in the inner circle in this decision. >> let's talk about this. first of all, if he had to pick s somebody that has to help with a tough decision. that really means something to him. who should he pick off sheer smarts? >> the smartest strategic thinking in politics is paul ryan. you look at what he's mastered in the budget. whether you like or dislike the details. this is a guy who thought deeply about it. and he's done it in a blue collar district with a large uwa membership. and he got re-elected by big margins telling people who he is and what he believes. >> across the board he's the brain you'd want in the room. >> rob portman is very smart. marco rubio was a great speaker of the house in florida. i've known marco for years.

he has a tremendous future in my judgment. governor mcdonald of virginia, and virginia could be for this election what ohio was in 2004. you look at a number of these places. the thing compared to when i was young and you were young, there's a lot deeper bench than there was 20 years ago. >> but it's also to the right of where it was. let's go to ryan. he does demonstrate courage. he has a plan. he did however go tough on medicare which is a live wire for seniors and other people. do you think he can translate his guts as a committee chair to his necessary judgment as a candidate for v.p.? >> first of all, ryan came back, learned a lot from his first effort. produced a bill with ron widen, democrat of oregon. so you now have a bipartisan bill to save medicare that ron widen speaks well of and

introduced in the senate. so i think -- >> i know what you're thinking. about something most people don't think about. that's where bill kristol is pushing him. a lot of these guys pushing him. there's influence on your side. let me think about the old things you think about. well, we need geographic balance so you got that there. >> and michigan. >> that's true. right. he has roots everywhere. so what about the religion thing -- and you're a converted catholic. and i salute you for making these deep decisions in life. this thing being an rc and lds, is that still a question in the bible belt? a catholic and mormon on the ticket? >> not if obama is on the other side. they're going to wake up every morning, remember who's president and be totally molt vated.

the desire amongst every conservative in this country to beat barack obama transcends any concern about mitt romney. >> what about picking someone good for my business? i'm being selfish here. there's not a guy or woman in this business i talk to that doesn't wish like heaven he would pick christie because he's so quotable. and big, not just physically, a big personality. he would shake it up. >> as a guy who always had a weight problem, i hoped christie would come up in the public. >> you'd be in this shadow. >> he's dubious about making the transition from a first term at governor. woodrow wilson went all the way to president from one term as governor. >> let me ask you about this. why is it people who run against romney, they don't like him afterwards. you've said some tough things.

people like huckabee seems like such a -- says he has no soul. you see this. rudy giuliani didn't like him. what is it about his wealth, his looks. is it something that bugs people about the rivalry? >> first of all, i think mitt and i get along fine. we get a lot of stuff done together. i don't particularly dislike him as a person. >> i like that. >> this is a tough business. >> but there is something about him -- >> he's a very tough competitor. and he takes no prisoners. >> the negative advertising he did against you and rick santorum wasn't to your face in debates. it was that dredged in style bombing by his super pacs. that had to get to you. he was just paying for it. >> i threw a kitchen sink at me, he had a bigger kitchen. he threw the whole kitchen at me. i think part of what happens in those settings is romney's a

very intense, directed guy. i mean, he has been thinking about this since his dad was governor and his mother ran for the senate. he ran in '94 -- >> why does he want to be president? because his dad didn't make it. >> i think because the country's in bad trouble. >> you said he's been running since his dad was around. now you're saying it's because the country's in trouble. >> he's been in the business. he's been tough. but he and i had several conversations because we're both grandparents. we both have the same feeling that the re-election of barack obama is a terrible thing to put on our grandchildren. >> you have the problem i had, joe biden had. i tend to think and say what i'm thinking. biden does it and i do. mitt romney is not that guy. the press said what did you buy, i bought hardware stuff. he comes out of a grocery store and said what do you buy, he

said groceries. he has this cloak around himself. can you win the presidency with that cloak around you. >> sure. say the words dwight david eisenhower. >> yeah. but he received a nazi surrender. that helps. why doesn't he just get the taxes out, take the hit, move on. >> because i think he believes two things will happen. the first is folks in your business will spend three weeks going over every detail. >> what's in there that he's hiding? what details are he afraid of? >> not that anything is hidden. >> this is a story. you must believe it's worse than it looks. why wouldn't he put it out? >> the second thing is you do this, what's the next demand. >> you demanded he do the returns. now you're changing. you want to be in the loop with this guy. two new polls out with dramatic results. in the latest cnn national poll

obama leads romney by seven. amongst independent voters, 11 points obama. brand new fox poll just came out. has obama up by nine. last month they had him up by four. there is a trend in the tactics. his tactics are tougher. do you think that'll change the results? >> i think that the romney people when you see them start with the welfare ad, the romney people are going to have to come back and match obama. obama spent a lot of money in about seven weeks trying to cripple romney before they got to the general election. >> it works sometimes. >> and they spent a ton of money doing it. they're going to limp into the election with less resources. >> they'll raise a lot more money if they're eight points ahead. >> but the romney people have to come back and i find both those polls -- i like to look at other polls. >> they keep changing. but these are the same polls moving up. >> they just don't strike me as

plausible given what's happened. i don't think you get 8.3% unemployment and have obama -- >> what they're finding is that people believe romney is very rich and he's looking out for his own crowd. he has an interest in his upper class people and that's who he wants to set policy for, not for the middle class. that's hurting him. these ads are sticking about bain. >> i think what you had is a relentless assault by obama who spent an enormous amount of money this summer on what's a big gamble. i think what you're going to find is as they get deeper into the campaign and romney counterattacks which he will. and this welfare thing is the big thing in that direction. i think this will be a race. i think the burden is going to be on obama. >> the big story is andrea saul the other day reminding everybody that mitt romney had the health care plan in massachusetts. and this man would have been better off if he had romney care. then all of a sudden people like

laura ingram jumping on her saying she should be fired. isn't she saying what romney was saying through much of his career? i'm proud of what i did in massachusetts. it worked. >> he's also said that was the right thing for one state. that doesn't mean for the country. >> the chief spokesperson said that would have been the right thing for the guy in indiana as well. so it's not just massachusetts. she says he'd be better off if he was in massachusetts helping them there. she said that. >> i suspect she picked a fight she regrets. >> let me ask you about bill clinton. you tussled and got charmed by him until he put you on the wrong end of the plane that time. here's this guy. is he really out for obama? has he decided in his calculation if he gets elected it creates a better way for his wife to be elected in 2016 because the next four years are going to be economically better no matter who the president. it's going to come back. housing's going to get sold.

we're going to get better off. who gets to be president gets to have a good time the next four years. if romney gets in, you won't get him out in four years. >> i think it's very hard. first of all, i don't think most politicians are quite that calculating. >> bill clinton? >> from the stand b point i think bill clinton knows you can't guess 2016. >> what's your instinct? to go to for the win? >> first of all, his wife works for the guy. i mean it's hard for him not to be -- >> but he could trim him. he's not trimming him. >> no. and i think the fact he agreed to give the nominating speech. i wrote my news letter this week and made the case that i think it's very big risk for obama to have clinton give the nominating speech. because it reminds you how weak the obama record is. >> they can outspeak each other. i think clinton's going to play

ball. i think he's decided this president's got to get re-elected for his wife to have a run. i don't think she's decided. he has. mr. speaker, thank you for coming on. you're always welcome here because you have an alive mind. coming up, how the right wing tout. they don't trust this guy and never have. so can romney win back by making paul ryan his running mate? the conservative elite continue to push for those. even though his plans to replace medicare may not sit well with seniors. and mitt romney said he liked firing people. one embarrassing health care plan. another says the campaign is like an etch a sketch. and another told reports to kiss his you know what. what does it take to get fired from the romney campaign. let me finish with the campaigns that didn't inspire us. this is "hardball," the place for politics.

at sleep number, individualizing your sleep is at the heart of every innovation. wow. that feels really good! and now, sleep number introduces our new memory foam series-the only memory foam beds with exclusive dual-air technology that adjusts on each side. memory foam just found its better half. sleep number. enjoy introductory savings of $500 and two free coolfit pillows! plus, a special financing offer. final days! only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699.

the presidential battle ground map is slinking as we speak. expanded the playing field into places like pennsylvania for example. for a look now where the campaign is being fought, here are the top five cities with the most tv advertising in this presidential race. number five, richmond, virginia. number four, des moines, iowa. number three back to the old dominion, roanoke, virginia. number two cincinnati, ohio. and the hottest tv ad market in the presidential race this week, colorado springs. we'll be right back. the twenty billion dollars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar commitment to support scientists studying the environment. and the gulf is open for business - the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done.

we're still committed to seeing this through. not in this economy. we also have zero free time, and my dad moving in. so we went to fidelity. we looked at our family's goals and some ways to help us get there. they helped me fix my economy, the one in my house. now they're managing my investments for me. and with fidelity, getting back on track was easier than i thought. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. [ dramatic soundtrack plays ] whether it's showing competitors' rates or striving to be number one, we're always up for a little competition. zap! [ sparking ]

now, that's progressive. [ feedback ] attention, well, everyone. you can now try snapshot from progressive free for 30 days. just plug this into your car, and your good driving can save you up to 30%. you could even try it without switching your insurance. why not give it a shot? carry on. now you can test-drive snapshot before you switch. visit progressive.com today. welcome back to "hardball." if you're mitt romney and you want the right to go, just have your spokesperson say this. >> to that point, if people had been in massachusetts under governor romney's health care plan, they would have had health care. there are a lot of people losing their jobs and losing their

health care in president obama's economy. >> well, that was andrea saul just yesterday on fox news responding to the new obama super pac ad narrated by a guy whose wife died and blames obama. right wingers including rush limbaugh were furious. eric erickson of red state wrote the romney campaign decided to sabotage itself with a mind numbing bit of spin that may mark the day the romney campaign died. and there was a blowup last night. >> the big time donors ought to call and say if andrea saul is not fired, they aren't giving another dime. if this is the spokesperson to respond to an ad like this by citing health care in massachusetts? there's no point in us going to convention and pushing for this man if he's employing morons like this. >> so did the dam break?

is it the deeper problem they never trusted him in the first place. john feiri, you know who your enemies are in politics because when you make a mistake, they jump on you. some were poised to jump on this guy, rush limbaugh. it tells me something about their instincts wards them. why'd they jump so ferociously on this? why didn't they just help him out. >> well, eric erickson does not like him. and the fact of the matter is he's been at mitt romney since the beginning of the campaign. and i think andrea saul a good person. i like her a lot. i think at the end of the day this is a small blip in a long campaign. >> laura ingram also bashed her.

let's listen to laura. >> there is no room for these types of errors. no room at all. the other side will get a pass right up until election day for falsehoods and grewups. that's what the obama people have always gotten. they always get a free pass. but the rules are different for republican cads. you're not going to get a pass. and andrea saul just gave obama campaign a big, fat, wet kiss. >> here's what washington examiner columnist phillip kline wrote today. that romney needs to fire andrea saul. he said the problem isn't a personnel issue. quote, the bottom line is that romney was a moderate to liberal governor of massachusetts. should romney lose, conservatives shouldn't blame his staff. all his problems are attributable to his inherent weaknesses as a candidate. let me go to joan on this who is a progressive. this is weird. the spokesperson to me spoke

what the candidate has been in the past someone who's proud of their health care plan which did become a model for obama care nationwide. he wants it done state by state. but on the individual mandate which is we all should have insurance and help pay for it to our extent to do so, is the fundamental agreement between romney and obama. and the spokesperson in that admitted it and in fact bragged about it. >> well, she's stuck. because romney himself doesn't really know what he thinks about his own plan. he's gone from touting it. he's gone from saying in 2009 that it should be the model for the country, the model for obama care. it turns out it kind of was a model for obama care. but then he doesn't like it. just yesterday he said we're going to repeal and replace obama care and since i've got a little experience with health care, you know i'll be good at doing that. but what does that mean? what will he do? he has a crazy reluctance. i've said it before.

it's like he's in the mittness protect program. he didn't do any of that stuff. he can't embrace it but can't run away from it. it's not a problem of his staff. eric fehrnstrom did the same thing. he spoke the truth whether you call it a penalty or the tax, you have to pay something if you refuse to get health insurance. that's a republican principle. they don't like free loaders and free riders. they should be proud of that. that became the national law. but they don't like it anymore because a democrat did it. they have a problem. >> fortunately we have tape to prove what you said. that romney for a long time was happy with what he'd done out there. before he ran away with achievements -- before he stopped talking about it, he was proud of it. he said it should be the model for the nation. take a listen. >> how do you ensure the 45 or 50 million americans who are not on the books? >> well, that's what we did in massachusetts. we put together an exchange and

the president's copying that idea. i'm glad to hear that. >> we have a model that worked. one state in america, my state, was able to put in place a plan that got everybody health insurance. therefore the right way to proceed is to reform health care. that we can do like in massachusetts. we need health care reform. and we took that on in massachusetts. we decided we wanted to get everybody insured. we've done is that. i understand that the president considers his plan in some respects following the model of massachusetts. let's learn from our experience. >> you know, this makes no sense. because fdr before he was elected president did the deal in new york. then when he got elected in new york he carried it out nationwide. they may encourage it to be done state by state, but they want the individual mandate as a principle is romney for or against us taking responsibility for our own health care to the

extend we can? is he for or against it? >> barack obama was against in -- he completely changed his law. >> he compromised. he compromised. >> what mitt romney believes is that this happens best at the state level. and he had that this romney care if you want to call it that. and it worked in massachusetts. it does not necessarily work across the country. what happened in mississippi is different than massachusetts. what happens in mississippi is different than what happens in california. and the problem with obama care is it's a nationwide program. it's a real problem. i think you can be consistent and say i was for romney here but i was against obama care. >> that's pretty weak. let me tell you why. tell me any state governor who has an income tax and are against the national income tax but like the state income tax. if you're for the principle of taxing income. if you're for the principle of people paying their own share of

health care costs. if you're for in principle that's a deeper fact than which level of government handles it. by the way romney spokesman the other day said that guy in indiana would be better living in massachusetts. he wasn't gets it because he left his state lines. this is hard to argue what romney's up to. that's why the right wing of your party is giving them hell for it. good effort by john. not tonight. it ain't your night. up next, the truth about the voter i.d. laws. this is "hardball," the place for politics.

back to "hardball" and the sideshow. we've been talking about the republican backed voter i.d. laws and how they could tilt the elections to the republican side. the big question is where's the evidence to support the need for these new photo i.d. laws.

last night jon stewart had something to say about it. >> even pennsylvania which is now defending its i.d. law said this. >> the state admits it is not aware of any incidents of in-person voter fraud in the state. and has no evidence to proou that quote, in-person voter fraud is likely to occur in november 2012 in the absence of the photo i.d. law. >> i rest my case. will ferrell and zach galifinakis to talk about their new movie "the campaign" that opens tonight. i saw it before and i loved it. i know two brothers who aren't going to like this movie. the koch brothers who bear resemblance to the movie's bad guys. earlier this week zach galifinakis took a personal shot at the koch brothers. quote, i think it is pretty often that the motch brothers represent the koch brothers.

i disagree with everything they do. they are creepy and there is no way around that. it's not freedom what they're doing. the koch brothers spokesman took a stab back at zach. it's laughable to take political guidance or moral instruction from a guy who makes obscene gestures with a monkey on a bus in bangkok. up next, the drum beat on the right to make paul ryan mitt romney's running mate is getting louder and louder. can romney appease by putting the golden boy on the ticket with him? you're watching "hardball," the place for politics.

this is new york state. we built the first railway, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com. those surprising little still make you take notice. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently.

tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.

hey there. i'm veronica de la cruz. here's what's happening. the cdc warned a new strain of

swine flu is spreading. many cases mostly in children. so far cases appear to have spread through direct contact with pigs and not person to person. after weeks of speculation, attorneys for james holmes disclosed in court the gunman is mentally ill. and the dow broke a four-day winning streak today shedding ten points. the nasdaq up seven. now back to "hardball." what am i supposed to do? you changed your number. i'm not going to be ignored, dan. >> i'm not going to be ignored. what guy can forget that? that scene from "fatal attraction" should carry a message for mitt romney about his party. they will not be ignored.

they want paul ryan to be his v.p. today two heavyweights joined in the wall street journal. there they are. the editorial page asked why not paul ryan? and politico today, the editor of national review councils romney, don't fear ryan. but should romney fear the right? bob acosta. welcome back. i want to start with you then you. jump in here. you guys are on the right. i'm not. is this a move to show they got the muscle or is this a move to help them get the nomination means something by winning with it in november? >> little bit of both. for a long time there's been a time that romney is running a referendum on the economy. a push for paul ryan is making a choice on fiscal issues. romney you've got to play more aggressive. ryan's that play. >> instead of waiting for the bad numbers to get worse which it seems like romney is doing. avoid mistakes, let the numbers do their talking and then you

win. they're saying show your ideology. >> i think that's right. karl rove also had one saying romney being even means he's ahead. hang on a second. >> i'm not going to wait a second. this is my show. and there are two numbers. eight and nine. >> i think it is right. >> he says the polls are even. >> if i am romney right now -- >> but the polls are even. your premise is wrong. >> it's right. if you look at the battle ground states if you look how close the two of them are compared to where they were a few months ago. the fact barack obama spent money to bring them back. here's my point. it's a simple one. the ryan folks, the guys pushing him will say romney they don't trust him. i don't buy that. i think you could pick a guy like rob portman and still get all the bounce of getting a credible candidate to take over. >> why are they making all this noise? >> they're making the noise. let me finish the point.

they'ric maing the noise because they want romney to hear them. they want romney to say we are the republican right wing establishment. >> to what effect? >> to the effect they want to try to get a more conservative candidate. >> right. but you talk about this noise. i don't think this is just noise. i talked -- >> i don't mean it negatively. >> it's a roar. but i think romney recognizes. this guy was ruthless. you talked to gingrich earlier about how romney playing hardball in the primary. he knows he needs to energize the right. if you pick up -- >> you're right. here's the question. does he want to share it? because if he wins this thing by picking a portman. portman's his guy. if he buckles to this pressure and picks a guy further to his right like ryan, he sort of shares the ticket with this guy. >> no, he's not. ryan's house budget committee close with bain and mcconnell. ryan shares the same persona of

a governing pick. >> will he have -- >> romney likes ryan. >> then why isn't he picking him without the heat? answer the question. with all these heat, you think he's headed towards ryan? >> i think he's headed towards ryan without the heat. just follow the tea leaves. before ryan endorsed in the primary romney's been calling ryan asking advice about the fiscal platform. romney already came out and embraced the ryan budget. he already gave it an endorsement of sorts. romney is thinking to himself if this election is going to be about fiscal issues, why not put him on the ticket. >> this isn't fair but i've got to do it. who's going to be his running mate? >> rob portman. >> i think paul ryan. i think the buzz is real. >> the buzz is real meaning? >> the buzz is real. i think people in boston think ryan's sharp. they want someone who's going to energize the right. i think romney recognizes he needs to make a decision here that's more than portman or pawlenty. >> let me tell you about this guy. i think the guy steps on land

mines. he's going after medicare. he's going against older people who vote regularly. and they're sensitive. once you reach 75 or so, health is everything and somebody's paying for it. medicare. and you don't want to messed with. >> that's the big problem. >> here's my problem. romney runs an opaque campaign. he goes to a hardware store and says what are you buying and he says hardware stuff. he tries to be opaque. he hopes the numbers win for him. but ryan is going to talk. what a fiscal conserve tifr person believes. does romney want that kind of campaign. >> i think he does. >> a very clear campaign. >> a very clear campaign. i think he's going to have a clear contrast between the president's record, what he's done. you get that with a portman, with a ryan. i think all this chatter on the right that we need ryan is overblown. >> the knock on portman, i don't know the guy. he doesn't come on this program. but pawlenty seems like a nice

guy. but portman everybody says a boring. romney's not exciting. >> i think portman brings a lot. >> i saw on colorado yet, known as a guy that doesn't excite. he confused the conservatives on the trail. he's not as bad as people are on the trail. >> no not a hail mary but a pass. >> for the guy has known rob portman for 30 years. >> tell me about this. what is the thing we're missing. >> he's not this bland, boring guy. >> where would you put him on the excitement level? you or him? you don't want to talk about that. >> i'm not going to go there. he's very exciting.

he's very intelligent. people like spending a lot of time. >> he's hiding under a bushel basket. thank you. thank you for coming back. you've given us a lot of stuff here. listen to the right. up next, mitt romney says he likes being able to fire people. so why hasn't he fired any of the people in his campaign that keep getting him in trouble? don't fire the staffer. but we'll ask why he doesn't but he likes firing people. this is "hardball," the place for politics. is now within your grasp with the e-trade 360 investing dashboard. e-trade 360 is the world's first investing homepage that shows you where all your investments are and what they're doing with free streaming quotes, news, analysis and even your trade ticket. everything exactly the way you want it, all on one page. transform your investing with the e-trade 360 investing dashboard.

♪ lord, you got no reason ♪ you got no right ♪ ♪ i find myself at the wrong place ♪ [ male announcer ] the ram 1500 express. ♪ it says a lot about you. ♪ in a deep, hemi-rumble sort of way. guts. glory. ram. [ male announcer ] you work hard. stretch every penny. but chances are you pay a higher tax rate than him... mitt romney made twenty million dollars in two thousand ten but paid only fourteen percent in taxes... probably less than you now he has a plan that would give millionaires another tax break... and raises taxes on middle class families by up to two thousand dollars a year. mitt romney's middle class tax increase. he pays less. you pay more.

i want to say a word about my friend marvin hamlish who died the other day. he was a musical director for a barbara streisand tour. he struck me as the most humble guy you could imagine. in fact, you couldn't imagine a guy like him being so humble. yet he was writing songs for each show like a chorus line. and for 40 movies in all including the way we were and so many others. he once told me someone like him practices piano four hours a day so every year he could do something he couldn't do before. ♪ [ male announcer ] most people tend to think more about how they brush than what they brush with.

until i show them this. the new oral-b pro-health clinical brush. its pro-flex sides adjust to teeth and gums for a better clean. the new pro-health clinical brush from oral-b. that's good morning, veggie style.

hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. i like being able to fire people who provide service to me. if someone doesn't give me the service i need. i say i'll get someone else that can. >> mitt romney left no doubt if someone's not up to the job whether it be an insurance provider or an aide, he likes to fire people. what does it take to get fired from the romney campaign? apparently a lot. back in march describing the pivot his boss intended to make. eric fehrnstrom confirmed suspicions on the right he would go towards the center with this now famous line. >> i think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. everything changes. it's almost like an etch a sketch. you can shake it up and we start

all over again. >> fehrnstrom remains one of romney's top advisers. who could forget warsaw where rick gorka lost his cool with reporters and delivered this priceless line. >> governor romney do you feel your gaffes have overshadowed -- >> this is a holy site. show some respect. show some respect. kiss my [ bleep ]. this is a holy site. show some respect. 12k3w4r that's the line of the year. kiss my -- this is a holy site. gorka was given time off. that might be a low key way to ease him out, but he's back. and now andrea saul, she set off a near revolt when she the other day dechded romney against an ad. >> to that point, you know if people had been in massachusetts under governor romney's health

care plan, they would have had health care. there are a lot of people losing their jobs and losing their health care in president obama's economy. >> so what does a person have to do to get fired by mitt romney in real life when it comes to politics? ron reagan is an author and analyst. and erin mcpike. i want to start with erin. you know all these people, all these press people that work for this guy. he must -- he either likes them, knows what they're up to. doesn't mind them being hit. he's got a thick skin for this stuff. >> he loves his campaign staff. and his campaign staff loves him. he will never fire any one of them. >> but he fired that gay guy that was spokesman for the foreign policy team. he dumped him in a new york minute. >> before he got to know him. he had just come on the campaign. he's known eric fehrnstrom since 2002 since he was running for governor. eric fehrnstrom is his favorite person inside the campaign. >> what about service? he says in that wonderful quote if i don't get the service i

need, i dump this person. well, he's not getting the service he needs from some of these people. kiss my -- this is a holy site. makes it look worse. and this whole thing yesterday saying hey that plan is great. we should have it in indiana is what that woman was saying. that's not helpful to romney. it's helpful to obama. >> some weren't that big of a deal. people on the right have made a much bigger deal. >> what's that tell you? laura ingram, ann coulter. are these people exploiting an opportunity because they don't really like romney? >> they've never really liked mitt romney. >> that's what i wanted >> that's what i wanted to know. nobody likes to fire people, but this idea that i like to fire people like that, tough horse sense, tough business, i got to do it. then these guys are getting away with everything. he likes a loose team or likes a tight ship, which is it? >> the problem is, at least in

fehrnstrom and saul's case, he has to fire them for telling the truth. that might be worse than not firing them for telling the truth. saul in particular is doing her best to defend her boss, hey, these poor people that lost their jobs in insurance and this other place, if they'd only lived in massachusetts under romney care, they'd have been okay and covered and maybe her life had been safe. that's a perfectly legitimate sense, but it cuts right to the heart of the romney campaign, which is this is a man who cannot tout his proudest public achievement because it will upset the mouth-breathing base, so there he is, he's stuck. >> what did he call the base -- what did he call them? >> the mouth-breathing base. >> i thought you meant the knuckle-dragging base. >> same thing. >> we're going into the conventions where every tweet and sound is going to make a lot of noise, going into the general

election where everything said durgtd debates and after the debates is going to matter big time. is he going to shake things up or go with his team? you like these people. you don't want them fired, obviously, you know them all. but is he going to start saying wait a minute, that wasn't me. that person missed my point. >> i think one of the biggest problems with the romney campaign is they are not able to convey to the public what is likable about mitt romney, but the staff loves him. i'll tell you one thing about this, these campaign staffers are some of the highest-paid campaign staffers that have ever worked in the history of campaigns. >> maybe that's why they like him. >> they like their rapport with them. eric fehrnstrom was the first person outside of mitt romney's family that mitt romney told he was conceding after super tuesday in 2008. he's close with these people. he travels with andrea saul all the time. he likes her too and takes care of her almost like a father figure because they travel together so much. they love mitt romney and mitt romney loves them and he won't

fire any of them. >> we're in a dry hole here, because we're looking for managerial ability,t the same time, finding mr. kindness. papa bear. >> the real problem, again, for the romney campaign is not that he's loyal to his people or his people are letting him down, the real problem is it's dishonest, just as the republican party today is dishonest. they are not telling people what they really stand for. want to save medicare, no, they don't, they want to privatize it, they hate it, but they can't say that until they get into power. it's the same thing with romney. that's what's behind all of this. >> why is obama socialist, because he did individual health care. he got the idea from romney. is he a socialist, he's a state-level socialist. then if you move out of state, his spokesman says, heck, i should have stayed in massachusetts. by the way, what's distinctive

about massachusetts, not other state would benefit from it. is it so different? i've never understood why it's only good in massachusetts. by the way, fdr had the new deal in new york state then took it to the country when he was elected. last word from erin. >> conservatives generally don't like the romney campaign's explanation of what he did in massachusetts on health care. they don't want him talking about it at all. that's why this comment was a problem. >> why didn't he tell her not to do that? >> which voters don't like that, though, which voters? >> i think he wants the moderates to hear the moderate, but his speakspeople are not good. thank you for joining us from clear politics, real clear politics. when we return, the campaigns that inspire us, both campaigns right now, not a the lo of inspiration. this is the place for politics. [ male announcer ] when she takes the starting block this summer,

she's not just natalie coughlin. she's every 5-year-old who ever jumped in a pool and didn't want to get out. ♪ every coach, every rival who ever pushed her. she's the tip of a spear that goes all the way back to the beginning. it's amazing how far you can go with a little help along the way. td ameritrade. proud sponsor of the 2012 u.s. olympic team. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air. [ sneezes ] and i thought "i can't do this, it's just too hard." then there was a moment. when i decided to find a way to keep going.

go for olympic gold and go to college too. [ male announcer ] every day we help students earn their bachelor's or master's degree for tomorrow's careers. this is your moment. let nothing stand in your way. devry university, proud to support the education of our u.s. olympic team.

let me finish tonight with this. i don't know anybody who's impressed with this campaign so far, and i'm talking about both candidates. romney seems like a guy trying desperately not to make another mistake, hoping the economic numbers will win it for him. after all these years of running for just a few months more. can you think of anything less inspiring than that, a guy trying not to crash, hoping the economy would do it for him. obama hasn't been that inspiring either. times are tough and he can't

just play defense and that means hitting his rival in the shins, but like you, i remember that wonderful poster from 2008 with that picture from him looking upward and that single word, hope. hope is what this campaign has lacked. romney is basically calling a return to normalcy, all this restore our future stuff, that's what his party promised in the early 1920s giving us the roaring '20s followed by the great depression. romney's now in search of his coolidge. he already has his theme, a government attuned to the wants and needs of business, a government that knew its place, stay out of the way and let the big boys make money. that's what you hear his supporters and donors want and what you're sure romney is ready to give them. obama, who has the brains and conscience to lead, seems to settle on a single goal, tear down his rival. incumbents don't look good when they do that, they look good to

ask for a second term to do with what they couldn't get done in one, couldn't get right in one. i'm waiting for the moment when obama or romney offers something what we got before. something they wanted. america has been on the promise of something better, the candidate that creates a picture of something bold and true is going to get the brass ring, and the one who plays it safe will not. i didn't get interested in politics at the age of five to watch two guys avoid being leaders. let's hope the convention shake this thing up and we start hearing about the sharp difference in direction these two candidates are going to take this country, because the evidence suggests it's going to be huge. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "the ed show" with ed schultz starts right now. good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show" from new york. 89 days until the 2012 election. the obama super pac commercial has mitt romney whining. republicans are on defense and ann coulter is calling for the

head of romney's spokesperson? gosh, it's getting interesting. all that and harry reid is starting to reveal more information about his source. i'm loving it. hope you are too. this is "the ed show," let's get to work. the past when people pointed out that something was inaccurate, why campaigns pulled the ad, they were embarrassed. >> the debate over the joe soptic ad hits fever pitch. mitt romney is crying foul in a stunning display of hypocrisy. journalist michael kinsley says the ad is fair game and he joins us tonight. newt gingrich admits romney's welfare commercial is full of holes. >> we have no proof today. >> democratic strategist chris kofinis agrees and he's fear to set it straight tonight. >> corporations are people, my friend. >> romney thinks corporations are people, but when it comes to releasing his tax returns, mitt says he's not a business. the big panel weighs in on the romney reverse.

and the romney camp is out with yet another lie. >> president obama used his health care plan to declare war on religion. plus, the nuns on a bus challenge mitt to spend a day on tour. sister simone campbell tells us why mitt romney needs to be educated on america's poor. good to have you with us tonight, folks, thanks for watching. mitt romney finally responded to a pro-obama super pac ad. the ad features former steelworker joe soptic. it tells joe's story after he was laid off from a plant closed by bain capital. romney called the ad inaccurate. >> you know, in the past when people pointed out that something was inaccurate, why, campaigns either pulled the ad, they were embarrassed. today they just blast ahead. >> really? mitt romney wants campaigns to pull inaccurate ads? someone should ask mitt romney why he didn't pull this campaign ad. president obama is quo