"morning joe" starts right now. if i were mitt romney today, i would go up with millions of dollars of ads in pennsylvania today and let him know, you know what, you stay in this race and you make me sweat this out, and you stop me from focusing on barack obama, you know what i'm going to do? i'm going to reduce you to rubble in your home state, and then just like rome, i'm going to go to carthage and salt the earth to make sure that nothing ever grows back there again. >> do not anger joe scarborough. for he will, like general sherman, march through your hometown and burn the [ bleep ] place to the ground. romney will crush his enemies, see them driven before him and hear the lamentations of their

women. >> good morning, everyone. it's thursday, april 5. welcome to "morning joe." >> wow. opening day for the red sox. >> i hope you're not angry today. >> 1:00 against the tigers. >> is it really opening day? >> opening day. where are you going to be at 1:00 today? >> why are you here? >> right there in front of my tv. >> that's sad. >> fantastic. >> down at the halfway house on the corner by yourself. >> yes. opening day. >> looking at a 1968 magna vox because he snorted his money away. >> he's on his way back. by the way, what you said yesterday and jon stewart pointed out, is the kind of subtle nuanced political analysis that people turn to this program for. >> just a little sleight of hand. >> mike barnicle is here. and the chairman of deutsch incorporated, donny deutsch. stepped off the forbes yacht in

northeast harbor, maine, and headed to the harbor club. >> what year? in 1982. >> definitely '82. circa '82. >> you understand on this "morning joe" website there's this whole thing about what donny is going to wear. i don't want to disappoint the fans. >> no matter how well you think that jacket might look, you're not getting into the club. [ laughter ] >> the story of my life, by the way. >> are you wearing socks? >> i'm wearing socks. >> see? >> i'm wearing socks. >> are you headed to the pot and kettle? >> there is your problem, you don't wear socks, ok? are you a wasp or not? >> by the way, i do do that during the summer, but i am a proud member of the tribe. i just like to just kind of be all inclusive in my fashion statements. where's joe? where is he going? >> are you saying the tribe is -- is there something in leviticus that says you have to wear socks? >> i actually don't wear socks during the summer. but officially, it's really until may that you're supposed to wear socks. >> look at this.

see, and this is the difference. this is why you won't get into the club and i will. see, i'm ready to go. >> see, they will let me -- like at the masters, if -- i think there is one -- >> oh, you can't go to the masters. [ laughter ] >> they are not letting you in augusta. >> i have some news for you, donny. >> you think you're getting into augusta? you're out of your mind. >> i want the name of the jew that's in the masters at augusta. there is one. >> you're lucky we let you in here. >> well, they love the jews. come on. >> stinky feet, sit down. >> the glittery sort of rhinestone glasses. >> put the glasses on with this jacket. my first question, willie, where is kiki d? seriously. >> you know what, guys? come on. >> what are you doing to us here? >> i am just secure in who i am. >> no, you're not. it's just the opposite. you're trying to be a wasp. >> i actually don't like wasps. >> then why are you trying to get into their clubs?

>> i think it's a dapper look actually. you don't see that word a lot anymore, and i'm trying to bring it back. on the streets people say, donny, you look very dapper. >> does anybody know tom ford? >> yes. >> you know tom ford? >> i have bought his clothes. i don't know him. >> i would like to get his judgment call on this. i will guarantee you he will tell you that that looked great if you were about to go home and watch "dynasty" after -- >> mika, i would like to pay attention to the tweets. i want some votes coming in. your audience likes me a lot. >> people email me and say, why is donny even on your show? >> along those lines -- >> good question. >> along those lines. >> i'm willing to open up it up to the public, what do you think of the blazer? very simple. let's get to politics now. you don't need to count delegates to see the general election taking shape, with president obama and mitt romney exchanging the first shots in their likely showdown for the white house. just a day after the president

tore into romney's support for the republican budget, the former massachusetts governor hit the very same stage in washington and fired back. >> the president came here yesterday and railed against arguments no one is making. and criticized policies that no one is proposing. it's one of his favorite strategies. setting up straw men to distract us from his record. and while i understand the president doesn't want to run on his record, he can't run from his record either. this november we'll face a defining decision. the choice will not be one of party or personality. this election will be about principle, freedom, and opportunity on the ballot. i am offering a real choice and a new beginning. i'm running for president because i have the experience and the vision to get us out of this mess. we know what barack obama's vision of america is. we've all lived it these last three years.

>> mika, the tweets are coming in quickly, and then we'll go back to the news. this one really sums it up for everybody. good grief, why is donny even on your show? >> right. there you go. >> nothing about the jacket, willie. >> it's more broad, the critique. >> took it to a different place. romney also went after president obama for telling russia's president that he will have, quote, more flexibility after the election. >> president obama's comments to president medvedev are deeply troubling. that incident calls his candor into serious question. he doesn't want to share his real plans before the election either with the public or with the press. by flexibility, he means that what the american public doesn't know won't hurt him. his intent is on hiding. you and i are going to have to do the seeking. >> you know what's interesting? after obama has great moments, you see that kick in his step on

the tube. here he is coming off pretty much the defining moment as far as him winning this moment, and nothing has changed. there's no loosening. there's no carrying himself a certain way. it's still -- >> well, let's focus on what he's saying and if he offers an alternative. has he put out a budget? >> he's embraced the ryan budget. >> so that's what he's taking under his wing as his signature in terms of his concepts moving forward? >> yeah. let me ask mike really quickly, because i do want to talk about this for a bit. it was a bit stilted. but, mike, i think the romney people have to make a choice. do they let their man go out and be relaxed and make some mistakes along the lines, you know, the jokes about his father shutting down factories and things like that, or do they have romney be that guy and just say i'm the competent guy, i'm mr. fix it, i'm not exciting, but you don't need a guy telling

you jokes. you need a guy who is going to fix the economy. >> from what you hear, there is a bit of an internal discussion/dissension in the romney campaign about whether just to do that. let's find out who this guy is without the teleprompter. internally in the campaign, a lot of people obviously know who he is. but one of the things he has to do, it would seem, not just to me, but i think to a lot of people, is he's got to define himself for the american public. he's been going back and forth in the primaries now for several months with santorum and gingrich and all of those people in the republican primary. he has to define himself and define a program that he stands behind, that he stands for. it's something that he really hasn't done effectively yet. he's got to get going on it. >> on that style question, joe, i go back to what mike murphy said sitting in this chair about two or three weeks ago. a guy who worked on mitt romney's campaign up in massachusetts. he said we never got cute, because it doesn't work with him. he didn't try to put him in

jeans and have him relax with the people. we put him in suit and tie, and he is a fix it guy, a successful businessman who can fix the economy, and that's it. >> and you get into the drudgery of this campaign, and you have got to be comfortable in your own skin. like that's why i wear the same sweater every day. >> yes. >> it fits. i'm comfortable every day in it. i have some cinnamon there. i don't wipe it off. it's cold in the morning. we have to wake up early. i'm serious, though. you've got to do what you like. i just changed my office, right? take everything out. i'm going to start doing what i always do. and i'm dead serious. i'm going to just start tacking stuff up on the wall. you need to get into your zone. and when they try to make this guy cute, he gets out of his zone and he makes mistakes. if he's a boardroom guy, then dammit, make him dress like the boardroom guy. what makes mitt romney comfortable in the morning? >> here is the problem, guys, with that. i agree, you have to be who you are because the camera will say

one way or the other. >> speaking of who you are, they are coming in, and listen to this. i am reading them straight. donny deutsch is one sharp-dressed man. joe, don't make fun of donny's blazer. it's 6:00 a.m., and at least he's dressed, unlike me. >> i respect the audience. >> donny deutsch, he's keeping it professional, and donny deutsch, watch out, mark mckinnon, your title is being usurped. >> please don't put me in that same -- >> the most fascinating man in the world. >> just getting back to this for a second. the problem with romney being who he is, it plays into obama. he is the 1%, i'm the 99%. and therein lies the problem. >> on your side of the isle. but if you're on my side of the aisle, you think he's fixed things before. he doesn't make me people good about myself. he is not a community organizer. i don't feel like i'm doing dprat things. you know what i'm doing?

i'm getting a guy that fixed the olympics. he created a business, that created jobs. listen, we can debate about our world views. i don't want to elect a guy that makes me feel good about myself. i want to elect a guy that gets people back to work. i feel mitt romney -- well, let me take that back. not mitt romney personally he is not conservative enough for me. but i feel that candidates like mitt romney are guys that or women that make me feel a lot more comfortable than a community organizer that makes me feel like it's the age of aquarius again. >> you're painting him out to be this no bs tough boardroom guy, get it done. >> he is. >> he has been mr. swishy, mr. back and forth. i don't see him as a guy who sat in boardrooms with a lot of ceos. i don't see that guy yet. >> did you ever sit in a boardroom with mitt romney? >> no, i have not. >> let me tell you what, if i did, and mike barnicle can tell you, anybody that's ever worked with mitt romney has said he is

all business, he gets things done. he doesn't try to tell jokes. i'm telling you, his record -- and steve rattner will say this. and a lot of other democratic business people on wall street will say this, mike. this guy's record on wall street was nothing short of remarkable. but he wasn't trying to be cutesy. he was trying to get the job done. he wasn't doing stand-up in salt lake. he was trying to save the olympics. >> that's it. that gets back to the point where he's now got to define himself for the american public. you say he is a member of the 1%. he certainly is a member of the 1%. but there might be a pocket out there in this country of people, voters, who are willing to listen to a guy who stops apologizing for how much money he's made and instead says, look, i have made a lot of money in my life. i want you to make money. i know how to help you make money. i know how to get this economy back going. i know how to get the gas prices down. i know how to deal with the regulations that have so flummoxed and angered wall

street wrongly, by the way. but i know how to get this done. i am the guy. >> along those lines, we have to stop painting the president as the county organizer, the guy who saved the auto industry, a guy who got the terrorist that bush couldn't get. this man has accomplished a lot. you may like him, not like him, but you have to stop giving him that label of pre-2008. like it or not -- >> using bush policies. we're talking about when democrats jumped off a cliff and voted for obama, they were voting for a community organizer who is a glorified statesman. >> no, no, joe, but -- >> guys, you can -- go ahead. >> a thousand other guys are a lot more personal on wall street. this is not the captain of industry. you guys paint him like -- he say successful guy. he is not a panacea. >> he is the only one running for president, though, among your wall street friends. he is running for president as a republican. and he has not yet really defined himself, i don't think, for the country.

>> because the more he defines himself, the more he is unelectable. >> yeah. he's been doing this for quite some time, so it feels a little forced. >> and i don't want to invite him into my home every night. watching him, all of our body language went like this. he just doesn't have that appeal. he just doesn't have it. it's just not there. >> let's take a look at the latest "usa today"/gallup poll showing romney trailing obama with women. >> i know that our party has traditionally faced a gender gap, and i think the democratic party has done an effective job of trying to mischaracterize our views. i think in the final analysis will have the support of men and women. my wife has the occasion to campaign on her own, and also with me, and she reports to me regularly that the issue women care about most is the economy.

and getting good jobs for their kids. and for themselves. >> does that resonate with you? did you feel it? >> what do you think, willie? >> i think republicans have had a problem with women. if you look historically, for some time in presidential elections. and it's only getting worse based on a conversation we have had over the last two months. it's only getting worse in the swing states as the polls indicate. he's got a lot of work to do with women, obviously, and with the latino vote. if he can't win both or at least one of them, he's got no shot. >> he's always had a problem with women. he had a problem with women running in massachusetts. the republicans have made their own problems with women the way they have dealt with issues over the past two or three months. unfortunately for us, as voters, as citizens, romney's best shot at beating president obama is going to largely depend on the state of the economy. if the economy dips again into a mild recession again later this summer, then his chances are going to improve. that's a tough thing to have to

depend on. >> while mitt romney has this problem attracting female voters, which i think he will have to work hard to overcome, there is news on the other side of this from the white house, where they have done quite well over the past couple of years accomplishing a great deal toward the better ment of women and the economy. i'll be there tomorrow moderating the panel. president obama will be speaking. we'll get an early look for you right now at new numbers from the white house council on women and girls about the reality of the gender pay gap. the study founds that women a still paid less than men, on average $150 per week, $8,000 per year, and by $380,000 over a lifetime. when it comes to enforcing the law on equal pay, the national equal pay task force established in 2010 has obtained more than

$62 million in relief for victims of gender-based wage discrimination. just a few of the topics we'll be talking about tomorrow. certainly the white house feels very strong on this issue. ready to go to break? >> let's do it. >> a reason to buy your book, by the way? can we put this up? daughters and granddaughters, this will actually affect dollars in women's life in terms of -- i'm not a plugger. you know that. here is the book. put it up. put it up. >> ok. now stop. coming up, we'll talk to "the washington post" -- >> there it is. >> thank you. ezra klein. dee pack chopra. van jones. and later, yankees legend yogi berra. but first, bill karins has a check on the forecast. good morning. once again tracking severe storms today if you're in the southeast. keep your eye on the sky and pay attention, because you have a chance of severe storms including large hail, damaging winds, maybe some isolated tornadoes. already starting this morning with rough weather in southern louisiana, areas of mississippi

under a tornado watch. even at this early hour. we have not had any tornadoes overnight, but the potential is there even this morning, areas like baton rouge, jackson, mississippi, and just north of interstate 20 there in louisiana. for today, the southeast, tampa, atlanta, orlando, everywhere in the southeast, you have a chance of a slight risk of severe weather today. that will include augusta national golf course. today will be a very stormy afternoon there. they'll be lucky to get in any golf later today when the storms roll through. most of the golf this morning will be just fine. notice the weekend forecast should be perfect for the final rounds. the wind-chill is a factor today in the great lakes and the northeast. it is not like yesterday morning. bundle yourself up and the kids as you head out the door. temperatures will rise this afternoon under the april sunshine. but that wind will be brisk, especially this morning. and even in chicago, detroit, up to minneapolis, it's definitely a chilly morning and a nice day there in dallas as your cleanup continues from those strong tornadoes two days ago. it's a chilly morning in new york city.

it be a sunny afternoon. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. havi ng a n irregular heartbeat havi called atrial fibrillation ng a puts you at 5 times greater risk of stroke. don't wait. go to afibstroke.com for a free discussion guide to help you talk to your doctor about reducing your risk. that's afibstroke.com.

[ female announcer ] the gold standard in anti-aging. roc® retinol. found in roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream. it's clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. now for maximum results... the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum to create retinol correxion® max. it's proven to be 4x better at smoothing lines and deep wrinkles than professional treatments. new roc® retinol correxion® max. nothing's better than gold.

>> mitt romney -- >> "america, america ♪ >> plus a mustache equals tony orlando. ♪ my country tis of thee ♪ sweet land of liberty >> i'm mitt romney, and i approved this message. >> maybe that's the move. time to take a look at the morning papers. "financial times," yahoo has unveiled a new round of sweeping job cuts, the largest in its 18-year history. new ceo scott thompson is cutting some 2,000 workers, about 14% of the company's work

force. >> how would donnie look with a mustache? >> i would go handlebar. >> are there photographs? 1970s? >> never had a mustache. a bad beard. >> the "wall street journal," while yahoo is downsizing google is innovating. it is offering a first look at how its new project, google glasses, might work. they would provide pop-up maps, walking routes, and -- >> oh, that's just not right. >> too much. >> that's not good. >> the product is apparently far from being finished and thank god, because nobody is going to want it. >> wow. >> that's just too much. i'm not sure about this one. "the detroit news." the city of detroit is moving forward with plans -- of all the people you can honor from detroit, where to begin? to build a statue honoring the fictional character robo cop from the 1987 film. the movement started a year ago on twitter. >> there was a movie called "robo cop"?

>> yeah, yeah, so good. you have never seen it? >> why would you do a tribute to that? >> raised $67,000 for the project. not everybody onboard. many folks don't like the way the film portrays detroit as a post apocalyptic wasteland. >> i would have clint eastwood before i had robo cop. >> they had clint eastwood. >> i'm talking about a statue. >> thank you for making that connection, donny. we appreciate it. >> great flick. joining us now with a look at the political playbook, jim is here. how are you doing? >> doing all right. >> big news here. ed gillespie hired as a top adviser to mitt romney. how did this come about? >> that news breaking this morning on politico. and basically, they are trying to bring in more senior help as he pivots into the general election. ed gillespie is one of the big thinkers in the republican party. has been affiliated with a lot

of these outside groups that have poured a lot of money into both organizing in different states but also getting ready for the ad campaign. i think this is truly the general election pivot. everyone thinks the race is over. it is over. and so i think gillespie is only the beginning of new bodies that you'll see moved into the campaign as they prepare for this sort of state-by-state showdown with president obama. >> etch a sketch aside, jim, what changes now that we pivot toward the general election? we were talking in the first segment about the style, the way he should be put out there. what's different about mitt romney as a general election candidate as opposed to a primary one? >> put style aside for a second, and i agree it's important. but it's still a 50/50 country, and the obama campaign fully anticipates it's going to be a close race, and it's going to be fought state-by-state, region-by-region. they need to put together an organization in every state and figure out a way to bring independent voters back into his camp and then to figure out somehow if they -- they have to get above 30% with latino

voters. he did considerable damage to his campaign with his rhetoric to immigration reform. he has several demographic areas he needs to target. and i think he does this by gently trying to move back to the middle. he needs to be talking about, i'm mr. fix it. i'm going to fix the budget, go after entitlement reform, truly reform the tax code. those issues are going to be his strengths. i think what joe was saying earlier, he has to get comfortable in his skin. his skin is he is a corporate guy who's never going to cop neglect with people in the way that barack obama or bill clinton might. he has to be mr. fix it and look at all the areas where they can argue that obama failed and show a specific solution that appeals to independent women, latinos, and independent voters. >> he has problems in all three areas you just listed. you have some speculation this morning, a bit of news perhaps out of the santorum camp about when he may drop out of this race. what are you hearing? >> a very important poll that's been out overnight by ppp which

has had pretty good accuracy in these polls over the last year or so. and it shows that santorum is now trailing in pennsylvania. which tracks with what we are hearing from other folks polling in the state. if that holds true, that's increasing speculation that santorum could get out before pennsylvania. he doesn't want to be embarrassed by losing in pennsylvania, and there's tremendous pressure on him to rethink staying in here all the way until may. we have an interesting story that popped overnight where you have a lot of christian conservatives who are backing santorum really thinking long and hard about whether or not they should continue this fight on behalf of santorum. they like him. he's their guy. but they look at the numbers and look at the damage that's been done to the republican party and the prospects of beating barack obama, and they start to think it might be time to wrap it up. so i think conventional wisdom is santorum is in for two months. i don't think that's certain. if those polls continue to show a surge for romney in pennsylvania. >> if you look at those trend lines, joe, santorum sees the

w writing on the wall if he is falling behind in his home state. there's nowhere else for him to go. >> he has to get out. regardless of what he's going to do. he can't get beaten in all of these states and get pounded in pennsylvania. he's got to get out. >> he will lose pennsylvania. you understand the psychology of people. they want to now be with the winner. it just -- i almost think it's a matter of he will lose pennsylvania. so i do think he'll drop out. >> i think he needs to drop out. and the ppp poll and some of the internal polls they are all saying the same thing. so get out now before they push you out. because, again, the guy's got some future. he's got to have some future. >> that's what he's got to figure out. does he have a future? if he has a future, get out. >> he has 2 1/2 weeks before pennsylvania to do it. jim, thanks so much. >> take care. we'll see you later. coming up on "morning joe," a lot of people making tiger woods the favorite at augusta this week. he won a couple of weeks ago for the first time since 2009. can he now surge back to the top of the golf world?

we'll look at his chances and at the new scrutiny of the club's membership policy, donny. that's on "morning joe." ♪ [ male announcer ] no one just hands you the title, most advanced technology in its class. it needs to be earned. earned with smartbeam head lamps. earned with vented temperature control seats. earned with an 8.4-inch touch screen. and if you're driving one, you know what it means to earn something. ♪

so i test... a lot. do you test with this? freestyle lite test strips? i don't see... beep! wow! that didn't take much blood. yeah, and the unique zipwik tab

targets the blood and pulls it in. so easy. yep. freestyle lite needs just a third the blood of onetouch ultra. really? so testing is one less thing i have to worry about today. great. call or click today and get strips and a meter free. test easy. oú

it is that time of the year. the best time of the year for

golf. the masters is here. it begins today at the augusta national golf club. golf's very best in the world tee it up for round one. the first group, craig statler, brendan steel, jim clark, tee off at 7:50, an hour and 10 minutes from now. tiger woods tees off at 10:35 a.m. eastern. looking for his fifth green jacket. he spoke yesterday about his recent progress. >> i have been putting together, you know, two good rounds and then eventually three and now four. and just had to keep sticking with it and getting more experience, you know, working with sean. and, you know, this year, you can see the numbers. in the last year and then towards, you know, most of this year, i've been in contention. and just continuing the process. >> phil mickelson, by the way, in the day's final group at 1:53. bill karins reports some bad weather in augusta.

they may not finish the round. >> they can always do press conferences. >> they did that yesterday. remember the controversy almost 10 years ago, martha burke bringing up the lack of a female member at augusta? >> that did not end well for "the new york times" or cbs sports. >> it did not. but the issue came up again, why isn't there a female member to the augusta national golf club. the sponsor, ibm, is now led by a woman. billy payne took questions yesterday, well, deflected questions yesterday, when asked about this. >> what do you think about the wonderful message to the young girls around the world if they knew that one day they could join this very famous golf club? >> once again, that deals with the membership issue, and i'm not going to answer it. i think that's a question that deals with membership. and -- and -- well, my conversations with my granddaughters are also personal. >> what would you suggest i tell

my daughters now? >> i don't know your daughters. >> so i guess they are not going to answer the question. they never do. >> what can you say? i think the chairman of ibm, the ceo, i'm being serious here, i think she's got a wonderful opportunity to say, look, you know, i'm not passing judgment. i have tens of thousands of women in my organization. we sell to women. and when you sponsor something, you're endorsing the behavior of that company. i think she has -- it's a wonderful opportunity for her to take a stand. if i were advising her as a businessperson for the ibm, i think it would be a wonderful move. >> i'll be the ceo. we've been looking over your membership policy, and i'm afraid we'll have to pull our sponsorship. >> well, ma'am, that's just fine. we'll move on. >> but cbs sports needs that

money. ibm doesn't need the masters. they have thousands of ways to reach their audience. that's the difference. cbs sports can't take a stand. ibm doesn't need the masters. >> donny, you don't understand. >> yes, i do. >> you don't understand who watches the masters. >> i understand it better than you. trust me, that's one thing i understand better than you. >> i ran a computer company that relies on the top companies in the world? >> i'm not saying they are the core audience. >> i'm not saying you don't know what ibm needs. >> i'm not saying it's not their audience. but i could replace that audience with 10 other media vehicles and not miss a beat. >> you know, the masters needs ibm a lot less than ibm needs the masters. >> they don't need each other. >> but the sponsorship, said she'll be there entertaining clients. >> she said it's up to the board. i would have taken a stand if i were her. baseball, opening day, last night, yesterday, was in miami.

new stadium, new look team, a packed house. it's a good day in miami. let's hope they can keep it up. they got a new shortstop in jose reyes. there he is on the left there. but, man, they couldn't put any offense together in this first game. the cardinals wasting no time getting on the board. top of the first, world series hero david frees, two-out single. couple of runs. 3-0 lead for the marlins before the cardinals even got their first hit. kyle lohse no hit miami through the first. but bottom of the second, reyes with the single to right field. marlins open the ballpark with a 4-1 loss but did avoid being the first team to be no-hit in their opener since 1940. >> man, looked like history. >> what do you mean, almost? red sox-tigers today. >> tigers. >> joe, how are you feeling about the sox this year? >> i think fourth or fifth. if we come in fourth, i'll be -- mike and i will be really happy if we come in fourth. >> here we go. >> seriously, we don't have the

money the yankees have. we don't have obviously the millions and millions of people. you have the best market in the world. the best players in the world. look at this a-rod kid. how much are guys paying him? >> just walking around money. >> $250 million. something like that. so, mike, if we -- i figure if we get ahead of baltimore this year, that's a successful season. >> we are just thankful for that extra wild card. >> yeah. >> i'm hoping to hang in until the middle of august. >> who is starting today? >> oil can is starting today but not on the mound. >> i don't know what that means. we'll be right back with your must-read opinion pages. keep it on "morning joe." [ male announcer ] if you believe the mayan calendar,

on december 21st polar shifts will reverse the earth's gravitational pull and hurtle us all into space. which would render retirement planning unnecessary. but say the sun rises on december 22nd, and you still need to retire. td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life. we'll even throw in up to $600

when you open a new account or roll over an old 401(k). so who's in control now, mayans?

42 past the hour. pretty shot of washington, drk. time now for the must-read opinion pages. we start with "the new york times" and charles glow. it's mitt, oh, no. he says this. the dream is dying. there will be no dynamic charismatic reagan-esque republican presidential nominee this cycle. there won't even be a consistent conservative. there will only be mitt romney. but this is likely the result of resignation, not enthusiasm. it's mitt, the flavorless force who is willing to flow in any direction to get a vote. that sound you hear is the sound of despair. the hard swallowing and deep breathing by reluctant republicans crossing their fingers and praying for the best. maybe romney will pick a game-changing running mate. remember how well that worked last time? ow. that's not good. >> well, he's got it actually. he's got it.

i mean, there are some people that were shocked that -- they said nobody in the republican establishment that worked for reagan or was part of the '94 revolution or in congress now, i mean, these guys just aren't excited about mitt romney. >> no. and he has flowed in a lot of different directions. you can find one clip after another. mitt romney is many things. and i have said some nice things about him today and yesterday, but he's not a conservative. he is not even close to being a conservative if you look at all of his statements over time. so now the ugly part of politics comes. and the resignation sets in. and everybody in the republican party is told, line up behind this one guy. and now they start -- the same people that were attacking him for not being conservative will now say that if you attack mitt romney, you're a rhino. you're not sufficiently conservative. you're not a true believer. when of course the irony of this is, that mitt romney is not a true believer.

mitt romney is a guy who has done what it has taken to get votes and elections, depending on where he was running and when he was running. those facts shaped his message. >> who does he choose as his running mate? >> i think he's probably going to go with maybe rob portman, pick up ohio. he's not going to take a crazy chance. and he's not -- >> it would be off brand if he did. >> people are talking about paul ryan. he's not going to pick paul ryan. >> joe, if you feel that way as a republican, not you personally, but if you're out there, a republican and you feel that way about romney, what are your options this fall? where do you go? >> well, you vote for mitt romney or you vote for barack obama. >> but, you know, the thing -- my point is, though, let's not play games here. don't tell me i'm not a sufficient conservative. don't tell people that work for ronald reagan they are not sufficiently conservative. don't tell people that ran the

'94 revolution they are not sufficiently conservative if they tell the truth about mitt romney. you can support mitt romney and still say, this is a guy that ran away from ronald reagan. this is a day whose intellectual architect of obama care. this is a guy who has flip flopped on just about every issue before him in his 20 years of american politics. i mean, this guy is not a conservative. is he more conservative than barack obama? yes, he is. but then again, a lot of members of the united states senate who are democrats are as well. that is damning with faint praise. >> have we ever elected a flip flopper? i'm not being glib. clearly that's the bane of his existence, no pun intended. but can you go back on either side and find someone who has been across the board a -- >> george hw bush was pro choice until the night that ronald reagan elected him as his vice president. he moved on taxes. he flip flopped on taxes. bill clinton obviously has always been attacked for being a

little too ambedex trious. and they didn't call him slick willie for nothing back in arkansas. >> if you go back and get extended clips of mitt romney running against ted kennedy for the united states senate in 1994, and play those clips, he sounds as if he's a moderate democrat running against ted kennedy. on a range of issues. >> i mean, he attacked ronald reagan. he said, i wasn't even a republican when reagan was. i don't want to go back to ronald reagan's policies. i mean, that was running for the united states senate in 1994. a little different from what the rest of us were saying in 1994. and again, how old was the guy? h in his 40s, his 50s? come on. that's where i am right now. are you telling me that mitt romney has learned things over the past decade of his life that -- >> i think that's a great point.

>> that makes him now take completely different positions than when he first ran for federal office? >> i think if you really think about human beings, early 30s, late 20s, you do evolve to a different person in your 40s. your wardrobe is set in your mid 40s, who you are, i don't think people change their philosophies of life from 45 to 58. >> no, they don't. all right. here is the next must-read opinion page from the "wall street journal." daniel henninger. the supreme court lands in oz. it appears to be unprecedented, however, for a u.s. president to have attacked the supreme court before it handed down its decision. some think mr. obama and his progressive infantry are trying to intimidate the justices, specifically justice anthony kennedy. but most legal commentary has said that the president's attack is likely to anger the justices, perhaps including some of the court's liberals. mr. obama's notion of judicial review diminishes all of the members of any court, not just its conservatives.

it doesn't help the always difficult struggle for an independent judiciary in other countries if an american president is issuing venezuela like statements on u.s. courts. >> all right. >> that's a little over the top. >> speaking of over the top, i mean, we all like maureen dowd, right? >> right. >> love her. >> we love her. we do not like her, we love her. maureen dowd is playing bobby knight. and so is "the new york times" editorial page. running up and down the side of the court, they are screaming insults at the officials, thinking that's going to get them the next call. listen to what maureen dowd -- we talked about it yesterday. but she calls scalia venomous. she says that it's an ideologically rigid court, quote, run by hacks dressed up in black robes, corseted behind white mar bell pillars

accountable to no one, becoming the most divisive in modern american history. all of these insults, the editorial page says this court is, quote, sidestepping the constitution, virtually unfettered by the law, and then they call the four liberals on the court who we knew from day one were going to vote for this moderates. and listen to what they say about the, quote, moderates. >> sounds right so far. >> they see the role as stewards of the law, balancing the responsibility to enforce the constitution through judicial review against the duty to show deference to the will of the political branches. they are up on high, while of course what "the new york times" doesn't mention is that one of those justices was typing emails euphorically go goiing, do we h the votes? amazing! and this is -- turn the music

down. this is a joke what "the new york times" is doing. they are -- it's just intellectually dishonest, and they are playing anthony kennedy. and i think it's going to blow up in their face. >> did you see what larry tribe, who is one of president obama's former law professors, indicated yesterday that he felt the president made a mistake in speaking out against the supreme court? >> yeah. you know -- >> kind of interesting. >> we love maureen. we love her. >> i think she was dead on in her description of scalia. >> come on. >> i love when you read the topics out lod. >> well, the thing is, they are bobby knight. they are playing anthony kennedy and to a lesser degree john roberts, who they actually think won't give a damn. >> he won't care. >> they should all just be quiet. >> they should be quiet. we'll be right back with willie's "news you can't use."

not in this economy. we also have zero free time,

and my dad moving in. so we went to fidelity. we looked at our family's goals and some ways to help us get there. they helped me fix my economy, the one in my house. now they're managing my investments for me. and with fidelity, getting back on track was easier than i thought. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. your finances can't manage themselves. but that doesn't mean they won't try. bring all your finances together with the help of the one person who can. a certified financial planner professional. cfp. let's make a plan.

time for "news you can't use." >> holy cow. can we have more of the masters press conference? >> we'll play that later. the answers will be the same. you can listen all you want. you know the david after dentist video, 7-year-old kid coming back from the dentist still under anesthesia? >> that was a good one. >> is this real life? >> yeah, this is real life. >> ok.

now -- ok. now i -- i have two fingers. [ screaming ] >> so that was january 2009, exploded online. little david there inspiration to people to document their trips home from the dentist while still under anesthesia. >> any more? >> last night, jimmy kimmel dug up a great one. >> not uplike a lot of popular youtube videos, this one involves the aftereffects of anesthesia after having wisdom teeth taken out. i think her mother shot this. and suffice it to say, her mother is my kind of parent. >> we don't live in america? >> no. >> where do we live? >> i don't remember. i don't know where i am. >> harrisburg. north carolina. what?

>> hogwarts. >> hogwarts? >> i live at hogwarts. >> you live at hogwarts? >> what? >> i couldn't understand what she said. >> hogwarts. >> isn't is nice when parents mock their children? >> the mom with the camera. >> what is wrong with people? >> uploads it to youtube. that's not right. >> think about that. look how stupid my daughter looks. i'm going to share it with the world. speaking of awful, let's hope this news is not true. >> what's that? >> us weekly" very rarely incorrect. let's hope they are incorrect. because they are reporting that kristin wiig, andy samberg, and jason sudeikis are set to leave "snl." let's hope it's wrong. maybe they want to go on to be movie stars. they wouldn't be the first to do it. but that would be a huge blow. that's the core of the show.

>> who's left? >> big hader -- bill hader. and fred armiston. his show is blowing up. someone i know who has worked there for a very, very long time says this is the best cast he's ever been around. >> and you get a sense they really like each other also. there's no one person. >> kristin wiig is -- >> she is unbelievable. >> i dated her once. >> oh, stop it. >> i did. >> you never dated her. >> why do you have to go there? >> she wouldn't date a guy like you. that doesn't make any sense. ezra klein is up next. they have names like idle time books and smash records and on small business saturday they remind a nation of the benefits of shopping small. on just one day, 100 million of us joined a movement... and main street found its might again.

and main street found its fight again. and we, the locals, found delight again. that's the power of all of us. that's the power of all of us. that's the membership effect of american express. do about medicare and social security... security. that's what matters to me... me? i've been paying in all these years... years washington's been talking at us, but they never really listen... listen...it's not just some line item on a budget; it's what i'll have to live on... i live on branson street, and i have something to say... [ male announcer ] aarp is bringing the conversation on medicare and social security out from behind closed doors in washington. because you've earned a say.

we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. t there. - one serving of cheese is the size of four dice. one serving of cereal, a baseball. and one serving of fruit, a tennis ball.

- you know, both parties agree. our kids can be healthier... the more you know. last night's trio of primary night victories for one wilhelm mittens romneyvelt. he won huge, beating rick santorum in washington, d.c., beat him 70% to wasn't even on the ballot. >> everybody knows romney is going to be the nominee. >> fat lady is singing. >> game over. >> rick santorum is done. >> you lose! good day, sir. >> who is ready to charge out of the locker room in pennsylvania for a strong second half? >> game's over, dude. it's over. you're done. this isn't the scene in the

sports drama where the coach gives the inspiring speech and then the team comes back to win the playoffs. this is the scene in the sports drama where hilary swank hits her head on a stool and never boxes again. >> washington understood some of the best ideas and some of the best plans. in fact, what has made this country great is that we have listened to real significant voices of everyday americans, and he did. and that's why he crossed the delaware, surprised the hessians, and turned the tide of the revolution. >> you know, senator santorum, your campaign is on a boat, but i don't think it's washington's boat, if you know what i mean. yeah. >> welcome back to "morning joe." it is the top of the hour. look at that beautiful shot. new york city on a sunny spring morning.

mike barnicle and donny deutsch are still with us, unfortunately. and joining us from washington -- >> you are lumped in with the bad kids. >> columnist for "the washington post" and bloomberg, ezra klein is joining us. >> finally, a serious person on the show. >> yes. and he is not wearing his double breasted 1980 suit jacket as well. >> try this on. >> it won't fit. you're the size of -- >> i knew this was coming. >> davy jones. i mean, i'm not going to be -- >> i'm 5'10". i said it the other day. you guys are just exceptionally tall on this show. that's why. >> i think willie, 6'4" is the median height on this show. >> that's right. you're an outlier my friend. >> but i'm like the boston red sox. just punching my way through. >> the little engine that could. >> fourth or fifth place at best. what have we got, mika? >> well, you don't need to count delegates to see the general election taking shape with president obama and mitt romney

exchanging opening shots in their likely showdown for the white house. just a day after the president tore into romney's support for the republican budget, the former massachusetts governor hit the very same stage in washington and fired right back. >> the president came here yesterday and railed against arguments no one is making. and criticized policies no one is proposing. it's one of his favorite strategies. setting up straw men to distract us from his record. and while i understand the president doesn't want to run on his record, he can't run from his record either. this november we'll face a defining decision. our choice will not be one of party or personality. this election will be about princip principle. freedom and opportunity will be on the ballot. i'm offering a real choice and a new beginning. i'm running for president because i have the experience and the vision to get us out of this mess.

we know what barack obama's vision of america is. we've all lived it these last three years. >> when he says i'm offering a new choice and a new beginning, i just don't believe it. >> why not? >> i don't know. explain to me why i don't get it. >> well, i can't get inside your mind, so you tell me. >> do you believe it? >> why don't you believe it? >> it just doesn't sound like he believes it. >> we kind of are interesting in the right direction. you know, that rhetoric makes sense when we're going like this. things far from perfect, but they are going like that. forget that i don't believe him. it doesn't ring true with what's going on in the world. >> in your world view, yeah. so, mika, you -- so i think this is very important. i mean, obviously, you're not a republican. and you probably haven't voted for a republican. but as far as -- in your life. but just judging mitt romney, you don't think that he is being

authentic, and i wonder if this is what independent women and some republican women are even feeling. like what is it about what you just saw that doesn't ring true to you? >> well, first of all, i think you know me well enough to know that i would love to see a really good strong republican candidate out there. >> i know that. >> that would be great for the country. that would be great for the national conversation. on issues that are important to us. it would be great for everybody. and so i'm hoping for that. and i'm looking for it. and i just -- it doesn't resonate. >> it just doesn't ring true to you? >> it doesn't ring true. i guess it's -- you know, partially the narrative that has plagued him, which i'm not sure has always been fair, because he is a really good, kind, joyous, i think man who bases his decisions on deep true morals. i do believe in him as a person.

but i think he has flip flopped on too many things. it has plagued him for far too long. he has been doing this for five years. and to not feel a speech like that, to not offer anything but these words that don't seem to resonate, i don't think this is my world view. i venture to say there may be some republican women who feel this way too. >> yeah. and that was my point. ezra klein, you don't have to be a conservative to see a 30-second clip of margaret thatcher in 1975, when she takes over the conservative party of great britain, and know that thatcher believes what she's saying. there just seems to be -- and this is why conservatives like myself have this disconnect with romney because there does seem to be a disconnect between what he is saying and what he believes. and you can say that about liberal politicians too. we're not just picking on mitt romney. i mean, this has more to do with

just as human beings being able to see somebody on the tv screen as mike barnicle says, the tv is the eyes to the soul, and saying i don't think he gets that. i don't personally thinks he gets that, ezra. >> and how he has governed. the big thing about romney is not what he said but what he did in massachusetts. but let me try to make the other side of this case, to argue that he does offer a clear contrasting vision. and to some degree it isn't really about him. he does have policies that are real contrasts from president obama's. i don't think there's any doubt about that. but in truth, if mitt romney becomes president, he'll become president with a republican house and in reality a republican senate. if he wins this election, i see no way that the senate isn't flipping republican alongside him. he'll then be, you know, presidents are part of their parties. and to some degree are hemmed in by the party's agenda. we saw this with president obama who ran as a different kind of politician and governed to some degree from the center of the democratic party. i think if you believe today's republican party offers a pretty

different agenda, a new start, at least from what obama has been doing for the past couple of years, i think it's fair to say if mitt romney was elected he would govern within that consensus, and i think it would be radically different than the one governing the country right now. >> you say radically different, and let me challenge you on that, because a lot of people i think would say barack obama was going to govern radically different than george w. bush. i just don't see it. deficit spending, about the same. their position not just on gtmo but on basically drone attacks on afghanistan, there is a consistency there where they are the same. the bush tax cuts. it was obama's people privately telling us in 2010 they needed to allow them to pass because, well, the economy was in bad shape. i just -- like if paul ryan were going to be president instead of barack obama, i think it's safe

to say that there would be a radical difference there. but do you really see that with mitt romney and barack obama? because i just don't. >> i think that's a fair point. and, look, there are a lot of things that obama did which were continuations of bush policies to some degree. but in part, though, it's because he took office during a financial crisis. and there weren't a whole lot of different things you could do. you couldn't radically change directions. there wasn't a way to dramatically cut the deficit, to go into austerity measures while the economy was in freefall. but i think a lot of things done during that period, health care form an obvious example, were pretty dramatic. and i think if paul ryan were there, that would have turned out quite differently. but i really do think mitt romney if he takes office is going to govern not that differently than paul ryan. and i don't mean that in a bad way, one way or the other. you can like paul ryan's budget or dislike it. but what happened this year in paul ryan's budget is that the main changes made to it were made to look more like mitt romney's budget.

he changed his medicare plan to look like mitt romney's plan. there was a convergence in the plbl party right now. >> let's talk about that. "the washington post" has the vp question, some see a golden ticket in romney and ryan, and there's a long article in the front section about their tour of wisconsin together and how it's fuelling running mate talk. and, joe, do you think that mitt romney affiliating himself so closely with paul ryan is actually helpful to his case? >> it's helpful to conservatives. it certainly is helpful to people that vote in wisconsin primaries. i like paul ryan very much. paul ryan will not be the vice presidential selection of mitt romney for a variety of reasons. he is a house guy. he does very well in a swing district. but can he win statewide? does he bring him the entire state in 2012? i don't know that he does. and ezra, the details of the budget. if you pick paul ryan -- it's one thing to put your arm around paul ryan and say, oh, i like

paul ryan. but in the middle of the third presidential debate when the president -- well, you know what, i like the general outlines of the ryan budget. i'm going to be president. i'm going to give you -- that's one thing. but if he is your vice president, then you're adopting every single point of that ryan budget. i don't see risk averse mitt romney doing that. do you? >> i think in 2012, whether paul ryan is on the ticket or not, barack obama is going to be running against him. that's how i took his speech this week, and there's a reason. mitt romney has been very cagey on the details of what he's doing. he has not named his cuts, not named the offsets on the tax plan, though neither has paul ryan. not clear how fast his medicare vouchers will grow. there's a lot of things that mitt romney has said that i don't -- that it is not wise for me to say exactly which agencies i would close right now, what i would cut right now. paul ryan has filled in all those details. or a lot of them at least, where

mitt romney is wanting to be vague. paul ryan and house republicans have gotten very specific. so something that romney is doing in some ways because he is a smart politician, because for some degree it's useful for a politician to obscure a little bit. ryan is taking some of that away from him. and you can argue that too ways. one is that, well, look, if republicans have already voted for the budget, if mitt romney has endorsed that budget, if barack obama is already going to run against that budget, you might as well have paul ryan there so you at least get the excitement among conservatives and somebody who can explain that budget effectively. but the other side of it is that if you want to be able to run away from that budget a little bit, if you want to be able to say look, there's a good budget, there's a lot in there, but i'm not for every part of it and you can't hang me with the very worst cuts, then you don't want paul ryan on the ticket. >> hey, ezra. it's willie. >> i want to ask you as somebody who has combed through the republican budget, the cartoon version, from democrats and from the obama administration, is that it gives tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires while throwing the poor and

elderly out on the street. what's the truth as you look very closely at it? how tough would this be on the elderly? how tough would it be on the poor? and is that a fair assessment? >> the big difference in the budget this year from the year before, it is less tough on the elderly. social security is untouched. that was true last year. but the medicare reforms are much softer than they were a year ago. in fact, barack obama and paul ryan now envision the exact same long-term growth path for medicare but in different ways. very different ways. but gdp plus .5% is in both of their budgets. they have the same growth path. but the fact of the matter the democrats aren't at all all wrong here. ryan has very big tax cuts he has not offset at all as of yet. and it is almost entirely paid for by cuts to programs for the poor. the center on budget went through and said 62% of his cuts are to programs for the poor. and you see it in places like medicaid. the cuts to medicaid and other health programs is pretty much all subsidies for health care for low income americans. those are twice as large.

twice as large as the cuts to medicare. and it's a smaller set of programs. so he has really focused his cuts not just on the poor but on basic government agencies. if you're going to cut taxes, you're not really going to hit seniors and raise defense spending. the only other major thing the government does is spend money on the poor. it's not really another option of him for where to cut. >> mika, the problem with both of these, if you look at the president's approach, if you look at ryan's approach, neither of them are doing what needs to be required to move forward over the next 20 or 30 years. paul ryan and the republicans because they don't want to be accused of being tough on the elderly are going after the 12% of the budget that does -- not just take care of the poor, but infrastructure, education, r&d, a lot of these investments. not to get too far down in the weeds, but it is discretionary domestic spending. so there's a small part of the

pie they are hacking away at because they don't want to touch the big ticket items, medicare, medicaid. and as ezra said, both paul ryan and the president pick the same approach on medicare as far as the pure numbers go, growth of gdp plus half a percentage point. on other side, you have president obama talking about taxes and democrats talking about raising taxes on the rich, raising taxes on the rich. the fact is, that approach by itself, and cutting defense by itself, is not going to take care of what simon johnson, the m.i.t. professor we had yesterday, said was the biggest challenge over the next generation, and that was the growth of medicare and medica. and it takes -- it's going to take cooperation from both sides, giving up sacred cows they don't want to give up to take care of this over the next generation. >> i don't disagree with that at all. which approach, though, do you think is going to be more politically effective, given the election? >> i think it depends on how the message is shaped.

>> it seems to me the president has a more successful message. >> i think it's too early to say that. i have seen some democrats be able to win suburban women by talking about how republicans are going to be too mean on the poor. but then again, if the republicans are able to paint barack obama and democrats as tax and spend liberals, then they win the day. >> see, i think the reason the ryan budget is such a simple document for obama to use, it's not about what it's doing to the poor, it's how it's helping the rich. he gets to continually go 1%, 99%. and that's why there's no chance he is choosing ryan as a running mate, romney. and on the other hand, it makes it simple. it really does. >> ezra klein, thank you so much. it's good to see you. >> good to see you. >> thanks, ezra. still ahead, we'll talk to a pair of yankee greats, hall of famer yogi berra and star pitcher. and then van jones.

but first, bill karins with a check on the forecast. >> yankees here on the opening day for the red sox? that's incredible. barnicle didn't allow that one. we are watching severe weather this morning once again. strong storms in louisiana are now pushing in mississippi and will work their way into alabama, florida, and georgia, including the golf masters later on this afternoon. southern louisiana, lots of reports of hail with those storms this morning. as we go through the day, yellow, you're under a slight risk of severe storms including damaging wind and large hail. i don't think we'll see too many tornadoes today. just isolated chances. we'll watch out for you late today in atlanta. also, the cool morning. great lakes up to new england. frost and freeze in some areas of the great lakes and the ohio river valley. so once again, that growing season started very early, but now we have stalled out. that warmth hasn't returned. typical april weather. beautiful start in new york city, although a little chilly. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks.

♪ [ male announcer ] you plant. you mow. you grow. you dream. meet the new definition of durability: the john deere select series. with endless possibilities, what will you create? ♪ learn more about the new select series x310 with power steering at johndeere.com/x310.

then don't get nickle and dimed by high cost investments and annoying account fees. at e-trade, our free easy-to-use online tools and experienced retirement specialists can help you build a personalized plan. and with our no annual fee iras and a wide range of low cost investments, you can execute the plan you want at a low cost. so meet with us, or go to etrade.com for a great retirement plan with low cost investments. ♪

♪ strea-ea-ea-ea-eam ♪ ...stream, stream, stream... ♪ whenever i want you, all i have to do is... ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing xfinity streampix. stream your favorite movies and full seasons of shows instantly on any screen. find out more online.

mika, i'm a good judge of people. >> really? >> i am. that's what i do best. >> yes. >> and you know this. >> you're on the cusp of everything. >> you know, i know that you don't like -- you have to admit, i usually am a pretty good -- >> you have a good gun. >> staring into the eyes of somebody and seeing their soul, vladimir putin style. >> big gut. >> we have this guy that comes on back in 2008, 2009, i think. i like him ok. i like him ok. he seems like a good guy. >> what did your gut tell you? >> my gut tells me he is a good guy, right? i turn on the glenn beck television show, and i find out this marxist wants to take america down brick-by-brick, shredding the constitution. i was wrong. and here he is back now. and he looks so nice. who knew? who knew that van jones was a

dangerous menace to american democracy? >> van jones, author of the new book "rebuild the dream." >> i thought about you often, van, as i was watching glenn beck go after you. and i was just wondering, what's it like working in the white house? >> best six months of my life. >> come on. it was not. >> followed by the worst two weeks. how is that? fair enough? no. it's amazing. one of the things about it, you think you love the country -- and you served in government. you think you love the country. you work in the white house, and you hold it in your arms every day. you know, and nobody stays there forever. you stay there for six minutes, six years, me six months, the fact that we trust this entire experiment to ordinary people every day, all day long. >> it's amazing stuff. >> unbelievable thing. and every hour is like a day. you're learning something, deciding something. so for me, when i left, you

know, under fire, smeared, whatever, i still thought i had a responsibility to try to explain what i was seeing. and that's what this book is about. i saw -- i was a grass roots outsider. became a white house insider. and then i became a gross roots outsider again. and i saw the misfires, how the white house didn't really understand the grassroots movement. the grassroots movement certainly didn't understand the white house. and there was this hope bubble that collapsed. both sides not understanding each other. so the book is really for kind of the post hope democratic party. how do we recognize that president obama, a great president, cannot also be a social movement leader? lbj did not lead the civil rights movement, ok? >> right. >> you have to have strong grassroots movements and strong presidential leadership for movements. so the book is trying to get past that disappointment with the base, learn the lessons and move forward. >> so if your book, you have a couple of critiques of the

president, but you also critique the american people who voted him into office for giving up too soon. >> well, we went from hopy to mopey, you know. it was like we were hopy, hopy, and then mopey, mopey. if you stay there, it's dopey dopey. >> there was a lot to mope about. >> sure. listen, certainly people have a lot of critiques of the president. and i'm tough on him in the book. >> i'm just talking about the times we live in. really, really hurting. >> exactly. >> so it was a hopeful time, and then it became a very difficult time for many americans. >> that's right. i think the challenge that we face was that we didn't -- as far as the grassroots, i'm from the democratic wing of the democratic party. i think for the grassroots base, there was this confusion. is this dr. king, who is now president? so he is a movement leader, and you follow him the way -- you wait for him to inspire you. you wait to get orders from him. or is this a head of state that you've got to be able to put some counterpressure on? we couldn't figure that out. >> you know, you actually sound a lot like hillary clinton in 2008 when she got in a lot of

trouble for saying, and you know what i'm going to say, you know what? martin luther king, he was the leader of the movement. but if it weren't for lbj, who knew how to work his way around the capitol, we wouldn't have passed this. >> she was onto something. >> she was. and she got killed by a lot of progressives. but sounds like you're saying the same exact thing. >> i think we have all learned a lot. from my point of view, first of all, you said it right out. the middle class is hurting. it used to be the case that the way to get out of poverty and into the middle class was go to college, and you buy a home. with the kind of student debt kids are taking on, and these underwater mortgages, that becomes a trap door out of the middle class into poverty, trying to go to college and buy a house has become the trap door out of the middle class into poverty. these are problems we have never seen before. and so i think, you know, senator clinton at the time was onto something. you need two kinds and styles of leadership. we wound up trying to make one person, president obama, do all of it. and then blamed him. it was never supposed to be yes,

he can. it was supposed to be yes, we can. and i think the we disappeared. >> except you know the first couple of years, people were expecting, i think, a little more. i think they were expecting perhaps a focus on jobs and the economy. and instead, they got this obsession with health care, which led to a contentious battle over it, which now has us dealing with the supreme court. i think people have a right to feel a little bit like, hmm, we had a little bit of a rough start. >> but here's what i -- actually, in the book, i critique the president's campaign, and i put it in dialogue with the tea party and occupy wall street. because it was social movements that elected the president. and then these two social movements, the tea party and occupy, challenged the president. but most books about d.c. focus on politicians, pundits, and polls, not the popular movements. so this book takes the popular movement approach. one thing that the president did do a good job on the economy, but the messaging was bad. i talk about that. he says create it or save jobs.

and that or saved always sounds like a job. or saved? what are you talking about? what jobs did he save? teachers. firefighters, cops, nurses 1/3 of the stimulus went to states and cities to keep from having to lay off america's everyday heroes. >> it was a difficult message to sell, saving jobs. >> yes. if you stand there with a bunch of teachers around you say thank you, mr. president, i can help these kindergartners, if you stand with the firefighters saying, guess what, you don't have to fight fires with your garden hose because of this president, it is a message. but we weren't able to message properly on the economy. he did a great job on the economy, but i don't think the messaging was there. >> why am i thinking that this -- that much of what you've been saying here, and much of what appears to be in the book, is kind of an indictment of president obama? >> no. you know what? you know what it is? people say is this a pro obama book or an anti-obama book? it's a pro analysis book. for those of us who were part of the social movements that

elected obama, for those of us that literally broke down crying when he was elected, people forget those days, we have to be able to look at the next term and say, how do we get more of what we voted for? >> van, you're readjusting expectations is what you're doing. for those of us that worked in washington before, even people that didn't vote for the president, yes, we were excited on the day that he got sworn in because of what it meant to this country. even though we knew we would disagree with his policies. but looking at some people on the left crying, this is the age of aquarius, and it is the end of -- no! no! >> i was one of those people. >> i know. but that's just like sitting in the stands saying, i now get to play for the new york knicks, and we're going to change all the rules of basketball. no. there's still 10 people on the court. you still have two referees running up and down. letting the greater players get away with a lot more crap than the worst players get away with. i mean, there are rules to washington.

and a lot of people in 2009 didn't realize that their saviour was going to be bound by the same rules that have bound presidents for 235 years. >> and the way you make change. the tea party taught me a lot, for better or for worse, and the book has a lot of praise and criticism for the tea pear. the president is on a tight rope, and on any given day can only lean so far. the tea party moved the tight rope, and the occupy movement tried to move it back. we can make the changes. it's about re-electing the president but you have to reenergize the popular movements. if we don't do both by focusing on things like home mortgages and student loans, even if we win in november, we'll still lose. >> van, are you embittered at all by the experience? some people leave washington and stay bitter their entire life, and it just does them no good. you see that both sides. have you gotten past it? >> yeah. >> are y'all going to have

thanksgiving dinner? >> i want a beer summit -- well, i don't drink beer. a milk shake summit with glenn beck. >> you're a very open person. >> there are going to be a lot of people working in washington that have never been before. what's the one thing they need to know that you didn't know that you wish you would have known? >> i didn't understand what a tough town that is. any campaign, mario comeau says that you campaign in poetry and govern in process. i didn't know what that meant. you're not in a campaign. you've got every interest, and they all have a right to be represented, to be respected, and it is not the same modality when you're going for votes. yore trying to govern a country. it's a different thing. >> milk summit. glenn beck and van jones. >> let's do it on this show. >> i don't think he'd come on this show. >> come back. it would be nice. van jones, thank you very much. the book is "rebuild the dream."

you can read an excerpt on our blog at mojo .msnbc.com. we'll be right back with more "morning joe." deepak chopra is up next. so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. [ woman ] lower cholesterol. [ man 2 ] yummy. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste and whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios.

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. yeah, 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. mcallen, texas. in here, heavy rental equipment in the middle of nowhere, is always headed somewhere. to give it a sense of direction, at&t created a mobile asset solution to protect and track everything. so every piece of equipment knows where it is, how it's doing or where it goes next. ♪ this is the bell on the cat. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities --

helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ ♪ you make me happy [ female announcer ] choose the same brand your mom trusted for you. children's tylenol, the #1 brand of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians and used by moms decade after decade.

34 past the hour. welcome back to "morning joe." tomorrow, the white house will be holding a forum on women and the economy. >> we chat during the break. >> i know. we're not in a break. we're on the air right now. >> women and the economy. will you be there? >> yes. >> what will you be doing? >> moderating the panel there at the white house. >> wow, that's great. >> president obama will also be speaking on the subject to education and business leaders. >> fantastic. >> i'm a business leader. i was not invited. >> they put together a report, and some early numbers show why this type of thing is needed and much more. this is from the white house council of women and girls about the reality of the gender pay gap. something i have written about and we have talked about. the study finds that women are still paid less than men on average $150 per week. $8,000 per year. and by $380,000 over a lifetime. when it comes to enforcing the law in equal pay, the national

equal pay task force established in 2010 has obtained more than $62 million in relief for victims of gender-based wage discrimination. >> now, about $50 million of that went to donny deutsch's past employees. >> no, no, no. donny is actually -- we have talked about this. actually pretty good. >> finish what you were going to say. >> but having said that, there's a lot more work to be done. the income disparity is huge, but also women applying for loans, trying to start businesses. there's still a lot of challenges and barriers but a lot has been done. we'll be exchanging ideas on that. >> mika, you go around the country talking about this. your book is out in paperback this week. and i have heard more people say, more women come up and say that your book has made a huge difference in the way they not only look at their jobs but the way they look at their life. >> important book. for your daughters and granddaughters. >> seriously. we hear it everywhere we go. >> i'm going to bring my

daughters to the event. >> that's exciting. up next, rick stangel will reveal the latest issue of "time" magazine. "morning joe" is back in a moment. [ male announcer ] if you believe the mayan calendar, on december 21st polar shifts will reverse the earth's gravitational pull and hurtle us all into space. which would render retirement planning unnecessary.

but say the sun rises on december 22nd, and you still need to retire. td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life. we'll even throw in up to $600 when you open a new account or roll over an old 401(k). so who's in control now, mayans? when you open a new account or roll over an old 401(k). i remember the day my doctor told me i have an irregular heartbeat, and that it put me at 5-times greater risk of a stroke. i was worried. i worried about my wife, and my family.

bill has the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib. it's not caused by a heart valve problem. he was taking warfarin, but i've put him on pradaxa instead. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mgs reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin without the need for regular blood tests. i sure was glad to hear that. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition like stomach ulcers, or take aspirin, nsaids, or bloodthinners, or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. pradaxa is progress. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem,

ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk of stroke with pradaxa. welcome back to "morning joe." joining us now, "time" magazine managing editor rick stangel, here to reveal the latest issue of "time." what's on the cover? >> well, just in time for good friday, tomorrow and easter and passover, we have john meacham, cover story called "rethinking heaven." >> reverend meacham. >> have you seen the pulitzer prize? i haven't seen it. >> he is making that up. >> you have to give him a break on that. >> ok.

>> so the idea is that, you know, there's this best-selling book that's been on the bestseller list for like a year called "heaven is for real" about this young boy who after going to the hospital claimed to have this vision of heaven. and it's a very, very traditional vision of heaven, of angels with harps. and john writes about this new thinking in christianity and among all religions that heaven is actually something that occurs here on earth, and that in fact the idea of the divinity is what you should do here on the planet, on earth, is what really will make heaven for real. and it's a really interesting idea. >> so is meacham abolishing the after-life for all of us now? is that what -- >> well -- >> has he become just a full-blorn secular humanist? i have always told him that being a --

>> joi joe, do you think you'll there on a cloud with a harp? >> i don't think there's a cloud. but will i be there? yeah. >> this traditional notion of the after life is being debated, and in fact even if you go back to the old testament and the new testament, there's a kind of intermediate period before god comes back and kind of brings a heaven on earth. and basically, you get that through good works on earth. >> but, you know -- >> it's matthew 25. >> matthew 25 talks about -- >> feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, do unto others. >> hold on. i'm a big fan of matthew 25. i talk about it all the time. but we're not saved by our works. traditional christians don't believe that. let me ask you, again, getting to the bottom of this, is meacham arguing that there is no after life? forget the clouds and harps. is he suggesting that our heaven is here? >> yes. that is the traditional notion of the after life, which i mean,

the popular culture knows -- >> forget the traditional notion of the after life. >> after life is here. >> so there is no after life. there's an on-off switch, you die, and boom, you're dead. >> no. it goes back to the hebrew thought, which is there is a messiah who would come back and redeem everything and there would be sort of heaven on earth. the christian version, and i'm going by what john says, is that the difference was that there was -- you know, jesus was on earth, and then comes back as the messiah. and then brings that -- >> do we need to call meacham at home and get him on the phone? >> oh, god, i don't know. >> to walk through this. >> i hear him in my head now. >> there's a marvelous scene in "field of dreams" when kevin costner's father comes down and says, is this heaven? and he sees his wife and child playing on the porch and he goes, yeah, i think this is heaven. >> great moment, donny. >> come on. i love that. >> skimming the piece, i don't

think reverend meacham comes down one way or the other hard. >> no, he doesn't. and he is talking about the discussion in the church. >> well, here is a key quote, i think. heaven isn't just a place you go. heaven is how you live your life, says reverend john blanchard, pastor of a large methodist church in virginia beach, virginia. so, you know, joe, he's really connected, for instance, what you do to all the poor kids on nantucket every summer. >> somebody has to do that. >> how do you live your life? >> i'm starting to do it in palm beach now too. i think santa monica needs it as well. >> we could camp out at shutters. >> it's not like there aren't hungry kids in capry. let's talk about other traditional views of heaven from other religions. there's a fascinating contrast here. christianity, an eternal city. judaism, many layers. islam, pleasures in gardens of wine and honey. because him, the western

paradise where one is brought to full enlightenment. a lot of different views. >> yes. and, again, of the abrahamic religions there's a very similar vision of what heaven is like. and there's lots of different views of it, but they all do inform each other. >> yeah. >> traditional judaism, what is the traditional -- >> double breasted blazer to get into the club. well, therein lies the problem. >> you have no idea. >> i do. >> graduation from medical school, isn't it? >> herein lies the problem with religion. you put four great religions up there, and they all still have different takes on it, so there's no one right religion. religion is the problem of everything in the world. >> well, or the solution. >> yeah. >> and once again, is anybody's faith wrong? of course not. by the way, if you play that "field of dreams" clip, you'll understand. it was so -- >> insufferable.

>> want to alert you to another terrific story in the "times." we went back and visited charles haily and talked about wanting to see what's happened to him since "the bell jar," where a lot of people considered him a racist. and "coming apart" is a very important book with the growing white underclass and the middle class eroding. you should have him on the show, charles murray. >> we would love to do that. and we'll have to get meacham too. >> he went to voicemail. the cover of "time," rethinking heaven. >> it's heaven to be here, as always. >> heaven to have you. >> rethinking a lot of things. it's one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. one of the stars of the hit show "the deadliest catch." i like that show. >> yeah, that's a great one. >> great show. >> he joins the conversation when "morning joe" comes right back.

>> wow.

>> we're really going to be under the gun to perform every day, every minute is going to count. >> watch it! get out of here! >> you've got to start thinking about survival, ok? >> that's an 800-pound [ bleep ]. >> that was a clip from discovery's "deadliest catch," the run away hit show that features the gripping tails of fishermen as they go up against the bearing sea. here with us now, one of the captains of "the deadliest catch." great to see you. >> willie, you know what he said? >> what's that? >> he doesn't like this. look, we're on a boat. >> we're not on a boat. >> don't touch it. >> if you touch it, the ship is

going down, like george clooney and "the perfect storm." >> what's wrong with that? >> sailors for centuries have had superstitions that are off the chart. and i'm no different. >> stop it, meek a. >> is it the honey or the bearing sea? >> no, she is more intimidating. >> i have no idea where it came from. but 25 years -- >> you're over it. >> we're not on my boat right now. >> what would happen if you found that on your boat? >> it would be leaving the boat real quickly. >> what other superstitions do you have? >> oh, it never ends. it's amazing. >> it takes too long? >> yeah. and i just see it, and i go, oh, my gosh, i can't have that. >> no honey bear on the boat. >> you watch the show, which is truly one of the best shows on television. discovery does it again. >> holy cow. >> and you see the dangers of just being on deck. and you have as you said these 800, 900-pound pots swinging

around. and it's borne out by the statistics, this is the most dangerous job a human being can have. >> oh, my gosh. >> do you get scared out there? is it just part of your day now? >> more times than not, when something happens that's really intense and really i would say almost terrifying, you don't have time to be afraid. i was talking to a professional goalie, and i go, what's it like when -- when you have a guy on a break away coming at you with the ball, and there are 70,000 people screaming? and he says, i can't hear a thing. everything slows down. everything is in super slow motion. and that's exactly like it is on the boat. when you see a wave that you know is coming over the rail, or it's coming over the bow, at that point, everything just is like a vacuum. and you just get through it. >> in addition to obviously it being a very dangerous job, it's also if you watch the show it's got to be one of the hardest jobs imaginable to do for the crew. and we were talking earlier about how you identify with the crew. they are out there on the deck of the boat. it's terrible weather. you're in the bearing sea.

the cage comes up. you've got like two little crabs in the cage. and you feel disappointed for the crew. so my question to you is, what do they get paid? what do they get paid to do this? >> you know what? the guys make i would say for a blue collar job, and that's what this is, this is a blue collar job, these guys don't get paid blue collar wages. they get paid really well. but they earn it. and there's years where, you know, we may not make much at all. and are the years where we hit, you know, the gold rush. >> how long are you out in segments out on the bearing sea? >> we're out there anywhere from seven to 14 days. and then maybe a day in town. we work just as hard when we were in town as we do fishing just because if that crab block is not spinning and we're not hauling gear, we're not making money. >> how do you explain the success of the show? it's one of those shows you can't take your eyes off. for me, it's like, thank god i'm not out there but i'm glad somebody is doing it. this thing has really caught fire and become a cultural --

>> about to do their 100th episode. >> how do you explain it, captain? >> before this show started, there was that perception that people -- if i met someone, they would want to pick my brain about what i do, and they said that's really dangerous. and i think that translates well. people can understand that. they can also understand, you know, like i said before, these are just hard-working guys. just busting their butts, trying to find a way to catch some crab, go home safe. and hopefully, you know, feed their families. and so that's -- you know, i think all of that resonates with the audience. plus, the weather. the weather, though that one constantly, inconstant thing we have to deal with. and we don't know how to predict it. >> how does your wife deal with this? 25 years. and the most dangerous job in the world. and you're away all the time. and yet she is your business partner as well. >> my wife is definitely my business partner. and it's -- i don't know. she manages. it's not easy.

you know, the long absences make it difficult. you know, the fact of what i'm doing, you know, the number of friends i've lost makes it a little bit terrifying for her at times. so, you know, it's always a good day when i step back off the boat and onto the dock and see my family. >> you can hug your wife and hold the honey bear. >> for the record, i don't even have those in my house. >> so it's not just the boat. >> mika, stop it. >> you can of course catch the season premiere of "deadliest catch" on discovery, tuesday, 9:00 eastern and pacific time. it's a great show if you haven't seen it already. check it out. captain keith coburn, thank you so much. coming up, mitt romney punches back a day after president obama ripped him and republicans for their budget proposal. we'll talk about it next on "morning joe."

they have names like idle time with free enterprise punsfee like hugh and crye, and smash records. and one saturday a year small businesses remind a nation of the benefits of shopping small. like the way david kaplan at shell lumber shows you how to use a chop saw. then invites you back when the warehouse becomes the community theater. or the way camille russler of ever after travels the journey from despair to bliss with every bride to be. on small business saturday 100 million of us joined a movement... and main street found its might again. and main street found its fight again. and we, the locals, found delight again. that's the power of all of us. that's the power of all of us. that's the power of all of us. that's the membership effect of american express.

♪ lord, you got no reason ♪ you got no right ♪ ♪ i find myself at the wrong place ♪ [ male announcer ] the ram 1500 express. ♪ it says a lot about you. ♪ in a deep, hemi-rumble sort of way. guts. glory. ram.

[ clang ] my house is where plants came to die. ♪ but, it turns out all i was missing was miracle-gro potting mix. it's got what a plant needs. even plant food that feeds them for up to 6 months. you get bigger, more beautiful plants. guaranteed. who's got two green thumbs thanks to miracle-gro? uh, this gal. boom! everyone grows with miracle-gro. do about medicare and social security... security. that's what matters to me... me? i've been paying in all these years... years washington's been talking at us, but they never really listen... listen...it's not just some line item on a budget; it's what i'll have to live on... i live on branson street, and i have something to say... [ male announcer ] aarp is bringing the conversation on medicare and social security out from behind closed doors in washington. because you've earned a say.

if i were mitt romney today, i would go up with millions of dollars of ads in pennsylvania today and let him know, you know, you stay in this race, and you make me sweat this out, and you stop me from focusing on barack obama, you know what i'm going to do? i'm going to reduce you to rubble in your home state. and then just like rome, i'm going to go to carthage and salt the earth to make sure nothing ever grows back there again. >> do not anger joe scarborough.

for he will like general sherman march through your hometown and burn the [ bleep ] place to the ground. romney will crush his enemies see them driven before him and hear the lamentations of their women. good morning. it's 8:00 on the east coast as you take a live look at new york city. welcome back to "morning joe." >> what you said yesterday, jon stewart pointed out, is the kind of subtle nuanced political analysis that people turn to this program for. political analysis, people turn to this program, saltier. >> a sleight of hand. >> mike barnacle is here and the chairman of deutsche program, donny deutsch, looks like he stepped off the yacht in northeast harbor maine and headed to the seal harbor club. >> in 1982. >> definitely circa '82. >> you understand on the scarborough morning joe website

there's a whole fashion thing what's donny going to wear. i don't want to disappoint the fans. >> no matter how well you think that jacket might look, you're not getting into the club. >> story of my life, by the way. >> are you wearing socks? >> i'm wearing socks. >> let's see. >> are you headed to the pot and etiquet kettle? >> there's your problem. you don't wear socks. >> it's ha little early. >> i am a proud member of the tribe. i like to be all inclusive in my passion stapts. >> are you saying tribe, is there something in leviticus that says you have to wear socks? >> it's officially until may you're supposed to wear socks. >> this is the difference, this is why you won't get into the club and i will. i'm ready to go. >> see, they do if you let the masters, i think there's one in

there. >> oh, no, they're not letting you in augusta. >> i got some news for you, donny. >> you think you're getting into augusta? you're out of your mind. >> i want the name of the jew in masters, there is one. >> you're lucky we let you in here. >> this is me. they love the jews. >> on top of everything else he has the elton glittery rhine stone glasses. >> put the glasses on with the jacket. you know what my first question was, where is kiki dee. >> you know what guys, i just am secure in who i am. >> no, you're not, just the opposite, your he trying to be a w.a.s.p. >> actually i'm not. i don't like w.a.s.p.s. >> i think it's a dapper look. people go on the street, donny, you look very dapper. >> does anybody know tom ford?

>> yes. >> you know tom ford? >> i've worn his clothes. >> i would like to get his judgment because i guarantee you he will tell thaw looked great if you were about to go home and watch "dynasty." >> i would pay attention to the tweets because i want votes coming in because i know your audience likes me a lot, i'm turning it off. >> people e-mail me why is donny even on your show. >> along those lines, i'm willing to open up the public, write in, what do you think of the blazer. it's very simple. >> let's get to politics now. you don't need to count delegates to see the general election taking shape with president obama and mitt romney exchanging opening shots in their likely showdown for the white house. the former massachusetts governor hit the very same stage in washington and fired back. >> the president came here yesterday and railed against arguments no one is making, and

criticized policies no one is proposing. one of his favorite strategies, setting up straw men to distract us from his record, and while i understand the president doesn't want to run on his record, he can't run from his record either. this november we'll face a defining decision, a choice will not be one of party or personality. this election will be about principle, freedom and opportunity will be on the ballot. i'm offering a real choice and a new beginning. i'm running for president because i have the experience and the vision to get us out of this mess. we know what barack obama's vision of america is. we've all lived it these last three years. >> the tweets are coming in quickly. this sums it up for everybody, "good grief, why is donny even on your show?" >> there you go. >> nothing about the jacket. >> it's more broad.

>> take it to a bigger place. >> romney also went after president obama for telling russia's president he would have to have "more flexibility" after the election. >> president obama's comments to president medvedev are deeply troubling. that incident calls his candor into serious question. he doesn't want to share his real plans before the election, either with the public or with the press. by "flexibility"flexibility" me what the american public doesn't know won't hurt him. his intent is on hiding. you and i are going to have to do the seeking. >> what's interesting, after obama has great moments you see that kick in his step on the tube. here he's coming off pretty much defining moment as far as him winning this nomination and nothing's changed. there's no loosening, there's no carrying himself a certain way. it's still painful to watch

this. >> let's focus on what he's saying and if he offers an alternative. has he put out a budget concept for the economy in. >> he's embraced the ryan budget. >> that's what he's taken for his signature in terms of his concepts, moving forward, great. >> let me ask mike quickly, because it was a bit stilted, but mike, i think the romney people have to make a choice. do they let their man go up and be relaxed and make some mistakes along the lines, the jokes about fond of shutting down factories or have romney be that guy and just say i'm the confident guy. i'm mr. fix it. i'm not exciting but you no he what? you don't need a guy telling you jokes. you need a guy who is going to fix this economy. >> from what you hear there's a bit of an internal discussion/dissension in the romney campaign about whether to do just that.

let romney be romney. find out who this guy is without the teleprompter internally in the campaign a lot of people obviously know who he is but one of the things he has to do, it would seem not just to me, i think to a lot of people, he's got to define himself for the american public. he's been going back and forth in the primaries now for several months with santorum and gingrich and all of those people in the republican primary. he's got to define himself and define a program that he stands behind, he stands for. something he hasn't done effectively yet. >> on that style question i go back to what mike murphy said sitting in this chair two or three weeks ago. a guy who worked on mitt romney's campaign in massachusetts said "we never got cute because it doesn't work with him." didn't try to put him in jeans. we we put him in suit and tie, a successful businessman who can fix the economy and that's it. >> you get into the drudgery of

this campaign and you got to be comfortable in your own skin. that's why i'm in the same sweater every day. >> cinnamon right here. >> i've got cinnamon there, i don't wipe it off. it's cold in the morning. we got to wake up early. i'm serious, you got to do -- i just changed my office, take everything out, i'm going to start doing what i always do. i'm dead serious, going to start tacking stuff up on the wall. you need to get into your zone and when they try to make this guy cute he gets out of his zone and he makes mistakes. if he's a board room guy then damnit make him dress like the board room guy. what makes mitt romney comfortable in the morning. >> here is the drama -- >> speaking of who you are, they keep coming in and listen to this. >> be fair, read both sides. >> i'm reading them straight, "donny deutsch is one sharp dressed man." "joe, now don't make fun of

donny's blazer. it's 6:00 a.m. and it's good at less he's dressed." >> thank you, i respect the audience. >> "donny deutsch, keeping it professional. watch out mark mckinnon your title is being usurped, the most fascinating man in the world." >> just getting back to business for a split second the problem with romney being who he is, playing into obama, he's the 1%, i'm the 99%. >> if you're on my side of the aisle that guy has run things before, he's fixed things before. he doesn't make me feel good about myself. he's not a community organizer, so when i vote for him i'm not feeling like i'm doing great things. you know what i'm doing? i'm giving a guy that fixed the olympics, i'm giving a guy that created a business, that created jobs -- listen, we can debate about our world views. i don't want to elect a guy that makes me feel good about myself. i want to elect a guy that gets

people back to work. >> i understand. >> i feel mitt romney -- well, let me take that back. not mitt romney personally is not conservative enough for me but i feel that candidates like mitt romney are guys that, or women that make me feel a lot more comfortable than a community organizer that makes me feel like it's the age of aquari aquarius. >> you're spapainting him out te this no b.s. tough board room get it done. he's been mr. swishy back and forth. i don't see him sitting in board rooms with fortune 50 ceos. >> if you did and mike marnicba it can tell you, mitt romney is all business, he gets things done. he doesn't try to tell jokes. i'm telling you his record, and steve ratner will say this and a lot of other wall street people

will say this, this guy answer record on wall street was nothing short of remarkable but he wasn't trying to be cutesie. he wasn't doing standup in salt lake. he was trying to save the olympics. >> that gets back to the point where he's now got to define himself for the american public. you say he's a member of 1%. he certainly is a member of the 1% but there might be a pocket out there in this country of people, voters who are willing to listen to a guy who stops apologizing for how much money he's made and instead says look, i've made a lot of money in my life. i want you to make money. i know how to help you make money. i know how to get this economy back on. i know how to get the gas prices down. i know how to deal with the regulations that have so flummuxed and angered wall street, wrongly, by the way, i know how to get this done. i'm the guy. >> we have to stop painting the. the as the county organizer as the guy who saved the auto industry, a guy who got the

terrorist bush couldn't get. this man accomplished a lot. you may like him, not like him but you got to stop giving him the level of pre-2008. >> using bush policies. we're talking about when democrats jumped off a cliff and voted for barack obama they were voting for a community organizer who was a glorified statesmen. guys, you talk i'll eat, go ahead. >> there are a thousand other guys more impressive on wall street. mitt romney you paint him like i've dealt with a lot of businessmen. he's a successful guy. 's avenue not our panacea. >> he's the only one running for president among your wall street friends running for republican and he has not yet defined himself i don't think for the country. >> because the more he defines himself the more he is unelectable. >> he's been doing this for quite some time so it feels a little forced. >> and i don't want to invite him into my home every night.

all the body language went like this. he doesn't have that appeal. he just doesn't have it. it's not just there. >> so let's look at the latest "usa today" gallup poll of 12 swing states showing romney trailing obama by 18 points by women voters. he was asked about that specific dynamic yesterday. >> i know our party faced a generation gap and the democratic party has done an effective job of trying to mischaracterize our views. in the final analysis i think i will win by having the support of men and women. my wife has the occasion to campaign on her own and also with me and reports to me regularly the issue women care about most is the economy, and getting good jobs for their kids, and for themselves. >> does that resonate with you? did you feel it? >> what do you think, wilwillie? >> i think republicans have had

a problem with women if you look historically for presidential elections and getting worse based on the conversation we've had over the last two months it's only getting worse in the swing states as the polls indicate. he has a lot of work to do with women obviously and with the latino vote. if you can't win both of those or one of them, you got no shot. >> he's always had a problem with women. he had a problem with women running in massachusetts. republicans have made their own problems with women the way they've dealt with issues over the past two or three months. unfortunately for us, as voters, as citizens, romney's best shot at beating president obama is going to largely depend on the state of the economy. if the economy dips again into a mild recession again later this summer, then his chances are going to improve. that's a tough thing to have to depend on. >> coming up next, best selling author and spiritual adviser e deepak chopra joins us.

first here's bill karins with a check of the forecast. >> not as exciting as those guys. we are watching severe weather moving through the deep south, an afternoon with storms from georgia to the carolinas, florida, mississippi, alabama. the worst of the storms are approaching jackson, mississippi, northward up into central mississippi. also southern louisiana was ducking the storms all morning long. so for the rest of today, those storms will move eventually through mississippi into alabama and then this afternoon, through georgia and tonight into the carolinas. large hail, damaging winds but i don't expect a tornado outbreak. everyone will be watching the mapsers today. they teed off, looks beautiful this morning. later this afternoon they will be dealing with showers and storms and especially tomorrow morning, there could be delays on the tee times as they go throughout the next 24 hours. as far as the northeast goes, a

cool, brisk start but should be a beautiful afternoon and much of the west coast is looking cool as you wake up early this morning. d.c., should be a beautiful afternoon. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. 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. yeah, 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. 14 clubs. that's what they tell us a legal golf bag can hold.

and while that leaves a little room for balls and tees, it doesn't leave room for much else. there's no room left for deadlines or conference calls. not a single pocket to hold the stress of the day, or the to-do list of tomorrow. only 14 clubs pick up the right one and drive it right down the middle of pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org.

♪ as it turns out, you are my shower principal to shower me in the inane waters of television,

food and feet. >> you know what? maybe you should try meditating. the whole point is to clear your mind. >> meditate, i once pansed deepak chopra while craig t. nelson watched. i don't need to tape it. >> dr. deepak chopra is out with a new book "spiritual solutions: answers to life's greatest challenges." very good to have you baaing on the show. >> thanks for having me again. >> you came last time offering solutions to life. what does this book bring to the table that we haven't heard from you. >> this book is based on the fact that the solution is never at the level of the problem, and that as we move from contracted awareness to expanded awareness, and ultimately to unbounded awareness, you find the solutions and also ultimately

the creativity that's inherent in consciousness. the most fundamental fact of the universe is not that it exists but the fact that we are aware that it exists. without our awareness there would be no experience of the universe. >> so you talk about how to solve some of life's biggest problems, and the first solution you deal with, the first area, relationships. >> yes. >> how do we deal bet we are our relationship? >> to understand that every relationship is a mirror of your own consciousness. those that you love and those that you dislike. >> what does that mean? >> well, you love those in whom you find qualities that you want, and you dislike those in whom you find qualities that you deny in your own self. >> that's best for me a lot with women. what do i do about that? >> if you like certain women -- >> i like all women. >> so become the qualities that you are attracted to. because if your relationship comes from need, it's doomed for failure. >> oh, he's doomed.

>> he's doomed. >> if your relationship comes from playfulness, then it's doomed for creativity. and you'll elevate it. >> you're doomed, donny. he does not elevate. >> deepak might. >> pay no attention to him. pay no attention to him. expanding your spiritual awareness, how does one go about expanding spiritual awareness? >> think of somebody in contracted awareness. >> what is that? >> which means their body language is uncomfortable, their eyes are shifty, their faces are scowled. they usually have a fist and they're probably constipated, okay? tight sphincters, that's contracted awareness. it comes from fear. expanded awareness is when you feel connected to the web of existence. you know, i watch, i was watching your program right now. i hate to say this, but mr. romney's body language, he's not comfortable with his own self.

>> tight sphincter. >> and that's contracted awareness. now -- in my view. >> that's what mika was saying, she didn't like the body language. >> a child, a baby looks at its mother, watches eye movements, facial expressions, gestures, the openness of her heart and then responds. if mother's in contracted awareness, baby goes in to contracted awareness. >> so much about being comfortable with yrself, knowing who you are before you can be comfortable with other people. >> because that influences your beliefs, your perceptions, your expectations, your assumptions about every situation. >> so what do we do, let's say that we know somebody who is not comfortable with themselves, and therefore just can't relax and enjoy life and see the magic that's out there day in and day out. how do you tell somebody like that to fake it 'til you make it

in. >> you don't fake it. you observe yourself and when you observe yourself you observe the sensation this is esensatio observe your thoughts and emotions. you start from being, and then move to feeling, and then reflecting and then doing. that's the sequence. we're human beings first, and human doings last. but most people are doing, doing, doing, and then they're thinking, thinking, thinking, mostly about themselves. >> they need to stop. >> and they need to stop, they need to take three deep breaths, smile inside, reflect a little bit. >> deep breaths, donny. >> say what do i want and who am i then proceed with love, compassion. >> what's going on here? >> i'm saving myself. >> right? >> because out of respect for the show, because he was observing mitt romney. >> right. >> you were about to say something horrible about mitt romney. >> i wasn't but there was the whole tight sphincter thing and i'm not going to do it.

no, that was the inference. i'm just not doing it. >> okay, get out of here. >> you're expressing that now yourself. >> he really is. deepak right here, seriously let's stop here for a second. you said something that's important and the message you gave is a good message for holy week, which is don't obsess on yourself. the more you obsess on yourself the more miserable you are moving forward. that's one of the problems with this generation, one of the richest generations in the history of mankind are on more medications than any other, and to listen to some kids talk about themselves and talk about their friends. everybody's talking about what pill they're on and why they're so depressed. you know what? my parents in the great depression, they didn't have time to be depressed. they had to go to work, so how

do you tell people get over yourself. >> i like holy because it means wholeness, means all inclusive. an encapsulated eagle dragging around the flesh and bones, your relationships, the meanings, the context, the people in your life, the web of life. stop looking at the world, even our politicians through a democratic window or a republican window. we are human beings. look at the human being, through the human window, ask yourself what do we need? what do we want, and then go for it. why all this attacking each other? >> i don't understand that. so what is, before we leave, what is success? because you talk about that in your book, define success for me. >> success is the progressive realization of worthy goals. it's the ability to love and have compassion, but most importantly is the ability to get in touch with the creative source inside you, which is also the creative source of the whole

universe. the mystery we call god. >> "spiritual solutions" and you can read an excerpt on mojo.msnbc.com. deepak chopra thank you very much. deep breaths, donny. did you hear what he said? just stop. >> two boston boys right here, neighbors. >> neighbors. >> we are neighbors. >> when we come back yankee greats yogi berra and louisiana lightly ron guidry. 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. when they want. where they want. doing what they want. ameriprise. the strength of a leader in retirement planning. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you one-to-one.

together for your future. ♪ together for your future. according to the signs, ford is having some sort of big tire event. i just want to confirm a few things with fiona. how would you describe the event? it's big. no,i mean in terms of savings how would you sum it up? big in your own words, with respect to selection, what would you say? big okay, let's talk rebates mike, they're big they're big get $100 rebate, plus the low price tire guarantee during the big tire event. so, in other words, we can agree that ford's tire event is a good size? big big oú

♪ welcome back to "morning joe." joining us from the yogi berra museum, joining us yogi berra and pitcher ron guidry, the focus of the new book "driving mr. yogi, yogi berra, ron guidry and baseball's greatest gifts." yogi berra, it is a thrill to be talking to you this morning. thanks for joining us. >> you're quite welcome. >> i'm surrounded by red sox fans but we have one of the yankee fans so we'll try to keep it between the two of us here. a lot of people know the story 15-time all-star yogi, ten world series titles, three-time mvp.

i don't know people know about the relationship between the two of you. yogi, could you talk a little bit about how that started. >> well, it started i come down to spring training every year, guidry would pick me up at the airport, and take me to my hotel, and we'd go to the ballpark, and he'd pick me up in the mornings, and sometimes he was a little late, but he was all right. but we got along, we played golf together down in spring training. we'd come down mostly to see what's going on down there, because i love baseball. i like to see what the guys are doing and everything, and i think gator feels the same way. he's got the pitches. he's got a hand up. he's on another field, i don't have to say anything, but we had fun. we go to dinner together.

we have a lot of fun. >> hey, ron, i'd like to ask you something that gets to the nature of the game that you have played for so long, that yogi has been a part of for so many years, and i can't envision another of the sports, football, basketball, or hockey, being so conducive to establishing the kind of relationship that you have with yogi, that yogi has with you. how much of it is rooted in the fact that your season begins in february and extends, through your eyes, hopefully through october, and you're there every day with teammates, with the same people, the same roster, year after year, and so it's almost inevitable that you develop a relationship like this. isn't it? >> well, that's quite correct. you know, when you leave home in february, probably say generally around the 15th, hopefully you don't return home until late

october. you know, for us at that time in the '70s and '80s, world series was starting in early october, ended maybe about the middle. now it's a little bit longer because of the traveling and the inner league play and stuff, but when you play a game for so long, you have to have fun playing that game also because that game can drive you crazy, because it's a serious game. it's a business, but it's still america's past time and it's fun to play. and when you play so many years, you're going to play with the same people and you're going to develop friendships and that's how ours started, yogi and i became friends in 1976, when billy martin took over the club. he hired yogi as a bench coach. he sat right next to me in the locker room so as a young

pitcher, i have an all-star catcher that i can talk to every day, and that's what started our friendship, as i developed into a starting pitcher, i would usually ask him a couple of questions every day, and it took about maybe a couple of years for him to tell me one morning, i asked him, i have a question this morning, and it was his way of saying, enough was enough, because i was about 12-0 at the time, and i asked him, i said, i have a question for you, and he just looked at me and he said, "listen, you're 12-0. i can't help you." so it was like, you know, it was okay, you need what -- you have what you need and go about your business and leave me alone, but our friendship developed from, you know, those years there. and it just continued. it went on until what happened to him and mrs. steinbrenner and

he was away for us for a long period of time. i saw him throughout the year, but when him and mr. steinbrenner passed up their differences and he returned to spring training, that's where everything in this book really comes about, because when he came that first year, you know, i called him and i asked him when he was coming in. i got his flight, and i told him that i'd pick him up at the airport, and it becomes a tradition even in that, that whenever he comes, i'll pick him up at the airport, and you know, usually i tell the guards that, because of 9/11, you got security. well, when i pull up my truck, i tell the guards do you know who that guy is, oh, their eyes get that big. i'm here to pick him up. would you watch my truck? go ahead, do what you got to do. i'm able to go in, give him a hand. it's amazing what you che can g

away with. >> yogi is a one-man security pass. >> he is, but that's how much our friendship has grown and like i say, we have routines that we do, and it's like that every year because spring training is like a ferris wheel. it just goes round and round and the same cars pass all the time and you do the same thing all the time. there's so much repetition, but me being in the pitching and him catching, most of the time when he's there and he's able to, he'll go watch the catcher because i'm working with pitchers, so we'll run across each other, you know, throughout the morning in a practice, but for the games, we generally sit in the dugout and we watch the games. if it's too crowded, we go upstairs and we watch it on the tv. >> yogi, i got to ask you, you spend a lot of time especially

at spring training around the current players, around the current yankees. did research. your highest salary was in 1957, you made 58 grand this year. this year a-rod will make $32 million. >> wow. >> different times certainly you were a gunner's mate on d-day, guys like you, ted williams, bob feller, left to fight in wars. it's hard to imagine a-rod leaving to fight in afghanistan. how are the guys different today than they were -- >> they can't even fight going down the first baseline. >> there was a lot going on then. my top salary was 64. >> 64, excuse me. okay. >> 64,000, and i had to go like heck to get that, but i enjoyed playing the game. it beats working. to me, playing baseball is fun, and i had fun when i did play. i talked to all the hitters when

they came up, telling them to shut up and all that. i used to tease ted williams, sit up, you little daigle, i'm talking to the head, not the toe. >> that's great. >> i loved when the catcher talked to me. it didn't bother me one bit. but like gator and the guys said in the wintertime, the season star starts -- where do you live now? >> louisiana. >> louisiana. i always call him, like i watch the game, and i may see something that i didn't like, i call gator and i say "gator, did you see the game last night? you see what happened?" and he'll do the same thing to me, you know, call me up and say, "did you see what the pitcher did" and all that. we converse.

we talk all winter long. we do. and we say where we're going next. i love when he comes on to spring training with the frog lights. >> all right, well let's hope you keep a close eye on the yankees. gator we may call you in for the fifth starter this year. >> i wish gator was in the year we picked up yogi in october of '78 at fenway park. >> spoken like a true red sox fan. >> the book is "driving mr. yogi: yogi berra, ron guidry a lot of fun." pick up excerpts on mojo.msnbc.com. go yankees. >> you're welcome. coming up, business before the bell, when we come back.

four walls and a roof is a structure.

what's inside is a home. home protector plus from liberty mutual insurance, where the cost to both repair your house and replace what's inside are covered. so your life can settle right back into place. to learn more, visit libertymutual.com today.

on december 21st polar shifts will reverse the earth's gravitational pull and hurtle us all into space. which would render retirement planning unnecessary. but say the sun rises on december 22nd, and you still need to retire. td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life. we'll even throw in up to $600 when you open a new account or roll over an old 401(k). so who's in control now, mayans?

46 past the hour. time for a check on business before the bell. the cnbc's wbrian shactman live at the new york mercantile exchange. >> good morning. weekly jobless claims 357,000, down 6,000, the lowest level since april of '08. stock futures are down after yesterday, the second worst day of the year and the dow and the s&p, the worst day of the year and the nasdaq so you wonder what's going on? basically we have new fears about europe this time, it's spain. we've had a lot of conversations about decoupling here in the u.s. from europe but clearly there's a lot of concerns there. if benber nanny will not shower us with more quantitative easing, we have an odd dynamic

in the jobs. a government jobs report coming up tomorrow but it's good friday and the markets are closed so we don't get to trade it tomorrow so a lot of people, investors are kind of upset about it. they said the government knows the number right now. why can't they release it now so we can digest it. we have to wait until monday to figure out whether or not it's good for bad. >> we'll be at the white house when the number comes out and we'll have gene spurling. thank you, brian. >> up next, the best of late night. ♪ he was a 21st century global nomad ♪ ♪ home was an airport lounge and an ipad ♪ ♪ made sure his credit score did not go bad ♪ ♪ with a free-credit-score-dot-com ♪ ♪ app that he had ♪ downloaded it in the himalayas ♪ ♪ while meditating like a true playa ♪ ♪ now when he's surfing down in chile'a ♪

♪ he can see when his score is in danger ♪ ♪ if you're a mobile type on the go ♪ ♪ i suggest you take a tip from my bro ♪ ♪ and download the app that lets you know ♪ ♪ at free-credit-score-dot-com now let's go. ♪ vo: offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com™. you're probably muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air.

last night's trio of primary night victories for one will helm mittens romneysvelt. he won huge, beat rick santorum in wisconsin, maryland, and in washington, d.c., 70% to wasn't even on the ballot. >> everybody knows romney will be the nominee. >> fat lady singing. >> rick santorum is done. >> you lose! good day, sir! >> and who is ready to charge out of the locker room in pennsylvania for a strong second half?

>> game's over, dude. it's over. you're done. this isn't the scene in the sports drama where the coach gives the inspiring speech and the team comes back to win the playoffs. this is the scene in the sports drama, hillary swank hits her head on the stool and never boxes again. >> general washington understood some of the best ideas and some of the best plans, in fact, what has made this country great is that we have listened to real significant voices of everyday americans, and he did, and that's why he crossed the delaware, surprised the hessians and turned the tide of the revolution. >> you know, senator santorum, your campaign is on a boat, but i don't think it's washington's boat, if you know what i mean, yeah.

>> mitt romney -- ♪ america, america >> plus a mustache, equals tony orlando. ♪ my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty ♪ >> i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. >> john mccain said an interesting thing this morning, john mccain was asked who mitt romney should consider for vice president. mccain laughed and said, sarah palin. yeah, when no one else laughed mccain sighed, stared into the distance and said "i guess you had to be there." >> we must unite behind one candidate, so we can plummet toward victory in november. now, is mitt the best candidate? no. is he the true conservative candidate?

nuh-anh, but he is the most candidate, and i believe with some of my heart that now more than ever, someone should run. and it appears that mitt is. therefore, the next president of the united states must be -- anybody else jumping in? no? did you check? last chance. okay. mitt romney. woo! i settled for it!

business traveling forecast in the southeast you have a chance of strong thunderstorms from louisiana, mississippi, alabama, georgia, and florida included. the northeast, chilly start to the day, nice afternoon, plenty of sunshine out there, a little chilly around detroit and chicago also, and in the west, more shower activity for you in saturday. have a great day. have a great day. jairks

i couldn't sort through it all. with unitedhealthcare, it's different. we have access to great specialists, and our pediatrician gets all the information. everyone works as a team. and i only need to talk to one person about her care. we're more than 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. not in this economy. we also have zero free time, and my dad moving in. so we went to fidelity. we looked at our family's goals and some ways to help us get there. they helped me fix my economy,

the one in my house. now they're managing my investments for me. and with fidelity, getting back on track was easier than i thought. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. no way. marty doesn't have a big hole in his head. i got mixed up with some bargain brand cooking spray. look the only way to go is pam. works 70% better than the bargain brand. why you gotta rub it in, pal? pam helps you pull it off.

what have we learned today? >> first day of baseball season, this guy, mike barnical, greatest writer of our time. had a great piece about bobby valentine. >> i love it. >> mike, what did you learn? >> i used to think golf was about bobby jones, arnold palmer and tiger woods and the masters which begins today. golf has been redefined by a piece in "golf digest" by willie geist about his trip to augusta and the masters. >> look at this.

i guess now i should talk about mika's book. >> oh, please. >> let's keep going with this. >> this has redefined women in the workforce. also we're not doing -- i'm not being sarcastic, and the white house tomorrow. >> you're going to be talking about the white house. >> yes. >> i've also learned that maybe we don't invite donny deutsch back. come on. by the way, ibm, mr. advertising, yeah, good luck trying to pry ibm out of the cold, dead hands, you know, of the masters, out of the whole dead hands of ibm. they need the masters. they need that branding. >> i think you might be right. and i'll just add to that, since donny's not here and we can bash him openly, without him complaining back, if you watch online our segment with deepak chopra you'll understand everything that's wrong with donny, everything. he is a deeply disturbed, completely unself-aware, n