i'm al sharpton. tonight's lead, getting the job done whether the republicans want to help or not. president obama hit the road today after job reports showed some progress on the economy, but we still have a long way to go. he told the gop now is the time to slam the brakes on recovery. >> our businesses are now created more than 4.2 million new jobs over the last 26 months mf more than 1 million in the last 26 months alone. there are still a lot of folks out of work which means we have to do more. next week i will urge congress, as they start get lg back to work, to take some actions on common sense ideas right now to accelerate more job growth. that's what we need, and my message to congress is going to be just saying no to ideas that

will create new jobs is not an option. >> just saying no is not an option. don't worry, folks, the gop is working on all sorts of job creation proposals. things luke the mark twain coin act. also, the ports men's heritage act, because fly fishers have been hurt the hardest in this recession. and the firm innocent electronic duck stamp act. i guess duck stamps will save us from high unemployment. republicans in the house have passed only 60 pieces of legislation this year including bills like these when they have not been pushing coins and staffs, they have been arguing that cutting public sector jobs will somehow fix our unemployment problem. >> because the fact is we will not get this economy going again

by growing the government. >> right now we have a government so big and expensive it's keeping our economy from running at full capacity. >> we have to reduce the expenditure with the growth of federal employees. >> the primarily protected people in the government sector. the sector that should have v been shrinking. >> really? shrinking the workforce will put more people back to work? really? the new gop logic is most illogical. the president's policies led to 26 straight months of job growth. it resulted in half a million public sector jobs lost. when the president tries to fix this problem, the gop does what it does best. it says no. no to the american jobs act.

no to jobs for teachers and first responders. no to construction jobs. this will be the choice in november. trying to get things moving in the economy, or wasting everybody's time. joining me now is the secretary of labor, and an msnbc contributor and the former chief economist for vice president joe biden. thank you both for being here tonight. secretary, let me start with you. in your mind, where would the recovery be if both sides of the aisle were working toward a meaningful solution. >> if we passed the infrastructure bill, we would get a lot of construction workers back to work. but you're right, there's a lot of stalemate right now. a lot of republicans don't want

to move this agenda forward, so we have to do other things. part of what we're doing is making investments in job training and making sure we can fill those jobs that are available. that's why the president is touting so much reform and education training. people need better jobs that are still out there. just eight months ago, the unemployment rate was 9.1%. it's now at 8.1%, and 4.3 million jobs have been corrected. >> so the number today is 8.1%. not where we want to be, but eight months ago it was at 9.1. >> absolutely, it's a steady good growth. we see it in manufacturing, hotel lee sure, business and profession and in manufacturing. >> let me ask you jared, the public sector jobs, when i hear

the republicans and the nominee welcome the apparent nominee say that shrinking government jobs will help the economy, you're an economist, it doesn't make sents -- sense to me, can you explain how we can go from negative and get a positive from that? >> no were i don't do that kind of math. if you suck jobs out of the economy in the public or private sector, you will have a problem. and as the secretary pointed out, the private sector has been continually creating jobs, and month after month we have whacked on the public side. states and localities have to balance their budgets and they have been acting in ways that are deepening the problem, and making it tougher to recover. i looked the the education numbers today. they're down 100,000. 100,000 education jobs in the

last year have been lost. so the next time a politician stands in front of you and says austerity, cuts in education. and it's an honor to share the stage with the secretary. i like where she started. she didn't start out by pointing fingers saying it's your fault, she started out with policy, and she's exactly right. what the secretary said, and i know she fights for these issues every day. what she said is we have solutions to this problem. and one of the best is to marry the problem of our weak infrastructure with our unemployment. and put those two together. there are 100,000 schools across this nation we could start fixing tomorrow. get folks back to work improving our economy. and we have that plan, i don't see why we're not doing that or at least talking about it. >> romney has a plan as well,

let's not act like they don't have a plan, let me show you mr. romney's plan. >> we should be seeing numbers in the 500,000 jobs created per month. this is way off. >> the unemployment rate has dropped to 8.1%. and normally that would be cause for celebration. but in fact, anything over 8%, anything near 8%, anything over 4% is not cause for celebration. >> secretary, when your administration, the president's administration came in, we were at a devastating point in terms of this economy. is there any possible way we could be at 4% today? i mean what is he talking about? >> you know, it would be a hard, hard push to get that unemployment rate down that quickly. you have to remember back in 2009, we last -- lost 8 million

jobs. we're now 3 1/2 years into this administration and we continue to see steady growth and confidence. we have to move faster. there's a lot going on because our population and gem graphics have changed. you see youngsters staying in college longer and baby boomers retiring. we're finding that we have to retool the population and get them credentials. community colleges, certificates, getting into job training. we have to compete with japan, china, india, and brazil. we need a better workforce and we can. don't give up on the american workforce. >> can i comment on that? let me comment on governor romney's statement. i have a slightly different take on this. i very much support the aspiration of full employment.

the secretary is right, 4% is a very tough goal, but i like that goal. i think we should be at full employment. the problem is he is looking at a map and is saying over here is full employment city and i would like to get here. if you actually look at the road map that he is plotting that his policies take you, they go exactly the other way. they go to the deregulatory side that got us into this mess. they don't head towards full employment, they head off the cliff that we went off in 2007 and 2008. >> including public sector layoffs and other things. i think all of us have a goal of unemployment. he didn't say that, he said we should be there. not that that should be the goal. but at the same time he says let's shrink state government. thank you both for coming tonight, have a good weekend, both of you. >> thank you, happy cinco de mayo. >> you too.

coming up, republicans loved the swift voting of john kerry so much, they're doing it again. it attacks the president over the death of osama bin laden. you'll want to see this. plus, with friends like these, who needs democrats? mitt romney has a rick santorum problem, and it says a lot about his place in the gop. we'll look ahead to the official launch of the obama campaign tomorrow, and the key role being played by the first lady. ok! who gets occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating? get ahead of it! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life.

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back in 2004, republicans reached into their bag of dirty

tricks, and pulled the swift boat ads out to help bring down john kerry, now there is a new ad against president obama.. maf of fairy tales. but if you take away the faces on the trees... take away the pixie dust. take away the singing animals, and the storybook narrator... [ man ] you're left with more electric trucks. more recycled shipping materials... and a growing number of lower emissions planes... which still makes for a pretty enchanted tale. ♪ la la la [ man ] whoops, forgot one... [ male announcer ] sustainable solutions. fedex. solutions that matter. [ male announcer ] sustainable solutions. what happens when clschools f. ...and support they need?what h students blossom. that's why programs like... ...the mickelson exxonmobil teachers academy... ...and astronaut sally ride's science academy are helping our educators improve student success in math and science. let's shoot for the stars. let's invest in our teachers and inspire our students.

let's solve this. we're back with the new right wing effort to discredit president obama for one of his greatest accomplishment website the death of bin laden. a group called veterans for a strong america released a new web ad accusing the president of disrespecting the navy seals who completed the mission. >> there will be no parades, they have gone back into the

shadows without the outside world knowing their names. >> i directed leon panetta, and i determined -- at my direction, i, as commander and chief. >> karl rove called it a powerful add on twitter, and fox news invited the group's founder on tv to talk about it, giving him eight minutes of national air time to plug his ad. >> he not only spiked the football, he signed it, he through it in the stands with the fans. he is doing a dance in the end zone now. he should give the real credit to the people who made it possible. >> the ad is totally misleading. the has given credit to the military over and over again. >> i could not be prouder of you. america could not be prouder of you. >> you performed heroically in

some of the most dangerous places on earth. you have done everything asked of you and more. and you have earned a special place in our nation's history. >> this future is only within reach because of our men and women in uniform. >> i have 100% faith in the navy seals themselves. >> facts don't seem to mat tore the man behind the ad. he is a former field director for the bush-cheney campaign. worked for john mccain's 2008 campaign, and a former field director for the coke brothers group. if you had any doubt about his intentions with this ad, check out what he told mother jones. he said yes, it's the swift boating of the president in the sense of using what's perceived to be his greatest strength and making it his greatest weakness.

the adds in 2004 attacked john kerry for his service in vietnam. now the right may be trying to do the same thing against president obama. joining me now is chris hayes, and jonathan capehart. let me start with you. are you surprised they may try to swift boat the president on one of his greatest achievements. >> no, this is essentially how they operate, and i think this seems amateurish compared to the swift boat ad. this is a much more removed and abstract argument that he handled it afterwards poorly,

but the fact that he was dead, killed by american special forces troops are established, and what people do with that information what they are, and that's going to dominate or overwhelm any attempts to spin it. >> jonathan, i facts are certainly different, and clearly their trying to go beyond the facts because they need to do this in order to win. i mean, when you hear the ads saying the navy seals will never get a parade or know their name, that's part of the understanding of being in the navy seals. to act like the president is not giving them credit, and that that is by definition what navy seals sign up for, is they have to remain anonymous. these are the kind of desperate moves their making to try to politicize something that has no real basis. >> right. you know, the president -- they make it sound like the president

took credit for it without acknowledging the navy seals and what people should remember is that the president met with seal team six. he met the men, the soldiers involved in that raid and thanked them personally. the other thing is what they're doing, for all of the reasons that chris laid out, the fact that this attack is removed in a way that it was under with the swift bothing of john kerry, this gives the president, the administration, and his reelection effort one more time to talk about the president's deep and personal involvement in ensuring that this raid went off well. it gives the president, the administrati administration, and the reelection team another time to tout this major success. how they will try to turn this strength into a weakness is

beyond me. >> let me ask you chris, let's connect some dots here. political donations of bob perry, he gave in 2004 $3 million to fund the swift boat ads against john kerry. he gave $3 million to mitt romney's super pac, restore our future, in 2012. >> right, perry is just one of the small right wing millionaires and billionaires that will be funding the rol any super pc. the change in the law is going to make this easier for everyone. there was just a new analysis out today saying at this point four years ago, only 9% were negative, and this year it's 70%. . it will be even more negative in 2008 and 2004. i think the mood of the country is sour and the amount of money

that will be poured into it. this is a sloopy undertaking. just think we have six months ahead of us, this is just the tip of the iceberg. >> jonathan, when you hear chris talking about how we have already seen an enormous increase in negative campaigning at this point compared to the same point last time, you expect a nasty campaign particularly when you see people like the creator of the willy horton had, creating ads for restore our future. the same guy that did the add in 1988 against the campaign of michael ducaucus. they were very ugly, race

tinged, we may have a very nasty next six months. >> i have been saying that since this time last year. saying to people that the reelection effort in 2012 will get very, very ugly. and that folks who are complaining about what happened back then, they ought to get used to it. right now it's starting to ramp up. i guarantee you by the time we're in the general election, and because of the 527 ruling and all of these independent organizations out there, spending money that the romney campaign will not have to spend, people will be inundating with really ugly, horrible, nasty messag messages. while their hearing the negative statements, they're going to wonder where is the positive

message. where is their positive vision for the future? that's what people are trying to vote for when they go in the booths in november. >> so now chris, will the negative, the overabundance of negative backfire and it's like the one that strikes a match in the dark is the one that has the light, is that the strategy you think the obama campaign will use, or will it be ugly for ugly? >> i have to say, i think it's more likely to be the later. part of that is there is a fairly robust literature on the effects of negative ads, they tend to be effective. i think that, you know, partly right now, i think you see the obama administration focussing positively about the videos about concrete accomplish wamen. that's going to continue and that will be one track.

as we get closer to election day, as you see more of the kinds of ads like what we're seeing with this early initial swift boating add, you will have to respond in kind. that's particularly in this polarizing moment, we will see more of it. >> jonathan cape hart, chris hayes, thank you for your time, please tune in for chris -- show up with chris hayes every saturday morning from 8 to 10 a.m. eastern. deep signs of problems among women voters, could it cost him the election, first how republican definitions of contempt seem to change depending on who is in office. stay us with. ♪ ♪

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house republicans are beginning up more outrage over the fast and furious gun walking sting. and what's contemptible for democrats is fine for the gop. daryle isa in laying out the case to eric hold ner contempt of congress. >> we have got ton that point where it's clear their not giving us the documents that they sort of closed up and

covered up the people they now want to protect. general holder testified about fast and furious seven times, and the justice department turned over more than 7,000 pages of documents. that's apparently not enough. they were singing a very different tune the last time the household white house officials in contempt. in 2008 they issued contempt citations to george w. bush's chief of staff. republicans weren't too happy. >> ladies and gentlemen, we will not stand here and watch this floor be abused for pure political grand standing at the expense of our national security. ly ask my house republican colleagues and those who believe

we should be here protecting the american people, not vote on this bill, let's just get up and leave. >> see who is right behind boycotting boehner? the boycott that boehner called? that's the same person that wants to hold the attorney general in contempt now. his spokesman said that the comparisons of the case were poor. he sites that the 2008 incident as a precedent in his own resolution against holder. it a section called past instances of contempt, he writes that they pursued con cement against harrit miers. so he thinks holding him in contempt is fine unless he

agrees with his policies. then it's pure politics. hey congressman, did he think we wouldn't nose h-- wake up!

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. we're back with willard romney doing everything he can to win over all of those women who just don't like him. today, he's in pennsylvania talking about the economy. but what he is really trying to do is win over keystone state women. because he needs them, badly. he's losing to president obama in pennsylvania by eight points but with women, romney is losing by 17 points. that's a major gender gap. he is courting women in the states he needs them most. yesterday it was virginia where he touted the endorsement of michele bachmann, and who can forget this great virginia came pain event from wednesday.

look at all of those women. unfortunately the women behind him might be the only ones who support him. today the brand new poll shows the president has a seven point lead on romney again, fuelled almost entirely by a gender gap. politicians who do unpopular things become unpopular. romney is on the wrong side of women's issues, and it could sink hymn in some very important swing states. joining me is a democrat from connecticut, and long time supporter of women's rights, and also melissa harris-perry. congresswoman, let me start with you. one of the many issues that romney struggles with to win, is

women -- is equal pay for women. something you championed. his support has been lackluster there at best, and you're championing a bill that gives women more tools for equal pay. tell me about your bill. >> there is a gender gap and it exists for a reason. i believe the women of this nature, and overall it's about a 19 point gender gap, really don't believe that mitt romney shares their values and priorities. and those values and priorities are rooted in the financial pressures that are facing women today. i think that that is what -- you know, mitt romney and republicans in the house of representatives are on the attack of women's financial issues, and a chief among them for me is the whole issue of pay

equity. you have a punddant that say that women get paid 77 cents on the dollar. it doesn't make any -- it really goes across occupations, and the fa is that what we need to try to do, because the consequences, the consequences of pay in equity fall on women in their families. women are bred winners, primary or cobred winners. mothers are one-third of the working force. today who are bred winners, and what the bill simply does it says, men and women in the same job, deserve the same pay. and -- yes, go ahead. >> let me bring melissa into this. melissa, in many communities where women are the only bred winner in the house, it

certainly has even further ramifications of unequal pay. no matter what situation is, whether a woman is married, or if she is a single mother, do the republicans not feel that women are not going to be motivated to vote in their own interest when it comes to things like standing up for equal pay. >> what's happened over the last couple months as we have seen the extreme right wing of the republican party go after rim's reproductive rights, and we have seen the congress go after those rights, you might think we're talking about contraception, or access to termination services, or mammograms, but the key issue that many women are facing are economic issues, educational issues, and the bred aad and bur

issues of a household country. so what's important for the obama campaign, not for the administration but the campaign, to use julia, this image of the young girl that needs educational assistance, who needs help to make sure she can pay back her student loans. making sure there are jobs on the other side with equal pay. so the point of thinking about who women are as citizens is that faculty life span of who we are from the moment we begin to get education, to the moment we make family planning decisions, to the moment we make economic and employment decisions and until we get the need for security. at every point, women have a very key understanding of how the economy impacts ourselves and our families, and that is going to be what will drive us

to the polls. >> i think that makes what makes the fairness act important. let's look at this, congresswoman. let's look at really what mitt romney has said to women. let's look at his -- the reason that he is looking bad with a lot of women voters, look at his record. he supported defunding planned parenthood. would not support -- did support the personhood amendment, and wouldn't say if he would have signed the lily ledbetter act. why would women not be supporting him in virginia and in pennsylvania. i mean why would they support him given that all these situations where almost every time he is on the wrong side of the issue. >> that's exactly right. you know, women understand who is on their side. as has been pointed out, on education opportunities or

retirement security or their paycheck, and they're only getting 77 cents on that dollar, and you're in the same job as a individual -- what mitt romney has done is he didn't address the issue of lily ledbetter as to whether or not he would support that legislation, and skied if he would support paycheck fairness. we passed the paycheck fairness bill twice with bipartisan support. it was blocked in the senate by republicans. and president obama will sign that bill if it comes out of the house and the senate. my question is mitt romney is are you going to sign this legislation, are you supportive of it, because it is all about the economic pressures, the financial pressures that women are facing today when they are in the singular position of many instances of being a breadwinner

for their families. >> you would think it would be a no brainer to vote for the equal pay, but let me remin you as we leave this, that in the lilly ledbetter fair pay act, 208 republicans voted against it. so they did give their view. thank you both for coming. have a great weekend. you're working, melissa, don't forget i will be watching, melissa harris-perry, weekends from 10:00 a.m. to noon here on msnbc. ahead, can you feel the excitement building for willard romney? neither can i. more proof, the republican party just doesn't like their own guy. and nobody comes close to president obama when it comes to popularity and likeability, but he loses in his own house.

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"politicsnation." folks, can you feel the excitement? can you feel the intensity? that's right, the republican party is on fire. rallying behind their fearless leader willard romney. today he met with rick santorum in pittsburgh. he is promising a right-wing agenda before endorsing him. willard says he's not worried about it. >> i don't think we have plans for an endorsement today, but i think all republicans will come together in the end. i expect that you will see us all come together. you will see a great deal of enthusiasm about making sure we get america back on track. >> let's see how fired up this party is for real for willard. >> would you disagree then with giuliani and others when they

say there is no doubt that mitt romney would be a better president than barack obama. >> i think marginally so. >> whoa, can you at home feel the excitement? check out this ringing praise coming from supporters. >> do you still believe mitt romney is a liar. >> i think they said things that were not true. >> is mitt romney a liar. >> he said things that were not true. >> it reminds me of going to a surgeon. if i am being operated on, i didn't go to the nicest doctor, i went to the best doctor. >> mitt is not a perfect candidate, he has a number of problems, it's hard for blue collar families to identify with hem. he needs to do more to reach out to the latinos. >> wow, he should bottle that kin of enthusiasm up. i'm sure those republicans still

are on the sidelines will be real easy to win over. >> imagine, had mitt romney been around when we were drafting our constitution, he would have just shaken it after it was approved to rewrite it. >> i don't think they want to kill jobs in south carolina on the alter of making more money for themselves. >> can he beat obama? >> no, you can't have a candidate who has given the blueprint for obama care, it's too identical. >> look at my record as governor. we have, and it's a business. >> this is someone who doesn't have a core, he has been on both sides of the issues for the last ten years. >> governor romney, as you take on president obama, you might want to keep an eye on those in your own party. you know, your friends? [ female announcer ] women have made it the number one selling

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lookin' good, flo! feelin' good! feelin' real good! [ engine revs ] boat protection people love. now, that's progressive. call or click today. >> welcome back to "politicsnation," president obama officially kicks off his campaign tomorrow with rallies in ohio and virginia. he is not hitting the road alone. right by his side will be his not to secret weapon for the november election. first lady michelle obama.

she has been very public lately out on the trail for her husband. >> i'm a little biassed. i think my husband has been a phenomenal president. first how he fought for tax cuts. you can tell people about what he has done to raise standards in our schools. >> we will keep working everyday to serve all of you as well as you have served this country. and the man who has been leading the way is standing right next to me. >> the first lady isn't just the president's biggest supporter, she is also one of his biggest draws. her popularity is off the charts, 71% of americans have a favorable view of michelle obama. since the 2008 election, the first lady has won over americans by championing causes like fighting against childhood obesity and getting americans on

healthy diets. in the last four years, america got to know her down to earth personality and sense of fun. >> that's my target run. i went to target. >> a woman actually walked up to me, i was in the detergent aisle, and she said, excuse me, i just have to ask you something, and i thought cover is blown. can you reach on that shelf and hand me the detergent. i kulacz kid you not. >> i can't sing -- >> are you saying he has a better singing voice than you? >> yes. >> it's hard. >> 25, i just stopped. >> joining me now is allison

samuels, the author of the new book, what would michelle do? you spend a lot of time with her, how has she changed in the last four years? >> i think she has just become a lot more -- i don't think changed a luge amount. this is who she is, she's just more visible with it. you've been able to see her warmth, candor, her love for her country, love for her children and family. she's been in a more visible place. all of the different tv shows, she's at the kids choice awards, you're able now to see the genuine loving woman she is that cares about her family and wants the best. >> how key is she to this campaign? >> i think incredibly key. she has a 71% approval rating, and i think she is someone that everyone can relate to. women and men both relate to

her. everyone relates to michelle obama because she's doing things like childhood obesity. things that people see as basic rights to have, basic needs they need met. michelle obama is the face of that. they will have her out there much more this time than before. >> in your book, you talk about what would michelle do, has she become a role model for a lot of young people in the country? >> yeah, i would like it to be more, but women are able to look at her and see this woman who has in many ways a perfect life a marriage that has been going strong for almost 20 years. they seem to have a mutual respect and love for each other, two young kids, their mother-in-law is in the white house with them. michelle figured it out how to have it all. the husband, the family, and a career that she put aside to help her husband, but she can go back to it at any time.

that's really the ideal for many women. >> one of the things you wrote in the book, i'm quoting the book, ever the survivor, she graciously handled the stress of the criticism and pressure districted at her husband, confident in barack's ability to get the country back on the right track. she rarely addressed the criticisms directly. >> right, she is a positive person in the sense of she looks at the good side of everything. she thinks if you dwell on the negative, you're distracted and off your game. so she takes criticism when it is valid. a lot of the criticism pointed toward president obama has not been valid. her thing is decide what is valid. what should i change and what is just right wing criticism. so i think that's the great part about michelle. she did understand what i need

to change, what i can't change, and how ki make things the way they need to be for my family. >> you interviewed her and been around here, how is she do be around for a journalist. i have been around her in my civil rights roll and other rolls, show it for a journalist? >> she's like a sister friend, asking about your family, how your mom is, how is everybody, where are you from? just a genuine interest in your job. if you're a journalist or pastor, she has a general interest and concern in others and that comes through. that has been beneficial to barack because he sometimes can't have that hands on with everyone. michelle can do that, she's very good at it and it helped in her career and helped barack a great deal. >> he showed how crazy he was about her in a speech last week, watch this.

>> how about the first lady, michelle obama? she is a tough act to follow. for the gentlemen out there who are not yet married, let me just explain to you, your goal is to improve your gene pool, by marrying somebody superior to you. >> alison samuels, news writer, and author of "what would michelle do?" congratulations on the book. have a good weekend. >> thank you you to. you at home, have a great weekend, i'm al sharpton, have a great weekend, "hardball" starts right now. >> not enough jobs, let's play "hardball."