposed to say that is the case. >> i think they'll have to come up with a better explanation because when president obama gave his speech, the dial index which shows the focus groups how good they think of it, when he said taxes millionaires at 30% it's not class warfare, it's just common sense. increase by 90% among all the people who were watching, 70%

among republicans. the american people get it. it's not class warfare. we're not saying we don't want successful people. you can be mighty successful and pay 30%. we're not saying that. we're saying we want everyone to pay their fair share. if warren buffett's secretary pays 30%, warren buffett should. and mitt's biggest problem and i told you, i think he was a good governor. but his biggest problem is he's got a tin ear fop say i made $378,000 in speeches but that's just pocket change. pocket change in this economy to the average working american? >> and you said he was a good governor. whether i agree with that or not, he's not running as governor. he's running as a businessman. >> he's running away from what he did as governor. >> exactly. >> you had john mccain out stumping for him today trying to use the bain experience in a positive light. watch this and tell me whether or not you think this is wise. >> i think rather than be

embarrassed in any way about the record of bain capital, we should be glad that there are people and companies and groups that will go out and buy companies that are ailing and fix them up and make them job creators again. >> michael, they've also bought companies and fired or laid off a lot of the workers. >> yeah, but, reverend, i mean, that's part of that business when you do turn around work is that you take a struggling or dying company and you do your best to resuscitate it. and there's a track record of success and failure with that. and that's just part of the process. it's no different than when two law firms merge at some point in that process. partners are going to be laid off. staff are going to be laid off as they consolidate and coalesce around a different kind of entity. so, i mean, i think we need to understand fundamentally it's part of the economics of that kind of work that there is that risk of some folks being laid

off, downsizing as you try to get to a stronger, better company to create work. i mean, that's just the nature of it. no one goes into this looking to fire people and to get rid of them. it's just part of trying to make the company, the ongoing concern that it is, last longer than it currently is. >> i agree with that as the function of a bain, and i think that you explained it correctly. what you don't do, though, is act like he did this for job creation. he did it because he was building a successful business. >> well, that's a fair point. >> i let you finish. what john mccain is trying to act like is this was some virtuous job creation scheme. it was for him to make money, which is fine and legitimate. but don't act like we ought to be applauding you as the job creator of the year when you admit sometimes people lost their jobs in the process. >> that is a fair point, reverend, but there is a job creating component of when you

are downsizing and restructuring a company. not only to try to save jobs but to make that company stronger on a stronger footing so that it can go about creating jobs. there is that side of it. i get your point. in absolute terms, you are right. you can't make it seem like that's the only thing you were doing in that particular regard. it is a combination of things that i think make those types of transactions successful for those who take over the company and the ongoing concern itself. >> governor, mitt romney admitted in an interview that the economy has gotten better. let me play you this sound. >> how do you answer the president's argument that the economy is getting better in a general election campaign if you yourself are saying that it's getting better? >> well, of course it's getting better. the economy always gets better after a recession. there's always a recovery. >> isn't it a hard argument to make if you are saying, okay, he inherited this recession.

took a bunch of steps to try to turn the economy around. now we're seeing some more jobs but vote against him anyway? isn't that a hard argument to make? is that a stark enough contrast? >> have you got a better one, laura? it just happens to be the truth. >> it just happens to be the truth. so you are running against a guy saying that he has made it worse but you admit things are getting better. how do you turn that around? >> it's very hard. and it really exposes the biggest problem here. it's not that mitt romney has gone to the right, and he has. that's going to be a problem. he's exposed himself as a very inept candidate. inept. he did okay in the debates. when he's out there in interviews like that, he's inept. the answer is, yeah, the economy is improve bug it's not improving nearly fast enough. we've got all these people unemployed. we should be out there doing more and this president has failed because there are too many people still unemployed. that's the answer. i'm not saying that's the right answer but that's the answer. he can't do that. if he can't do that now, how is he going to do it against the

most skilled campaigner i've ever seen. >> michael, how does he turn around his own quote? >> i am sorry. i have to laugh at that because you walked right into that. i think, you know, the governor hit it right out of the park. that's the answer is that, yeah, things are turning around. but look at the lagging indicators here of unemployment in the african-american community. look at what we're doing to secure the future in terms of education. there are so many other ways you can reframe that argument to make the point that this administration has failed on the fundamentals when it comes to providing for a sound economy going forward. and in answering laura's point, not only was it a missed opportunity, but i think it showed a weakness that could come back to haunt in the fall. >> you know, michael, it's going to be a good weekend because i've agreed and you've agreed with me on all three points tonight. but i would -- one thing different. he didn't knock it out of the park. he made a touchdown.

he just went across our goal line and scored for us. ed rendell, michael steele, thank you for coming on the show tonight. have a good weekend to both of you. coming up, the brutal gingrich attack ad. will it make the difference? we'll be live in florida. plus -- while republicans hammer each other, president obama is hammering his message on fairness. willard, remember that auto industry bailout you opposed? and the truth about jan brewer's tarmac incident. her story is now being contradicted. you're watching "politics nation" on msnbc. we are the house when it comes to the big game.

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a wounded newt is a dangerous newt. we'll go live to florida to see how gingrich is trying to drag romney back down. next.

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i thought it was a delightful debate. i love it. you were an energetic and enthusiastic part of that debate. i want to thank you. >> willard today riding high after last night's republican debate. just a week and a half ago, romney had a commanding 25-point lead over newt gingrich in the sunshine state. but just six days later, after his win in south carolina, gingrich surged into first place. now it looks like newt's momentum has stalled. romney has retaken the lead polling nine points ahead of gingrich. just four days before the

florida primary. but newt's hitting back. airing a new ad today targeting romney's statements in the debate. >> if a man is dishonest to obtain a job, he'll be dishonest on the job. >> what kind of man would mislead, distort and deceive just to win an election? this man would. mitt romney. romney said he has always voted republican when he had the opportunity. romney denied seeing a false ad his campaign used to attack newt gingrich. if we can't trust what -- >> the question now is will florida republicans trust willard with their vote. joining me now is rod smith, chairman of the florida democratic party and nia-malika henderson, reporter for "the washington post." thank you both for your time and for being here tonight. >> good to be here. >> good to be here, al. >> rod, you know florida better than anyone. do you think republicans in your state trust mitt romney?

>> no. i mean, i think it's not going to matter. i think he has a connection problem. i don't think he connects, particularly in some parts of the state. whether or not he wins this thing, it's kind of like "american idol." appears that gingrich can't cha-cha so the scores go down. over the long haul he still -- romney still suffers from a lack of connection with florida voters. i think they worry about whether or not he understands their circumstances. they worry about whether or not he's been consistent in terms of where he says he's been on various issues and whether he's told the truth to the voters. i think that -- i keep telling you if it were to up to me iwish we had a debate tomorrow night. the more these guys keep talking to floridians in the way they do and to one another in the way they do in front of floridians, the better the message looks and his message sounds. >> nia, romney responded today to the ad i just played today. let me show you what he said.

[ no audio ] >> it says it's laughable to see the lectures honestly coming from a paid influenced peddler who suffered an unprecedented ethics reprimand. was forced to pay $300,000 in penalties and resign in disgrace at the hands of the party. this is what the spokesman for romney said. now nia, they are talking very confident after last night's debate. is it game over, or could newton make a comeback in these four days? >> you know, i think it's still early. we have three full days of campaigning left. i think newt gingrich has proven that he can be a nimble campaigner n that he has been lazarus-like in his ability to claw his way back to the top. no, he doesn't have any more debates and, yes, a mitt romney is a much-improved candidate. we saw that last night. he's certainly confident and bordering on cocky out there on the stump today saying he won that debate that it was

delightful. i think newt gingrich still has a message, he still has an audience. he's been drawing really large crowds down there. >> you've been down there covering it in florida. tell us about the contrast if there is any, between the gingrich gatherings and the gatherings for willard. >> there are certainly different types of crowds. newt's crowds are more blue collar, working evangelicals. and mitt romney's crowds are much more well healed crowds. wealthier. upper middle class folks. and i think there is a difference, too in terms of passion. a lot of passion at newt's crowds. a lot of people there. lots of chanting of usa, usa. so a lot of enthusiasm for this candidate and they definitely connect with him. they feel like he's the one to carry their message, carry their message in an angry way because they are so angry at the state of this country, angry at this president and they have very much connected with him. the question is, we've got mitt romney out there with $15

million worth of ads dumping on newt gingrich's head. newt gingrich did come out with that ad we saw that leads with mike huckabee. mike huckabee has come out to say that's an unauthorized use of his image in that sound bite. so that ad might come down. >> now, rod, you talked about how the voter is not connecting. whether it works for next tuesday or not, willard made some mistakes last night. like when he was caught last night's debate lying about an ad running on florida radio. let me let you hear this. >> you've had an ad running saying that speak eer gingrich calls spanish, quote, the language of the ghetto. >> i haven't seen the ad. i'm sorry, i don't get to see all the tv ads. i doubt that my ad but we'll take a look. >> it was one of your ads. it's running here in florida. and on the radio and at the end you say i'm mitt romney and i approved of this ad.

so it is here. >> let me ask you a question. >> so he's caught red-handed there. his voice on there. and then he had a strange answer about his reversal on immigration and he says, well, my parents were born in mexico. yeah, but they were natural americans born in mexico. has nothing to do with immigration. so even in his best night, he still is stumbling. >> well, i think the first instance is, i am an old prosecutor. when you see a guy on the -- when he denies something and you hit him with it, it's that magic moment that happens to you when he's absolutely been caught and either you don't believe him. either he didn't know what he was doing and he's not controlling his campaign or the answer was he absolutely was misrepresenting what he knew to be the facts. in either instance, he looks bad. i think the -- i thought the immigration thing was an interesting answer because when he tried to make that connection, i think that's a sign that gingrich was off last night. that was such an obvious comeback, the one you just

shared with us. but i have to tell you from the perspective i sit in, i love the fact that they are still engaging in this kind of brutal -- >> i do, too. let me ask you something before we run out of time. voting. you were on to something today. you know that's dear to my heart. voter i.d., voting suppression. tell us what you are doing in florida. >> well, we had a great rally today and then a hearing that senator durbin was down for. bill nelson was involved in setting it up. we had a great turnout at the courthouse. we went to the hearing to talk about what's going on in florida and other states. that is really not in generations have we seen people design something so -- as tallahassee republicans and this governor has gotten behind and that's designed to do nothing more than to drive down the vote. no matter what party you are in, we believe very strongly that win or lose, america's richer, florida's richer, democracy is richer by participation. >> we agree with that, rod.

we agree with that. we're going to be doing a lot throughout this -- the winter and spring and we'll sure be involving each other. everybody, no matter what your party, the right to vote must be protected. rod smith and nia-malika henderson, thanks for your time tonight. >> thank you, rev. ahead, we're learning much more about what really happened between jan brewer and the president. plus -- before the state of the union and his big fairness tour, president obama was wooing them at the apollo. ♪ i -- so in love with you ♪ >> we'll tell you how that performance is helping the economy. ok! who gets occasional constipation,

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we're learning more about what actually happened when arizona governor jan brewer disrespectfully pointed her finger at president obama. brewer claims the president came off the plane unhappy with how she described their meeting two years ago. she says their conversation was tense and that she felt threatened. really, governor? this was what the president says. >> what i discovered is that i think it's always good publicity for a republican if they are in

an argument with me. but this was really not a big deal. >> but now we're learning what really happened on that tarmac. take a look at this picture. on the left of brewer is phoenix mayor greg stanton. on the right of brewer is mesa mayor. stanton says the president wasn't tense at all. smith, the republican, says it was an animated discussion and, quote, it revolved around the presentation of the letter. as i said this last night, if you show up to greet the president with a letter, you are looking for a confrontation. i met with presidents i didn't agree with. but i showed them respect. i respected the office. brewer didn't. but the incident might backfire on brewer. renewing the debate about her harsh immigration law. one arizona lawmaker says, quote, for the incident alone,

85% more latin people will gravitate toward the president. so governor brewer, in a year hispanic vote is more important than ever, thanks for that letter. we'll see you in november.

welcome back to "politics nation." after wrapping up his five-state tour today, president obama headed back east to maryland where he talked to democratic lawmakers about what they've accomplished together. >> we righted the ship. we did not tip into a great depression. the auto industry was saved. and over the last 22 months, we have seen 3 million jobs created. the most jobs last year since 2005. more jobs in manufacturing than we've seen since the '90s. and now they are thinking, gm's number one again. and chrysler is on the move again. and ford is investing.

>> that's right. the economy is doing better. the economy grew by 2.8% at the end of 2011. the fastest growth in nearly two years. 196,000 manufacturing jobs were created last year. many of them in the auto industry he saved. overall, the economy added 850,000 jobs in 2011. but the president knows there's still work to be done. >> we've got to first of all make sure that american manufacturing is strong. and that means that we're out there creating a tax code that doesn't provide tax breaks for companies that are shipping jobs overseas. we are focusing on companies that are investing right here in the united states because we believe that when you make it in america, everybody benefits. everybody does well. >> that's what the president is fighting for in this election.

an america where everyone has a fair chance and everyone pays their fair share. joining me now is msnbc analyst richard wolffe. he's author of "revival, the struggle for survival inside the obama white house" and perry baker jr. for the grio.com. thanks for being here. >> thanks, reverend. >> richard, is the president's focus on fairness resonating around the country? >> well, he's on the right side of the public opinion when it comes to some of the core issues at the heart of fairness. specifically, you know, the big challenge in washington is clearly about not just jobs but the deficit. you have to deal with both. you have to sequence it right. when it comes down to the difficult decisions, who pays for the cuts that we've got to see? is it just spending? is it taxes included? public opinion is with him when it comes to sharing the pain. when republicans hear about fairness, they think it's some

sort of creeping socialism. but, really, there are tough decisions to be made. and who can take the burden of balancing the budget? the answer is the wealthiest can take more of a burden than the people at the lower end of the scale. people looking for jobs who everyone says they care about. >> now perry, let me ask you a question. the argument of fairness, the theme of the state of the union, the theme of this five-state tour is what the president is going on. the republicans seem to not want to get in on that discussion. i had a republican congressman on this week. i couldn't get him to say the word fairness. this week they're going to have the buffett rule introduced that will really deal with the paying of fair share act. millionaires paying at least 30% in taxes, introduced by senator whitehouse. will this resonate if we see the continuing contrast between a president talking about fairness and the republicans running away from it and in some cases saying

that you all are just envious and jealous. that's not the issue that we ought to be dealing with. >> i think this can resonate if the president makes this case. polling shows that most americans agree with the idea of the buffett rule. they agree with the idea of some of the wealthy should pay more. i think the bigger thing for obama this week was the numbers -- nbc poll showing this week that people think the economy is doing better. his approval rating on the economy is going up. his overall approval rating is going up. it's not just about fairness but things are getting better in america. the policies might actually work and there's some signs people are beginning to sink in and believe that finally. >> now richard, on this buffett rule, let me play you something that eric cantor said that's a little strange to me. >> the answer is not to make sure that washington taxes people more, and this notion that somehow the income that

warren buffett makes is the same as a wage income for a secretary. we know that's not the same either. >> i mean, what does he mean because warren buffett is a billionaire, it's not the same as his secretary. so i guess the assumption is that they're going to argue that these billionaires are these mystical job creators so, therefore, they should get a different break, yet there's nothing requiring them to supply one job. >> right. look. at least he's being honest here, okay. his argument is that investors who make money deserve to keep more of it as a proportion than people who work for their money. now, you know, you've got to think where the republican party is right now. for many decades, we've all agreed on the left and the right, in this system of progressive taxation. the idea that not only do rich people pay more in dollars but they pay a higher percentage. that's across the board. margaret thatcher thought that

was okay. ronald reagan thought that was good. that's not the issue for this republican party. they now think as part of the mainstream that a flat rate is the correct way to go. and by the way, the deficits didn't really exist before this president. if you go to mitt romney's website today, you would see him saying that taxes were adequate for the size of the government before president obama. that's plainly not true but if you have that world view, then, yes, sure. warren buffett is paying the right amount of tax and everyone should pay less tax and it's all because obama that there are deficits in the first place. >> if you live in that billionaire world in the real world where people are not billionaires, which is the overwhelming part of this country, that's not the world we live in. let me ask you, perry, though, both gingrich and santorum's rhetoric paints the president as pro-poverty which is a real stretch. how do you go from fairness to pro-poverty? but let me show you what they

say. >> we know that president obama is the best food stamp president in american history. >> he's doing his best to destroy this economy to create jobs and make more people dependent so they can stay out of poverty by being on the government. and depending on him and, therefore, a very reliable vote come election time. >> i mean, i don't understand how saying you want fairness, that you want the wealthy to pay a higher taxes that you are pro poverty. and second part of that, perry, what do they think poor people that do get government assistance, many of them working, what do they think they get? i don't know one person that gets assistance that think they are living a good life and that actually can relax and be comfortable with that. it's meager money. >> it's a very odd argument. i'm not sure -- i know they are trying to appeal to a certain view among republicans and i heard this in south carolina, that there are a lot of people who are unemployed who don't want to work who are there and are just there collecting

checks. that's what they are trying to appeal to. it's not as if -- most americans want to vote for someone speaking in a more aspirational way. this isn't a smart aspect to talk about the country is bad. obama is trying to turn us into socialism. it's smart to approach it in terms of idealistic way about trying to create more jobs and how they'd build the middle class. >> richard perry, thanks to both of you. have a great weekend. >> thanks, reverend. you, too. still ahead -- made in america. once again, we'll talk to the businessman who is hiring folks to make tvs right here in the u.s. for the first time in nearly 20 years. it's part of our special series "here are the jobs." and the president's apollo routine is doing wonders for al green's record sales. we'll revisit that and some other great moments from the apollo. mid grade dark roast forest fresh

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to the country and starting off with providing jobs. we need concrete things. we need fairness. we need people that will help us look up and lift up the country, not people that will beat us down and act as if fairness is not part of what the fabric of this country should be all about. it's about what we can do together and we can do on an even and fair playing field. it's about having hope that is realistic and concrete rather than beating people down that's already been pushed to the ground. an befriend a forest may seem like the stuff of fairy tales. but if you take away the faces on the trees... take away the pixie dust. take away the singing animals, and the storybook narrator... [ man ] you're left with more electric trucks. more recycled shipping materials... and a growing number of lower emissions planes... which still makes for a pretty enchanted tale.

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back now with our "here are the jobs." our ongoing series where we show where the jobs are and how to get hired. this week, president obama has been on the road making a special push for manufacturing

jobs. he's also promoting his plan to bring jobs back to america. it's called insourcing. made in america is something we don't hear often enough these days. for example, the last american-made television rolled off the assembly line almost 20 years ago. but now a company called element electronics is trying to reverse that trend. the minnesota-based company built its brand selling chinese tvs. but in march, it will open a new television assembly plant outside detroit to actually build tvs right here in america. it will be the only one of its kind in the country. the company is starting with one assembly line and will have 100 jobs to fill. the owner michael o'shaughnessy says he hopes to add many more. i spoke with him this week and asked him about his plan. >> we have been working on the project for a while.

we've been talking to our customers about it for 18 to 24 months getting them ready. we're start with one assembly line. our plans are over time to go two, three, four, five. as our output increases against the demand. >> you hope to get up to 500 jobs but you are going to start with 100. >> frankly, i don't know what the limit really is. the idea is to get started small, one step at a time. first plateau is 100. phase two, as we attract people to the business, specifically domestic suppliers that can supply this new business in the united states, i really don't know hat the potential is. the thing we have influence over, i believe there's an opportunity for a couple hundred jobs or several hundred jobs over time. that may be multiple years. but as we attract a supply base to the area and to the business, at this point it could be exponential. >> you are part of a trend of people bringing jobs, bringing manufacturing back in the country. the president mentioned it in

his state of the union address. do you see that trend growing? are you hearing anything to that effect? >> i do believe it's a long-term trend. i think we're maybe at the tip of the arrow, right, as it's just getting started. potentially trend-setters in this space. but the economics are real, right? the costs are going up. the different things we talked about. they are real. so it makes sense for companies. if they aren't doing it, it makes sense for companies to begin to look at doing it. >> now you've said this is emotional. this is personal for you. why? >> i lived in warren, ohio. if you go to warren, ohio, now, it's not much different than in 1985. the factories shut down. the jobs went away. of course, there's still work there. but those people are suffering. warren, ohio is probably indicative of many places as industrial left the midwest. i remember that. that had a material impact on the family and friends i had. on my own family. there's an emotional part of this to bring jobs back. to be able to potentially make a difference in communities with people and families that nor

different than the people i grew up with. >> now the president talked about incentives for bringing jobs back. reshoring as they call it. have you been able to see any tangible incentives and any of these incentives helping you to do this? >> i watched the president's speech, and i thought it was right on the money with respect to his ideas. for me, as a small business owner who is trying to grow his business, those words are encouraging. at the same time, for somebody like me, it's -- we are rarely not educated in that space as an entrepreneur. we are encouraged to go out and build our business. if there are government programs that we can tap into or learn about and get educated about, then, obviously, that's in our best interest. our accountants at some point in time will tell us if there's tax innocentives or otherwise. frankly even having conversations like this may open those doors. it's encouraging to hear. i think it's an important part of helping businesses retrench

back in the u.s. and make those things happen. >> i am sure some of our viewers are wondering how can you open a plant outside of detroit and sell televisions at a reasonable price that is high quality to compete with tvs made in china. >> i've got the answer for them. in the end, it won't just be a reasonable price. it will be an exceptional price. we are being very strategic in how we do this. we'll not do it on 32-inch tvs and smaller 40-inch tvs. we're talking about the 46-inch tvs and above because the cost of building a tv, if you take the total cost, at this point if we make the adjustments for the labor advantage we had over time against the increased costs on the other side of the business, we can produce these tvs for about the same cost, apples to apples, features to features, size to size. we can produce these tvs in this factory just outside of detroit for essentially the same cost. the quality is exceptional. i would argue the element branded tv will be as good a quality as consumer can buy

anywhere, any brand. >> what do you need to know? what kind of background do i need a background in electronics? what do i need to know, what background for me to apply? >> so there's going to be a number of different things we're going to do in the facility. we're moving right now our service and repair work there. we'll put a call center there. it's not just assembly work. >> looking at 100 jobs and who knows where it goes as you try to brand and sell element in the marketplace. >> that's our story, yes. >> all right. michael, thank you so much and keep us posted. >> pleasure to be here. thank you so much. >> good luck. >> thank you. >> in march, element will start accepting applications for those 100 jobs. to find out more, just go to their website, elementelectronics.com/careers. our website, politicsnation.msnbc.com, has the latest information on the

companies we are featuring. we also have updates on the status of their jobs. just click on "here are the jobs." we're looking forward to hearing from you. we'll be right back. president obama's latest success. this one in the music industry. americans believe they should be in charge of their own future. how they'll live tomorrow. for more than 116 years, ameriprise financial has worked for their clients' futures. helping millions of americans retire on their terms.

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it's been a busy week for the president. he had the state of the union on tuesday and he's been traveling around the country trying to rally support for his economic plans. but last week, he was right here in new york at the legendary apollo theater, delighting the crowd with a little singing. >> reverend al green was here. ♪ i -- so in love with you ♪

those guys didn't think i would do it. i told you i was going to do it. >> that video went viral and had everyone talking. since that performance, sales for al green's songs shot up 490%. that's the best sales week for that song since they began tracking downloads nine years ago. the president sings, boosts classic songs and helps the economy. hey, republicans, you sure you are ready to face him in the election? of course, president obama sang, the apollo, the site of many legendary performances. ♪ i, so in love with you whatever you want to do

is all right with me ♪ ♪ hey, i feel good >> james brown. i mean, that's was -- he was like amazing on the apollo. >> i threw it out at the apollo theater and they threw it back at me. >> michael jackson. michael jackson. >> i got booed at the apollo. >> what? >> yeah, i got booed on out the game. ♪ >> i told you i was going to do it. the sand man did not come out. >> so he did it and helped