dylan? >> keli, that will do it for us. i am dylan ratigan and "hard ball with chris matthews" starts right now. >> let's play some "hardball." good evening. i'm michael smirkonish in for chris matthews. the 99% solution. the fbi is now on the scene in sanford, florida focusing on whether trayvon martin's civil rights were violated. plus, we may now be able to say whose voice it was screaming for help on the 911 tape. george zimmerman's family says it's his, and trayvon martin's mother says it's the voice of her son. the screams are not from george zimmerman. swing time, a usa today

gallup poll. the president leads by nine points. the biggest change? women who are lining up behind the president. is the argumen over contraception finally being played in the gdp. they found this amount of support from general imhoff. >> i've never been a fan of mitt romney. he's a nice person but i've not agreed with him pitically on a lot of things. >> republicansound like they would rather be doing just about anything rather than endorsing romney. and while it's not unusual for a politician to leave his party, it is news when a rising star mps ship. that just happened in california where a promising republican has just decided the gop is much too

conservative for him. madmen wanted to have its say in the presidential election. michael is, of course, the nbc news information correspondent. michael, please bring us the latest. >> reporter: pretty significant development today. they showed up at the gated community where the martin shooting took place, going door to door, interviewing witnesses, questioning them about what they might have seen, what they knew about the shooting at all so we have a background of george zimmerman. also taking photographs. the residence response team, fbi, all gathering information of what's going to be a comprehensive investigation of everything that took place that night. >> did we lose michael? yep, we lost michael isikoff. thank you, michael, maybe we'll

be able to get you back. for more on this story, let me bring you, and e. steven, one of the questions on the night of the shooting is just who is heard screaming for help. let's listen. >> help! >> you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> what is your -- >> just -- there's gunshots. >> two forensic audio experts who analyzed the 911 calls for the orlando sentinel says those screens were not from zimmerman. one of those interviewed also told tom owen that his technology, the same as that used by the security industry, is 99% accurate. what is this latest development?

>> this is enormously significant to the case. assuming zimmerman is indicted and we go to trial, they will not want to release this evidence because it goes with the evidence. he himself was under attack, that he killed trayvon martin in self-defense, and if he was able, for example, to argue that the screaming heard on the tape was himself, it would lend credibility to the argument that he was acting in self-defense. however, if the screaming in the background is, in fact, trayvon martin and a jury hears that, the jury is more likely to believe that trayvon martin. there is a critical piece of information. >> i think what you're saying is really the significance is twofold. one, to the extent these reports are accurate, that zimmerman has told law enforcement, that's me on the tape, a, it would make

his version of testimony untruthful. and again, you wouldn't expect the person who is under attack to be the one screaming, so real, it would be a two-fold blow to him and also, michael, if we put together the tape, and any testimony we get about who is screaming on that tape, and put it together when george zimmerman is in custody, he's handkufd, that he was bleeding with the back of his head. fm. you're going. this could cost the story and actually engage in racial profiling and kill an innocent teenager who was armed with nothing but skittles and iced

tea. >> is that independent or in. this is a come pleat information, focused on whether. what the fbi is doing is a basis for a civil rights charge, was george zimmerman targeting trayvon martin as a part of this. one crucial piece of evidence here is going to be the history and pattern of george zimmerman's 911 calls. he called since last august seven times to police dispatchers, and five of those he was reporting about what he viewed as suspicious activity by

young african-american males that are identified in the 911 call reports as black males. now, these call reports don't show, rather, zimmerman volunteered this information or was responding to questions by police, and that's going to be something that the fbi is going to be looking at also, but also the predicate for those calls. why was he calling? in one case he saw someone loiterri loiterring. call or not, that's the kind of thing the fbi is going to be looking for. >> i've listened to those tapes probably more times than i care to admit, and i think they're loaded with curiosities. if it's true that in the last 14 months, he's called 46 times, i find it unusual that when he logged this call, he didn't identify himself as a member of the neighborhood watch. any thoughts on that?

t >> the neighborhood watch only got up and running last summer, and that's why he put on his neighborhood watch card, as we've seen. he handed it out to neighbors. you're raising a good question. i don't kn the answer to it. one thing we've skz for. we'll pay for the prior 911 calls to see whether he had identified himself as an. >> i heard some that he did, and steve collins, let me bring you. >> actually, we either say that v via, i have listened to tashl

calls where he does identify themselves as members of the trayvon martin club. when he calls 911, he never says, hey, i'm george zimmerman, member of neighborhood watch. he never says that. >> i don't see him as a member of neighborhood watch. i see him as someone with a predisposition. remember, a 17-year-old boy armed with a bag of skittles and iced tea? he reminds me of my daughter's family. they got the go ahead to get the investigation under way. there is -- we don't know the

trajectory of a bullet, we don't know what kind of value. this seems to me a major -- i don't want to use the word coverup, but why wouldn't the police do a solid investigation here? >> i've been saying for a while now it would be helpful to get a map of the area in sanford, florida, to get a clear picture of the so-called retreat at twin lakes. this is an aerial rendition. on the top of the map, you see orge zimmerman's house. trayvon likely entered the development one of two ways, the main entrance or the shortcut that residents frequently used to cut through to save time. zimmerman called 911 when he saw

martin near the clubhouse and identifies the clubhouse as a point of reference. here's where trayvon's body was found when police approached the home in which he was staying. you're there. is there anything there when you study the geography that would help those of us at home understand what went on here? >> actually, mike, i was there over the weekend and i sort of retraced the route where trayvon martin came in and george zimmerman followed him. the fighting begins at the clubhouse which is near a gate, and then he's watching -- he appears to be watching from his karat a distance, and at some point, as trayvon martin continues, there's sort of a back path which turns behind a row of houses, so zimmerman would no longer have been able to see trayvon martin. he gets out of the car and then follows him there. that's where the confrontation

takes place, in a spot where he could not have seen trayvon martin originally watching from the car. >> the final question, if i might, from michelle bernard. michelle, i need to know who is crying for help at the end of that 911 call. i also want to know that he appears to be out of breath at the time he is in pursuit of trayvon martin. you know what i'm referring to. >> i absolutely know what you're referring to. i have listened to that tape over and over and over again. if you listen to it closely, i have no doubt that george zimmerman called trayvon martin an f-ing coon. if you listen to it closely, there is no doubt about it, and when you put all the evidence together, there is a terrible tragedy. if you go back to that map we just turpd in look.

quite a distance and quite a period of time after police told. the end ult was that this child is and e. steven collins. coming up, predent obama has a nine-point lead over mitt romney in key battleground states, and he's. the following is earning republicans. this is "hardball." americans believe they should be in charge of their own future.

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brown at 37%, warren at 35%. that's within the poll's margin of error. we'll be right back.

welcome back to "hardball." the latest usa today gallup swing poll shows a difference in romney and obama. in these 12 states, president obama beats mitt romney 51-42. now, since usa today and gallup began polling these swing states back in november, mitt romney has won every prior matchup. the swing changed pretty dramatically in the last month. one possible reason: women. of registered women voters, president obama leads by 18 points. but why the switch? it would seem logical that the contraception controversy played a role, but when women in this poll were asked to identify issues that were extremely important in their vote for president, health care was number one, government policies

on birth control last at number 6. eugene robinson is a columnist at the "washington post," david corn is the author of a new book "showdown." both are nbc political analysts. eugene, this is why they pay you theig bucks. explain this to me if it's not contraception. or is it contraception? >> well, who knows. i think perhaps health care is number one, the number one issue that women say they are concerned about in these swing states, and i suppose you could assume some of these reproductive issues under the book of health care and maybe you have an answer there. but maybe you don't. maybe it's an intensification of this sort of male/female polarization that's been happening between the two parties for a while now. >> i thought the same thing, that maybe by answering hlth care, that to the female respondents encapsulated much of what they've been hearing. david, this is not a

romney-specific issue. this is really a gop issue because other candidates in the republican party poll equalled poorly among women. >> and remember, the contraception debate happened in the context of health care. it's quite clear if you're talking about contraception, health care and a lot of other issues, the gop, mitt romney and others who have played to the far right of their party are losing them. women tend to care more about the social safety net than do men. in fact, they live longer. they do more of the health care responsibilities of family, so if you're talking about medicare and going after social security or medicaid, it may affect them more. we've had, in the last month or two, a revival of the ryan budget, which is a war, in a lot of ways, on this social safety net. so i think there is a lot going in here, and i think in general, women tend to be turned off more than men by political extremism, and the whole republican 2012

campaign has been a cavalcade of extremists. >> i have said on the radio every day where the narrative is the social issue. earlier today, sensing an opening, the president recorded this video for members of planned parenthood. let's listen. >> let's be clear here. women are not an interest group. they're mothers and daughters and sisters and wives. they're half of this country. so when some professional politicians casually say that they'll get rid of planned parenthood, don't forget what they're really talking about, eliminating the funding for preventive care that millions of women rely on and leaving them to fend for themselves. >> eugene, how do you see it? you heard my statement about the social issues, breaking toward the president, if that's the narrative? >> i thi that's absolutely

true, one of several reasons why the republican establishment is so eager to get rick santorum out of this race, so that mitt romney can start talking exclusively about the economy. because that's a better issue for the republican party than these social issues which, you know, and i think the term of art is it freaks a lot of people out. >> david, listen to this. vice president joe biden hammered home the point that mitt romney is too average. >> i think governor romney is a little out of touch. i can't remember a presidential candidate in the recent past who seems not to understand by what he says what ordinary middle class people are thinking about and concerned about. >> then the response today in green bay, wisconsin, when asked about the vice president's

candidates, he said this. >> how would respond you're out of touch with an average american? >> my answer would be that i'm in touch with a lot mofr average americans that he is, and as i go across this country, and as my wife does, we understand something this president doesn't. >> that was right after they talked about the car elevator they're building. i think if you look at the social issues and the vice president's comment about him being a 1 percenter, it all goes to how he is not used to modern day americans and he's running for the nomination of a party that seems to be looking to the 1950s as their moldel for socia. i think they thought the republicans would give him an

opening, that they would go too far in the economic theory or socioeconomic. thaet exactly appear is and they're giving him an opening to do that almost every day. >> at an event in green bay, mitt romney was asked about his religion. a question the producer on the ground tells us was a ron paul supporter. listen to this exchange. >> in the mormon book it says there were all the children of canaan -- >> i'm sorry. we're just not going to have a discussion about religion, in my view, but if you have a question, i'd be happy to answer your question. >> no. next question. >> eugene, i think he's been missing an opportunity here. when contraception and religion became an issue in the presidential race, it was the perfect opportunity for mitt romney to say this is not a

theocracy, it's a democracy. religion and litmus tests should play no role in americans electing a president. frankly, it would have been a double knockout for him. >> i think the question he faced was how do you say that in a republican primary and not alien ate theiethankable point.com. he is climbing into a hole that he is hoping to get crawled out again if he becomes an she can, so far he hasn't been able to do that. >> the arm posed has given as

always. up next, will hillary clinton run for president four years from now? bill clinton has some insight. next in the shid show. you're watching "hardball." ♪ you are my sunshine, my only sunshine ♪ ♪ you make me happy when skies are gray ♪ [ female announcer ] you know exactly what it takes to make them feel better. ♪ you make me happy [ female announcer ] that's why you choose children's tylenol. the same brand your mom trusted for you when you were young. ♪ how much i love you [ humming ] [ female announcer ] children's tylenol, the #1 brand of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians and used by moms decade after decade. [ humming ]

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welcome back to "hardball." now for the side show,irst up, madmen enters the fray. we know it's a throwback to the 1960s, so how did the name romney come up in a heated exchange in last night's episode? the mayor refuses a request that his boss make an appearance in michigan. let's watch. >> do you want me to turn down the tv? >> fine. henry francis. well, tell jim he's not going to michigan. because romney is a clown and i don't want him standing next to him. >> romney's a clown?

that, of course, was a jab at george romney, mitt's father, who serves as michigan's governor back in the '60s. of course, if romney wasn't running for president today, that line wouldn't have been in the show. even though we're in the thick of this year's election cycle, many are wondering what's to become of the 2015 faceoff? will hillary clinton be on the ticket? we had an interview with nbc's luke russer. >> she wants to come home, get a little rest, do some other things. she's told you and everyone else she thinks she'll probably never run for office again. but i've been there. i know what happens when you go through this decompression after years of relentless high-pressure activity. and i just think she needs to rest up, do some things she cares about and whatever she decides to do i'll support. >> so it might be no for now but perhaps we should take it with a grain of salt.

up next, mitt romney is lining up endorsements from fellow republicans, but a lot of endorsements sound like they're being twisted. and hard. and you can follow me on twitter if you can figure out how to spell smerconish. this is "hardball." here's a chance to create jobs in america. oil sands projects, like kearl, and the keystone pipeline will provide secure and reliable energy to the united states. over the coming years, projects like these could create more than half a million jobs in the us alone. from the canadian border, through the mid west, to the gulf coast. benefiting hundreds of thousands of families throughout the country. this is just what our economy needs right now.

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i'm sue herera with your cnbc market rap. the dow is at 52, the nasdaq 10. much more on constructive spending which fell 1.1% in february. meanwhile, nasdaq activity rose strongly last month. groupon slides after it said its fourth quarter was weaker than originally reported. and scripts closed its $29

billion deal from medical health. we're first in business worldwide, and now back to "hardball." >> hey, we're back. having scored some of the biggest republican endorsements over the past few weeks, i appears as though the republican party is finally beginning to line up behind mitt romney, but it's safe to say that many of those endorsements sound like reluctant concessions to reality than anything else. take a look at this bracket which has been put together by yahoo news. it's part of the an on-line competition where readers are invited to vote for romney's tepid involvement. david milbanks is a political analyst, joe williams writes for politi politico. gentlemen, here's general james

imhoff reluctant to admit that romney looks like the inevitable nominee just yesterday. watch this. >> i've never been much of a fan of mitt romney. he's an honest person and a nice person, but i've just not agreed with him politically on a lot of things. we have to defeat obama. i cannot allow that to happen to my family, so whoever is in the best position to win, it appears probably mitt romney is in the best position to win right now. >> maybe we shouldn't be surprised because we've been hearing that from a number of republicans who have gone out to the polls, some of whom have voted for mitt romney. >> i think if you could hesee t audio of that, his eyelids would be tapping out the name mitt romney. he's saying, i've got to be on their good side, i've got to get out there, and even then they've got it stick a clothespin on his

nose and he's saying, i tell you now, i'm doing it reluctantly. >> look how he couched his endorsement to the daily caller. quote, there are a lot of other people out there that some of us wish had run for president- but they didn't. i think mitt romney would be a fine president and he would be way better than the guy who is there right now. your reaction? >> well, with friends like that and a ring endorsement, who needs a political attack ad. basically, this is another chain in the continuing link about mitt romney not being an authentic conservative. stop me if you've heard this before, but this is where all the tea partiers and all the arch conservatives stop. they know they have to do something, they know it's getting late, they know that mr. right is not going to come along, so they are accepting mr. right now, sort of like an arranged marriage almost, and they know they have to do it because time is waning and the longer this thing goes on, the

more his negatives continue, the more the white house's positives improve, so they knew they had to do something and that's why you see these certain conservatives coming out and trying to coalesce the party. >> i they had been infusive in their praise, we would be sitting around and saying, did you hear what rubio said about romney, he can't possibly mean it. >> but here we are talking about endorsements. the political world is full of people who fake it well, people who are able to set aside partisan differences. a certain secretary of state and president come to mind. when push came to shove, hillary clinton mouthed the right things and went through the right motions, but at the end of the day, she knew she had to get on with it, and i wasn't anything couched. it was like, i'm going toork my heart out for candidate obama. i will do my best to bring my party together, and to critics, that came along with president obama when they had the big

delegate fight. they could have done a better job here and not made the arm twisting so obvious. >> here's george patacci throwing his support around romney after listing all the reasons not to support him. >> i think it's time to rally around the presumptive nominee. mitt is not a perfect candidate. he has a number of problems. it's hard for him and blue collar families like mine to identify with him, it's hard for economic conservatives to identify with him. he needs to do more to reach out to the latinos. i think he has to focus on that and defeating president obama as opposed to winning the next primary and the next state. >> dana, maybe as i said to joe, it's genius. maybe these are tailor statements to people at home saying, i don't like the guy much, either, but i'm going to do the same thing. >> it's like saying, don't blame

me when things go wrong, it's not what i want to have happen, but the good thing for mitt romney is these endorsements don't actually matter, even when they're a big name. certainly at this late stage, everyone knew the establishment was with romney, anyway, so the fact a few more establishment guys come out here and very brai bravely announce their support doesn't really change things, anyway, but i don't think you'll see that p aratachi ad in the pr any time soon. >> it's going to be very interesting to see the way in which the romney campaign handles him moving forward. your thoughts? >> the way they've handled him moving forward is by not handling thim him at all or trn not to handle him at all. president bush's life is still a long time away from the guy you

want to have a conversation with or a guy whose endorsement will matter on the campaign trail. a lot of people on the republican party have distanced themselves. they know the public still blames george bush for a lot of the bad things that have happened over the last eight to 12 years and the economy we're trying to dig ourselves out from. so if they do bring president bush along, it will be romney doing the favor for these tepid endorsements, knowing people view him as a negative figure. >> you hav georgeer better walker bush and george bush. they should have infused them at the same time and then they could diffuse any doubts. up next, a rising republican star in california quits the party and he'll explain why when we return. you're watching "hardball." ♪ he was a 21st century global nomad ♪

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together. but, you know, i think that the general direction of his policy habgood for the country. >> there you have it. bill clinton in for three obama fundraisers. we'll be back to "hardball." all♪ [ female announcer ] introducing xfinity streampix. stream your favorite movies and full seasons of shows instantly on any screen. find out more online.

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with every door direct mail. hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. ye, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals. could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old 401(k) into a fidelity ira and take control of your personal economy. this is going to be helpful. call or come in today. fidelity investments. turn here. welcome back to "hardball." a growing number of americans describe themselves as independents, so where are the politicians that speak to them? they said the general approach to issues was moderate.

since the 2008 election, more than 2 million voters have left the democratic parties, according to usa today. and earlier this year, 34 million americans consider themselves independent. that's the highest measured by the polling company. if there's anybody trying to fill that void in the political system and trying to win those voters? a rising star of the republican party said he was leaving the gop to run as independent for mayor of san diego. fletcher is a decorated veteran who served in iraq. he ran afoul of his party for his willingness to work for democrats. here's what he said when he announced his defection. >> i believe it's more important to solve a problem than preserve that problem to use in a campaign. i'm willing to work or share or give all the credit to someone if the idea is good. i don't believe we have to treat

people we disagree with as an enemy. i think we can just save some time and say we disagree. maybe we'll agree on the next one. i have fought in a war, i have seen the enemy. we don't have enemies in our political environment here. nathan fletcher is joining us now. mr. fletcher, what has changed since you were elected to the california assembly? by that i mean, have you changed? has the party changed? what's gone wrong here? >> i feel in so many ways that what you see in today's political world is just that, it's an environment that's not fixated to solving problems, it's to the clip just played, it's how do you preserve them to campaign on them? our politics has evolved to a point where i feel like it's just a game. this isn't a game. if you're a small business owner who lost your business or your job, it's not a game. i'm trying to send a message to san diego voters that if i'm

selected mayor, i'll take your ideas, but our focus will always be how do we solve a problem and move into the future? i think we need more of that. >> did you misjudge where the party was in 2008 when you ran, or has there been a sea change in just the last four years from your perspective as to what the republican party, at least in san diego, represents? >> there's always been issues i agreed on, particularly more on fiscal issues and some i disagreed on, social, environmental or immigration issues. but i think the real change that's taken place in the last four to six years in american politics, not just here in california, has been a trend away from having principle positions, and you should never back down from your principles, but at the end of the day, they need to sit down and actually get teachers in the classroom, they need to actually build a bridge, they need a competitive environment for job growth. that's where i feel we're

looking is that focus of sitting down and figuring out how you v you govern in good faith. >> let's talk about the reaction to your move. both republicans and democrats have accused of you playing politics. they note you left the gop when the republican party decided to endorse someone else. quote, not even a month ago, mr. fletcher wanted to be the endorsed republican candidate in this race. when that didn't work, he decided to paint himself as an independent. voters will recognize he is just another leopard trying to change his spots in an election year. your response? >> what do you expect? it's silly. any time you have the head of the democratic party and the head of the republican party both saying you're wrong, maybe you're actually right. these are the same folks that have broken the system today. when you talk to those colleagues of mine that i've served with, when you talk to the democratic said nathan's been an independent

voice for what he believes is right. when you talk to my colleagues in the republican party they said, we know he's been frustrated by the system. we applaud his courage in making the move. most importantly when you talk to regular san diegans you talk to people fed up with politics as usual, fed up with the extreme right and extreme left. they are focused more on preserving chaos than solving it. >> the reason why many are interested in seeing what's going on in san diego. david brooks has written about you in the san diego times. i took note of the fact that mitt and ann romney have maxed out for you. first of all, is that true? b, have they asked for their money back? >> nobody asked for their money back. our supporters came from a broad base -- republicans, democrats. what i'm hearing from them is the same frustration.

you know, party insiders are there to preserve the extremes or preserve chaos. i don't know what they are afraid of. you have choices in an election. you have the far right, far left. we'll have the debay. my supporters across the board. it's been comforting to say it's time to get the city moving. time to start solving problems and get things done. >> let's talk about if it will be a successful strategy. you were out of the main stream of your party when it came to social issues. you have spoken of that, especially gay rights. you supported the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. let's ask what you said then. [ applause ] >> i didn't think the policy of don't ask, don't tell made sense when i served in peacetime. i didn't think it made sense when it served in combat. i don't think it makes sense today. there is nothing in someone's

sexual orientation that affects their patriotism, their commitment to fellow marine or servicemen or our great nation and there is nothing that affects their ability to give their life and many have. >> i have 30 seconds left. some would listen sand say, he would be better suited asn i from the outset or a d. >> my mom would agree. she's been a life long democrat. i have always been an independent voice. when i took the position party insiders said we need you not to do that. i said i can only do what i believe is right and best. that's true then and true now. when i say i will reject the partisan extremities. i hope americans say, we are frustrated with politics as usual. we have had tremendous traffic on the website. >> a lot of folks want to see if it will work. thank you.

>> thanks for having me. >> let me finish with embarrassing smerconish family stories that may give mitt romney's dog on the roof a run for his money. since 1894, ameriprise financial has been working hard for their clients' futures. never taking a bailout. helping generations achieve dreams. buy homes. put their kids through college. retire how they want to. ameriprise. the strength of america's largest financial planning company. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you, one-to-one. together, for your future. ♪ i don't want a plunger anywhere near my coffee. not in my house. with maxwell house french roast, you let gravity do the work. [ male announcer ] maxwell house french roast. always good to the last drop.

that's good morning, veggie style.

hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8.

let me finish tonight with this. despite my love for our miniature dachshund. the facts have been widely circulated. in 1983 then 36-year-old romney

packed his wife and five sons into the station wagon for a 12-hour drive to ontario, canada. romney fashioned a windshield to a dog carrier and strapped it to the roof of the car. midway into the cry there was a cry of gross who had seen brown liquid running down the window. romney hosed down the car and the dog and got back on the road. we know it because it was in boston globe five years ago. it was the recent explanation to me as to how he learned of it that causes me to cut mitt slack. he'd gone looking for the romney versions of the stories that every family has that are both embarrassing and usually shared only among one another. embarrassing family stories? like the night when my mother didn't like the looks of the crowd outside a dance where she'd driven my brother so she

marched inside in her bathrobe and removed him from his peers. growing up smerconish, the romneys had nothing on us. my embarrassments are still being recorded. mention dogs to my brood and someone will tell you about the day we lost our cocker spaniel winston. i was devastated, overcome. my wife decided i needed grieving room and took the kids out for a drive. by the time they had returned i took an antique chest out of the living room to bury winston in the backyard. she still complains about my use of a family heirloom. i say, not to worry, we know where it is. our sons never let me forget the time i over judged the interest in talladega nights. i drove to the box office in advance to beat the rush before later returning with my family

to a nearly empty theater. according to the middle son who's been writing down ridiculous things i say, i give him plenty of material. icon fesed to once having tried to impress a gallery owner in soho trying to sell me album art that i was a nationally syndicated radio host. the man was a stranger and i was a blow hard. if you think my stuff is embarrassing while mine is dangerous, my wife says i took our 4-year-old on the space mountain ride even though the safety harss barely fit him and last year i was intent on taking a pontoon boat with our kids into the gulf of mexico despite a storm until i saw a fisherman on the neighboring docks shaking their heads. neil told me he printed the dog story for a particular reason as part of a larger story as to how he operates in big ways and small. i think many of us have plenty of our