nation's largest voting bloc, telling barnard's women graduates that the world is counting on them to stand up, to be heard, and to change the world. >> how far your leadership takes this country. how far it takes this world of well, that will be up to you. fight for your seat at the table. better yet, fight a seat at the head of the table. >> now, as the president courts the female vote, his campaign went on the offensive against mitt romney bringing back the beast of bain. in a two-minute attack ad that tells the story of gst steel, a company whose kansas city plan was shut down after bain bought it in 1993. >> we view mitt romney as a job destroyer. >> he is running for president. if he is going to run the country the way he ran our business, i would not want him there. those guys were all rich them

all have more money than they'll ever spend but they did not have the money to take care of the very people that made the money for them. >> ouch, we haven't seen an ad that since about four months ago when newt gingrich was crowning in a similar ad. >> free enterprise will be on trial. i thought it would come from the president and the democrats on the left but instead it is coming from speaker gingrich and apparently others. that's just part of the process. i'm not worried about that. i've got broad shoulders. >> it takes a strong man to brush off political attack or indeed to walk away from a company will. will collapse in your wake. never mine, the romney camp has a fresh response today. quote, we welcome the obama campaign's attempt to pivot back to jobs and a discussion of their failed record. mitt romney helped create more jobs in his private sector experience and more jobs as governor of massachusetts than president obama has for the

entire nation. that statement coming even as the campaign massively downgrades the number of jobs it claims he created. once, 100,000. now it is mere thousands. no mention of massachusetts being 47th out of 50 states in job creation when romney was governor. let's bring in our panel. steven from salon.com. krystal because is here with me from new york and jonathan capehart, all of whom are msnbc contributors and all of whom are welcome. krystal, as a woman and the sole invited guest of this panel. the president in his approach to women. what was your reaction to what he said? >> i had a very strong personal reaction to it, watching it. it was an excellent speech. i don't think anyone could deny that. i hike the clip that you showcase. the tenor was not here's why i'm great and why you should like me. it was you need to get out there

and fight and work and stand up for yourselves. and the future of the country and the world is really in your hands as future leaders. >> the empowerment. >> exactly. it is almost not fair to compare the president speaking to a college and mitt romney's commencement address. because i think we can still hear the cheers at barnard going on right now. and it is hard to imagine in fact any room in the country that mitt romney could speak in where he would be greeted with such joy and enthusiasm as the president is greeted, whether he is at a women's college or speaking to the uaw. it is quite remarkable. >> the president was at barnard. he is going on the view shoring up his female support. while mitt romney as krystal just said was at liberty over the week trying to pretend he is the guy that engel cals want. >> i think the basic comparison that you brought up is a problem for mitt romney. obama gets to spend today

reaching out for the female vote. the female vote, very important to the general election in terms of that's where the swing voters are. he needs to drive up that gender gap. he is working toward the general election imperative. that's really about a primary season. that's about his base. about sure there won't be a revolt within the republican party. i think it's a problem that he is still stuck on that. put that aside. did he accomplish what he needed to accomplish? i think the answer to that is basically yes. did he put the nod in there in a speech at liberty saying, i believe marriage is between a man and a woman. that went over well with the audience. the conservative christian opinion leaders were happy with what he said. he did not have to go so far out on a limb. he did not have to put so much red meat into the speech that he made headlines just for that. we can clearly see the republicans from romney on down really do not want to be caught in sort of a 2004 style nationalized election about gay marriage. they're trying to keep this on the economy and keep this sort of culture war stuff to a minimum. i think he basically succeeded with that on saturday.

he is dealing with the problem that the republican nominee should not to have deal with at this point. >> i wanted to play you two pieces of sound. first from the president followed by something that mitt romney said in an interview over the week the christian broadcasting network. take a look. >> those who oppose change, those who benefit from an unjust status quo, have always bet on the public cynicism or the public's complacency. >> my view is that this is not a time for us to do what the president says, to transform america. i want to restore to america the values and principles that made us the greatest nation in the history of the earth. >> that's the crux of the campaign. one saying you can rely on the status quo is that the other saying, yes, i would prefer to rely on the status quo. >> to be fair to mitt romney, he is talking about, or wants people to believe that america is its brightest days were behind it. and he wants to go back to those

days. when america was great. meanwhile the president is doing what presidents are supposed to do when running for re-election which is to talk about where he wants to take the country and where the country is going to go will. >> is not it strange that it is the challenger who is about preserving the status quo? that's very odd. >> mitt romney f, if things are going well should talk about how he is going to go beyond what the president is doing. you can take the president's argument and use it against him. the president said he wants to expand opportunity. he's not doing it. here's how i will do it going forward. instead, i want us to go back to where we were today. have the good old days were not so good for many, many americans. going back quickly to steve's point about the speech at liberty university. i agree with steve. it was fine. i think people at the university were more or less satisfied. but i see this as a real missed

opportunity. look at how the president came out in 2008 and gave a major speech on race that was courageous. it was bold. it was risky and it was very well received and it basically took that issue off the table. mitt romney has yet to have that moment where he shows courage. he is willing to be vulnerable and open and talk about his faith in a way that people can really understand and relate to. so i see it as yeah, it was fine. it was also a missed opportunity. >> that's a very good point. there he is at liberty university. the papers were filled with stories about how students and faculty members think, that he is a member of a cult. >> and they teach a course on it. >> steve, let's talk for a moment about the blistering new ad. the romney ad says they're thrilled to get back on the economy. did they want to do it by having their campaign compared to a blood sucking vampire? >> yes? >> they did? >> no. mitt romney has run, this will be the sixth competitive election of a republican primary

or general electric where mitt romney has been a candidate. and in five of those six, his record at bain, his ties to bain have become a central line of attack at some point from his opponents. that's happening again here. this is expected by the romney campaign to a certain degree. the real, the $64,000 question here is this. if you look at the polls right now, the one basic advantage that mitt romney has over barack obama is when you ask people, who is better on the economy? romney is actually edging out obama. who is better on job creation? romney is doing well there. he does really bad in a lot of issues. this is an economy election in people right now are saying that they like romney better than obama. >> but isn't that a bit strange given the claim of job creation by romney have been slowly declining and yet the president's control of the economy, if you like, as president of the united states, has been going up. i find that -- >> this is a matter of

perception. right now mitt romney is playing on the fact that while all the indices say we are in a recovery and that there are jobs for people to go after, if they can find them. people aren't actually feeling it. and i think mitt romney is trying to get, trying to work that feeling piece. >> right. >> i think you're exactly right. i think once americans their details of his support for the paul ryan plan, in fact, the polling of the paul ryan plan is awful. and it is made even worse once you describe to people using paul ryan's own words what's in it. >> no doubt. just a final question to all of you. i would like you to have a look at this photograph. do you think mitt romney redwrets supporting this hair cut which look so eerily similar to gordon gecko? is he a brother from another mother? to choose that phrase? >> i think that photo is much better than the one with the dollar bills coming.

not dollar bills. tens and 20s. >> it was the style then. >> i want to take one moment to say rick perry and newt gingrich for introducing the term vulture to us. next, romney goes acourtin evangelicals. does he really need to? >> mitt romney is a gracious, caring person who believes that every individual in this country, including people who are gay, deserve the dignity and respect that every american deserves. but that doesn't change the fact we believe marriage should be between one man and one woman. ♪ ♪

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mitt romney continues his aggressive courtship of conservative voters with his rousing address at liberty university. >> marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman. >> there was another line which caught our attention. a line which seem a little out of place given mr. romney's party affiliation and his background as an invest many banker. >> the best advice i know to give is to give those worldly things your best but never your all. many preachers advise the same but few as memorably as dr. martin luther king jr. as a young man he said, with most of my life ahead of me i decided early to give my life to something eternal and absolute. >> renouncing worldly things? was that the motto at bain

capital? i'm be sure. joining us live from baton rouge, louisiana, is tony perkins. good afternoon. >> good afternoon. good to be with you again. >> we've heard your strongly held views on the president's views on same sex irnlg ma. republican who's say this is a distraction. we haven't heard many evangelical leaders on the republican reconciliation bill that passed in the house that would do so much harm to the poor and the vulnerable. we listened to evangelical leaders pressing the issue have marriage. what about the poor? do christian leaders have anything to say about the poor? >> absolutely, market. when you look at the best anti-poverty program in america, that is a family. when you can almost -- if you can put a child into a home with a mom and a dad, you have almost eliminated the chance of poverty. on the other hand, if a child is

born into a single parent home, it is about a 76% chance that child will end up in poverty. so yes. we do advocate. >> i understand the point you're making. i really wanted to you address this budget that was passed last week in the house and i want to reference some of the thing the bill would cut. i would like, as a christian leader i would like to hear what you think. this would cut the social services block grant that provides assistance to around 23 million americans. it would cut child care and related assistance for 4.4 million children. it will cut meals on wheels and other home based services nor nearly 1.7 million seniors. it will cut transportation and respite care for almost 1 million disabled americans. i'm puzzled as to whether you're going to stand up for these vulnerable members of society. >> absolutely. we stand up for them every day,

martin. because we do -- i will say. this i think we do have a fundamental disagreement here on who is best equipped to meet the needs of those individuals. we think the local community through community organizations like churches. what we've seen increasingly -- >> sorry, sorry, just so you're saying then that these government programs which are arranged to support the most vulnerable in society, should simply be cut and that should be left with charitable organizations like churches? is that what you're saying? >> i'm saying when you look at the fact that we have a $16 trillion debt. we have to cut everywhere and everything is being cut. you look at the president has proposed a trillion dollar cut in the military over the next ten years. that is being cut. everything is being cut. we have to. >> again, i go back to this point, sir. because it seems to me there is a real problem here for so many christians.

because christ's life seem to have been marked by poverty. he was born in a feeding trough. he himself said, foxes have holes, birds have nests but the son of man has no place to lay his head. and yet christian leaders are so vocal about sex and marriage and yet virtually silent when it come to the poor in society. these provisions that are being proposed on, were voted on last week. i did not hear you, sir, stand up and say a word about these issues. >> no, because i don't think a government can meet the true needs of people. that's why we need to meet the needs of our fellow man. wait, wait, wait. >> ability. these program are in existence. they are supplying transportation for disabled children. i grew one a physically handicapped brother who had muscular dystrophy who was reliant on these provisions. these are the very things that republicans voted to destroy last week.

i cannot find a christian leader who will stand up and say we are for the poor and this is wrong. and this should not be being done. all i hear christian leaders talking about is gay marriage. go ahead, sir. >> well, you're not listening to the whole conversation. because we don't think government is the source or the solution for dealing with poverty. we believe that the american people who are generous in their giving, local communities that can address not just the material poverty but the spiritual poverty as well. just last week, as we do the first of every month, my family goes to the local homeless shelter here in baton rouge because we meet not only the physical needs but we share with them the spiritual needs that they have. that's what communities do. that's what churches could. when you have the government crowding out those nonprofit organizations that go beyond just the material need, instead of just giving someone a fish, teaching them to fish. that's what the religious leader

community does when they're empowered to do so. >> okay. tony perkins, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. next, the president takes manhattan. stay with us. >> marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman. >> marriage. marriage is what brings us together today. i'm freaking out man.

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that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. the president is hoping to build on his lead with women with two strategic appearances today in new york city. before sitting down for a chat with the women of "the view," he gave a commencement address at barnard college where he told them america needs them more than ever and to go out into the world and lead by example.

chuck, romney goes to liberty university over the week while the president goes to barnard. is this the kind of stark contrast the white house was seeking to draw? >> i tell you, strategically could you look at what both campaigns are doing. it is a tale of two commencement addresses. they're both aimed at their own political bases. they're both aimed at how do they get to 50% plus one rather than worrying about persuading anybody. >> just the story of the president requesting to see if they could speak at barnard tells you, they believe there is a big vulnerable built with the republican party when it comes to women's issues. then you have mitt romney. what did he with liberty, when you think about the timing of it. this was the moment of time they thought maybe they were going to have a problem with evangelicals because of romney's mormon faith so he needed this in order to sort of shore them up. >> although, chuck, people are

suggesting that actually the person who made liberty work best for mitt romney was the president because of the president's endorsement of same sex marriage. it had nothing to do with mitt romney. and his speech was not particularly brilliant. i watched the whole thing. >> it was a very careful speech. everything was worded very carefully and it was clearly, you could see what the campaign was concerned about. they were concerned that this issue with christian conservatives and the mormon faith and you're right. the one line that gets the biggest line of applause is one line about marriage. and you put it very well. what the president did last week, whatever concern there was about social conservatives getting excited about mitt romney. it was gone due to that more than anything mitt romney said at liberty. >> nbc's chuck todd. our political director. thank you so much. stay with us. the top lines are coming up. >> the oval office hooking up the slurpy machine, settling

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all the unemployment, there is something wrong with that picture. >> it is green. i appreciate your support. thank you very much. >> a stupid thing that we should never have done. >> we bailed out this bank. tens of billions of dollars went to this bank. >> you never became a banker, did you, mr. kramer? why? why did you fail? >> we know we were stupid. >> i'm just so sick of the way presidents are always riding me. i'm an adult. >> hey, i've been there. >> he won the title! >> i had six sons and he would be as mischievous and astronauty as the other boys. >> who would have guessed we would look back at the carter years as the good old days. >> call me cynical. i wasn't sure that his views on marriage could get any gayer. >> marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.

>> i think the fight for gay marriage is a civil rights struggle. >> i don't think it is a matter of civil rights. >> this is a very potent weapon as it is for governor romney. >> let's get straight to our panel. karen finney is a columnist for the hill and the former dnc director. and now an msnbc political analyst and joe williams who covers the white house for politico. good afternoon to both of you. mitt found a severely conservative line to use on the president this week that marriage is between a man and his offshore bank accounts. sorry, i mean, a man and his wife. i'm sorry. a man and his wife. i do apologize. was that appearance at liberty more about winning votes or is he really having just to remind conservatives that hey, i'm one of you, really. >> yeah. i think that appearance at liberty was design to try to make additional inroads with religious conservatives. we know that that is a voting bloc that he is going to need a great deal of support from if

you just look at the places in the country, the states in the country where he is trying to cobble together the votes to get to 70. this is an important vote he can't take for grand. he had to address this issue of same sex marriage. but i think as rand paul showed, there is a danger to the republican party that their own folks will go too far in the way they talk about the issue and kind of wedge mitt romney back in between the various factions within the republican party. >> right. the latest cbs new york time poll shows those who are for same sex marriage has doubled in the past eight years and that 62% now favor either same sex marriage or civil unions. it gives credence, does it not, to the notion that the president does appear to be on the right side of history. >> at the very least. if pop culture is any indication, there is no question about it.

think about the tv series we see. will and grace has been famously talked about. modern family has examples of a nontraditional marriage. a same sex couple raising children. and even ellen degeneres is a spokeswoman for two very large companies. cover girl make-up and jcpenney. if we're talking about acceptance, it doesn't get any bigger than that. that's where the money goes. these companies are banking on the fact that people like her image, regardless of her sexual orrenation and they like what she stands for. what she represents so they're willing to pay her to rep their products. so i don't think there's any question there. especially when you consider the fact that many presidents make declarations like this think harry truman desegregating the military and law follows. so to my mine, it is basically incould be tro vertible that he is on the right side of history. >> it shows you know more about make-up than i do. >> that was impressive. >> he is very impressive. don't ever argue with joe about

make-up. those polls also seem, it seems like romney is fighting a 2004 campaign eight years too late when he is talking about this issue in the way that he does, is not it? . >> he is again kind of wedged in. the republican party itself has shifted. people have -- look at the way that reince priebus was talking about it yesterday. four years ago, eight years ago, 12 years ago, you would not have heard him acknowledge the importance of equal rights for gays and lesbians in this country. there was a much harsher dialogue that was going on. i think the polling that i've seen certainly suggests that also within the african-american communities and the latino communities, it is less potent of an issue than previously because again, people know more people who are gay and lesbian and are less likely to be able to demonize them in the same way that i think we've seen in the past. so at the same time, the

challenge romney has is that he is trying, he has to hold on to the far right wing whom you have the tony perkins of the world, whom you just did a fabulous job. with hold on to very conservative beliefs and he has to try to appeal to moderates and independents who have very different beliefs. >> and joe, karl rove is trying to increase romney's call factor he is and doing it the way all the kids do by forming a super pac and throwing loads of money at the problem. cross roads generation. he is supposed to undermine the president's advantage with young people. is there enough corporate money in the world to make mitt romney cool? >> there is a question that is one for the age. the immediate answer is, no, certainly look at his background. his past. what he seems to represent. and then try to imagine mitt romney on mtv, say, or talking with a host like arsenio hall.

talk about a dating reference when arsenio hall went. on it won't work bases doesn't have that level of cache. that level of excitement. even if you are about a presidential candidate, you do have to have something there to work with. and so far, he has not really shown it. he had trouble generating enough excitement within his own party among establishment republicans. the youth vote won't go there in huge numbers. >> same question to you. given how robotic romney has, how about if he did some body popping or robot dancing? >> maybe down to spring break and do some body shots? >> i don't think so. maybe he could report on the news that seemed to work for prince charles-the weather for prince charles? you would know better than i. can i make one quick point in all seriousness. it wouldn't necessarily portray him as cool. as i read about for the hill for tomorrow's paper, he could have used this bullying incident to

talk about bullying today. it is the top issue concern for parents in this country and for school administrators. also for children. we know that this is reaching epidemic proportions. so he could have that i have had that story from last week, he could have pivoted that story to talk about stupid things boys do to a serious school safety problem on the minds of parents. he could have done that without even getting into legislative matters and what have you. in a relatable way that would have shown american parents who happen to vote that he understands one of their top concerns from a very personal perspective. >> that's the concern, second quarter it? relatability. >> what bullying incident? he cannot remember. >> that's right, that's right. >> not enough time. thanks so much for joining us. next, why wall street needs regulation. stay with us. >> we know we were sloppy. we know we were stupid. we know there was bad judgment. ok! who gets occasional constipation,

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how you want. ♪ the chief investment manager who presided over what jpmorgan chase now says could be a $3 billion trading loss, has retired. and there are reports that others may also leave the bank. while many analysts and politicians say this latest scandal only confirm the need for greater regulation, you won't be hearing that from mitt romney. in fact, mr. romney is still having trouble connecting the dots when it come to the risks that some banks are prepared to take. >> our nation's economy is driven by free people pursuing happiness as they choose. not as government directs. and as government becomes large he and larger and more intrusive in the lives of our citizens and their enterprises, it makes it harder for america's economy to work. >> an msnbc contributor and chief policy adviser to vice president joe biden and dana

milbank is with the "washington post." good afternoon to both of you. doesn't the latest scandal involving jpmorgan completely undercut and blunt mitt romney's argument that all we need to do is get rid of the red tape and regulations and we'll all thrive? >> if that argument needed undercutting and blunting, it certainly did. >> you just heard him speaking. he's still saying that's what he believes. >> yes, and i think that he is out of step with most of america. i understand that a lot of americans get kind of amnesiac about the economy. but people still remember my own conversations as well as polling still remember that it was the financial markets that inflated the housing bubble that brought this whole thing down. and so people don't need a lot of reminding that banks won't self-regulation. we can't count on them to effectively monitor or police themselves. there is obviously a considerable level of oversight

needed to dampen that kind of instability that brought the economy down so far that we're still climbing back. >> i would like to read something that paul krugmano today. current right wing mythology has it that bad banking is always the result of government intervention. in fact, guilded age america, a land with minimum government and no fed, was subl to panics roughly once every six years. wall street is giving vast sums to mitt romney who has promised to repeal recent financial reforms. i guess that explains his position. >> i hate to degree with any columnist from "the new york times" -- >> your competitor. >> i think there is a reasonable point. you have the chairman of the republican national committee saying the problem here is this means that the dodd frank legislation didn't work. it hasn't taken effect yet. and i think what you're seeing

in each case is the regulations, the legislation, it looks like it will be very strong in the wakes of one of these fiascos. it gets watered down. even that ge i have a feeling lawmakers are going to realize where their campaign money is coming from. it may look bad for the banks right now. but in a few months, it will be forgotten. >> just because the public recognizes the role that financial markets and banks have played doesn't mean the politicians will get it right. i think a lot of the politicians are very much out of step with this. and in fact, the whole thing is a big head scratcher. dana might relate to this. if you look at who has done best under the economy under barack obama, it is corporate profits which are higher than they've ever been. mccain income wages are still stagnant. the idea that these guys are hammering the president for less

regulation when they brought the thing down, and b, they're the only ones who have come back is kind of mind-blowing. >> and they're opposing any regulation. during his appearance on "meet the press" sun, jamie dimon, a democrat, was asked if he would support democrats in november including the president. take a listen to what he said. >> what that was, agencies -- >> i will call myself a barely democrat at this point. i've gotten disturbed at some of the democrats' anti-business behavior. the sentiment. the attacks on work ethic and successful people and i think it is very downer productive. >> dane, a i guess the president has to walk a very fine line, does he not? between hitting wall street and asking for their financial support against an extremely well resourced mitt romney. >> well, this is true. it is not as if the president is a pauper when it comes to fundraising here. and look, he's been hearing this from business all throughout and he has wisely resisted it. he will get some business

support regardless. essentially what wall street is asking for, they want the privatization of the reward. but the actual risk needs to be shared with the taxpayer and the president is going to alienate some people pushing back against that. he is going to be okay in terms of fundraising. >> thanks so much for joining us. >> next, go on. you can say the. republicans really are to blame for the lamest congress in history. stay with us. [ male announcer ] if you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts, you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® liquid gels. nothing starts working faster than zyrtec® at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. zyrtec®. love the air. sven's home security gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! how does this thing work? oh, i like it!

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the my way or the highway approach to politics is not as bad as you think. it's actually worse. so say the authors of "it's even worse than it looks." thomas mann and ornstein are

experts. in your first book, you and your co-author lay blame at the feet of democrats and republicans for the increasingly bitter partisanship in d.c., yet in this new book, you reserve most of your criticism for the gop. what's changed? >> we do. there's no question but that over the last several years, it's become increasingly clear that the republicans have not only moved more dramatically toward their idealogical poll on the right than democrats to the left, but those republicans have an agenda and ambition to renegotiate 100 years of economic and social policy and do it in a way that's my way or the highway. that is, they're prepared to see the debt of the u.s., our u.s.

treasuries devalued. these are really hardball tactics to get their way, not what the framers really had in mind. >> yet you quote scholars who say that the current height of the atmosphere is perhaps temporary. but having the republican leadership come clean about what's driving their priorities, and that priority is the defeat of this president. that's their priority. >> yeah, they've been absolutely clear about that from the beginning. in fact, before obama was inaugerated, there were discussions among leaders and members in both houses of congress saying, we shall be the opposition party. we will unite to keep this president from achieving anything because if he does, that makes it more likely he will be reelected president. our route to success politically is to destroy him.

and i remind you that occurred at a time of enormous economic crises. we were in the midst of it and yet they were prepared to play this kind of partisan hardball. that's really different than what we've seen before. >> it's pretty incredible. you draw a direct line back to newt gingrich as being responsible for the development of the current gridlocking congress hyperpartisanship, yet gingrich, on the day he suspended his campaign, said emtd he wanted to play a part in reforming congress. wouldn't that be like inviting the menendez brothers to the relationship? >> norman and i got to know him shortly after he was elected in 1978. we had many meetings with him. he laid out in 1979 a strategy for the republicans to end the long-term democratic control of

the house by so diminishing its standing as a legitimate democratic body that it was corrupt and ineffective, that that would ultimately lead to the public becoming so disgusted they just want to throw him out. it took 16 years to achieve that objective, but they finally did. >> the great legacy of newt gingrich. thomas mann, and the book is "it's even worse thanlooks ." thanks so much for joining us, sir. >> happy to be with you. >> we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪

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power surge, let it blow your mind. [ male announcer ] for fruits, veggies and natural green tea energy... new v8 v-fusion plus energy. could've had a v8. time now to clear the air. just moments ago we heard from the political scientist thomas mann about how republican extremism has done everything to undermine the president, even when it's been damaging to the

nation. but at least they've been honest about their priorities. >> our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny president obama a second term. >> you'll remember that last summer, republicans took discussion over the debt ceiling right up to the wire, securing an 11th hour deal that didn't raise taxes but did suspend the debt ceiling until after the next election. but while there was widespread relief in washington, the markets reacted badly and the damage had been done. standard and poor decided to downgrade the united states and they felt a debacle would further undermine a fragile recovery. but like he said -- >> our top political priority over the next few years should be to deny president obama for a second term. >> so they hurt the president but they also hurt the country. now it's students who are about to feel the full force of political obstructionism.

last week the senate failed to advance a bill that would keep student loans at 3.4% for another year knowing full well that unless that bill passed, loan rates will double on july 1st. republicans refused to compromise, demanding that it be paid for by the preventative health care fund as opposed to any other form of revenue. and so, in less than six weeks, students will be hammered by a rise in interest rates. but, like he said -- >> our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny president obama a second term. >> mitch mcconnell deserves a standing ovation for his single-minded determination. but, unfortunately, there is plenty of collateral damage. because in their desire to hurt the president, republicans are repeatedly hurting the people. thanks so much for watching. dylan ratigan sheer but he's not in new york, he's somewhere else. where are you, dylan?

>> i recently arrived this morning in southern california. over the weekend, i suppose. i'm in los angeles right now, martin. >> great place to be. >> it's a fine place to be. i'm going into the keep the promise benefit with a whole raft of veterans, including liz perez as folks out here have been really aggressive about pointing out this country's failure to create as much strength and support for its veterans as we do for our soldiers and the folks out here are real aggressive about that, so i'm proud, actually, to be out here to support him. and we'll do the tv show as well. >> that's a great cause, dylan. go for it. >> all right. let's go. well, good monday afternoon to you. i'm dylan ratigan live here in burbank. today's big story, occ