for our beliefs. when you hear him lay out his policy, how on the one hand do you say that i'm the best candidate for the african-american community and clearly as a disproportionate unemployment and need and then you say but i'm going to cut all social programs, i'm going to preserve tax cuts for the wealthy, declaring war on the middle class in many ways because he's not going to support president obama's proposal of tax cuts for the middle class while they still care whether we have tax cuts for the rich. i'm going to tell you i'm going to be good in my rhetoric, but the results of my program would only intensify the problems in the african-american community. >> reverend, to your point, governor romney using the term obama care. he does not refer to the law in massachusetts that he inspired which you have pointed out is on his official portrait as governor of massachusetts. he does not call that will romney care. he would actually prefer to call it nothing when you talk about

it, but nevertheless, talk about the issue of unemployment in the african-american community. we played the first clip of the governor referring to the african-american community and if they're looking for a president who will work for them, he is this person. he was very obviously ginger when acknowledging the historic signatures of the first black president, but saying here i am. don't look at my race. look at my policies whatever they are that we've not seen that he somehow believes will make life better for blacks. >> and i think that if we look at his policy, then he failed to say how those policies would address the disproportionate amount of black unemployment, particularly when his policies say let us protect the wealthy, let us continue to give tax cuts. he will not even deal with his own overseas investments. so identifying a problem still doesn't talk about how you would remedy the problem. and i think that it was an absolute waste of time for him

to raise it if he was not going to address how he would address it and deal with it. >> speaking of an that, with the overall national unemployment rate no matter what gender or race we're talking about, the argument you and others have made is that the governor has not talked about how he would bring downy unemployment rate whether it's a black man trying to get a job or a white woman trying to get a job. what is his plan other than to keep the tax situation beneficial to the wealthiest americans. >> he keeps going with the same trickle down economic theory we've heard since 19 0 with ronald reagan. to make pronouncements but not back it up with policy, he talked he has a five-point job plan that really did not come down to a five-point job plan. and he also, again, reiterates tax cuts for the wealthy, which the connotation is that it will trickle down eventually. we haven't gotten an electrical. now we're in.2012.

all we hear is i'll be better than president obama but you have to guess to figure out how. >> all right. the reverend al sharpton, thank you so much. be sure to watch politics nation" tonight only on msnbc. thank you. the obama campaign had somewhat of a prestrike 20 minutes before governor romney even took the is taken in houston. team obama saying "mitt romney's speech to the naacp won't be able to hide he has consistently opposed policies that helped african-american communities, including the recovery act, auto rescue and expanded access toes quality, affordable health care. mitt romney's the wrong choice for african-american communities." let me bringing in erl o farry hutchinson, political analyst is as well as joy reed, managing editor of the grio.com. earl i'll start off with you and get your response to the obama campaign saying that the policies in place right now, it especially when you think about

detroit, michigan and surrounding cities that benefits from the auto rescue which governor romney was against that, these policies have specifically helped the african-american community is that a viable argument when you look at the unemployment rate right now in the black community. >> i think it's a very valid argument. you have to go beyond essentially the policies in place. you have to look at t other things. number one, they could be even better and more expansive if he didn't have the obstructionists gop that put barriers into everything the president has tried to do in terms of job creation. there are a number of initiatives that the obama administration and many democrats have put forth in the senate. they've been blocked at every turn. the second thing is, essentially to say we've got this double digit unemployment among african-americans and therefore, blame the obama administration is disingenuous to say the least. and i think really it's false because the fact of the matter is the unemployment rate among

african-americans has been going backing in time through successive presidents back to reagan for that matter has always been that double of that of white males. these are policy considerations and programs that successive administrations in many cases are not been able to be crack. and not been able to get a handle on. so just to attribute it to obama, no, that's just political posturing. >> joy, let me bring you in. as noted by many others including andrea mitchell, republican president who have declined to speak before the naacp. here you've got mitt romney knowing that more than 90% of the african-american vote went to obama will likely go to him again. with that said, he did still avoid controversial topics. it's not controversial to talk about the unemployment rate. you've got to do that if you want to be president. did he avoid the voter i.d. issue in texas and other states

where minorities believe they are being targeted by republican legislators to keep them from voting in the november election. let me play what eric holder said yesterday where he compared it to poll taxes. let's play it. >> under is the proposed law, concealed handgun licenses would be acceptable forms of photo i.d. but student i.d.s would not. many of those without i.d.s would have to travel great distances to get them. and some would struggle to pay for the documents they might need to obtain them. we call those poll taxes. >> would governor romney a bolder move for him to have addressed something like this. >> that's an interesting point. i agreed with your previous discussion what he went in there with an eye toward an audience not black voters. he's did there to show that i'm going to confront them and take the boos.

had he confronted rotor i.d., that would have been a much bolder step. the problem is republicans in general and romney specifically haven't come up with an answer for the question of whether or not this is the disproportionately disenfranchises african-americans, young people, et cetera. because his campaign is so careful, scripted, because they don't have the an answer for that, i'm not sure that would have been safe ground for him. >> you mention how careful and scripted at least in your opinion he's been. it's interesting how the governor wove in traditional marriage knowing the naacp voted, its leadership to support same sex marriage but the rank and file still disagree with that. let me play his remarks regarding traditional marriage at this event. >> if equal opportunity in blaerk accomplished fact, then a chronically bad economy would be equally bad for everyone. instead, it's worse for african-americans in almost

every way. the unemployment rate, the duration of unemployment, average income it, median family wealth are all worse in the black community. any policy that lifts up and honors the family is going to be good for the country, and that must be our goal. as president, i will promote strong families and i will defend traditional marriage. >> so rather than a boo he was hoping for an amen in that crowd. >> he didn't get much of anything. one of the most fascinating moments was that moment. after he said that, that was one of those places where you would think he could quekt after americans and it didn't happen. i thought the response was very tepid and shows you how frunsal perhaps the president's stance has been on african-americans. i didn't think he got the response he thought he would. >> earl, overall at the end of his comments as we've note, governor romney received a standing ovation. for those who want to make it

appear the naacp is some rude obnoxious crowd, obviously not liking the obama care remarks but in the ends showing respect for the man who is going to be the nominee facing president obama. >> i think that was proper decor. the naacp showed certainly a class act there. got to remember, presidents and presidential candidates have been addressing the naacp convention since 1920. why would it be any different? romney came. they heard what he had to say. there were places where they disagreed but generally they were very respectful. i think that made a good impression overall. it was in some ways not only a win/win for the naacp, but given the goals of romney in his case it was probably a win-win in the best or worst of circumstances that he could expect to have. >> vice president joe biden will address the convention tomorrow and governor romney at the end of the remarks today said he would be returning to the convention. thank you both for your time. coming up on "news nation" -- >> i can go down the street and

scoop ice cream that a high school kid for the summer is making $8.50 an hour is doing and i have firefighters running into burning buildings at $7.25. it's ludicrous. >> city workers in scranton, pennsylvania, vice president joe biden's hometown, are suing after the democratic mayor slashes the pay of public employees, including his own all the way to minimum wage. plus, as the mystery surrounding congressman jesse jackson junior's medical issues deepen, several democrats are now calling on congressman jackson to come clean. what's prompt this had move by some democrats. and join our conversation on my twitter page. it it it's@t it's@tamron hall. by making it without 100% real cheddar cheese. but then...it wouldn't be stouffer's mac & cheese. just one of over 70 satisfying recipes for one

from stouffer's.

the kids wanted a puppy, but they can be really expensive. so to save money i just found them a possum. dad, i think he's dead. probably just playin' possum. sfx: possum hisses there he is. there's an easier way to save. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

in an emergency meeting the city of san bernardino, california, last night the city council voted to file for bankruptcy, now the third city in the state of california to file for bankruptcy protection in the last two weeks. now, san bernardino budget woes are reminiscent of what's happening in vice president biden's hometown, scranton, pennsylvania. the democratic mayor has cut pay for city workers down to minimum wage. the mayor there says the cuts were necessary because of the city'sal $16 million deficit. he also took a pay cut himself. but now the unions there have filed a federal lawsuit against him. ron allen is in scranton with more on how this city is coping. >> tamron, imagine yourself losing half your pay or more suddenly and with no warning and getting cut down to the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. that's what happened to hundreds of public employees here in the city of scranton. we're talking about police officers, firefighters and other

city employees. their unions sued and a judge ordered the city to pay them their full wages, but the mayor here insists he simply does not have the money. scranton's firefighters insist they will still answer every call. but these days they're feeling betrayed by a city that's cut their pay by as much as 75%. down to minimum wage. $7.25 an hour. >> i can go down the street and scoop ice cream that a high school kid for the summer is making $8.50 an hour doing and i have firefighters running into burning buildings at $725 and there's police officers fighting with criminals, wrestling in the street? it's ludicrous. >> scranton's 400 or so municipal employees agree. all had their pay slashed last friday. roger, a public works employee, used to take home about $900 every two weeks. now, he gets $340. just about what his mortgage costs every month. >> i don't want to lose my house.

that's the key. >> scranton's sticks are pretty grim. 9.2% unemployment, poverty rate, an old industrial railroad town during better times known as the place where the tv series "the office" is set. it now faces $16 million in red ink. the mayor insists had he no choice but to slash employee pay. even though a judge ordered him not to. >> the state doesn't have any money. the federal government doesn't have any money. and unfortunately, those twos governments are different than the cities. tomorrow, i got to pick up the garbage. tonight, the police cars are out there. >> and scranton's not the only city desperate for cash. chicago and boston are considering charging tax exempt non0 profits by universities and hospitals is fees for city services. in san diego and san jose last month, voters an proved cutting city workers pensions and baltimore may sell ad space on the side of its fire trucks.

here in scranton, the unions hope the courts hold the mayor in contempt till he decides to pay them their full wages, something he says he can't do even though it's guaranteed by contracts. the next payday is next friday, the 20th. >> the all right, thank you, ron. the scranton crisis is not just a local problem as other cities and towns face similar budget issues. scranton could become a political symbol. listen to how our first read team put it. "if you're the obama campaign, you might be a tad nervous about scranton story, after all, this is a narrative that the gop has been pushing for the past two years, governments are going broke. did you are in the gop trying to push this government is too big and unsustainable issue, you couldn't script the story any better." sam is the city's public works union president and drives a truck for the dpw and received a 62% pay cut. sam, thank you for your time.

>> thank you. >> absolutely. let me get your reaction first off to what's happening there. the mayor says he's got no choice. who or what do you believe is 0 blame for the situation there? >> well, i'm not going to be like the administrative branch and the legislative branch and point fingers at either one. problem is is that both of them are not working together. they need to compromise. it's a solvable problem. the legislative branch has direction that they think the city should move and the administration has another. what they need to do is they need to sit down for the betterment of the city of scranton and its employees and they need to solve this problem. that's what they were elected to do. our members are worried. they're hurt. and they need a resolution to

this quickly. >> the mayor of scranton says there's a need to raise property taxes. i'm sure you heard the point that some make that this is an example of what some gop members, some republicans have said across the country that government is too big and it cannot survive at this rate and you have to make cuts to unions and to firefighters. what do you say to that? >> well, this is an extraordinary thing here that you know, we got our wages cut. and i don't know if anybody understands there's a reason why this problem started. and the answer is, because we're the workers. our political leaders have to talk, and right now, they're not talking. all they're doing is arguing. they need to sit down, figure it out. this is what they were elected to do. i mean, if you raise taxes or

you don't raise taxes, that's up to the elected leaders of the city of scranton. and you know, we need some help here from them. you can't keep asking the employees basically to work for free. so we're going to find out in the coming days if these people wake up and see the light here. >> sam, i greatly appreciate your time as mentioned. you've taken a 62% pay cut like so many others. we heard one guy say i can go down the street and scoop ice cream and make more money than i can as a firefighter in that town. obviously, that is a tragedy to any of our ears. we'll see what happens next in your town. thank you. up next, middle class messenger? >> you can count on my husband because that's what he's been doing every single day as president of the united states. >> that's what people are calling the first lady these days, the middle class

messenger. and yet again, the obama re-election campaign depending on michelle obama to help connect with struggling swing state voters. plus, secretary of state hillary clinton, well, she's about to make history with her overseas trip tonight. it is just one of those things we thought you should know. do you see it ? there it is ! there it is ! where ? where ? it's getting away ! where is it ? it's gone. we'll find it. any day can be an adventure. that's why we got a subaru. love wherever the road takes you. wow, there it is.

coming up on "news nation," new pressure on congressman jesse jackson junior from members of his own party. want him now to release more information, more details on this mysterious medical leave of absence. this as the congressman is still facing an ethics investigation. we're going to dig into the timing with a live report. plus in, today's "news nation" gut check, listen to this, when one lawmaker, well, he's proposing they put out a bill to dock the pay of house members who miss votes. what do you think of that one?

be sure to check out our "news nation" tumbler page. we've updated pictures. including my garden, including the gardenia, my first one ever that i've grown from my brown thumbs. [ male announcer ] at scottrade, we believe the more you know, the better you trade. so we have ongoing webinars and interactive learning, plus, in-branch seminars at over 500 locations, where our dedicated support teams help you know more so your money can do more. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. our teams have the information you want when you need it. it's another reason more investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade.

right? get. out. exactly! really?! [ mom ] what? shut the front door. right? woop-woop! franklin delano! [ male announcer ] hey! there's oreo creme under that fudge!

oreo fudge cremes. indescribably good. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. welcome back. we're following developing news. 33 and counting. that's just how many times house republicans have now tried to repeal, dismantle or defund president obama's health care law. the latest house vote is expected in the next hour or so. house speaker john boehner and minority leader nancy pelosi took to the floor of the house in the past hour. >> this bill is making our economy worse and driving up the cost of health care and making it harder for small businesses to hire new workers. >> american people want us to create jobs. that's what we should be using this time on the floor for.

not on this useless bill to nowhere. bill to nowhere that does serious damage to the health and economic well-being of america's families. >> nbc news capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell joins us. we heard pelosi say bill to nowhere twice. you were saying repetition is key. the opposite message from the republicans. they want to be on record with constituents that they are solidly against this. >> they promise their constituents republicans say so they want to have the this vote yet again. the timing important because of the supreme court case that the high court said that the individual requirement to buy insurance is a tax. and republicans grabbed that as a message, especially for small businesses and their core constituents. they also want to put pressure on democrats that are in districts where the law may not be so popular. so they are on record as voting for this as a tax after the supreme court made its decision. so it's positioning.

it's politics. it's the repetition that makes either side better able to articulate. of course, democrats had some is taken craft of their own. they brought seniors, workers, patients to capitol hill to talk about some of the benefits they're already receiving from the american -- the affordable care act, and that's another way to put a human face on it. you've got two very competing sides but there's so much fire on both sides and both are coming at this with strong sense of justification for their position. so for people watching this, they think haven't they done it before, and yes, they have, more than 30 times. some democrats are saying they're worn out. where is the republican bill to be the replacement piece of this? that's something that republicans will be having to answer for as we go forward. >> kelly o'donnell, again, keeping an eye out on things in the next hour as the vote comes down. and congressman jesse jackson junior is facing mounting pressure from fellow lawmakers to clarify the nature

of his medical leave from capitol hill. democrat from illinois has been on leave since june 10th citing "physical and emotional ailments." the latest reports say he may not return till at least september, if at all. meantime, his father, the reverend jesse jackson, says his son's condition is worse than they initially thought. >> keep him in your prayers. he is under medical care. he is regaining his strength. and we look forward to seeing him at some soon date. and he'll give an account of what he has -- how he's been recovering. >> illinois senator democratic senator dick durbin commented on the situation just a short time ago. >> if there is some medical necessity for him not saying more at this moment, then i will defer to that. but he will have to soon make a report on what he's struggling with. >> joining me now live, mary ann ahern political reporter for our are station in chicago.

you keep occur ear to the ground and talk to a lot of people. what are they saying behind the scenes here? >> well, tamron, let me point out i have been in communication with the congressman's wife who is an alderman here in chicago. sandy. she has not spoken publicly since about ten days ago when she said that i love my husband. but i'm concerned about my children and being provided for. that was basically it. but today, really just moments ago she said id to me that she wants everyone to note that the congress sman on medical leave. she calls that protected federal status. and notes that everyone is entitled to take sick leave. at the same time, it is, of course, not just the talk of washington but here in illinois. governor pat quinn as well as the illinois delegation are weighing in, too. >> i think you've heard enough that he has some health challenges that he's dealing with right now. and i think it's good that we

help that person out. >> he has a responsibility to give us more information. and i'm not demanding that information, but i think the people of his congressional district deserve it, the people of illinois deserve it. if he's going to stand for re-election, you guys are going to demand it. >> what has led to so many questions has been that the announcement of his medical leave happened the vet day that was the fibl dnal day that if y wanted to run as an, you had to have filed. no announcement was made till 5:00 that evening. so to run as an independent is just not possible now. >> mary ann, obviously to his wife's point, people take medical leaves. people get sick and have health issues they don't instant lit

want to share in full detail. it's interesting congressman gutierrez eventually the constituents want to know. you hear a lot of these questions coming from lawmakers but in his district, are people demanding that he give the information? you understand why this all sounds so unusual that be so many lawmakers are hesitant, they're kind of you know, walking around the bush but saying he needs to tell more here as if they're alluding to something. >> we all know he has been under investigation since our former governor, rod blagojevich, was first investigated. in fact, arrested not less than 12 hours after meeting with congressman jackson about the possibility of jackson getting the appointment to the obama senate seat. at the same time, now, just within the last month, one of congressman jackson's major fund-raisers, indian businessman ragavir? nayak was indicted.

all of this fuels the fire of is is he sick or is he taking some kind of private leave because he's concerned that he is caught up in all of this, as well. it's all purely speculation. but of course, you can see why there are so many questions. >> all right, mary ann ahern, political reporter with wmaq out of chicago. good to see you. we talked earlier about romney addressing the naacp convention a few hours ago. he also made a new outreach today to latino voters. he released a new ad featuring one of his sons craig speaking in spanish, urging voters to get to know his father. the new ad coincides with the launch of the romney campaign's new spanish language website. there's new data about the spending spree on ads that the romney and obama campaigns plus the super pacs supporting them have been shelling out and also some concern about the effectiveness of some of the pro-romney ads.

joining me mark murray. the bottom line, the thing that caught my eye from your first read today was about these super pacs and their spending. >> well, tamron, one of the things that you've been hearing from republicans and even the romney campaign is that actually, the obama campaign is outspending them. that is actually true when you have the obama campaign versus the romney campaign. this week alone, president obama's campaign is spending $7.5 million in the battleground states while the romney campaign is spending about $4.7 million. so pretty much almost a 2-1 advantage by obama. but when you look at all the outside groups and combine them with the campaigns that shows republicans with a very big advantage this week. and really overall in this race entirely. so it is true that the obama campaign is outextending the romney campaign, but overall, republican groups in this presidential contest are outspending the obama campaign and democratic groups. >> we talked a little bit yesterday about the obama campaign having success defining

mitt romney from when it was the boy bain capital to solid attacks on releasing more of his tax returns and explaining more about these offshore accounts. this is an interesting ad from mitt romney using his son in this spanish language ad. obviously a handsome guy speaking in spanish. are they trying to again use the family to define where he has struggled? >> i think part of that is true. the other thing that's been really interesting, the previous romney spanish language television ads have essentially just been translations of the current english ads into spanish. and this is the first time where you actually see someone, a romney son, speaking in spanish. this is totally for a spanish language audience. but in comparison, the obama campaign for the last several months now has been running tv ads with latino members of the obama campaign speaking directly to the camera, saying i support barack obama and here's why and saying it in spanish.

those have actually had a pretty big impact and a lot of outside observers think these are pretty effective tv ads. you're seeing is the romney campaign make a slight pivot that way but haven't put out a spanish language speaker first. >> interesting first read today. a lot going on. thank you. coming up -- ♪ >> the first lady in very high demand on the campaign trail. many vulnerable democrats say they're still waiting to hear if she can come and campaign for them before november. we'll take a closer look at the middle class messenger as they're calling her. first, here are some things we just thought you should know. hillary clinton has become the first secretary of state to visit the southeast asian country of laos in more than five decades, a nation that the u.s. pummeled with bombs during vietnam part of a tour designed

to bolster america is's standing in the fast growing market. what does it take to nail an impression of president obama? fred armisen recently shared his secrets with david letterman. >> start off by saying hello. and it is a thing sometimes where he shakes head like this can to say it's going to be okay. then he's been doing this other thing where he shows off his profile. he's got such a great profile. it's almost like someone drew a character ca tour way on the side. he's like. >> several high profile swrim helped launch a first of its kind super pac supporting lesbian and gay rights. jane link supports icon, billie jean king and laura rickettses have come out in support of l tack that will help any pro lesbian candidate regardless of political party, jeopardy or sexual orientation. those are the things we thought you should know. [ female announcer ] you can make macaroni & cheese

without freshly-made pasta. you could also cut corners by making it without 100% real cheddar cheese. but then...it wouldn't be stouffer's mac & cheese. just one of over 70 satisfying recipes for one from stouffer's.

welcome back. in the past, she's been called president obama's not so secret political weapon and now add the new title for first lady michelle obama middle class messenger as heralded today by politico. she's in growing demand to campaign for democratic congressional candidates. so far for the upcoming election, the first lady has only been hitting the campaign trail for her husband including stops yesterday in the key battleground state of florida, orlando and miami lakes. >> we can't turn back now. we have to keep moving forward. forward. forward. >> and joining me live here she reports in the capitol hill newspaper roll call on the growing demand for the first lady to campaign, thanks for joining us, schera.

>> obviously the first lady can't be all places at the same time and also be an amazing mom. but she is in high demand for good reason. >> yeah, absolutely. i talked to several senate democrats in tough races for this story. i asked them, would you like to have michelle obama on the campaign trail for you? and the answer was almost unanimously yes, we'd love to have her. polling backs that up, too. a gallup poll from late may shows she's 14% more popular than her husband. that's double digits. >> politico has their headline, middle class messenger. these democrats you've spoken with, do they hope she can make inroads with middle classes folks or is it more about the female vote or is she just so popular just about anybody who's a democrat or maybe an independent will find her appealing? >> i think she is in popular demand in part because she's very versatile on the campaign trail. she does well in fund-raisers for the democratic base and she also does well reaching out to the middle class and independent

voters as well, the senate democrats i talked to spoke to both of those qualities in the first lady. they'd like her for any reason though basically. >> what has been her response to being in such high demand? >> i think the first lady wants to balance her schedule. you mention there had are time constraints, obviously, as first lady and as a mother of young children. she's indicated she only wantston spend three days a week on the campaign trail maximum from now till november. and she also, of course, has her husband's very serious re-election to worry about. primarily all of her travel has been for that. it's been to raise money and campaign for her husband. no word yet whether she's going to hit the road for vulnerable democrats across the country. >> we've 0 spoken a lot about her popularity. an interesting thing happened in miami-dade. two school board members objected to the school in miami lakes for her to give the remarks she gave yesterday. they said it was purely political event. one is running for the state house. as a republican. we would be remiss if we didn't

reflect on how even some of the conservative bloggers right now still try to seize the moment if they're not going after her for her initiative to keep kids fit in this country, there's always some kind of a story line it seems coming in in a negative direction from some conservative bloggers i should say. >> yeah, i mean, she is a political persona still, attached to her husband. there are certain elements of the republican party who do not see her favorably but it's safe to say more republicans view her favorably than her husband, polling backs that up. that's pretty consistent with first ladies, too. laura bush had a similar crossover appeal. >> she does have that. you say favorable. she is also formidable. we talked a lot early on when people were getting to know her as this modern person, as this modern woman who grew up in chicago from backgrounds probably similar to most of yours with a mom and dad just wanting the best for their child, and ultimately, they raised a first lady. >> yeah, absolutely.

and i think one of her great appeals is that she has that classic american dream story. she started out in middle classes in and before she was first lady, she was a high-powered attorney in the windy city. even more so thanler husband whose story is a certain part of the american dream but much more unique and exotic i think. >> very interesting report. because she's in such high demand, we'll see if she'll increase her schedule. you're a pleasure to have on. the investigation into what caused a fiery train derailment in ohio tops our stories around the nation today. the train derailed in columbus, ohio, early this morning carrying about 20,000 gal lochbz ethanol which burned off for several hours. about 100 people were evacuated from the area. officials set up shelter nearby for those who had to leave their homes. two people, by the way, injured, taken to a local hospital.

the cause of all of this still under investigation right now. and the captain of that of ship wrecked costa concordia admitted he was distracted when the ship crashed into a reef killing 32 people including a child. francisco schettino told italian television told them he was on the phone when the ship collided. he must remain in his hometown near naples as he awaits trial for manslaughter. our gut check is up next. it's a doozy. should lawmakerses in congress lose pay when they miss votes? that's their job. that's what one congressman is proposing. you like that idea? you'll tell us what you think. join us on "news nation" at facebook. ♪ ♪ i want to go ♪ i want to win [ breathes deeply ] ♪ this is where the dream begins ♪ ♪ i want to grow

♪ i want to try ♪ i can almost touch the sky [ male announcer ] even the planet has an olympic dream. dow is proud to support that dream by helping provide greener, more sustainable solutions from the olympic village to the stadium. solutionism. the new optimism.™ ♪ this dream why let constipation solutionstry miralax.?ptimism.™ mirlax works differently than other laxatives. it draws water into your colon to unblock your system naturally. don't wait to feel great. miralax.

you can join the "news nation" twitter page. we have one. did you know that?

@"news nation" and have you noticed at the bottom of our screen, not currently while i'm speaking but during the show, we have tweets at the bottom of the screen that we are showing throughout the show. your tweets could be included if you keep them clean, we put them up there. time for the gut check. house members who skip a vote could soon be forced to skip a day's worth of salary. that's the proposal from congressman charles bustani. the louisiana republican says it is time to put an end to his colleagues missing important votes so they can attend fund-raisers. he says is serving as a member of congress is not a part-time job. the legislation would also require the house to post a public record of absences online if you please past house members would only be excused if they submit a written notice to the house speaker explaining that they or someone in their family is sick. that's what you have do when you miss school? you had to give a note, which i think i forged note.

kidding. what does your gut tell you? not kidding. should lawmakers in congress get their pay docked if they miss votes? go to facebook.com/newsnation. take a look what the "news nation"ing is saying about yesterday's gut check regarding dennis rich becoming the latest wealthy american to allegedly renounce her citizenship in an effort to avoid paying taxes. her attorney says she wants to move out of the country to be with her children. eduardo seven rin co-founder did the same thing prompt two democratic senators to write a bill that would impose a 30% tax on investments to americans who give up passports. we ask you, would you support the senator's legislation? 94% of you said yes. 6% of you said no. i guess we can assume the 6% of you have renounced your citizenship on this one. that does it for this edition of "news nation." i'm tamron hall. catch "news nation" every weekday 2:00 p.m. eastern time

right here on msnbc. "the cycle" is next. beautiful blooms... in mississippi we had more good times... in louisiana we had more fun on the water. last season we broke all kinds of records on the gulf. this year we are out to do even better... and now is a great time to start. our beatches are even more relaxing... the fishing's great. so pick your favorite spot on the gulf... and come on down. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan,

insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral to see a specialist. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from. we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel with us. anywhere in the country. [ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp,

an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands a year in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is.

>> i'm steve kornacki at 3:00, in old orchard beach maine, two in manhattan kansas, and just 9:00 a.m. on the big island as we say aloha to friends in hawaii. here's what's going on today. attack tics. will the third time be the charm for republicans trying to pull the plug on obama care. >> i'm krystal ball. what happens when the money runs out. local governments literally can't pay police or firefighters. the alternative could really be scary. >> i'm tourre. does money make you mean or do you have to be mean to get rich? we all took a test to see how ruthless we are. can't wait to see the esie's low score. >> new numbers about the size and scope about those affects by the controversial he texas voter i.d. law. >> i'll jog everyone's memory about what happened the last time we raised taxes on the top

20%. it's july 11th. you're in the cycle". >> and all right. well, the gang's all here. we might as well get right to it. news happening this hour. the latest vote expected any minute now i think to repeal the health care law. the leadup for this vote is going to get under way in less than ten minutes. this marks the second vote for full repeal of health care reform. there's been nearly three dozen others to defund or dismantle parts of the law. even if it passes today which it probably will, it is d.o.a. in the senate. democrats say they're living in the movie groundhog day. republicans insist they're holding true to their promise to tear down the president's signature piece of legislation. luke russert joins us now. luke, you know, it seems we've been talking about it a little bit this week. it seems from a substantive

standpoint, the vote today is about as born as your average post office naming. i wonder, take us through what's going to happen this hour and does it mean anything beyond this afternoon? >> it means something in terms of optics. this is a vote that republicans scheduled the day that we heard the supreme court decision that upheld the health care law. and what republicans are doing today and the vote should be around 3:30, 3:45 is that they want to be able to say they are the party of all-out repeal the health care law. they believe that plays very well with independents. now, there is a danger in doing this with democrats saying look, people want to be more focused on jobs legislation here in the house. the republicans make the argument, no, this is in fact jobs legislation because no one will hire if this law goes through and bringing up the argument this is a vote to increase taxes if you do not stand for repeal. so it's a lot of optics, a lot